With so many opportunities out there, how do I know which Home Business is the right one to choose?

As long as there have been home business opportunities, the question has always been the same, “Which one is the right one?”  Here are a few guidelines to help you decide which home business is worth investing your time and your money.

• Product or Service?  The answer to this doesn’t really matter as long as there is a product or service that you would be offering.  I know that may sound silly but this is actually the first ‘test’ of a real business.  Every business has to offer either a product or a service to be a legitimate business.  If there is not a clear product or service then chances are what you have come across is a pyramid scheme.
• Would you be a customer with the company even if there was no opportunity for you to make money? Again this may sound a little silly but lets think about this for a minute.  All businesses, whether it be a fast food chain or a business run from your home, require customers to make money.    The vast majority of your customer base should be just customers, not business partners or distributors.  Think of a local retail store or restaurant.  The vast majority of people that walk through the front doors are simply customers.  They don’t own it or work there.  They aren’t making money for shopping there. They are customers because the store or restaurant has a product or service that they need or want.  So ask yourself, “Would I be customer with this business regardless of the opportunity to make money?” If being just a customer doesn’t make sense to you, then it won’t make sense to anybody else, and it’s not the right business to choose if you want to be successful.
• Is the product/service a necessity?  The best kind of business to be in, is one which no matter the state of the economy, people NEED it.  Consumable goods!  Something that people use everyday, run out of and need to repurchase on a daily basis. This is what is going to create a reliable, residual income, which in turn equals a very solid, successful home business!
• Is it competitively priced in the market place and is it unique? If the product or service you are offering is at a price point that is not competitive, it’s going to be really hard to convince people to spend more money for your product or service especially if they can get a similar product for less! Even if what you are offering is competitively priced, if it doesn’t have a unique factor about it, then you have to ask yourself, why would people choose to buy what you have opposed to getting it down the street?  If you have something that is unique and competitively priced, you’ve got a winner!!
• Ground Floor Opportunity?  These drive me nuts….if you see or hear any hype about a “ground floor opportunity”,”get in now” “pre-launch” or anything that is trying to “get you in quick before it’s too late”….turn and run the other way.  These are  sure signs that the business you are looking into will be here today, gone tomorrow, which leaves you and most everybody else high and dry and more than likely in a worse position than you started.  Look for a company that has a proven track record and is continuing to grow in the market in which you will be doing business.

As with any home business, there will always be some sort of financial investment to get started, that’s the nature of starting your own business. I needed to start a home business that not only met the above criteria but also had a very low start up not to mention being risk free.  You don’t need to invest a lot to build a solid home business if you choose the right one.  Remember commitment and hard work is what pays off with anything worth achieving.  Having your own business really is the best way to get ahead in life and achieve both time freedom and  financial security.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.  ~Mark Twain

To your success!

Are you stuck in your comfort zone?

The comfort zone, you know that place you’ve been hanging out in for a while, but always wonder what’s outside that little parameter that you’re afraid to step across.  Take a moment to read the poem below, you will be glad you did!

My Comfort Zone
~Unknown

I used to have a comfort zone
where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busywork
were really more like jail.

I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.

I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.

If you’re in a comfort zone,
afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.

Reach for your future with a smile; success is there for you!

I’ve read that poem dozens of times and I get something out of it every time I read it.  You know I didn’t use to understand the whole concept of a “comfort zone“.  Certainly I’ve had a zone of comfort my entire life, we all do, but I just never really paid all that much attention to it.  It was because it was disguised as just anxiousness.  You know the feeling, we all get it.  That feeling of knowing you need to move forward, learn or do something new but then the anxious, nervous feelings set in and we start to rethink the whole thing.  Those feelings are a distraction to keep us in our comfort zone,  the place we are used to being.  Familiar with our surroundings and our routine and even though we often tell ourselves, “it’s not so bad here”  we have the desire deep down that tells us we are wanting/needing a change.  Those dang feelings, mess us up more than we realize.  They make use dismiss the idea of expanding and have us just stay right where we are because stepping outside the zone would require feelings that we have decided are undesirable.

