Real Home Business EBook

The Truth About Home Business Success

What Real Home Business Owners Want You to Know Written by Laura Wheeler Tara Crooks Anna Campbell With Contributions from Other Home Business Owners

Table of Contents

Purpose and Intent Introduction to Our Authors Rules for Success Startup Marketing Maintenance My Rules

Purpose and Intent

This book is not intended to be a comprehensive business guide. It is just tidbits of wisdom that have been gained and shared, by business owners who have been there themselves.

Home business is hard. There are so many snake oil salesmen out there repeating the myths over and over that even people who KNOW that the lies cannot be true, are eventually lulled into thinking that if they keep hearing it, maybe just once it COULD work.

The myths never work. But business success is possible for any person who starts with wisdom, and follows with work.

This book was compiled by three authors who each have unique and extensive business success. They each function in a different business arena, but specialize in online business issues.

Our Contributing Authors come from all walks of small business and home business. They offer varied perspectives, from different experiences.

So rather than give you all you need to start a business, or to redirect one that is muddled and stalled, we have chosen to provide you with information that can help you determine whether other sources are legit. If other instructions do not measure up to the rules in this book, then the instructions are not sound.

The collaborative authors are committed to being absolutely truthful, without motive.

If we say something is possible, it is.

If we say something is unreasonable and won't happen, it won't.

Sources in this book have been screened, but the web is a dynamic and changing place. We cannot guarantee that links in this book will promote good and wholesome resources, so use them at your own risk.

We make no guarantees of success either. Business success is dependent on forces that we cannot control, and is largely affected by your efforts, your business structure, market trends, and other factors. We can only promise that we'd never knowingly present information that would harm your chances of success.

Co-Author Intro I'm Laura Wheeler.

I make a business of trying to help people learn how to do business successfully, so when the idea for this book evolved, I figured it was right up my alley. I've been in business for about 9 years now, and I've been building websites professionally, and assisting home business owners for about 6 years. I fit my business in around my kids – currently I have only five at home, which is a real change from our peak of seven at home (we have eight total). I love being a mom, and it is the only thing that really tops business as a rewarding occupation.

I think that business success begins with you. When you understand your own strengths and weaknesses, and choose something you love to do that magnifies your strengths, and is forgiving of your weaknesses, you have the best possible situation to succeed within. Of course you have to choose a business that is sound, but you are the most important element in your business, and you are the one who has to do it every day. You can please your customers when you are doing things you are good at. You can identify with your customers when you choose something you love. You feel more successful when you are doing something that helps you grow in ways that are realistically achievable.

I've done a lot of different things. I live in a small area where you have to generalize to make a business work locally, and this has taught me that each business has its own peculiarities. It has also taught me those things which hold true for all businesses, so in compiling this book, that is what we decided as a team to look for – concepts which held true for all businesses, and which can be applied in different ways, no matter what you are doing.

I wish you all the best in your personal business endeavors. Next to family, there is nothing that will challenge you more, or stretch you to new heights in a more constructive way. Grow tall and have a blast!

Laura Wheeler Laura is the principle owner of Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc. The company has two main business lines: Firelight Web Studio, which provides Website Design and Promotional Services for Small Business, Small Communities, and Startups, and Firelight Properties, which offers rentals and property management services in Medicine Bow. Her principal websites are: http://www.firelightwebstudio.com – Small Business Website Services with a Difference.

Http://www.fabulousfrugalwebsites.com – Frugal Website Services for Startups and First Time Website Owners.

Http://www.ruralblueprint.com – Web Development and Promotion for Small Communities http://www.totalintegritybusinessgroup.com/ - A new concept in ethical trade associations.

Laura has been providing web design services since 1999, and has a good reputation with her clients. Her services are quite different from other web designers, and her entire development, payment terms, and client relationship policies are structured from the ground up to be most effective for small businesses. She could have moved on to corporate contracts by now, but chooses to stick with the people she loves working with most – business owners who take nothing for granted, and who work twice as hard to overcome their limited resources.

She feels she has the best clients in the world – hard working, smart, and amazing people.

Author of over a dozen small business help books, Laura is an accomplished writer, speaker, and consultant, on a wide range of small business, website, and marketing topics.

Co-Author Intro Hello, My name is Tara Crooks, and it's a pleasure to have you be reading this e-book. I want you to know that I have been working in the "work at home mom" home business arena for over six years now. I have learned a lot in those six years. I was telling my co-authors just the other day that if someone had given me a book like this when I was first starting out, I would have given them my right arm. Especially if they had offered it for free! My goal in my business is to reach many new home business owners. I see so many "newbies" start and then fail so quickly and it saddens me. So many have so much potential but sadly, never make it off the ground. It's hard. It's forever a learning journey.

I was approached by co-author, Laura Wheeler a few months prior to publication of this e-book with the idea of taking some of what we had been discussing on our network and in our personal conversations and putting into a book format. At first, I was reluctant to give away such wonderful information. Then after thinking about the market we could reach and the people we could help it all just became perfectly clear. It was something I had to do.

I offer many tips in this e-book that will truly help you in your quest to become a successful home business owner. One thing I want you to always remember as you go along your journey is that your definition of success can be different than another's definition. Your definition of success can also change from time to time. Most importantly, your success depends on nothing else but you.

Good luck in your journey! Follow your dreams, and pursue your passions!

Tara Crooks

Tara Crooks, or “Household 6″ in the Crooks’ family, is best known for her ability to motivate and empower others. She is married to her husband, Kevin (US ARMY), and has a beautiful little girl, Wrena. Their family, including two dogs and a cat, is all snuggled in their cozy home in Richmond Hill, GA. Tara currently owns and operates a highly successful website, www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com which is gaining national attention, and is the former owner of Advertising Moms.

Featured at Military Spouse Magazine, Military.com, Army.com and more, Army Wife Talk Radio is the original internet talk radio program for military wives. The tagline, Our Life, Our Family, Our Soldier, says it all.

Tara does a weekly internet talk radio broadcast from the website that features up to date information, tips, and empowerment for spouses. Tara’s journey with the military began in 1998 when she and her husband PCS’d to their first duty station, Ft Hood. She has since survived one deployment, an overseas tour, and three duty stations.

In 2006, Tara joined ClubMom & articles.

as an MomExpert. Her expertise includes mlitary and home business topics

She also publishes and self-syndicates Field Problems, a military question and answer column, geared toward empowering spouses by providing real answers to issues of today’s military families. For more information visit www.FieldProblems.com.

To find out more about Tara visit her blog, www.TaraCrooks.com.

Co-Author Intro Anna Campbell I was a natural born entrepreneur. I spent many years working in Corporate America to find it distasteful and unfulfilling. My first business was Anna's Candles. I handmade my candles and sold them at local vendor fairs and online. My online business boomed with retail and wholesale customers throughout the United States within two years. I then remembered my love of paper and started a printing business, Humble Print and Fold, LLC. My printing business is serving local businesses, organizations and individuals. With the experience of creating a business, building a business and maintaining a business, I then wanted to do more and help others. Women Business Owners was then created. This is my online support, education and networking group for women business owners from around the world. The wealth of information, experience and support I found was amazing! My group has grown from one to over two thousand ladies in just two years.

I love the thrill of a challenge, the smell of victory, the cheers of triumph and the excitement of accomplishments.

I love to have a list and check it off. I am having a great day when my lists are checked off.

The feeling of hard earned accomplishments is amazing. Seeing all the many checks on my list shows how much people can accomplish when they have specific goals written down.

Maintaining your focus and dedication will play a very important role in your business.

I believe the importance of starting a business is the need to fulfill something that is greater than oneself. To fill a void, create jobs, and bring goods or service to an area that needs it. Being able to start a business takes time, information, experience, patience, and money.

The information contained in this book will help future business owners dream more realistically and help those current business owners fine tune their projects, business plan and business foundation. I felt compelled to be involved with this project for the same reason that I created Women Business Owners. I wanted to help spread information that is helpful, encouraging, and true.

Anna Campbell

http://www.womenbizowners.org

Rules for Success

Business has rules. The good ones are the ones that involve concepts that hold true no matter what your business is. Home business has its own sub-set of rules that are related to, but distinctly different than traditional business rules.

