View Full Version : Your 2006 Goals - Mission Accomplished?
Did you achieve your goals for 2006? Be it earnings or building foundations for longer term 'empire building', did you reach, or at least come close?
If not, why not? Do you feel you hit a brick wall, and can't seem to get a peek at the other side of it? Do you have set plans laid out for your goals in 2007, or will you just ride it and see what happens?
Goals are firmly laid out for 2007, and we have made a major adjustment to how we will approach our business after things droped off a little in 2006.
2006 was an odd year with many traffic sources starting to charge or charge more for their traffic. Not only that but we didn't have clear goals past maintaining the status quo seeing as 2005 was an absolutely fantastic year for profit.
I think in 2007 I personally will drop a lot of projects and commitments that don't make me much and concentrate on 're-basing' my business to take advantage of the trends I see coming over the next couple years. Certianly not the time to be sitting on your hands :)
I really didn't have any goals for this year, well I probably had but I hit the brick wall many many times with lot of stuff. 1/3 of the year was pretty messed up for me for various reasons and I was kind a figuring out what I'm going to do with my life.
Why? I was pretty much living chaotic lifestyle and my priorities were bit off too.
I must say that I have goals for next year though and shortly said it is to become a fulltime webmaster. It is pretty realistic, I just need to follow the plan I have laid out and I'm almost there anyway.
Prick walls are only for those who run around without their head :)
I missed out narrowly on my goal for 2006, but came close enough that I'm pleased overall. I have set myself a target for next year, both in terms of earnings, and what I want to have included in my online portfolio. What I lack though is the attention to detail, such as I'll have an idea, write it out in rough terms, and sort of go with the flow. Do you guys write a detailed plan?
I missed out narrowly on my goal for 2006, but came close enough that I'm pleased overall. I have set myself a target for next year, both in terms of earnings, and what I want to have included in my online portfolio. What I lack though is the attention to detail, such as I'll have an idea, write it out in rough terms, and sort of go with the flow. Do you guys write a detailed plan?
I used to write full blown projects with every detail written out but then I changed that as there were too many things that I didn't factor in and what were even totally wrong. It has been like that with all my new projects and maybe the reason why it was so was in the same fact that they were new. Still, writing everything that could be written down on paper in a structured form is a great timesaver and all the mistakes can be corrected.
I must say that this year I started to do things differently though. Now I just write down the "sketch" of the project. Like main points or something. And when I get to one point I write it down to smallest detail possible. I will do this with only one of the main points though.. until I get to next one.
This is somewhat better because I don't have to correct that many mistakes, I still have the "rough idea," and when I'm finished with say foundation I can now write "fresh" detailed description of the next phase.
I always do it because it is great timesaver and leaves lot of time for me to be lazy :)
Here is a link about productivity, not that much about planning, but the idea of breaking the task down to smallest unit possible is in there for obvious reasons :)
http://www.salaryscout.com/blog/2006/11/24/how-to-be-ultra-productive-six-tips/
Don't have any links about project writing but I just do it by starting from the top and going to the smallest details, works great for me :)
Prick walls are only for those who run around without their head
Is this what you mean
:Penis :Penis :Penis :Penis :Penis
A wall of Pricks
Well i started this porno stuff properly this year... I had some plans to achieve before Christmas and I've achieved those and more... But looking back now, I probably set my limits pretty low not knowing just how much could be made in adult.
I wanted 10 sales a month, google indexing and 10k visitors.. lol! It seemed a difficult task and good goal to reach when I started, didn't realise it would easily come once you consistently try a bit of work...
So for 2007 I'm going to have to sit down and figure some realisitic goals that will motivate me to work harder and feel proud when I reach them instead of looking back and laughing!
ciggiez
12-24-06, 02:34 PM
Yes, 2006 was OK for me. I started the year as 'barely keeping my head above water' and ended it as 'comfortable'.
Now the challenge for 2007 is to go from 'comfortable' to 'quite wealthy'.
And 2008 to go from 'quite wealthy' to 'stinking rich'.
I used to write full blown projects with every detail written out but then I changed that as there were too many things that I didn't factor in and what were even totally wrong. It has been like that with all my new projects and maybe the reason why it was so was in the same fact that they were new. Still, writing everything that could be written down on paper in a structured form is a great timesaver and all the mistakes can be corrected.
I must say that this year I started to do things differently though. Now I just write down the "sketch" of the project. Like main points or something. And when I get to one point I write it down to smallest detail possible. I will do this with only one of the main points though.. until I get to next one.
