Author: Jane Gardner

    The 1 Thing All Entrepreneurs Need to Do

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    The 1 Thing All Entrepreneurs Need to Do

     

    “I’ve never found anyone that didn’t want to help me if I asked them for help,” said Steve Jobs. “Most people never ask … and that’s what separates, sometimes, the people who do things from the people who just dream about them.”

     

    In the entrepreneurial industry online, this is especially true. There has never been a more isolating business than this one, but that doesn't mean you have to work in a bubble where you never ask for or receive assistance from others.

     

    This is a business where there is no formal education or degree that is going to map out every step you need to take from start to finish in order to succeed. In fact, there are too many different pathways you can take, which almost makes it more like a “Choose Your Adventure” scenario.

     

    But asking for help is sometimes either intimidating or unacceptable for certain men and women. There are those who insist on doing it all themselves because they have too much pride to turn to others and ask for help.

     

    There are also those who are just too shy to reach out to another person because they feel like a burden having to ask for information or assistance with something they may not know how to do.

     

    Online Marketing Isolation Is Self Sabotage

     

    Repeat after me: “There is no way I can know every single thing there is to do as an online entrepreneur.” This is a multi-hat career path. You have to do things like write content, research, learn technical things, master social media, be a blogger and email marketer, handle customer service issues, figure out copywriting and more.

     

    To think you can quickly earn money and simultaneously master all of this (and more) is ridiculous. If you do intend on taking a full DIY path, it’s going to take ample time, which means slower earnings.

     

    You have to remove your ego, set aside your lack of self confidence, and be willing to learn from others. Sometimes, that means doing more than just buying courses or absorbing free information from the ‘net.

     

    Yes, that’s where you start. It’s the best starting point for anyone. But as we all know, there will be times when that’s not enough. You might do everything you’re taught and something still glitches or isn’t effective and then what?

     

    You might turn to the person who created the course and ask (but you may not always get an answer). You might ask in a forum, but get ineffective replies. Asking someone specific for help is an option you need to have available to you.

     

    Asking for Help Doesn’t Mean You Get to Be a Burden

     

    There’s a caveat to the instruction of making sure you’re willing to ask for help. Don’t be a pain to anyone else. That means a couple of things. First and foremost, always be able to tell the person you’re turning to what you’ve done so far.

     

    If you haven’t done anything and you go asking someone, “How do I build a blog?” then you’re being a leech. Go Google it. Go to YouTube. Try it. Don’t go to someone else until you’ve made an attempt.

     

    Secondly, you want to limit your questions and be very precise with them. Don’t go to someone saying, “I don’t know why my emails aren’t getting opened.” You have to give the person data to work with, examples of your subject lines, time of day you send them, etc.

     

    Don’t bug them for a reply. They’re busy. You’re asking for help for free. And once they answer, don’t bombard them with endless additional questions. Unless you’re paying them for coaching, make sure it’s a two-way street.

     

    Your appreciation needs to be shown in some way. You might mention and tag them on social media as a fantastic mentor in the industry – someone willing to go above and beyond.

     

    You might share their post with a product promotion, both on social media as well as to your list of subscribers if it’s relevant. Be sure to ask if there’s anything you can do for them.

     

    Perhaps you have talent whipping up high-ranking blog content, and they struggle with that. You can have them give you a keyword phrase and create a post to help them rank their blog.

     

    Steve Jobs called Bill Hewlett (co-founder of Hewlett-Packard) when he was just twelve years old and asked for help. He needed spare parts for a project. Not only did Hewlett give him the parts, he gave him a job later, and the rest is history.

     

    Asking for Help the Right Way

     

    We already talked about making it a two-way street. But what else do you need to know? First, realize that just the simple act of asking is an ego boost for most successful marketers.

     

    It means you look at them as a leader or authority figure. It’s a sign of respect, unless you are demanding about it. Have some confidence when asking for help and don’t keep apologizing.

     

    People like to help those who are fellow go getters. If they get the vibe from you that you’re too meek and mild mannered and just going to continue floundering, it will be a waste of time for them.