We focus on highlighting some of the rules that the contributing authors of this book have found to be of value to themselves. We hope that sharing our hard won wisdom will help you in avoiding some of the hard bumps we suffered learning them.

A true concept can be applied to any business. It may need to be applied differently, but it still holds true. We tried to sort out the things that fit this pattern.

For example, “If you can't afford to pay taxes, you can't afford to be in business.” is a rule that fits no matter what size your business, no matter what your situation. There are many more concepts which can help you to measure your choices against.

Each “rule” in this book has three parts: The rule. It is something easy to remember which can help you be more successful if you apply it wisely.

The description. What the author of the rule feels is important. The author has also left a signature line to tell you who they are and what they do.

Comments. The co-authors of the book have added extra bits of info when they had thoughts on the subject that they thought might offer additional help.

We've left some pages at the end, where you can add your own additional rules as you learn. We're sure you'll find more helpful truths as you progress in your business, and you can record them to help you focus on what works.

Startup

Getting the right start to your business is pretty crucial. Sort of like the importance of feeding a baby right during the first few years. Do it wrong, and you can stunt growth permanently.

So the first section has to do with rules for startup. Wise ways to lay a good foundation, and keep from getting confused in the morass of information that you will encounter.

Remember, most people who want to instruct you in how to start a business have an agenda. And that agenda is often NOT to help you!

Every single source in this book has been screened. If the advice is not sound, it is not here. We didn't let anyone come in here and tell you something just to get you to buy. We made sure that what they said applied to good business sense regardless of what they are selling.

The Rule: You cannot start a business with nothing. You have to give it either money, or time, and usually both.

The Explanation: Regarding the money aspect of building your business, you have to be willing to put in a reasonable investment for things that really matter.

For example, too many people think they can start an online business using a free web hosting service. Since a major part of doing business online is to build trust, a free service works against you.

Think about what it says to your visitors if you use a free hosting service. If you cannot afford to invest about what two Starbucks coffees will cost in hosting your domain per month, are you REALLY serious?

Reg Charie, Owner http://DotCom-Productions.com/cms We offer website hosting, design, management and marketing.

Our focus is on helping the new internet business builder to have a productive site in as short a time as possible, without trading off their first born child.

Comment: Investment can come in the form of time at first. A business can be started with no cash, but ONLY if your state does not require licensing for your type of business, and ONLY if you already have materials and marketable skills. Most situations do not meet these criteria though, and you will have to scrape up something to put into it.

The important thing about this concept is that you have to invest everything you can, in an intelligent manner, or it won't succeed. The more workarounds you have to do, the harder it will be, and the more work you'll have to put in to compensate.

Comment by Laura Wheeler Comment: There is a myth that you can start a business with nothing but the shirt on your back, and a dream.

This is a common misconception among many business owners, especially among work at home moms. Sure, I am positive you will find someone to tell you that you can just stumble upon something FREE (no money) and it will all work out super for you, but most likely that is a wolf in sheep's clothing a.k.a. SCAM! There are two equitable resources that you have when starting a business. You might have more of one than the other, and you might be able to do it with more of one than the other. Those resources are time and money. If you have the time, and the drive and ambition you can do it without much money, but you have to have some. Let's talk about that though, if you don't have money where things can happen 'instantly" because you can pay someone to do it all for you professionally, then you have to put in time. Time is a luxury most work at home moms don't have, and even if they do have time, they don't have much patience. This leads me to my point. Either you have money or you find time and learn patience. That is the only way you'll succeed, because nothing in life ever happens totally free, someone has to pay for it by giving some sort of output. You choose what resource you can allocate and then be committed to the allocation.

Comment by Tara Crooks Comment: When you are starting a business, you are starting a legal entity where you do business. Each location has their own rules and restrictions for legal businesses. Some areas require the business owner to setup a DBA – “Doing Business As” license. This costs money. In order to sell items in some locations you need a sales tax permit, this does not cost money to retain. But, it does take time and some knowledge about your location, your business purpose, and your market. There are basic supplies many business owners use but do not put “business” money into. They put their “personal” money in its place. These items may include: pens, pencils, stapler, staples, tape, paper, printer, printer ink, computer programs, website hosting, and more. These basic, but necessary items for your business are basic items your business needs to pay for, not your spouse or personal bank account.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: People won’t invest in you unless you invest in yourself The Explanation: I think that most of us look for ways to cut costs and save money in our daily lives. There’s nothing wrong with that but I am often surprised at the lengths that people go to in order to incorporate this trait into running their business.

Often people want to jump into business with no planning and no sense of direction. This leads people into doing things like throwing up a free website on geocities, using a hotmail email address in business communications, and using Vistaprint business cards without paying to have the advertising removed from the back.

Would you go to a doctor who was practicing out of a cardboard box? If you want people to spend their money with you then you have to be willing to spend money on yourself. If you refuse- people will not take you seriously.

This means you’ll have to bite the big one and spend $10 a year on a domain. You’ll have to cough up a few dollars per month for web hosting, and you’ll definitely have to add $10 to your Vistaprint order so that the only company you are advertising on your business cards is yours.

If you don’t think your products or services are worth spending money on then why would potential customers?

Donyell Nelson helps business owners build successful enterprises. She hosts Bold Business Talk which offers honest and practical advice to business owners, entrepreneurs and wanna be’s. Tune in at

http://www.BoldBusinessTalk.com Comment: This rule is similar in scope to the previous one, only it also includes education. Investing in yourself includes both investing in your business, (through work, monetary investment, and through intelligent research), and investing in your own education, your own health and wellbeing.

You need to know how to get information when you need it, and you need to know how to find encouragement when you need it. There's plenty of free help and support available, you just have to take the time to get it.

Comment by Laura Wheeler Comment: For the education aspect, visit online and offline networking groups, ask attendees about their business, ask them where they have found pertinent business information. Look for community classes for business owners. Visit your local Chamber of Commerce and ask them your questions about what and where.

Visit online groups that are specifically related to your business. Visit your local college and check on basic business classes. Many of these range from free to several hundreds of dollars.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: It is only when our desire to get something is greater than our fear of getting it that we will be able to take the action necessary to achieve it.

The Explanation: We may want our business to grow, but fear is in the spotlight, we may desire wealth, but be scared to actually promote what we have to people we feel might criticize .Fear is a destructive emotion that deals a fatal blow to any attempt on your part to build total self confidence.

If you are afraid, it is impossible to have the positive mental attitude to go ahead and get it done. Turn off that fear switch.

When your dominant thoughts are of fear, impelled to non-action. Non-action begets more nonaction and is rehearsed by constant repetition.

Okay so you are feeling fear, let’s turn it around and have some fun. Tell your self a joke, smile or smell a rose. Feel the difference; you have just internally clicked your brain to a place of pleasure. There is no fear in a place of pleasure.

Are you ready to click fear out now? A positive mental attitude will motivate you to overcome fear.

Removal starts with a positive belief about you. By being willing to face your fear and shine a spotlight on it you can be prepared for the worst. I want you to really focus on the fear. Really play the movie as you remember or imagine it. Sit quietly and don't try to talk yourself out of it or convince yourself that it is silly.

Just let the movie play in Technicolor. Then, as soon as the movie is complete and has run its course, replay the movie to yourself as if there was nothing to fear. Re-write the script. It won't feel real. But, as you shine a spotlight on the fear begin to see it as if the fear itself were a piece of clothing. Feel what it would be like to remove that piece of clothing.

You can only be afraid if you are either mentally living in the future which you long for or dread, or in the past where what has happened is disturbing you. Overcoming fear and worry can be accomplished by living an hour or day at a time or, better yet, a moment at a time. The problem with most people is that they take life too seriously. Imagine yourself doing whatever you fear the most. Again and again, plunge into the very thing that makes you afraid so that, in the end, your fear will be eliminated. Using fear as a means of conquest helps to build spiritual and emotional muscle.

Dolores Arste ******************************************************* Zen Guidance, LLC Middle Grove, NY 12950 Life Coach and Wellness Guide 1-518-882-6485 ******************************************************* " Quickly and easily release the emotions that make your heart pound, your palms sweat and your mind blank" ******************************************************

www.zenguidance.com Comment: Building a support system to help buffer fear when it arises is also a very vital and effective action.

