Chris Ducker

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5 Ways To Accelerate Your Entrepreneurial Vision [How to Go Further, Faster!]

November 1, 2017 by Chris 23 Comments

Have you ever thought to yourself that your business is not progressing the way you had hoped, that you are trying everything you can possibly think of and yet you still find yourself disappointed with the speed of the outcome.

Have you considered that there may be things that you’re doing or not doing, unintentionally or subconsciously, that could in fact be slowing you down, when it comes to your entrepreneurial vision.

Here are five potential reasons why you may not be doing as well as you’d hoped, and how you can speed up your progress as an entrepreneur and go further, faster!

1. You’re Not Outsourcing

Are you trying to do everything yourself simply because you can? It’s great that you can do everything, but that doesn’t mean to say that you should be doing everything. There are only so many hours in a day that you are available to work on your ideas, your projects and your business.

We would all like more time, and we can all get it, by investing in other people’s time to get our jobs done. The quicker you can finish what you started, the quicker you can start generating an income from it.

So start delegating to virtual staff and more.

2. You’re Not Giving Yourself A Break

Serial entrepreneurs, especially those of us building a business around our expertise, are renowned for working ‘every waking hour,’ and while to many of us who love what we do, we don’t mind putting all these hours in to nurture our ideas, it’s a simple fact that eventually, if you don’t take a break – you will burn out, and if you do burn out, things could grind to a halt.

Look after yourself, so that you can look after your business and keep the ball consistently rolling. Underneath the surface we are all built the same, (unless you are one of Stan Lee’s “super-humans” of course) and we all need to give our minds and our bodies time to recharge so our own performance doesn’t suffer and slow us down. 

For example myself and my wife take 10-days off at the end of Q1 and the beginning of Q4 each and every year.

In addition, each August we take the entire month for a full-blown sabbatical.

It helps to re-energize us, and personally, from a mental bandwidth perspective, I need it at that point in the year!

3. You Are Working Harder Rather Than Smarter

Many entrepreneurs, when they are going through the learning curve, tend to take the scenic route – we all need to learn from trial and error, and that’s often what makes us such experts at what we do, however we also need to find a way to limit the potential impact from the duration of this learning curve.

Many years ago I had a revelation after reading The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss – “eliminate” and “automate”, what a simple yet outstanding concept, but once you have done this and outsourced whatever you can, you then need to “prioritise”, for example, if you’re a start-up, you may want to begin investing your time and energy only into things that will bring in a profit as quickly as possible.

Whatever your primary goal is, prioritise the things that are going to get you there, the fastest. That’s focus on your entrepreneurial vision.

Your “to do” list will seem far less overwhelming this way.

4. You Have The “Protection” Mindset

Collaboration is not just for teams, or for people working together. If you are in the mindset that you have created something wonderful and unique, yet you are desperately trying to protect your idea from the competition, and you are trying to build an empire all on your own, you could be “trying” forever.

You need to network and collaborate, and in many cases working directly with your competition is the best way to accelerate your growth, as they already have the audience you need and there could be a way that you can work together for mutually beneficial gains. Switching to the “abundance” mindset, will likely accelerate your growth.

5. You’re Not Taking Big Enough Risks

It’s virtually impossible to get where you want to be as an entrepreneur, as well as constantly developing and growing your entrepreneurial vision, with any kind of speed, without taking a few risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone.

If you’re always going to do the same thing, then you will most likely always get the same results.

What’s got you to ‘here’, won’t get you to where you want to go.

Look at your business honestly and objectively, study your return on investment, and if something just isn’t working for you, no matter how many experts say it should, “scrap it” and do something new and infinitely more exciting that what you were doing.

Raise your game, change your strategy, and you will eventually succeed!

What Exactly IS Your Brand? Here’s the Answer!

March 31, 2017 by Chris 40 Comments

your-brand-not-aroundClick HERE to Tweet this Value Bomb!