Stop holding yourself back, Challenge that comfort zone!

Those feelings that we have deemed as no good, rethink how you should react to them.  Instead of backing down when those feelings set in, welcome those butterflies.  They are telling you that you are on the right track.  Fantastic things happen when you step outside your zone.  It’s outside the comfort zone where growth takes place.  Think of those butterflies as beautiful, tickley, little pleasantries that are leading you down a path to success so follow them!

Always be open to development, and next time you realize that you haven’t felt the butterflies in a while, go find them again, you will be glad you did!

To your success!

• If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

• Energizer Bunny arrested, charged with battery.

• “Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together.”

• A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.

• Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

• I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places. – Henny Youngman

• Always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.

• How Many Roads Must A Man Walk Down Before He Admits He’s lost?

• Worst excuse for not turning in homework: I couldn’t find anyone to copy it from.

• Silence is Golden, Duct Tape is Silver

• Why is it called “after dark” when it really is “after light”?

• He who laughs last didn’t get it.

• All generalizations are false, including this one.

• Whatever it is — I didn’t do it!

• Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you.  Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch it to be sure.  ~Murphy’s Law

• The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one.  ~Erma Bombeck

• How is it that one match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box of matches to start a campfire?  ~Christy Whitehead

• It’s frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

• People who snore always fall asleep first.

• No one is listening until you fart.

• Nothing is as frustrating as arguing with someone who knows what he’s talking about.  ~Sam Ewing

Hope you enjoyed!  If you have others that can be added, let me know, I’d love to include!

Why not promise yourself happiness in every aspect of your life!

 We have a choice in how we live our lives and treat each other.  Life and business is so much more enjoyable with happiness on your side!

Promise Yourself Happiness!

The Optimist Creed

~Christian D. Larson~

 To be so strong that nothing can
disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to
every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel like there is
something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your
optimism come true.

To think only of the best, work only for the best,
and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the
greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give
give a smile to ever living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too
strong for fear, and too happy to permit the
presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side,
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Just think…if we are focused on doing the right thing, improving ourselves and helping others, how much happiness can be spread and in turn how much will be brought back to your own life and business success.  You know the old saying of “what goes around comes around”, I find this very true.

I take great pride in being associated with a team and company that follows the fundamental basics of helping others. I challenge you to strive daily to promise yourself to wake up with a smile and find someone you can help in your personal or professional life, with no expectations of getting anything in return.

I would love thoughts, comments. Please feel free to leave them below!

Promise Yourself Happiness!

Are you surrounding yourself with the right people to have a Successful Business?

Do you want to have a successful business?  Well of course you do!  While certainly there are many people who do not have successful businesses, I do not think I’ve ever talked to anyone who told me right out that they wanted to have an unsuccessful business.  Unfortunately, a key component to a failed business is not having the right people to work with.

Working with the right people is an important part of any successful business. I have my own business that I run from the comfort of my home and along with learning who are the right people to work with, I’ve definitely come across the wrong people as well. Especially at the beginning, I think it’s safe to say everyone who has their own business has worked with the wrong people. It’s almost a right of passage. The key is to be able to recognize early on who is right, and who is the wrong person to work with. The last thing you want to do is waste time and energy working with wrong people. Not only will you get agitated and discouraged, but so will the person you are attempting to work with and ultimately business hardship if not corrected!

If you look inside any successful business you will see that the key players are all on the same page working together towards a common goal.  So how do you know who are the right people to work with. Well, I have to say that your gut feeling is almost always right, but if your gut isn’t good enough…

Here are 4 attributes I look for when looking for new, successful business partners.

1. Their WHY ~ Everyone has a reason, for wanting to start a business and working from home. I ask everyone that wants to partner up with me what their why is. If it’s not a clear reason why they desire to start a business, chances are they are the wrong person to be working with right now. Those that clearly recognize they need a change with their current situation do very well…it’s their driving force.

