To understand your timeline is to understand your business. Can you really know where you are going if you don't have a goal? I think not! Can you really tell how well you are doing if you are not logging your results? I think not again! Can you really tell what your profit margin is at this moment and will be next month at this time without tracking your sales, goals and plans?

Well I think you know my answer by now.

There is tons of internet marketing "How To" information online. However, have you noticed very few people teach you how to organize your information? Well, now you will know.

My marketing timelines include: goals present and future, Action plans for today and tomorrow as well as next month, and last but definitely not least, you have a sales tracker as well.

Ok. Now take out a sheet of paper, and for computer lovers, open up your word processing program.

Let's begin with our goal sheet.

On top of the page in BIG letters type:

Goal Sheet - Short Term

Now grab another piece of paper, or another page, and on the top of that one in BIG letters type:

Goals - Long Term

Next page write in BIG letters:

Action Steps - Short term

And another page in BIG letters:

Action Steps - Long term

One last page in BIG letters write: SALES

Now you have the foundation you need to begin really understanding your ebusiness as it grows and matures.

Grab a file folder, or on the computer, make a file folder that says: "Marketing Timeline." This folder will hold all your files.

Page one: Short term Goals: Make 3 columns.

Column 1: Date

Column 2: Goal

Column 3: Date completed Goal

Page two: Goals - Long Term: Make 3 columns.

Column 1: Date

Column 2: Goal

Column 3: Date Completed Goal.

Page 3: Action Plans short term: Make 3 columns.

Column 1: Date.

Column 2: Action Steps.

Column 3: Date Completed Action Steps.

Page 4: Action Plans - Long term: Make 3 columns.

Column 1: Date.

Column 2: Action Steps.

Column 3: Date Completed Action Step.

Page 5: Sales tracking - Make 3 columns:

Column 1: date

Column 2: Sales

Column 3: Continuing Total.

I can hear a lot of you out there groaning, "there must be a way to automate this!" and yes there is!

However, I want you to do it manually when you first start your ebusiness. I have found that this will not only show you how you are doing and where you are and what has to be done to get to where you want to go. It also helps to seat all the information in your unconscious brain. Walla! Automating the Brain!

Really, I am serious. By doing this manually you will learn a lot more in the beginning and not have to learn it as you go along.