How to Work at Home NOW - Doing it Right in a Rapidly Changing World.
by Chris Belle
A favorite painting of mine hangs above me in my home office. The painting depicts a rancher in a yellow slicker leading a horse through a pasture. It reminds me of where I would like to be, doing something about which I am passionate. And it reminds me of a world quickly vanishing. That's one thing for certain - the world is sure to change, and these days it seems that change is occurring faster and faster. That's why I don't want to work at a 9 to 5 cubicle the rest of my days. I wanted to get out on my own, make a living doing what I wanted, or at least having the money to get me there.
I realized a job wasn't going to do that, at least not while I was still young. Making the leap and starting my own business was the answer for me, and it may be for you as well.
How many times have you "refreshed" your training for a particular computer software over the past several years? Are you even able to keep up with the ever-changing technology? Are your kids "smarter" than you when it comes to technical things? When was the last time you looked under the hood of your car? It seems everything and everybody is changing and it's happening faster than it did when I was a young thing, way back in the 60's-70's.
So the world is indeed changing - and you have some new choices to make. Due to the global economy, business has been dramatically altered for ever. The days of the corner store are fast becoming obsolete - "brick and mortar" establishments no longer reign supreme in this new world. The single business person may now be someone in pajamas with a cup of coffee in front of a computer screen. These days, a person can literally create an ad and have it being exposed to people around the world in a matter of minutes. Think about that for a minute - that's some incredible stuff.
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RESOURCES:
Here's one idea for a home business - Click Here!
Here's another idea for a home busniess - Click Here!
______________________________The "Traditional" model
For years I ran a successful business that took up almost a quarter of the building where we were located. We had fantastic offices, very luxurious, very modern - the conference room had a fantastic view of the city and was floor to ceiling glass panels all around - I couldn't wait to let our clients see this place. But this fantastic office space also came with an equally fantastic overhead. And then there were the employees, taxes, fees, unexpected expenses that come with a business - a great deal of the money we made went right back into keeping the business "looking good." I was spending vast amounts of cash to make the business look good and pay my employees.
What I really wanted - YOU can have it, too!
But, like most folks, I wanted it both ways - I wanted to have a successful business AND spend more time with my family. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. After all, not many folks were running a business out of their home back then. I didn't know where to go for help. Eventually, I just decided I was going to do it - whatever it took - I was going to make it happen. I was going to work from home.
I made a change - a drastic change. I concentrated on the things I alone was good at (and I'm not good at much). I started building a customer base, making contacts, calling people, I let my staff and that gorgeous office go - I moved out, converted my garage into a home office, and started my business at home.
I've been here at home since 1997, running my business, supporting my family, making a living, and getting to know my kids again.
Today, most of the people I do business with these days have never even met me in person, never laid eyes on me. I remember flying to Chicago to meet with a client on an important project. I was to stay in the Intercontinental, have a quiet breakfast alone, and then meet him in the lobby at 9am. The only problem was, I had never seen him and he had never seen me until that morning.
Well, that's no longer a problem these days. I run several businesses out of my home office and I can dress as I like, have coffee when I like, work on whichever project needs the most attentions at that moment - and I decide when I leave the office and go home for the day - which is about a twenty foot commute through the laundry room. Sure beats those days when it would take me almost an hour to get to work, one way. I figured it out once - if I spent 2 hours a day in my car, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, over 20 years - that would be about 416 days of wasted time!
Why it matters to YOU
IS it possible to make it happen - that you can learn how to work at home now? Yes. Will it be easy. Probably not. But for me it came down to what mattered most to me and that was being at home. I was willing to pay the price to make it happen. I'd be lying to you if I told you it's going to be all great times - all "beer and skittles" as my grandad used to say. But the fact is, there will be challenges. For me, those challenges were worth facing, and getting through most of them successfully. You have to make up your own mind.
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Work at Home Now - 6 Keys for Success
How to Work at Home Now - The 6 Steps to Home Business Success
If you want to work at home now, the
best place to start from is where you are right now. Just decide you're
going to do it and - DO IT. Don't worry about what everyone else is
doing, or what the popular trend is right now. Do some research, check
things out for yourself. Don't ever go into business just because your
friends want you to do it.
"How can I work at home now?", you may ask. Well, there really is no secret to success. Simply create a plan, make sure it's sound, and stick to it. It's really that simple. I said simple, not easy. Anyone who tells you you're going to make a lot of money with little or now work is simply not being honest. Business is simple, and you can make money from home - but it's going to take some effort on your part.
Here are six steps to start a successful home-based business - a business that will be successful rather than just draining you of your time and money.
1) First, figure out what you're good at, what are you passionate about.
What do you like to do? What really "floats your boat?" Are you a people person? Are you creative? Do you have a gift for talking to people? Are you really good at the detail? What you like to do - your talents - are going to be the foundation of your successfulhome business.
