Home Based Business Blog
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Home Based Business Articles Archive |
| Hi, and welcome to the Home Based Business Blog. I have been working on my Home Based Business doing online marketing for over six years. Home based business has grown in leaps and bounds over the last several years, especially since the advent of the Internet. It is now completely realistic to run a home based business and be successful and profitable with it. I started the Home Based Business Blog to showcase and archive the many Home Based Business articles I have found online, so they are all in one place and searchable, for the convenience of my readers. There is a plethura of information for home based business Newbies and Gurus alike. Articles are updated on a regular basis, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back often. Enjoy! |
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Five Ideas for Unique (and Cheap) MarketingBy Vishal P. Rao Platinum Quality Author Home-based businesses generally lack the large marketing budgets of bigger companies, but a smaller budget doesn't have to stop you from engaging in clever and effective campaigns. When marketing on a budget, you need to "think outside the box" and go beyond the obvious marketing approaches. Direct mail and banner ads, for example, are one way to go, but if your competition is using similar methods, you need to differentiate yourself. Below you will find a few unique ways to boost the exposure of your home-based business and generate more sales without depleting your budget. Idea #1 Offer Something for Nothing One of the biggest ways to draw a crowd off- and on-line is by offering something for free. In particular, something that will be of interest to your target audience. For example, if you sell arts and crafts, you might offer a free guide to craft shows in North America. If you sell collectibles, you might offer a free newsletter of tips and news relevant to collectors. If you sell marketing books, you might offer free articles about marketing. When you provide these types of freebies, people will flock to your site. Some may only be interested in your free stuff, but others will take the next step and become full-fledged customers. Remember that whatever you give away has a high perceived value, but costs little to produce. Idea #2 Join On-line Discussion Groups No matter what you are selling, chances are there's a discussion group on the Internet patronized by your target audience. The key is to find the right ones and become a member. Once you find that group, start visiting the forums and message boards and responding to questions regarding your area of expertise. You should create a subtle signature file to post along with your responses. This file should direct people to your web site for further information. Does this method work? One person who used it earned $6000 just from efforts involving discussion groups. Idea #3 Consider the Charitable Angle People enjoy making a contribution to worthy causes and doing business with companies that try to make a difference in the world. Consider setting aside a portion of all sales as donations to a specific charity. Make sure to select a charity with a wide appeal and a good reputation. Don't forget that these donations also make appropriate topics for press releases which could bring you even more attention and sales. Idea #4 Repackage Products After a product has been available for awhile, sales naturally decline. You could lower the price or even discontinue the product altogether as solutions, but a better way to boost slow sales is to repackage those old products and sell them in a whole new way. Consider bundling multiple products together for one price or offer the older product as a free gift to new customers. You may also want to try it out on a totally new target audience. Simply taking the time to revamp an old product, perhaps with the addition of a new chapter or special feature, can allow it to be sold as an all-new version. Repackaging can help you boost sales and extend the profitable life of your products. Idea #5 Sell Yourself as an Expert No matter what you sell, you are proclaiming yourself to be knowledgeable and experienced in that industry. People want to believe that you are an expert who they can trust with their hard-earned cash. You want to convince people that you are an expert who has products that deliver what you promise. One of the best ways to do both of these things is to become a speaker on topics related to your industry and to home-based business in general. Speakers are needed at a variety of functions, including trade shows, chamber of commerce functions, high school/college career festivals, and more. Another way to position yourself as an expert is to become a part-time teacher in a college or community center where you share your knowledge of business and your industry with others. Or consider becoming an author. You could write an e-book related to your business which could gain you considerable recognition as well as revenue. Any of these methods will help you market yourself as an experienced professional worthy of potential customers' attention. With these five ideas and a little creativity, you can take steps to set your business, your product, and your marketing apart from your competition. Vishal P. Rao is the owner of http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/ - One of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/ Posted: Wednesday 13th April 2005, 12:28 AM Common Work At Home Success CharacteristicsBy Kirk Bannerman Platinum Quality Author Do people that are successful in home based businesses share some common characteristics and, if so, what are the primary ones? The dictionary defines successful as: *having a favorable outcome, or *having obtained something desired or intended, or *having achieved wealth or eminence When applied to a home business, I think the definition of the word successful involves a combination of financial gain, time flexibility, and being able to call your own shots (being your own boss). The order of importance will vary from person to person. I have had the good fortune to be quite successful with home-based internet businesses. No, that is not completely accurate, I have had success because I have invested a lot of sweat equity in my work at home business activities. Having spent many years in the corporate world, I am a firm believer in the team aspect of business and so I naturally gravitated toward network marketing instead of trying to go solo selling products/services and competing with the big players like Yahoo, Amazon and the other well known names. After doing considerable research, I found a very well established and financially solid internet-based company to work with. Using my business experience in the "offline world" and developing my internet marketing skills on the fly in an OJT (aka: on-the-job-training) format, things have gone very well and I recently spent some time trying to identify some of the primary traits that are common in my most successful team members. Whether you're breeding bird dogs, or race horses, or drafting college football players to play in the NFL...it's important to develop "markers" that can be very useful in predicting success. From my offline, traditional, business experience I have known this from the get-go, but for some reason I was slow to learn (or, was it re-learn?) that identifying the people with a high likelihood of success is even more important when developing an online network marketing business that depends upon teamwork. Reflecting back on many of the truly successful people I have worked with in network marketing, I made a list of the numerous success factors that emerged when I assessed each person individually. After compiling the list, three factors seemed to stand out as being the most common success indicators. In no particular order, these factors were: *approaching the business with a long term perspective. It often takes a long time to become an "overnight success" *exhibiting the tenacity of a pit bull *being able to ride the emotional roller coaster (two steps forward and one step back) in the early stages of developing the business Just because a person has these characteristics, it does not ensure success and, on the flip side, a person is not necessarily doomed to failure just because he or she does not possess all three of them. Kirk Bannerman operates his own successful home based business and also coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. For more information visit his website at http://www.home-based-business-team.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/ Posted: Tuesday 12th April 2005, 11:49 AM Top 7 Small Business Sites for 2005 Jinger Jarrett http://www.jingerjarrett.ws Copyright 2005 Jinger Jarrett If you want to start a business in 2005, and start making money almost immediately, the sites listed below are some of the best I have found. I've chosen each site because it is absolutely outstanding in providing the tools you need to get started, as well as taking you through the steps you need to get started immediately. My1stBusiness.com - This site is owned by Ben Botes, who is currently working on a doctoral degree in business. Ben will take you through every phase of creating your business, and it doesn't matter how large or small it is. You'll find all of the information you need right here. Teleclasses are currently free, and you'll find a wide variety of top notch business coaches to help you build your business. This site is scheduled to go to a paid model soon, but it will definitely be worth the price tag. If you're looking for a one stop solution to constantly update your business knowledge, and stay ahead of your competition, this is it. Ron Olinger - Everyone needs a little motivation, and Ron is the guy to help you with that. He offers a newsletter called "Winning Attitudes" that is absolutely dynamite. You'll find lots of quality tips and information. Definitely a must read if you are struggling to get started. Not your run of the mill newsletter, it will help you achieve what you want to achieve in both your persona and professional life. Website.ws - For the newcomer to the Internet, this is the site you need to start your business. You'll get a domain name, a generous mult-tier affiliate program to help you build a backend income, and a website builder that is so easy to use, a child can build a web site. There are also videos to teach you web site building, as well as a nice 20 page ebook to show you how to market this opportunity and make money from it. It's the easiest solution I know of to starting a business on the