Working At Home
Many people dream of running a home business.
The attractions include being able to work to your own schedule, no boss to report to, avoiding the stress of the daily commute, and co-workers, being able to choose one’s own clients, and have more time to spend with friends and family.
That is the theory.
Here's the bad news from the very start. Only 3% of the people that try their hand at running a home-based business will succeed.
It's not for lack of training, or information available, or they purchased the wrong course. Failure is caused mainly for two reasons.
1. Mindset.
People are conditioned to working for someone else. They don't have to make decisions. They simply come to work and pick up their paychecks.
2. Persistence.
Most people that fail at working at home do so because they give up too early in the game because their expectations were too high.
Partially because of the Hype they are inundated
with from MOST of the programs and courses being
sold on the INTERNET. Do You REALLY think that the information you get in a $37.00 eBook is going to make you $100.00 - $700.00 a day only working for 2 hours?
If you find one PLEASE let me know. I want it.
There are some gems out there, with some great information, but you need to build on each thing you learn.
Nothing is going to make you a success other than persistence.
Starting a home business is about taking control of your life. When you work for yourself you no longer have to resign yourself to contributing to someone Else's vision. But it isn't always a good idea. There are certain criteria you should make sure you meet before committing yourself, as follows:
Do you have a home business personality?
Are you organized, self motivating, and able to work by yourself for long periods of time?
Before you commit yourself to any home business you would be well advised to give a lot of thought to this step, as probably the most important in the series.
It is deciding exactly what business it is that you want to run from home, whether it is unique, or part of a franchise.
You have a wide range of choices, from Aroma the therapist to Reiki the specialist, a dog groomer to an EBay store owner.
You must choose something that you enjoy doing, and that best makes profitable use of your skills, interests and personality. It will take up a large proportion of your life long into the future, so important you choose wisely.
Hone up on your knowledge of the Internet and related technologies, and think of how they can be used to help your business grow.
Learn about what programs are relevant and available, how much they cost, and how they work.
I’m sure you know how email works, and how important it is in keeping in touch with customers all over the world. But are you up to speed on how shopping cart software works, and how it makes it easy for you to accept payment 365 days a year, and how much groups and forums can help your keep in touch with a community of people interested in you and your business.
Plan, plan, and plan. A business plan is essential, and you will need to outline your goals, your reasons for being in business, your start-up costs and running budget, your assets, your strengths and weaknesses, your competition and your marketing strategy.
One rule you would be wise to follow if you are going to run any type of business from home is to operate exactly as if you were in an outside office.
This means getting dressed and keeping normal business hours. You will be much more productive, and feel more professional, if you follow some sort of routine, and not take time off when tempted to do so.
Remember, this is your livelihood. Your business, not a hobby.
Try and find a designated work space in your home to convert into your office, where you can close the door and work uninterrupted.
When you first start off you will feel that you need to do everything yourself:
Be your own lawyer, designer, marketing guru, accountant and tea boy/lady. This really is not a productive way to run a business, and you should try and outsource as much as you can afford to. This will enable you to concentrate on doing the things you are good at, and will bring in the most profit.
You must always remember that you are the captain of this ship, and your job is to make the business grow.
Finally, always remember to try and maintain a work/life balance.
It is very easy to let your business consume your life 24/7 and not only your family and friends will suffer. Your business will too.
Burnout can occur and you may start losing interest in your business, which means that your profits will suffer, as will your customers. Balance is essential for a successful home based business.
If you follow the words of advice, and warning, above there is no reason why your home based business should not be a great success, giving you a good life for as long as you want to work in it.
Starting a home based business is a challenge but, if you do your initial research correctly, have a definite plan to follow and guide you and follow good business practices should get you off on the right foot.
To Your Success!
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