AskPat

Today's question comes from Gabriel, who is new to blogging and wants to know how long (on average) it takes to build up a platform. Is it a year? Two years? Here’s what I think Gabriel (and you) should keep in mind. Gabriel’s site is http://www.gabrielaviles.com/. In this episode I talk about John Lee Dumas (http://entrepreneuronfire.com). Share your experiences using #AskPat398. Do you have a question about building your platform? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat.

Today's question comes from Tom, who is interested in growing his freelancing business to a small agency. How does he go about this? Tom’s site is http://www.convertdigital.co.uk/. In this episode, I mention my Smart Passive Income interview with Brian Casel, which covers “productizing” your business (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-productize-your-service-based-business/). Also check out his resource on productizing (http://askpat.com/productize). I also recommend the AskPat sponsor Zip Recruiter (http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat). Do you have a question about your small business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat.

Today's question comes from Junaid, who is questioning his desire to be a tech blogger. It’s a crowded industry—is it worth entering, or should he write in a different industry? I share my thoughts on how to get started. Do you have a question about blogging? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information.

Today's question comes from Paula, who worries that she may have selected a niche that is too small. What should she do? In this episode, I recommend using the Google Keywords Tool (https://adwords.google.com) and LongTail Pro (http://askpat.com/longtailpro), as well as Amazon (http://amazon.com/). The Gary Vaynerchuck book I reference is Crush It (https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/new-york-times-bestselling-aut-649919693.html). Do you have a question about your niche website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to LegalZoom for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.legalzoom.com/ and enter the discount code "Pat" at checkout.

Today's question comes from Mike, who asks about my experience with the Muse device for meditation. You can find the Muse device here (http://smartpassiveincome.com/muse). I use meditation as a part of my morning routine, which I discuss with Hal Elrod on Smart Passive Income Podcast #140 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/early-morning-routine/). Do you have a question about meditation? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Zoom. Check out their fantastic video and web conferencing service at http://zoom.us/pat. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today.

Today's question comes from Tehout, who records interviews for her podcast. How can she ensure that her guests have a good sound quality? I recommend the Ecamm Call Recorder for Mac users (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/) and Pamela recorder for PCs (http://www.pamela.biz/). Do you have a question about podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information.

Today's question comes from Matt, who is wrestling with the opinions he received after polling his audience. A small portion of his audience disagrees with a design change he is considering. Should he listen to them or continue with his rebranding plans? Matt’s site is http://skylanderscharacterlist.com/. This site is about the game Skylanders (http://www.skylanders.com/). Pat’s a fan of Disney Infinity (https://infinity.disney.com/). Do you have a question about managing feedback from your audience? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat.

Today's question comes from Matt, whose wife has just released a cookbook. What is the best way to encourage her community to leave reviews on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble sites? Lynn’s site is http://freshaprilflours.com/. I discuss reviews with Jeff Goins on Smart Passive Income Podcast Episode 79 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/book-marketing-time-travel/). Do you have a question about selling your book? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat.

Today's question comes from Elizabeth, who needs help convincing her husband that building a business structured around passive income is a smart idea. Elizabeth’s site is http://www.savvysandwicher.com/. Thank you so much for completing the survey I ran on Smart Passive Income. Your responses help me cover topics that are helpful to you as you build your business. To talk about his episode, use #AskPat390. Do you have a question about getting your business started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information.

Today's question comes from Liz, who asks about how my feelings about Smart Passive Income have changed. How do I feel about what I have to offer my listeners? Liz’s site is http://cuddlesandrage.com/. I would appreciate if you could fill out my survey at http://spisurvey.com. Your responses will help me serve you better. Do you have a question about Smart Passive Income? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Zoom. Check out their fantastic video and web conferencing service at http://zoom.us/pat. Thanks also to MileIQ, an app that helps you keep track of your mileage for your tax reporting. Text FLYNN to 89800 to try it out for free.

Today's question comes from Jason, who is interested it reviving his blog. How does he come back from a long absence? The book I mention is Ask by Ryan Levesque (http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Counterintuitive-Discover-Customers-Business/dp/1939447720/&tag=smartpassiveincome-20). Here’s the survey I’m running based on what I learned from this book, and I would appreciate if you could fill it out: http://spisurvey.com. Your responses will help me serve you better. Do you have a question about getting your blog restarted? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat.

Today's question comes from Michael, who has a question about my Bluehost affiliate sales. How does this income source change the way I approach my business? What would I do differently if I didn’t have this income source? (http://askpat.com/bluehost) I would appreciate if you could fill out my survey at http://spisurvey.com. Your responses will help me serve you better. Do you have a question about affiliate sales? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information.

Today's question comes from Jimm, who has a site with a large backlog of content. How can he make sure he’s making the most of his backlog so that new people find it? Jimm’s site is http://vententersearch.com. In this episode, I talk about my Getting Started page at Smart Passive Income (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/passive-income-101/), as well as AskPat Episode #383 (https://soundcloud.com/askpat/how-do-i-organize-my-content-plan) and the social media tool Edgar (http://meetedgar.com/). I would appreciate if you could fill out my survey at http://spisurvey.com. Your responses will help me serve you better. Do you have a question about your content strategy? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information.

Today's question comes from Mary, who is looking to build a professional support network. How can she find a personal development coach and a mastermind group? I’ve covered mastermind groups on SPI TV Episodes 9–12 (http://watchspi.tv). Share your experience with mastermind groups and/or working with a development coach using #AskPat385. I would appreciate if you could fill out my survey at http://spisurvey.com. Your responses will help me serve you better. Do you have a question about your personal development? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat.

Today's question comes from Steve, who is looking to sell an online course. What are good platforms for selling online courses? In this episode, I discuss several different platforms and tools, including Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/), Lynda (http://lynda.com), Wistia (http://wistia.com/hub), Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/), Podbean (http://www.podbean.com/), WP Wishlist (http://member.wishlistproducts.com/) and Zippy Courses (http://askpat.com/zippy). Check out Smart Passive Income Episode #136 for more on building online courses (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-build-an-online-course-that-sells/). The 1-Day Business Breakthrough site uses Zippy Courses here (https://1daybblive.com/buy/2015/). To share your experience with course creation, use #AskPat384. I would appreciate if you could fill out my survey at http://spisurvey.com. Your responses will help me serve you better. Do you have a question about creating online courses? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Zoom. Check out their fantastic video and web conferencing service at http://zoom.us/pat.