February 3, 2010

Why Right Now Is the Best Time to Start a Home Business...
Setting Expectations for Successful Time Management... A
Little Help From Your Friends... Look to the "Big Three" for
Info Marketing Inspiration... and More.

If you are thinking of starting your own home-based business, but aren't completely sure when the right time is to do it, let me give you some advice:

The time is now.

Now, I'm not saying that you should quit your job after you finish reading this to start this business. What I am saying is that if it's been a thought in your head for, say, a few months, then there's no reason for you to wait any longer.

And, like I said, the majority of the groundwork can be done while you're still working your 9-to-5 job. Sure, it's going to take some time juggling and some late nights, but nothing good ever comes without a little hard work.

Here are some tips to help you start your own business while you still work your day job:

1) Research your industry. Check out your competition, read as many books and articles you can from the experts in the business you want to start. Not all businesses run the same, so you want to make sure that you're as close to an expert as you can in your field.

2) Set your schedule. While you can work a job while laying the foundation of a new business, you'll also need to budget some prime time to meet with investors, banks and potentially lawyers and insurance companies to set up your company right. This might involve using some vacation days, but in the end, it will be worth it.

3) Prepare your home for your business. Some people can sit on the couch with a laptop and run a successful business. Others need a full office in their homes to be able to work efficiently. Whatever your situation, set up your workspace to your specifications. If you have a family, make it clear to them that this is work and not a place for social activity.

4) Calculate your start-up costs. Make sure you have enough funds available to get your business going. You might have to cut a lot of perks out of your life to save money to get your business off the ground. You might also need a loan or an angel investor. No matter what, don't sever ties to your existing source of income unless you have enough to get started.

These are just four basic starting points. However, they are very important in the infancy of a new home-based business. But they can be done right now, while you're working, and the sooner you get started on these four steps, the sooner you'll get your business off the ground.

Before I learned the important art of time management, I used to take offence when someone I was talking with would cut our conversation short.

I'm known for telling long-winded stories and can sometimes get carried away when my listener is really interested. So, being cut short said to me that I wasn't getting their full attention. In fact, I was being quite selfish.

I've since learned that the reason I was cut short wasn't always personal. Each day, you only have a finite amount of time, and you want to optimize your use of nearly every available minute. While listening to a story may not be a total waste of time, letting that story interrupt meetings or a strict schedule can lead to delays you could have easily avoided.

The trick to effective time management is not to be rude, but to handle how you stick to your schedule by being straight- forward and honest with everyone you deal with.

The first step to successful time management is always to set expectations. Most business meetings have a set start and end time. Sure, sticking to the exact number of minutes may be difficult, but when you recognize that everyone you deal with also has schedules, it shows that you respect this. Whether you're having lunch with a colleague or planning a big presentation, set expectations right away as to how long you plan to keep their attention, and do your best to stick to this promise.

When you reach the end of your set time, try to also arrange to continue the conversation at a later date. Expert networkers know that there is no truly finished conversation and that to be able to use your connections in the future, you want to keep the discussion alive. Try to be specific and set a time and date to continue, or collect an e-mail address and state when you will contact them. Unless the topic is very important, try to leave a day or two before you make your next contact.

Finally, stay on topic. It's easy to get distracted and even easier to get carried away by this distraction. Know the boundaries of what you are discussing and, should things get off topic, quickly steer them back on track. The ability to take control of a conversation takes some practice, but people will respect you for respecting their time and staying on topic.

Personal time management is an important factor to success. This can mean limiting the time you spend on tasks or controlling business meetings to stay on topic, plus many more issues that can take you away from completing your goals. Never be afraid to excuse yourself from a conversation, because your goals are important and those who want to support you on your journey will recognize your efforts, even if it takes a little explaining at first.

Whether you own a business and are looking to grow or have recently become unemployed and are looking for work, there is one thing that can help you get to where you want to go: networking.

The other day I was speaking with a colleague of mine. She's recognized in North America as one of the continent's top authorities on finding a job. She has a top-selling book, sells out conferences and has been featured on news programs across the county, talking about the importance of networking to find work.

She says that, these days, people rely too heavily on the Internet in their job search and, due to this fact, they rarely get hired. She says to get hired, you have to pick up the phone, make calls and get on the street to talk to people.

