|
Home Based Opportunities
With Dorothea Carney
Long Island Advice
|
Dorothea Carney has been a teacher for 13 years and an
entrepreneur for as long as she can remember. She has started many
home-based businesses, especially when she was home raising her
children. This was before the Internet exploded with opportunities!
Now it’s easier than ever to make extra money at home! In her
column, “Home Based Opportunities,” she shares with you all her
discoveries– the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are legitimate,
easy ways to make money at home, as well as lots of scams (she
should know…she fell for many of them in her quest for the perfect
at-home career). She welcomes reader opinions and requests for
articles on specific topics. Her motto is, “If you think you can,
you can,” and her goal is simply to help everyone discover the joys
of success! |
|
|
EDITORIAL OF THE WEEK
Monday, April 14, 2008
Author: Dorothea Carney, Teacher & Entrepreneur
7 Things You Must Do to Succeed with a Home Based Business!
Everyone wants to make money at home! Whether you’re a
retiree, a stay-at-home mom or just want a second income, a
home based business sounds mighty attractive. You can work
when you want, avoid travel expenses and heartaches, and be
your own boss. What could be better than that!
What many people don’t realize is that a home-based business
is just that – a business. There are certain things that
you must do to succeed and if you don’t do them, you may
just doom yourself to failure. So what should you do to
succeed?
- Decide whether you want to work at home for
someone else or if you really want to start a business of
your own. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I took on a lot of
different jobs that I did at home. I worked for other
people, doing various tasks such as typing for local
businesses, tele-marketing, proofreading student papers, and
baking home-made goods for delis. This suited me fine at
the time, because I didn’t really want the responsibility of
my own business and I made a few extra dollars while staying
at home with my children. But my goal now is different. I do
have a part time business, which I conduct from my home and
I realize that time, money, education and effort is
necessary for success. It is my business and I am the boss,
but that doesn’t mean that I can spend my time goofing off.
Organization and goal setting are the keys to success.
- When you work at home, it’s important to have
your own space. Whether it’s a corner of your dining room,
or a separate office, you MUST have some space to call your
own. You need all the tools at your fingertips. Take time
to set up a desk with all the appropriate supplies at your
fingertips. You don’t want to waste time looking for a
paperclip when you need one.
- Pick a niche that you’re interested in. Stick
to one thing at a time. Decide what you want to achieve.
Don’t go in too many directions at once. Many people make
the mistake of starting one thing, then flying off into
another direction when “something better” comes along. Do
one thing at a time.
- Set up a proper bookkeeping system. It doesn’t
matter whether it’s on a software system on your computer or
in a handwritten notebook. Just keep good records of your
income and your expenditures and all the receipts to go
along with that, so that when tax time rolls around, you
won’t regret it!
- Ignore the people who tell you that you can’t
succeed. This is vitally important and at the same time, a
very difficult task, especially if the nay-sayers are your
family or friends. What often happens, is that people in
our lives see us in a certain role. When we deviate from
that role, it upsets the applecart, and we are faced with
resentment and hostility. “What do you mean, you have to
work? It’s time for you to cook dinner (or go shopping with
me, or go to the movies.) People don’t like change, and as
much as they love you, it’s a rare individual indeed who
will accept the changes in you without an argument.
- Find a support system. It’s critically
important to find a mentor to guide you, if you’re just
starting out. It’s also critically important to find some
new friends who share your passion. Your family and friends
may not be interested in your new passion and you really
need to find a support system to brainstorm with and build
you up when you’re ready to give up!
- Set realistic goals. Realize that millionaires
aren’t created by accident. They have certain goals and are
willing to do certain things and give up other things in
order to reach their goals. They may be willing to work 90
hours a week, hire a staff, or outsource certain tasks. They
may not have family demands, or they may have money to
invest. Remember that everyone’s situation is different and
every decision has consequences. If you’re a stay-at-home
mom, with an hour each day to put into your business, your
goals and outcomes will be different than a single person
with no responsibilities. So think about the time, money and
resources you have to invest before you set your goals!
Then TAKE ACTION! That’s the most important ingredient for
success. You must believe in yourself, set proper goals and
take action. Then you have all the ingredients for success!
|
|
[Recent Articles] | [Archived Articles]
|
|