Internet, and you don't need to know HTML. You can also use your web site account to build your primary business and generate another source of income. Coachville.com - Thinking of starting a service business? Even if you aren't interested in starting any type of coaching business, this site is definitely for you. They offer a wide variety of free and paid courses, and you can even earn your certification as a coach. This site will cut your learning curve dramatically, and you'll be up and running in no time. Alexa - When it comes to smoking the competition, this is the site you want to use. You'll get detailed stats, contact information, site rankings, sites that are linked to a particular web site, and a whole lot more. No other site will offer you more comprehensive information on what's hot and what's not on the Internet. They also offer a toolbar, and it's free to use the site. Automate Internet Marketing - Internet marketer Patric Chan offers you a free marketing membership with plenty of excellent information. What blew my mind when I saw this is that Patric is giving it away. If you're new to the Internet, and new to Internet marketing, start here. Patric knows how to explain marketing in a way that is easy to understand. Whether you've started a business and want to increase your profits, or you want to start a business, now is the time. These seven resources are not to be overlooked. About the Author: Jinger Jarrett is a small business coach and Internet Marketer living in Alpharetta, Georgia. She teaches small business owners how to build a fulltime passive residual income and how to do it for only $10 per month. http://www.jingerjarrett.ws More articles by Jinger Jarrett This article provided by the Family Content Archives at: http://www.Family-Content.com Posted: Wednesday 2nd February 2005, 9:16 AM Being a Disciplined Home Business Boss Leaving the corporate world for a home business is exciting. Being one’s own boss and making one’s own decisions is a great feeling. However, one still needs to have discipline to be effective at being a home business boss. In my home business I have found at least two things that one must be persistently disciplined about in order to achieve success. First is the work schedule. A home business like any business requires work and often a lot of work. While it is true you do not have to get up at daybreak and put on a suit and tie to drive to work, one does need to set a work schedule and stick to it. I have set my schedule to work 8 to 5 Monday through Friday. I take an hour for lunch. I require myself to work a minimum of forty hours a week for my home business. When I first started my home business it was easy to become distracted by things that need to be done around the house: laundry, dirty dishes, mowing the yard, etc. It is very important to treat the home business like a regular job and in reality it is a regular job, it just happens to be in the home. If you were working for someone else they would not tolerate you going home to clean dishes or mow the yard, so to be a disciplined home business boss and do not allow yourself to do things other than working on your home business. The second is in regards to interruptions. I have found it absolutely amazing that family and friends seem to think that just because you stay a home during the day that you have nothing else to do. When I first started working at home I was surprised at the many requests my family and friends had of my time. My best advice, which was given to me by another home business worker, is, ‘If they are not on fire or if they are not bleeding they do not need your attention.” Now don’t take the statement literally but what it basically means is, unless it is a real emergency do not let your family and friends interrupt your work schedule. For those of you who already have your home business, you are aware of the many requests that family and friends will make such as fixing their sink, driving them to their airport or watching their kids while they go to the grocery store. If you are not already assertive, learn to be and learn quickly. Fortunately, I have had the assertiveness to say, “No.” If you spend your time being the “go-for” for your family and friends, your business will fail. You are not at home to be at the beck and call for your family and friends regardless of what they may think. Let them know that. I stubbornly refuse to assist family and friends with tasks during the hours of 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. Being a disciplined home business boss a giant leap towards creating and maintaining a successful home business. Remember that your home business is a real business. It is a real job. Most importantly, it is your livelihood. About the author: Lawrence Roth Web Manager Rothline Entertainment http://www.rothline.com http://stores.ebay.com/Rothline-Entertainment Circulated by Article Emporium Posted: Friday 28th January 2005, 10:38 AM A Major Temptation When Developing A Home-Based Business By Kirk Bannerman From what I have seen and experienced, to quit is the greatest temptation during the first year of working at a home-based business. If smoking was like working at a home-based business, the occurence of lung cancer would be dramatically reduced. It is a known fact that a majority of the people that undertake a work at home business do not achieve real success. There are several reasons for this, but one of the primary reasons is that these people get frustrated and do not allow themselves enough time to succeed. In the early going, one of the most difficult things about developing a new home based business is dealing with the emotional roller coaster that can result from the highs (successes) and lows (temporary setbacks) you are almost certain to experience. Once you have done the research and decided on a particular home based business opportunity, you really need to focus on persistence and realize that any real business will not just automatically become successful in a matter of days or weeks. You should be prepared to give it your best sustained effort for at least 6 to 12 months in order to begin to build a solid business base and begin to see some good income. Highs and lows were something that I began to notice when I first started a home based business. I have many years of top level management experience in "traditional" corporations and have experienced lots of business cycles (corporate "ups and downs"), but the natural "ups and downs" that occur in a home business (particularly in the early stages) can be brutal from an emotional standpoint if you don't prepare yourself in advance for the fact that it is a basic law of nature...it will be a rocky road until you have spent enough time and effort to build your business to a level that sort of smoothes out the peaks and valleys. The impact of the highs and lows you will probably experience in developing your home based business is amplified by the fact that you are now in business on your own. You are the boss and get to make all the decisions, but you are also on your own in dealing with the frustrations that will occur along the way while you are developing your business. When working at home a person can, at times, experience a feeling of isolation which is probably brought on by the lack of interaction of a work force environment. There can also be periods of doubt in the early going...gee, did I pick a viable business opportunity?...am I doing the right things to develop my business?...when will I start making a profit?, and so on. You are most likely going to experience the "two steps forward and one step backward" syndrome and the ever-looming temptation to become discouraged. However, keep in mind that as long as you have more steps going forward than backward, you will eventually get ahead! Simple, but often overlooked. Relatively minor setbacks can seem huge in the early stages of developing a work at home business and can really contribute to some noticeable "mood swings". For example, if you are just starting out and you have four customers/clients and you happen to lose one...that's a 25% drop! However, if you fast-forward in time to the point where you have hundreds of customers/clients and you lose one...that's just a mere fraction of 1%! Exactly the same event, just at a different point in time. Hang in there and just keep on keepin' on. If you have chosen a viable home business opportunity (one that has been around for awhile and in which some other people are having success) you will achieve success, but it takes time and there will be ups and downs along the way. Remember the old saying..."it takes a long time to become an overnight success". About the author: Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. Visit his website at Legitimate Home Based Business for more details. Circulated by Article Emporium Posted: Tuesday 18th January 2005, 9:50 AM by Don Monteith Today, are you on target with your business plans? Do you sometimes wonder what you're going to do today? Tomorrow? Next week? Most of us do ~ so don't let that be a stumbling block to your success. Set your GOALS - write them down! Most of us have specific ideas and plans for achievements over time ~ and that is a GOOD thing for all.... however, it's imperative that YOU write down your business plan or go to the bookstore and find help in the 'Dummies' series to guide you. There are a few KEYS to success.... #1 is persistence. Sticking with your plan to achieve ~ staying on track. Never giving in or up when the going gets a little rough. Losers throw in the "towel" while winners stay the course. I know ~ YOU want it NOW! Me too! Not later and that is a problem. Drive through windows at the fast food places have spoiled us.... instant service. If we don't get it immediately we complain loudly. Life is full of challenge and difficult situations. Most successful business owners have spent years in training ~ on the job ~ facing financial hurdles ~ dealing with employee discord ~ hiring staff ~ terminating losers ~ and all the daily routine activities that must get done to survive. As some of us can say.... I've been there! Done all those things. For me, it was a long road of 32 years to build my success story. My goal is to help you find a few potholes in advance so it won't take you as long. You'll be in the money much sooner ~ preparing for growth ~ building multiple streams of income. Remember ~ your MENTOR TEAM can save you lots of time.... and I'd like to be a fly on the wall helping through my website that is FREE for you to study and learn... http://www.ActionBits.com for CAREER direction at it's best. Build your own success team - folks who can openly share their expertise and experiences