     

    For many marketers, they view your success either as a badge of honor for them to have help you achieve it – or as a future collaborator in some way that can help them earn more in their own business.

     

    Sometimes, your question might be turned into a lesson for all of their followers. So you might be doing them a favor giving them a good content idea, while being able to show everyone how helpful they are.

     

    You need to figure out the best people to ask for help. Not everyone is going to have the same expertise, skill level or even ethics. This requires you to do your homework on reputation – and not rush into anything in a panic.

     

    Keep mental notes (or an actual record) of who shows expertise in which areas. You might have some names for those who excel with email marketing, others whose copy converts amazingly well.

     

    Watch their social media to see if they post about something related to what you need to learn. Or, see if someone else tags them to compliment them on an achievement regarding something you want to know.

     

    Never contact someone on the first time and dump a bunch of questions and a request for help on them. Introduce yourself. Explain that you’re impressed with their knowledge. Then mention what you’re doing and how you still have an unanswered question that you think they might know, but ask if they’d mind you giving it to them.

     

    Some might respond that they don’t have time. That’s okay. Don’t let that deter you from asking someone else – even if you get a negative reply several times in a row. You will encounter all kinds of very busy entrepreneurs, and some really don’t have time to help everyone who comes around asking questions.

     

    Don’t sound too needy or flustered. It’s not their job to calm you down. Be an adult and very professional in your exchange. When they give you advice, take action on it. Don’t waste their time asking for help and then do nothing with the information.

     

    That’s a slap in the face. Execute the instructions or advice and follow up with the results and your appreciation, or further question if what you did didn’t produce the kind of results you’d hoped to see.

     

    Asking for help is something you’ll probably do even when you’re bringing in six or seven figures. It’s not something that ends. Your questions might change. It might be something like asking for help in who they recommend as a virtual assistant so you can delegate your growing business tasks to.

    The Business of At Home Business membership is all about starting, running and growing a home business so you are in the right place!

    Categories: Grow a Home Business, Run a Home Business

    What is a Sales Funnel

    What Is a Sales Funnel of Offers and Why Do You Need One?
    Selling products and services online gives you access to a worldwide audience. But this doesn’t automatically result in massive sales and a successful business.
    It takes hard work and effort to secure customers and make sales. That’s why it is especially frustrating when you dedicate time, energy, and resources into promoting your offers and see minimal results.
    It’s not enough to inundate your audience with messaging and links to your offer in the hopes that they’ll click and buy.
    Successful internet-based businesses rely on the power of sales funnels to move their products and services. And they know the best sales funnels are fueled by valuable, targeted, and well-timed offers. Sales funnels automate the sales process and put you in control of what your prospects see and when. Create a sales funnel of multiple offers and you’ll quickly start to see greater revenue and results.

    What Is a Sales Funnel of Offers?
    A sales funnel is a visualization or map of the journey your target customer takes from the initial awareness stage to the final purchase. It is the process prospects go through to become a customer.
    It’s called a funnel because it’s wide at the top (the sales funnel entry point) and gradually narrows as the customer moves toward your core offer. The idea is to cast a wide net at first, attracting casual and serious prospects alike. You then present them with offers that will either move people down the funnel towards purchase or, eventually, remove them.
    The types of offers you present, and where you place them, is key to your funnel’s success. Some offer types include a lead magnet, low-ticket offer, one-time offer, order bump, upsell, and downsell. This list isn’t comprehensive, but it provides the foundation for all successful funnels.
    The point of these offers is to qualify leads for your core offer. Through your prospects’ reaction to these offers, you can learn who will buy from you and who will not. You can then weed out those who are not interested in buying anything.

    What Types of Offers Should You Put in Your Funnel?
    There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Everybody’s audience is different. You’ll have to do some planning and trial and error to discover what works and what doesn’t. Here are some of the offers most commonly found in a sales funnel.

