20 Hour Work Week - The Movement

An online business and a 20 hour work week sound too good to be true. You might find yourself wondering: can I actually make enough money from starting an online business?

On today's episode, you'll learn the different ways that online business owners can make enough money to support themselves and their families. We'll talk about real business owners who are making a living online—and share our own money-making strategies that we use here at Bloomdocking!

Here are some highlights from today's episode:

• How you can be part of the rapidly growing e-learning industry that's worth billions
• What it takes to be an expert (hint: you don't need "10,000" hours!)
• Three ways to start making money with your online business

Links mentioned in this episode:

• 3 Types of Affiliate Marketing Explained
• Pat Flynn's Income Reports
• Keep Your Daydream
• Once a Month Meals - Tricia Callahan
• Smashing the Glass - Karen Cinnamon
• Amy Porterfield
• Not So Wimpy Teacher - Jamie Sears
• How My Business Makes Money - Jennifer Allwood

We've all used this excuse: "I don't have the time!" It stops us from doing what we've always wanted, whether it's reading that book, joining that club, or starting that business you've been dreaming of. Oie is no stranger to this excuse—she used it herself for years before deciding she would find the time for the things that were truly important.

As J.R.R. Tolkien once said, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

On today's podcast episode, we're helping you find the time—and decide what to do with it. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll learn:

• How to combat the excuses of not having more time
• Tools and tricks for finding more time
• All the things you can do with the extra time you find

Links mentioned in this episode:

• The 5 Second Rule from Mel Robbins
• Episode #3: The Keystone to Success for Online Entrepreneurs

A keystone provides stability to the structure of an arch. It's the single most important piece of the structure. What provides that stability for entrepreneurs with online businesses?

Some might say it's marketing, or innovation, or any number of other important things. But even the sum total of those elements won't be enough to bring sustainable success to your business. What will?

Hunger and drive. Successful online entrepreneurs have a core motivation giving them the stamina to run their business day-in and day-out. This drive and passion infuses every part of the business: the marketing, the products, the customer service, and every other component of a successful online business.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll find in this episode:

• The keystone to success for your online business
• How to create that keystone for yourself
• Stories and practical exercises to help you understand the importance of this keystone for yourself and your business

Links mentioned in this episode:

• 6 pitfalls to avoid
• 20 hour work week
• Tony Robbins
• Finding Your Sweet Spot guide

Have you ever wondered who came up with the concept of working forty hours a week? Or why we often go to great lengths to stay at the office for eight or more hours in a single day?

 We've all had that moment where the alarm clock goes off in the morning and we ask ourselves why we have to get up to go to a job that isn't ideal.

Episode 2 of the 20 Hour Work Week Movement Podcast explains how this came to be and why we believe there's a better way through starting an online business based on efficiency.

The history behind the traditional work week actually goes back as far as the Industrial Revolution.

In 1817, Robert Owen, a Welsh mill owner and labor rights activist, pushed for a day that consisted of eight hours work, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest for six days a week. 

The overall philosophy gained traction when Henry Ford implemented the 40 Hour Work Week without reducing worker pay in 1926. He found that workers were actually more productive working only forty hours a week instead of forty-eight. Since then, companies across America and around the globe have followed this system. Finally, in 1940, the 40-hour work week became law.

 However, as the years have passed, technology has only increased our ability to get more done at the office in an even shorter time period. In fact, productivity of American workers has nearly doubled since the 1970s.

 If this is true, why are we still spending such long days at the office? That's why we're digging deeper into this podcast episode about the importance of the 20 Hour Work Week Movement and why you should consider leveraging technology, experts, and the global economy in your favor.

Let's face it… most of us are pretty brain fried by two or three in the afternoon. Working a full eight-hour schedule isn't productive for any of us and the system of doing so just isn't working anymore.

A few years ago, Oie started looking for ways to be more productive and accidentally stumbled on a book called Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Lessby Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.