with you ~ make suggestions ~ listen ~ prod ~ ask Questions for clarification ~ respect ~ respond in kindness. At my place we call it the MENTOR TEAM to guide and challenge us to excellence. About the Author Don Monteith writes a 'Success(full)Management' Ezine after 32 years in the staffing/employment business ~ a MENTOR/coach to the: SUCCESS(full) CAREERS' job hunter ~ you can review his website at http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com Posted: Monday 17th January 2005, 9:21 AM I have helped thousands of people start up their own home based businesses using the Internet. Over time, I have come to recognize two of the most important factors for identifying people that should NOT start a home based business. If a prospective entrepreneur says something like... "I'm broke and need to make some money...fast!" or, "I want to start a home business, but I don't want to spend anything on it until after I start earning some money." ...it is certain that they have not "gotten real" and should not attempt to start a home business under either of those conditions. I refer to them as the "death sentences" for starting a home based business. Almost equally important is the need to have realistic economic expectations when undertaking a home based business. There is no magic here, folks. A home based business provides many rewards such as working in the comfort of your own home, avoiding a stressful commute, being your own boss, setting your own hours, no dress code, etc., etc., but anyone that is also expecting "instant riches" is sadly mistaken. There are a tremendous number of home business and work at home opportunities offered on the Internet. Many of these are all hype and try to convince you that you will be making huge amounts of money in very little time (you know, stuff like..."you will be making $5,000 per week, and more, in just a few weeks!"). You should avoid these like the plague...if they were for real everyone would be doing it. Study the opportunities carefully and select the home business opportunity that seems to fit your own particular style or talents. What is a good choice for one person may be a very poor fit for someone else. The common thread that applies to everyone is that you must be "for real" (as indicated above) and the business opportunity itself must be "for real". About the author Kirk Bannerman operates his own successful home based business and also coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. For more information visit his website at http://www.home-based-business-team.com for more details. Circulated by Article Emporium Posted: Saturday 15th January 2005, 12:13 PM by: George Papazoglou It's a cruel world out there. Hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans lose their job every year. Tragically, ordinary people get disillusioned by sleeping on the idea of a "dream job" when they could cash-in tremendously from the exponential growth of e-commerce in the "information age"! You can be up and running your own lucrative home-based business with very small capital in a matter of days! Nowadays, you don't even have to develop your own products to flourish. You don't even have to be an expert in any subject, once you are ready to study how casual people achieve their goals faster than ever with a rock-solid marketing plan! Here's a characteristic example, on how anyone can start an autopilot Internet business - let's scrutinize some critical elements that will help you understand the gigantic potential of Internet marketing: You put-up a direct-response website that caters information for a specific industry; whatever that industry can be - you'd always deliver digital information on a subject in the form of ebooks. I am talking about a topic that is in-demand and people would gladly pay for it. There are a plethora of money-making ideas when it comes to promoting informational products, which are ideally delivered in the form of ebooks or even CD's. Just use a magnificent online researching tool like WordTracker (see http://web-site-promotion.gr/wordtracker) and you'll come-up with literally hundreds of prolific keywords that people use to search online with their credit cards ready to submit orders and inflate your bank account automatically! Using WordTracker I have "unearthed" several profitable industries, by conducting a few hours of intensive research. In fact, you cannot afford to not methodically use technological means before launching any business. Another sure-fire source of discovering what sells online is... forums! Just use any search engine to research for a particular topic that meets your interests, add the "forum" keyword and see exactly what people discuss, identify with their problems and offer your "digital solution"! Next thing, is developing a direct-response website that is gives away a free report in exchange for your prospects' e-mail address. Just add some related articles to show-off your expertise; offer the free report in trade for email addresses and then... follow-up with the "complete solution" with a killer sales letter and a digital product. Once you start building a targeted, ever-growing mailing list, your income geometrically grows. All you need is to stick with a topic that motivates you and has a "starving market" that has the money and willingness to purchase your *solution*. If you can't find products to sell, fear not. There are hundreds of informational products that grant you full resale rights with every purchase. A fine source is http://cyber-software.com - you can find "instant products" to market in the form of software. The best part is that these products are offered for a very low investment and you reap 100% of the profits. For example, hundreds of people search online for "lost relatives", old schoolmates or records of employees. You just go and buy the resale rights of the related software, set-up a website, trade some links and buy some ads (use WordTracker for researching with amazing precision the keywords) and you're in business. Now to give your income a momentous boost, repeat this process with several other digital products. By the time you make your first money, re-invest the funds in other businesses to multiply your profits and create "multiple sources of income". Deploying this strategy you repeatedly build multiple income streams plus gain priceless experience in the long run! Accepting credit cards for your products is critical. Go to StormPay (http://traffic-engine.net/stormpay) once you have the products and website ready to go; now you're in business making money passively, without lifting a finger! Your customers pay for the product and money gets transferred to your bank account (or by checks) easily and automatically! The easiest way to sell online and admittedly the most guaranteed is marketing informational products. There's no other good you can offer to a "starving market", than informational products; they are easy to develop and won't cost you a penny to duplicate them to infinity (opt for ebooks, software, audio courses...). Whether you sell 10 or 10000 of digital products, your "manufacturing costs" remain the same - a flat zero expense! I have coined a fantastic system for receiving thousands of visitors without advertising; just by giving away free reports! Refer to www.traffic-engine.net for details. The money-making impetus that the Internet offers to home based business owners is unrepeatable. You are not limited by geographical location. You don't need to stock products. The curbs of a regular job do not bind you. You only need: * In-demand information products that cater to a "fertile market". * A direct-response website that gathers email addresses. * A system to follow-up with prospects offering back-end products that compliment your "flag ship" product. * Low-cost advertising and a viral marketing mechanism to generate referrals. * Replicate this process with other industries and "clone" your income! Can you see the tremendous potential of running a home-based business? Ok, if you just start out your online business from scratch, you'd need to master a few jacks of the trade to become successful. Astutely, now you have just "sniffed the basic formula" for online success. You need a blueprint - a step-by-step guide to bump your wings. So, I highly recommend going to http://traffic-engine.net to model a prototype methodology that will help you understand exactly how the "system" works. You won't need to become a sales-letter dynamo. There's no need to make your own products either; just the creed to duplicate a "ready-made" marketing plan. Then, entrench with the techniques and follow the preliminary steps we just outlined and in a couple of weeks you're in business - even on a strictly limited budget. About The Author George Papazoglou is the author behind http://traffic-engine.net This article may be freely distributed / republished, as long as it contains the author's credits and the precise entirety of the provided article, titled: "Starting your Own Autopilot Home-Based Business". Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:46 AM by: Sandi Moses If you are just transitioning from working outside the home to working from home, your thoughts are probably spinning with all the things that you will get done now that you don’t have to waste all that time commuting, getting ready for work, etc. And then a few weeks into your new lifestyle, things just don’t seem to going along as smoothly as you had imagined! What the heck happened, anyway? Well, I certainly hope you didn’t toss that daily planner you used to fill out so religiously! You just might need to pull it out, dust it off, and put it back to work. In the first place, you are “still working.” You are just working “here” and not “there.” You still need to keep a schedule, and maybe even a daily flow chart. It will just have different items on it. Instead of dealing with meetings, phone calls, reports, face-to-face chats with clients or customers or employees or “the boss,” deadlines, “managing by walking around,” countless interruptions, and all that, you will need to schedule time for focusing on the work you are doing from home, maintaining your home itself, your family, and maybe even YOU! Take your planner out and come up with something that works for you. You might start with what worked before. In other words, if you had to be ready to leave the house by 7:00 AM, before, then be that way now. You don’t have to be “all dressed up with nowhere to go,” but you can be showered and dressed, etc. Assign times to focus on various activities, keeping in mind that none of this is etched in stone. Build your own individual situation into this, and remember that it is only a guideline. Your