My SBI Website

Before I go into detail about how my life has been enhanced due to SBI ("Site Build It"), I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself.

Just know that at any time, you can click on one or more of the SBI links on this page to see what I am raving on about.

Where I was at, before SBI.....

I’m 45 years old – and single mother to 4 gorgeous teenagers who all still live at home. I do have a full time job in the Government, and until recently I also had a part time job at a service station. I was working upwards of 60 hours a week – not to get ahead: just to keep my head above water.

Until recently, it seemed that my whole life revolved around getting to and from work (an hours drive each way), and working at one of my two jobs. The income derived from my full time job was such that I was not entitled to any of the assistance programs normally afforded single parents – subsidised housing, welfare, rebates on electricity and gas or even discounted medical and dental care.

I had one of two choices – I could decrease my income to become entitled to these things, or I could increase my income so that I could afford to pay my bills.

So, I started working 12 hours a week at a service station – standing on my feet at a console for 6 hours each shift (after working at my full time job) – taking abuse from customers complaining about petrol prices; often being required to also tick off and place logistics on the shelves (sometimes up to 4 pallets of heavy cartons of softdrink and water); opening the store at 4:45am when most normal people are sleeping.

I did this for 2 years, and felt my health suffering, my tolerance levels at an all-time low. I could hardly feel my feet sometimes, and the very thought of going for a walk or working out made me cringe – I had no time or residual energy left for myself, or my family. Life just seemed to be one long struggle, and I grew depressed and unhappy – constantly thinking that there had to be more to life, surely.

I looked at my children - who were growing up around me, and who I never seemed to have any time to enjoy. I resented that they were going to school, learning to drive, getting part time jobs, changing careers, developing love interests - and I appeared to be too busy to be a solid presence in their lives. My youngest child appeared to grow a foot while I was blinking.

Listen to Elad tell HIS story - there are thousands of stories, just like his.

What changed?

This continued until one day, my manager at the service station decided to issue a formal warning for a drive-off that happened on my shift. That’s right – I was to blame for something illegal that someone else did. It was at that time that I made the decision that I didn’t need the second job that desperately, and I handed in my notice with a few well chosen words. I might add, I no longer purchase my petrol there – on principle.

I feel sad for the friends I made at the service station who have to work there full time for minimum wages – with inconsistent instructions, grumpy customers, long hours on their feet with no staff amenities area – and only 10 minutes break every 4 hours. It’s no life: and in this day and age, it seems at odds with minimum working conditions.

But I digress.

My eldest son had a friend who didn’t “work”, but achieved a healthy income, and I had questioned him about it several years ago. He had told me all about SBI, and his websites that were a work in progress, developing slowly over time – and how they provided him with an income that meant he was his own boss, he didn’t have to waste money on fares to and from work, didn’t have to report to anyone, didn’t have to struggle to find a work/life balance.

At the time, I was sceptical: Lord knows, I’ve been burnt too many times clicking on “make money from home” ads on the Net. So I thought I would sit back and watch how he went.

It goes without saying that he did well – VERY well. He now has 3 websites, all growing in traffic every day, and he is moving rapidly towards appearing on the first page of all three major search engines for each website – and all I can do is kick myself for being so sceptical.

Still, I felt defeated – afterall, I had a working knowledge of computers – but not programming and I didn’t have a clue when it came to html coding. Julien laughed at me “Jo, you don’t need to know – SBI does it all for you”.

He gave me a link (similar to the ones you will see on this page), and told me to read about it. So I spent the next few weeks reading, listening to testimonials, researching it for myself. The one thing I was impressed with was that it didn’t, at any time, claim to be a get-rich-quick scheme. In fact, quite the opposite. They referred to the race between the tortoise and the hare, explaining that slow and steady eventually wins the race. SBI had introduced a monthly payment program ($29.99 per month) – and a money back guarantee if in three months my website had not progressed as promised.

I thought that I could fit that into my budget for 3 months, and if it didn’t work – the most I had lost was $90. I decided to commit to the program, and read the 10 day Action Guide like the Bible.

How did I choose my topic?

