Advice From the Staff

There are many sources of "Work From Home," "Be Your Own Boss," or "Start Your Own Business" programs to be found everywhere. As with anything else, there are sources that really work and those that do not; at least not for those who were unfortunate enough to have wasted time and money on them. (By the way, before we go any further, we ARE talking about REAL programs that will help you start and run a business--NOT some get rich quick scheme!) What we find interesting is when a person says how "XYZ" program is a rip-off while someone else is making $1000 a month in steady income within six months with the SAME program! How is this possible? Well, it all boils down to one thing. This one thing is bigger than everything else tangibly needed to run a business combined! Without the "Proper Mindset," you have failed before you even begin.

The majority of people who fail, we believe, fall into this category. Most come from a supervised work environment and have never worked in a totally unsupervised capacity. Ads showing enticements of expensive cars and enormous homes with lavish pools lure them. Pictures of business owners lounging about, apparently doing nothing while bushels of cash flow into their bank accounts, motivate them. Don't get us wrong--there is nothing misleading with the picture or the enticements. There are many who have actually achieved this lifestyle. But they had to have the proper mindset to get there. Another thing you should notice is that never do you see the "owners" in these ads actually working. This also builds on the false impression that you can do next to nothing and still achieve this enormous wealth. You see, the biggest point these ads want to get across is that attaining and maintaining this type of wealth is EASY.

Here is where we caution you, with NO BS:

YOU WILL FAIL if you are driven by the "do little and gain a lot" mentality. You will fail if you are the type of person who needs supervision. You will fail if you cannot follow instructions. You will fail if you are a procrastinator or do not complete what you start. You will most likely fail if you quit your present job prematurely. You will most likely fail if the first order of business is to take an extended vacation. You will fail if hanging with your friends takes priority over your daily game plan or if you shorten your workday. You will fail if you try to build a business on dishonesty.

The proper mindset is having the "successful employer" point of view. Looking at a business from the eyes of the owner is very much different from those of the employee. There are more tasks to be done or, better yet, delegated. You must structure your WHOLE day, EVERY day. In addition, if there are any problems, it's now up to you to find the solutions. In fact, you don't wait for problems to find you: You anticipate them and deal with potential problems BEFORE they can affect your operation. The point is, you have to put in serious time for your business to have a chance, at the beginning especially. Lay a sound foundation from the beginning and you will have smoother sailing as business grows. It is possible that you can step right into that picture you have seen, but most likely you will not. If you are just looking for extra money for vacation, education, a new car or investing, your chances of success are even better! It ALL begins with YOU and it is ALL ON YOU. However, do not be intimidated. And IF you are actually EXCITED by being THE BOSS, all the better!

Earlier, we mentioned how it is interesting when a person proclaims a program is a rip-off while someone else is making a solid income from the SAME program. One thing to keep in mind is your margin for success is MUCH greater if you do something you really enjoy! Why make it a chore? We cannot stress this enough. You actually get to choose your profession, so do it right the first time and make it easier on yourself. Stick with things that are familiar and in which you have a genuine interest. If you happen to have several passions, just think about it. Let us say five different online businesses generating a modest $500 of income per month equates to $2500 of monthly cash flow! Isn't that within your reach as a start? Oops, sorry--guess we are getting a little ahead of the pace (you know, one step at a time, crawl before you walk)! Whether you have your own product(s) or are looking for something you can get behind, be certain to have the proper mindset BEFORE You Commit. If not, you will waste lots of time and money, not to mention the disappointment you will feel for letting down those who depend on you!

In the next "Advice" column, we will touch on another hurdle that many people can't jump over: Fear.

P.S.

Since you have read this far we can only assume that you are serious about shedding the shackles of servitude. So at this time we would like to offer a Gift to help you on the way to realizing your dream! There are many books on the market geared toward helping us achieve a margin of success in our lives, and most of them are well written. One of the better ones, in our estimation, is actually much more than just reading material, but a workbook! This ebook will walk you through the different steps necessary to put YOUR plans into "action" and get results, no matter what your goals in life may be.

