project management

How You’ll Start the Lead Magnet Project

June 21, 2017 by Brent Peterson

The new Lead Magnet Project is about you.

It is about your professional dreams to serve people around the world through the web.

The Lead Magnet Project ends with the successful execution of your lead generation strategy. How the project starts for you will be a unique and transformative experience (more on that in a moment).

As a Lead Magnet Project participant, you will:

Determine you best email list building strategy
Create a winning professional lead magnet
Write effective copy for your opt-in form, web page, or advertisement
Integrate and test your lead magnet with your email marketing service
Strategically connect your lead magnet to your (current or planned) product or service through your own professionally-crafted email marketing
Grow your email list and business with a relevant target audience

Free Lead Magnet Guide

Note about the Lead Magnet Project

The Lead Magnet Project is not another expensive and isolated online course full of modules and lessons – that may teach you what to do, but not how to do it.

Instead, the Lead Magnet Project is an inexpensive and interactive professional-managed online project – that will guide you through what to do and how to do it.

Specifically, you will be guided step-by-step through the strategic and technical steps for your new lead generation strategy.

And you control the project duration – leave after one month or stay connected. It’s up to you!

Project registration opened on Thursday 6/29 – click here to stay connected. You will also receive a 25% off discount opportunity that stays active for as long as you decide to stay connected to the Lead Magnet Project.

How You’ll Start the Lead Magnet Project

Once you join the Lead Magnet Project, you will immediately have an opportunity to complete a personalized and strategic Typeform questionnaire.

(If you have never used Typeform, you are in for a real treat – click here for some Typeform examples.)

The questionnaire will help you get clear on your business goals and offerings.

Once you complete the questionnaire, you will automatically receive a copy of your responses for your own strategic planning.

While you are focused on your strategy, your Teamwork Projects account will be set up to welcome you into the Lead Magnet Project with a round of applause!

The Lead Magnet Project Starts Thursday, June 29th

Email subscribers will receive a project announcement and a special 25% off discount opportunity.

You don’t want to miss out!

Start with Your FREE Lead Magnet Guide

How to Take Advantage of Opportunities (or Positive Project Risks)

April 5, 2017 by Brent Peterson

Risk isn’t always a bad thing.

Granted, the risks in the earlier post 4 Ways to Manage Risk on Web Projects did cast risks in their typical negative shadow.

Negative risks should be handled carefully on any project related to your online entrepreneurial ventures – whether you are starting out full-time or as a part-time side gig.

But not all risk is negative.

Risk can actually be positive (and another name for a positive risk is simply an opportunity).

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) – the international standard for projects from the Project Management Institute – there are four suggested responses to project opportunities.

Managing Risk is Critical

Any new resource or process you offer online in service to others is created in a project. And your success depends significantly on your ability to then manage risks on your projects.

Project management helps you.

So if you are in search of how to take advantage of opportunities that surface on your online entrepreneurial projects, read on…

… and if you are interested in other weekly professional tips about the critical project side of online entrepreneurship, simply click here to join the free mailing list.

How to Take Advantage of Opportunities

There are four commonly accepted ways to take advantage of opportunities (or positive risks) on projects. Like the ways to manage negative risks, once you are familiar with the ways to manage positive risks, you will also be better positioned to plan ahead for the inevitable positive risks of doing business online.

1. Exploit the Opportunity

When you exploit an opportunity, you take deliberate action in your project plan to eliminate the uncertainty of the upside risk. In other words, you make sure the opportunity is seized.

In technology-related projects, a common way to take advantage of opportunities like this is to assign an experienced project manager or to use proven software solutions.

2. Enhance the Opportunity

When you enhance an opportunity, you take steps to increase the probability or the impact of a positive risk occurring. For example, if you discover there is a strategic advantage to finish a project activity earlier than you planned, you can add more resources to the activity to enhance the opportunity for your business.

3. Share the Opportunity

When you share an opportunity related to a project (like a product launch), you share part of the reward of the opportunity with a third party. In the online entrepreneurial world, these types of opportunities are often called joint ventures.

In a joint venture, you may pay another party 50% of your product sale if the other party is responsible for the customer of that particular sale.

4. Accept the Opportunity

Lastly, when you accept a positive risk, you do not exploit, enhance, or share the opportunity. You simply hope for the best and if the opportunity surfaces, you happily take advantage of the size of the opportunity.

For example, you realize there is a chance your online membership product will appeal to a different demographic that you are targeting. Rather than marketing directly to them through Facebook ads, you accept the opportunity as is.

Project Management Works for You

The secret to successful online entrepreneurship is simply this…

Plan your work and then work your plan.

The four ways to manage negative risks are critical elements of any project. But the four ways on how to take advantage of opportunities are also critical for your success.

Plan ahead but don’t accept all risks – both positive and negative.

Your success depends on it.

If you are seeking further professional project guidance for online entrepreneurship in a supportive and interactive environment, you may be interested in the upcoming Graceful Resources project on How to Build a Relevant Email List.

Note: The kickoff date for this Graceful Project has shifted to June so that all project components are in place for your benefit. Please accept my apology for the delay.

Stay Connected to Project Announcements

Even if you already have a mailing list, the scope of the project is worth a close look. It is designed for professionals like you who have other full-time responsibilities.

