One of the keys to succeeding in information product creation is to break the process up into discrete steps. This frequently isn’t an instinctive reaction for the typical information marketer. Especially on the internet where small sized learning products are the norm.

However, it is extremely important to your ultimate success. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you don’t do this you probably won’t succeed… even when you are starting out let alone as you move forward.

Your product creation system should do this for you if only to help you to understand the overall task.

But why?

In this article, I’m going to ignore chunking and focus on the practical aspects. That’s not to say that chunking isn’t important. It is. It’s important to understanding and to learning the process. But while you can use the same chunks as you move forward, long term your focus needs to be on the operation of the system not the understanding of it. Unless of course you are constantly training new people!

So why is chunking important to long term use of the product creation process? (Yes, I know systems design uses a different term for this process but I’m not teaching you systems design. So I’m going to use the word learning content designers use.)

The first reason that having individual discrete tasks is important is one of schedule estimation. Frequently it is very difficult to estimate how long the total task of creating a product will take. After all, the size and type of the products matters as does the number of products in your product funnel. And those are just the most obvious elements. However, estimating a discrete task is often much easier. The total can then be estimated as the total of the discrete tasks.

Secondly, scheduling a large task can be problematic. However, by segmenting the task into a number of discrete tasks, you gain a much greater flexibility in scheduling. Not only that but as your business begins to add people you are able to schedule multiple people to the product creation.

Finally, segmenting a large task into smaller discrete tasks allows you to have much better control over the product creation. This affects two different areas — status and quality.

By segmenting your process into discrete tasks you are able to schedule and record the progress at much more detailed level. As a result you are more in control of the status of the product creation. You know what everyone is doing. When they should complete it. And how much it should cost. You also know exactly what has been done.

You also improve your overall quality. Instead of waiting until everything is done you can check quality as you go. This allows you to immediate react to low quality products without absorbing their costs. This means that you have less rework and your rework costs less. And if the product is not going to meet its quality requirement you will know about it in time to stop the development, change the requirement or fix the product.

In the last few years there has been a big shift in the work force. Many workers are now looking to start their own home based business instead of being stuck in the rat race. There are literally hundreds of reasons for you to NOT work at home, but there are 3 big reasons why those don’t matter.First, starting your own home based business allows you the freedom to create your own income level. Have you ever dreamed about writing your own pay check every week? Have you ever wished you could decide when you get a raise?With a home based business, you are in full control of your income. Your income is directly related to the amount of knowledge you gain and how hard you decide to work each day. No longer will you be stuck working 9-5 for the same amount of pay every single week, with little chance for pay increases.Second, starting your own home based business allows you the freedom to spend more time with your family. Setting your own hours in your own business and working at home gives you more flexibility to do what you want when you want to.You can get rid of the words day care and babysitter from your vocabulary because you can now do your work when your kids are playing, napping, or sleeping and get the same amount of work done as you normally would at a regular office. You’re also completely eliminating the word commute from your life. You can literally save hours upon hours every week by working at home instead of driving to work each day. Not to mention the money you save on gas and work clothes.By starting your own home based business you are literally creating a situation where you can not only see your family more, but have the extra money to spend doing fun things with them.Third, starting your own home based business allows you the freedom to follow the career of your dreams. You can choose any industry, any work, any business you want to start. In fact, not only will you be more fulfilled because you are pursuing a career that you love, but also you will be more effective and better at your work this way too.It doesn’t feel like work anymore when you are doing what you are passionate about every day of your life. By doing what you love, you will not only be happier, but you’ll also end up making more money too.These are three great reasons to start your own home based business and live your dreams. No matter what you think the drawbacks are of starting your own business, these three things alone far outweigh any negatives.

Running away when you find yourself in a competitive environment without a single effort or even a failed trial to see if you can make it can be termed the worst form of failure.

What defines you as a success story, are those efforts you made on your way to success and not the success itself. Your ability to take the bull by the horn and make concerted efforts to make a mark when everything seems blurry is what the definition of yourself should be.

Small and growing businesses tend to run into hiding when the “Big bull” (the big business) comes to town.

Some go as far as closing up even before the arrival of these big businesses. They surrender at the mention of the arrival of big businesses not minding the fact that they (the small businesses) have existed for a very long time.

This is as a result of the self-inflicting pain and fear that they bring upon themselves due to poor orientation and insufficient grooming. As a small business owner, you should be able to adapt and change with changing market conditions. When the market is shaky and unstable, your agility and stance must be firm and resolute.

A proper mindset, a proper thinking pattern and a good success orientation and grounding would help you to adjust and face the competitive business world confidently and bravely too.

It would not be much difficult for any small business that has been doing well in the past to retain its market despite the presence of big brands/businesses.

All you need to do is believe that you can make it and retain your company’s image along with your value driven products and services.

Nevertheless, a small business that have not been living up to expectation can still put up measures to weather the storm at the emergence of big businesses.

You as the owner of a small and growing business should possess a reasonable certainty and resolution devoid of relying on weak hopes to take your business to the next level as you aim at achieving success. You do this by putting in place, a good marketing system that directs and helps you to achieve reasonable amounts of profits and success.

The big mistake that most small and growing businesses make is that they are unsure of themselves and end up using excuses to cover up. They fail to realize that their business is meant for some people and those potential consumers would come looking for them if only they can distinguish themselves and offer something substantial and valuable.

You have people that believe in you and in what you have to offer. Remind yourself of this always and you will conceive that driving force you need to propel you further for more profitable actions.

When your mindset is constructed and built up with the thought that, “if anyone can do it, so can I”, all your actions and strategies would be based on energy and hard work aimed at hitting your target and reaching your goal.

It is therefore left for you as a small business owner to decide to stay put even if you are surrounded by the big businesses and create products and services that would help you sustain and grow your business.

Your products and services have to possess greater value to the customers.

As a small business owner, you have an edge over big businesses because;

Your operational costs are low.

You have direct contacts with your customers.

Due to your closeness to your customers, you can get to know what they think about your products and services and how you can serve them better.

You can come up with a very dynamic and targeted marketing plans and systems that cut across your target audience.

Some of these advantages are not always available to big businesses due to their administrative bottlenecks and wide (sometimes unnecessary) market coverage.