I wish that I could say that I was the brain storm behind The Daily 8 System for Success, but that has to go to a team of great people in my company. Since implementing the plan, I have seen great success in my business and the thought crossed my mind that these 8 steps could be used in any business environment – both on the internet and off. So I have made them more generic and wanted to pass them on to the reading audience.

Do the Daily 8 every day:

1. Training – spend time each day learning something new. Learn about your product or service. Learn a new way to promote You Inc on the internet. Dial into a webinar or conference call. Mentor someone successful in your organization. I keep a list of things that I want to look into when I have time. Once I feel comfortable with a new skill, I turn to my list to see what I would like to pursue next. Life is exciting if it is an on-going learning experience. One resource that has been very helpful to me in building my online business is RenegadeUniversity and the training provided.

2. Make a New Contact - contact 3-5 people/day. These could be people you already know but have lost contact with or new people that you come in contact with through your business, networking events, etc. It could be someone that has added you as a friend on Facebook or Twitter. Check out their profile, send them a message or write on their wall. Be open to connecting with people both online and out in your community.

3. Build Your Contact Manager – Add the information to a contact manager for the 3-5 people you contact each day. Send them a note or email. Respond to them in a forum or comment on an article they have written. Keep track of what they are talking or writing about. Remember you are building a list and the more information you have about someone, the better you can determine if they are in your target market. You may not have anything to offer them today, but as you practice step #1, that may change tomorrow.

4. Present your opportunity or affiliate program every day. This may be in the form of a presentation on the phone or in person. It may be in sending them to a link that you feel would be of interest to them. Remember to always present something of value to your audience. The more you know about your audience (Step 3), the more you can bring value.

5. Follow-up – You have heard very often – The Fortune Is In The Follow-up. You need a system for following up with people on your list. This may be an auto-responder with emails specifically geared to their area of interest. It may be mailing them information or sending them a note. Make sure that you “touch” your list at-least weekly. I use a contact manager called Oprius which has a relationship builder. You can pre-program a series of steps to be taken based on the group that a contact is in. The program will remind you of the next step in the process. You can make sure that your contact is always kept in the loop. You can also set up a series of auto-emails to be sent to your contact as part of the follow-up process.

6. Bring someone into your organization everyday. They may purchase your products/services, sign up for an affiliate program or opt-into an ongoing training opportunity. Make every effort to make forward motion every day.

7. Personal Development – spend 15 – 20 minutes each day reading positive material or listening to CD’s. Commit to putting your first dollars earned back into building your mind. I personally recommend books like The Magic of Thinking Big, any book by John Maxwell, Making Your Dreams Come True or The Slight Edge are just a few.

8. Touch someone today. This could be sending them a heart-felt card or calling them on the phone. Do something to serve another person everyday. Volunteer in your church or community. Get outside of yourself and your business and let others know that you care.

It is my sincere wish that small businesses and internet businesses thrive in 2009. This country needs a way out of the current crises and I personally do not believe that will happen with government bailouts. It is going to take a grass roots effort by those of us who believe in abundance and are willing to move forward with innovative ideas and build our businesses.

Every week I offer webinars on building your business. You can sign up for these free webinars by clicking here and completing the form under Webinars. We need to be proactive in today's business environment - so act now - sign up for the webinars and practice The Daily 8.