Have other people around us, listening, encouraging, and supporting will help us believe in ourselves and in turn help us have the power to turn the fear switch off.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: You don't get out of it what you don't put into it. Anything less than a 100% commitment is a guarantee of failure. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

The Explanation: There are many ways of stating this one, which is why there are three different rules there.

They all mean the same thing. You have to (cover the ears of the little ones folks!) WORK!!!

If you don't try, you can't succeed. If you give it a half effort, it won't be enough, because business demands more than that to achieve success. And nobody is gonna pay you to NOT work (if that were the case, there would be no poor people!).

Laura Wheeler – Owner of This Site 4 Sale – http://www.thissite4sale.com/, and about 30 other websites.

Comment: The belief that owning your own business can be a part-time job is not a reality. When you are the business owner – just starting out, you are usually by yourself fighting it alone. You are the marketing department, sales department, product maker/finder, printer, networker, budget & accounting officer, researcher, educator, legal representative, and so much more. When owning your own business, you will work every moment available on building your business. Without constant work, the business will slow and eventually stall.

Pretty much like a car. Take your foot off the gas… the car slows… then stops.

Comments by Anna Campbell

The Rule: You have to help yourself before anyone else can help you.

The Explanation: Do you want to help yourself? That is the first question. If you are willing to help yourself then we can move past this myth. Refer to the TRUTH: If you don't believe in yourself, no one else ever will. Then come back and pick this back up. At that point, with your renewed thought process I will tell you that everyone wants to help someone that is motivated, empowered, and wants to make things happen! There are so many times that I've met someone in my work at home career that I just have asked them "how did you do that" and I received a story so long it went on for hours. Everyone wants to help you if you ask for the help. Sure, you may get some "no" answers and you may get some “wrong" answers when it comes to obtaining the help. In the end, you'll learn that if you help others reach their dreams, they are always more than willing to help you reach yours.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: I get this a lot with people who consult with me. They ask what they can do, and I suggest several possibilities that suit their skills and resources. I tell them that since they have little money that it is going to take time. Since they have no skills, they'll have to learn some. They reply with, “I don't think that is what I'm looking for; I don't have time for that.” They did not want to know what they could do; they wanted to know if someone would hand it to them.

I am perfectly willing to help someone who wants to learn. I am not willing to do their job for them. Virtually every other business owner that I know is this way, and I have benefited richly from the wisdom and kind assistance of others through the years of growing my business. But if I had not done my share, I would not have a business.

Comment by Laura Wheeler Comment: Owning a business is taking ownership and responsibility. When you own and are responsible for it, you then take the time to work on it, to network for information, plan for today and tomorrow. Owning it means doing the work, taking the time, and making the commitment. If you don’t have the time, then you don’t have the time to own a business.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: There are no guarantees of success.

The Explanation: No matter how much you give it, no matter how much anyone promises you, there are no guarantees that you'll succeed. If you do it smart, and work it right, there is a high PROBABILITY that you can succeed.

In order to operate a business, you have to be willing to take calculated risks. This is different than gambling – my son asked me one day what the difference was between business risk and gambling, and here is what we concluded: Gambling is when statistics prove that you are far more likely to lose than to win. Usually gambling odds are stacked WAY against you, like hundreds, or thousands to one.

Calculated risks are when there is a better chance of you succeeding, than of you losing. When you have done your homework, and eliminated as many negative factors as you can, and when you are dedicated to giving it what it needs to work.

Even with a calculated risk there is still risk. Unpredictable things happen – illness, disaster, market shifts, fraud, etc. All that stuff cannot be completely controlled by you. But wisdom and preparation can help to reduce those risks as much as is REASONABLY possible.

Do your best, then dive in and give it all you got.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Bad Business Ideas – http://www.badbusinessideas.com, and about 30 other websites.

Comment: One very important aspect of owning a business and help your odds is having a general liability insurance policy for your business. Another way to help protect your business is to make sure your business is formed correctly. The more of a corporate foundation, usually means less personal risk.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: There are no shortcuts! There are skills, experience, tools, and strategies to make things more efficient.

The Explanation: Too many times we look for shortcuts that are contrary to common sense. And too many times, those shortcuts have a nasty backlash. Here are some examples: Replicated websites. Search engines won't index them, and you don't get good traffic.

Auto-Search Engine Submission Services. Many search engines don't accept auto-submissions.

AdSense Exchanges. People click on other members' ads. This is against Google's policies, and you get banned from AdSense.

List Building Programs. They don't work – you are marketing to people who are marketing to you – a waste of time!

Any program which promises earnings with no work. Any program that promises this. Always. No exceptions.

A good time saver will be created by making a process more efficient while not compromising on the elements that really matter.

Skills help you save time by getting it right the first time.

Experience helps you avoid errors and learn faster ways of doing things.

Tools help you automate and make repetitive tasks more efficient.

Work strategies and business strategies can help you eliminate wasted time and effort.

Nothing will eliminate the work. But good time savers can shave off bits here and there and make a significant difference.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Fabulous Frugal Websites – http://www.fabulousfrugalwebsites.com – Making good websites affordable.

Comment: One of the only shortcuts I know for a business owner is inheriting a prosperous business. Even then you may deal with unknown debt and the need to continue the constant work instilled by the previous owners. Even though you may start ahead at the expense of someone else’s hard work, you will need to continue the pace to maintain the company. The only way to succeed in this situation without the continuous work will be to sell the business. But then you are no longer a business owner.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Most moms working from home are NOT bringing in a Six Figure Income (in their spare time!).

The Explanation: Yes, I know what you are thinking, "but there are some that do". You're right. There are some moms that do make a decent living online and in their home business. Most however, do not. Before diving into work at home business land you might give yourself a budget makeover. Can you really handle the amount of work and money that it takes to get into this business? It is next to impossible, and also not so wise, to decide to work from home and take the leap, when you are working outside the home in order to pay your bills or to have money to eat. I'm not kidding. If you can't clothe your children and feed your dog, then don't make the leap, you're not ready. Instead, figure out a way to slowly incorporate your business into your life until you are confident you can make a living from what you'll earn realistically. *Disclaimer: I'm not saying it can't be done. It can. I just see so many moms getting frustrated because they aren't making 30,000 a year. They think all the other moms out there are making this amount and statistically and realistically they aren't.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: The average self-employment income (according to Turbo Tax), is $12k and change per year. That is not even separating home businesses (which tend to earn a little less on average) from storefronts and offices.

Considering that there ARE some that are making large amounts, you can figure that more than half are making way less than that.

If you wanna make big bucks, you have to pay your dues, and you have to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get there – they may not at all be the sacrifices you thought they'd be either.

Comment by Laura Wheeler Comment: The sacrifice I most often see with “Work at HOME” people is that they really aren’t working at “Home”. They are out on the road delivering, at other peoples homes at parties, out of town at conventions or meetings, at networking meetings or functions, at area events, etc. Where is the Home?

Working is working. This isn’t sitting at home with the phone ringing once, you pick-up, the person orders $300 and you are done for the day. Usually you spend your day trying to track down people interested in buying your product or service or investing their time and money in your business.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: When that little voice in the back of your head says its too good to be true, Listen!

The Explanation: There is a quote from a 1970s movie, where a man says, “You can't cheat someone else unless they're trying to cheat you first.”. What that means is, any time someone gets conned, it happens because they think they are getting the better of the person who is conning them!

Any time you think you are going to get something for nothing, you are letting your greed overpower your common sense. And that is ALWAYS a bad business move! Greed is an extremely bad manager! It makes stupid choices, gambles with money it cannot afford to lose (on risks that are certain to be losers), and it silences the voice of reason which could have made a good choice instead.

That little voice in the back of your head that says it is too good to be true is the voice of reason. Listen, because it really does know!

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Rural Community Growth Blueprint – http://www.ruralblueprint.com/ Community promotional services and information for small communities. Website Technical Services, Promotional Services and Instruction, and Local Content Training Services.

