This week I have been dipping in and out of an ‘online telesummit’ called Event Money Machine (yes I know …). As a trainer, tips on marketing workshops and seminars are always welcome so I tuned in to get ideas from event marketers in the UK and the US.

I’ll admit, some of the ideas and tips are good. Great even. However, one thing about the speakers is really bugging me and the more I listen to online webinars and teleseminars the more something feels wrong.

It’s the constant focus on how ‘easy’ and ‘quick’ it is to build a six or seven figure business rather then build a business of value.

I have two fundamental problems with this approach. Firstly, it puts too much emphasis on wealth building and making money for the sake of it rather than creating value, and secondly, it clouds over the fact that it takes a lot of hard work to build any kind of profitable business but especially an online one.

An entire business has grown up on the web of people making money by telling other people how incredibly easy it is to make money on the web. “Buy this e-course for $997 and you will be making six figures by next Tuesday!”. You know the drill. Personally, I think we should start from a place of thinking about what value we can give to our readers, customers and clients rather than thinking up the next money making scheme. By working to provide a valuable product or service and listening to what our audience really wants, we can create sustainable businesses that do not exploit others and can provide us with an income.

Living in a city like London talk of money is never far from the conversation. We all get caught up in the idea that we need more and more income to sustain our lifestyles which generally involves working increasing hard to fuel this at the detriment of our relationships and other passions.

Readers of this blog know that I am a fan of the minimalist lifestyle advocated by bloggers such as Everett Bogue and Tammy Strobel. These entrepreneurs are living examples of having strong core values which translates into real value for their readers and customers. By living minimalist lifestyles, they can live off the proceeds of their minimalist business – a more realistic and obtainable goal then trying to make a million online.

Returning to the second point, Chris Anthony wrote a great article on the IttyBiz blog on the myth of the 4 hour work week saying that “Being an entrepreneur, at least at the beginning, is going to kick your ass”. And he’s right. It does – and will continue to do so. Anyone that thinks running your own business is the easy option compared to having a salary and regular working hours has never been self-employed.

Running your own business is amazing but definitely hard work. But is does give us one advantage – control. We have the power to design our business to suit our lifestyle, not fit our life in around our work.

I agree with Leo Babauta - we need less then we think. We can live simpler and less money focused lives, even somewhere like London.

So let’s stop listening to people talk about making six or seven figures in their business and concentrate on creating value instead.

Have a great weekend!

[Tasty money image with thanks to oskay via Creative Commmons]

 

Everett Bogue is currently one of my favourite bloggers. He blogs at Far Beyond the Stars on minimalism and location independence living - two subjects close to my heart.

Today sees the release of a free ebook entitled Minimalist Workday: 50 Strategies for Working Less. In true minimalist style, Everett outlines 50 ways that you can start to streamline your workday from old chestnuts such as stop checking your email and batching tasks to more controversial but worthwhile suggestions like firing your bad clients and creating scarcity for your work.

Everett comments:

"The average American works 7.9 hours a day, that’s just under 2,000 hours a year. I’d like to argue that much of that time is wasted, sitting at a desk, doing stupid work that doesn’t matter.

Also, two weeks of vacation a year is a crime, and you know it.

I think this is one of the most important issues of our time. The world changed, and how we use our time is much more important than how long we sit at a desk.

It’s time for a revolution in the way we think of work."

 

This book is well worth a read - go grab a green tea, dive in and join the revolution.

Download your free copy here: Minimalist Workday: 50 Strategies for Working Less