Speedy Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts. There is experience, knowledge, tools, and strategies which speed things up, and those are the things we'll tackle here.

Shortcuts for Learning

• Don't try to learn it all. Just learn the basics. As long as you have enough knowledge to avoid fatal mistakes, it is enough for now. You can improve later as you learn more. 
• Focus on the most necessary things. Forget frills, and if something sounds too complicated, find out if there is a simpler way. 
• Ask questions. Don't be afraid to email someone and ask questions! The worst they can do is refuse to reply! At best they'll help you, and most people will at least give you a link to find more help. 
• Don't get ahead of yourself. Work as you learn, and don't try to study too far ahead of where you are. It is faster and easier to just do it as you are reading about it. Read about a step, then do it. You'll understand more, and learn it better. 
• Remember, the first time is the hardest. Experience and practice are a HUGE timesaver long term! You'll know how to do it faster each time you repeat the same job. 

Shortcuts for Building a Website

• Use a template. It does not matter whether you make your own template, or use someone else's pre-built template. Start with a design and then replicate that page to create your other pages. It will save you tons of time. 
• Think about your site's purpose and your plans for it before you build it. Build the site so that making updates will be simpler - for example, it is easier to make changes to a single part of the site than the whole site, so if you build it in sections it will help - it will also allow you to build the site part by part if you need to, and add more whole sections later if you want. It is also easier to update text links than image links, so using text links will help you maintain the site long term. 
• Use software that is easy for you to use. Do not try to learn HTML right away, there is NO need! Try your software before you choose which one to buy, and then buy the one that is easiest for you to use.
• Focus on Content. Worry about prettying it up later. This will allow you to register the site when it has the most important thing in place (text), and to make it pretty during the time between registering it and when it starts getting significant traffic. 
• Basics first, performance tweaks later. Your primary goal is to get a site up that is finished enough so that it can run Googles, and so that it can be registered with the search engines. Clean and simple design, efficient layout and navigation, and quality content on every page, with basic optimization done. Come back later to spiff up the design, add more content, and improve the optimization page by page. 
• Use colored tables for embellishment for the simplest, most predictable way of adding color to your site. Done well, it can add sparkle to your site without bloating the code or taking a lot of time learning to create and put in graphics. You can add images later to add the final sizzle to the looks. 
• If you use a replicated website, do NOT upload it unchanged! That will kill your business, and that is no shortcut! You HAVE to change it first. This can still be faster than building from scratch, but it is NOT a "no work money maker"! PLEASE take my word for this, you'll regret it if you don't! 
• Keep a file with standard Contact, About, Policies, Advertising, Link Exchange, or other common info in it. You can then just use that boilerplate text for each of your sites, and customize it if needed for sites that need something a little different. 

Shortcuts for Running a Business

• Keep receipts. Use one place to put your purchase receipts, another place to put your income receipts. It will save you BIG over the long term, both in time and money. 
• Don't make it too complicated. Keep your business structure simple until there is a need to make it more elaborate. 
• Don't overlook licensing. If your city or state requires a business licence, get it. This is not the place to scrimp. 
• Keep good backups of your computer stuff - downloaded software that you paid for, email lists, database files for websites, website files, etc. At some point, you'll be really glad you did. 

General Rules for Shortcuts

• If a shortcut has significant risk that will shut you down if you do it, then it is not a shortcut, just a time waster. 
• A real shortcut won't remove the work, or eliminate expenses. It will merely make your work more efficient. 
• If it takes you more time to use than the right way, there is no point in doing it. 
• If it costs you more than you could make during the time that it takes for you to do it yourself, then it is not worth your money. The cost breakpoints change as your income increases, but this rule ALWAYS holds! 

If you still believe that someone can offer you a money maker that takes no time or effort from you, then you are just waiting to be scammed. This list of tips is honest and given without ulterior motive.

Expect to learn. Expect to find good tools that make things more efficient. Expect to gain experience which makes the tasks faster over time. Because those things are real, and those things CAN help you earn faster.