Entrepreneur Spotlight: Nicole Dean, Multiple Income Stream Diva

  There's a lot of talk these days about "not putting one's eggs in one basket"--especially with today's shaky economy.  That's a rule of thumb when it comes to diversifying in the stock market--and it's definitely a best practice when it comes to entrepreneurship. It's called multiple streams of income, and I've talked about it in a previous post.

That being said, enter Nicole Dean. I'm not even sure how I found her, exactly--it could have been from anywhere, because she practically is everywhere on the Internet, lol.  If you're interested in parlaying your brand, knowledge & products into multiple income streams, I advise you to watch what Dean does & take notes!  Honestly, I've lost track of the tons of websites this woman has, constantly building her brand--the best way to follow them all is to start at her main site, NicoleOnTheNet.com, and go from there. A catch-all resource for female business owners & "mompreneurs," it has free courses, reprint articles for websites, affiliate info and much more.

Because she's so busy (as one can imagine), it took a while to catch up with Dean--but once I did, she gave me tons of great insight into what goes into successfully running a multiple income stream business.

Did you always have the "entrepreneur bug?"

Actually, no. I really didn't have the entrepreneur bug at all. I hated selling and wasn't interested in business even a little bit. So, I'm still finding it interesting that I've developed such an intense enjoyment from Internet Marketing now that I'm older.

How would you describe your entrepreneurial experience as a female business
owner?

Through networking, I've found an amazing group of business women who have become dear friends. I find that we collaborate on projects and boost each other more than I would imagine that men do. (Of course, I've never been a man, so that's conjecture.) ;)

I work with men, as well, but because I'm a woman and a married woman, I tread lightly when networking with men. I like to have a lot of laughs, but I remain cautious about situations that could potentially become misinterpreted in any way.

How do you manage so many different business ventures & multiple streams of income? Any advice on how to keep track of it all?

I strive to automate & delegate whenever possible. That's what keeps me sane.

Are you a mom, as well? If so, any advice to "mompreneurs" on how to successfully juggle work and family?

Yes, I certainly am. I have an 11 year old and a 7 year old.  For noise control, I have my own office in the house, with a door. In addition to closing the door, I wear noise-cancellation headphones when I'm writing.

I've also found that a timer works wonders. That way, when I tell the kids, "Give me 15 more minutes, please and then I'll help you with your homework,"  I don't lose track of time – and they know that I mean it. When I was just saying "Give me a few more minutes…" then they'd come back
repeatedly and it was a constant battle. This works so much better for us.

In retrospect, are there any business decisions you would have made differently?

Certainly. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. I would have started to outsource sooner. Now I have an incredible team of women who help me to make more money every day. Thank God for each of them. I recommend www.Shelancers.com to anyone looking to find a writer or virtual assistant to start their own virtual team.

Did you have any formal business training? How necessary is it in order to be successful, in your opinion?

Oh, goodness no. I have my degree in Psychology, not Business. After college, I worked in an office, doing purchasing and then writing bank manuals. I did take a Business 101 course, but that's the extent of my business training. Everything else that I've learned has been through online
courses and trial and error.  My favorite teacher for online businesses (and my mentor and friend) is Jimmy D. Brown of www.123Webmarketing.com

What funding sources have worked for you?

I've never needed to take out a loan. I've been in the black from my first month. It's one of the benefits of having an online business. Startup costs are minimal.

How has family/friend support (financially or otherwise) affected your business efforts?

My husband is my rock. His help around the house is nice, but it's his emotional support that has made any of my success possible. It's been a heck of a roller-coaster ride for me over the last few years, and he's been there through it all. Whether it's to let me cry on his shoulder, to give me
high-fives, or to rub my shoulders or bring me a glass of wine when I've had a long day, I thank God for him every day.

How do you work on making your business grow?

Growing an online business involves a few different tasks:

1. Creating offers.
2. Getting those offers in front of people.
3. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

The offers can be affiliate marketing or your own products. They can even be resale rights or PLR items. And, you get them in front of people by getting traffic or growing a list. That's all there is to it – in a nutshell. Now I could talk all day about how to do each of those, but I do have some free information to point you to instead…

1. For creating offers, I recommend: http://easyplr.com/srf_easyplr.pdf
2. For getting traffic, I recommend: www.WebTrafficBasics.com

What words of wisdom/advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?

Perseverance is the best way to succeed. While everyone else drops away, you'll be left standing. That's half the battle right there – hanging in there when it gets tough – and I guarantee you that it will. Remember that it's not just you having bad luck at times or experiencing setbacks. It
happens to everyone. When you feel down, remember that some lady named Nicole Dean told you to hang in there just one more day!  That's what you need to succeed.