This is somewhat better because I don't have to correct that many mistakes, I still have the "rough idea," and when I'm finished with say foundation I can now write "fresh" detailed description of the next phase.
I always do it because it is great timesaver and leaves lot of time for me to be lazy :)
Here is a link about productivity, not that much about planning, but the idea of breaking the task down to smallest unit possible is in there for obvious reasons :)
http://www.salaryscout.com/blog/2006/11/24/how-to-be-ultra-productive-six-tips/
Don't have any links about project writing but I just do it by starting from the top and going to the smallest details, works great for me :)
Nice link erots, thanks :) As with most things I 'enjoy' to do with business, I have bookmarked that for a 'proper' read after I'm done perusing. Reading articles like the one you posted twice, three, four or more times, rather than just the initial perusal I find benefits me a lot more :)
Well i started this porno stuff properly this year... I had some plans to achieve before Christmas and I've achieved those and more... But looking back now, I probably set my limits pretty low not knowing just how much could be made in adult.
I wanted 10 sales a month, google indexing and 10k visitors.. lol! It seemed a difficult task and good goal to reach when I started, didn't realise it would easily come once you consistently try a bit of work...
So for 2007 I'm going to have to sit down and figure some realisitic goals that will motivate me to work harder and feel proud when I reach them instead of looking back and laughing!
Yeah I only climbed over that proverbial wall recently, but when you *do* climb over it makes you appreciate what is possible. Small hard work = nice income, but when you take a good look at what you have done, and start to fathom what you could do with very little extra work, but a little more planning/foresight/definite gameplan, it really does open your eyes as to what is achievable - at least personally.
As we/I grow & learn from various sources, it really does make you realise, rather than hmm, what's the word.. fantasise? (About) what is truly attainable in this market, and, I guess, in any market you can 'attack' with the right mindset (imho).
Elisha Jade
12-24-06, 04:55 PM
Well, we smashed through last year income goals, but I did want to do a few extra things I didn't quite get done - additions to my site, changes to other sites we run etc. But there is a whole year ahead of us to really make an impact :)
Who knows, maybe I'll film more G-G stuff next year *giggle*
Yes, 2006 was OK for me. I started the year as 'barely keeping my head above water' and ended it as 'comfortable'.
Now the challenge for 2007 is to go from 'comfortable' to 'quite wealthy'.
And 2008 to go from 'quite wealthy' to 'stinking rich'.
Not a lot I can say/add to that apart from agreeing with the mindset of going from the going from comfortable to quite wealthy. 4 years ago I was piss poor. 1 year ago I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. This year for reasons I specified above, I've taken on board that things can get even better than where I'm at now, and plan to work towards that level.
I'd be extremely interested in hearing from those that went from earning money for themselves but also others, to those that concentrated on earning for themselves - even pre-2006, especially if 'game plans' played a big part in that (I realise they do, but am curious to what level, and if *that* is the biggest 'secret' of all in the adult biz).
A Priest
12-24-06, 06:17 PM
yep just hit my end of year target today actually :) it was minor by you guys standards, but by mine its huge. Big thanks to everyone on here and Bradderzzz in particular for helping me no end.
Time for some christmas cheer :D
Jock Strap
12-25-06, 05:31 PM
I am basically a layabout who treats this as a very casual hobby. Although I spend far too much time online I only do a few hours actual work a week. So I guess I'm only part-time. I earned £2000 this year from porn. Not much but it's better than nothing. I need to decide whether I'm going to quit, carry on like this or get my shit together and do full-time hours and get productive.
I am basically a layabout who treats this as a very casual hobby. Although I spend far too much time online I only do a few hours actual work a week. So I guess I'm only part-time. I earned £2000 this year from porn. Not much but it's better than nothing. I need to decide whether I'm going to quit, carry on like this or get my shit together and do full-time hours and get productive.
You don't have to do full-time hours, but you do have to make sure that the time you spend on your business is productive. That's the key to making money.
Redhotca
12-26-06, 02:10 AM
Do you guys write a detailed plan?
Yes Im definetly going to do an overall plan plus a detailed one this week and adjust it as I go on and re-evaluate as time goes on.
For my 2006 goals some were met, others I will need to analyze more and figure out what I can improve upon or simply not bother with (tgp for example). I have learned alot in 2006 regarding promotion, so I will keep up those that have been working and increase my work output in those areas. Im certainly looking foward to the new year as I have a few other areas I would like to expand into.....Redhotca
WordsforHire
12-26-06, 11:59 AM
I didn't have any goals to start with except build up a client base, afterall I didnt start out as someone who wanted to own sites.
Then Paul taught me the basics and I thought why not give this a go. I learned about what the words affiliate and sponsor meant then told my self to build a site. Didn't know what kind to build so I just built my writing one and put on webmaster sign up links lol.
Then I read about blogs and made a goal to do get one up and running. I did that just fine but making it worth my 9.99 hosting a month was harder than expected. People just didnt buy. So I set myself a goal to make a sale a month lol...Sad huh...Did that too.
My goal for the end of the year was just one sale a day. I'm there and pleased :) For the amount of work that the blog takes once it's set up which is really not a lot it's a good start. My goal for the three two months is two sales per day, and so on...Also getting more traffic, building more successful blogs etc.
I don't want to open a paysite so Im not planning it :) I'll just stick with blogs.
strictlybroadband
12-26-06, 12:07 PM
We've had a good year after some lean ones, which is nice. :)
I also got onto Kelly Steele's hate list and was barred from exhibiting at Erotica for life, so I've met my main goals.
yep just hit my end of year target today actually :) it was minor by you guys standards, but by mine its huge. Big thanks to everyone on here and Bradderzzz in particular for helping me no end.
Time for some christmas cheer :D
Nice one :)
I am basically a layabout who treats this as a very casual hobby. Although I spend far too much time online I only do a few hours actual work a week. So I guess I'm only part-time. I earned £2000 this year from porn. Not much but it's better than nothing. I need to decide whether I'm going to quit, carry on like this or get my shit together and do full-time hours and get productive.
Even 3 hours a day of actual work should make a big difference and really bump up that income. Is it purely the blogs that you are doing, and did you learn html?
Yes Im definetly going to do an overall plan plus a detailed one this week and adjust it as I go on and re-evaluate as time goes on.
For my 2006 goals some were met, others I will need to analyze more and figure out what I can improve upon or simply not bother with (tgp for example). I have learned alot in 2006 regarding promotion, so I will keep up those that have been working and increase my work output in those areas. Im certainly looking foward to the new year as I have a few other areas I would like to expand into.....Redhotca
Yeah TGP I've more or less retired from recently, just recycling galleries in krawl. Even though a gallery is very quick to make, in the time it takes to build and submit 5 galleries I can produce a page within a SE portal site which will make more for the time put into it. That's one area where a little 'tweak' in my work should hopefully produce better ROI.
I didn't have any goals to start with except build up a client base, afterall I didnt start out as someone who wanted to own sites.
Then Paul taught me the basics and I thought why not give this a go. I learned about what the words affiliate and sponsor meant then told my self to build a site. Didn't know what kind to build so I just built my writing one and put on webmaster sign up links lol.
Then I read about blogs and made a goal to do get one up and running. I did that just fine but making it worth my 9.99 hosting a month was harder than expected. People just didnt buy. So I set myself a goal to make a sale a month lol...Sad huh...Did that too.
My goal for the end of the year was just one sale a day. I'm there and pleased :) For the amount of work that the blog takes once it's set up which is really not a lot it's a good start. My goal for the three two months is two sales per day, and so on...Also getting more traffic, building more successful blogs etc.
I don't want to open a paysite so Im not planning it :) I'll just stick with blogs.
Are your blogs niche specific? I have 3 blogs, 1 (narrow) niche specific which does well, 1 general which doesn't make sales but I use it for purposes other than direct sales, and 1 that is there really so I can pull the RSS feed to keep another of my sites index page dynamic.
We've had a good year after some lean ones, which is nice. :)
I also got onto Kelly Steele's hate list and was barred from exhibiting at Erotica for life, so I've met my main goals.
lol nice :D
Jock Strap
12-27-06, 04:02 PM
Even 3 hours a day of actual work should make a big difference and really bump up that income. Is it purely the blogs that you are doing, and did you learn html?
Yeah....I know HTML so I should be building galleries, free sites, SE pages and portals. I need to step it up.
My goal has always been to survive comfortably. This year I blew that goal to kingdom come. I listened to the advice of my hosting dude and put up my prices by thirty percent and my business increased by fifty per cent. 2006 was a very good year. I will approach 2007 with the same goal....to survive and see what happens.
That's pretty interesting. This in the porn market or a customer service you offer?
