Are stumped by the whole creativity process? Does creating a product instill fear and indecision? It does in some people, so you're not alone. Producing an information product has several different segments to address. First and foremost you must have defined a target customer group and also understand what those customers want.



And now your fun begins. Take these specific instructions and action steps to heart whether you are creating your first or your fiftieth information product. It will pave the way to a smooth product launch!

Start with a commitment, in writing, to stay focused and achieve your goals. Doing these exercises in writing might feel hokey but as T. Harv Eker says 'I'd rather be hokey and really rich, than cool and really poor."

You will now develop your project plan, the support structure for the entire developmental process. The first step is to define your product. What type of product would get your really excited about creating? Do you enjoy writing (ebook, home study course), speaking (audio book), problem solving (software creation)? While you are doing this include a complete description, in writing, of how the product will look, feel, and the emotions you want to convey through design and packaging. Don't be detailed about the exact design, just the feelings and emotions you want to communicate. This will help you when it comes time to actually design the covers for your product.

Next, identify your resources. Look first to yourself i.e. talents and natural gifts. Look also to the people you know personally, peripherally and can hire. You may feel that you don't have the knowledge you need to complete the project. This isn't unusual since no one is an expert in all fields, so make a list of the skills you'll need such as web design, copywriting, email marketing, audio etc. Decide what you can do, what you want to learn and what you want to outsource.

At this time you might want to consider collaborating with someone. This is one way to produce outstanding results. The combination of two creative minds normally brings about great outcomes. If you do want to collaborate be sure to bring in a partner early in the process.

Do the same exercise before looking for a partner that you did for the skills you will need to produce your product. Make a list of the talents and resources you want your potential partner to have. Now make a list of five potential partners and call two this week.

Assuming that you have asked your customer what they want, think about the purpose of your project and what makes it different from anything else currently on the market. What will make this uniquely yours - what is the Unique Selling Point (USP)? How can you over deliver on your promise to make your product outstanding.

You should also plan how the extra time and effort needed to create a product will fit into your already overscheduled day. One of the best ways to prevent product collapse is to develop a reasonable schedule and acknowledge that something will suffer while your creative juices are flowing. List your current responsibilities to both business and home. Then, using a calendar, schedule your time for current responsibilities and time for the new project.

If you acknowledge, ahead of time, that something might suffer, and determine which of your responsibilities will be neglected for a short time, you will not deteriorate into utter chaos. Make sure that you have committed to your project and to the rest of your life, as well as to some down time for yourself. You don't want to be the one to collapse before the project has been completed!

Remember, it's not the smartest, luckiest or most connected people who do big things in the world. It's the people who GET IT DONE.