    The Core Offer
    Your core offer is near the bottom of the funnel. It is usually your primary product/service and the reason why your offer funnel exists. It is often the purchase that’s just under the highest price point, but it doesn’t always have to be.
    Lead Magnet
    Technically not inside the funnel, a lead magnet attracts prospects to the entry point of your funnel. It is a freebie that is offered in exchange for a person’s name and email address. Once you have this information, you can start marketing to them directly via email.
    Low-Ticket Offer
    A low-ticket offer is usually found at the front end of your sales funnel. It is low-risk and won’t scare prospects away with its price tag. It primes your audience to purchase your core offer. Most importantly, it separates serious prospects from casual ones who just want your freebies.
    One-Time Offer
    A one-time offer (OTO) is a powerful way to qualify prospects early in your sales funnel. It can be a low-ticket item or even another freebie. What makes it so powerful is its exclusivity and time-sensitive nature: ‘Buy now before it’s gone forever’. It is another way to guide people to your core offer.
    Order Bump
    An order bump is located at the end of the sales funnel, on the checkout page for your core offer. With a single click, customers can add a lower-ticket item to their cart before they press ‘Buy now’. Order bumps have a high conversion rate and increase the value of your core offer and point of sale revenue.
    Upsell
    An upsell is a higher priced offer presented after your core offer. The right customers will appreciate an upsell that enhances their initial purchase.
    Downsell
    A downsell is a lower-ticket offer that is presented to your prospect after they have turned down your core offer or even after your upsell. The hope is that, while the customer doesn’t want to pay for the initial offer, they may be interested in a less expensive alternative. It keeps people in your funnel since that downsell item may be just what those people are looking for.

    Why You Need a Variety of Offers
    Presenting prospects with a variety of offers as they progress through your sales funnel allows you to segment and better target your audience. If your audience is a mix of high-ticket purchasers, cautious and budget-conscious consumers, and ‘window shoppers’ looking for freebies, a good sales funnel will offer something to all of them.
    The different types of offers and their placement in the funnel will direct audience members to the right offer at the right time. And it will eventually show them the door if none of the offers are right for them.
    Using different offer types will also allow you to maximize sales. Instead of just acquiring customers for your core offer, you can also present them with a lower-ticket item, upsell, or downsell.
    This process helps foster a relationship with your audience. As you present your audience with different offers, you will be communicating with them regularly. You will build trust and establish yourself as an expert, increasing the odds that people will purchase your core offer and future offers.
    The most important thing to remember is that the customer’s movement through the sales funnel isn’t necessarily in a straight line. It shouldn’t be viewed as a direct, ultrafast chute that drops them into your core offer. Instead, look at it as a flexible journey, or ‘choose your own adventure’, that’s directed by the decisions your prospects make.
    They may take you up on your downsell, but not your upsell. Or they may go directly to your core offer. Or they may purchase your low-ticket offer, but will need more information and content from your before they purchase a higher-ticket item. A fluid, flexible offer funnel will speak to all these people and lead them to the offer that’s right for them, resulting in more conversions and sales.

    Why You Need a Sales Funnel of Offers
    At first glance, building a sales funnel and mapping it out seems like a complicated process. You need to understand your audience, clearly define your core offer’s unique value proposition, and create a whole series of supporting offers and related communications before you even get to your core offer.

    It’s worth it.

    A sales funnel of offers makes the process more efficient.
    No more…
     Constantly adjusting your core offer to appeal to different members of your audience
     Wasting time engaging with people who just want your free content
     Scrambling to create content and communications to promote your core offer
     Annoying your audience with communications they’re not interested in and driving them to unsubscribe

    Some of your audience members just want free stuff. They’ll enjoy your free content and offers, but they won’t buy – not even a low-ticket offer. By weeding out those who won’t buy, or automating the process, you won’t waste time engaging with them during the sales process.

    This is the primary benefit, but there are many others.

    Through your offers funnel, you can build a relationship with your audience instead of spamming them with unwanted content. The communications related to your offers will genuinely help prospects with their problems and they’ll come to see you as a trusted expert who provides value. This will increase the chances that they will eventually purchase your core offer and future offers.