Yeah....I know HTML so I should be building galleries, free sites, SE pages and portals. I need to step it up.
See now I wonder if you would be more focused purely by doing something as simple as actually writing down on a post-it note "Make Freesite" and sticking it to your monitor?
I am a pretty lazy person, and work very few hours of actual work. When I *do* write a to-do list, with basically the daily tasks listed on the left, and mon - sun written across the top, with space for a tick as each job gets done productivity goes through the roof, and doesn't take nearly as long as you might think by looking at it.
I'm still curious - do any of you big hitters write detailed daily plans/objectives out on paper?
My daily work load as well as my quarterly goals and biz plan/s are sitting next to me. I've found printing them out and marking off things increases my work efficiency.
-N
Not all of them. I tailed of towards the end of the year a bit, as I needed a break. But over all a pretty good year.
daveydude
12-28-06, 01:11 PM
I'm still curious - do any of you big hitters write detailed daily plans/objectives out on paper?
To-do lists always make me work better. Working online is distracting at the best of times, especially when you're your own boss - I find just writing out stuff to do on a scrap of paper helps motivate me way more than a vague mental list does.
ciggiez
12-28-06, 06:15 PM
To-do lists always make me work better. Working online is distracting at the best of times, especially when you're your own boss - I find just writing out stuff to do on a scrap of paper helps motivate me way more than a vague mental list does.
I know that it's not so relevant if you're working the affiliate schemes, but motivation is one of the many reasons why I prefer working with a good partner rather than working alone.
Working from home online, it's very easy to spend the whole day screwing around and doing no work whatsoever. When you know that you've got a partner who's waiting for you to pull your finger out and finish something off, it's a major motivational factor.
It's also really useful to have someone to bounce ideas off.
As long as you have a big enough market, I think it's worth giving 50% away to work with a good partner who's willing to put in as much time and effort as you are as you're likely to make much more than twice the amount together.
I'm in the process of setting up a big project for next year at the moment (non-adult) and am working with two other guys - one's a tech geek, another's good with all of the admin, legal and financial stuff that bores me silly, leaving me to concentrate on sales, marketing and writing content, which is all I want to do.
As long as they don't try and fuck me over (which is the downside to working with other people - as I have learned to my cost over the years) I think it should be a good combination.
WordsforHire
12-28-06, 06:46 PM
I know that it's not so relevant if you're working the affiliate schemes, but motivation is one of the many reasons why I prefer working with a good partner rather than working alone.
Working from home online, it's very easy to spend the whole day screwing around and doing no work whatsoever. When you know that you've got a partner who's waiting for you to pull your finger out and finish something off, it's a major motivational factor.
It's also really useful to have someone to bounce ideas off.
As long as you have a big enough market, I think it's worth giving 50% away to work with a good partner who's willing to put in as much time and effort as you are as you're likely to make much more than twice the amount together.
I'm in the process of setting up a big project for next year at the moment (non-adult) and am working with two other guys - one's a tech geek, another's good with all of the admin, legal and financial stuff that bores me silly, leaving me to concentrate on sales, marketing and writing content, which is all I want to do.
As long as they don't try and fuck me over (which is the downside to working with other people - as I have learned to my cost over the years) I think it should be a good combination.
One of my problems is that I won't work with anyone else. I like to know everything that is going on and when your dealing with people online it's hard to be able to have a conversation with them 24/7 which you can do with yourself. I know motivating yourself is much harder but what happens if your partner turns lazy too? I'm always worried about screwed over too..
I wont work with people I know in real life that are friends and that I trust simple because going into business with your best bud can lead to not only loosing your business but also your friend if it all goes pear shaped!
The only person I trust when it comes to my money is myself. Sad but true and yeah it could give me problems but then they are just my own problems, no one else has to worry about them either :)
ciggiez
12-28-06, 08:32 PM
One of my problems is that I won't work with anyone else. I like to know everything that is going on and when your dealing with people online it's hard to be able to have a conversation with them 24/7 which you can do with yourself. I know motivating yourself is much harder but what happens if your partner turns lazy too? I'm always worried about screwed over too..
I wont work with people I know in real life that are friends and that I trust simple because going into business with your best bud can lead to not only loosing your business but also your friend if it all goes pear shaped!
The only person I trust when it comes to my money is myself. Sad but true and yeah it could give me problems but then they are just my own problems, no one else has to worry about them either :)
It's true that you have to be very careful about who you choose to work with, or it could very easily end in disaster.
