YouTube is a common medium for communicating all kinds of entertainment, comedy and business concepts. If you use YouTube in your business, I suggest you follow several key principles.

1. Never monetize your video by allowing advertising.

Very few YouTube postings earn $100 or more so you’re not likely to earn anything meaningful. Besides, you don’t want to distract anyone away from your video. You want viewers to immediately click through to your material.  Some of the longer videos now insert ads part way through. This is even more annoying to me and causes me to click off. Nothing should interfere with the focus and flow of your posted video. 

I keep backup toner because in my work I often need to print copies. I don’t want to email my file to the UPS store and pay extra money to print a file.  However, on occasion I have run out of toner.

What I did might help you in a pinch. Open your printer and take out your cartridge. While holding the cartridge securely, shake it vigorously up and down and sideways six or eight times. Then, place the cartridge back in your printer and print.

Frequently I have consulting clients who become concerned about too much competition in their industry. I share that 80% to 90% of competitors perform at C or worse, providing a good opportunity for anyone who’s willing to take the steps to excel.

For example, I tend eat out less for several reasons including my desire to eat healthy. However, my experience is that a lot of restaurant food isn’t particularly great and not a good value for the money you spend. Why should I spend $20 plus for dinner and tip when the meal isn’t that appetizing? If the manager or owner was objective about the quality served at customers’ tables, they would understand how it represents a good reason for the empty tables.

Recently I met with an Internet marketing company who worked by a monthly contract. The previous month there was clear communication about what I expected within the time allocated under the agreement. However, the work wasn’t done. The company had logged hours but a review of what they accomplished versus the time charged didn’t offer good value for the money. When I confronted the owner with this along with other past examples, the owner simply said, “Maybe we’re not the right company to serve you.” I agreed with him.  They didn’t accomplish the agreed upon work. They simply put in their time and promised to do better next time.  Not an acceptable answer. 

God’s Part and Our Part

A leader embarks on an interesting journey to launch a new venture. It is easy to over plan and make everything depend on our work.  Another response is to look at the situation as one that the Lord empowers to bring victory, regardless of planning and effort on our part. 

King Solomon advised, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31, NIV)

I have often enjoyed a wonderful show by the Lipizzan Stallions. They are stallions that were used for military maneuvers. For example, these beautiful horses are trained to leap on command and kick out their front or back legs to strike an enemy. The horses are also trained to jump sideways to avoid an enemy strike. Learning these maneuvers takes years of training. 

Many times we encounter individuals who talk big and brag about everything they are going to accomplish.  A scripture I reflect on in these situations is: “The king of Israel answered, ‘Tell him: One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.'" (1 Kings 20:11 NIV)

There is a tremendous difference between people who act and accomplish and those merely talk about it. An effective doer asks key questions: What is the objective I want to achieve? How long will it take me to achieve this goal? What is the price in time, money and effort?