    Finally, a sales funnel with multiple offers helps you learn even more about your target audience. By choosing or rejecting offers, your prospects are giving you valuable information about their preferences and tastes.
    Their decisions also provide valuable input on the offer itself. If nobody takes you up on the offer, it may need to be adjusted. On the other hand, if you have great success with an offer, you can figure out why and replicate it.
    The Keys to Success with Your Sales Funnel of Offers
    Know Your Audience. The key to a successful sales funnel of offers is to know your audience. Conduct research and create an ideal customer profile. This will allow you to identify the unique challenges and problems your audience faces and solve them through you offers. If you create tangible results and quick wins for your audience, the more likely they are to buy your core offer and future offers.

    Focus on Your Free Lead Magnet.
    lead magnet is what drives people to the entry point of your sales funnel. It is your most important offer, so make it good. It should provide value and solve a specific problem your audience has identified. Pay special attention to creating content that will support this lead magnet and driving traffic to it. Nobody will opt-in to your lead magnet if they can’t find it.

    Know the Stages of Your Offer Funnel.
    Prospects move through different stages of awareness and openness to purchase as they progress through your funnel. It is critical to present them with the right offer at the right time. For example, the chances of convincing them to purchase a high-ticket item the second they enter your funnel are very low. You first need to cultivate a relationship.
    The first stages of the journey are awareness (before they enter the funnel) and then interest (after they’ve opted in). Prospects are just starting learn about you and your offerings. The offer at the interest stage should be low-risk, either a freebie or one-time offer that will gain their trust and move them further down the funnel.
    In the middle of the funnel, prospects are at the evaluation and engagement stages. They’re consuming your content and starting to seriously consider what you have to offer. You can present them with a low-ticket offer or even a subscription.
    Later in the funnel, in the commitment stage, prospects have been convinced of your value and are ready to buy. Present them with your core offer, and later an upsell or downsell offer.
    Learn these stages so you’re making the right offer, at the right time. And remember, the stages aren’t necessarily linear. Some prospects may get all the way down to the engagement stage and then decide they need more information, returning to the evaluation stage.

    Longer Doesn’t Mean Better.
    Your offer funnel doesn’t need to be long and complex. You just need enough offers to qualify your prospects and lead them to your core offer. Assess your customers’ needs and the types of offers you’re capable of making.
    Don’t Despair When People Leave. Don’t feel disappointed when people leave your offer funnel. That’s supposed to happen! They’re sending you valuable feedback that your offers aren’t for them.
    The Core Offer Isn’t the End. If you really want to make the most of your offer funnel, keep engaging with people long after they buy your core offer. Lead them to other offers and funnels. You’ve done a great deal of work to capture and nurture this lead, so don’t let them go.

    How to Get Started
    You’ll learn the most about building a sales funnel of offers by actually doing it, so get started today. The first step is to identify your core offer, think about your customers and what you can offer them along the way, and start mapping it out. The sooner your offer funnel is up and running, the sooner you’ll start seeing results.

    Categories: internet marketing

    Word of Mouth Marketing is easy and effective way to promote your business

    How Word-of-Mouth Marketing Makes You the Go-To Expert in Your Market 

    Do you want to become the go-to source of expertise for your audience in your niche? There are many marketing strategies you can employ to do this, but the most effective and efficient is word-of-mouth marketing.

    Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) is, at its most basic definition, free advertising that happens when a customer having a great experience with your company. The happy customer is so delighted, they can’t help singing your praises to anyone who will listen.

    lt is that new people hear about how amazing you or your company are from a trusted friend, not an advertisement. This subset of social proof is a highly powerful way to make sales. You can use word-of-mouth marketing to grow your customer base, make sales, and boost your business’s brand.

    If you can harness the power of WOMM, you can get more out of your marketing efforts and grow your reputation using the oldest method of advertising known to mankind.

    How Word-of-Mouth Marketing Works

    The reason WOMM is so powerful is that people have gotten used to advertising hype. They’re savvier than ever before and they know online marketing when they see it. As a result, they’re less likely to listen when they see your promotional content online.

    But with word of mouth, the message comes from friends who are giving an honest recommendation. According to marketing research, people are much more likely to make purchase decisions based on what their friends say, rather than advertisements.