2) What do you really know how to do well?
These are your skills - a bit different than talents or passions. A talent is something that you have. A skill is something you do, or have learned how to do. God gave you all the talent you're going to get when you were born. Skills are acquired, learned, and developed over time. A fine art painter may be great at creating a wonderful painting - he's talented, but he has also developed skills for mixing color, paint application, even how to hold a brush. These are skills he has developed over years of learning and practicing. An accountant may be a person who is strong in organizational skills, or who has learned how to work with numbers.
3) Combine your skills and talent to come up with ideas for your home business.
OK, so you're one of those accountant types who has superior, flawless organizational skills and you love working with numbers - you've got the skill and the talent to be a really good accountant - and you could do it from your home.
Here are some other ideas to get you started thinking:
* Bookkeeping
* Business manager
* Professional organizer
* Insurance Broker
* Financial Planner
* Tax preparation
These are a few ideas, I'm sure you could think of many more. Just remember to make your list of possible home businesses based on your skills and talents. Put anything you think of - no matter how crazy it may sound - put it on the list. You can always edit the list later.
4) Will the business ideas on your list make a good home business?
Not every business idea is going to work as a home based business. You can't train elephants in your residential neighborhood - I'm absolutely certain that would be in violation of the zoning laws. Clients coming and going is also a major concern. You know how neighbors can be, so let's not give them anything to complain about. As I told you, my businesses do not involve face-to-face contact with clients. 99% of it is dome over the internet.
So now is the time to get out your red pencil and start crossing off all those business ideas that won't work as a home business for one reason or another. While you're at it, cross off any business ideas that involve lots of travel and time away from your family. That's not really a home business and if you want to be home more, it sort of defeats the purpose of a home business, right?
Most folks stop at this point. They come up with what they think is a great idea for a home business and they dive right in. That could be a big mistake. Here's why:
You're going to invest a great deal of your time (OK, all of it at first), you (or someone else) may invest a good sum of money in this business. DON"T STOP HERE in the process. These next 2 steps are extremely important - they are the heart and soul of the whole process. What you do next could determine if you're a success or a failure. We both know which one you want to be, right? - A success!
5) How will you make a profit from this business?
Super critical step here for anyone who wants to start a home business. Yes, we know you're very talented - and you have the skills to make things happen in a big way. But you have to ask yourself, "Who's going to pay me money to get what I produce?"
SO - ask yourself the following questions:
* Will people pay for my product/service?
* How much will people pay for my product/service?
* Will I be able to live on/support my family with what I get paid?
If you're going to make cartoons (happens to be one of my passions). And let's say you're very good at it but you can only produce so much per day, right? So you find a publisher who's willing to pay you $100 for each cartoon you draw but he only needs 5 comics per month. That's an income $500 per month. And don't forget expenses - pens, pencils, paper, supplies, shipping, etc. - that has to be deducted from the $500. Now if you only sell 5 comics per month, it's going to be impossible to make a living, right?
But you're happy because you're doing what you're passionate about - and you're doing it at home! It's a great life. Well, until the bills starts stacking up. This is a very typical mistake that most home business folks make. A business is a business and it's primary purpose is to make money, sometimes a lot of money. A friend of mine says, "Money's not everything but it's right up there with air and water." It's great to have a home business but it has to make money - period!
Back to your list. You know, the list with lots of red lines through the ideas? Look at what's not crossed out and see if any of these business ideas can produce enough money for you to live on. Be honest with yourself. If the business idea can't make money, get that red pencil and cross it off
Don't give up yet, even though it's looking like there's not many business ideas left on that list. The great thing about a home business is that it's your business. You get to decide how much money can be made. Some folks just want a part-time home business that adds to their income. That's not a bad thing, is it? But, if you're planning on creating a business that's going to replace all of your income, you have to look long and hard at the real profit making ability of that business idea. I suggest you talk to folks who are already doing that particular business. Get online and do some research. Consider all of these things very carefully.
6) Just like any business, a home business needs to have a business plan.
Banks and folks that lend money to start businesses aren't the only ones who require a business plan. It's absolutely essential that you create a business plan - it's your roadmap to success. Without it, you won't know where you're going. And if you don't do this, you may never know if your business has what it takes to make it. Bottom line - DO a business plan. There are many sources online where you can see, study and even purchase a business plan outline.
When you get this business plan "kit", you'll want to go through it carefully from front to back - all the way. This research and planning will help you see if your home business idea is possible, maybe even profitable.
IF you determine the home business idea you have chosen isn't workable, put that idea aside and start looking at some other home business ideas. You may actually have to work several home business ideas through several business plans in order to find that one idea that's going to do it for you and your family. So be ready to knuckle down and put some effort into this process. It is well worth the effort. The last thing you want is to spend gobs of money and time on a home business only to realize you're attached to a giant "boat anchor" that's pulling you down to your eventual demise.
