Phils Work at Home Blog

Running your own home business can be both a blessing and a curse. Truth be told, almost everyone has advice for how you should run things; react to situations, and how to spend your time and money. One common theme is to automate absolutely everything possible, using the reasoning that you will need to “get on with things” and grow your business. While this holds some truth… it is not entirely factual.

Any home business will have a front end, and a back end. Now, when you start your venture, you will begin to realize that everything takes time to do… and some things take even more time to get done right. Always have a vision of what your front end will look like: what will the customer see, what will draw them in, what is the initial offer, are the graphics matching the copy writing, is the offer attractive in appearance, and so on. Once done, this will likely stay pretty static - especially if it’s working to make sales! So, after it’s set - you are free to hand any small modifications off to be done by someone else… investing your newly found “free” time toward growing your business.

Now, to address the back end. Once your offer has been snatched up by hungry customers, you have the opportunity to offer a secondary product… this is your back end. Planning the delivery and execution of this offer is usually much quicker than the front end work. However, this still requires your own personal touch. The back end is the easiest way to grow your profits… you simply contact the customer with another, similar offer. Your cost to market and attract the customer is zero - as you’ve already acquired them as a customer. You simply want to match the customer’s desires with a product which you can supply… this cannot be automated, but the processes around sending the offer and processing the payment can definitely be automated. It’s the personality within the offer that can never be automated.

Automation can make your communication with the customer easier, and it can make the payment processing easier… this can be seen almost every time. However, the personal matching of customer desires with the perfect product… along with a superior offer cannot be automated - it require human feeling and emotion. So, yes - do automate what you can. But, after the automation is done, be sure to inject emotion and feeling into your business - as this will grow your business more than anything else possibly could.

Working at home has been a dream of many that goes back many years. Staying at home and enjoying watching the kids grow up is a goal worth fighting for.

Let’s take a look into making a living or part time living from the comfort of your home. You owe it to yourself to gain the freedom a home business can offer.

In the past, there have been multi-level marketing plans to sell everything from vitamins to soap. There have been mail order catalog opportunities. Many tried buying and selling real estate. Each of these opportunities made many people a lot of money, but each of them also cost many people a lot of money.

More people have spent money than have made money in every business venture. The problem is many inexperienced people get into moneymaking schemes after attending a meeting somewhere. The offer may be legitimate, but most people fail in business.

According to the US Small Business Administration, over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail with the first five years. That is a scary statistic.

This means that the average business is doomed to fail from the beginning. It also means that you will lose a lot of money if you start a business. WOW! No wonder you are leery about putting up your hard-earned cash for what is statically a crapshoot, a roll of the dice.

So, what is the answer for the average person who does not want to lose their savings and even their home investing in a business? Start building a “digital business” online. Create a website that generates its income without you needing to invest in inventory or even lease a building to house your business. Then create two or ten more websites generating income for you.

You may not know how to create a website today. It is an easily learned skill. There is software you can buy or download free that will help you. There are tutorials on making a website profitable. You can do this.

Once you have a website online you can put other people’s advertising on your site and be paid when someone buys one of their products. If this was my baby toys webpage and I mentioned a great baby toy with a link to my advertiser’s toy page you might go there and buy the toy. If you did, I would get a commission.

You could also put ads on your pages that only require someone to click on the ad for you to be paid. Again, if you were on my baby toy page and an ad talks about a toy. You click on the ad to go see it and I am paid for you clicking on the ad. The advertiser feels their sales page is compelling enough for them to sell enough of that toy to cover their cost of the clicks that got you there.

Some advertisers do not require you to buy the product when you click on an ad, but I will not be paid unless you fill out their application. This is usually seen on sites like insurance sites or loan application sites. You do not have to get a policy or take out a loan for me to be paid. When you fill out the form, I qualify for my commission for sending you to the advertiser.

These are typically the ways a beginning website entrepreneur starts generating income on the Internet. Once you understand that part of internet marketing, you may move on to selling your own digital products.

A digital product is one that can be downloaded from your website. You can sell your own ebook you wrote yourself or an ebook you purchased and have the rights to sell online.

If you are a programmer, you can sell you own computer program from your site. You could also sell someone else’s program that you purchased the rights to sell.

Notice that not all of the above ideas require you to invest in a lot of inventory. Even the products are free if you create them yourself. Not everything you are doing so far requires a large investment of your hard earned money. It does require a large investment of your time.

All of the material you need to create a website can be found free online if you do not want to purchase some popular program. Your only expense SHOULD be a domain of your own, such as yourdomain.com. You can get free hosting from various places but for moneymaking venture, this is not advised.

For a small investment, you too can be PRESIDENT OF YOUR OWN COMPANY. Maybe the statistics are the same for success online as they are in other businesses, but this is a chance to find out without losing the farm doing it.