My first partner I got really lucky with - he was my best mate. We set up two good businesses together that earned us both a lot of money.
Our demise came when we got to a stage that we were making such good money that we took our eye off the ball. We had hired a General Manager to run the day-to-day operations and he got jealous at the large profits we were taking from the business for doing very little work while he was on a fixed salary. So he ended up taking us to the cleaners, which brought the business down.
My most stupid mistake was starting a business with my girlfriend. She was completely fucking useless and strangled what could have been a nice little business because she wasn't prepared to work for it.
Now I set up every business in a way where I expect my partners to try and screw me over. I'm always putting myself in my partner's position and asking myself whether it would be better to screw my partner over or keep playing things straight. If there's ever a situation where the partner has more to gain by screwing over the other person, then I would expect to get shafted.
I wouldn't go into partnership with anyone for the simple reason I'm lazy as hell, and wouldn't make a good partner at all. Saying that though, I used to work my arse off when I was employed, always did. Maybe I need an extra incentive, like moving to a bigger property.
TheShiftyEyedBastard
12-29-06, 10:34 AM
I wouldn't go into partnership with anyone for the simple reason I'm lazy as hell, and wouldn't make a good partner at all. Saying that though, I used to work my arse off when I was employed, always did. Maybe I need an extra incentive, like moving to a bigger property.
Yeah, I was the same way. Gotta get out of the worker mentality, and into the biz owner mentality.
Came a little short on my goals for the year, but am gearing up for next year.
ciggiez
12-29-06, 10:50 AM
I wouldn't go into partnership with anyone for the simple reason I'm lazy as hell, and wouldn't make a good partner at all. Saying that though, I used to work my arse off when I was employed, always did. Maybe I need an extra incentive, like moving to a bigger property.
I think that this is human nature.
I used to be involved in the webcams business. Most girls work for studios where they have a fixed shift to work, with fines and penalties for coming in late or leaving early, just like a 'normal' job.
Quite a few of the girls get the idea that they will work for themselves at home so they don't have to pay half their money to the studio. But it always happens that they get lazy and don't work half as hard, so they actually end up earning less money.
I'm just as bad. I used to go to Russian lessons and made good progress. Then I thought, I'll just learn by myself from a book. Naturally I spent about 15 minutes looking at the book and never opened it again.
I think that this is human nature.
I used to be involved in the webcams business. Most girls work for studios where they have a fixed shift to work, with fines and penalties for coming in late or leaving early, just like a 'normal' job.
Quite a few of the girls get the idea that they will work for themselves at home so they don't have to pay half their money to the studio. But it always happens that they get lazy and don't work half as hard, so they actually end up earning less money.
I'm just as bad. I used to go to Russian lessons and made good progress. Then I thought, I'll just learn by myself from a book. Naturally I spent about 15 minutes looking at the book and never opened it again.
Yeah human nature I guess. I think the problem with me and others like me, is that you hit a certain level and ease off the gas. Then 6 months later when your residual income starts waning, you find that you were too busy goofing off and whatnot that it's only then you kick back into a higher gear again.
Writing things down like a to-do list, and keeping a closer eye on your sponsors, to see which pay 3cents per click instead of 2cents, then 4cents instead of 3cents etc, until you drill down your best performing sponsors is one area where organisation/planning can help. I've recently been looking at my year stats, and have noticed that I've still been sending traffic to programs I was earning 3cents per click in the early months, but only 2cents per click in the latter months. With my eye on the ball a bit more, ie organisation (actually looking and making notes) I could have done better and hit my 2006 target.
Nottslad
12-30-06, 05:57 AM
A year ago I was hardly involved in adult, just the odd freesite here and there. So I didnt really have any goals in the adult field for 2006. I suppose my overall goal was to find a different online field from that which I was currently doing, and make it earn some cash.
It took me quite a few months to realise what would work for me and what I'd stick with, so adult really only became serious since about August. Since then I've been doing OK - not mega bucks but something I see as having potential to develop in future.
Paul Markham
12-30-06, 08:16 AM
Been doing and working budgets and targets for years, learned how important they are when I worked as a salesman. You need financial targets to aim at, you also need a plan of what you should achieve.
We reached the financial target in October so that was good. :) We did not get as many of the www.5dollarporn.com sites up as we hoped and there is another site we are still working on that should of been finished by now. :(
2007 goals have been set and I'm sure we will reach them. :gold:
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