So get out there and start making that list. Don't pay much attention to those home business ads that promise you'll make piles of money with little or no effort. It's like my grandad use to say, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Follow the 6 steps and you should be fine. IF, after you do all that and you still can't seem to find an idea for a good home business, take a look at this site. There is a lot of money out there to be made - you and I might as well be making some of it, right?
________________________________________________________________
"How can I work at home now?", you may ask. Well, there really is no secret to success. Simply create a plan, make sure it's sound, and stick to it. It's really that simple. I said simple, not easy. Anyone who tells you you're going to make a lot of money with little or now work is simply not being honest. Business is simple, and you can make money from home - but it's going to take some effort on your part.
Here are six steps to start a successful home-based business - a business that will be successful rather than just draining you of your time and money.
1) First, figure out what you're good at, what are you passionate about.
What do you like to do? What really "floats your boat?" Are you a people person? Are you creative? Do you have a gift for talking to people? Are you really good at the detail? What you like to do - your talents - are going to be the foundation of your successfulhome business.
2) What do you really know how to do well?
These are your skills - a bit different than talents or passions. A talent is something that you have. A skill is something you do, or have learned how to do. God gave you all the talent you're going to get when you were born. Skills are acquired, learned, and developed over time. A fine art painter may be great at creating a wonderful painting - he's talented, but he has also developed skills for mixing color, paint application, even how to hold a brush. These are skills he has developed over years of learning and practicing. An accountant may be a person who is strong in organizational skills, or who has learned how to work with numbers.
3) Combine your skills and talent to come up with ideas for your home business.
OK, so you're one of those accountant types who has superior, flawless organizational skills and you love working with numbers - you've got the skill and the talent to be a really good accountant - and you could do it from your home.
Here are some other ideas to get you started thinking:
* Bookkeeping
* Business manager
* Professional organizer
* Insurance Broker
* Financial Planner
* Tax preparation
These are a few ideas, I'm sure you could think of many more. Just remember to make your list of possible home businesses based on your skills and talents. Put anything you think of - no matter how crazy it may sound - put it on the list. You can always edit the list later.
4) Will the business ideas on your list make a good home business?
Not every business idea is going to work as a home based business. You can't train elephants in your residential neighborhood - I'm absolutely certain that would be in violation of the zoning laws. Clients coming and going is also a major concern. You know how neighbors can be, so let's not give them anything to complain about. As I told you, my businesses do not involve face-to-face contact with clients. 99% of it is dome over the internet.
So now is the time to get out your red pencil and start crossing off all those business ideas that won't work as a home business for one reason or another. While you're at it, cross off any business ideas that involve lots of travel and time away from your family. That's not really a home business and if you want to be home more, it sort of defeats the purpose of a home business, right?
Most folks stop at this point. They come up with what they think is a great idea for a home business and they dive right in. That could be a big mistake. Here's why:
You're going to invest a great deal of your time (OK, all of it at first), you (or someone else) may invest a good sum of money in this business. DON"T STOP HERE in the process. These next 2 steps are extremely important - they are the heart and soul of the whole process. What you do next could determine if you're a success or a failure. We both know which one you want to be, right? - A success!
5) How will you make a profit from this business?
Super critical step here for anyone who wants to start a home business. Yes, we know you're very talented - and you have the skills to make things happen in a big way. But you have to ask yourself, "Who's going to pay me money to get what I produce?"
SO - ask yourself the following questions:
* Will people pay for my product/service?
* How much will people pay for my product/service?
* Will I be able to live on/support my family with what I get paid?
If you're going to make cartoons (happens to be one of my passions). And let's say you're very good at it but you can only produce so much per day, right? So you find a publisher who's willing to pay you $100 for each cartoon you draw but he only needs 5 comics per month. That's an income $500 per month. And don't forget expenses - pens, pencils, paper, supplies, shipping, etc. - that has to be deducted from the $500. Now if you only sell 5 comics per month, it's going to be impossible to make a living, right?
But you're happy because you're doing what you're passionate about - and you're doing it at home! It's a great life. Well, until the bills starts stacking up. This is a very typical mistake that most home business folks make. A business is a business and it's primary purpose is to make money, sometimes a lot of money. A friend of mine says, "Money's not everything but it's right up there with air and water." It's great to have a home business but it has to make money - period!
