Since childhood I've had an interest in unusual businesses. I grew up with four brothers, and when it was time to vote for which television show we would watch, I sold my vote to the highest bidder. You could call that the business of politics. I collected the paper-wads that fell all over when my brothers had their wars, and then sold them back to them for a couple cents each. I was a war profiteer in the paper-wad wars. I also sold candy out of a hollow book in school.
My business activities were more conventional as an adult, but I still loved to hear about and read about the more unusual businesses. Sitting around a fire in an Arizona desert, I once talked to a man who sold used stuffed animals on the side of the highway. He claimed he sold $3000 worth his first month.
The Most Unusual Businesses
Then there was the guy I talked to in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who collected the bodies of dead deer. The county needed the deer carcasses off the roadsides for health reasons. They contracted with this guy for $25 per body. I'm not sure how he disposed of them, but maybe his other business was providing meat to dog food companies.
When I was living in Traverse City, Michigan, someone started a dog poop cleaning business. Want the dog without the responsibility of cleaning the yard? Call A-1 Pooper Scooper. I'm not sure if this would be better or worse than the dead deer collecting business.
Right here in Tucson, Arizona, there is a man who takes leaves from palm trees and twists and turns them into amazing animal sculptures. He sells these for anywhere from $2 to $12 in the street. The palm-leaf scorpions are the best. He just grabs leaves from the nearest palm tree and he can sell dozens of these in a day.
Unusual Online Businesses
Maybe you remember a few weird businesses from back before Ebay got all their rules. One woman made thousands per month selling used panties to fetishists. She bought new panties for her friends, who got them for free as long as they returned them to her unwashed, trading them in for the next new pair. The used and unwashed panties sold for $10 or more on Ebay auctions and they sold fast.
Perhaps you have heard about the online fantasy role-playing game called "Runescape." It has four million players now. What you might not know is that in addition to buying "virtual real estate" in the game, and earning online gold pieces, you can buy these game things for real cash. There are Runescape entrepreneurs who sell their online houses in the game for hundreds of real U.S. dollars. I think it would start to get confusing - what is real here and what isn't?
Then there was the guy in who decided last year to finance college by selling one million pixels of advertising space on his web page for a dollar per pixel. You had to buy a minimum of 100 pixels and you could have any image you wanted linking to anywhere you wanted. He succeeded in selling all one million within a few months. Maybe it's time for me to get back into unusual businesses.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
The Art Of Fast Money Making
In the immortal words of the great Zig Ziglar, "Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen on the "gotta have it" scale" I am going to, in this article, refine your understanding about money. One of my greatest insights and valuable observations is to accept that money is not all the same. There are different species of money, you can divide money into 3 groups. Fast money, hourly money and credit money. The first is not based or connected to time, the other two are completely based around time.
Immediately we can observe when looking at these three species of money that one is very desire-able and the other two are worse and much worse. One stands head and shoulders above the other two and is the key to wealth. The other two lead to a life of daily roil and the poor house respectively.
Credit money, money you borrow to buy certain pleasures in life is the worst kind of money. Not surprisingly it is very closely connected to "hourly money" because to get credit money you must prove that you have hourly money....a job. Then you can have access to credit money.
The point of credit money is to exchange time for the interest you pay. In other words, you can buy that car today and pay for it later. For a compounded interest rate of 10% to 20% you buy tomorrow's savings today. For people that prefer "hourly money" this type of transaction can seem highly desire-able. You don't have to wait 5 years to save for that car because you can have it now. The problem with "credit money" is the same problem that one gets with "hourly money" but much worse. Not only are we selling our precious time for money, but now we are selling and committing tomorrow's time for money today.
Hourly Money is the most obvious way to make money for people. Hourly labor for hourly money. 90% of the worlds population gets their money this way. A very inefficient way to get your money but you get it for sure. Security of a pay check is the number one reason why people strive to get hourly money.
Before reading this article, you may have never even thought about the three species of money. You may have not even considered that there is another type of money but hourly money and credit money. But there is. Fast money is what the 10% wealthy people strive for. The financial owners of planet Earth, the 10% cream of financial circles create money they don't work for it.
Fast Money - The art of authentic creation The art of fast money can be boiled down to one specific and it's that it's not connected to time. In this strange world, $100,000 in 10 minutes is nothing unusual. A million dollars in an afternoon is typical. $30,000 in 2 days is nothing special. You may balk at these time frames and amounts but that is the point of this species of money. The TIME component is totally irrelevant.
So if hourly money and credit money are intrinsically centered around time...what is fast money centered around?
SOLUTIONS
Fast money is not made by mindless time counting. Fast money is made by delivering solutions. An example of this can be found in the old dentists joke. A guy goes in to have a tooth removed and the dentist tells the fellow it will cost $1200 to remove. The fellow replies, well how long will it take? The dentist replies 2 minutes. The poor guy is incredulous, you mean to tell me that you want $1200 for 2 minutes work? The dentist replies, well sir, if u want me to take an hour doing it I can do that too.
You see the old fellow needed a solution to his problem. The dentist had that solution and had the tools to achieve the solution in 2 minutes. The fellow wanted a solution to his problem and THAT is what he was paying for, not the time spent, as his dentist adeptly pointed out.
Fast money and the art of finding and getting fast money can be found by finding people with urgent and pressing problems.
To get involved in this amazing fast money world, you must seek out these types of people. Find these types situations and begin providing your own unique and authentic solutions to get paid fast.
Immediately we can observe when looking at these three species of money that one is very desire-able and the other two are worse and much worse. One stands head and shoulders above the other two and is the key to wealth. The other two lead to a life of daily roil and the poor house respectively.
Credit money, money you borrow to buy certain pleasures in life is the worst kind of money. Not surprisingly it is very closely connected to "hourly money" because to get credit money you must prove that you have hourly money....a job. Then you can have access to credit money.
The point of credit money is to exchange time for the interest you pay. In other words, you can buy that car today and pay for it later. For a compounded interest rate of 10% to 20% you buy tomorrow's savings today. For people that prefer "hourly money" this type of transaction can seem highly desire-able. You don't have to wait 5 years to save for that car because you can have it now. The problem with "credit money" is the same problem that one gets with "hourly money" but much worse. Not only are we selling our precious time for money, but now we are selling and committing tomorrow's time for money today.
Hourly Money is the most obvious way to make money for people. Hourly labor for hourly money. 90% of the worlds population gets their money this way. A very inefficient way to get your money but you get it for sure. Security of a pay check is the number one reason why people strive to get hourly money.
Before reading this article, you may have never even thought about the three species of money. You may have not even considered that there is another type of money but hourly money and credit money. But there is. Fast money is what the 10% wealthy people strive for. The financial owners of planet Earth, the 10% cream of financial circles create money they don't work for it.
Fast Money - The art of authentic creation The art of fast money can be boiled down to one specific and it's that it's not connected to time. In this strange world, $100,000 in 10 minutes is nothing unusual. A million dollars in an afternoon is typical. $30,000 in 2 days is nothing special. You may balk at these time frames and amounts but that is the point of this species of money. The TIME component is totally irrelevant.
So if hourly money and credit money are intrinsically centered around time...what is fast money centered around?
SOLUTIONS
Fast money is not made by mindless time counting. Fast money is made by delivering solutions. An example of this can be found in the old dentists joke. A guy goes in to have a tooth removed and the dentist tells the fellow it will cost $1200 to remove. The fellow replies, well how long will it take? The dentist replies 2 minutes. The poor guy is incredulous, you mean to tell me that you want $1200 for 2 minutes work? The dentist replies, well sir, if u want me to take an hour doing it I can do that too.
You see the old fellow needed a solution to his problem. The dentist had that solution and had the tools to achieve the solution in 2 minutes. The fellow wanted a solution to his problem and THAT is what he was paying for, not the time spent, as his dentist adeptly pointed out.
Fast money and the art of finding and getting fast money can be found by finding people with urgent and pressing problems.
To get involved in this amazing fast money world, you must seek out these types of people. Find these types situations and begin providing your own unique and authentic solutions to get paid fast.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Successful Business Strategies
I am a home-based entrepreneur. Having started a few businesses, I have learned about small business planning and strategies for success. Here are my suggestions:
1) Outsource, outsource, outsource!
Small businesses don’t have the capital to devote to entire payroll departments, legal departments, etc. Outsource to independent contractors whenever possible. In the long run it is cheaper and is definitely a smart business decision.
2) Network as much as you can.
Join networking groups comprised of individuals who are entrepreneurs or small business owners. Not only might you find some professionals that will help you develop and grow your business, it is also an excellent way to spread the word about your company. Local networking groups usually limit the membership to one person per industry, so you will not be competing with anyone else for referrals.
3) Budget your expenses wisely.
If you can initially work from home, do so. Save the money you would spend renting or leasing an office space and invest in a decent computer system or advertising. Cut your costs wherever you can and take advantage of less well-known but dependable service providers, i.e. Vonage phone systems and e-fax.com.
4) Find a good publicist/virtual assistant.
It’s important to get the word out about your new business. Hiring a Public Relations firm is pricey and not always worth the money. Go online and search for a Virtual Assistant and publicist. Many will offer you a three month retainer at a lower cost than a fancy PR firm and the results can be extremely advantageous. Check out their references first and go with someone who has a proven track record. After the initial three months many VA’s will offer you an hourly or monthly rate.
5) Develop your negotiating skills.
Knowing how to talk to advertisers and getting the best deals you can will pay off big-time, especially when it comes to advertising. Ask your sales representative to tell you about any special rate packages they offer. Quite often, you will not know unless you ask. Tell vendors you are a new business and ask if you can pay for big projects (like a professional website) with monthly payments. If you are dealing with small business professionals, most of them have been in your shoes and will be happy to extend a monthly payment plan to you.
As a small business owner you must be creative yet frugal. Take every opportunity you can to tell people about your business. Word of mouth and referral business is priceless. Carry your business cards at all times and don’t be shy to talk about what you offer. You never know whom you may meet that might just turn into a wonderful opportunity!
1) Outsource, outsource, outsource!
