AdWords Mad Scientist Blog

I’ve been going through “The 4-Hour Workweek” and making some mental notes as I go.

Here’s the quick review:

Overall I like his philosophy. Not just about “systemizing” your business, it’s about how to put your business on autopilot (or nearly-autopilot) and then having the freedom to do what you want.

Beyond that he gives some specific tips - which really made the book for me. Beyond just general things, he gives nitty-gritty details and examples. Even if you don’t agree with the specifics, it’s good to read how people (including Timothy) created their “muses” (businesses to fund the lifestyle).

And some of his guidelines. Such as going for products that are $50 to $200. Not a hard and fast rule. But something that applies to many niches. Don’t beat yourself trying to sell just low-price (like $20) items. And with $200 or less, they’re still relatively spontaneous purchases (i.e. convert well).

And he goes into a mini “manifesto” about setting up your business to reduce customer service headaches and time you have to spend yourself.

For example, not doing overnight shipping, if doing physical products.
Which is counter to what most eCommerce experts would say. That you’re supposed to give as many options and allow customers to get things as quickly as they want.

The problem with overnight is that if there’s any delay at any step, then your customer will freak and need immediate attention. So you’re asking for customer service issues and higher % of cancellations.