As an entrepreneur, making it a priority to build my own personal brand has quite frankly turned out to be the best business move I’ve made in my entire career – and I don’t say that lightly, believe me. It’s brought about more opportunities than I could shake a stick at, and helped me grow my businesses bigger than I ever thought possible in the process.

Building your Brand is SMART because it:

  • Creates awareness of what we, as entrepreneurs stand for.
  • Gives us opportunities to become liked and followed consistently.
  • Elevates our credibility, because we embrace being ‘out there’ for the world to find.
  • Allows us to gain trust – which ultimately leads to more business!

Over the last few months I’ve talked a fair amount on the subject of personal branding, as well as the importance of building a brand online on a number of occasions – all of the content has been very well received and I’ve got lots of positive emails and tweets on the subject for the readers of this blog.

What I’ve Experienced Thanks to My Personal Brand

Here are a handful of amazing things that have happened to me, as a result of consciously building my own brand a few years ago:

  • I’ve become the number one go-to source in my industry.
  • I’ve been featured, countless times, in Entrepreneur Magazine.
  • I’ve been featured by Inc.com, Forbes.com, Huffington Post, Success Magazine and other press outlets.
  • I’ve launched and catapulted a speaking career.
  • I’ve landed a traditional book deal (which has since become a bestseller!)
  • I’ve netted a large social media and blog following.
  • I’ve grown an active mailing list of well over 50,000 subscribers.

If all that wasn’t enough, like I said, I’ve also been able to grow my three businesses to a level I never would have imagined, with over 400 full-time employees working for me, and clients from all around the world.

10 Quick Tips to Branding Building Brilliance

  • #1) Have a Unique Blog Design – Don’t copy anyone. Create something new looking, and stand out. People want to do business with innovators.
  • #2) Get a Proper Logo Designed – Cheap (home-made) logos always look bad. Invest in a good one, use a service like 99designs.com.
  • #3) Think About Creating a Tagline – You don’t ‘need’ it, but it might help get your message across quickly, especially in a crowded niche.
  • #4) Create an ‘About Me’ Page – Tell people about who you are, and most importantly how you will help them. Think about things properly and then do it. Check mine out here, too.
  • #5) Add Links to your Social Media Channels – Facebook, Twitter, Google+ – take the conversation off your blog.
  • #6) Publish a Podcast – The ability to literally be inserted into someones earbuds is untouched online today. It’s a medium that everyone loves.
  • #7) Publish Online Video via YouTube – YouTube is just like another search engine. Provide it some good content and people will find you.
  • #8) Create Unique, Compelling Content – Listen to your audience, they will help you solve problems and answer questions for them.
  • #9) Have a Unique Free (Opt-In) Offer – Work hard on building something you could charge $100 for, then give it away to build your email list!
  • #10) Be Yourself – Always. People can read right through the ‘Online BS’. So, be you. People want to do business with other people.

Build your brand, people. Build your brand.

If you enjoyed this post, please let me know on my Facebook page or via Twitter. And… if you have some likeminded friends, I’d love for you to share it with them. Thank you!

7 Email Hacks That’ll Turn You Into an Insanely Productive Entrepreneur [Infographic]

June 16, 2015 by Chris Leave a Comment

Let’s face it, there isn’t an entrepreneur on this green earth of ours that wouldn’t want to cut down the time they have to spend managing their email on a daily basis.

It’s a subject that I’ve blogged about countless times, as well as covered on the podcast, too. Yet, for some reason so many ‘productive entrepreneurs’ continue to be bogged down by the never ending abuse that their inboxes battle with – and not all that productive in the process!

Nowadays, email has become the go-to source of communication. Some of us have learned to handle it in ways that doesn’t stun our productivity, some haven’t.

To help in the struggle, I decided to put together this infographic with my top tips and hacks to help you manage the inbox madness and become an insanely productive entrepreneur in the process.

If you enjoy it, please consider sharing it with your other business buddies!

EMAILHACKS

What do you think? Grab any new tips?

Again, email is a tool – it’s not something that should control your day.