Small businesses don’t have the capital to devote to entire payroll departments, legal departments, etc. Outsource to independent contractors whenever possible. In the long run it is cheaper and is definitely a smart business decision.
2) Network as much as you can.
Join networking groups comprised of individuals who are entrepreneurs or small business owners. Not only might you find some professionals that will help you develop and grow your business, it is also an excellent way to spread the word about your company. Local networking groups usually limit the membership to one person per industry, so you will not be competing with anyone else for referrals.
3) Budget your expenses wisely.
If you can initially work from home, do so. Save the money you would spend renting or leasing an office space and invest in a decent computer system or advertising. Cut your costs wherever you can and take advantage of less well-known but dependable service providers, i.e. Vonage phone systems and e-fax.com.
4) Find a good publicist/virtual assistant.
It’s important to get the word out about your new business. Hiring a Public Relations firm is pricey and not always worth the money. Go online and search for a Virtual Assistant and publicist. Many will offer you a three month retainer at a lower cost than a fancy PR firm and the results can be extremely advantageous. Check out their references first and go with someone who has a proven track record. After the initial three months many VA’s will offer you an hourly or monthly rate.
5) Develop your negotiating skills.
Knowing how to talk to advertisers and getting the best deals you can will pay off big-time, especially when it comes to advertising. Ask your sales representative to tell you about any special rate packages they offer. Quite often, you will not know unless you ask. Tell vendors you are a new business and ask if you can pay for big projects (like a professional website) with monthly payments. If you are dealing with small business professionals, most of them have been in your shoes and will be happy to extend a monthly payment plan to you.
As a small business owner you must be creative yet frugal. Take every opportunity you can to tell people about your business. Word of mouth and referral business is priceless. Carry your business cards at all times and don’t be shy to talk about what you offer. You never know whom you may meet that might just turn into a wonderful opportunity!
Friday, August 12, 2016
Starting A Business – The Three 'Ps'
There are a lot of factors to consider when starting a business. Primary among these are the three “P”s – Plan, Prepare and Persist.
Plan
After you have selected some ideas from your brainstorming to base your business around, create a plan of attack. List what you'll need before your business starts. What will your ongoing expenses be? Factors include rent, utilities, permits, licensing, legal fees, inventory, staff, design, marketing collateral, mailing lists, software, advertising and more. Get as much as you can out on paper and set deadlines to get things accomplished. This will allow you to evaluate your pace.
Prepare
Once you have a plan, carry it out. Preparing to start a business can be a lot of work. Tasks include getting an identity designed, creating business cards, brochures, web sites and other marketing material, consulting with CPA's, lawyers, and HR professionals, in some cases finding and renting or buying a storefront or office, furnishing the business space, getting utilities in place, receiving and organizing inventory, getting a database for your customers and leads and any number of other tasks. By running a home business, some of these steps will already be taken care of, yet opening a business of any kind can be an enormous task. While planning your business make sure to leave plenty of time to get up and running. Better to plan your setup time too long than too short and finding yourself running out of money.
Persist
This is the most important step of running a business. Without persistence, you won't even be able to finish your business plan. Hang on like a pit-bull. When the going gets tough, get tougher. Have worst case scenario plans to fall back on, as well as best case scenario plans.
Some businesses become over-night successes, while other take year to develop. If you plan, prepare and persist, you’ve got a very good chance of making it.
Plan
After you have selected some ideas from your brainstorming to base your business around, create a plan of attack. List what you'll need before your business starts. What will your ongoing expenses be? Factors include rent, utilities, permits, licensing, legal fees, inventory, staff, design, marketing collateral, mailing lists, software, advertising and more. Get as much as you can out on paper and set deadlines to get things accomplished. This will allow you to evaluate your pace.
Prepare
Once you have a plan, carry it out. Preparing to start a business can be a lot of work. Tasks include getting an identity designed, creating business cards, brochures, web sites and other marketing material, consulting with CPA's, lawyers, and HR professionals, in some cases finding and renting or buying a storefront or office, furnishing the business space, getting utilities in place, receiving and organizing inventory, getting a database for your customers and leads and any number of other tasks. By running a home business, some of these steps will already be taken care of, yet opening a business of any kind can be an enormous task. While planning your business make sure to leave plenty of time to get up and running. Better to plan your setup time too long than too short and finding yourself running out of money.
Persist
This is the most important step of running a business. Without persistence, you won't even be able to finish your business plan. Hang on like a pit-bull. When the going gets tough, get tougher. Have worst case scenario plans to fall back on, as well as best case scenario plans.
Some businesses become over-night successes, while other take year to develop. If you plan, prepare and persist, you’ve got a very good chance of making it.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Ready, Fire, Aim!
You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute, isn't that backwards? Isn't it supposed to be "Ready, Aim, Fire?"
Well, a year ago I might have agreed with you. But not anymore. What changed? I did! And boy am I glad I did.
Let me tell you a little story. Up until last year, I was one of those people who planned everything down to the smallest detail. I guess you could say I planned things to death!
Ever heard of "analysis paralysis?"
Well I had it big time! I just was not comfortable doing anything, especially in business, until I had done ALL my research and put all my ducks in a row. As a result, it often took a long time to get up and running with new ideas.
Then I experienced "Ready, Fire, Aim"
Last fall, I was first introduced to the concept of "Ready, Fire, Aim" at a seminar where I was thrown full bore into this way of thinking and acting. Talk about baptism by fire!
Not only did it change me, I learned something. That I could learn more and do more faster if I didn't get caught up in overanalyzing everything. I came home excited about adopting this new approach to my life.
What happened?
Well, my business and I have grown more in the last eight months than either had grown in the past seven years.
I've made some mistakes, but another funny thing happened along the way. I realized the mistakes DIDN'T KILL ME! In fact, I've learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.
I learned mistakes are a GOOD thing!
Suddenly everything I learned in school about NOT making mistakes just didn't fit anymore. Mistakes don't make you a bad person or even an unlucky person. They make you a smarter person!
They say Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb. I hope we don't have to fail that many times before we find success, but what I do know is every mistake and every failure brings us one step closer to success.
Don't get stuck
You may be wondering why someone who advocates planning is touting the virtues of "Ready, Fire, Aim," the seeming antithesis of planning.
It's because I don't want you to get stuck like I was for so many years.
Get into the game, even if you think you're not ready
Not getting out there and into the game because you're afraid you're not quite ready or might make a mistake, IS the mistake. Don't make it!
My advice? Take the time to create a marketing plan for your business but don't get bogged down if you still have questions or uncertainty about how to market effectively. Just start. Do the best you can and KNOW you will learn more every step of the way.
It's the only way to discover YOUR "magic marketing" formula
The longer you're out there actively marketing and tracking your success and your failures, the closer you'll be to finding your "magic marketing" formula.
Your "magic marketing" formula brings together exactly the right marketing activities with the right marketing message and the right audience in the right place at the right time for YOUR business to result in HUGE success!
While there are some basic marketing principles that will help you get to your magic formula quicker, nothing replaces good old testing and fine-tuning. After 20 years in the business, I still practice it regularly. Because I know there are certain things you can do to set yourself up for success, but at some point you just have to go for it.
Well, a year ago I might have agreed with you. But not anymore. What changed? I did! And boy am I glad I did.
Let me tell you a little story. Up until last year, I was one of those people who planned everything down to the smallest detail. I guess you could say I planned things to death!
Ever heard of "analysis paralysis?"
Well I had it big time! I just was not comfortable doing anything, especially in business, until I had done ALL my research and put all my ducks in a row. As a result, it often took a long time to get up and running with new ideas.
Then I experienced "Ready, Fire, Aim"
Last fall, I was first introduced to the concept of "Ready, Fire, Aim" at a seminar where I was thrown full bore into this way of thinking and acting. Talk about baptism by fire!
Not only did it change me, I learned something. That I could learn more and do more faster if I didn't get caught up in overanalyzing everything. I came home excited about adopting this new approach to my life.
What happened?
Well, my business and I have grown more in the last eight months than either had grown in the past seven years.
I've made some mistakes, but another funny thing happened along the way. I realized the mistakes DIDN'T KILL ME! In fact, I've learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.
I learned mistakes are a GOOD thing!
Suddenly everything I learned in school about NOT making mistakes just didn't fit anymore. Mistakes don't make you a bad person or even an unlucky person. They make you a smarter person!
They say Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb. I hope we don't have to fail that many times before we find success, but what I do know is every mistake and every failure brings us one step closer to success.
Don't get stuck
You may be wondering why someone who advocates planning is touting the virtues of "Ready, Fire, Aim," the seeming antithesis of planning.
It's because I don't want you to get stuck like I was for so many years.
Get into the game, even if you think you're not ready
Not getting out there and into the game because you're afraid you're not quite ready or might make a mistake, IS the mistake. Don't make it!
My advice? Take the time to create a marketing plan for your business but don't get bogged down if you still have questions or uncertainty about how to market effectively. Just start. Do the best you can and KNOW you will learn more every step of the way.
It's the only way to discover YOUR "magic marketing" formula
The longer you're out there actively marketing and tracking your success and your failures, the closer you'll be to finding your "magic marketing" formula.
Your "magic marketing" formula brings together exactly the right marketing activities with the right marketing message and the right audience in the right place at the right time for YOUR business to result in HUGE success!
While there are some basic marketing principles that will help you get to your magic formula quicker, nothing replaces good old testing and fine-tuning. After 20 years in the business, I still practice it regularly. Because I know there are certain things you can do to set yourself up for success, but at some point you just have to go for it.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Running a Business on Limited Resources
When I first started my business, I went to the bank for a business loan. Simple enough, right? I had my business plan in order, an itemized list of everything that I would need to successfully run my business, and all the necessary documents. To put it plainly, I was turned down. Why? Not because I did not have the credit to back it up, or did not have a good business plan. The reason the bank man gave me was "because I did not understand that over 90% of businesses fail within the first year, and that I was not prepared in case mine did."
While I understand he was attempting to look out for my best interest, I felt cheated. He was not even going to give me the opportunity to fail. On some level, everyone that goes into business for themselves understand that chances are, the business will not make it past it's first year, and I was no different. The only thing was I had faith in myself that I would not give up trying. The loan processor took that as I would spend my life savings before giving up, and he did not want to see me financially ruin myself.
