Greetings from the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii. Arlene and I count Maui as our most favorite place to go for a break-ation and with good reason. The place is incredibly beautiful, there is no shortage of things to do or see and the sunsets … people, both locals and tourists actually pull off the road to watch the sun set every evening because it’s that amazing.
Now my purpose in writing this piece is not to make you jealous, particularly if you’re in a part of the world where’s it’s freezing and there is snow on the ground, but rather to share with you how we can go on vacation thousands of miles from home and still keep our business going strong.
One of the greatest benefits of the affiliate marketing business is that it’s completely portable. There is no inventory to worry about, there are no set store hours, you don’t need to lug around paper files or office equipment, and all you really need is a computer and access to the internet. Everything you need to run and manage your business you can find online.
There are break-ations and then there are extreme trips
Arlene and I call our getaways break-ations because we combine breaks with a little business. Here in Maui it’s mostly about relaxation and recharging but our typical breakaction normally is associated with a business trip. All of the affiliate marketing trade shows and seminars are held in attractive vacation destinations. Since we’re going to the expense of being there we try to tack on 3 or 4 days just for relaxation either before or after the event.
Taking a break, getting away from the everyday of the business is extremely important if you want to keep fresh and motivated. If all of your time is spent working on your web-based enterprise then you’re missing out on one of the most attractive features of the business.
That doesn’t mean you completely forget the business while you’re gone. Here’s how Arlene and I stay in touch:
- We start with the idea that we will work 2 hours a day on the business and spend the rest of the time just enjoying ourselves. There are obviously stats that you want to check every day, if you use a lot of freelancers like I do you have to check on their progress and a quick scan of email, twitter and FaceBook accounts will tell you if you need to take action on something.
- Arlene handles almost all of our administration and when you have as many projects in the fire as we do that can be a challenging task. However, she can lessen the load on herself and still be confident that the work is being done by hiring a VA to cover while she’s gone.
- Arlene is also the travel guru of our family and over the years has learned every trick in the book when it comes to saving money on travel. Hotels, airlines, rental cars, attractions and even restaurants offer discounts if you know where to look. Arlene has promised to do an Affiliate Buzz podcast just on travel trips in the near future.
Our trips are rarely longer than a week but there are some people who take this affiliate marketing portability to the extreme.
Jonathan and Carrie Craft are successful marketers who used their business to finance a 26 month around the world trip. Their little jaunt falls outside of the definition of a break-ation and could better be described as an expedition. During their journey they visited both the urban centers and the wild and wooly parts of 30 different countries. They are not your typical tourists, they like to get down among ‘em and experience the everyday lifestyles of the different cultures.
Following the adventure
Before they departed Carrie and Jonathan had created a blog that had a pretty decent following thanks to their affiliate marketing skills and their use of social media. Of course they shared their plans with their audience and announced that they would use their blog as their diary which insured a steady flow of traffic as fans checked in daily for updates.
Their site already promoted a number of travel related products and services but their steady flow of traffic became a saleable asset when they hit the road. In a sense they took what Arlene does for us in the travel area and put it into hyper drive.
They already knew about the discounts available but they took it a step further by trading reviews and ads on their blog for free or discounted lodging in many of the places that they stayed. Owners of rental condos in particular were interested in getting their property reviewed and being exposed to a large and relevant audience.
Unlike us they couldn’t set a 2 hour rule because at times they would spend a day or two on a bus or a rental car crossing the hinterland where there was no internet connection. When they arrived at their destination they would have to buckle down and work to catch up.
But what other business could you “leave” for over 2 years and still make money?
Portability is just one of the advantages of the industry we’re in. If there are times when you get frustrated with your business, understand that if you keep at it you will be rewarded. Don’t give up on yourself and you’ll eventually be a regular practitioner of break-ations.
If you have a comment or a travel story I’d love to hear it. Just share it with us in the box below.
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Twitter: familybizguy
says:
James I was just talking about this with my wife yesterday! We were watching that movie “Soul Surfer” and talking about wanting to live in Hawaii. I told her that’s the beauty of what I’m doing right now is that it’s completely portable!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the WAY I do my business. This article is right inline with how I’ve been changing the way I do business.
Sometimes when you’re working really hard to MAKE IT HAPPEN all that pressure to perform can really work against you.