Keep that in mind, practice some of these hacks and I promise you’ll be spending more time on the things that really matter, both business and personal related. Being a productive entrepreneur is one thing – but, being a productive father, mother, husband, wife, mentor, coach, boss… whatever… is even better!

If you liked this post, please reach out to me on Twitter and let me know!

I’d love to hear from you.

10 Social Media Tools That Make Everything Easier!

June 24, 2014 by Chris 64 Comments

social media tools

While social media is definitely a huge part of many small business marketing plans, it is still one facet of a much bigger picture and many entrepreneurs find themselves wishing there were more hours in the day to focus on the other aspects of their business.

To help give you a little more time in your day, yet continue to promote your social media presence, here’s a list of ten of my favourite social media tools that I use (some more regularly than others) with my team, that can help your business top on top of things a little more.

If you’re wanting to get your social media to even higher heights without being involved every step of the way, you should also check out my guide on How to Work with a Virtual Assistant to Manage Your Social Media – #justsaying 🙂

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3 Content Marketing Tips That are So Easy to Follow, that They Actually WORK!

April 17, 2013 by Chris 44 Comments

content-marketing-tipsGetting involved with content marketing is one of the easiest ways to create a tribe of fans and followers online, which in turn helps you market your products and services, as well as help potential customers and clients by answering questions, providing support, etc.

I’ve already touched base on the subject on a couple of episodes of the New Business Podcast, with guests C.C. Chapman and Jay Baer. I’m also in the process of putting together a complete guide to working with virtual assistants to help you with the research, creation, publishing and marketing of content online – watch this space!

In today’s video I give you a few tips that have worked really well for me. I mean, this simplistic approach to content marketing REALLY DOES WORK. Check it out below, and please feel free to share it with your buddies if you like it!

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Website Pick-Me-Up #2: Getting ‘Social’ in the Right Way (Video)

December 5, 2012 by Chris 22 Comments

Website Pick-Me-Up!About a month ago I posted on our Facebook page that I was wanting to do some free website coaching for subscribers and readers of the blog. What ensued was an onslaught of people wanting to have their sites looked over by me, which was awesome!

That first session highlighted three websites, and we focused on the importance of opt-in integration on a site, amongst other things.

I had so much great feedback from that first session that I decided to do it again. Again, I posted the alert on the Facebook page (if you’ve not liked the page yet – this is one of MANY reasons why you should – now!), and had another bunch of sites to choose from – which I do randomly, by the way.

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I’m Speaking at New Media Expo in Vegas and Want You To Come, Too – For FREE!

November 6, 2012 by Chris 27 Comments

Come Hang Out in Vegas!The biggest, most respected industry conference for Bloggers, Podcasters, Web TV show hosts, and anyone else that has anything to do with making things happen online is just around the corner, and I’m happy to say I’ve been invited back (for the 2nd time) to speak again!

But, what I’m even more excited about is the fact that the sexy folks over at the New Media Expo have given me TWO All-Access Passes to the 3-day event to give away to members of my awesome, butt-kicking entrepreneurial community… Woot!

To find out how YOU can win a pass, and come hang out in Vegas with me and thousands of other movers and shakers, just watch the quick video below.

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3 Fast and Easy Ways to Kick-Start the Growth of Your Business!

November 2, 2012 by Chris 43 Comments

Business growth is one of those terms that is thrown around a lot nowadays. For me, this used to simply mean increasing revenue.

As a business owner myself, I’m focused. My eyes are ‘on the prize’.

However, in my pursuit to continue to grow my own businesses, and start-up new ones – I have come to a realization. Actually a few… And I’d like to share these three quick tips that I hope you seriously consider taking on board, so that you can start growing your business a little faster in today’s market.

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The Importance of Innovation in Business and Why You Need to Get Busy – NOW!

October 30, 2012 by Chris 28 Comments

innovation in business

Over the last month or so the importance of innovation in business has become more and more obvious to me.

I’ve come across a handful of people either trying to completely copy one of my business models, duplicate my online content (from this blog), blatantly copy the design of my Facebook branding and even had someone rip footage from one of my YouTube videos, and include it in a video to promote their business elsewhere online!

