Main Menu

Focus On Success E-zine: Work at Home

Passion, Enthusiasm, and a Good Plan

Starting a home business is an exciting adventure. If you do your research, working at home may be a viable option for you. It takes a marketable product or service, lots of passion, contagious enthusiasm, and a good solid plan. Let's not forget self-discipline and hard work - probably one of the most common reasons a home business fails is a lack of self-discipline. It can be difficult balancing your home life and family with a demanding business situated just down the hall from the hub of all that family activity and numerous distractions.

Millions of people work at home today. And, more will be joining the home workforce in the future. The Internet and computers have made it possible for thousands of people to earn a decent living and even build incredible wealth sitting at home in their pj's - in their home office or a cubby hole in the kitchen - but there is no 'get rich quick' scheme and it takes perseverance and persistence.

In addition to Internet marketing, there are countless options for home businesses. For example, if you love cooking and are good at it you may want to do some research on catering - would there be a market for gourmet or wholesome home cooked food in your area, who is your competition and can you compete with them on the same level or carve out your own specialized niche in the catering business. Love animals and have the space? Dog parks and doggie daycare is a happening business these days as more and more people treat their dogs and cats as beloved family members, and care deeply about their pet's quality of life. Are you fit and like working out? If you can make the investment or already have gym equipment you could open an exclusive home gym. You could acquire the education you need to become a personal trainer. A couple of clients will grow into more and before you know it your home business could be moving to town, or into a lush gymnasium on your own property. A home business should utilize your own unique skill set and will have a very good chance to be profitable if you expect success and know your product or service inside out.

Knowing how to generate enthusiasm for your product or service (marketing) is key and if you believe you can do it, you can - as long as you are willing to learn. If you are new to marketing, read the wealth of information that is available on the Internet and/or library about starting a business, marketing your product or service, building your customer base, etc. These sources are brimming with how-to information from business experts if you need guidance. In fact, if your home business is your first foray into being self-employed I would encourage you to seek out everything you can get your hands on about starting and running a business.  Setting aside the time to learn and making a commitment to your business education is very important if you are new to the world of the small business entrepreneur. Expert advice is invaluable and learning from another's experiences gives you a good head start and helps you avoid major pitfalls.

Discovering your marketable skills and talents is paramount. Then once you have determined the best fit begin some in-depth research. Clearly building your business around a product or service that you are enthusiastic about and know well is your best choice - as well as a product or service that through research you have determined will be in demand either in the mass market or an exclusive niche market. Believe in your product or service, and believe in yourself. Often a small initial investment will get you up and going. We personally love the Nike motto, "Just do it!" and have used it as a mantra over the years to inspire ourselves when procrastination threatened to rear its ugly head.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Excerpted from "Innovation and Entrepreneurship" by Peter F. Drucker

"Entrepreneurs innovate. Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. It is the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth. Innovation, indeed, creates a resource. There is no such thing as a "resource" until man finds a use for something in nature and thus endows it with economic value." At another point in the narrative about innovation Mr. Drucker states that "There is no greater resource in an economy than "purchasing power." But purchasing power is the creation of the innovating entrepreneur."

Focus your vision on opportunity. Check out the demographics and come up with something new - social or technical - or re-invent something old. It's all innovation, a new way to do something or a new product that makes life easier or enriches those who use it in some way.

How to Win Customers and Keep Them
Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, author of numerous books, including How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life and Working Smart wrote:

"There is absolutely no substitute for an honest, unshakeable, enthusiastic belief that the products and services you offer are the best available anywhere. Couple that with a sincere passion for helping people and you have an unbeatable combination for creating and keeping customers. People are persuaded more by attitude than logic for two basic reasons that you should always keep in mind as you deal with customers or with people in general:

• People are ruled by their emotions

• Emotions are contagious

In the final analysis, persuasion (winning customers) isn't converting people to your way of thinking. It's converting people to your way of feeling and believing."

Highly Recommended Books
Having been self-employed for the past 25 years including with home businesses, these are books that we have found very helpful. We read them time and again for sage advice and business information that is timeless and truly invaluable.)

• The Perfect Business by Dr. Michael LeBoeuf

• The Millionaire in You by Dr. Michael LeBoeuf

• How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life by Dr. Michael LeBoeuf

• Working Smart by Dr. Michael LeBoeuf

• Making Time Work for You by Harold L. Taylor

• Homemade Business "A Woman's Step-By-Step Guide to Earning Money at Home" by Donna Partow

• The Ultimate No B.S., No Holds Arred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners, and Make Tons of Money Business Success Book by Dan Kennedy

• Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

• Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill with W. Clement Stone

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter F. Drucker

Click on books for more details or to purchase: