You want to get rich, right? Of course you do, and you know what, I want you to get rich! In business, money and profits is the name of the game. Other things, such as ethics or social responsibility, come second to the almighty dollar. Alright, all jokes aside, I want to talk about something a little more serious. Specifically, I want to talk about home business.
Home business is a popular topic for me simply because that’s what I do- I work from home. I don’t have a 9-5, and I’m actually writing this post sitting in my underwear, listening to AC/DC, and wondering if I should follow my girlfriends advice and shave my chest hair. It’s 9:30 in the morning and I’m doing what I love.
The point of this article is to outline the three steps that I followed to go from earning nothing per month to earning a reasonable salary that affords me the freedom and ability to enjoy my life. Surprisingly, it’s neither difficult no challenging. It is simply work and determination.
- Step One – The Idea:
What do you have to offer consumers or businesses that has value? If you are an excellent writer, perhaps it’s freelance writing. If you are a capable web programmer, freelance web design. If you are a shrewed business person, you may find success as a broker or an arbitrager.
Sit down and think about what you could offer that had both quality and value. Once you’ve got that idea, determine how you can replicate it so that you know what your volume capabilities would be.
- Step Two – Early Clients:
The first few clients that you have will be crucial in establishing your credibility. If you have opened up an online store, for example, it will solidify your legitimacy to your customers. If you’ve become a freelance writer, it will show that you’re capable of producing a good product in a timely manner.
The first clients are also the hardest to get. Promote yourself rapidly and perhaps offer discounts to those early adopters of your product. Word of mouth will quickly spread, and with it your business and eventual success.
- Step Three – Repetition:
Once you’ve discovered how you do business, how much volume you’re capable of, and how the market receives you product, the last step is simply about repetition. Take what you’ve done and do it again! Chances are good that you’ll be receiving re-orders from previous clients as well as word of mouth, but don’t forget to continue to advertise and promote yourself and your business.
This applies to anything, from labor, to arbitrage, to MLM’s, to affiliate marketing.
Never forget that anything worth having is also worth the struggle to achieve it. I launched many businesses (and consequent failures) before I realized that I was making it much more difficult than it needed to be. Don’t make that mistake.
Recommended Downloads:
- Free Business Cards.
- Free Business Plan Template.
Oh, and don’t forget that a smart business plan and scalable business model are also important. Without those you might as well be peeing into the wind.
I think that the problem for most people is the transition from 9 to 5 to their own business. In the transition one will likely have no income from the new venture however will still have bills to pay. That is why it is important to have enough money aside to start the business and cover all of your other expenses in the beginning.
Another route is start slowly while you are working your 9 to 5 job until you can make the full transition.
Human Resource is right most people underestimate the amount of money they need saved. I started daytrading from home the beginning of 2007 and already spent all my resources. Now I’m looking for a part time job so I can still continue my dream of becoming a full time trader.
I would definitely add:
Step 4: Testing and Tracking
With ANY business, there are many ways to promote and market. The key is to find out what works, then do more of it. For instance, I have one marketing system which brings in 75% of my business. If I didn’t track everything, I wouldn’t know that this is my be promotional effort.
Absolutely. I have more tracking software installed on my servers than I know what to do with.
well sometimes its the idea the main stumbling block … new ideas that is
people usually tend to copy successful ideas that has been done
Thanks for the inspiration. Keep up the good work with this site.
“Never forget that anything worth having is also worth the struggle to achieve it.”
Brilliant!
As some of the other comments here show, different things work for different people, but it’s that line of yours that most people should keep in mind