There is a lot of argument concerning what the best home based businesses really are. The fact is there are people making tons of money from home doing thousands of different things and following countless opportunities. The reason that over 97% of people fail at working from home is because most folks jump into the first reasonable thing that’s put in front of them without careful thought. Just because a system worked for someone else does not mean it is right for you. There are many skills, and environmental factors that must be considered.In part 2 of this article series we are going to look at some of the main home based business structures and the pros and cons of each one. This will give you some more guidance and get you closer to making the right decision to bring you home based success!In part one of my three article series titled Best Rated Home Base Businesses I discussed the four main personal considerations when analyzing a home base business opportunity. If you have not reviewed that article I would encourage you to do so. The next step is going to be to consider the different structures of home based businesses and likely pros and cons of each.The 5 Main Categories of Home-based Businesses 1) MLM (network Marketer) Pros: Low cost to join most MLMs, very flexible hours, pre-existing plan to followCons: Most MLM opportunities involve selling to folks you know, there is usually some ongoing financial commitment involved, to make money in MLM marketing you must build a team which can take months of hard work in most cases2) Home Based Franchise Pros: Franchises have a previously developed product or service, many allow an individual to input their own creativity and personal touch when running the business, most opportunities provide some kind of training and plan to followCons: Start-up cost for most safe franchises are high, many take a set of specialized skills to run3) Affiliate Marketing Pros: Many have a good income potential, there is a previously branded product or serviceCons: Many affiliate marketing opportunities come with little training or mentorship, “marketing” is the key skill necessary to succeed4) Online Business Pros: There can be major income opportunity online, very flexible hours, this is a type of business that most people can do around their current employment until they can afford to quite their jobCons: There are specific skills needed to be successful online, 97% of all online endeavors fail do to a lack of knowledge on the part of the entrepreneur5) Following Your Own Idea Pros: This can be the most rewarding personal experience; if one can brand their own product or service they can create substantial wealthCons: Most folks underestimate how much time, money, and work it is to get a “good idea” off the ground, there are many skills necessary to run a successful, unique home based businessI would encourage anyone looking into working from home to thoroughly look at the different structures of home based businesses and the pros and cons of each. To fail at working from home can be costly. Many invest countless dollars and time to eventually find themselves facing foreclosure and bankruptcy. I would encourage anyone who has a serious desire to work from home to take the time to consider all the possible options, talk to folks who are actually doing it, and consider the day to day work involved before making any decisions. In part 3 of this article series I will discuss some of the specific home-base businesses that you might want to consider.
Home Based Business – Choosing One That’s Right For You – Here’s Your 10 Point Checklist
I read somewhere that a staggering 97% of Home Based Business Owners FAIL within their first 3 Years. Would you like to be in the other 3%?
Then you need a Checklist.I have spent a mammoth amount of time and money trying to find the “perfect” Home Based Business that will make me an “instant” fortune.Then I realised something…and I’m going to tell you what it is.Firstly, let me ask you something – Have you ever had a job and if so, did you make $10,000 a month after working there for just one month?Of course not. You had to learn the job first! Hopefully you were taught as you went along until you got it right. Even after that I dare say that the job never paid you $10,000 a month. That’s why you’re here. If you have never been in a Home Based Business it can be quite foreign but once you have learned the skills you need to succeed it can be very, very rewarding. By that I mean “financially” rewarding as well as “life” rewarding. Nowadays, it is our family who decides when our holidays are taken…not when a ‘boss’ says it’s ok. It feels so good.I realised that a successful business of any kind is built over time. You have to learn the ropes. I also realised that I didn’t want to do some of the things that were required of me in order to make an income while working from home. So I started writing down what it was that I was looking for, what I was comfortable with and what I was prepared to do consistently each day.This is important if you’re to work from home because there isn’t a boss hovering over your shoulder making sure that you are working. You have to want to do the work and when the money starts coming in it will give you even more incentive.When looking for a Home Based Business you must be sure that you have a check list.
What is it that YOU want? Create one of your own. If you’re unsure, here’s my list to give you some ideas.
TRAINING Is there ongoing Training and Support to achieve the desired income?
PERSONAL CONTACT Can I talk with someone in the prospective business? Is there a phone number or contact email?
INTEGRITY Does the company mean what it says?
EQUIPMENT Do I need a computer, a phone etc? Do I get my own website?
COST Is the start up cost within my budget? This means, do I have the money now or am I prepared to go into debt to invest in this particular home based business and where will the money come from?
PROFITS Are they good or will I be working a long time to create a worthwhile income? Is the company promising an unrealistic income?
ONGOING FEES Is there an ongoing Membership to pay? This is most important to know (and in my opinion to avoid especially when you are new) because if there is a monthly fee, they will charge you EACH and EVERY month whether or not you are making any money!
PRODUCTS Are the products or services highly sought after?