boss is not going to call you on the carpet if the schedule doesn’t work unless you stand in front of the mirror and have at it! Remember that you have flexibility that you didn’t have when you were working outside the home. You are the boss and you can arrange you day as you choose, to fit the needs of your family, health, interests, schooling, or whatever reason you chose to work at home. Keep adjusting until you find what works. It may need “re-tweaking” when school starts up or lets out, as days get longer or shorter, as the seasons change, etc. That’s OK! If you are thinking, “but I quit work so I didn’t have to be scheduled!” remember that this is YOUR schedule, not someone else’s. You can take as many breaks as you need, and you can take them whenever you need them, not when you are told to go. You are working into the schedule YOUR needs and your family‘s needs, not the needs of the company for whom you used to work. Because you have control over what is happening instead of being at the mercy of someone else, you can handle it! And one last thing: you will never, ever have to come home so exhausted that you stand at the kitchen sink in you coat and high heels doing dishes because you know that if you stop to take them off, you will never get up to get the dishes done. And yes, I actually heard of some poor soul who did that. About The Author Sandi Moses has been involved in internet marketing since November, 2003. Visit her sites at http://www.123iwork4me.com http://www.123-home-based-business-works-4-me.com familymoses@att.net Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:40 AM by: Michel Richer Let's face it everyone wants to succeed with their home based internet business ? But what does it takes to really succeed in cyberspace ? 1. Your first ultimate start must include written goals and plans. Formulate a plan of weekly activity and be persistent in following it—if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sticking to your plan is essential for success. 2.Don't wait for everything to be exactly right to start...THERE WILL NEVER BE A "PERFECT" TIME! Start now, with whatever you have. The things you need will come to you as you work toward your goal. You cannot become successful in anything when you're trying to do too many things at once. 3. Treat your business as a serious, full-time business, and it will become one. Think of your first six months primarily as a training period. Don't expect large earnings until after you've educated yourself. 4. Be patient. You'll work the hardest your first six months or so and get compensated the least. Big incomes never happen overnight. They only come after you've properly shown your affiliates how to duplicate your efforts. Always be ENTHUSIASTIC!! Don't give yourself unrealistic expectations. 5. Don't complain to your upline leaders. Realize that what you accomplish is mainly in your hands, no one else's. Also realize that, when you see a problem, 95% of the time there are factors you are unaware of. Don't jump to conclusions. When you have a problem, present it in a concise letter as positive, constructive criticism. Offer solutions if possible, too. Not only will this approach get you better results, but you'll be building your relationship with your upline instead of tearing it down. 6. Be organized, but don't allow the act of organizing keep you from the most important element of a successful business: MARKETING. Market and promote your business EVERY DAY! Don't let little problems upset you. Concentrate on the many positives...and the "big picture." 7. Always remember that the only thing that will never change is that there will always be changes. Don't let changes upset you. Know that you will have to deal with changes and other obstacles, both big and small, continually. Be prepared to be flexible. 8. Don't be a negative thinker and don't let the negative attitudes of others (even if they're family members, friends, or peers) influence you. All the great men and women in history had to overcome the naysayers who said it couldn't be done—and then went out and did it. Think for yourself! 9. Don't be derailed by "perfection paralysis." Realize that you won't be able to do everything perfectly. Do the best job you can, then move on to the next project. Keep learning and keep moving ahead. 10. Read books (such as Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think And Grow Rich") that will convince you how powerful your mind really is. Develop the tremendous potential in you (that we all have) that has never been tapped! 11. Don't quit. The only way to fail is if you give up. Remember always..."You are what you think you are" Copyright © Michel Richer PERMISSIONS TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in its entirety free of charge, electronically or in print, provided it appears with the included copyright and author’s resource box with live website link. http://hombyz.com About The Author Michel Richer is the Business Manager and Webmaster of http://Hombyz.com With over 10 years experience in home based internet business and a solid reputation in the industry. He is dedicated to helping you succeed on the Internet. You can take a look at his website at: http://Hombyz.com for Your Home Business Success !!! Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:33 AM by: Kristen Pearce If you are reading this you must either already be working online or thinking about it. So many people are working online today and making a great deal of money doing so. I’m here to tell you how you can make money…and do it without spending a dime. First I want to tell you I don’t believe it is possible to “make money fast”, online or off. Any business, online or off, takes time to build and to see profit. I do believe that if you want to make money faster than you need to spend a little, but, as I will show you, you can do it with no cost to you, it will just take longer. About 95% of the programs out there are scams and many advertise that you can “make money fast”, but first give us your credit card number. This leads me to my first tip: Never join a program that wants a payment upfront. I don’t know about you, but I’m much more confident joining a program that tells me I can make money and don’t have to pay for it. It shows me the company is “real.” Get a Website You joined. Ok, next step. You now have something to sell or promote. But how? With a website. You need to show people what you are selling or promoting. Some companies give you “gateway” sties and that’s good, but not good enough. You need another avenue to “show” or link to these sites. These sites alone will not make you any money. There are many of free hosts out there that provide free web space and html editors. When looking for a place to host your free site you have to keep a few things in mind. How much space will they give you, do they put ads on your site, and do they have their own program to help you make your site if you don’t know html. Here are some free sites but there are others: * Tripod * Geocities * Angelfire Keep in mind that most free sites WILL put ads on yours. Because of limited space you are going to want to upgrade to a better web host…one that you will have to pay for, after you start making money with your business. Now we will talk about how to advertise your website. Reciprocal Linking This is simple but time consuming. Even if you spend money on your business this is something you are going to want to do. This is what helps get your page listed higher in search engines. The process is simple. You do a search in the top search engines using your keywords and keyword phrases. You are looking for sites with similar content to yours. Let’s use “home based business” as an example. Go to Google and put the keyword phrase “home based business” in the search box. Click the first site listed. Make sure the site contains content similar to yours than scroll looking for something like “add link”, “submit your link”, “link exchange”, etc. Once you find it click on it and fill out the form. Fill in all the information it asks. Usually they will submit there information so you can link back to them. If they link to you, you must link back to them. If you can’t find anything on their site to link to, send the webmaster and email asking to exchange links. You want to include the title of your website, your url, and a brief description of your site. Now do the same for the first 2-3 pages of search results. Repeat for other search engines such as Yahoo and repeat using different keywords. You will wait anywhere from an hour to a few weeks to hear back from people, you may not hear back at all. But the more links you get on your site the better your search ranking will be. You are going to want to put links on separate pages from your home page and put no more than 99 on a page. Doing this for 2 hours a day for 2-3 months will get you high on the search engines and a LOT of traffic. Traffic Exchanges Many people don’t like traffic exchanges because the traffic directed to your site is not targeted. You may receive 1,000 visitors or more before getting even 1 sign-up or purchase, but if you don’t want to spend money, traffic exchanges won’t hurt. A traffic exchange is giving you traffic in return for visiting other sites. You will only have to visit these sites for 10-30 seconds. The more you use, the more traffic you will get. Here are some traffic sites to use: * CashClicking * LoadShark * BionicHits * nomorehits * FastFreeway * Raging Bull Traffic * FunnyFarmTraffic * TrafficG * Webmasterquest * TrafficSwarm Classified and Free Ad Sites Whether you are selling a product or promoting a business opportunity, free ad sites are great tools. You can download AdWizard for free. It will help you keep track of your ads as well as provide you will free ad sites. Using these simple strategies will help make your business grow. I won’t lie, it will take time, but what good business didn’t take time to grow? Copyright © Kristen Pearce About The Author Kristen Pearce works from her home in Beacon, New York. For more information please visit her site at: http://www.home-based-business-income.com kdipress@optonline.net Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:26 AM by: Rebecca Gilbert I’m often perplexed at the number of people that I see start home based businesses on the Internet and then give up on the idea shortly afterward. The usual excuse is that they don’t have the time or don’t have the money to invest. Starting a business on the Internet is somewhat like having children…if you wait until you have plenty of time and lots of money, then you will probably never have any. When I started my home business, I didn’t have a lot of extra time