2. Attitude ~ I strive everyday to have a positive attitude and I look for others that have the same sunny out look. If I am talking with a perspective new business partner and every other thing that comes out of their mouth is negative, I know right away it’s not someone I want to work with.

3. Coachability ~ This one is so important and of course you won’t really know how coachable someone is until you begin working with them but you can put out some feelers during the “interview” process. I take all my new business partners through a step by step training. I want everyone I work with to have their own successful business. If I see someone trying to skip steps or see them just plain ignoring  my advice then it’s very difficult for me to steer them in the direction to success. If you are trying to work with someone that just won’t take your coaching advice, then you’re probably working with the wrong person. You certainly don’t want to drag someone though the process. It’s a lot easier to walk though it together!

4. Follow Through ~ This one kind of goes along with how coachable someone is. I have found that some people that seem coachable just don’t follow through. People will actually tell you what you want to hear, not what is actually happening. If you have been working with someone and they say that they are doing all the right things but you don’t see any results, then chances are they aren’t following through and most of the time they will have an excuse for why things aren’t moving forward.

When you come across someone that seems to be the wrong person, keep in mind that it could just be that the timing is just not right. I have frequently come across potential business partners that are just not ready to make that change, but I keep in touch. You will be surprised that at first the wrong people, given time will become the right people!

What attributes do you look for in potential new business partners? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to know!

Here’s to working with the right people for a successful business!!

Got Problems?

Every business has problems.  It’s the businesses that are able to turn problems into opportunities that excel and succeed!

Here are 6 Key Principles to Help You Turn Problems into Opportunities.

1. Re-perceive how you perceive the problems

• Train your mind to see the opportunity
• What is the opportunity here?

There is an opportunity with in every problem. Learn to identify them!

2.Reinvent how you respond to things

• Choose your words carefully
• Pay attention to how your words affect other people
• Deal with objections with questions….stop “telling”

People do not like to be “told”! When a problem arises, work together on resolving the problem. People respond much better when they feel they are part of the resolution instead of being told how to fix it.

3. Live and work in a bubble~stay laser focused!

I believe that this is one of the biggest problems people face in their business. There are so many distractions that life throws at us. We need to learn to identify those distractions and push them to the side because they never help us accomplish our goals, they only slow us down.

4. Take the long view, do not take shortcuts.

“If you find yourself in a chronically leaky boat, energy devoted to switching vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.” ~Warren Buffett.

5. Take more risks, not less

Step outside your comfort zone. If you are not willing to take a risk, you will not live up to your potential.

6. It starts with you!

You can not expect others to do what you are not willing to. If you see a need for change, begin that change yourself, and others will follow.

Now go find your problems and turn them into opportunities!

Believe…

In order to succeed, you must first believe you can. The only thing that stands between you and what you want from life, is the will to try it and the faith to believe that it’s possible.The only true limit to your realization of tomorrow will be your doubts of today.
The moment you carry the conviction of belief, in that moment your dream will become reality. If you think you can, you can.~Unknown

The above little tid bit was passed on to me from a friend who got it from a friend who got it from who knows where…kinda like the old age question of how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop… the World may never know.

Regardless, this really got me thinking. Belief is a powerful, powerful thing. It really can determine the outcome of many things. I’m not saying, that just by believing you will be successful, means that you can sit on the couch, do nothing and then the skies will open and success will materialize in front of your face. But believing that regardless of the obstacles that you run into, you will be successful if you continue moving in the direction of what you are wanting to accomplish. You have to work, and work hard, but if you believe that you are going to do it, you absolutely will. Another great little quote from Henry Ford “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” I just love that, because I find so much truth in it. There is no room for doubt to achieve business success. Believe that you can, believe it everyday, work hard and watch as you move towards success!

Believe it to achieve it!