Remember, the operative word here is ACTION. If you download this workbook and do nothing, then you can expect to gain exactly that...nothing! So jump into action and make that move NOW! And remember to check back here often for more programs to assist YOU on the road to independence!

Get YOUR FREE Copy NOW!

Overcome the Fear of Self-Employment

You have done the research and gathered the facts. Pro’s vs. con’s, upside vs. down and best case vs. worse scenarios. Yet you don’t feel quite ready. So you go over your plan, again and again. Next thing you know four weeks or more have gone by and you haven’t made the move, why? You may scoff at the suggestion but what you are experiencing is fear. Nothing to be ashamed of but definitely something you should be prepared to cope with. On the other hand, if you ignore it you will be ashamed in the long run and eventually give up.

Many people claim their source of hesitation is not being able to take days off with pay or having paid vacations. The thought of providing your own healthcare benefits keep some people from moving forward. Having someone tell you what to do every minute of the day is comforting to others. In these situations and others like it most likely you should not consider self-employment.

Maybe you feel that this category does not apply to you, therefore fear is not the problem. Don’t kid yourself fear can be difficult to identify as it can manifest itself in many ways. You definitely do not want to act too quickly on any major plan at any time. However, where is that thin line between fear and prudence? Do any of the following sound familiar?

• I need to do more research before I begin.

• I have to get my “ducks” in a row first.

• My company has me working over-time so I can’t find the time.

• I’m waiting for a program that is totally free.

• I need an office.

• I need one more class, and then I will be ready.

• My husband.

• My wife.

• My kids.

Get the picture?

In my opinion whenever any one of these excuses (or variations of) FIRST come to mind, most likely than not you are ready. Don’t let fear trump you; you are holding the winning hand. Look at it like this, after you have done your do diligence and properly set your self up to do business your mind will naturally shift to taking the plunge, in your mind you are ready and this is the time to take action.

Please keep in mind; there are many books written on this subject by people who go into specifics concerning fear and how to overcome it, I only speak from experience and from what I have seen personally from others, so how can you deal with fear? Here are a few suggestions:

• First, please remember once you are in motion you will continue to fill in the blanks as you go along. Waiting until you know all the ins and outs seldom works, there will always be something that you feel is lacking and time is of the essence.

• Having a mentor, an actual physical mentor that you can call on occasions for information is highly recommended. This person can be anyone you know personally who is a business owner, current or retired. Most people who have relatives or friends that come to them for advice are more than happy to share their experience.

• This is my favorite, share your plans openly with your family; consider them as board members or better yet stockholders because in truth they are. Hold scheduled meetings periodically to update them on your progress. You will not want to upset them.

• Of course, you should have a business plan. If you don’t, get one now and be sure to include a timeline. Place a print-out of the timeline in your workspace or office so that you are sure to see it. If you are not sure of what a timeline is look it up.

• You can also make a to-do list or project calendar. For the to-do list, I make mine with an opening date, name of item to-do, comments including estimated time to completion, and lastly the actual completion date. Of course, you should always strive for the target completion date. As for the calendar, approach it the same way only you put your information on an actual calendar (or pocket calendar) that is placed where you will always see it. Alternatively, you can go to Staples, Office Max, any store that sells office supplies and purchase a ready-made planner.

Use the aforementioned steps to keep progressing toward your goal. If you succumb to fear, you will never reach your fullest potential. You become immobile, destined to forever remain in the very place you wish so desperately to escape. As mentioned earlier having fear is not something to be ashamed of because everyone faces it. In actuality, fear can be healthy in that it heightens our senses and puts us on guard. To do what? To take ACTION.

My grandfather used to say,” It takes the SAME effort to come up with reasons as to why you CAN accomplish something as to come up with reasons why you can not.” He also used to tell us “There is no shame in not succeeding the first time. If you do not succeed at something at least you tried and that means you will get a better second shot at it. However if you quit then you have failed and the regret will stay with you the rest of your life.”