How did I choose the topic and theme for my website? Well, to be honest it was an easy decision for me – one of my biggest passions is cooking – and I mean cooking from scratch, not opening a bottle or jar, and not "101 ways to cook mince".

I am lucky enough to have spent several years earlier in life around good old-fashioned country cooks - who could make a 5 star meal out of "things left over in the fridge and pantry".

I grew up in the era when it was quite common for friends and family to just "pop in" for morning or afternoon tea - and my mother always had something in the pantry that she had baked. Those were the days of true blue cooking, fair dinkum recipes and much gossip and conversation exchanged while nibbling on the latest biscuit recipe.

They were also the days when children should be seen and not heard, so I often sat silent - just listening - and my interest in food and baking began at an early age when my mother and her friends would compare and exchange recipes, along with hints and tips for dealing with problems arising from the latest batch of arrowroot or cornflour.

I have literally thousands of "true blue" recipes gathered and collected over the years - from country cooks, friends, family, old magazines and most of these exist only on faded pieces of paper and napkins. I've enjoyed immortalising them on my website, knowing that many others can now reap the benefits of these tried and tested recipes.

What's YOUR topic?

Don't be modest. Everyone knows something worth sharing - whether your topic is related to reticulation and landscaping; collecting antique toy trains; holiday destinations; pets; sewing; wood-craft; or how to restore that old Holden HQ in the garage.

SBI has brainstorming tools and tips that will help you to decide what your niche is.

You just need to write the content, and SBI will help you 100% of the way - analysing your content, and recommending ways to improve it for optimum search engine participation.

If you have a business, but you're not getting the contacts and leads that you need for a raging success - try creating a website with SBI, and watch your business soar!!

Let's be honest - times have changed, and although "word of mouth" is still the major source of referral - the next most popular way of getting known is through the Internet and social media avenues.

Am I able to stop working, and focus on SBI?

The short and honest answer? Not yet.

My websites are only three months old, and they are still under construction and daily development.

However this said, I have seen the proof that my websites are "getting there", and within 12 months I do realistically expect to be in a position where I can at least work part time, rather than full time.

Within 5 years, I hope to have another 1 or 2 websites, and at THAT time, I believe I will be able to work entirely from home, earning the same or more income currently derived from sweating it out in my full time position.

This will be good timing, because by then - surely one of my children will have made me a grandmother - and I'll be able to be an active grandma spoiling them rotten, babysitting - and baking those wonderful treats from my website.

For the FIRST time...

I have never been overseas for a holiday - in fact, I haven't had a true vacation in over 20 years. I have taken time off work for annual leave - but I've never been "away".

Thanks to SBI, for the first time ever, I am planning a holiday to both Bali and the United States over the next couple of years.

This is not "pie in the sky" or wishful thinking. The progress of my websites indicates clearly that I will be in a financial position to afford this. Hopefully, I can take some or all of my children with me.

For the first time, I can think about getting out my scrapbooking and finishing my albums; setting up my sewing machine and attending to all of those unfinished projects.

For the first time, I can start thinking about which charity I would like to support and assist with the free time I am going to have at my disposal.

For the first time, I can meet girlfriends at midday and "do lunch", or go window-shopping - instead of that mad chaotic rush to grab groceries for dinner in between one of my two jobs.

I am so looking forward to the future.

Why Am I So Prepared to Share?

Well - that's a very simple question to answer: I lose nothing by sharing. It costs me nothing, nada, zilch.

Even IF you wanted to create a similar website to mine - it's not going to be identical, as we are all unique, and have different content to add.

Check out another SBI owner's site - and the information she has to offer about establishing individual success...

There are millions of people surfing the Net each and every day looking for topics that interest them. If someone hits on your website, but not mine - that's okay - because someone ELSE is hitting on my website at the same time.

Further, having slogged it out hard my entire life - working one and two jobs while raising four of the most wonderful young people who ever walked - I want you to learn from my experience: it wasn't necessary for life to be so difficult.

Take this opportunity to find a way to really live, find the time to spend doing things you really want to do - rather than being chained to a job you don't even enjoy.

Moreover, your websites are an income-earning opportunity that you can bequeath to your loved ones. They don't need to expire when you do. They can be as valuable as superannuation or inheritance...if you DO it.