I’m left thinking “Really? C’mon. Get original, already..!”.

I appreciate that its tough to come up with a ‘truly’ original ‘idea’ nowadays, but knowingly copying, or ripping off someone else’s idea, or business model is not gonna get you anywhere.

Knowing the type of people that read my blog, I’m sure we’re all in agreement on this point!

Benefits of Innovation in Business

It’s easy to copy what is seen as working in today’s market. It’s a tough game out there nowadays, and anything you can do to help kick-start your new business, blog, WebTV show, podcast, service, product or digital magazine in a positive manner is understandable.

However, I’m a big believer that the advantages of innovation in business go way beyond just doing well, or making money!

It’s about creating the right kind of persona as an entrepreneur. It’s about moving and shaking in the right circles. It’s about ‘killing it’ live on stage, in the boardroom, over the dining table, or on the golf course.

The benefits of being innovative in the way you startup, grow and develop your business far outweigh the benefits you’ll enjoy by simply copying someone else’s idea, or model.

Why is Innovation Important in Business?

Why shouldn’t it be? Why is it important that you water indoor plants daily; that you keep the tempreature of your tropical aquarium at the right setting; that you workout regularly?

Since I launched this new site, just 6 weeks ago, I’ve taken the following steps to stand out from the crowd, re-brand myself and generally make a statement:

  • The site is 100% customized – there is no other site out there like it.
  • I created a 7-Day Bootcamp course to help reenforce my entrepreneurial philosophies on building businesses in the 21st century.
  • Backing it all up, I launched the New Business Manifesto, along with a customized video to help promote it.
  • I’ve provided free website critiques, as well as replied to every single comment posted on the blog.
  • My Facebook page has grown at an awesome pace, down to my interaction and giveaways.
  • Plus much more!

I feel good about making these moves, and I have a lot more planned in the next few months, too.

Advantages of Innovation in Business

It’s easy for me to rant and rave a little about this – and don’t get me wrong, I’ve got this! I’m not all that concerned by any of it – but, I do see this trend of cutting corners, copying, etc. developing more and more nowadays, which is why I decided to create this post on the subject.

As an entrepreneurial network, we need to respect original ideas, business processes, market concepts and so on. If we don’t we leave ourselves wide open to being spanked ourselves – probably when we’re doing well, and it’s really going to sting!

And here’s the thing… Exactly how innovation helps business, depends on your business model. 

If you’re running an online business, creating mobile apps or selling informational products via your blog, being seen as an innovative sort will help you immensely, of course.

If you own a pet store, then you might not have to be SEEN as an innovative person, but if you can inject a certain amount of innovation into the way you market and promote your business in the local community, not only will you get more business, but you’ll also be respected as a local entrepreneur.

Conclusion

There are always going to be those that copy and duplicate what you have done, because you’ve done okay for yourself doing it. Get over it. Life goes on.

The big difference between those business owners that continue to crush it, and those that merely taste ‘the crush’ (is there such a term?! well, there is now!), is how you conduct yourself in business. How you promote, market, sell and look after your customers.

Get busy being innovative my friends. Stand out for the right reasons, and the rewards will come to you over and over again…

What do you think about the role of innovation in business? Do you place the right amount of focus on the importance of innovation in business, when it comes to your own activities? I’d love to know your feelings on this important subject. Comment below.

Website Pick-Me-Up: 3 Subscriber’s Get a Good Grillin’ from Me! (Video)

October 26, 2012 by Chris 28 Comments

Website Pick-Me-Up!Earlier on in the week, I posted a status update over on our Facebook Community, asking for people to volunteer their websites for a bit of a ‘beat down’!

I was astounded with how many people submitted their sites for public critiquing, but also happy to see so many great site authors following me online – even though they are doing just fine on their own, by the looks of things!

I’d love to have the time to go over every site in detail, however, I don’t. After scanning all of them, I selected these three that I felt were almost there, but needed a few tweaks in place, in order to get to the next level.

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