So what did I do? I set out on the adventure on my own, only using the limited resources and financial backing that I had. I bought second hand office supplies and furniture. I bought the small cheap laptop instead of the multi-thousand dollar computer specifically designed for what I would be doing. Without the proper money for advertising, I had to get creative. My advertising methods was unconventional, but they worked. I found that I did not need large amounts of money in order to get my business to the world.
So would I have been so successful had the loan processor gave me the business loan I asked for? I am not sure, because after all, I made it without the money, what would have happened if I would have had the proper money for advertising? Whatever the case may have been, I am glad he did not, because I am not better able to understand the limited resources that many small businesses face.
So how can you run your business on limited resources? Here are a few things that I learned along the way.
1) New vs. Used- When starting your business, you do not need everything to be "new." Second hand items cost substantially less then new items, and work just as well. Plus, if you think about it, customers will be more comfortable around your office if it feels "broke-in", rather then new and sterile. It gives them the feeling that you have been in business awhile.
2) Creative Advertising- You do not need the hundreds of dollars that it takes to place ads in papers or put commercials on TV. It costs very little to design and print you own flyers and put them in places where your potential clients would gather. Turn your vehicle into a moving billboard by investing in a vinyl signage for your doors or windows. The best thing? Face to Face meetings with your potential clients do not cost a penny, so look for every opportunity to talk with our potential clients.
3) Work At Home- Depending on your type of business, you may consider working at home rather then renting office space. This will save you a lot of money on rent and furnishing an office. Once your business becomes more successful, then you can always rent office space later.
Overall, be thankful for the struggles that you go through now, because in the future, they will have been well worth it. Plus, it will give you a better understanding when it comes to other small businesses.
And, no matter what, never give up on yourself.
While I understand he was attempting to look out for my best interest, I felt cheated. He was not even going to give me the opportunity to fail. On some level, everyone that goes into business for themselves understand that chances are, the business will not make it past it's first year, and I was no different. The only thing was I had faith in myself that I would not give up trying. The loan processor took that as I would spend my life savings before giving up, and he did not want to see me financially ruin myself.
So what did I do? I set out on the adventure on my own, only using the limited resources and financial backing that I had. I bought second hand office supplies and furniture. I bought the small cheap laptop instead of the multi-thousand dollar computer specifically designed for what I would be doing. Without the proper money for advertising, I had to get creative. My advertising methods was unconventional, but they worked. I found that I did not need large amounts of money in order to get my business to the world.
So would I have been so successful had the loan processor gave me the business loan I asked for? I am not sure, because after all, I made it without the money, what would have happened if I would have had the proper money for advertising? Whatever the case may have been, I am glad he did not, because I am not better able to understand the limited resources that many small businesses face.
So how can you run your business on limited resources? Here are a few things that I learned along the way.
1) New vs. Used- When starting your business, you do not need everything to be "new." Second hand items cost substantially less then new items, and work just as well. Plus, if you think about it, customers will be more comfortable around your office if it feels "broke-in", rather then new and sterile. It gives them the feeling that you have been in business awhile.
2) Creative Advertising- You do not need the hundreds of dollars that it takes to place ads in papers or put commercials on TV. It costs very little to design and print you own flyers and put them in places where your potential clients would gather. Turn your vehicle into a moving billboard by investing in a vinyl signage for your doors or windows. The best thing? Face to Face meetings with your potential clients do not cost a penny, so look for every opportunity to talk with our potential clients.
3) Work At Home- Depending on your type of business, you may consider working at home rather then renting office space. This will save you a lot of money on rent and furnishing an office. Once your business becomes more successful, then you can always rent office space later.
Overall, be thankful for the struggles that you go through now, because in the future, they will have been well worth it. Plus, it will give you a better understanding when it comes to other small businesses.
And, no matter what, never give up on yourself.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Powerful Considerations Before Starting Your Own Business
What does it take to start your own business? To many, the thought of starting your own business may be too daunting that you give up before you even start. Let's analyze what a typical start-up needs:
Start-up Capital
There is no secret that money talks the loudest of all. As a future entrepreneur, you may well know the fact that capital is perhaps the most essential part of setting up a business, both online and offline. Lack of start-up capital not only puts your business at a disadvantage, it also makes cash flow a serious issue. Over time, it also makes it difficult for you to expand your business.
The good side is that start-up capital in the form of small business loans are readily available at most commercial banks around your country. As long as you have a good credit rating, getting small loans should not be much of a problem. One important thing to remember here is to never borrow more than what you need to get started.
You loan amount need only cover for the basic necessities of business. Start your business small and control your finances daily, monitoring everything you spend on and trying to cut costs where ever possible. When your business cash flow starts working in your favor, you are ready to safely take out another business loan for expansion of business activities.
Business Experience
Most people are afraid to start their own business, simply because they have "no experience". Therefore, they never get started at all, and never end up gaining that experience in the first place.
Most people are afraid to enter into a business venture because they fear failure due to lack of experience. It's a Chicken-and-Egg story, or a Catch 22, or whatever else you can call it.
A Solid Business Plan
Any business is more likely to succeed if they have a definite plan of action to follow. Unfortunately, in reality most small business and home based businesses have no idea on developing a business plan that drives them to success. That is the reason why 70% of businesses fail within the first year. A solid plan needs to state exactly WHEN and HOW you will make money.
Before you get into business, make sure your business plan is laid out right to the very minor details. You need to know:
- Your target market
- The average cost of one product
- Your profit margin on each product
- Your expected break-even point
- Cash flow projections
A Mentor System
A mentor is someone who you admire, someone in your line of work or business that is already having the success you dream of, and can teach you exactly how to achieve the same success yourself when you start your own home business. In reality however, most people could care less about your business or you. We are all selfish by nature, and who would want to impart seasoned business skills to a competitor, who will be a threat to their business. This mentor will help you in a win-win way that is mutually beneficial. Almost all business books will tell you that in order to be really successful, you MUST associate with those you are already having success, and duplicate their actions.
Starting from Scratch Vs Ready Made Business Opportunities
All these factors need to be considered when starting your own business. The absence of any one aspect can mean trouble, either when starting up, or later on as your business develops.
Considering these factors, it is no surprise that many are turning towards business opportunities and systems such as network marketing. In these systems, all the above factors are taken care of, and you can start your own business without any worries.
These systems are especially attractive if you are broke and have no business experience. You are in fact buying a proven system, which with your effort, can be turned into a thriving business.
Here's to your success. Cheers.
Copyright © 2006 Gobala Krishnan
Monday, August 8, 2016
Planning Ahead Of Everyone Else To Win
What does it take to plan like a champion?
Well lets take a look into our minds a little bit to answer this question.
For these next questions, I need you to be extremely honest with yourself. No need to lie, no one else but you will know the answers.
1) Are you afraid to fail your plan?
2) Do you regularly plan ahead?
3) Does your plans involve EVERYTHING you ever wanted?
4) Do you plan ahead with your business and family in mind?
5) Do you visualize your plan being achieved?
6) ** How far ahead do you actually plan???
=========================
That wasn't so bad was it???
It's important to always ask yourself these questions. Doing so will ultimately lay out what it is that you want in life. Business & Family should always be considered together.
=========================
So let's take a look at why all these questions help you to determine what it is in life and how it will affect you forever...
1) Are you afraid to fail your plan?
Beating The Failure Blues:
Failure... ooooooo no one wants to fail. Unfortunately for many of us, we tend think of failing when we write out our business plans. The reason we do this is because we've all failed at something before. Everything we do starts with a plan. Most daily plans are sub-consciously planned out before they are executed. This process only takes a fraction of a second. The ones we tend to remember are plans that we've "consciously" created. Most of these are ideas we've never finished, and projects that never even got a change to start.
They key to beating the "failure blues" is simply to train your mind to visualize everything you want from your plans. Viewing something you want should always resemble a movie clip full with: sensory rich images, along with sounds, smells, and sense of touch. This combination is what make visualization a success. This is true because our minds think in images. Visualizing your plans consciously will better help your sub-conscious mind to remember what it is that you want to accomplish. This also tells your sub-conscious mind you serious about this one.
1) Do you regularly plan ahead?
Come-on, be honest, do you actually sit there and make a good attempt to plan out your future, every single day? NO? Why not? Is it not that important to you?
Failing to plan is the same as planning to fail!
Planning everyday may seem like a lot of work to do but in actual reality, once it becomes a habit, it becomes second nature.
Study shows that it takes an average of 21 times for something to become a habit. For example, once you've driven your car 21 times +/- it becomes 2nd nature to you. Your sub-conscious mind takes over and drives for you
Your "conscious mind" is the captain of your ship (the brain). If you don't consciously make a direct command to your "sub-conscious" (the crew), nothing will ever get done. You must be strict with the crew for 21 days to make sure they will do their duties on a daily basis. After time, the crew will automatically know their own task by heart and carry them out for you.
Planning out everyday will better define to your "Crew" what it is they are required to accomplish. It builds unity within your mind. This unity will ultimately be the staging point to reaching your goals.
2) Does your plans involve everything you wanted?
When I say everything, I mean everything. I have this little special note pad that stays on my desk at all times. Within it are countless ideas of everything I ever wanted at that very moment.
At that very moment meaning, whatever it was that I wanted to have in my life "at that moment" that would make me happier. Doesn't matter what it is. For you, exactly what right now would make you happy? A nicer car? $5,000 in your bank account? More clients? Better search engine ranks?
Writing exactly what it is that you want will give your mind a "TO DO LIST". Once your mind has its "TO DO LIST", your sub-conscious will search through your memory banks for an example of how to accomplish your "to do list". If your mind doesn't find anything within your memory banks, it will eventually start shooting out ideas and tips for your conscious mind to complete.
I should also note that writing down something is like etching it right into stone when it comes to your mind. It's like your mind is the piece of paper, you need to write something down in order for it to come back later and revise what it is that you wrote down.
3) Do you plan ahead for your business and family?