Working out of the home often means juggling multiple tasks and wearing many hats. But look out. When there is so much to do that there is little time left over for sales and marketing activity, sales can dry up and often do. Here are some ways to avoid that. 1. Monthly Focus – Each month, grab your calendar and see which holidays are coming up. Then focus some type of activity around them. At least minimally, setup a direct mail campaign through the U.S. Post Office site (usps.com) in these quick steps: Choose one of their postcards. With their online tools, edit the back with a quick note, sale of some type & referral request. Load an Excel document of addresses, pay and send. 2. Ad Campaign - Plan ahead with advertising representatives by gathering their media kits and asking about special deals or rates they may have for you. Then follow up and plan a 12- to 16-month campaign, even if it’s just a small classified that runs regularly. That way you’ll always be covered whether you’re too busy to care or not. You can always supplement with cross-promotional pieces. But at least, set up a foundation to get you through the year. For inexpensive ads to run throughout the year, check out neighborhood newspapers and free or cheap magazines and papers that are placed inside public libraries, large grocery stores and country-type restaurants. PennySavers and Thrifty Ads are other sources. 3. Regular Income Stream - Don’t just have all large projects. Set up a few (or several, depending upon your budget needs) smaller, regular income-producing projects to generate weekly / monthly income. And maintain a steady flow as much as possible. In other words, if five regular, smaller jobs pay the day-to-day bills, once one of them quits or runs out of work for you, replace it as soon as possible so that you maintain your steady ‘five’ as much as possible. Some people setup affiliate programs in this manner; selling something for someone else and earning a percentage or profit for selling. They target so much income from one source of revenue stream to cover a certain portion of expenses. And if this runs out of steam, they beef up promotions or switch to another affiliate program. Learn more about affiliate options from a place like Commission Junction (cj.com). Or in your favorite search engine, type in ‘affiliate programs’ and see which ones are popular. So when you juggle, remember to mix in SOME type of regular sales and income generating opportunities. You don’t drop the ball!

For anyone who wants to earn more money than they’d ever get with a day job, then the only real answer (besides winning the lottery) is to start their own business. Of course, starting a business can be very costly, something that puts starting a traditional business out of the reach of many people.

However, there is an alternative, and that’s starting a business from home. There are several different alternatives a person can choose from, from coming up with a completely new idea and concept and creating their own products, to joining an existing MLM type business, to starting an online business.

Lately, a huge number of people have been lured by the idea of making their millions on the Internet, but the sad fact is, few of them ever make a decent living, let alone a fortune, online. Why is that? Many online opportunities are promoted as being very simple, and easy enough for everyone to do. If that were truly the case, there would be a lot more online success stories today than there are!

One problem people have is too much choice. There are so many different opportunities and ideas, that they try and run with the lot, and end up falling quite heavily, simply because without focus a business is doomed to failure. Another problem is that many people really don’t have any idea about running a business, and don’t think about their home business as they would a real, traditional business.

If you really do want to start a work at home business, and aren’t afraid to put in a lot of time and effort (especially in the beginning) there are a few important things you need to know to set you on the right path.

Firstly, watch your expenditure. An online business can be one of the least expensive businesses to run. Most people already have the basics they need to get started (a computer with an Internet connection). However, the problem comes when they actually start looking at online businesses and means of making money. Suddenly they’re confronted with a million and one different products ALL of which are supposed to guarantee success.

Many people spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, very quickly when they’re starting out in the world of Internet business, and soon find that most of it was money down the toilet. To avoid this, you need to work out what it is you’re going to be doing online and create a plan. There are numerous ways of making money on the Internet, including: eBay and other auction sites, affiliate marketing, Adsense (and other contextual advertising), as well as marketing your own product. Once you know what it is you want to do, then find one very good resource, and stick to it, The hint here is to do a bit of research first, and get honest reviews of any product before you purchase, rather than letting a sales letter induce you to purchase another worthless product.

The next thing you need to focus on is how you’re going to build your business. Most online businesses start with a website (and although there are plenty of sites that promise you don’t need a website of your own, anyone who wants to make a long term living online will need a website). You then need a step-by-step plan you can follow, and you need to be able to follow it! One of the best things about working from home is also one of the most problematic, and that’s the fact that you can work your own hours. Unfortunately, if you’re not able to discipline yourself you may find that the hours actually spent in front of your computer aren’t enough. It helps if you can work out a day to day plan of exactly what you want to accomplish each day, so that you know you’re on the right track.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that a work at home business, even an online one, will require a certain amount of dedication and effort before you’ll be rewarded with results. It’s not a matter of whipping up a quick website and waiting for the money to start flowing in, and if anyone tells you it is, odds are, they’re lying! Be prepared for months (even years) of hard, consistent work, and you’ll reap the rewards, but fall for too many get-rich-quick schemes and promises and you’ll be back to your day job before you know it.

Way too many people believe the Internet is a place to get rich quick with no effort or sweat needed. You just publish a web site and poof you have a home business. Please do not hold your breath waiting on results from an Internet business started with that thought process. Home business owners turning blue or choking are signs that they did not read this article.