Comment: If you are not interested in listening to your own common sense, then why would you listen to someone else’s? If you can’t trust yourself, you definitely can not trust the other person. Being honest with our self is only good business sense.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: It takes 3-6 months to get an initial response. It takes 1-2 years to see the real potential for any new business.

The Explanation: Can you tell me one work at home mom that went to bed with a business dream in her head and woke up a millionaire? Seriously? If you can please let me know. I know many many moms out there working so hard their fingers have blisters. I see them do this for years and then finally start to see some success. It doesn't happen overnight. Moms should know good things take time, they take love, and they take nurturing. I see so many moms take off on their business, invest money, and then three months later when it's not performing the way they think it should they invest in the next best thing. This is why so many never make it.

I am confident you will see some moms that have either networked with the right people or had tons of resources to pour into their business that "made it" within six months. I seriously doubt you'll find many that did that within two. Give yourself a break. Give yourself time. Give yourself a reality check! It takes at least 3-6 months of repeated exposure to make you stick in someone's memory. It takes 1-2 years to build an income. Still this level of income may not be to your expectations. I could be here for hours explaining to you to make a plan, stick to the plan, go little by little, take baby steps, and so on, and so on. You get the picture. It isn't going to happen tomorrow if you just set it up today. Give things the time to blossom before you give up or make a judgment. This stands for everything from your business in general to things like networking and advertising. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: Statistically, for businesses that SUCCEED, it takes that amount of time. There are a few that do get results more quickly, but they are a RARE EXCEPTION. The reality is, you are going to have to work hard for up to a year without seeing the results you'd like to see.

But, the up side is, that usually within a year, you can see POTENTIAL. That means, it won't be what you want it to be yet, but you'll be able to see growth trends, and that if you keep at it, that it will become what you want it to be. And you'll be able to tell from those trends, just how much potential it has.

Just keep working. Watch for patterns of growth, and keep at it. Celebrate the small victories, and look forward to the big ones. Just don't get discouraged if the big ones seem a ways off!

Comment by Laura Wheeler, Comment: Building a foundation. This is true. When starting a new business there are many steps to building a strong foundation. After each step is complete, the marketing of your new business will begin. With marketing your business properly, customers will begin finding you and slowly believe in your business.

Comment by Anna Campbell Real Life Example: When I started my business I opened an office in a commercial business services center in my little town (pop 10,000). At that time ('96) the internet was not nearly as popular as it is now and I wanted to focus on web related services.

Since I was willing to do anything computer I found a good niche in helping folks in their homes when they ran into computer problems or needed instruction. This part of my business supported the web based business for close to two years while I built my web services. It also showed me how important service is, especially when dealing with computers as there is a lot to know.

Hang in there. It takes time to develop a business.

Example By Reg Charie, http://www.DotCom-Productions.com/cms/

The Rule: Take it Slow, Learn as you Go The Explanation: Business takes a lot of learning. And some of it can only be learned by experience. You are going to make mistakes, and you are going to run into walls where it seems like you are just not getting it.

When that happens, take a deep breath, step back for a bit to get your bearings again, and then tackle it again.

You'll get it if you are patient with yourself, and if you are willing to keep trying.

I have a problem with certain types of coding. I learn them very slowly. Odd, because I have a gift for understanding computer technology, but I cannot grasp coding unless I study long and hard. I had to find other ways of learning it. I found that if I tried to study it all at once, I got lost and frustrated. Instead, if I found workarounds, I gradually absorbed it over time, and learned it in a natural way. I still cannot write code, but I can understand enough of the code that I am familiar with to edit it, and troubleshoot it.

You do have to learn. You don't have to learn it all at once. Focus on functioning, and be willing to ask for help when you need it. Business is a slow process. Be patient and miracles will happen.

Written by Laura Wheeler, mom to eight, owner of Boonie Business – http://www.booniebusiness.com/ Resources for doing business in rural communities.

Comment: Learning is a vital part of creating, maintaining and growing a business. Businesses are usually growing and in order to keep up with your growing business, you need to stay educated about new products, new services, the changes your customers are going through and any local or national regulations that may affect your business. This also includes business taxes.

Comments by Anna Campbell

The Rule: If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.

The Explanation: Will you allow me up on my "high horse" for a minute? I have to take a stand on this one. This is SO TRUE. I cannot stress to you the amount of success that comes truly believing in yourself and your business. It doesn't just mean loving your product, or wanting to work from home. It means letting go of the fear of rejection, letting go of the fear of failure. It means, just going for it. No one can ever believe in you until you believe in yourself. You are a walking billboard. You are the face of your business and no one can ever express that as well as you can. You are what you think every day so think SUCCESS and there you will be.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: I have been designing websites for many years. I do not do some advanced design styles that many site designers do. It took me a long time to realize that I was very skilled anyway. That NOT doing some of those things, given the kind of clients I wanted to help, was more valuable than knowing how to do them. It was not until a client looked me in the eye and said, “Laura, go market your services in this town. They need you.� that I had the confidence to go out and compete with the big firms. And it is working. In the last six months, the average dollar amount of my web service contracts has tripled, and they are coming in four times as fast as they used to.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

Comment: Understanding the value your business offers to clients and customers is vital to understanding how your business will grow and succeed. If your current or prospective clients do not value your company, you, or your product/services then your business will not succeed.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: If you think you can't afford to pay taxes and you think you can't afford to get the proper licensing, then you can't afford to be in business.

The Explanation: Different areas require different business licensing. Some businesses have more regulatory statutes to satisfy than others as well. And no one is immune from taxes at the federal, and usually the state level.

Failure to meet the legal requirements that your government places on your business is perhaps one of the most foolish business choices. It can destroy your hard work in a nightmare of legal consequences.

There is really no point in working as hard as you have to work to get a business going, just to leave a built-in time bomb like unpaid taxes or illegal operations ticking away, ready to go off at any time and leave your business in shambles.

If you are starting on a shoestring, then do it right. Tackle the licensing and fees one item at a time. Be patient and it will come together, and when it does, it will be stronger than if you take chances.

No matter how small your business is, you have a legal obligation to pay taxes and meet regulatory requirements. You won't regret it if you do, but it can wipe you out if you don't.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Total Integrity Business Group – http://www.totalintegritygroup.com/, and about 25 other sites.

Comment: People are usually in business to make money. When dealing with money there are many regulations and restrictions. Knowing which ones you need to know to start your business legally will help later on by not having to pay late fees, fines, etc. There are several governmental resources that provide valuable information to their business population. http://www.irs.gov When looking into starting a new business or moving from a current job into your own business, make sure you research health insurance. Many health insurance companies will not cover pre-existing conditions. Therefore finding health insurance may prove difficult. Not always impossible. Many local Chamber of Commerce or local business groups are forming small group health insurance policies with small business owners. Do your research and be well informed.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: The fastest way is almost never the best way.

The Explanation: I get asked a lot, “what is the fastest way to build a business?”. It's the wrong question!

If you focus on building a business fast, you are a sitting duck for scammers. If you focus on building it solid, then you'll naturally look for the most efficient way to do that, and you'll end up building it in the fastest way possible, plus you'll get a REAL business, that WORKS. The fastest way to build a business is to give it a good foundation, and to work hard at effective business and marketing tasks. And then it takes a lot of time and patience.

Look for shortcuts, and you'll end up setting aside your common sense. And that can be fatal to a new business.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Not Quite a Scam – http://www.notquiteascam.com/ - Why some things that are technically legal still don't work.

Comment: Maintaining a steady course, constantly learning and having an open mind to better business practices. Taking your time to learn how to market your product, research your target market and research networking groups in your area and online that attract your target market. Taking it slow is a sure way to a better foundation and remember; products change, people change, and dreams change. But your attention and dedication need to remain sure and steady.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: People who succeed, work regularly. The key to getting started is to get started.

The Explanation: This rule also has two ways of saying it. It means, that in order to succeed, you have to actually dedicate time to the job!

You can talk about starting a business, but at some point you have to actually make the business cards, write the policies, build the website, get the business license, etc. You don't have to have a formal business launch date. You don't have to have a “Grand Opening”. But you do have to wake up one day, and decide that operating a business is important enough that from now on you are going to work at it consistently.