    When was the last time you tried something because of a friend told you about it? If you think back on your own experiences, it’s easy to see how word-of-mouth marketing works.

    Organic vs. Accelerated Word of Mouth

    Word-of-mouth marketing is nothing new at all. People have been spreading information about products and services for as long as language has existed. One person tells two friends, they each in turn tell two more, and so on. It’s the pre-internet version of viral marketing.

    This is also called “organic” WOMM. It’s organic because it happens naturally, with no action taken on your part. But you don’t have to rely on the hope that people will talk about you. Instead, you can make it happen by using “accelerated” word-of-mouth marketing. This is when you launch a campaign and employ tactics specifically designed to encourage word of mouth.

    The idea behind accelerated WOMM is to create a buzz that gets people talking. Businesses create products and content with shareability in mind. They leverage influencers and brand advocates to help spread the word and may even offer incentives to their audience members for telling others.

    There are strategies you can use that are guaranteed to get people talking and give them the nudge necessary to spread the word. All it takes is a little planning and effort.

    Word-of-Mouth Marketing Examples

    There are many ways businesses are using WOMM to spread awareness.

    In our business with my husband, we don’t need to advertise or market because we get word of mouth marketing working for us for the last 15 years. Once you get good recommendations from your clients, the word of mouth spreads and grows!

    One example would be to run a contest or challenge where customers make videos highlighting original, unusual, or funny uses of your products. You choose the best ones and give them awards, sharing all the submissions with your audience.

    Another example would be a coffee company that creates content teaching its audience about its ethically sourced beans and how it supports local communities and causes. The company’s customers support the business not only for the coffee, but also for the core values they share. This gets people talking and telling others about the coffee that everyone should be drinking.

    Another simple WOMM idea is to gather reviews and comments from your customers and post them on your website.

    Best Practices for Harnessing the Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

    Offer Expert Advice and Information. Create and share content that helps your audience solve problems they’re facing. Offer this help free with no strings attached. If your content is unique and offers value, people will be much more likely to tell their friends about it.

    Excellent Products and Services. Offer excellent products and services with stellar customer service. If you offer the highest quality possible, people will tell others, especially if they get results from using them.

    Learn How to Build Buzz. Since WOMM works best when people are talking, take the proactive steps to get them talking. Make everything shareable. Create events that will get talked about. Take advantage of current and upcoming trends.

    Do One Thing Really Well. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Focus on one thing and do it really well. If you can do one thing better than anyone else, you’ll get to be known for that specialty. You’ll gain an edge over the competition and word will spread.

    Exceed Expectations and Wow People. Go above and beyond what people expect of you. Give them unexpected surprises that will create a wow moment. These experiences are memorable and build buzz. The easiest way to wow people is to make promises and overdeliver on them.

    Tell a Good Story. Learn to tell stories well. If you share stories that connect with your audience through the core values you share, this will build a great relationship. People will buy from you because of your story, and then they’ll spread the word.

    Create an Experience. Don’t just create a product or service. Create an experience. Think about the journey your customer takes from initial contact to becoming a repeat purchaser and brand advocate. Make each step as engaging, helpful, personal, and enjoyable for your customer as possible. Seek ways to add value at every step along the way.

    Stay in Touch with Your Audience. Good communication with your customers is the key to making WOMM work. You need to know what problems they face and why they buy from you. You should have a plan for consistently gathering both positive and negative feedback that you can take action on, continually creating an even better experience.

    Ready to Make Word-of-Mouth Marketing Work for You?

    Ready to get started? The first step is to identify some strategies you can use to get people talking about you. If you know your audience well, you can easily find some ways to build buzz over your products and services. Go ahead and pick from some of the ideas and examples in this article to start with. Then let your own creativity kick in.

    Implement and refine, and soon you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get your customers talking about you and telling others.

    For more ideas and creating a word of mouth marketing strategy , you can check out the word of mouth marketing course in The Business of At Home Business Membership.