Making a little space to enjoy what you’re doing is so important for any marketer. If you’re not enjoying yourself then you’re missing out on the value of working for yourself anyway. I’ve also notice that my BEST ideas happen when i’m having fun.
Excellent Post – Thank You For Sharing!
Joseph
Joseph Shaw recently posted..Want The Best WordPress Plugins for 2012?
Twitter: JamesMartell
says:
The freedom the business can bring to someone who stick with it and makes it happens is amazing. I love what you said “I’ve also notice that my BEST ideas happen when I’m having fun”. That’s a classic!
Twitter: nadiadrm
says:
The affiliate marketing business is really helpful and effective.But you must find a good affiliate,I think.It’s very important.
Nadia recently posted..Mac PDF To JPEG Converter Released By Doremisoft
Twitter: JamesMartell
says:
Agreed. It’s imperative to find the right affiliate program. If you’re the merchant then finding the right affiliates to promote your program is key.
Twitter: JetSetBags
says:
I’ve always loved to travel and that’s even better if your work is portable like you said. I think it’s really essential if we have break-ations once in a while, kind of like hitting two birds with one stone. And, all work but no play could be recipe for disaster for you as a person.
Hannah Hamilton recently posted..The Best Bag for Every Type of Traveler
Twitter: JamesMartell
says:
Hey Hannah,
I do love the word “break-ations”. It sums it up oh so well.
Twitter: matthewkinsella
says:
I spend most of my time travelling and seeing more of the world and it’s the main reason why I became an entrepreneur. It’s the freedom that I was seeking more than anything else and now I have it I wouldn’t give it up in a million years.
Matt Kinsella recently posted..Make Your Own Luck
Twitter: JamesMartell
says:
Congrats. You have accomplished what most only dream about. I am curious if Maui has been in your travels. It is a magical place.
Twitter: healthy_start_
says:
I am jealous of you. Not because it’s freezing cold here right now, but because Maui offers a sense of calmness and peace that I miss. There is (to me) no place like Maui!
In any case, I agree with you. It’s great to be able to take your work with you wherever you go and not be stuck in one place, one office, one routine everyday. Being online is really the way to go.
I know of people who live in their RV’s full-time and work wherever they park for the day or week. That would be my ultimate life.
Kari recently posted..Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path Leads to a Joyful Life
Twitter: JamesMartell
says:
It is amazing to have a business that is not restricted by geography. My previous business held me captive to my hometown. If I left for a holiday I would come back to a back log of work.
This business is the opposite…and I agree with you about Maui …it is does “offer a sense of calmness and peace”. It’s amazing.
Twitter: BlogSEOLady
says:
There are tons of affiliate programs out there. What’s your advice on how someone can make the right choice?
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Twitter: epromozone
says:
this one is the beauty of online business, all the activities you perform is portable, you can enjoy your life along with your business.
thanks for awake me!!!
Twitter: esther98
says:
I’m jealous! It sounds great, but like you said, this is indeed the advantage of the business you’re in, but only if you get it right. It seems like you’ve got it right so congratulations on that. Enjoy your break-action. I’m sure you’ll have loads to blog about when you get back home.
annelg recently posted..Protect Your Garden In Cold Weather
Twitter: bethparker
says:
I’d like to be able to take a break-ation now and then too. It will probably be a while before I get to that point.
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Twitter: rashmithapaliya
says:
That is smart! Thanks for sharing.
Twitter: Prevucare
says:
As well as affiliate sites you can also have service based businessess such as graphic/web designers (technically you don’t need to be in a permanent location and download businesses such as those who create their own graphics and sell on their site or on istock or musicians creating royalty free music for corporate videos etc… the list is huge!
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This is such an ideal to take a break but still being able to work. That’s the joy of being a marketer the fact that you can work almost anywhere as long as you have a computer. Especially in Hawaii as well what ab place to take a break.
Twitter: Elena__Anne
says:
Usually, when you have the money for travelling you are too busy.And when you have the time do that, you do not have the money to pay for travelling. With affiliate marketing you can do both, at the same time. This is fantastic. That’s why I decided to get busy with affiliate marketing.
James I logged in your affiliate marketers bootcamp and got the whole idea in a simple way. Thank you for inspire me.
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