Well why wouldn't you? When I think about my business, I think of what it will do for me, my friends, and my family in the future. At the moment, I am currently not married nor do I have any children but that doesn't mean that I am not thinking about the future with a family in it.
Always consider business & family the same. They are a both part of yours and the their future.
4) Do you visualize your plan being achieved?
Visualization is the fruit of success.
Do you ever find yourself visualizing yourself in that car you always wanted? Who visualizes you and your family on some beach in Mexico somewhere? Who visualizes you winning the "entrepreneur of the year award"? ....YOU DO!
In order to be happier and more successful, you need to get better, you need to get better. I repeat, you need to get better.
Visualization should be a daily event. Take a moment everyday, even for 30 seconds and visualize all the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of everything involved with your daily plans.
For example, lets pretend that you have a presentation to do and like most people who have done a presentation, you are extremely nervous.
Take a moment about an hour before the presentation. Visualize yourself walking into the meeting feeling great, confident, and relaxed. Hear the people having a good time, see them smiling and paying attention to you. Try to smell a nice cologne within the room that makes you smile when taken in. Last but not least, see all the people around you congratulating you on a job well done after the presentation. See yourself having a nice, warm, rich tasting coffee while discussing your successful presentation with your boss, employees or even your potential clients.
I guarantee you that if you make it a habit to prepare yourself with visualization in that fashion before any presentation, you will have better, more vibrant feelings afterwards.
This very same technique applies for your goals. You must see yourself driving that car, the way the air feels in your hair, maybe the way the engine sounds. Whatever you can think of that will let your mind wander into your goals and dreams, use it!
5) ** How far ahead do you actually plan???
This is by far the most important. The most important only because it takes a little from all the above questions I've talked about.
What is the furthest you've ever planned ahead? I'll put money on the fact that it's not far enough. Dare to be bold, be strong in your convictions. Don't be afraid to think outside the box.
So how far do I allow myself to plan ahead??? 200 Years!
No joke, my goals have included a timeline of around 231 years ahead in the future. See I don't only think about how I want to improve my life, I concentrate on something higher than life. I concentrate on my family history that is yet to be written. We all would like to leave a family dinesty to our future family members. Well, why aren't you planning ahead for it???
Don't be shy, afraid, uncertain or embarrassed, just do it. Keep doing it within your note pad that you write in. Keep thinking about your children, their children, your great, great, great grand children to be.
Think about them. Wouldn't it be nice if they could look back and say wow, my great, great, great grand father had the vision, the dedication and the will to think of me. Think of the impact you could have on those to be. Even go as far as writing a letter to the individuals who will be in your families future. Tell them what you have planned and why.
What if what you do now, affects someone 4 generations down the line in such a positive way that they feel the need to pick up were you left off? If it wasn't for your vision, it would of never happened.
Better yet, it hasn't happened yet, so how about you pick up that pen and start your future right now, this very moment.
On that note, I won't keep you from writing your future.
Good luck & remember to see everything happen the way you want it to happen!
Well lets take a look into our minds a little bit to answer this question.
For these next questions, I need you to be extremely honest with yourself. No need to lie, no one else but you will know the answers.
1) Are you afraid to fail your plan?
2) Do you regularly plan ahead?
3) Does your plans involve EVERYTHING you ever wanted?
4) Do you plan ahead with your business and family in mind?
5) Do you visualize your plan being achieved?
6) ** How far ahead do you actually plan???
=========================
That wasn't so bad was it???
It's important to always ask yourself these questions. Doing so will ultimately lay out what it is that you want in life. Business & Family should always be considered together.
=========================
So let's take a look at why all these questions help you to determine what it is in life and how it will affect you forever...
1) Are you afraid to fail your plan?
Beating The Failure Blues:
Failure... ooooooo no one wants to fail. Unfortunately for many of us, we tend think of failing when we write out our business plans. The reason we do this is because we've all failed at something before. Everything we do starts with a plan. Most daily plans are sub-consciously planned out before they are executed. This process only takes a fraction of a second. The ones we tend to remember are plans that we've "consciously" created. Most of these are ideas we've never finished, and projects that never even got a change to start.
They key to beating the "failure blues" is simply to train your mind to visualize everything you want from your plans. Viewing something you want should always resemble a movie clip full with: sensory rich images, along with sounds, smells, and sense of touch. This combination is what make visualization a success. This is true because our minds think in images. Visualizing your plans consciously will better help your sub-conscious mind to remember what it is that you want to accomplish. This also tells your sub-conscious mind you serious about this one.
1) Do you regularly plan ahead?
Come-on, be honest, do you actually sit there and make a good attempt to plan out your future, every single day? NO? Why not? Is it not that important to you?
Failing to plan is the same as planning to fail!
Planning everyday may seem like a lot of work to do but in actual reality, once it becomes a habit, it becomes second nature.
Study shows that it takes an average of 21 times for something to become a habit. For example, once you've driven your car 21 times +/- it becomes 2nd nature to you. Your sub-conscious mind takes over and drives for you
Your "conscious mind" is the captain of your ship (the brain). If you don't consciously make a direct command to your "sub-conscious" (the crew), nothing will ever get done. You must be strict with the crew for 21 days to make sure they will do their duties on a daily basis. After time, the crew will automatically know their own task by heart and carry them out for you.
Planning out everyday will better define to your "Crew" what it is they are required to accomplish. It builds unity within your mind. This unity will ultimately be the staging point to reaching your goals.
2) Does your plans involve everything you wanted?
When I say everything, I mean everything. I have this little special note pad that stays on my desk at all times. Within it are countless ideas of everything I ever wanted at that very moment.
At that very moment meaning, whatever it was that I wanted to have in my life "at that moment" that would make me happier. Doesn't matter what it is. For you, exactly what right now would make you happy? A nicer car? $5,000 in your bank account? More clients? Better search engine ranks?
Writing exactly what it is that you want will give your mind a "TO DO LIST". Once your mind has its "TO DO LIST", your sub-conscious will search through your memory banks for an example of how to accomplish your "to do list". If your mind doesn't find anything within your memory banks, it will eventually start shooting out ideas and tips for your conscious mind to complete.
I should also note that writing down something is like etching it right into stone when it comes to your mind. It's like your mind is the piece of paper, you need to write something down in order for it to come back later and revise what it is that you wrote down.
3) Do you plan ahead for your business and family?
Well why wouldn't you? When I think about my business, I think of what it will do for me, my friends, and my family in the future. At the moment, I am currently not married nor do I have any children but that doesn't mean that I am not thinking about the future with a family in it.
Always consider business & family the same. They are a both part of yours and the their future.
4) Do you visualize your plan being achieved?
Visualization is the fruit of success.
Do you ever find yourself visualizing yourself in that car you always wanted? Who visualizes you and your family on some beach in Mexico somewhere? Who visualizes you winning the "entrepreneur of the year award"? ....YOU DO!
In order to be happier and more successful, you need to get better, you need to get better. I repeat, you need to get better.
Visualization should be a daily event. Take a moment everyday, even for 30 seconds and visualize all the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of everything involved with your daily plans.
For example, lets pretend that you have a presentation to do and like most people who have done a presentation, you are extremely nervous.
Take a moment about an hour before the presentation. Visualize yourself walking into the meeting feeling great, confident, and relaxed. Hear the people having a good time, see them smiling and paying attention to you. Try to smell a nice cologne within the room that makes you smile when taken in. Last but not least, see all the people around you congratulating you on a job well done after the presentation. See yourself having a nice, warm, rich tasting coffee while discussing your successful presentation with your boss, employees or even your potential clients.
I guarantee you that if you make it a habit to prepare yourself with visualization in that fashion before any presentation, you will have better, more vibrant feelings afterwards.
This very same technique applies for your goals. You must see yourself driving that car, the way the air feels in your hair, maybe the way the engine sounds. Whatever you can think of that will let your mind wander into your goals and dreams, use it!
5) ** How far ahead do you actually plan???
This is by far the most important. The most important only because it takes a little from all the above questions I've talked about.
What is the furthest you've ever planned ahead? I'll put money on the fact that it's not far enough. Dare to be bold, be strong in your convictions. Don't be afraid to think outside the box.
So how far do I allow myself to plan ahead??? 200 Years!
No joke, my goals have included a timeline of around 231 years ahead in the future. See I don't only think about how I want to improve my life, I concentrate on something higher than life. I concentrate on my family history that is yet to be written. We all would like to leave a family dinesty to our future family members. Well, why aren't you planning ahead for it???
Don't be shy, afraid, uncertain or embarrassed, just do it. Keep doing it within your note pad that you write in. Keep thinking about your children, their children, your great, great, great grand children to be.
Think about them. Wouldn't it be nice if they could look back and say wow, my great, great, great grand father had the vision, the dedication and the will to think of me. Think of the impact you could have on those to be. Even go as far as writing a letter to the individuals who will be in your families future. Tell them what you have planned and why.
What if what you do now, affects someone 4 generations down the line in such a positive way that they feel the need to pick up were you left off? If it wasn't for your vision, it would of never happened.
Better yet, it hasn't happened yet, so how about you pick up that pen and start your future right now, this very moment.
On that note, I won't keep you from writing your future.
Good luck & remember to see everything happen the way you want it to happen!
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Make Money Scams Don't Work? No...You Don't.
Are Make Money Scams Your Fault?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Make money failure?
------------------
If you toss a coin 100 times and it comes down heads 99 times, does that prove that it is a two- headed coin?
Match Your Abilities
--------------------
You have heard that if you invent a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door.
Imagine that you sell your invention together with full manufacturing and selling rights to 100 people. One make money purchaser is soon a millionaire because of your invention. The other 99 people clamor for their money back. It didn't make money for them therefore it must be a scam.
They must be right. As with the coin toss 99 times out of 100 proves that it is a scam and nobody can make money.
My Failures
-----------
Inkjets: I bought a kit to make money by refilling inkjet cartridges. I had big plans about expanding my business once it could make money big time. I would set up a van, and drive round the country businesses in Western Australia, and make money refilling their cartridges each week.