and I certainly didn’t have a lot of extra money. I was still working a full time job when I started my business, and I made time for my business by simply cutting out the two hour television time that I enjoyed each evening and opted to work on my business instead. This two hours a day that I got to invest towards building my business certainly didn’t win me any fast track records as far as turning a profit, but that was the best I could do while still working full time and raising my family. I had made a conscious decision that I would rather have a home business and be financially independent “someday” rather than never. Finding the money to invest was not a big issue for me, because running an internet business is very cheap compared to running a traditional business. I didn’t have a product to sell, so I joined an affiliate program on the Internet that allowed me to sell their products and make commissions. The membership fee for this program was 29.95 a month. Then I needed my own website in order to promote these products and that cost me 29.95 also. I knew that I would have another $60 a month going out of my income while I was still trying to build my business, and probably wouldn’t have that much coming in for several months. So as usual, my good business sense took over and I looked at my household expenses and decided what I could do without. The easiest choice was my lunch expenses. Every day for years I had went out to lunch and spent at least $5 daily. Instead I opted to bring my own lunch to work and saved myself approximately $150 dollars a month. Now you realize why I become perplexed when someone tells me that they don’t have the time or the money to start their businesses. I often find myself reading between the lines and coming to the realization that they simply don’t want to. Starting a home business is about sacrifices, and as you can see I made some sacrifices that really didn’t hurt my lifestyle in the least, and I’m sure if you look at your schedule and your financial commitments that you can also find some things that can be easily replaced so that you can start your own home business. If your interested in starting a home business and need some ideas on where to start. Visit me at: http://www.101homebusiness.org and let me help you on the road to success. About The Author Rebecca has been a successful entrepreneur since July, 2002. Visit her at: http://www.101homebusiness.org for free tips and mentorship on how you can get started with your very own home based business. Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:20 AM by: Sue and Chuck DeFiore An Ann Landers column "Parenthood is not a job for the weak at heart" caught my interest. Job Description for a Parent Position: Parent Job Description: Long-term player needed for challenging, permanent work in chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts. There is some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Responsibilities: Must keep this job for the rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule. Must be willing to tackle stimulating technical challenges such as small gadget repair, sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must handle assembly and product safety testing , as well as floor maintenance and janitorial work. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and levels of mentality. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute and an embarrassment the next. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of end project. Advancement and Promotion: There is no possibility of either. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you. Previous Experience: None required, but on-the-job training is offered on a continually exhausting basis. Wages: None. In fact, you must pay those in charge, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 and attend college. When you die, you give them whatever income you have left. Benefits: There is no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options. However, the job offers limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life. This article is of special interest to those of us who work out of the home. Seeing this Ann Landers column made my think about why so many of us wanted to work out of our homes. One of the big reasons being to spend more time with our families. Balancing a family life and a home-based business can be a delicate one, especially when you look at all of the duties we have as a parent. Truthfully, it is amazing we get anything done at all. If both partners or spouses are running the business there are some very different and other important factors to consider. Since we have already addressed and written articles on these issues, I will direct you to our website to the articles, Business / Marriage Partners: Will the Marriage Survive (Parts I & II) There are some good rules however, to help you balance family and business. Rule #1 - This is one of the most important rules. Yes, this is your home, but it is also my office. What that means is the things you use in your business (like computers, files, fax machine, business phone, supplies, etc.) are off limits to them. Rule #2 - Set office hours. This lets your family members and friends know when it's okay to disturb you; when your day is done. This will avoid them taking you away from your work. Rule #3 - No one but you answers your business line, and if your office is in part of the house, there is to be quiet when you are on the phone. I know sometime pandemonium breaks lose. Well on those occasions it does, don't answer the phone, let it go into voice mail and call back as soon as you can get away or get the situation under control. Almost all phones today have a mute button, use it, especially with young children that cry and scream. Rule #4 - Establish rituals. Just like when you worked an outside job, you if dropped them off at the daycare, or their bus stop or school, even if you don't leave the house, when you are ready to go into your office, tell them good-bye. When you are done for the day, say "I'm home", or if you take a break say "I'm back for a bit", but be sure to tell them when you leave again, so they know you can't be interrupted. Rule #5 - Follow the other rules. Be sure that the above rules are followed. This is the most important rule. Rules not only help you, they help your kids, family and friends draw the line between your work and your home day. Some other tips are: 1. Keep a stash of kid stuff in your office. Get a variety of things like paper, stickers, crayons and games, in case your children are in your office and you need to take a call. 2. Get a cordless phone as an extension to your business line. When you enter the "home" part of your house, take the phone with you. If it rings, answer it and walk back to your "work space". Let your children, family and friends know that when this happens, they should try to be quiet until you are out of earshot or ask the person to hold, and press your hold or mute button until you are back in your "work area" or quiet space. 3. Understand it may not be easy, but if you train your children, family and friends to respect your time, space and need for concentration, both your work and family life will be easier. Copyright 2001, DeFiore Enterprises About The Author Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com coaches@homebusinesssolutions.com Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:15 AM by: Jim Noel So you want to start your own home base business. We have seen the countless ads, emails, websites, etc. on how to make big bucks right from your home. So how do you tell the legitimate home based businesses from the get rich quick schemes? Well hopefully this article will help you out a bit as I have been there done that with a home based business Yes I have tried a bunch of different home based businesses, only to be disappointed at the outcome, and of course being a little bit lighter in the wallet. The light bulb in my head finally went off after I heard a news report on my local news about Home based or work from home business offers. The report was if you have to pay a fee to join, it is most likely a scam! Well after I heard that, I said to myself “that makes sense! Why would you have to pay to go to work?” It is the same theory when you went and looked for work in the work place. If you went and applied at lets say Home Depot or Lowe’s they did not ask you for any money to apply! If they did you would turned around and left. I know I would have. Well the next day I started to search on the internet for “Free home based businesses” and I came up with some. I started researching the different ones, and finally choose the one for me! This business has no start up costs, no hidden fees, no inventory to carry, and you can opt out at anytime, all this with a “NO RISK” to you guarantee, and was backed by the Better Business Bureau! I went to the Better Business Bureau website, put the company name in and did a search to see if it had any bad reports, and it did not! Great, so then I did some background search on the company itself, it has been in business for 16 yrs, had a excellent track record, profits up, not a blemish one to be found. So what I am trying to say here is there are a few good home based business opportunities out there. You need to not jump on the first one to promise you the easy life. You need to realize that the “True” home based businesses out there you will need to put in some good hard work, and give it some time. Don’t expect your pot of gold overnight! About The Author Jim Noel Ever though of starting your own internet business? http://www.moreinfo247.com/8772985.56/FREE Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:12 AM by: Vishal P. Rao A home-based business becomes for the business owner, an entity in and of itself. Because so much hard work, blood, sweat and tears goes into every home-based business, it is easy to view it as having a "life" of its own and a home-based business can be more real to the business owner than anything else in their lives. However, there is also a dark side to a home-based business, especially one that is failing miserably. Part of being successful within a work-at-home dream also means knowing "when" to quit, or "fold". A home-based business can be like a game of cards, when the "losses" exceed the "wins", it may be time to give up on the business and either start another one, or look into other forms of outside employment. It has been said, "that most entrepreneurs fail three to five times" before they actually start a business that succeeds. Although it is imperative that entrepreneurs be persistent, not being able to accept failure, when it is obvious that