“Once upon a time I couldn’t even spell ‘Social Media
Marketer’, now I are one”.
As I approached my 70th birthday I recognised
that something had to change. Having been retired for 7 years and feeling
myself stagnating, I was in dire need of some stimulation and a challenge (not
to mention some extra cash).
Several years ago, whilst in work, I dabbled with Internet Marketing
but, frankly I did not have the right mindset to make a success of it at the
time. All sorts of excuses were used to justify my lack of progress but in the
end it was clear that I had become stuck in my own little pool of inactivity.
In an attempt to resolve this situation I attended a three
day ‘Bootcamp’ in Brighton (Oct 2016) and was captivated by a number of the
presentations which were light years ahead of those I saw back then.
One, in particular, stood out for me and it was to do with
Social Media. I have two grown up children who use Facebook & Twitter incessantly
(as well as Whatsapp amongst others) and frankly I was both bemused and
dismissive of it all until I heard Paul OMahonys exhilarating talk at the show.
My reason for attending was principally that I was looking
to develop a worthwhile activity which could not only provide some income but
also give me the mental stimulus that I so badly needed.
Although I knew enough about the topic to realise that this
is the way of ‘the future’ when I heard what Paul had to say it became clear
that the potential/opportunity was even more vast than I had ever envisaged.
My mentor, Paul OMahony is one of the leading International
experts in this field and has a bankroll to prove it. His collaboration with
the top Marketers in the world has enabled him to produce a programme which is
clear, thorough and comprehensive in its delivery.
Having only recently joined his online course I have to say
the level of support is impressive, (which is just as well as my speed of
picking up the intricacies of the internet is somewhat slower than that of your
average 10 year old). Nevertheless, I am pleased with the steady progress I
have made with the patient help of the team in his office, it is not claimed
that success will be achieved overnight and participants are encouraged to plan
well ahead setting realistic targets which are reachable within an appropriate timescale.
As far as the course itself is concerned I have access to a
community website with a Helpdesk accessible 24/7 as well as 2 x monthly Skype
calls with my personal mentor and a One-to-one meeting once a month with the
man himself. The path to setting up a profitable business is clearly outlined
and if followed diligently will enable even the most inexperienced participant
towards a successful outcome.
There are also costs involved, although, if looked at as an investment in your future, they are relatively small. The risk factor in my experience is not extreme and is largely dependent on the level of commitment to the 'setting-up' programme, As with most things in life it is what you make of it and the criteria (at least on the programme I am on) is clearly laid out before you commit and from the very beginning the level of support is exceptional.
Don’t get me wrong there is a lot to learn and some of the
terminology is a bit baffling to begin with but as I’ve already said the
back-up support helpline is pretty much immediate and very thorough, above all
I am finding it an enjoyable and stimulating challenge and I have made working contact with others of
similar experience who share the same issues,fears and pressures and are happy to cooperate, sharing
successful responses to any problems that may arise.
I am three months into a year long programme designed to build a profitable online business which I aim to pass on to my children / grandchildren. I have now gained a sense of purpose and feel as though once again I'm doing something worthwhile.
Suffice to say, I’ve got my ‘zip’
back again! Watch this space.
At first glance the prospect of working from home, Social Media, emailing, tweeting, facebooking etc is daunting. The general impression is that it is a young persons world and 'out of bounds' for us 'oldies' but as I have found out for myself, there is plenty of opportunity for real engagement whether it be soley for fun or educational or even earning 'a bit on the side'. 
There is lots of advice available, on the one hand extremely helpful and creative but on the other potentially debilitating in terms of the amount of confusing material that can be thrown at you. How do you choose the best route to take and how can you avoid the complex issues that can take up an inordinate amount of time (and potentially, financial resource)? 
Our children take to the internet like 'ducks to water' and the risk is none existent (in their eyes) however the speed at which they work their mobile phones with apparently double jointed flexible thumbs is not within my level of capability and frankly it has made little or no difference, I have all the time in the world to develop my interests and, just like them, I become more efficient with practice. There are plenty of help programmes to enable you to do just that.