    Categories: Run a Home Business Tags: Tags: , ,

    Two Basic Parts of a Low Cost Web Site Promotion

    Seo spelt in scrabble disks

    Anybody could own a web site. Anybody could up sell their own products and services to their target audience. Anyone could try to promote their web site with a low cost. But there are not many web sites that have a truly successful web site with traffic all day through. What these individuals or companies lack is the most essential factor of success – a low cost web site promotion that really works.

    If you have been trying to promote your own web site and you have received traffic every hour, my hands are down for you. But for those people who need assistance, who does not have the patience to promote their own product and services, and lacks knowledge to properly advertise themselves, here are some guidelines to help you achieve success with a low cost web site promotion.

    Search Engine Submission and Ranking are the two basic parts to a low cost web site promotion. Both of the parts have the same effect on the market of the web site – for your products and services presented in your web site catches the people’s attention.

    Search Engine Submission

    The first inexpensive method of web site promotion is the search engine submission. This first part is the act filing information and submitting your web site to search engines. There are two types of Search engine submission – manual and automatic. For a low cost and effective web site promotion, automatic submission is ideal because after filling up the information, a software program would forward this information to other search engines.

    Ranking

    The second money-saving web site promotion is ranking. This refers to the numerical position in which your web site appears on a search engine, based upon the web site’s criteria. Some search engines rank the order in which your search results appear primarily by how many other web sites link to each page. The leading web sites on this order would eventually fulfill a low cost web site promotion.

    Inexpensive Website promotion

    Other types of inexpensive web site promotion you could use to boost up traffic on your web site are banner advertising, classified ads, text links and section sponsorship. Banner advertisements pop up above and below web pages, and sometimes in another window. Text links and section sponsorship may cost more, but these methods helps in promoting to your specified target audience. It wouldn’t harm your web site to try these methods.

    Always remember that the effects of your not so costly web site promotion hits are increasing significantly each day. Don’t waste time; find an effective and affordable web site promotion of your choice today.


     

    Categories: Grow a Home Business

    What are Core Beliefs in CBT?

    CBT stands for cognitive behavioural therapy, a form of talking therapy which helps people who are suffering with mental health problems. It can help to change the way you think about yourself, those around you and the wider world through addressing common underlying problems which might be getting in the way of your success, health and well-being.

    During cognitive behavioural therapy, there are often core beliefs which are identified and addressed. These are often the same for many people, and most of them will fit into several distinct categories, such as love and relationships, family, work and self-esteem.

    What are core beliefs?

    Core beliefs are the beliefs that people have about themselves. These can be negative, such as the beliefs that other people are better than you, or that you’re not good enough for something or somebody. Cognitive behavioural therapy seeks to address some of these core beliefs which can be very limiting to your life and self-esteem.

    However, core beliefs can also be positive. You may have generally positive opinions about yourself, with just a few negative beliefs which are getting in the way of your life in some way. Core beliefs are the beliefs that we hold about ourselves, and may be generally negative or generally more positive.

    Why understanding core beliefs can help with so many other things

    While it’s good to talk about your problems and the things which are stressing you out at the moment, many people underestimate the importance and the value of getting down to the root of the cause. Many problems are caused by core beliefs about yourself that you haven’t even though about, never mind thought about changing.

    When you start to think about your core beliefs, your mind will open up to other things too. You will start to think about how your negative thoughts on body image have contributed to your negative opinions of yourself at work or your lack of confidence in the work place. You might find that you behave differently in certain situations or around certain people, and this could be done to experiences you have had in the past or during your childhood which have shaped many of your beliefs.

    Core beliefs are a key part of each person’ mind, and in order to fully understand yourself and analyse what you’re thinking, you need to understand your core beliefs first.

    If you want to develop a Success Mindset to be successful in business go here for FREE training 

    Categories: Mindset Tags: Tags: , , , ,

    LLC or Sole Proprietorship

    Businessman working hard at office

    There are many benefits to having an LLC company for your business.
    First off, I’m not a lawyer and you should consult a lawyer in your local area to find out all the pros and cons of having an LLC business.

    It was not even a question for our Structural Engineering firm to start with a LTD (limited company in Canada). The benefits outwayed the challenges to having a LLC.