Or I might even be able to drive into the parking lot of some local manufacturers who had hundreds of inkjet printers operating, and refill a couple of hundred cartridges before driving on again. Think how I could make money then!
My main abilities are technical, which suited refilling the cartridges.
My main lack of ability is in salesmanship. The business failed. I only made a few hundred dollars out of it over a period of several years.
Was the idea a scam? No. I am a bad salesman. Others do make money this way, and very good money too.
Translation: Next I bought a make money idea to become a translator. This was great. I sailed through my translator's exams and joined two professional organizations.
But the work didn't come in. I didn't make money.
It turns out that not all translation is equal to make money. If you can translate from English into the language of a new third-world market that manufacturers want to open up you can make money and large dollops of it. The manufacturers are happy to help you to make money so that they can make money in larger quantities.
However, if you translate into English as I do, then the manufacturers are in the third-world countries. That means that they can't afford quality translators. They will always go for the cheapest work from their own country where slave- labor fees are charged. It doesn't matter that English is not the native language of the translator. The manufacturer can't afford to help you make money by going for quality.
I only made money of a few thousand dollars over two years.
Make Money Scams
----------------
Of course, there are make money scams like the one about getting money out of Nigeria. You can often recognize this type of scam by
1.If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
2.Money making scam merchants like it to be barely legal. That way you won't want to complain about them to the authorities.
3.No work needed. If it needs no work to make money, why do they want your help?
Make Money from Services
------------------------
In the examples I gave above I was trying to use my services to make money.
You will almost always make some money - even if you are a hopeless salesperson. The only trouble is that you may make money that is too little to interest the tax man. It is embarrassing when the tax man returns your money with the comment that it is a hobby not a business to make money!
But suppose that you are a brilliant salesperson. In that case can't you find better ways to make money than working hard? OK suppose you are a mediocre salesperson. You have found a service where word of mouth soon brings you so much work that there aren't enough hours in the day for it.
That is the big problem. Why do you want to make money? To get freedom? Then why are you working 70 hours a week on your business to make money? What kind of freedom is that?
One way is to sell the business for a large sum of money and then build another, and sell that to make money.
Automated Income
----------------
This is the best way to make money. You don't make money with no work. It takes a lot of hard work to set up the automation. But it is cumulative like a rolled snowball. The hard work you do today will make money for you tomorrow and next year and...
Grasp Opportunity
-----------------
I had the chance recently to buy into a business that needs my technical abilities and needs no salesmanship to make money. I grabbed the chance. You can't get in - the offer was only open for 24 hours. If you are too skeptical then when opportunity knocks you will miss your chance to make money. Fortunately I already had experience of working with the vendor, so my skepticism was low.
How To Match Your Abilities With the Opportunity
----------------------------------------------------
It's only logical. If you want to match the opportunity to your abilities you want to have as many opportunities to choose from as possible. So I've gathered a range of articles by many authors.
Don't be brainwashed by just one author, but please, don't ask for a refund just because a way to make money doesn't work for you. Unless it is a scam like the one about helping to get hundreds of millions of dollars out of Nigeria then the fault is probably your own.
One man who became filthy rich from the internet says that he expects 15 out of 16 of his projects to fail. He starts banking his ongoing income from the sixteenth project, then moves on to the next sixteen.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Make money failure?
------------------
If you toss a coin 100 times and it comes down heads 99 times, does that prove that it is a two- headed coin?
Match Your Abilities
--------------------
You have heard that if you invent a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door.
Imagine that you sell your invention together with full manufacturing and selling rights to 100 people. One make money purchaser is soon a millionaire because of your invention. The other 99 people clamor for their money back. It didn't make money for them therefore it must be a scam.
They must be right. As with the coin toss 99 times out of 100 proves that it is a scam and nobody can make money.
My Failures
-----------
Inkjets: I bought a kit to make money by refilling inkjet cartridges. I had big plans about expanding my business once it could make money big time. I would set up a van, and drive round the country businesses in Western Australia, and make money refilling their cartridges each week.
Or I might even be able to drive into the parking lot of some local manufacturers who had hundreds of inkjet printers operating, and refill a couple of hundred cartridges before driving on again. Think how I could make money then!
My main abilities are technical, which suited refilling the cartridges.
My main lack of ability is in salesmanship. The business failed. I only made a few hundred dollars out of it over a period of several years.
Was the idea a scam? No. I am a bad salesman. Others do make money this way, and very good money too.
Translation: Next I bought a make money idea to become a translator. This was great. I sailed through my translator's exams and joined two professional organizations.
But the work didn't come in. I didn't make money.
It turns out that not all translation is equal to make money. If you can translate from English into the language of a new third-world market that manufacturers want to open up you can make money and large dollops of it. The manufacturers are happy to help you to make money so that they can make money in larger quantities.
However, if you translate into English as I do, then the manufacturers are in the third-world countries. That means that they can't afford quality translators. They will always go for the cheapest work from their own country where slave- labor fees are charged. It doesn't matter that English is not the native language of the translator. The manufacturer can't afford to help you make money by going for quality.
I only made money of a few thousand dollars over two years.
Make Money Scams
----------------
Of course, there are make money scams like the one about getting money out of Nigeria. You can often recognize this type of scam by
1.If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
2.Money making scam merchants like it to be barely legal. That way you won't want to complain about them to the authorities.
3.No work needed. If it needs no work to make money, why do they want your help?
Make Money from Services
------------------------
In the examples I gave above I was trying to use my services to make money.
You will almost always make some money - even if you are a hopeless salesperson. The only trouble is that you may make money that is too little to interest the tax man. It is embarrassing when the tax man returns your money with the comment that it is a hobby not a business to make money!
But suppose that you are a brilliant salesperson. In that case can't you find better ways to make money than working hard? OK suppose you are a mediocre salesperson. You have found a service where word of mouth soon brings you so much work that there aren't enough hours in the day for it.
That is the big problem. Why do you want to make money? To get freedom? Then why are you working 70 hours a week on your business to make money? What kind of freedom is that?
One way is to sell the business for a large sum of money and then build another, and sell that to make money.
Automated Income
----------------
This is the best way to make money. You don't make money with no work. It takes a lot of hard work to set up the automation. But it is cumulative like a rolled snowball. The hard work you do today will make money for you tomorrow and next year and...
Grasp Opportunity
-----------------
I had the chance recently to buy into a business that needs my technical abilities and needs no salesmanship to make money. I grabbed the chance. You can't get in - the offer was only open for 24 hours. If you are too skeptical then when opportunity knocks you will miss your chance to make money. Fortunately I already had experience of working with the vendor, so my skepticism was low.
How To Match Your Abilities With the Opportunity
----------------------------------------------------
It's only logical. If you want to match the opportunity to your abilities you want to have as many opportunities to choose from as possible. So I've gathered a range of articles by many authors.
Don't be brainwashed by just one author, but please, don't ask for a refund just because a way to make money doesn't work for you. Unless it is a scam like the one about helping to get hundreds of millions of dollars out of Nigeria then the fault is probably your own.
One man who became filthy rich from the internet says that he expects 15 out of 16 of his projects to fail. He starts banking his ongoing income from the sixteenth project, then moves on to the next sixteen.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
How to Tell if An Online Opportunity is Legitimate
People have lost hundreds or thousands of dollars a day to bogus online "opportunities." While there’s no way to know for sure if an internet program or opportunity is 100% legitimate without trying it, this article discusses 5 concrete ways to evaluate a site's credibility. Doing a credibility check BEFORE taking a financial plunge, significantly reduces the chance you’ll experience online “buyer’s remorse.”
Internet Legitimacy Sign #1
The site has posted a privacy and terms of use policy. Some people argue that website’s are obligated to post privacy policies dictating how they collect and use data. However, even if they’re not obligated to do so, posting a privacy policy says much about a company’s professionalism. Read the “terms of use” and “privacy policies” of a company, and decide what you think of its policies before buying its products.
Internet Legitimacy Sign #2
The site has posted testimonials and they sound reasonably credible. Testimonials can be faked, but few net cons will take the time to do so. Read the testimonials and decide what your gut thinks about their authenticity. If you're able to contact any of the testimonial authors, do so.
Internet Legitimacy Sign #3
The site has few complaints at the Better Business Bureau or a more informal consumer advocacy site such as the Rip Off Report.com. This sign is a toughie because competitors sometimes unfairly malign companies, and any good project has its critics. Consistency and credibility are the things to note in complaints. For instance, if you see 10 complaints, are they all saying about the same thing (e.g. company refuses to give refunds, customer service is poor) or are they varied? Do the complaints seem reasonable and well explained, or does the complainer sound like they have a vendetta against a certain company, and nothing will make them happy? How does the company respond to complaints posted on sites such as the Rip Off Report? Do they insist they can do no wrong, or are they willing to make amends?
Internet Legitimacy Sign #4
The site posts a 100% refund guarantee that’s good for at least 30-days. If a site isn’t posting a 30-day refund guarantee, that's probably because the site owners have little faith in their product. Before purchasing a product, read the “Terms of Use” and “Terms of Purchase” pages to make sure there aren’t any hidden catches in a “100% refund guarantee.” In particular, think twice before signing any kind of "refund contract."
Internet Legitimacy Sign #5
The site’s customer service staff responds to information requests in a courteous, professional, and intelligent manner. Have you ever submitted a question online and gotten a canned answer back about how great XYZ product is, and how 1000 people have made gazillions of dollars using it? Did you wonder if the customer service rep didn’t really understand your question or was just reading from a script? If the service is poor before you’ve even purchased a product, imagine what it’ll be like after the company in question already has your money in hand. Before buying anything from a site, e-mail the customer service folks and see how they respond to a question about the legitimacy of product XYZ.
Conclusion
There’s no guarantee that any online company or product will be everything you hoped it would be. But by checking out an opportunity before purchasing it using the steps above, you greatly decrease your chances of falling victim to a scam.
Copyright. This article may be reprinted, as long as it contains a link back to http://www.web-biz-stress.com
Friday, August 5, 2016
Hey, I invented that first!