Back to your list. You know, the list with lots of red lines through the ideas? Look at what's not crossed out and see if any of these business ideas can produce enough money for you to live on. Be honest with yourself. If the business idea can't make money, get that red pencil and cross it off
Don't give up yet, even though it's looking like there's not many business ideas left on that list. The great thing about a home business is that it's your business. You get to decide how much money can be made. Some folks just want a part-time home business that adds to their income. That's not a bad thing, is it? But, if you're planning on creating a business that's going to replace all of your income, you have to look long and hard at the real profit making ability of that business idea. I suggest you talk to folks who are already doing that particular business. Get online and do some research. Consider all of these things very carefully.
6) Just like any business, a home business needs to have a business plan.
Banks and folks that lend money to start businesses aren't the only ones who require a business plan. It's absolutely essential that you create a business plan - it's your roadmap to success. Without it, you won't know where you're going. And if you don't do this, you may never know if your business has what it takes to make it. Bottom line - DO a business plan. There are many sources online where you can see, study and even purchase a business plan outline.
When you get this business plan "kit", you'll want to go through it carefully from front to back - all the way. This research and planning will help you see if your home business idea is possible, maybe even profitable.
IF you determine the home business idea you have chosen isn't workable, put that idea aside and start looking at some other home business ideas. You may actually have to work several home business ideas through several business plans in order to find that one idea that's going to do it for you and your family. So be ready to knuckle down and put some effort into this process. It is well worth the effort. The last thing you want is to spend gobs of money and time on a home business only to realize you're attached to a giant "boat anchor" that's pulling you down to your eventual demise.
So get out there and start making that list. Don't pay much attention to those home business ads that promise you'll make piles of money with little or no effort. It's like my grandad use to say, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Follow the 6 steps and you should be fine. IF, after you do all that and you still can't seem to find an idea for a good home business, take a look at this site. There is a lot of money out there to be made - you and I might as well be making some of it, right?
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How Can I Work at Home Now? Top 10 Home Businesses
When you make the decision to work at home, consider these opportunities.
To make a home business (or any business) successful, you need to work at it. It's going to require some effort, maybe some money, definitely your time - and lot's of it. This list represents the top 10 home businesses today. If you're serious about starting to work at home now, consider these top opportunities:1) Pet and Pet Related Products and Services
Pet owners will buy just about anything for their pets. Come up with a business in this hot industry that you can work from your home and you'll be the top-dog. Anything is possible here - just ask your grandparents if they ever thought we would have pet hotels in their lifetime. You gotta love being around animals.
2) Home Renovation Services
It's an industry that is trending upwards - and there's no sign of this trend slowing down. As people get older, they're going to want to make their homes more livable by investing in home renovations because they want to stay where there are. Renovating the bathroom seems to be in big demand. Good home business but can be messy.
3) Cleaning Services
It's a job most of us try to avoid but there is a heavy demand for cleaning services, and this demand is only going to increase. You have to have people skills because you're going to be supervising a crew. Plus you'll need to be organized. Great idea for a home business, but you'll be off-site, and you may need to work odd hours.
4) Catering Services
Because both husband and wife now both work, time is even more critical. Even the simplest social gatherings are now sometimes catered. And it's not just catering, it's the whole package now - a certain ambiance, style, specific cuisine, wine, etc. People skills and a culinary talent/skill are necessities for this home business.
5) Products that Prevent Falls
We're all getting older by the day and as more of the population ages, they're going to need these types of products and installations in their homes.
6) Dietary Consultant/Nutrition Consultant
Food is just getting really weird these days. And if you're on a diet, forget about it! Reading all that super tiny print on those labels and counting calories, good carbs, bad carbs - AAGGH! it's enough to drive anyone nuts. These days people are more aware than ever before of the connection between diet and health. Some folks are willing to pay good money for this advice. If you're trained in the area of nutrition, this would be a great home business.
7) Wedding Consultant/Event Planning Services
If you've got a talent for this, and the necessary skills to match, then this may be the home business for you. People will always be getting married, having "events'", parties, anniversary parties, etc. And because they're stressed out with other things, they are willing to pay someone to take care of these things for them.
8) In-Home Beauty Services
Who wouldn't like this one? You, as a beauty consultant, come to their home and provide all the services and pampering they used to get by traveling all over town. A good home business but lot's of equipment and lugging stuff from your vehicle into their home and back.
9) Life/Business Coaching Services
This is a great home business because it can be dome personally, on-site, or remotely. People are busy with so many things and will pay someone to assist then in achieving their goals. Personal Life Coaches and Business Coaches seem to be on the upward trend.
10) Sewing and Alteration Services/Seamstress
Another "lost art" as people find they have less and less time. This is a skillset that will always be in demand. If you're really skilled, sewing and tailoring is another good home-based business opportunity.
Most home business opportunities call for particular skills and/or specialized training. If you don't have those skills or specialized training needed for a certain home business opportunity, you can always get those skills and/or training by working with others doing the same thing - or consider investing in their business. If they are successful, you will be successful.
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