The good news is starting an online home business is worth every second it takes to do it right. Imagine being your own boss for incentive, then use your brain and motivation to make it work. The lack of time will always be a factor in creating your business, given the fact we all have jobs, kids, family or some other distraction. To add more time to your business day use the proven techniques and strategies not shortcuts!

Imagine being able to sit down at your computer and find your home business already built in a box just waiting for you. By using content sites and article sites, you can easily find ready to go ebooks, software, products and even complete web sites, ready to build a business with. They just do not include the marketing any business requires.

Take a tour of sites like Infogoround, Surefire Wealth, and SiteSell. You will find ideas and solutions for any home business. None will be successful overnight. Success takes considerable effort and motivation and it all starts with you and a great idea.

And do not overlook your greatest asset which is the skill and knowledge you already have. Business online takes passion and chances are passion on the job got you many years of experience that you can easily share for profit. The book “Make Your Knowledge Sell” can be found on any search engine. Get a copy of it and see just how much money your knowledge can make.

Many topics and themes great for home business and affiliate sales have already been built. Take advantage of that by joining sites that sell content and ideas you can modify to suit your specific purpose. These days you can start a home based business in just minutes to hours, but above all things, have a marketing plan before you start. Then use content sites, article sites, and proven marketing tactics to get the job done.

In all cases however, the lack of an action plan is the fastest way to a home business failure. “Look before you leap” is a well known phrase and the answer for faster home business profits.

When most people decide to work at home, they have visions of how easy and convenient it is going to be, rolling out of bed and rolling up to the computer in your home clothes, or being able to work and still never missing any of their favorite soap operas and talk shows during the day. Unfortunately, there is a lot more to contend with after making the decision to work at home than no more suits and no more commuting.

To work at home successfully, a person needs a great deal of personal motivation and self-discipline. After all, there is no train you are going to miss and no boss you are going to tick off by showing up late if you can’t get yourself out of bed by eight in the morning. Instead, people who work at home have to be their own boss and monitor their own schedule in this regard, which can be difficult if you’re used to being motivated by the strict schedule imposed by your office environment.

On the other hand, for many individuals who don’t necessarily function optimally during “normal” working hours and who prefer a more alternative approach, the work at home option can be a blessing because it allows them to work at home when it is convenient for them. In many cases, this arrangement will make someone more productive, not less. Having a flexible working schedule is a home business advantage but it can also lead to failure if not managed properly.

If you are planning to work at home, the best thing you can do is to set yourself a few ground rules and make sure you stick to them. Plan your workdays in advance - know when you are going to get up and start work, when you will break for lunch and when you will quit for the day, just as you would at office.

If you work at home, your schedule doesn’t have to be the same as it would at the office, but it needs to exist in order for you to be productive. Set yourself a designated work area where you will work at home and try to keep it as separate from your non-work life as you can.

After all, one thing many people who work at home learn quickly is that you don’t always appreciate being at home as much when you’re not working if you’re also at home when you are working.

You have decided to start a home-based business?.There may be many reasons for you to do this: ie. You may be juggling a full time job, a part time job and / or raising a family. You know that there are many things you need to do in order to successfully start your business and work from home. How are you going to fit your business project into your daily commitments? It’s easy to become overwhelmed and lose focus. Losing focus will cause you to take no action. Action is essential to moving on from where you are now, to where you want to be.

Here are 5 tips to stay focused on starting your home based business:

1. Break large projects down.

If you have a large project or task to tackle, it is always easier when you break it down into smaller components. You’ll find it much easier to focus because you won’t feel as overwhelmed. For example, ‘Register a business name’ can be broken down into: ‘Think of five business name ideas’, ‘Find out how to register business name’, ‘Get registration form’ and so on.

1. Keep a ‘things to do’ list

Once you’ve broken down major tasks into smaller ones, make and keep a ‘things to do’ list. Always keep a notepad and pen with you so that you can jot down any new ideas that spring into mind.

1. Schedule your time

Every evening, decide on three to five tasks on your ‘things to do’ list that you wish to accomplish the following day. Stay focused on these tasks/projects and only move on to the next task or project on your list once these have been completed.

1. Set goals

There is nothing better for staying focused than setting goals. Visualize exactly where you want to be in a month, six months and a year. In a month’s time, do you want to have registered a business name and got all your equipment set up? In six months time, how many clients or subscribers do you want? How much revenue per week/month do you want to generate in a year’s time?.

Many successful business owners have started off this way.Start with small goals ,and when realised, move onto a bigger goal, and so on etc.

1. Say no

Be assertive and carve out more time for your business project. Saying ‘no’ to that extra demand by your boss every once in a while, can get you home one hour earlier a couple of days a week. How about cutting back on the amount of housework that you do? Imagine how you could channel that extra time into your business.

If you put these five tips into practice, you’ll definitely find it easier to focus on and achieve your ultimate goal of working from home.

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Phil Butler writes quality articles on the niche of home business and affiliate marketing. He is also the Webmaster of Moneyfromhome-works.com. Go here to find your new online work at home jobs.Work at home income ideas