The most successful people are those who set aside time to do it every day (you can take weekends off). Some people only work on the weekends, but they do that consistently. They'll rarely take a weekend off. Many people who start a home business while still having a regular job will work evenings 6-7 days a week. They consider their business a high enough priority to work it instead of playing.

If I want a new client, at some point I have to actually go approach the client. I can write up a proposal and think about it all I want, but unless I actually take the final action to DO it, it won't get done.

I can order the kit, and look it over, but unless I actually go out and promote the business, and do the work required to sell, I won't make a thing.

Some people say “no one plans to fail, they just fail to plan”, but I'd say that a bigger reason for failure is a failure to ACT. Planning helps to make sure you are acting in an effective manner, but all that planning is wasted if it is not followed by the action you planned on!

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Better Instant Website – http://www.betterinstantwebsite.com/ - A fast website that is affordable, and that is NOT a replicated website.

The Rule: Pay more attention to trends and patterns than you do to overall numbers when assessing success.

The Explanation: Patterns of growth or decline are far more important than the actual amounts. What that means is, over a period of weeks, or months (however long it takes you to see a clear pattern), the general direction of your business is what really counts.

Making just three sales this month is not a reason to be discouraged, if you only made 1 sale the month before.

If your business starts out with monthly losses, and those losses are shrinking, you're onto something good. The trend is up, and that is reason to celebrate.

With a new business, it can take several months to be able to see trends. There are also seasons when sales will plateau or even decline, for example, most businesses experience a slump in January and February (between Christmas, and Income Tax Returns!).

Allow yourself to feel good about the small improvements, and realize that if growth is occurring, that it is good, and you'll get there.

Don't bother comparing your results to anyone else, and don't think you have to measure up to anyone else's standard.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Best Business Freebies – http://www.bestbusinessfreebies.com/ Good shoestring startup helps that won't bite you if you use them.

Comment: It is a good idea to look at competitors that are successful. Watching how they market, where they market, and what they market can help show you what is working for them. You will slowly create your own plan of how to market, where to market, and what you are marketing.

Comment by Anna Campbell

Marketing

Marketing is a key element to any business, and for many internet businesses, marketing may make up 90% of your daily business tasks.

Marketing is what you do to let people know what you have, and to encourage them to take a look and purchase or use your product or service. You can have the best mousetrap in the world, but if people don't know you have it, or what makes it the best, they'll not beat a path to your door. In fact, the world will go blithely on its way, completely ignorant of your triumph, and content to remain that way!

There is a huge difference between effective, and ineffective marketing. You can spend all day working hard at marketing and end up with nothing if you are doing things that do not work. Good marketing consists of specific elements and criteria, and this section aims to give you a few guidelines to measure your efforts by.

The Rule: Building or creating a website alone, will not bring you sales.

Explanation: There is a common misconception in the online community that “if you build it, they will come”.

Unfortunately, this simply is not true. Just building or creating your website or online storefront and adding your products, will not automatically bring you traffic and/or sales.

The creation of your website is only one ingredient in the recipe that makes up a prospering online business.

What would you have if you only used the eggs to make a cake. Well…eggs! In order for the cake to come together, you require milk, butter, flour, baking powder, vanilla etc. Without these other ingredients, you won’t get very far.

Similarly, there are many other factors that need to come together in order for an online business to take off and profit. Advertising, marketing and promotion are all incredibly important; just as much as the website and products themselves. With the number of websites that are on the internet today, this can be likened to building a storefront out in the middle of a desert. Once built, you now have to work hard at getting people to find you.

How are you going to accomplish this?

As an online business, this will need to be taken even further as you are competing with millions of other stores for search engine placement. You’ll have to ask yourself, why would your customer bother to drive all the way out to the desert to look at your store/products, when there is a store right next door to them? What makes you special or different, than the millions of other sites on the net? What is your niche? These are all very important questions that need to be answered, preferably BEFORE you invest time and money into building and setting up your online storefront.

Tamara Champion is an online business owner of a home-based natural family boutique, Parenting By Nature, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She sells baby carriers, cloths diapers and other natural products for parents nationwide. Visit her store at http://www.parentingbynature.com.

Comment: A website can be an excellent primary marketing tool, but only if you promote it well, and only if it is an effective website.

A good website will present a coordinated business image, and an effective and appealing marketing message.

It will function predictably, and carry out the virtual tasks that it is supposed to.

The internet can function just like a massive desert in which you can get lost, or like a mall in which you get plenty of foot traffic that just happens to be there, depending on how and where you promote your site. No promotion, no passers-by to browse your shop.

Comment written by Laura Wheeler

Comment: Does your website represent you? Is it professional, homemade, technical, or religious? Is it showing the purpose? Is it easy to navigate, have words where they belong on the page, and no broken images?

Having a website full of “coming soon” is not having a business website, it is an empty hole. Are your prices clear, shipping, taxes and privacy policy? Can they contact you? Do they know anything about you? Do they know why they should buy or work with you?

Comment written by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Testimonials and Referrals are valuable marketing assets that can come from your satisfied customers.

The Explanation: Whenever someone says something nice about my company (or me) in print, on the phone or in person, I say "thank you" and then follow it with "may I quote you?" Some people don't know that I am serious so I repeat what they said and ask if I may quote them and use in my marketing or post their comments to my website. A testimonial is an excellent and inexpensive way to get an endorsement from a satisfied client or customer.

In 25 years in business I have never had anyone say "NO" and quite often the person will expand on their quote.

I also ask if I can use their full name and company or organization affiliation. If they say "no," I don't use the testimonial - (except when they don't have a company affiliation). The name and company give the quote more credibility. Most people think that quote with only initials and maybe a geographic location are made up (and some of them are). When someone goes to my website and sees a testimonial from a happy client, they feel better about their decision to do business with me. And it is amazing how many tell me that that's the reason they chose my company.

If your clients are not offering you their words of gratitude, ask them how you are doing! If you are doing a great job, they will tell you and you can then ask them to use their testimonial. If their comments are not what you wanted or expected to hear, use their input to improve your products and services. ©2006 - Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is the owner of a successful retail florist and the Founder & CEO of the Women’s ECommerce Association, International www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-kī) – an Internet organization that “Helps Women Do Business on and off the WEB.” Comment: This rule has a good concept behind it, which is that your reputation can make you or break you.

When you establish a good relationship with your customers and clients, most are only too happy to refer you to others, or to let you quote them. Some will even go so far as to hand out business cards if you make them available.

The real power of testimonials and referrals takes time to build, but is very strong once it is built.

Comment by Laura Wheeler Comment: Always ask for honest and constructive feedback about your service or product. You can use their feedback to improve your service, or product quality, shipping experience, etc. If you do not ask, you can not improve. If you do not improve, you can not grow.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: The Money is NOT in the List... The BUSINESS is in the RELATIONSHIPS The Explanation: I get really sick of hearing marketers say that the money is in the list. As though a list of people is something you own for your benefit, regardless of the fact that they are people.

When you depersonalize your customers by referring to them in this manner, you lose sight of who they are. And you lose the ability to effectively reach them with a good message.

Marketing requires building trust with your customers, and it requires building a rapport with them. The reason that lists work when they do, is because the list owner has used the list to encourage the relationship process.

They have become a real person to the reader, they have done something to demonstrate their expertise, and they have given something that demonstrates their kindness and that they value their customers. If they fail to do that, then their list becomes one of the masses of lists that gets deleted as soon as it comes in, and which only sells things to internet newbies who are too ignorant to know better.

Use the list right, and it can help your business grow. Use it wrong, and you are wasting your time.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Bad Marketing Ideas http://www.badmarketingideas.com/ and about 30 other sites.

Comment: Building relationships is building a very large support group. Having a support group is ideal for every business. You will have “members� in your support group that just buy services or product, others will talk and share advice and stories, others will offer referrals and help promote you. Others will walk with you and help your business grow and succeed.

When they are just a number, they are only worth something for a short while. When they become a person, their worth can extend for a lifetime.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Your business doors and your mouth are one and the same.