 The author explores several examples of famous writers and thinkers and how they incorporated rest and exercise into their daily routine. It turns out, there are a lot of really successful people who allow themselves more rest than work time.

Darren's road to the 20 Hour Work Week was a little different.  After years of work in corporate America, entrepreneurship, and many stressful years, he was still searching for a true work-life balance. He knew he needed to find proven methods to work fewer hours with a higher level of productivity. So, we started following people who were effectively doing this for themselves.

Learning from others' failures and successes is a powerful thing. Soon we felt ready to start a new business, built on the principles of working less by and leveraging experts, technology and the power of the internet. The key here is to making processes extremely efficient in order to work less yet still have the necessary income to be happy. Thus The 20 Hour Work Week Movement took shape.

 In fact, we aren't the only ones that think there needs to be a change. A British think tank called the New Economic Foundation has proposed a 21-hour schedule on the basis of greater staff well-being and sustainability. Essentially, they've found that this type of schedule also reduces unemployment by spreading the work resulting in lower welfare needs and greater productivity.

Sounds great, right?

That's why we support the 20 Hour Work Week Movement. As a society, we are burnt out working the traditional forty hours or more per week. By helping others see clarity in this idea, we are hoping to make the process a movement by which more people can see the value in working fewer hours to achieve a higher level of life satisfaction.

Part of our effort to help people learn about the 20 Hour Work Week movement is by educating them on how we got to where we are a society. It's actually pretty interesting and knowing the events behind all of it really makes you realize whythis system is so darn outdated. 

But how are we making this a reality?

If you listened to the first episode of our podcast, you probably already know the answer to this question. We want to help people work less by working smarter and not harder!

 When you hear the idea of only working twenty hours a week, you might think this is crazy or it's not possible. The truth is that it is possible and we are here to help and support you.

 Instead of waiting for society to catch up to this idea of a shorter work week, why not make the movement happen for ourselves?

To do this, we need your help. Our goal is to find people who share the same beliefs and support each other through this transformation. That's why we created the 20 Hour Work Week Movement private Facebook Group for support, knowledge, and inspiration.  We'd love to have you join us!

Are you ready to learn about the reason behind the original 40 hour work week and why using technology, experts, and the internet to leverage your productivity to work less hours is so important?

Great! Go ahead and listen. Then leave a comment on our private 20 Hour Work Week Movement Facebook Group to help support everyone in this movement.

Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you're not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don't want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Additionally, we would love for you to write a review on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• 20 Hour Work Week Movement Private Facebook Group
• Book: Rest: Why You Get More Done When Your Work Less - Author: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

The first episode of The 20 Hour Workweek Movement Podcast is finally here! We couldn't be more excited to share this with you and hope you'll stick around and take a listen. This week, we cover the six pitfalls to avoid when running a business and various strategies to help you avoid them.

WHAT 6 PITFALLS DO YOU NEED TO AVOID WHEN RUNNING A BUSINESS?

As entrepreneurs ourselves, we've encountered our fair share of issues when it comes to running our outdoor outfitter company, DIRO Outdoors.

While it didn't always feel great as we were working through them, looking back, it's all part of the learning process. Now that we are aware of what these things are, we can help other business owners expedite their learning process vs. having to go through the same issues we had to go through.

While we cover each one more directly in the podcast, the six pitfalls are:

• #6: Thinking you know and understand your customer from day one.

• #5: Doubting that your business model will be profitable. 

• #4: Choosing a product or service which you aren't motivated to deliver to your clients. Build a business based on your sweet spot. If you aren't motivated, you won't want to put the effort in to become successful.

  • Download our FREE Finding Your Sweet Spot Guide to help walk you through the process of creating a business you enjoy and can get paid for.

• #3: Not really focusing on your finances. 

• #2: Focusing on the wrong things—not stuff that grows your online business. 

• #1: Thinking that working longer hours will bring business success.

Throughout the podcast, we discuss each of these pitfalls and provide you with various strategies on how to overcome them. Remember, these are things we've personally experienced and we're happy to share with you how to keep them from hindering your future success.