There are two main schools of thought when it comes to whether or not you should build a business based on what you’re passionate about.

Some argue that if you pursue your passion the money will follow. Others say that you may not be able to build a sustainable or lucrative business based on your passion. You might be passionate about building things with toothpicks… but whether you can translate that into a business is another matter.

My view is this: just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t means you’ll be able to build a business around it.

HOWEVER you do need to be passionate about your business to be successful.

Depending on who you are, being passionate about the subject matter of your business may be optional. It’s not optional for me - I need to be passionate about what my business does in order to stay interested in it - but I’m well aware of successful business people who have nothing more than a passing interest in the products and services they sell.

What I don’t think is optional is a passion for your customers. Not if you’re going to start a business from scratch and build it into something GREAT. Equally, I don’t think being passionate about business itself is optional.

Unless you love the cut and thrust of building a business, it’s unlikely you’ll have the persistence, resilience or “opportunity radar” required to overcome the inevitable challenges and seize the opportunities that come your way.

Here’s a quick tip for improving just about any aspect of your marketing or business: start measuring it.

Now, measuring performance is NOT enough of course. It’s critical to take action to improve that performance. But measuring it is a great first step. Once you know the numbers - whether they relate to traffic, conversion rates or anything else – you’ll naturally start thinking about how to improve those numbers… and ideally you’ll start making those improvements.

Even if there are numbers you just don’t have the time or resources to improve right now, it’s still worthwhile having them on your radar. In fact it’s critical if you’re to avoid unpleasant surprises. By keeping track of key metrics you’ll tend to notice patterns or anomalies that require immediate attention. More importantly, you’ll be able to give them immediate attention.

If you haven’t implemented a website statistics program, I recommend signing up for a Google Analytics account. It’s free and provides a range of invaluable data. If you do track your web statistics, make it a habit to check them at appropriate intervals.

Don’t do this obsessively of course - i.e to the point where you spend more time checking your numbers than doing anything about them!

Instead, check them as frequently as is necessary to be able to notice trends, problems or opportunities, and make any necessary changes.

(Note: Stomping The Search Engines 2 launches TODAY at 2pm EST: Click Here To Get Stomping The Search Engines 2 For Free)

Yesterday, I reviewed the Stomping The Search Engines 2 home-study course. (To read the review go here Stomping The Search Engines 2 Review). At the end of the review I indicated that the guys behind the course, Andy Jenkins and Brad Fallon, were going to price it at one price… before deciding to make it so that EVERYONE would be able to get this course.

That wasn’t hype.

Originally, the price of this course was going to be $497.

But after Andy and Brad’s change of heart, the price of the course is now… $0

That’s right, you can get the entire DVD-ROM course for FREE. You only pay for shipping and handling (and that’s a real shipping and handling cost – not a padded one).

What’s the catch?

The “catch” is that when you order the course, you also agree to trial StomperNet’s Internet marketing journal, The Net Effect. (I also discussed that in yesterday’s review). The first issue is free but there is an ongoing charge of $39 per month after that. BUT you can easily cancel… yes, that means you can EASILY cancel (without being upsold or messed around).

StomperNet are, of course, hoping you won’t cancel. Otherwise they are taking a huge risk with this offer. But it truly is up to you whether you want to continue with your subscription or not.

Regardless, and given that canceling is not going to be a problem, there really is no reason NOT to order Stomping The Search Engines 2.

I said yesterday that the course won’t be suitable for either search engine optimization experts OR anyone who doesn’t intend to follow through on the work required for SEO success. While I stand by that, the course may still be worth getting purely to see how a high-quality home-study course is put together!

Seriously, though, if SEO is on your radar, make sure you get this course. Also, order it as soon as it becomes available at 2pm EST today, Wednesday September 3, 2008.

I say that because there is likely to be a HUGE rush for this course, and you don’t want to end up waiting for your copy in case StomperNet rapidly runs out of its initial batch of stock.

So put a reminder in your Outlook / Thunderbird / calendar / alarm to click here at 2pm EST:

==> Get Stomping The Search Engines 2 For Free

Wednesday 2pm EST is:

• Wednesday 11am in Los Angeles
• Wednesday 7pm in London
• Thursday 4am in Sydney
• Thursday 3am in Tokyo

==> Get Stomping The Search Engines 2 For Free

Source: Stomping The Search Engines 2.0