The Explanation: Yes, you heard that right. Most simply put - open your mouth - open your business doors, close your mouth - close your business doors. No matter where you are or what you are doing be proud of what you do and dont' be afraid to tell it to anyone who will listen. Now, with that said don't make that all you can talk about. When someone asks what you do, or you have the opportunity to pass out a business card or attend a function be sure to represent your business appropriately. You never know where you might find your next customer, or better yet make a networking contact you will retain for life.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: In order to succeed, you are going to have to step out of your comfort zone, at least a little ways.

Don't choose a business that requires you to be someone else entirely, because you won't generally be able to stretch that far. Even with a GOOD choice, you'll have to stretch and grow, especially with marketing.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

The Rule: The Power of Word of Mouth advertising is largely dependent upon your involvement in a community.

The Explanation: Word of Mouth advertising is often described as very powerful by experienced business owners, but it is completely overlooked by internet marketers. There is a reason for that, and it is that online, many people fail to become part of a community.

The power of word of mouth advertising is stronger in smaller communities than in larger ones, but it has some power in any community. The key though, is that you have to be involved in a community, where people hear your name or develop some association with you, in order for it to work well.

Even in huge communities it has some power, but it is most powerful when people will hear from multiple sources that you are the person to go to. That means you need to do your marketing work, and get your name out there – no one will talk about you to other people if they have no experience with you, or if they can't remember who you are. Word of mouth generates from good marketing strategies, it is not in itself, a marketing strategy.

The internet has changed our concept of communities. And the world is simply too big of an arena to consider to be a community. So find places online, or locally, where you can narrow down the people you associate with. A small town, a recreational group, an educational group, an online forum, etc, will help you to become known and trusted, so when someone recommends you, your name will become familiar.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Good Marketing Ideas http://www.goodmarketingideas.com/ and about 25 other websites.

Comment: When joining online or offline groups, be very selective because your time is very important and limited. You will need to schedule time to visit each group: daily, weekly or monthly. Building up the relationship, takes time and consistency. If your target market is not in your selected group, then it may need to fill an educational purpose. Most networking groups or communities need to include your target market. If they don’t, keep looking. There are groups out there just right for you.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Competition helps you be your best.

The Explanation: Competition has to be my single most motivating factor. See, I like to win. So this keeps me going. Instead of seeing competition as bad, I see it as a challenge. A way to "raise the bar" so to speak. Step it up a notch. Learn from your competition. Constantly keep tabs and research your market. Challenge yourself.

Remember that if there is competition that is probably a good sign you have a good need or niche market with which to grow your business.

Written by Tara Crooks of

www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com

Comment: Keep track of your target competitor(s). I wouldn’t select more than two or three to watch. Keep track of their progress, what improvements they make, how they market, where they market, where they are networking and building relationships, their online and offline presentation materials (website, brochures, business cards, flyers, samples, etc).

Comment by Anna Campbell

Comment: In a worldwide marketplace, there is pretty much no such thing as a “high demand, low competition” niche. If there is a high demand, there is high competition. If there is low demand, you may have the arena to yourself, but who cares if there are not enough customers?

Competition may cause you to have to really think about how to differentiate yourself. Find out what you are REALLY good at, and what you can do that nobody else can. And if competition leads you to discover your best self, then that is an awesome hand up on the road to success.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

The Rule: Any marketing that does not increase your income is a waste of time and money.

The Explanation: You are in business to make money. Marketing takes either time, or money to accomplish.

Time spent in things that do not yield a good result costs you money over the long term.

There are lots of kinds of marketing tactics that waste your time or money. Often they have all the appearance of something good, but fail to deliver the results.

Some examples are Traffic Exchanges, Safelists, Free for All or Free Classifieds, etc. They do not deliver an effective marketing message to the people who are interested in what you are selling. Traffic exchanges may get you lots of TRAFFIC, but they do not get you SALES. And what is the point of working hard to get people to walk past your store but whom never ever buy?

Assess the results of any marketing campaign. Some take days to see results (pay per click can be very fast), but everything else takes months for online advertising to work. Give it three to four months with a test level (not more than you can afford to risk in time or money) and see if there is a result – remember, pay attention to trends, not just numbers. Then drop what doesn't work, keep going with what does.

Assess both traffic, and sales (or click revenue). If the marketing is effective, your income should increase over time.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Bad Website Ideas – http://www.badwebsiteideas.com, and about 25 other websites.

Comment: Once you have selected one and have it working, do more research and find another. Opening up new paths for people to find your business is a wise investment. Constantly adding flows of new visitors and customers will help your business grow and succeed.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Real Networking is more than just posting ads.

The Explanation: This is one of my favorite tips. I have made it a personal mission of mine to make sure that I am mentoring my networking groups to stay away from this myth of participation being something of the past and the misconception that SPAM is the way to reach their market. I would yell it from the rooftops if I thought anyone would listen. Maybe someday they will.

You know those 100 yahoo groups you belong to? The Ryze networks you never visit but on ad day? Delete them. They are a waste of your time.

Participation in networking groups is NOT a waste of your time. SPAMMING them every ad day, never to return again however, is. Let me ask you, do you read those ads on ad day? I rest my case. No one else is either.

Let me tell you what does get you business. Networking with fellow business owners, networking in groups where you have established yourself as an expert in your field, networking where there are potential customers from your target market. Try those on for size and realize that all that time you took sending out those ads can be better spent counting your cash after your additional sales you've earned by doing something constructive.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: True networking means you are involved in a community to learn from those who have more experience than you, and to help those who have less experience than you do. Just quietly drop a polite signature line at the bottom of your helpful posts, and you'll see miracles happen. They don't happen to selfish people though, they happen for people who give first, and who offer real help and not just self-promotion.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

The Rule: Marketing must be done regularly.

The Explanation: Marketing tends to be something that home business owners put off when they are operating a web based business, or when they have to get out of their comfort zone to do it. But if marketing does not get done, the business does not grow.

Successful business owners have devised some method of marketing on a regular basis. They may schedule marketing tasks for one or two days a week, for part of each day, etc. They may do article marketing once a week, or once a month, or they may hire someone else to do their marketing for them on a regular basis. The point is, they have a method of insuring that marketing gets done periodically.

It is human nature to procrastinate that which we do not enjoy. If it is scheduled in, in one way or another, we are more likely to get it done. Even if you have a “flexible schedule� like I do, if you insure that you get it done periodically, your business will thrive better.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Frumpy Haus Frau – http://www.frumpyhausfrau.com/ - a different kind of business blog!

Comment: Even if your entire business is online; market and network offline. Open up a new road to your website. Share the information and link on your business cards, newsletters, brochures, packages being mailed, bags, t-shirts, car, etc.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Effective marketing puts a meaningful message in front of people who are actually interested in it.

The Explanation: One of the major reasons why internet businesses fail, and why new business owners fail at marketing is because they do not understand this concept. They think of marketing only as getting their message in front of PEOPLE, and do not give much thought to WHICH people they put it in front of.

There are two parts to this: 1. You have to have an effective message. It has to reach out to the people who want your product, in a way that they can understand and identify with.

2. You have to put that message in front of people who want that message – that means, people who have a need for what you are offering.

When you advertise on SafeLists, or Announcement Lists, or other places where people can post ads free, everyone there is selling. No one is actually LOOKING at the ads.

When you broadcast ads to un-targeted markets you may have only 1 in 300 who are interested – it takes a HUGE number of exposures to find even one person who will buy. When you target a specific audience, then you have many people who are interested, and a higher percentage of listeners will buy.

The web makes this simple do to, when you advertise on sites that compliment your product, and when you promote in venues that are filled with buyers instead of sellers.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Bad Marketing Ideas – http://www.badmarketingideas.com/ and about 25 other websites.

Maintaining

Getting a business going is only part of the job. Once it gets going, things change. As it grows, there is a need for adaptation.

An established business has different options than a startup. Maintaining growth may require different strategies than getting it started in the first place. And expansion of any business presents challenges that we think we are ready to face, but which actually end up being quite different than we thought!

These bits of wisdom don't by any means provide a handbook for maintaining a business. But they do provide some helpful keys, to perhaps open a door and restore order from chaos.

Keeping an open mind to change and editing will help your service or product maintain constant throughout decades and centuries.

The Rule: You cannot control the results - you can only control your own effort.

