Why do people become entrepreneurs?Researchers have identified myriad reasons why people start their own businesses, but across all of the surveys, interviews, and other efforts to understand entrepreneurial motivation, one reason stands out above all others: People start businesses because they don’t want to work for someone else.
Or, think of a terrible idea. Really, you can’t tell if a business idea is great or terrible until you try it in a real marketplace. Years later, the successful ideas are “obviously” good, but when they first began, most people rejected them. Google is one of the most famous examples—”Search is done. Does the world need yet another search engine?”—but many less-spectacular successes have strong arguments against them. There is always a good reason against a good idea. It doesn’t really matter how good your initial idea is, because you’re going to change it, anyway. “Investors invest in people, not business plans. Early-stage investors know that great people can make a mediocre idea work, but mediocre people can’t make a great idea work.””—Don Dodge.Balancing a career while owning a business isn’t easy — but it can be done. Arnold Sanow, co-author of You Can Start Your Own Business, suggests these tips to help make your part-time business a success:
1. Get your family involved. Whether it’s answering the phone, stuffing envelopes or putting together orders, giving family members the chance to help out is a great way to get more accomplished in less time — while also making them feel like they’re part of your business.
2. Be ready to give up personal time. You won’t have much time for TV, reading or hobbies you used to enjoy. Be sure the sacrifice is worth it, or both your job and your business will suffer.
If I Knew Then What I Know Now …
Someone sent me an email the other day. Supposedly General Colin Powell’s Rules for Success. Now, I don’t know whether they really are or not, but as I read them, I thought they really should be called “15 Rules For Success In Your Home Business”. So, here they are:
Rule 1 – It ain’t as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning
If there’s one experience universal to ALL home-business owners, particularly those running a business on the internet, it’s the occasional feeling that you’re just spinning your wheels, and not getting anywhere. The number of people who give up on their businesses just as they approach the brink of success is staggering. So hang in there and remind yourself, when things look bleak, that tomorrow is another day, things really aren’t as bad as they seem and things really WILL look better in the morning.
Rule 2 – Get mad, then get over it
OK, I concede this is more general advice than home-business advice but it applies in your home business just as it does anywhere else. Resentment and unexpressed anger really don’t hurt anyone but the person feeling resentful and angry. Have you ever noticed how completely unproductive you are when burdened by resentment and anger? So feel it, express it (constructively) and then move on. As the man said, “get over it”.
1. Design creative business cards. Most business cards are thrown in a pile or discarded after a meeting or networking event. Why not create a card someone will use? Or one they’re sure to remember? This post from creativebits showcases some great ideas!
2. Do-It-Yourself SEO. Submit your site to major search engines and indexes. Click here for a great post on where to find the URLs and tips on submitting your site the right way. Also, check out our previous post on 25 Free (and Useful) SEO Tools.
What’s really necessary in a business plan is what it takes to manage your business better. That means that a lot depends on what you’re doing with your plan. Consider these possibilities:
There are many ways to become a millionaire or learn how to make money and work at home without college or a degree or selling real estate. It takes a go getter to make money, someone who has the millionaire mindset to learn how to become a millionaire.
Another way to make money online is to make lenses on Squidoo that involve your passions and hobbies or something you are excited to tell the whole world about! What was your New Years Resolution?
To some business owners, a well-designed logo is a worthwhile investment, a hallmark that subtly speaks volumes about a company’s prestige, authority, or coolness. Even small companies have spent as much as $25,000 to $50,000 for logos from famous designers. And yet, there’s no shortage of websites offering to whip up a logo for as little as a few hundred bucks. These online services — often formatted as contests in which many designers compete to fill a client’s logo needs — are controversial among designers, who fret that stolen work worms its way into the offerings or that, without the guidance of a traditional design firm, clients often make lousy choices.
Ten years ago, Heinz unveiled a new type of ketchup that became an immediate success. It sold seven million bottles in its first seven months and gained international attention. It became so popular that when it sold out of some supermarkets, people actually auctioned it off oneBay. So what was so special about this ketchup? Did it taste better? Not at all. Was it made out of better ingredients? Nope.There was one difference. It was green.
The essence of marketing is to understand your customers’ needs and develop a plan that surrounds those needs. Let’s face it anyone that has a business has a desire to grow their business. The most effective way to grow and expand your business is by focusing on organic growth.
You can increase organic growth in four different ways. They include:
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