By Tasha R. Collier, Founder/CEO of Diaper Baggies, for Work-at-Home.org
Work at Home Success means many different things to many different people, but if you’re reading this article about working at home and starting your own home business, you probably have personal goals about a particular type of lifestyle, personal financial goals and maybe some personal achievement goals.
Your dreams are precious and they are powerful. With your dreams you can create ideas. With your ideas you can research and set goals. With goals, a plan and action you will realize fruition of your dreams. It is a beautiful, wonderful circle.
One mom who owns an exciting home business that helps her “have it all” shares her tips for making your home business happen, too.
This article assumes that you have a home business idea in mind already. If you don’t yet, that’s okay. If you want to work at home or own a home business bad enough and you search for the idea, the right idea will come to you.
1. What are your personal goals and your ultimate goals for your home business?
What does success mean to YOU? Whether its freedom, financial independence, more time with your family, or travel, whatever success means to you, decide that now so that you know what you’re working towards and how to get there. In order to get the results you want, determine your objective and plan everything with that in mind.
2. Set a date for completion/achievement of your home business.
A dream is just a dream until there’s a plan. Even if your goal is just to get a work at home job so you can stay home with your kids, sketch out a plan for how long you will work on your idea. Next, choose a time frame in which you will move on to something else or take a new path if your idea is not going the way you had planned. That doesn’t mean give up, but instead of wasting time, make better use of your time. So either find a new way to execute your idea or move on to your next idea.
3. Home Business Marketability: Play Devil’s Advocate with yourself.
Answer the following question in 3 sentences or less: Why would someone want to spend time or money on your product or service and how would it benefit them? You should be able to answer this question precisely and concisely. Be honest with yourself, or you may lose your shirt and face unnecessary failure. This is a great tool in helping you to develop your idea as well as market your idea properly.
4. Create a consistent schedule to work toward your work at home goals.
If you have a full-time job, you may choose to work on your idea every Wednesday at 8pm for an hour. If you have more time you may be able to devote more time to your work at home dream and taking the action is takes to get there. Use the time you have available, but be consistent. If you drift too far away from your dream and your action plan, you’ll lose sight of land and your dreams may be lost forever.
5. Take one step towards your work at home goal every day.
The first step on your goal plan may be “Spend 15 minutes trying to think of a great home business idea.” Whatever your first step, start it today. No matter how big or small, every step counts. Each step that you take towards reaching your goal will keep you motivated and open to new opportunities that may cross your path.
6. Ask Google!
If you’re not sure where to start or if you have questions on specific aspects of your idea, type in your question on Google. Almost all of your research can be done by using the internet.
7. Talk to someone who is more experienced than you are!
In order to learn more about how to execute your idea, talk to someone who is more experienced than you are! Avoid being rigid. Sometimes, just being open to different opinions can help you to see things that you may not have considered. Take a chance and hear out other people who may have “been there!” and “done that!” If people give you credible reasons why your home business idea may not be marketable, listen to them and adjust. The Small Business Administration offers free consultation with retired, experienced business people. Some States offer business assistance to taxpayers thinking about starting a business. Another good home business site is smallbusinessadvocate.com.
8. If you have more than one home business or other work at home idea:
Choose the top two ideas that you want to work on – the two that you feel offer the most potential for your personal objectives or make you feel the happiest -- and jot down the rest for later. It never fails that once you come up with one good idea, another one is soon to follow. Prioritizing your ideas will not only help you to stay focused, but it will keep you motivated and reduce the chances of feeling overwhelmed and therefore not acting on any of them!
9. Treat your home business as if it were already a success.
Instead of “One day it will be….” “When we get bigger, we’ll…..” All of the things that you expect from your home business should be how you visualize your home business from the start. If you want to be perceived as a large-scale, successful company, then demonstrate that from the start! Demonstrate it in your, correspondence with your prospective clients as well as in any and all relationships that you build along the way. THINK BIG!
10. Don’t talk about it, BE about it!
Action is what will turn your dream into your reality. If you set goals, set deadlines, make a plan and follow your plan every day, you’ll get there faster than you thought!
Tasha R. Collier is an active, full-time business owner who has worked from her home office since 2005 and is the Founder/CEO of DiaperBaggies.com. Her home business has been featured by CBS News!
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