VERSATILITY & DIVERSITY Does this home business teach me things that I can apply to other businesses or other ways to create more income? I am a great believer in Multiple Streams of Income. I like to “Provide For Life”.
PRIDE & COMFORT Am I happy to talk with my family and friends about my new home business that I have undertaken, without them running a mile thinking that I’m going to recruit them! Heaven forbid.
You know, This is my checklist and I was late in creating it but as they say, “Better late than never”. Now you know what I look for in a Home Based Business that suits me and I am happy to share it with you. Maybe you are looking for something with similar traits. I hope this list has been of some assistance to you.
A Simple Product Creation and Product Launching Formula
If you tried to think of people involved in product creation, who would come to mind? You may think of Edison, Franklin, or maybe Henry Ford. Would you ever think of yourself as someone who can create a quality product? Product creation is actually relatively easy and product launching is not that tough either! If you follow a few easy to understand steps, you could be starting the product creation and product launching process sooner than you think.
The first step in creating your information product is to know and understand your market. This can be very time-consuming, especially if you are unsure of what to do or where to look to know your market. Studying your niche market and understanding the buzz words and buying patterns can ease the process dramatically. Personally, I would recommend networking with someone who has had success in the niche market you are considering and learn from their results. If they are into product creation and not very business savvy expect some hesitation. If they only sell products and have nothing to do with product launching or product creation you may your first affiliate (sales person)! Something else you can use to find hot trends is with the Google Trends tool.
The second step is the product creation process. Take your niche market and brainstorm ideas and topics relating to it. There are a lot of product launching contests going on recently relating to a newly created internet marketing tool. There are so many aspects to the mentioned niche that literally, and unfortunately, anything can be considered an Internet Marketing tool. The reason that anyone can basically create an Internet Marketing tool is because of something called Private Label Rights products.
What I use private label rights products for, and highly recommend them in this specific manner, is to cure writer’s block especially when it is lingering. Many people base their entire product creation and product launching on a private label rights product. This is where you can start to shine and build a strong brand for yourself. If you set goals for yourself, short-term goals to be exact, you can see your product creation come into being much faster and there is a good chance with less revision needed. If you keep hitting time restraint road blocks; however there is nothing wrong with a slow and steady approach, you can consider outsourcing portions of your project. Outsourcing can be an extremely huge benefit or just as great of a disaster.
You can find someone to outsource work to at a freelance site such as Guru.com or eLance.com. When reviewing proposals it is almost mandatory you perform a background check on them as you are in essence hiring them. Doing a background check on freelancers is as easy as asking for samples of their work and reviewing feedback on the freelance site from previous customers. Depending on the size and requirements of your project this can add up to a decent sized investment, so caution is very important. One tip I always recommend to people looking to hire an individual is to ask them what they can provide you that no one else can. This simple question gives them a chance to “toot their own horn” and acknowledge where they feel most competent as far as their skill set.
The final portion of the product creation and product launching formula is the launch. This can literally make or break the effort, time, and maybe (if you invested) money you put in to your project. There are numerous aspects to product launching and although their relevance is debated in terms to their effect, experts agree all must be followed. The person in your field who you asked for product advice from can help you substantially if you have kept in touch. If not, the first thing you need to do is to create a visually appealing website with flawless design work.
I also mentioned outsourcing before, this is one aspect of product launching I have little strength in and I always outsource this portion. The website does not have to be large however the content (ad copy in Internet Marketing) must be stellar and as perfect as possible. This is where advertising knowledge or experience is beneficial. When the site is set up you now put a lead capture form on your website.
I put two lead capture pages on all products I create on the internet and is one of the best methods of getting a solid start when you are in the product launching stage. When you gain information from a prospect or someone looking to get paid for referring sales you are able to provide them updates or specials. Many people abuse their prospect or affiliate lists by in turn emailing them with a new product daily and I find the recommendations to be totally unrelated to their original need, problem, or interest.
Another stage in the product launching stage is creating a free report or demo version of your product to entice the product to sign up to your email list. Using proper follow up with this can help generate numerous sales for you. One thing you need to ensure is that your free product completely relates to your main product that you are looking to sell.
You are now ready to advertise your product launching to customers as well as the opportunity to sell for affiliates. This is the single aspect that many product creations and launches fail on. It is actually not entirely difficult. One thing you can do is write articles (and a good amount of them) on topics relating to your product. I am a huge advocate of giving a solution in forums. When you join a forum you are normally offered the opportunity to create a signature. In your signature, you should enter the link to your opt-in or lead capture page. When you respond to posts, you are advertising your opportunity.
It is not impossible to create a product and it does not have to take a long time. You need to setup a plan and stick to it. If you get stuck, look at similar and successful products to your own and try and see how they did it. When you sit down and brainstorm you will be surprised with what you can imagine.