Keeping It Real In Business

Finding the courage to really be ourselves in this world is often a challenge. But this is how we are going to find our niche and make money online. What is it that really excites you and how can you know the difference between a hobby and a passion? For instance with me I love Windsurfing and Wakeboarding. These are my hobbies. I learned how to teach Windsurfing in my twenties thinking that this was the job for me but when I began I realised I just wanted to be doing the Windsurfing, not teaching it. Windsurfing is a discipline and an escape for me. I don’t want it to become a source of income. That would complicate it and change the tone I so love.

So when it comes to helping people make money online through their passion this is something I love doing and if there is money involved for me then I see that as a reward for value and a service I have provided for someone. If I do not make money from it then that is ok because I love to do it. When I meet budding entrepreneurs looking to get started in their chosen field or I speak to a new business owner who has managed to turn an idea into a growing enterprise I actually feel quite tearful! Sounds odd? Well it is said that if you write down a list of all the possible choices you can think of for your own passion that you would like to perhaps turn into a business it is the one that makes you want to cry that you should go for.

Richard Branson once said that we should never go into business purely for money. I agree with him. Have you ever tried a get rich quick scheme with the promise of a fast buck? Or have you started a job purely because the pay check looks exciting? I know I have. Well in the field of business we quickly become unstuck if we are not really passionate about the niche and the service we provide.

I was watching a John Demartini video the other day and he was talking about why we tend to get so disappointed when a new love in our life suddenly hurts so much after a period of time. Like meeting the perfect partner and falling in love only to find out two years down the line they are human and have all the same flaws and characteristics of any other person! He said it is because we fell in love with a fantasy and this is why a business can often fail. If our goal is a fantasy then when we hit the inevitable hurdles of business we are not psychologically prepared. We can prepare ourselves for the realities of running a business by making sure our chosen niche is one that makes our heart sing and that our goals are based in reality and not on fantasy.

Once we have chosen our niche we can build a brand around it and begin our journey working with social media to promote our service and build a client base. It is the passion we have for something that makes us almost desperate to get out there and help people with it! These are the signs we should be looking for. But this of course requires us to be ourselves. It means knowing, not believing but knowing there is no one else on this earth the same as you. There is no-one else who has the same heart as you, so the passion that is in there is unique to you. The task of speaking our truth, sharing our passion for the benefit of others is our responsibility. The good news is it’s what makes us insanely happy! What will you do today to begin the journey of sharing your passion with the world?

By Willow McIntosh

Instagram Rolls Out Web Profiles

While most businesses are focused on going mobile, popular photo-sharing app Instagram is making its web debut. Two years after arriving on the iPhone, the company has finally started to roll out web profiles.
“People have been asking for this for a while now and we’re excited to finally start rolling them out,” explained Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom. “We’re going to start out by launching to a small percentage of people today and will roll it out slowly to everyone in the coming days.”

Currently, when you share a link to an Instagram photo on Facebook or Twitter, people can view that photo but not much else. For example, if someone wanted to browse through your additional photos, he or she would have to look you up on Instagram. The company’s new web profiles aim to resolve that.
Bearing an incredible likeness to Facebook Timeline, Instagram’s web profiles feature a rotating collage of photos where your Facebook cover photo would sit. Below that, a small profile image, short bio, and follower stats rest just above your photo history — which is arranged in reverse-chronological order.

Instagram’s web profiles also enable individuals to follow new users, like photos, and leave comments directly from their browsers. To check if you’ve received the new profile, just access your profile (for example, http://instagram.com/sproutsocial). Instagram details what new features visitors can expect on profiles still awaiting the update.

If you’ve been neglecting your Instagram account, the new profile — which puts an even greater emphasis on your photos — is a good reminder to revisit and re-evaluate your goals on the platform. Photo sharing sites like Instagram have revived storytelling through photos; make sure your story is ready.

[Image credit: Instagram]