Every year, thousands of men and women around the world start a home business, joining firms like Tupperware, Amway, or a cosmetics company hoping to make money for a new car, a vacation, or some clothing. They sell a little merchandise to a few close friends and acquaintances. Then they retire before giving themselves a chance to learn the basics of business success. "I'm just not a born businessman," they sometimes say.
No one is a born businessman, as no one is born a doctor or a lawyer. To be successful in any profession you must learn not only the basic techniques, but also how to apply those techniques. The success of any business depends on the skills with which one is born plus all those acquired through education and experience.
If you are looking for a career opportunity or "extra income" to help you with family expenses, a home business can offer you possibilities to fulfill your dreams. However, you must give yourself time to learn, ask yourself: How much does a doctor study to become a doctor or a lawyer to become a lawyer?
There is an old adage that says "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you will feed him for life. If you learn to fish, through your home business, you will have the opportunity to prosper and live from it for a long time.
The rewards for owning your own home business are many:
- You can be your own boss. You can set your own hours. You can own your own business for little or no investment. You can pay yourself much more than any boss would ever pay you. You can give yourself increases as your business grows.
It is also good to tell you that there are flaws. There are people who will not work for themselves. When they work for a boss, they get up early, prepare well, and arrive at the office on time. However, when they are their own bosses, they are still in their pajamas drinking one more cup of coffee, at 11:00 in the morning.
If you can be your own boss and discipline yourself to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, read on for the ten key elements that will allow you to set the foundation for success for your home business:
1. Be a goal planner
What do you want to achieve? Do you want to save for your children's college education, for a new car, to buy your house, for a better life? You can have what you want, but you must want it enough to do the things that must be done to achieve it.
Whatever your goal, write it down and set a target day to reach it. Divide the time period into achievable achievement blocks. Work consistently to accomplish what you set out to do every day, every week, every month. Setting goals is a "must" in every area of life. Even small is not achieved without defining goals.
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Through the following video-lesson, by Zig Ziglar, you will be able to learn the why and how of formulating and setting goals and objectives. (2 videos, 29 minutes)
2. Get organized
Every night write a list of all the things you want to have done the next day. That gives you an organized approach for each day. As each task is completed, cross it off your list. It is amazing how much is done when one works with a list of things to do. You can simply keep it in a notebook or, if you lean towards technology, on your phone or tablet through an application, Wunderlist or Todoist are just a couple of them.
It will be good if you also have a list of business contacts that allows you to manage appointments, classify your clients as potential, frequent or referred and try to keep it updated by constantly adding new prospects. There are also technological tools to do it more effectively, Base or Insightly can be useful for you.
3. Be enthusiastic
Enthusiasm is the high-octane "fuel" that drives business. Enthusiasm generates its own energy, energy and good health are synonyms of busy, happy people, people who are achieving their goals.
4. Recognize that the magic word in business is "ASK"
You don't have to wait for business to come to you. You create your own business by asking for it. Ask for business, then you will close sales. Ask for referrals, then you will always have a list full of potential customers. Be calm, but firmly aggressive.
5. Wait NO
Realize that "no" is not personal. In business, and perhaps nowhere else, the law of averages works. Each "no" brings you closer to a "yes." Track your ratios. It will help you improve your techniques. Are you getting ten "no" for each "yes"? Is your ratio five to one? Remember, "yes" is your profit.
Also remember that "no" does not necessarily mean "no". Sometimes a "no" is just a "stop, give me time to think." It can be a way to request more information about your product or service. What your customer is really buying is security. Assure him through your helpful attitude and complete honesty that you want the best for him. They will be more inclined to respect you and do business with you.
6. Schedule your time wisely
An agenda is the road map that good business travels on. Take away the frustration of the day. It ensures that the necessary things are done and that they are done on time. Plan your work, then work your plan.
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Knowing and applying a method to increase your productivity can be very useful, the following video explains the fundamental concepts of GTD, one of the most popular activity management methods.
7. Be positive in your attitude
Success in business, as in all areas of life, is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent fitness. All of us must work to develop habits of constructive thinking. Be proud to be in your own business. Small businesses are the wheels of change in our economy.
8. Have an office area
Having a place where you can work in an organized and efficient way is essential. A home office plus a strict work schedule give you dignity. Both are absolutely essential to efficient operation and accurate record keeping, so important to success in any business.
9. Get involved
Both in online communities and in your local community. Know what is happening and what are the trends in your field. Be a part of what happens and network with other specialists in your field.
10. Learn to manage money wisely
A normal 9 to 5 job usually means a paycheck at the end of each month. In your own business you will manage money constantly, therefore it is absolutely necessary to become an efficient money manager.
Deposit every penny collected from customers in a bank account established especially for the business. Since bank statements show an accurate record of all money collected, and business expenses can be verified by debited checks, record keeping was made simple and accurate. Everything except a few "spot" transactions can be taken directly from the bank's statements.
Money saved regularly and placed at interest quickly develops a second income in addition to the money earned. A realistic long-term goal is to be able to withdraw and live on the interest earned on savings.
Could financial security mean too much to you? If so, ask yourself the following:
Am I honest?… Do I really like people?… Am I willing to learn?… Am I willing to work?… Am I capable of being my own boss?
If your answers are "yes": Go work for yourself, you can transform your dreams into reality!