failure has occurred, can be extremely detrimental. So, how does an entrepreneur "know" when it is time to give up or when they should continue? Simple, the amount of actual "suffering" needs to be measured. The following "suffering measurement" should take into account: 1. What type of debt the entrepreneur is accruing, and how many bills and necessary needs are being neglected. No one should live without food, clothing, shelter or the necessary medical care needed for a gratifying life. If a home-based business is constantly leaving the business owner without funds with which to sustain life, then it is probably time to quit. 2. What type of emotional pain is the entrepreneur facing? If the business has become so stressful because of mounting debt, or the entrepreneur's family is turning against them because of the business, then it is probably time to quit. 3. If there is a chance of losing a home or other holdings and property because of the bills engendered during the business, then it is probably time to quit. 4. If the frustration of having the business and handling the day to day operations surrounding the business is greater than the pleasure of owning the business, then it is probably time to quit. Notice I have only mentioned the fact that it is "probably time to quit". No one but the actual business owner can sufficiently measure when a business should be declared a failure and when they, the business owner, should walk away. Let's face it, even older businesses can face renewed challenges to their survival. Markets can change drastically sometimes, seemingly overnight. Consumer behavior also can change quickly. Newer businesses can face start-up challenges, but older businesses can encounter significant "bumps in the road" to business success as well. All the above factors need to be weighed carefully before deciding either to "quit" or "stay" with the home-based business. There are some methods that can be successful for alleviating some of the financial and emotional stress that accompanies a failing business: 1. An outside source of employment can be taken "temporarily", and the business can be worked on "part-time" in an entrepreneur's free time. 2. Loans and grants can be taken to alleviate financial strains until the business becomes solvent. 3. The entrepreneur can enlist the aid of family and friends, by allowing them to "buy into" the business, or by forming an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation), wherein the business owner is no longer solely responsible for debts or liabilities. Most new business owners start with a Sole Proprietorship model, so switching to the more encompassing LLC may indeed aid the business in its quest for survival. 4. Business owners can "downsize" their expenditures, both in the business, and in their personal lives. Downsizing of expenditures can literally save thousands per month and may indeed "save" the business from ruin! In reality, there is no "shame" in failure. Failure at anything only teaches valuable lessons, lessons that may be incorporated into success at another time! If you're suffering in your home-based business, don't allow pride to stop you from admitting defeat and moving forward in another area of life! That's what being an entrepreneur is really all about. About The Author Vishal P. Rao is the owner of http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com - One of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business. Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:10 AM by: Nick James Home Based Businesses are a lot like nutritional products - everybody claims they have the best - so who do you believe. Well here are 10 tips to guide you through those murky waters. 1. Look for a home based business in the hot areas - like nutrition where there is the huge base of baby boomer customers with income to spend on your product. Don't be fooled by some startup company with some new idea and you think you're going to get in on a groundfloor opportunity. It ain't an opportunity if no one wants the product. Analyze what the market is - there is a reason why heavy hitters are heavy hitters - they are able to accurately judge the market. 2. Check this out - the home based business you're looking at may be in a hot area like nutrition but they may be in a stagnant sub-area of nutrition. You want to look for the sub-areas of nutrition that are the fastest growing - the fastest growing is the nutritional drink or health beverage area. Most likely due to the ease of just drinking your nutrition - fast and easy. So following this model the company you select in the nutritional field should have a flagship nutritional drink product. 3. Is it a startup, or established home based business company? - The problem with startups is they way too often don't live up to their obligations, go out of business, or both. Often with an established company you may have missed the best timing to get in with them. The opportunity is over so to speak. What to look for is an established reputable company poised for explosive growth. 4. Look for the credibility behind the home based business company - lack of established credibility often dooms the company to go under and you're left holding the bag and also your reputation suffers. 5. Discover a hot product before the masses do - This one is big - this ingredient is what often establishes the big money earners and allows people who have never made money before to make some nice incomes. Find a hot product destined to be a mega-seller before virtually anyone has heard of it. Get in early and ride it for all it's worth. This one factor alone is how most heavy hitters became to be heavy hitters in this industry. It's not that they are much better networkers than others, you could essentially say they were in the right place at the right time and took massive action. However, it's a little more than that - their persistence and determination in the industry has allowed them to make some nice contacts so that when the right opportunity comes along they can pull key players on board and go from there. Also this heavy hitter person usually has a keen sense of the market which allows them to pick the right opportunity and avoid all the pitfalls and fools gold of the startup companies. Nobody follows someone even if they are ''finally right'' about something if they have used up all their credibility on programs that never panned out. 6. This can be almost as important as a hot product - The Marketing or Compensation Plan. Things to look for - does the plan provide extra rewards for the upline helping those underneath them? Like with matching enroller bonuses where the upline can enroll people under individuals in their organization and earn a percentage of that persons check in bonuses. This is much better than a forced binary plan, because in a forced binary plan, people that don't want to work get in the way and drag down others. A bonus system like this will allow you to help the people who want a successful home based business and bypass those who are lazy and not interested. More things to look for in the compensation plan. Does the plan pay a number of levels deep or does it stop after a few levels and the levels below this are infinity levels based upon sales volume? Also how many legs are required to maximize the pay plan? Does the plan require you to have numerous legs to earn the maximum bonuses? The point is this, a plan that only pays a few levels before infinity bonuses and/or requires numerous legs really limits the amount of upline help you will receive - in other words you're virtually on your own. 7. Get with the right distributors at the right time - Years ago my wife and me sold a house. We had several options but they came down to listing the house with this relatively new agent down the street or the hotshot million dollar sales earner. We went with the latter - big mistake - he was so busy with his big deals he didn't have time to mess with our little house. The house sat month after month before selling and we had already moved out of town. The lady down the street would have pushed it to the max. The point is don't just sign up with some big name distributor because of their name - they could be semi-retired or too busy to give you the attention you need. The best scenario for you is to find some experienced heavy hitters who because of a hot product have just recently started marketing that product and are rapidly building their organization. This essentially allows you to not only get in on the ground floor with a hot product but also with very experienced people looking to build huge organizations. This is a case of being at the right place at the right time. All that is required of the individual is to take a lot of action. 8. Does the company have an emotional product? - the point here is people talk about two things to others - things that interest them and things that leave an emotional impression on them. Certain types of products like nutritional products can much easier cause an emotional reaction in people than other products. If someone feels much better health wise from taking a nutritional product they are much more likely to tell others than they would about some insurance or laundry product for example. And face it, you want people talking about your product - word of mouth advertising is the most effective form. 9. Does the home based business company have exclusive products you can't get elsewhere and/or expert marketing to justify their winning products as superior products and actually a better value than similar products? 