    The LLC exists as a separate entity from any of the shareholders of the business. So, other than (in Canada) the Taxman who can get what they are owed regardless, the company is liable instead of the shareholders for any claims against it whether it be general comprehensive liability (someone drives the company car and injures another) or errors and omission liability for any errors done in the commission of the work. Of course, as a business (whether sole proprietorship or LLC) you should have general comprehensive liability and errors and omissions liability so this way the claim is against the company and any liability claims are against the company rather than you personally.

    As well in order to have a business bank account for more than one person to have access to as shareholders it is best to have an LLC entity. Of course, you have to make sure you need two signatures of shareholders on cheques so there isn’t any possibility of improprierty by one of the shareholders.
    You will need to “create” the LLC documents with the rules of the company and shareholders etc. but there are plenty of free LLC agreements you can see if they work for your business.

    As a LLC, you can probably also write off many expenses to the company and our accountant can do many things like carrying over liabilities to the next year and he is worth the investment to do the end of year taxes as LLC have many write-offs that a sole proprietor does not have in business.

    For the future, you can sell the business to another person much easier if you retire as the company is separate from your personal assets and liabilities.

    One or more persons can be employees of the company with the tax advantages of being employees to get money out of the LLC company. Of course, you could still be independent consultants and bill the company for your services.

    LLC company has so many advantages that once you get beyond a certain revenue that you personally claim on your personal income tax, everyone who is in business should have a LLC as a consultant for the benefits and write-offs. However, once again, I will say I am not a lawyer so you should consult one in your local area. Our structural engineering firm has been a LTD (LLC) since 1992 and the company has been healthy in its growth and it provides us with salaries take home as employees as well as a hired bookkeeper.

    For more on starting a home business you can check out Members | The Business of At Home Business  for anyone interested in being in business!

    Categories: Legal Tags: Tags: , , ,

    Entrepreneurship can be overwhelming

    Often, people set out to be entrepreneurs because they have grown tired of making money for someone else. They love the idea of being their own boss, setting their own hours, and not having to share a portion of the financial gains in the end.

    People who take the leap and decide they can do this on their own must have unwavering self-discipline and an excellent work ethic for the best chances at a successful enterprise. Once you choose to go it alone, you must be all in. Many of us tend to bounce back and forth, wondering if it is a good idea or not.

    This may be the first of many paradoxes you will face as a self-employed business owner!

    The cautious part of us doesn’t want to take the leap until a plan is in place and you are 100% invested in the decision. However, we often stand in our own way, over-analyzing every single aspect of a plan. The fact is, you’ll never be able to plan every single step because you aren’t yet aware of all possible variables.

    Entrepreneurship can be overwhelming. You aren’t going to be able to handle everything all at once, by yourself. Trying to take care of everything at one time leaves you pulled in every direction and tasks left incomplete. The things that we do manage to complete are often not done to our standards because we aren’t focused or able to commit as much time as we would like.

    Our mind wanders, and we end up thinking about all the other duties we should be taking care of right this minute. It’s important to remember to take a single bite from the elephant; don’t try to swallow it all at once.

    Erase any thought of failure from your head as well. We become our own worst enemy when we allow thoughts of failure to creep in and take over. It can stop us right in our tracks! As mentioned before, you cannot think of failing with every decision you make and expect to move forward. If you are second guessing yourself, you are slowing down the process of building your business.

    A good support system is a must! Make sure the people you have around you offer a balance of support and constructive criticism. There is no room for doomsayers or people who have not bought into your way of thinking. This is your business, idea, and future you’re building. Keep your eye on the prize, push through doubt and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

    As your own boss, you need to employ the same work ethic and devotion you once gave to your employer. If something doesn’t seem to be working as planned, step back and reanalyze your process. Don’t think of it as starting over; it’s merely altering the plan, so you aren’t stalling out. When you get out of your own way, nothing can stop you!

    Don’t get overwhelmed by everything you need to know to start your business, take the training “Start  your Own Home Business Step by Step” and get started!

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