The Explanation: Explanation: Get your name and your face out there! People are looking for your product or service - your effort one place may be blessed with a result from an unrelated source. When you're working, it's working!

Cindy Powers - Ind rep Bright Minds: The Critical Thinking Co. ~At Home

http://www.brightminds.us/web/CindyP Kids LOVE our products - and you'll love what our products do for your kids!

Comment: This rule runs deep into the whole philosophy of running a business. You cannot control results, you cannot control the market, you cannot control other people. Most of all, you cannot control your customer, nor should you try!

The only thing you can really control is yourself. Self discipline to do the work that needs done, to promote when you do not feel like it, and to be kind to your customers and associates even when you are not sure they deserve it, will benefit you in the long term in unexpected ways.

Be honorable, and be prepared to roll with the unexpected punches. Even if things do not work the way you thought they would, you can still have a good outcome if you focus on your own actions first.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

The Rule: Treat Everyone Like Your Friend and You Will Never Have to Worry About Customers.

The Explanation: No matter how busy your day has been or how tired you may be when you get a call or an email from a current customer, potiental customer, downline member or potential downline member. STOP AND TAKE TIME FOR THAT PERSON! Really listen. Don't just treat them like a customer. Treat them like your best friend. Get to know them and their needs. MAKE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYONE! When you have a relationship then the business gains will come along with it. One thing that I have learned from this process is that sometimes I make great friends but not customers. But hey that is great too. We can never have too many best friends.

Rhonda S. Twitty

http://www.gifts-website.com We sell gifts for everyone in the family. Save a lot!

Comment: Marketing is HARD. But being kind is a huge portion of what makes marketing successful when it works. When you focus on giving your customers a good deal, instead of trying to bully them into seeing things your way, amazing things happen!

Power selling may get more sales in the beginning, but you'll always have to work hard for every customer if you use pushy tactics, because you'll always be trying to persuade people to buy against their better judgment.

When you market with the customer's interests in mind, the entire dynamics are different. They buy because they feel it is a good thing. They are more likely to be satisfied because you inform and give them the choice.

They are more likely to recommend you to others when they trust you to do what is best for them.

I have the best customers and clients in the world. You can too.

Comment by Laura Wheeler Comment: Allowing your customers to own a piece of you as a person allows them to feel responsible for the outcome of your business and often times gives them the reason and desire to promote you. Grateful customers happily tell everyone about you and their enthusiasm helps to create a slow but steady wave. Remember the job is not complete with a sale; the wave needs to receive wonderful customer service as well.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: A lack of integrity is a shortsighted and foolish business practice.

The Explanation: Honesty and integrity are not just a moral issue, they are good business.

There is a saying, "You can shear a sheep many times, but only skin it once." There is a lot of wisdom there. To shear the sheep, and get the wool, a rancher has to care for the animal in between shearing. It is a win-win situation for both of them. If you skin it, you may get a little more once, but they you gotta go buy another sheep and raise it to be big enough to be worth skinning. Which do you think is more efficient?

The only way you can start with nothing and build a business, is on a firm foundation of honorable work and reliable customer relations. Momentum won't build if you take liberties with other people's satisfaction.

Scammers spend months building up their scam, then they spend money on marketing their scam. It has one wild flare of frenzied success, and then it fizzles, and they are forced to start over. That doesn't happen with a reliable merchant. In fact, they can start with minimal resources, and build slowly over months, and their business will grow and grow, and never dwindle and die. It can, in fact, be hard to STOP if you want to close the doors!

Customers expect integrity in all aspects of your business. And integrity filters through all the areas that the customer sees, and the areas that the customer does not see. You need to be honorable in paying taxes that are due, and keeping needed licenses up to speed. Tax penalties and licensing penalties are counterproductive, and will hamper your ability to make a profit.

Integrity has been described as "doing the right thing even when you think nobody is looking". And it makes good business sense. Being honorable in your conduct with your customers is one of those things that you may think no one will ever know about if you fudge on little things. But they do. It is apparent in your attitude about things that you don't realize are connected, and customers who are on the ball will feel uneasy if you are not scrupulously honest.

Sometimes you get into a situation where one customer is dissatisfied through no fault of your own. It is important in those times that you take the responsibility to make it right anyway. One dissatisfied customer may be the means of preventing many more from purchasing, and it just isn't worth it. Some people will never be satisfied, no matter what you do. But if you have tried in every way that is reasonable, then you can at least present your side to anyone who questions, and reasonable people will understand.

Honesty is now considered to be a optional indulgence. It is not. It is an essential element in growing a stable business that will last.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Total Integrity Business Group – http://www.totalintegritygroup.com/ and about 30 other websites.

Comment: When you want your customers to honestly pay, then you honestly need to do the work. Golden Rule – Treat others as you would have them treat you.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: You have to balance work and home, and it's hard.

The Explanation: Most moms like to seem as though they have it "all together". You know the ones. I can do it all. The truth is that even behind success there is some sort of frazzle! Balancing home and work is hard. It's not easy. Anyone who says it is, is either just having a good day, or they are the master of planning and execution. I consider myself a really organized person and I assure you there are days I think "how will I ever get all of this done." It's OK to take time off. It's OK to spend time with your family. It's OK to work too. Balance your life and make a commitment to yourself, your family, and your business. It is possible, but you have to make a concerted proactive effort.

Written by Tara Crooks of www.ArmyWifeTalkRadio.com Comment: I have worked my business with seven kids in the home, after homeschooling them in the morning.

People think I must be a SuperMom to do this. I'm not. I always struggle to keep from either neglecting my kids or neglecting my clients. I always wonder if I am getting it right. There are never enough hours in the day, and I work LONG days. My kids sometimes think I don't know how to have fun, even though we do go do things together, and we laugh a lot.

I fit my business in around my kids – I'm not 100% here, but when they get hurt, or have a question, or need a hug, I can drop what I am doing and give them what they need. I give up some time with them to work, but by working at home, with the kids around me, I am at least THERE so that when things happen, I'm here to experience them.

Working at home is hard. Balancing it is hard. Like someone who is inexperienced on the balance beam, we always seem to be teetering, correcting, and tipping again. But as long as we don't fall off, we'll get where we are going.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

Comment: Scheduling is very important. If all you do is work, you will get burned out. If you are working at home to spend time with your family, and all you do is work, then why are you at home? You need to work to make money and you need the money to pay the bills for you and your family. If this stage of your business doesn’t allow much “free” time, include your family in what you are doing. Delegate to even the smallest members to allow them to be included and still spend precious time with them. Often times, this helps bring structure and balance into the equation.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Regular assessment and adaptation can help smooth out the bumps.

The Explanation: As a business grows, changes occur. You may go from being able to keep the books easily on a simple spreadsheet once a week, to requiring accounting software that is updated daily. The difference between the needs in those two instances happens gradually, but often business owners don't want to make changes until they are seriously inconvenienced. By that time, they are already overloaded, and making the change and learning the new skills (or training someone new) puts an additional burden on them.

Regular assessment helps you to spot the inefficient areas of your business. It helps you see the bottlenecks coming so you can act before you are in a crisis situation. And it helps you to come up with a solid strategy for adapting to the changes.

Written by Laura Wheeler - Get a legitimate home employer listing, with a booklet on how to avoid home employment scams. – http://www.skinnyshoestring.com/alpineaccess.htm

The Rule: Good guarantees pay for themselves many times over.

The Explanation: A guarantee with some teeth in it can make a huge difference in both customer acquisition, and customer retention. It signals right up front that you are willing to stand behind what you sell.

Lack of a guarantee is just the opposite. It indicates that you expect the customer to assume all the risk. In this world of rampant scams, identity theft, and faceless transactions, lack of a guarantee, or a poor guarantee just leaves your customers wondering whether you'll be there if something isn't right.

A poor guarantee is any guarantee that lacks at least an equal division of risk. If your guarantee has limits to it, that the customer can logically understand, then it will still give them confidence. But if it fails to make sense to them, or leaves them feeling that they are taking on the larger portion of risk in the transaction, they'll bolt.

Guarantees which are honored only by exchange, or by store credit may be considered less valuable by many customers. They are acceptable for some industries, but not for others. And if personal preference is a big issue with your industry, they won't work well, because people won't want a guarantee that might stick them with choices that they don't have any interest in. For media though, exchange guarantees are perfectly reasonable, and expected within that product arena.