10. Reusable products - It kind of goes without saying but any product or service, which someone uses and reuses on a monthly basis is best because you continue to earn on that person month after month. Bonus Tips: To monitor the strength of a business opportunity here are a couple things to look for: Are there plenty of excited people on the conference calls along with numerous calls - absence of these items can indicate a ''dead'' business opportunity. Also find out what's been going on in the last 6 months - 2 years - are a number of people advancing up through the ranks - if not once again you could be looking at a ''dead'' business opportunity. About The Author Nick James offers informative tips and information on nutrition, health and working from home. His many years of internet marketing experince he uses to help others have a successful home business. Visit him and some amazing info at http://www.health-goji-juice.com Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:07 AM by: Declan O'Reilly 'A successful marketing strategy is not based on doing what you like but liking what you do...' Are you looking for information to build and grow a home-based business? If so, you are in the right place! Here you will find information on implementing a successful marketing campaign and growing your home based business. The Problem Many home-based business owners don't know how to best market their businesses. Some ignore marketing altogether, hoping that customers or website visitors will appear out of thin air. Others market in a scattershot way producing untargeted traffic or unqualified prospects. Either approach will keep you from achieving your business potential and reaching your financial goals and possibly even damage your reputation. The Solution Whether you've been thinking about starting a home business or you're already a seasoned home-based business owner, the principle remains the same. Your business' survival and success rests on how effectively you market your business or product. Examine some of the following marketing strategies and tools to help you boost your home based business profits. Home-Based Business Advantage Low overhead costs, no commute to work and the ability to work around your children are some of the few advantages for home based business owners. Gear your marketing efforts to capitalize on these and other home-based strengths including: Adaptability - Information Technology has escalated the rate of change in the marketplace. To survive and thrive, you must be prepared to act, and act quickly. As a home-based business owner, you can make adjustments instantly, without having to cut through the red tape of bureaucratic decision-making procedures common in larger businesses. Technology - Computers, the Internet, PDA's, and other emerging technologies can take home based businesses to a more level playing field with bigger companies, empowering home based business owners to accomplish tasks that used to require hiring staff to perform. Try to keep up-to-speed with technology. Flexibility. - Unlike traditional businesses that require full-time attention and high overhead costs, home based businesses can be operated part-time, at low cost, and depending on your financial goals can be phased into full-time operations. Taking Your Business To The Next Level A common reason home businesses fail is because owners neglect the up-front planning needed to position their ventures. Once you have defined your market position and where you want to take your business in the 12 months you will have moved one step closer to success. If you already have a business begin by taking inventory of where your business is right now. What specific goods and services do you provide? How do you set yourself apart? What is your business' reputation? How are you perceived by your customers or clients as far as your prices, reliability, and other elements of your products or services? The next step is to project where you want to take your business in the 12 months. What market position do you want to occupy? Is the niche market you want large enough? How will your benefits outsell those provided by the competition? Do you have the ability, capital, resources and support to make your market position a reality? Your answers will give you the information you need to begin designing or updating your marketing plan. Planning Ahead Once you have determined where you want to go, outline the essential steps to get there. Begin by writing a one sentence purpose (mission) statement for your marketing campaign. The rest of your plan should include a brief description of each of the following: Benefits of your products and services. Your target market. What marketing tools will best help you achieve your mission. Your market niche. What sets you apart in the market place. Your marketing budget. Keep your marketing plan brief. The more concise you make your marketing plan, the more effective it will be in evaluating your marketing efforts. Finding Your Niche This is often the hardest task for a beginning home-based business owner but also one of the most crucial. In order for your venture to survive in a competitive marketplace, you must distinguish yourself from other businesses and find a niche. What makes your business unique? Why should someone choose to buy from you over a competitor? Prospective clients want to know. If you can give them a compelling answer, you will position yourself as a leader in your industry boosting your profit potential. Research your market thoroughly before jumping in. Marketing Tools No matter how you choose to publicize your business, one quality will set you apart from your competitors: The ability to write effective ad copy. You're vying for the attention of consumers bombarded each day with advertisements. It is estimated that the average person is exposed to over 1,200 advertising messages per DAY! Make sure your advertisement stands out from the rest of this 'noise'. When you have determined your market position and drawn up a marketing plan you are ready to start spreading the word about your products and services. One effective way is using the existing offline media in your area. You have a variety of media choices depending upon your target market and your advertising budget including magazines, newspapers, television, radio, and the internet. Start by evaluating how and where your competitors advertise. What's working for them? Take their best ideas; then design your own winning layout, positioning yourself as having the best offer. The Importance of Headlines As the first phrases seen in advertising copy, headlines should arouse enough interest in the reader so that they will want to read or listen on to learn more about your business or product. To get ideas about what headlines will work best for you, scan different types of ad copy, particularly those from your competitors. Create a swipe file of different ads and ideas that you come across from different sources. But remember to be careful of using other peoples copyrighted material. Capture your customer's interest with a compelling statement of offer Highlight the most important benefits Offer extreme value Make a call strong call to action. Testing Your Ads Advertising can be expensive, but for just about any business a mandatory investment. To get the most out of your ads, test them by the following criteria: What is the quantity of leads or prospects that the ad generates? Compare this amount in terms of a unit cost of advertising (dollars in advertising per leads generated). How many of these leads convert into sales? Different advertising media due to the audiences they target will vary in the numbers of actual closes. Continually check the response from your ads, make changes or run a new ad if necessary. Use ad trackers and keep testing, testing testing until you achieve the response required. Internet Marketing Imagine! You can have a salesperson working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week even while you sleep. A web site and effective use of e-mail marketing can turn your small home-based business into a global business putting you on a level playing field with large corporations. With easy and afforbable web design tools getting a web site up and running is within reach of everybody. Sell Benefits Not Features! Any seasoned business owner knows that it costs five times more to sell to a new prospect than to an existing client. Studies show that each satisfied customer will spread the good word about your business to at least one other person. On the reverse side of the coin a dissatisfied customer will complain to up to five or ten potential customers. Your mission in getting customer referrals to turn passive satisfied customers into actively enthusiastic supporters who will promote your business. The best way to do this is through: Offering outstanding value to your customers Delivering your product on time. Solving customer's problems. Maintaining regular contact with customers through feedback forms Following up your customers regularly. Creating long-term relationships with customers. Personalising your product or service. Finally... Whether you're just launching your home based business or have been building one for years, don't allow lack of information keep you from achieving your financial dreams. Study your marketing options and decide which marketing strategy will best position you for long-term success. Declan O'Reilly For more articles on building a successful business and to download FREE marketing e-books go to: http://www.a1home-business.com About The Author A1 Home-Business was established by Declan O'Reilly in Melbourne, Australia in 2003. I am originally from Ireland but I have lived in a number of different countries including the US, UK, the Netherlands and currently living in Australia. Subscribe to eBusiness Success to find out how I achieved online success. Go to: http://www.a1home-business.com for more details affiliatestar@yahoo.com Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:03 AM by: Mal Keenan The number of home-based business opportunities is rapidly growing. In fact, over 50% of small business owners work from home. Numerous programs and options are available. If you would like a legitimate home based business but are having trouble deciding which is right for you, exercising a few precautions can go a long way in making sure you choose the best program for you. There are legitimate home business opportunities that can start you on your way to financial freedom. Research each opportunity thoroughly and choose wisely. You can earn an excellent income, be your own boss, and work the days and hours you desire. The home business industry is expanding continuously and research suggests that revenue generated from home-based businesses will increase by 17% yearly through the year 2008. Legitimate home business opportunities are highly successful when they are more than just get rich quick schemes. Valuable marketing tools combined with affiliate/prospect systems, discussion groups, and contact with those who are already earning money from the same company are excellent ways to help you make your business successful. There is a wide range of business opportunities to consider, including Internet based businesses, retail sales, import/export, and even stuffing envelopes. Some are legitimate businesses, and some are not. It's important to know everything about the company and to communicate with those already involved so you understand completely any risks you may be taking, how long before you can reasonably expect to make serious money, and what amount of work is required to make that money. Have practical expectations when starting a home-based business. Expecting to make enormous amounts of money in a very short time is unrealistic. Most legitimate home businesses do