Leadership Interview on
Ian McAllister

What motivates you to remain focused on growing your business/website?
My motivation comes from many areas. As with any successful business owner, I am looking to spend my time promoting a product that I am proud of. I am focused on providing a product that adds value to the lives of other people.

Obviously, I am working toward creating a profitable business. A profitable business will provide me with the freedom and opportunity to enjoy more of what this life has to offer. That motivates me!

What has been your greatest challenge as a business leader, and how did you overcome it?
In my first online business, www.traductores-translators.com (no longer in operation), I learned a hard lesson. I learned that before you invest significant time and money developing a website for a particular subject, it’s important to narrow your subject as much as possible.

While I am very proud of this first venture, the topic of translation is just too broad of a field. I realized later that visitors to my site could be looking for thousands of different language pairs. As a result, many of the folks who visit this site may not find what they are looking for.

I have now started a new online business, studying-techniques.com, where visitors will be more highly targeted for being interested in passing exams.

Currently I am developing a new book that will teach others who to effectively pass exams. The will be available on a try-before-you-buy basis.

Although the book isn't quite ready yet, I have been highly encouraged by the initial response from those who are visiting the site. Visitors have been enthusiastic about the upcoming book and have helped by completing our online survey. Their feedback is telling me what they would like to see in the new book.

Describe the most important activity(ies) you do regularly, that you attribute to the success of your site?
Research and development is truly the best use of my time. I am always tracking down quality information so that I can pass it on to my visitors. Consistently adding pages of quality content to my site is key to the ongoing development of my site and my own expertise on my subject.

What is your greatest accomplishment relating to your site?
First and foremost, I identified a market niche that I enjoy. Because I enjoy what I’m doing, it doesn’t feel so much like "work".

In my new venture, I’m highly encouraged that I welcomed my first visitor only a few days after I put up the site. And my very first visitor was interested enough to complete my survey. This told me I should keep going!

How would you recommend others get started on creating a website? Learn from my example. Follow the advice of Ken Evoy’s Site Build-It! product, to "find the profit before you choose your niche".

Ideally, sell a product versus a service. Products can be sold automatically over the net, 24/7 – even while you sleep. Service businesses are typically more labor intensive and require the business owner to be more hands-on, which leaves less time for that individual to spend on research, development and planning for the future of the business.

What advice would you offer to others wanting to generate income on the Internet? First, I’d advise people to spend the time necessary to become an expert in your field. There are too many mediocre, self-proclaimed, so-called “guru’s” on the Internet. Be the exception! Delivery a quality product or service that helps people solve common problems. Be the best.

Secondly, find a niche, and apply your expertise wholeheartedly to that subject. For example: You might be able to sell an ebook about business planning for a sport-fishing business, where it may prove much more difficult to sell a book about the more general subject of business planning.

Describe your favorite leadership tool?
(Hint: I.e., Book/Tape, Speaker, Role Model, Quote, Exercise, etc.):
The Science Of Getting Rich, available free from www.scienceofgettingrich.net.

Any last "Words of Wisdom"?
Take one step toward your dream. Then, continually follow that step with another. Only with this simple strategy will your dream inevitably become a reality.

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