The other day I was struck by the “Hey! I invented that!” conniption fit. You know the one I’m talking about. It happens when you’re mindlessly watching TV and a commercial pops up marketing THE item you always told your friends, family, and anyone who would listen, was the next big idea and would make you tons of money. And there it is. On TV. Making someone else tons of money.
Or maybe you’re the type that gets spastic with the “ Psssh! I could make that!” twitch. Whether you have the “I thought of it first” knee-jerks or the “any five year old could do that” spasms, it all boils down to the same coulda-woulda-shoulda disease. The appalling disease of inaction and envy.
Tired of hearing stories of so-and-so selling such-and-such on eBay (“I could do that!”) or neighbor Joe making big bucks with his online business (“Didn’t I just tell you what a great moneymaking idea that is?”)… I took matters into my own hands and plunged into the world of web marketing and online business.
Now there were more than just a few “humps” or misconceptions that I had to climb over (alright, alright, I was dragged over kicking and screaming by the tow-truck of necessity). But here are two major ones:
1) Making a website is hard.
Well, I’m not going to lie to you and say it was peaches and cream, either. It turned out to be rather simple when I realized I didn’t need to learn any fancy new programs from the ground up. For real beginners, there are free html editors that you can download from the web; and if you’ve ever typed a document/essay/paper/letter in your life, you basically understand a textual layout and the things you can do to it. So fine. My first website was not very… attractive. In fact, it was rather boring. However, I had some fine power tools on my belt. I knew how to google.
The thing about the Internet is people like to talk, and they like to give out information for FREE. So I learned just enough html to understand the underlying structure, and I used that helpful little trick of “View>Source” (on simple pages, of course… simple but better looking than mine). I googled any html code abbreviations I didn’t understand. And voila – I had a website that looked… downright gaudy. Long story short, I learned the fine art of balancing a little too much with just enough. (Helpful hint: just because you now know how to highlight every other word, doesn’t mean you should.) And patting myself on the back over a job well done (at least until I can make enough money to hire pros to make my site uber-wonderful), I then ran into misconception number two.
2) If you build it, they will come.
It took me a while to realize that the only ones who knew of my existence were family, who I bragged to, and my hosting site, who I’m sure will remember me on "invoice day." You can see where I'm going with this next. Ok, I'm not going to re-hash everything you already know about bringing people to your site, nor am I going to preach to you about "conversion rates." Let's just say the bottom line for actually getting your website viewed, is to be creative. There have been hundreds (and will be probably millions) of e-books and the like which show you the sexiest ways to get traffic to your site, down to the simplest method like...hehe...writing an aticle. (dancing emoticon) A lot of good information out there is, again, free. Ultimately marketers want to sell you something, but you would be surprised at the amount of free information on the net that is actually worth something and is more than a baited hook. Poke around, do some research, check out a few forums, download a few e-books (free or paid), and above all get creative!
-Joshua White
http://www.webwealthmethods.com
Or maybe you’re the type that gets spastic with the “ Psssh! I could make that!” twitch. Whether you have the “I thought of it first” knee-jerks or the “any five year old could do that” spasms, it all boils down to the same coulda-woulda-shoulda disease. The appalling disease of inaction and envy.
Tired of hearing stories of so-and-so selling such-and-such on eBay (“I could do that!”) or neighbor Joe making big bucks with his online business (“Didn’t I just tell you what a great moneymaking idea that is?”)… I took matters into my own hands and plunged into the world of web marketing and online business.
Now there were more than just a few “humps” or misconceptions that I had to climb over (alright, alright, I was dragged over kicking and screaming by the tow-truck of necessity). But here are two major ones:
1) Making a website is hard.
Well, I’m not going to lie to you and say it was peaches and cream, either. It turned out to be rather simple when I realized I didn’t need to learn any fancy new programs from the ground up. For real beginners, there are free html editors that you can download from the web; and if you’ve ever typed a document/essay/paper/letter in your life, you basically understand a textual layout and the things you can do to it. So fine. My first website was not very… attractive. In fact, it was rather boring. However, I had some fine power tools on my belt. I knew how to google.
The thing about the Internet is people like to talk, and they like to give out information for FREE. So I learned just enough html to understand the underlying structure, and I used that helpful little trick of “View>Source” (on simple pages, of course… simple but better looking than mine). I googled any html code abbreviations I didn’t understand. And voila – I had a website that looked… downright gaudy. Long story short, I learned the fine art of balancing a little too much with just enough. (Helpful hint: just because you now know how to highlight every other word, doesn’t mean you should.) And patting myself on the back over a job well done (at least until I can make enough money to hire pros to make my site uber-wonderful), I then ran into misconception number two.
2) If you build it, they will come.
It took me a while to realize that the only ones who knew of my existence were family, who I bragged to, and my hosting site, who I’m sure will remember me on "invoice day." You can see where I'm going with this next. Ok, I'm not going to re-hash everything you already know about bringing people to your site, nor am I going to preach to you about "conversion rates." Let's just say the bottom line for actually getting your website viewed, is to be creative. There have been hundreds (and will be probably millions) of e-books and the like which show you the sexiest ways to get traffic to your site, down to the simplest method like...hehe...writing an aticle. (dancing emoticon) A lot of good information out there is, again, free. Ultimately marketers want to sell you something, but you would be surprised at the amount of free information on the net that is actually worth something and is more than a baited hook. Poke around, do some research, check out a few forums, download a few e-books (free or paid), and above all get creative!
-Joshua White
http://www.webwealthmethods.com
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Help! I Don't Know What to Name My Business
If you are just starting your business, or if you have just developed a new product or service for an existing business, one of the first questions you need to answer is, "What should I name it?" And while you may feel pressure to make this decision quickly, I caution you to not make it lightly. What kind of things should you take into consideration when choosing a name?
Don't Use Your Own Name
Well, first of all, use a name other than your own name. I often see service business professionals opening up shop and simply using their name, and the title of the service
they offer. For example: Joe Smith, Accountant. I made this mistake myself, early on in my business, operating as Debbie LaChusa, Marketing Consultant. Why don't I recommend this? Because your name means absolutely nothing to your prospects. Often you only have a split second
to get a prospect's attention. Make the most of that split second by having a name that communicates something of value about your business. Or a name that tells your prospects what your business is all about, or represents
a benefit you offer, or how you deliver your service differently or better than your competitors.
Create A Meaningful Name for Your Business
When I was operating without a business name, I remember calling prospects and clients, and having the receptionist ask, "Debbie with what company?" I realized relatively soon that if I wanted to be taken seriously, and I wanted to be quickly understood, I needed a company name. I was trying to build a business after all, and I wanted people to recognize who I was and what I offered. So I started using the name, DLC Marketing and I incorporated to make it official. Now I at least had a real business name, and when I contacted prospects they took me seriously. It was amazing the difference it made in the number and caliber of clients I was able to land. All of a sudden, I was a company, not an individual. Mind you, nothing else had changed. My services were still the same. I still worked out of my home. I still did not have a staff (although I had to hire partners to help out with all of the work!). But suddenly I came across differently when calling on prospects.
But even then I thought, DLC Marketing, Inc. still isn't a great name. What does it tell people about what I do? It tells them I do marketing, and certainly I, or my web site copy, could explain my services and how I was unique. But what if they never got past the still somewhat nondescript name?
Choose A Name That Communicates An Idea
So I started thinking about how I could name my business differently to communicate my unique selling proposition more clearly. And that is when I came up with the name 10stepmarketing. To avoid having to re-incorporate, and because 10stepmarketing is a service I am offering
that is closely related to the marketing consulting services I offer through DLC Marketing, Inc. I have chosen not to
re-name my business, but to rather just market using the 10stepmarketing name. The initial response has been amazing. Suddenly people instantly want to know more about what I do. They ask questions and they want an explanation. That never happened with the other names
I was using.
You see, the name 10stepmarketing communicates
an idea. Something the other names did not do. So the prospects I encounter that resonate with the idea it represents immediately want to know more. Is 10stepmarketing a great name? I don't know. But I do know it is strategically
focused on the services I deliver, and I am almost embarrassed to say that my previous business names were not (I am a marketing consultant after all. I should know better!). And I can't argue with the response I have received thus far. (C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing
Don't Use Your Own Name
Well, first of all, use a name other than your own name. I often see service business professionals opening up shop and simply using their name, and the title of the service
they offer. For example: Joe Smith, Accountant. I made this mistake myself, early on in my business, operating as Debbie LaChusa, Marketing Consultant. Why don't I recommend this? Because your name means absolutely nothing to your prospects. Often you only have a split second
to get a prospect's attention. Make the most of that split second by having a name that communicates something of value about your business. Or a name that tells your prospects what your business is all about, or represents
a benefit you offer, or how you deliver your service differently or better than your competitors.
Create A Meaningful Name for Your Business
When I was operating without a business name, I remember calling prospects and clients, and having the receptionist ask, "Debbie with what company?" I realized relatively soon that if I wanted to be taken seriously, and I wanted to be quickly understood, I needed a company name. I was trying to build a business after all, and I wanted people to recognize who I was and what I offered. So I started using the name, DLC Marketing and I incorporated to make it official. Now I at least had a real business name, and when I contacted prospects they took me seriously. It was amazing the difference it made in the number and caliber of clients I was able to land. All of a sudden, I was a company, not an individual. Mind you, nothing else had changed. My services were still the same. I still worked out of my home. I still did not have a staff (although I had to hire partners to help out with all of the work!). But suddenly I came across differently when calling on prospects.
But even then I thought, DLC Marketing, Inc. still isn't a great name. What does it tell people about what I do? It tells them I do marketing, and certainly I, or my web site copy, could explain my services and how I was unique. But what if they never got past the still somewhat nondescript name?
Choose A Name That Communicates An Idea
So I started thinking about how I could name my business differently to communicate my unique selling proposition more clearly. And that is when I came up with the name 10stepmarketing. To avoid having to re-incorporate, and because 10stepmarketing is a service I am offering
that is closely related to the marketing consulting services I offer through DLC Marketing, Inc. I have chosen not to
re-name my business, but to rather just market using the 10stepmarketing name. The initial response has been amazing. Suddenly people instantly want to know more about what I do. They ask questions and they want an explanation. That never happened with the other names
I was using.
