In summary, multiple income streams give you security. They’re like the pillars on the Parthenon holding your business up. The more pillars you have, the more stable your business. Remember to have a central theme for your life and what you are about. Then, keep an eye out for income streams that will support your central theme. Don’t spread yourself too thin too fast. Get a proverbial plate or two spinning. Then once you’re satisfied that those plates are under control and going well, add another plate.  

Look for income streams that take very little day-to-day effort. That’s the great thing about informational products or internet services. You can set them in motion and then they keep going with a minimal amount of effort. Granted, I don’t sell as many copies of “How to Run a Successful Computer Training Business from Home” as I did in 1994, but I still get the occasional sale from it. I wrote that book over 10 years ago and have updated it a couple times over the years, but it still holds valuable information and still brings in revenue.  

This is what you are looking for. But don’t neglect things that may only bring in an extra few hundred dollars here or there. It all ads up. As long as you get your return on the time and money invested, it’s worth doing. Look for the lesson in anything you try. No experience is a waste if you’ve learned something from it – whether you perceive it as a success or a failure. Also, you never know when you’ll hit a winner, and it will take off bigger than you ever imagined.  

Don’t be afraid to experiment or to invest a little time and effort into your ideas. Yet, don’t become a slave to your ideas. Don’t feel like you have to keep doing something that isn’t working, that you don’t enjoy or that is no longer in line with your objectives. Never marry yourself to an idea. Markets change and you must remain flexible and flow with the tide and not attempt to swim against it.  

Remember the maxim, “Create once, sell many.” Think of as many ways to re-use and re-deliver what you’ve created – books, articles, CD’s, audio files, memberships, live courses and classes, video tapes, teleclasses, etc.  

Periodically step back and look at your income streams with an objective eye. Re-evaluate your resources. What tools and assets do you have now that could be repackaged or delivered in a different way or even combined to create something totally new? Don’t forget to look at the people around you and what they have going for them. How could you both work together for leveraged results?  

Creating multiple income streams is a way of thinking. It’s a way of looking at the world through new eyes and seeing the limitless possibilities. It means not being afraid to take risks when a risk is warranted. It means not being afraid to commit for the long haul. I’ve seen some people refuse to start a membership service because they don’t feel like they can sell a one-year-membership and guarantee they’ll be around for that long. This is a defeatist mentality. You can never win with this kind of thinking!  

Assume the best! Assume it’s all going to work. To be honest with you, this type of thinking never enters my mind. I never assume I’m going to fail. I always assume I’m going to succeed on some level and that I can easily fulfill a year commitment or longer. This way of seeing the world has always worked for me. Commit to your dreams!  

Commitment and perseverance are what it takes to succeed in any endeavor. Combine them with a vision for limitless possibilities and you’ll be unstoppable!  Dream and dream BIG. Make no small plans, they have no magic to stir your soul!

Marnie L . Pehrson is a wife and mother of six children who lives in Northwest Georgia near Chattanooga , Tennessee . She formed her company, CES Business Consultants in May of 1990, and since then has gone on to create numerous Web sites including www.IdeaMarketers.com , www.SheLovesGod.com , www.BelieversAtWork.com , www.LocateACoach.com , www.1ChapterFree.com and others.

Marnie is available for consultation to help you turn your ideas into profitable income streams.  She can help you with any of the subjects covered in this book - everything from helping you create an organized and winning site design to virtual product development to marketing and promotion. Email her at webmaster@ideamarketers.com or call 800-524-2307 to schedule an initial consultation.

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