not promise instant wealth, but may offer a steady income stream that can increase gradually. It takes a certain amount of time to build a successful home business. Spend adequate time researching your business. Make sure there is a large market for your service or product to help ensure your economic success. There is plenty of information on the Internet and through the US Small Business Administration to assist you in making informed decisions as to starting a home-based business. People start a home-based business for many different reasons. They may be dissatisfied with their current job, unemployed, or have family situations that require them to be at home. By starting and maintaining a legitimate home-based business, you can realize your dream of being your own boss. It is a good idea to write a business plan, as it may be your roadmap to reaching your objectives. There are numerous articles on the Internet and in libraries that can assist you in developing your business plan as well as addressing the many other issues involved with starting and operating a business from home. And last, but not least, seek the advice of a tax professional. Your first reaction may be that you can't afford such expenses right now; but in reality you can't afford not to seek such advice from the very beginning of your home business start-up. They can advise you about ways you may be able to reduce the amount of taxable business income at the end of the year. Paying for an hour or two of consultation with a tax professional at the beginning will probably save you much more than that amount later on down the road. An amazing number of people seem to think that magic is somehow created when you put the words "home-based" in front of the word "business." It's still business...it just happens to be based in the home. Copyright 2004 Mal Keenan About The Author Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Home Business Tips Newsletter: http://www.home-business-tips-newsletter.com/. Complete Money Making Site Setup Free. http://www.workathomebiz.info/pluginprofitsite.html Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 9:00 AM by: Mal Keenan The U.S economy continues to grow and corporations are enjoying large profits, but the majority of Americans still struggle with finances. This is one of the main reasons many people are looking into the benefits that a home-based business can offer. There is no stressful morning commute, extremely low overhead, fewer restrictions, and few or no employees. Many laws don't apply to small businesses with no employees or only a small number of employees. It has been estimated that 95% of home based businesses are successful their first year with an average income of over $50,000. The general benefits of starting a home based business are many when you consider the tax advantages, money making potential, and savings on transportation and clothing. Small businesses, including home-based businesses, receive numerous tax advantages. They can deduct their home, spouse and children (if you employ them), business vacations, cars, and business meals. You can even set up a pension plan while operating a home-based business. In addition, any losses you incur can be tax deductible and may even be refunded by the IRS, depending on your particular circumstances. To make your home-based business a success, you need to determine the factors that make one business succeed and another identical business to fail. Taking the incorrect actions can mean a failed home based business. Wanting the benefits of a home based business but taking no action at all surely means failure as well. The fact is, most people who start a home business do so without the proper knowledge. The need for a continued cash flow forces them to quit before they can acquire that knowledge. The best way to succeed in your home-based business venture is to benefit from the experience of others. This is much easier than trying to learn the hard way and then giving up in frustration. Starting a home-based business is an excellent financial opportunity. The tax benefits alone can make starting a business from your home the best financial move you'll ever make. The degree of success you have in your business is directly related to the amount of pleasure you get out of the business and the amount of work you put into it. Choose a home-based business that you enjoy, that you can comfortably finance, and a business in which there is a large market in need of your service or product. Will your business require you to invite clients to your home? Do you need extra insurance coverage to operate a business from home? Will you need an extra office or workspace to conduct your business? What about a second phone line, fax, or Internet connection? Some research and planning done ahead of time can save you time and money after your business is established. The benefits of starting a home based business are many, but be sure you have the time and energy to devote to your business so that you'll enjoy the financial and personal freedom you are searching for. Keep in mind that you may have expenses for bookkeeping unless you plan to keep your books yourself. Keeping accurate, up-to-date records is critical in operating a successful business. With adequate research, common sense, and a passion for your job, you can enjoy the many benefits and potential profits owning a home-based business brings. About The Author Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Home Business Tips Newsletter: http://www.home-business-tips-newsletter.com/. For A Home Business You Can Believe In, With Benefits Click Below: http://www.eliteteamireland.com/ Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 8:58 AM by: Dean Phillips Want to know how to make money with your own home based business niche? First of all, forget about what everybody else is doing. Forget about what everybody else is saying. Forget about what everybody else is selling. Who cares? From this moment on, none of that has anything to do with you. I'm going to show you how to make money with your own home based business, by sneaking in the back door. In other words, by creating your own home based business niche. I want you to think about the one thing in life that you're truly passionate about. I mean, if you could do anything in the world that you wanted, what would you do? Once you figure out what it is that you're truly passionate about, I'm going to show you how to turn that into a money making home based business niche for yourself. What's a niche? A niche is a narrowly defined group of potential customers. Why should you bother to establish a niche market? Because of the great advantage and potential of having your niche all to yourself. Other small businesses may not be aware of your particular niche market, and large businesses probably won't want to bother with it. The trick to capitalizing on a niche market is to find or develop a market niche that currently has enough potential customers to make it worth your while, and that is experiencing reasonably rapid growth. It's also important that your niche is not already being dominated by one established business. Once you decide on your niche, go to the library and learn everything you can about it. For example, if your niche happens to be doing voiceovers for new car dealerships; then read every book you can find about the voiceover industry. The next step is reprogramming your mind for success. In that regard, there are two books I consider absolute MUST reads, if you are at all serious about making money with your own home based business. The books are, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill and "The Magic of Thinking Big" by Dr. David Schwartz. Your local library or bookstore should have both books, since they're all-time classics. If not, try Amazon.com. But whatever you do, get those books! By the way, when you get those books, don't just read them and forget about them. Keep them nearby and refer to them on a daily basis. This is critical, as far as keeping you focused and on the right track. So, why is it so important to prepare yourself mentally for success? Because quite frankly, you're bound to experience some extremely difficult times with your home based business. We all do. That's just the way it is. Success rarely comes easy and despite some of the so-called overnight success stories you occasionally hear about, out-of-the-box successes are actually few and far between. Another thing, if you're married or living with someone, don't expect a whole lot of support or kisses and hugs, during those inevitable tough times. Unfortunately, most people are conditioned to the "9 to 5, retire at 65," way of thinking. Many of them dream about starting their own business, but just can't seem to find the courage to do so. Instead, they'll observe you with a critical eye, secretly hoping you fail, so that they can justify their own fears and insecurities about being entrepreneurs. So, if you're expecting support and encouragement from your family and friends, you're probably going to be disappointed. I don't mean to be a wet blanket but, that's just the way it is. Most likely, you'll probably hear a bunch of negativity and comments about getting a real job. That's the point when you're going to have to look deep inside yourself and stay strong and focused. Because chances are, you're going to be going through this alone. That's why the mind re-programming is so important. It'll help you stay focused and positive. And if by chance you do happen to have family and friends who do support you, so much the better! You also need to learn how to write effective ads for your business. Powerful copywriting is critical. I highly recommend you read the following books: "Scientific Advertising," by Claude Hopkins and "How To Write A Good Advertisement," by Victor Schwab and "Advertising Secrets Of The Written Word," by Joseph Sugarman. Here's some advice: The number one reason why most businesses fail is because they're undercapitalized. You can't conduct business online or offline without any money. Now, I'm not saying you need thousands of dollars. However, you need to at least have two or three hundred dollars in the bank to work with. In closing, if you ever find yourself getting overwhelmed at any point in the process; don't be afraid to seek help. Consult with an expert, to help you sort things out and gain a new perspective on things. It's the smart thing to do, and it just might save your business! About The Author Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net Visit his website at: http://www.lets-make-money.net Posted: Monday 10th January 2005, 8:53 AM |
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