You see, the name 10stepmarketing communicates
an idea. Something the other names did not do. So the prospects I encounter that resonate with the idea it represents immediately want to know more. Is 10stepmarketing a great name? I don't know. But I do know it is strategically
focused on the services I deliver, and I am almost embarrassed to say that my previous business names were not (I am a marketing consultant after all. I should know better!). And I can't argue with the response I have received thus far. (C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Master This 7-Part Breakout Formula to Start Your Own Business
Are you the rebel—mouthy and opinionated? Do you like the thrill of change, always eager for the next new venture? Is your idea of security to never be the victim of a corporation’s downsizing or reengineering? Are you a fiercely independent risk-taker who can comfortably handle the uncertainty of being responsible for your own paycheck?
Answering “yes” to all these questions put me squarely in the entrepreneurial ring more than two decades ago, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier. Or richer. Or more in control of my life and career.
I started with only $100 in seed money and my experience as a registered nurse. After putting in long shifts at the hospital, I worked part-time from my home for more than a year before my business gained enough momentum that I could quit my day job. I continued to work from home until my business income reached $1.2 million.
Did I have a secret formula? No, I was going on passion, commitment and intuitive vision, but I do have a formula now.
If you also answered “yes” to the questions above, and if you have a passion for the thrill and independence of being an entrepreneur plus commitment to follow through on that passion, this 7-part breakout formula will take you wherever you want to go.
One Part Research
First you have to know where you’re going, so research your chosen industry. Identify types of businesses that match your passionate vision and aptitude. Explore areas that show growth potential and, using your experience and insight, look for a need not presently being filled.
Find a successful company similar to the one you envision owning, and study how it started and how it grew. Learn as much as possible about the entrepreneur behind it. Devour books and publications related to your business concept. Talk to other entrepreneurs to discover their best practices.
One Part Vision
As an entrepreneur-in-training, you’ll need to build basic and advanced leadership skills. A successful entrepreneur is a bold visionary, seeing what others cannot and willing to follow that vision despite naysayers. Many entrepreneurs never finished college, but that hasn’t stopped them from owning large companies like Dell Computer and small companies like neighborhood restaurants and consulting firms. They relied heavily on their visions, not on MBA programs.
Entrepreneurs handle ambiguity with ease. They get a thrill out of leading the way into unfamiliar territory and thumb their noses at failure. Fearless pacesetters, they are usually mystified to find they’re weak at operations and management.
That’s okay. Other people can manage for you, but you must be the guiding force that inspires your managers and staff to follow your vision. You’ll shoulder responsibility and hold yourself personally accountable for the outcome. As a leader you have to focus on the big picture and trust others to focus on the details. People who do it all are self-employed but not entrepreneurial.
Three Parts Action
You must also be an actor. You act and get things done by delegating, subcontracting and leveraging other people’s talents. You’re innovative and unflaggingly determined, willing to put in fast-moving 16-hour days to reap the rewards of independence, creative freedom and unlimited financial gain.
Learn to be a marketing genius. Everything is marketing, from the way you say “good morning” to the contacts you make on an airplane to making a sales call. You sell ideas, products and services to potential purchasers by getting inside their minds and creatively communicating benefits.
Above all you must grow your enterprise and make a profit. People who say, “I love it so much I’d do it for free,” are not entrepreneurs—they’re volunteers. Most entrepreneurs are willing to start small and grow slowly, but they fully expect to make money. There is nothing noble about being poor or failing financially.
Two Parts Strategy
When you know where you’re going and have the courage to act, the only thing missing is the strategy for getting you there – but this is no small thing. Jumping into business without a strategic plan is like jumping in the ocean without knowing how to swim.
To create the strategic plan, envision your enterprise exactly as you want it to be. Then write down your goals and objectives for achieving that vision. For each goal, create a strategy and a target date for achieving it.
Assess your strengths. You already possess knowledge, skills and experience your enterprise will draw on. One of my strengths is that I’m persistent and go for it all the way. List all your strengths that apply to your enterprise.
Then appraise your challenges. They might involve market penetration, profitability, expertise, competition or location. Challenges change as your enterprise changes. My first challenge was getting clients to recognize the need for a new type of consulting service. When my company grew, a new challenge surfaced: my weakness as a manager. Without addressing that weakness, I might have worked solo forever, never achieving the bigger vision. That challenge led me to seek the right directors to support my vision. How will your challenges impact your goals?
Finally, act like a CEO. Create an income and spending plan. Know where your money is going, question every expenditure and keep the cash flow positive. That means taking in more money than you pay out, plain and simple. Make a budget and stick to it.
A CEO gets things done through delegation, so create a framework of people who can help you achieve your entrepreneurial vision. Even if you work solo, you can benefit from a myriad of talented consultants, vendors and subcontractors. From day one I hired a subcontractor to assist me with client projects, which worked so well that I put off hiring my first employee for ten years. Eventually I recognized that to stretch toward a bigger vision, I needed employees. Expect your framework to change as your vision grows, but build it only as big as you need.
I always joke that I’m a working CEO, a style that makes things happen. But no enterprise is unsinkable—even the Titanic sank its first time out. In 1990 I hit an iceberg when my largest clients dissolved their law firm. Thankfully, through my vision, strategic plan and framework, I had the necessary lifeboats in place. My business stayed afloat and took a new course that changed my business forever.
After being an entrepreneur for more than two decades, I’m happier, more alive and more constantly challenged than I ever imagined when I started out working in my one-bedroom condo. Answering “yes” to some simple questions about myself made all the difference. If you’re mouthy, opinionated, independent and your desire for adventure leads you to entrepreneurship; I guarantee this tested formula will take you wherever you want to go.
Answering “yes” to all these questions put me squarely in the entrepreneurial ring more than two decades ago, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier. Or richer. Or more in control of my life and career.
I started with only $100 in seed money and my experience as a registered nurse. After putting in long shifts at the hospital, I worked part-time from my home for more than a year before my business gained enough momentum that I could quit my day job. I continued to work from home until my business income reached $1.2 million.
Did I have a secret formula? No, I was going on passion, commitment and intuitive vision, but I do have a formula now.
If you also answered “yes” to the questions above, and if you have a passion for the thrill and independence of being an entrepreneur plus commitment to follow through on that passion, this 7-part breakout formula will take you wherever you want to go.
One Part Research
First you have to know where you’re going, so research your chosen industry. Identify types of businesses that match your passionate vision and aptitude. Explore areas that show growth potential and, using your experience and insight, look for a need not presently being filled.
Find a successful company similar to the one you envision owning, and study how it started and how it grew. Learn as much as possible about the entrepreneur behind it. Devour books and publications related to your business concept. Talk to other entrepreneurs to discover their best practices.
One Part Vision
As an entrepreneur-in-training, you’ll need to build basic and advanced leadership skills. A successful entrepreneur is a bold visionary, seeing what others cannot and willing to follow that vision despite naysayers. Many entrepreneurs never finished college, but that hasn’t stopped them from owning large companies like Dell Computer and small companies like neighborhood restaurants and consulting firms. They relied heavily on their visions, not on MBA programs.
Entrepreneurs handle ambiguity with ease. They get a thrill out of leading the way into unfamiliar territory and thumb their noses at failure. Fearless pacesetters, they are usually mystified to find they’re weak at operations and management.
That’s okay. Other people can manage for you, but you must be the guiding force that inspires your managers and staff to follow your vision. You’ll shoulder responsibility and hold yourself personally accountable for the outcome. As a leader you have to focus on the big picture and trust others to focus on the details. People who do it all are self-employed but not entrepreneurial.
Three Parts Action
You must also be an actor. You act and get things done by delegating, subcontracting and leveraging other people’s talents. You’re innovative and unflaggingly determined, willing to put in fast-moving 16-hour days to reap the rewards of independence, creative freedom and unlimited financial gain.
Learn to be a marketing genius. Everything is marketing, from the way you say “good morning” to the contacts you make on an airplane to making a sales call. You sell ideas, products and services to potential purchasers by getting inside their minds and creatively communicating benefits.
Above all you must grow your enterprise and make a profit. People who say, “I love it so much I’d do it for free,” are not entrepreneurs—they’re volunteers. Most entrepreneurs are willing to start small and grow slowly, but they fully expect to make money. There is nothing noble about being poor or failing financially.
Two Parts Strategy
When you know where you’re going and have the courage to act, the only thing missing is the strategy for getting you there – but this is no small thing. Jumping into business without a strategic plan is like jumping in the ocean without knowing how to swim.
To create the strategic plan, envision your enterprise exactly as you want it to be. Then write down your goals and objectives for achieving that vision. For each goal, create a strategy and a target date for achieving it.
Assess your strengths. You already possess knowledge, skills and experience your enterprise will draw on. One of my strengths is that I’m persistent and go for it all the way. List all your strengths that apply to your enterprise.
Then appraise your challenges. They might involve market penetration, profitability, expertise, competition or location. Challenges change as your enterprise changes. My first challenge was getting clients to recognize the need for a new type of consulting service. When my company grew, a new challenge surfaced: my weakness as a manager. Without addressing that weakness, I might have worked solo forever, never achieving the bigger vision. That challenge led me to seek the right directors to support my vision. How will your challenges impact your goals?
Finally, act like a CEO. Create an income and spending plan. Know where your money is going, question every expenditure and keep the cash flow positive. That means taking in more money than you pay out, plain and simple. Make a budget and stick to it.
A CEO gets things done through delegation, so create a framework of people who can help you achieve your entrepreneurial vision. Even if you work solo, you can benefit from a myriad of talented consultants, vendors and subcontractors. From day one I hired a subcontractor to assist me with client projects, which worked so well that I put off hiring my first employee for ten years. Eventually I recognized that to stretch toward a bigger vision, I needed employees. Expect your framework to change as your vision grows, but build it only as big as you need.
I always joke that I’m a working CEO, a style that makes things happen. But no enterprise is unsinkable—even the Titanic sank its first time out. In 1990 I hit an iceberg when my largest clients dissolved their law firm. Thankfully, through my vision, strategic plan and framework, I had the necessary lifeboats in place. My business stayed afloat and took a new course that changed my business forever.