Give them a guarantee that helps them to know that if they are not satisfied, that you will truly make it right. And then honor it even if you aren't fully in the wrong. Because one dissatisfied customer can cost you much more than just one lost sale.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Good Marketing Ideas – http://www.goodmarketingideas.com/ and about 30 other websites.

The Rule: Do-it-yourself works best when you have more time than money.

The Explanation: Early on in a business, sometimes the only way we can get going is by doing everything we can to save money. We have time, and no customers yet, so we can fill that time with tasks that we cannot afford to hire someone else to do.

Later on though, when business picks up, the equation changes. If you can make more money than it will cost you, in the time it takes to do the job, then do-it-yourself is not a wise choice.

Sometimes we get so much in the habit of saving though, that we forget to see if the circumstances have changed. It pays to do the math now and again!

Shoestring startup workarounds and make-do strategies can work. But they are only a place to start, and not a final destination.

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Skinny Shoestring – http://www.skinnyshoestring.com/ and about 30 other websites.

Comment: Updating your business plan every 6-12 months is wise. Keep the focus updated as it changes.

Update plans with new directives, products, services, price increases or decreases. Maintaining a proper business plan will be an effective tool for watching the progress of your business. A good and steady business plan is needed for a business loan or investment opportunity.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: You don't have to have a suit, but you do have to be professional.

The Explanation: Just because you work in your jammies does not mean you have to act like you haven't woke up yet. You can be professional in casual clothing, but you cannot be professional if you are sloppy in your work, or inconsiderate of your customers or clients.

I am expanding my business into new markets. I asked one of my clients, “How can I approach bigger businesses when I do not even have a working wardrobe? Who would hire me when I look like a frumpy middle aged haus frau?” (I am over 40, overweight, have gray hair, and wear VERY casual clothing, and drive an obviously well-used car – not your typical “successful web designer” appearance).

He said, “I did. Because when you walked in that door, all thoughts of you gouging me for money went out the window. You are real, and your professionalism shows every time you open your mouth.”

I learned that people may be put off initially by appearances, but it is your knowledge, your ability to communicate your expertise, and your attention to detail in the work that you do which will make the most difference, and it will have far more impact than what you wear.

Professionalism comes across in small things – a clean efficient website, good product descriptions, competent email replies and phone answers, clean and neat clothing (even if it is not expensive or formal clothing), being prepared in a meeting, returning calls, meeting deadlines, producing quality work, backing up the sale, etc.

Worry less about LOOKING professional, and more about BEING professional.

Written by Laura Wheeler (the frumpy haus frau), owner of Fabulous Frugal Websites -

http://www.fabulousfrugalwebsites.com/ Comment: You are what your customers "see" on the internet. Ok, so we can't see your jammies, but we do see your home phone number, your home address, your free website, your banners with ads inserted in them, your domain name that doesn't represent your business, the broken links on your home page, you get the idea. Clean it up! Present your business as a professional business from the inside out. Then kick back and take a minute to watch Oprah while your website works for you.

Comment by Tara Crooks Comment: Attitude and appearance are vital for an in person business situation. Attitude is vital for an online or phone business situation. Just as people can tell if you are smiling on the phone, they can see and feel your attitude through emails. In written work, professionalism is easily recognized by clear, concise, and grammatically correct wording.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Challenge and Growth are necessary to operating a business.

The Explanation: You have to learn, and you have to face difficulties you never thought you'd have to if you are going to manage your own business. You have to learn to be more than you are now.

The down side is that it is going to put you in positions you do not like being in – there will be times when you won't know what to do, and times when you make embarrassing mistakes.

The up side is that you will learn from those times, and become more capable, and you'll develop wisdom.

Next to raising children, nothing will challenge you more, or teach you more.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Article Marketing Magic – http://www.articlemarketingmagic.com/ and about 30 other websites.

Comment: Keep track of how well your product or service sells in different areas and with different people.

Constant tracking needs to be done to maintain growth.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Do more of what works, less of what doesn't.

The Explanation: The course of improvement can be summed up in this phrase. But in order to act on it, we must first figure out what IS working, and what is not!

The rule applies for business management, marketing, business development, self-improvement, and parenting.

Applying it in our lives can help us grow, one trait at a time.

Look for causes, not symptoms. Like treating the infect to stop the fever instead of just treating the fever. If business is chaotic, don't just try to cope with the chaos, try to eliminate the cause (disorganization, inefficiency, etc).

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Home Business for Parents – http://www.homebusinessforparents.com and about 30 other websites.

Comment: Take time to talk with people in similar situations and find out what has worked for them. Ask why and how. Be prepared to make changes and be prepared to do research.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Trust your friends and family, but get it in writing.

The Explanation: Writing it down clarifies misunderstandings and keeps things from getting distorted by memory or confusion. Written contracts also specify survivability in the case of death or impairment, and keep things legally above board.

It has nothing to do with trust. It is just good business to get a contract when there are terms that need to be honored. A good contract can help to preserve friendships and family relationships because it helps to avoid misunderstandings, and makes the intentions clearly known.

I have many clients who are friends. Some tell me a contract is not necessary (because they do not understand what it really is and they think it is only a matter of trusting me), but I insist anyway in any instance where I'd normally use a contract. I tell them it protects their interest in the event of my death, because my heirs would not KNOW about the contract otherwise.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Parenting With Joy http://www.joyfulparenthood.com, your source for practical parenting that helps you experience more joy in your family.

Comment: Being up front on both sides (customer/owner) helps both parties feel secure and knowledgeable. If your customer is not willing to sign a contract, either they are not ready to conduct business with you, or they are not the customer you are looking for.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Don't use someone else's yardstick to measure success.

The Explanation: Define what success means to you. Here are some suggestions: Progress – if you are making progress, that can be success.

Learning – if you are learning, that can feel pretty good.

Nearing the Goal – if you can see that the goal is coming closer, that can be success.

Monetary Goals – if you are achieving realistic monetary goals, that can be good.

Helping Others – if you feel your work makes a difference to other people, that can make it worth it.

Set realistic goals for yourself, look for small triumphs, and if it is an achievement, then allow yourself to feel successful!

Written by Laura Wheeler, owner of Firelight Web Studio – http://www.firelightwebstudio.com/ - Unique and effective website services for small business and startups. We really are different, in ways that our clients appreciate.

Comment: Break your big goals down into small workable achievements. Maintain a time schedule so you can keep track of your success. You will then have an idea of how long to expect between different stages of accomplishments in your life and business. Remember, owning a business is only one part of your life. Make it worthwhile.

Comment by Anna Campbell

The Rule: Spend time to save money.

The Explanation: When you have learned a trait and can efficiently maintain certain tasks within your business then you can retain these tasks and delegate other time consuming tasks to other employees, family members or temporary staff. Keeping track off tasks and their value will help you learn which tasks need to be removed and when new tasks need to be added. This takes you time. Removing tasks that no longer bring value or money to your business, you will save money.

Written by Anna Campbell with Women Business Owners http://www.womenowners.com

Comment: Growth and delegation are hard things to learn. Often, the things we can delegate are not particularly the things we'd LIKE to delegate. Careful assessment of our tasks, and segmenting of them into task blocks that can be delegated takes time to learn.

It pays to assess both which of our daily tasks are profitable and which are not, and to assess which ones require skill that we possess, compared to those that do not require a high level of skill, which can be delegated.

My kids have helped me with the following: Hand feeding paper into the printer, cutting and folding printed materials, office organization, housework, meal prep, routine backups and uploads, and even some graphics creation. Later, I trained a son to do routine web design and updating work, and graphic design (he ended up being better at it than I am!). And at another growth point, my husband took over the books – I had to spend time to teach him how the business worked, but then he learned beyond what I taught.

Assessment and training take time, as does tracking to figure out what is profitable and what is not. But it pays you back!

You can also spend time doing your homework before you dive into some things, to save big. Do the math on marketing, BEFORE you commit, download trial software and test it out before you purchase expensive programs, research options before you assume which you'll choose.

Comment by Laura Wheeler

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