It's amazing how one word can make such a big difference. The most powerful single word to help any online business grow is the word "no." That's it. It may seem strange but it's so true.

It doesn't really matter if you're the CEO of a large corporation or a single person working an online business, everyone only gets 24 hours each day. It's your choice as to how you best utilize those hours. You can't magically create more time.

A CEO has countless other people doing work because he has leveraged his time to maximum advantage. As an individual running an online business, you have to juggle many things at the same time. If your working at home you probably have family commitments, social functions, unexpected phone calls and emails, playing chauffeur to children and organizing meals, etc.

You'll need to master the art of saying "no" or your online business will suffer. If you were in an outside office environment you wouldn't be able to do any of those things so exercise self discipline and put your online business first. Close the door to your home office and do what needs doing.

If you observe any elite athlete, highly successful business man or woman, or anybody at the very top of their field, the one thing they all have in common is a determined single-mindedness to achieve their goals. They know how to say no to anything that doesn't help them get where they want to be.

Doing a few simple things like leaving the answering machine on, only checking emails a couple of times a day and making a list of tasks to be done each day will free up more time to focus on your personal goals for your online business. You don't have to go to every party or spend a few hours at the local pub just because you're invited to go.

Common excuses for failure include: no time, no money, too disorganized, too many other commitments. They're only excuses. If you have an important event in your life such as a wedding, moving house, having a new baby, etc. your whole world focuses on these events almost to the exclusion of all else, including your online business.

Running your own online business is in a higher league than these other activities because you're working towards your long term financial freedom. Prioritize the important things in your life and learn how to say "no" to the rest. Eliminate distraction and focus on action and you'll be miles ahead of everyone else… that's if you're serious about wanting to make a success of your online business.

NO is the most powerful single word to help any online business grow. Use it wisely and frequently and you'll see just how big a difference it makes.

Tags: online business, online business commitments, online business environment, running an online business, successful online business

posted by Chris Simpson