Positive and negative risk strategies will be clearly outlined for participants.

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

4 Ways to Manage Risk on Web Projects

March 23, 2017 by Brent Peterson

Risk is Everywhere.

The entrepreneurial world of web pages and email marketing is no exception. Thankfully, there are four proven ways to manage risks on your projects.

In project speak, risk is defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI) as:

An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project’s objectives.

The Good News

Risk can be positive.

For example, you get more subscribers to opt-in to your new email mailing list than you anticipated. Or you realize more online sales of your product or service than you were assuming.

(You’ll discover four valuable project responses to positive risks (aka opportunities) in a subsequent blog post. Click here to join the free mailing list and never miss an article about the project side of online entrepreneurship.)

The Bad News

Risk is more often negative.

For example, your new opt-in form to build your mailing list isn’t working correctly. People are interested in what you have to say or offer, but they are unable to join your list. If that happens, it is likely they will never return to your web page.

The same case applies if your online checkout process does not work. People lose confidence in a business online in a moment’s notice.

Managing Risk is Critical

Any new resource or process you offer online in service to others is created in a project.

And your success depends significantly on your ability to then manage risks on your projects.

Project management helps you.

4 Ways to Manage Risk on Web Projects

There are four commonly accepted ways to manage negative risks on projects. Once you are familiar with them, you will be better positioned to plan ahead for the inevitable risks of doing business online.

1. Accept the Risk

When you accept a project risk, you take no action unless the risk occurs. This is an appropriate response to risks that are low in probability or when it is not reasonable to avoid, mitigate, or transfer the risk. A common acceptance strategy is to have contingency reserve in place (often in the form of time or money) if the risk occurs.

2. Avoid the Risk

When you avoid a project risk, you are eliminating the source of the risk from your project plan. For example, one way to avoid the risk of spam in your blog comments is to disable the comments feature on your website. The most extreme way to avoid a project risk is to shut down the project.

3. Mitigate the Risk

When you mitigate a project risk, you are taking action to reduce the probability or impact of a risk. A common (and smart) way to mitigate the risk of technology not working on your web pages is to execute a test plan. A test plan directs you to put your own processes like an autoresponder sequence to the test. You don’t want to learn your opt-in form or online shopping cart is not working days or even weeks after “going live”.

4. Transfer the Risk

Lastly, when you transfer a negative project risk, you are shifting the responsibility for the risk to a third party. Any insurance company is in the business of risk transference. You pay a premium for someone else to manage the risk if it occurs. In the digital commerce industry, a company like Rainmaker Digital manages WordPress plugin security risks for its customers through the Rainmaker Platform. That’s one reason the platform is a more expensive investment than a standalone WordPress site.

Project Management Works

The secret to successful entrepreneurship is simply this…

Plan the work and then work the plan.

The four ways to manage risk are critical elements of any project. Plan ahead and don’t accept all risks. Instead, plan to avoid, mitigate, or transfer most of your risks.

Your success depends on it.

Seeking professional project guidance for online entrepreneurship in a supportive and interactive environment?

You may be interested in the upcoming Graceful Resources project on How to Build an Email List.

Stay Connected to Project Announcements

Even if you already have a mailing list, the scope of the project is worth a close look. It is designed for professionals like you who have other full-time responsibilities.

Risk strategies will be clearly outlined for participants.

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

3 Goals for Email Marketing (And For Your Success)

February 16, 2017 by Brent Peterson

Today is my birthday so been thinking a lot about the best ways to have a positive impact in the year ahead for the gracious professionals like you who are joining this journey called Graceful Resources.

You have a special gift to share with the world and you should profit from that passion so you can serve more people.

But you need momentum, one project step at a time.

If you are seeking professional project guidance for an online business, I’m here to help!

3 Goals for Email Marketing (And For Your Success)

1. Receive Strategic Direction

Every online entrepreneur must have a solid foundation for growth and that starts with the right strategic direction and the right technology toolkit.

Strategic resources including some great books are outlined on the Graceful Resources about page.

2. Move Forward Every Week

Success is delivered to people who plan the work and then work the plan. A clear plan of action will guide your next step toward great results.

We use Teamwork Projects software for client projects and are now sharing this great project tool with participants in the upcoming guided do-it-yourself project to build an email list even without a website.

When you join the project, you’ll be given your own Teamwork login account and you will connect with other entrepreneurs going through the same project and journey.

And you will be guided along one project step at a time.

3. Save Time and Money

Online entrepreneurship is not free. There are real costs of doing online business plus the opportunity cost of your time. You are on a tight budget and you do not want to make bad investments in software, services, programs, or people (only to then have to hire someone else to fix the problems).

Wise investments of your time and money will keep your dream alive!

Three Goals for Email Marketing (and Your Success)

If these three goals resonate with you, it would be an honor to have your join the Graceful Resources journey via this free mailing list. If you have any feedback, please feel free to drop a note via this form or in reply to any of email message.

Your success happens, one project step at a time!

Brent

Special Bonus: All subscribers to the mailing list can add their own lead magnet web addresses at any time to the lead magnet examples listing here on the Graceful Resources website. So free publicity for your website!