As she was explaining this to me, I told her that I agreed that networking was the best way to get hired, but asked her if there was a way for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses the same way.

She responded by saying that this was a very exciting time for the American economy, entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs. I asked her if by "exciting" she had meant to say "depressing." She told me, however, that through networking, new and existing entrepreneurs could grow their businesses in this economy. She assured me that the work was in fact there; people just had to do a little more to find it.

She suggested that the first thing you should do is determine exactly what it is you want to accomplish. It's important to be as specific as possible here. This way, you can get a better idea of where to look for help. Ask yourself what you want to be, where you want to take your business or what kind of business you want to start. Once that stuff is clearly identified, you can begin your search.

Start calling people and asking them about opportunities. Ask around and find the right people to talk to and see what they can offer. Remember not to always come right out and ask about what you want; rather, facilitate a relationship. Ask them for advice and what they'd like to see happen in their industry and offer any insight that you possibly can. Try to maintain an open dialogue, but ensure they do most of the talking. The more they talk, after all, the more information you can extrapolate and use to your advantage

It's true that the key to getting what you want is to meet and become acquainted with people you trust and can approach for help. They can give you the opportunities needed to grow. If you're looking to find employment or grow a business, start building relationships. There's a good chance that they can get you where you want to go.

** Look to the "Big Three" for Info Marketing Inspiration
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

"Take care of the big three in life -- food, clothing, and shelter -- and you'll always be ready for everything else."

Certainly, this is great advice from an expert at life, my father. Sometimes those tasks in and of themselves are hard enough when you are just starting out or are working as an entrepreneur. But they are the fuels that keep you going and, if you stay on that track, more success comes time and again down the road of life.

Interestingly, one of them is a great info marketing source of inspiration and a ticket to success that almost everyone has access to. Don't get me wrong; the other two are good info marketing sources. The food one is fun to do research for and clothing equally so. But what is one thing that everyone has access to? If you look right around your office, inspiration is right in those walls.

Houses, apartments, condos...the shelters that surround us are often the best sources of info marketing topics. Housing is something that concerns everyone and, in this part of the world, people really have the choice as to where they want to live. With these kinds of options, there is lots of information to be had and provide to others.  

The best information to create for your housing information marketing business is often right in your own area. You can start off by assessing housing issues right around where you live. I'm lucky -- I live in the city and see all kinds of housing going on around me. In one part of the downtown is being redeveloped and there is a concentration of condominiums going up. But, in older residential areas, there are all kinds of restoration projects going on, with some homes being featured on specialty programs. Actually, you can go five bus stops in any direction and see all kinds of different home and housing projects going on. It's pretty cool and pretty inspirational if that's your info topic.

Of course I understand if you live in a different area. But don't let that stop you. Rural and outer metro areas are seeing all kinds of development all of the time.

If you are thinking about using housing as an info marketing topic, I'd first think about that ever-important factor: money. Providing useful information on housing markets and all of its fluctuating factors is something that is always useful to a modern audience. It might take a little extra research or even some interviewing of the local real estate professionals, but if you were to able to point out pricing patterns or how housing values are determined in your area, that would be priceless to your clientele.

Information about housing for a wide audience is great for your personal market as well. Some people in your area, like mine, might be of the younger types just starting out, so info on apartment or condo living is very valuable there. But I know that, in my hometown, which is a popular retirement destination, information pertinent to an older age group is not without value either.

It's hard to do, but I always point out to info marketers that any sort of eye on what trends lie ahead for the housing field is always valuable coin. Given the recent economic madness, any sort of info on housing prices or their value is gold. But if you can get specific -- say, knowing who is providing the most cost-efficient new housing or what values could be placed on a heritage home that has been fully remodeled, that sort of info is platinum.

And don't stop there. There's also information on rural or recreational land taxes, cottage property info, industrial space info, new studio loft apartments converted from old churches...the list goes on and on. The "shelter" of life is something like medical science -- it changes regularly, so there is never a lack of an audience for you.

Whether you are just getting into info marketing, changing topics, or looking for another venture, I always recommend housing and property information as a sure-fire way information outlet. Stick with it and you'll build your own castle of info marketing success.