After being an entrepreneur for more than two decades, I’m happier, more alive and more constantly challenged than I ever imagined when I started out working in my one-bedroom condo. Answering “yes” to some simple questions about myself made all the difference. If you’re mouthy, opinionated, independent and your desire for adventure leads you to entrepreneurship; I guarantee this tested formula will take you wherever you want to go.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
How to Find a Niche Market for Work at Home Moms
Being a Mom is one of the most rewarding and wonderful years of a woman's life, so it can be hard for a mom when faced with the thought of having to go out and find a job, to bring in extra money. There are options out there for Moms who want to work from home in their own hours, so they can still enjoy the most important things in life- their children.
Below are some solid informational tips for stay at home moms on starting their home based business in 30 minutes a day. The idea is to create a niche market, or find a market that is missing something that you can provide, and market this over the internet.
To begin with you should consider some things like, what are you really good at? What would you love to do for a full time job? These two questions are really important to finding your niche market, if you don't like what you do, you might as well not bother doing it, look for something that you love doing, like talking about your kids? What ever it is research it, find out what your industry is missing, it could be anything, lack of information? When you have determined this you have found your niche.
Write down ideas as you get them about you niche market, it doesn't matter what they are, just write them down so you don't forget them, then you can ponder them later. Here are some more ideas for finding your niche market:
Improving an Existing Market
Improving an existing market, is there a product that you could make better, for example imagine baby food, if you could make baby food that tasted good, had all of the nutrients and minerals in to help babies grow up healthy, and you could produce this at a competitive price, you would really be on to something!
Adapt an Existing Market
Adapt an existing market, or change something about a product to make it more marketable, an ideal example of this is making a fat free chocolate cake that tastes just as good as a regular chocolate cake and market it to people wanting to loose weight? Although this has been done before, it was a good idea when it was new.
Repackage a Product
Repackage a product, this can be good, but competition is fierce, as a lot of people are already doing this, a good idea is not to limit yourself to just one product, offer a few repackaged items, for example e-books to your niche market.
Solve a Problem
Solve a problem, Find out what people are talking about in your niche market, find out problems that people are having, or what is missing in the industry and develop a service or product that will fill the need. A good way to find out this sort of information is to visit related message boards, forums and blogs to see what people are talking about.
Tap into a Trend
Tap into a trend, keep an eye out for what's hot, what are people interested in, there are trends started every day, all that you need to do is tap into them, and you have a ready market or a demand, begging for a product or service.
Once you have found your niche market, and found which angle you are going to market it from, it is time to start work on how to get your new niche market internet business off of the ground.
Below are some solid informational tips for stay at home moms on starting their home based business in 30 minutes a day. The idea is to create a niche market, or find a market that is missing something that you can provide, and market this over the internet.
To begin with you should consider some things like, what are you really good at? What would you love to do for a full time job? These two questions are really important to finding your niche market, if you don't like what you do, you might as well not bother doing it, look for something that you love doing, like talking about your kids? What ever it is research it, find out what your industry is missing, it could be anything, lack of information? When you have determined this you have found your niche.
Write down ideas as you get them about you niche market, it doesn't matter what they are, just write them down so you don't forget them, then you can ponder them later. Here are some more ideas for finding your niche market:
Improving an Existing Market
Improving an existing market, is there a product that you could make better, for example imagine baby food, if you could make baby food that tasted good, had all of the nutrients and minerals in to help babies grow up healthy, and you could produce this at a competitive price, you would really be on to something!
Adapt an Existing Market
Adapt an existing market, or change something about a product to make it more marketable, an ideal example of this is making a fat free chocolate cake that tastes just as good as a regular chocolate cake and market it to people wanting to loose weight? Although this has been done before, it was a good idea when it was new.
Repackage a Product
Repackage a product, this can be good, but competition is fierce, as a lot of people are already doing this, a good idea is not to limit yourself to just one product, offer a few repackaged items, for example e-books to your niche market.
Solve a Problem
Solve a problem, Find out what people are talking about in your niche market, find out problems that people are having, or what is missing in the industry and develop a service or product that will fill the need. A good way to find out this sort of information is to visit related message boards, forums and blogs to see what people are talking about.
Tap into a Trend
Tap into a trend, keep an eye out for what's hot, what are people interested in, there are trends started every day, all that you need to do is tap into them, and you have a ready market or a demand, begging for a product or service.
Once you have found your niche market, and found which angle you are going to market it from, it is time to start work on how to get your new niche market internet business off of the ground.
Monday, August 1, 2016
3 Essential Boundaries for Mom Entrepreneurs and Their Husbands
In the beginning, I thought it was going to be a breeze when my husband, Terry, joined me working full-time in my business. If anyone could do it, we could! We already had a healthy relationship built on trust and respect. We communicated well. We both strongly believed in what we were doing. We understood the need to help each other with the children, keeping the house, and with the business. We planned to allow for fluctuations in income to keep stresses over money to a minimum. Yet I still wasn’t prepared.
For anyone considering working with your spouse, here are 3 Essential Boundaries for Entrepreneurial Couples to help to ease your transition:
1. Clarify expectations for work/home.
Nothing can prepare you for the blurring of boundaries and turf that occur as you transition into working together. When you join together with your spouse, most likely, both of you have experienced success throughout your careers, and have developed your own working style. Suddenly you have a whole new dynamic in your relationship with your spouse you must learn to work through. I always knew that we had different gifts and talents: Terry is very techie and he loves to write, and I am a people person who is an administrative whiz. Even though I should have probably seen it coming, I was still surprised at the difference in our work styles. I multi-task all day long, and he prefers to work on one project at a time. Just like being newlyweds all over again, we had to put some effort into getting to know each other on a whole new level to be able to work well together.
Beth Butler, creator of the Boca Beth Program has some helpful tips for clarifying expectations with your spouse. “I make us lunch each day and we try to talk about BOCA BETH items that are pressing. It's our time to reconnect - he works from home for the wine company he represents and I work from home sharing my passion for second language learning with young children. A funny mix, but it works! We talk about what each of us has planned the next day so there are no surprises - and I use that time to ask for his help. I can't expect him to guess what I need so I have learned to be very specific.”
2. Schedule time for love.
Most entrepreneurial couples complain they have less time together than before. It is possible to work beside your spouse in the same office all day long and barely speak on a personal level. How difficult is it to turn off your cell phone and talk a walk with your love? It is imperative to make it a point to schedule time for your relationship so that the business does not overtake it. Terry and I plan ahead to sneak away for lunch or to take a break at Starbucks. We have found if we don’t take the time to schedule in these lunch or coffee dates, then they are less likely to happen as we work to meet deadlines or get a project done. We haven’t yet been able to master scheduling “regular dates”, but its next on our list of priorities in order to help keep our close relationship.
3. Schedule time for yourself.
It can be a shock when you suddenly have so much time with your spouse. In your previous life, they left at 7 AM and came home at 6 PM, and then you discussed your day during dinner. Now you spend most (if not all) of the day with them, and during dinner, there is nothing new to discuss. Where is the time for you? Karyn Fagan, Founder of Team Women, tells “We both have hobbies that we love outside of the house so we have that important away time.”
Terry and I certainly have a long way to go as an Entrepreneurial Couple, but we have made it through our entrepreneurial “honeymoon” period. Each day, we work together to reach our goals and dreams. We understand when we help each other we will reach our dreams sooner, so we help each wherever its needed! - Terilee Harrison, The Business Mom Guide Book
For anyone considering working with your spouse, here are 3 Essential Boundaries for Entrepreneurial Couples to help to ease your transition:
1. Clarify expectations for work/home.
Nothing can prepare you for the blurring of boundaries and turf that occur as you transition into working together. When you join together with your spouse, most likely, both of you have experienced success throughout your careers, and have developed your own working style. Suddenly you have a whole new dynamic in your relationship with your spouse you must learn to work through. I always knew that we had different gifts and talents: Terry is very techie and he loves to write, and I am a people person who is an administrative whiz. Even though I should have probably seen it coming, I was still surprised at the difference in our work styles. I multi-task all day long, and he prefers to work on one project at a time. Just like being newlyweds all over again, we had to put some effort into getting to know each other on a whole new level to be able to work well together.
Beth Butler, creator of the Boca Beth Program has some helpful tips for clarifying expectations with your spouse. “I make us lunch each day and we try to talk about BOCA BETH items that are pressing. It's our time to reconnect - he works from home for the wine company he represents and I work from home sharing my passion for second language learning with young children. A funny mix, but it works! We talk about what each of us has planned the next day so there are no surprises - and I use that time to ask for his help. I can't expect him to guess what I need so I have learned to be very specific.”
2. Schedule time for love.
Most entrepreneurial couples complain they have less time together than before. It is possible to work beside your spouse in the same office all day long and barely speak on a personal level. How difficult is it to turn off your cell phone and talk a walk with your love? It is imperative to make it a point to schedule time for your relationship so that the business does not overtake it. Terry and I plan ahead to sneak away for lunch or to take a break at Starbucks. We have found if we don’t take the time to schedule in these lunch or coffee dates, then they are less likely to happen as we work to meet deadlines or get a project done. We haven’t yet been able to master scheduling “regular dates”, but its next on our list of priorities in order to help keep our close relationship.
3. Schedule time for yourself.
It can be a shock when you suddenly have so much time with your spouse. In your previous life, they left at 7 AM and came home at 6 PM, and then you discussed your day during dinner. Now you spend most (if not all) of the day with them, and during dinner, there is nothing new to discuss. Where is the time for you? Karyn Fagan, Founder of Team Women, tells “We both have hobbies that we love outside of the house so we have that important away time.”
Terry and I certainly have a long way to go as an Entrepreneurial Couple, but we have made it through our entrepreneurial “honeymoon” period. Each day, we work together to reach our goals and dreams. We understand when we help each other we will reach our dreams sooner, so we help each wherever its needed! - Terilee Harrison, The Business Mom Guide Book
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