Creating and Maintaining a Successful Business at Home

iLearning Global News

2010-03-18T15:49:00.004-06:00

To everyone that has been affected by what has happened at iLearning Global this week our thoughts are with you. While it is not a business opportunity we have ever supported or promoted we deeply feel for everyone who participated in that company and wish you great success in your future endeavours.

Every industry is being affected by the economy – companies that provide work from home opportunities are not immune to what is happening on a global scale. However that does not mean the industry itself is at risk, quite the contrary actually. Many businesses are thriving and growing at an exponential rate as more and more people are looking for options to secure their future outside of a traditional 9 to 5 job. Determining what company can provide you with the greatest income potential while providing you with long term security is different for each person.

So how can you know that the company you are thinking about starting a business with will stand the test of time and not leave you (and the business you have built) in the dust? Here are a few questions to ask when you are doing your research:

* Does the company offer enough variety of services or products that it can withstand market shifts?

* Are the business’s core service / products in demand in the current economy?

* Will the company provide you with it’s current financials / annual report?

* Can you speak to a real person in your geographical area that is actually making significant money?

* Is the company leveraging advancements in technology to promote itself and you?

* How long does it take the average person to begin receiving a regular income?

* Can you get started in the business without having to pay any initial investment out of pocket?

* Will the company make a commitment to you and your ongoing training at little or no cost?

There are legitimate business opportunities in Canada and the US that meet these standards and we believe as such offer you the very best chance of success. There are many “the next big thing” opportunities that come out every day and just as many that fail within weeks or months – consider your risk / reward threshold carefully.

For more information on opportunities that are growing and stable or to get our opinion on some of the new businesses springing up click here to email us.

Please do not use the comment section to promote your business, if you have a business you would like us to consider for possible referrals please click here.

~ Leslie
Home Business Coach and Entrepreneur

To Blog or not to Blog? That is the Twitter

2009-07-22T14:47:00.009-06:00

For Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and home business owners the world of social networking can be full of opportunity but it can also become the greatest time waster in your business. This often results in a serious business affliction called SNA (Social Networking Addiction) which, if left untreated, can cause unwanted side effects which may lead to total business failure. Major companies around the world now block many of those sites as their employees where spending more time micro-blogging then they were working. Home business owners can be consumed by SNA much easier than traditional employees as there is nobody to be accoutable other than ourselves. Hours go by as you read walls, update your statuses on 18 different sites, and filter through 100’s of spam messages - while quietly in the background your reason for starting a business (to make money) drifts further away.

Warning signs that you may be becoming a Social Networking Addict:

* You have more than 1000 friends on Facebook but only have 10 friends in real life

* You get more emails from your social networking sites in a day than you do from customers or about your business

* You have profiles on so many sites that you can’t recall your log-ins

* You have started following random Reality TV Stars that you would never associate with in public

* Your wall has your results for more than 10 quizzes a week that have nothing to do with your actual business

* You have a Digg account and a Squidoo Lens but have no idea what that means

* Your personal Blog and your business Blog have become indistinguishable

* You forget to eat lunch more than once a week because you are reading updates from people you have not talked to since Grade 3

* You belong to more than 10 Meetup groups but have never actually met up to network with anyone in person

* You check your Facebook in the morning before your email or your voicemail

* You spend more time managing relationships online than you do offline

* You have run out of people to forward chain e-messages on to and are now facing “15 years of bad luck”

If you or your loved ones are suffering from SNA there is hope! You can reclaim your power by taking back control. The key to successful social networking is to find balance, set aside a specific amount of time each day or each week that you will focus on updating your pages, profiles, and connecting with new people. Create goals for yourself just as you would any other marketing channel and if those goals are not being reached with a particular tool or site then move on. Do not update just for the sake of updating – make sure your messages have a purpose and are of value to anyone reading them. Keep a checklist of the sites and tools you use and monitor your results.

Choosing the right tools to grow your business is a lot like choosing the right business, it takes time and if it’s not working you need to evaluate your options. If you need help dealing with SNA, evaluating your options, or choosing the right business for you, please send us a message or email me directly

~ Leslie
Home Business Coach and Entrepreneur

Focusing on the things that matter

2009-03-02T16:47:00.006-07:00

If you were an Entrepreneur who’s mission was to climb trees to gather and sell nuts, would you A) try and climb them all yourself, B) hire a squirrel that was ready to go and loved what you do, or C) hire a horse and try and train him to climb a tree?

The answer seems obvious right? So why do so many people spend so much time trying to get a horse to climb a tree?

Whether you are an Entrepreneur, a Home Business Owner, or a Small Business owner there is one constant reality – every minute you spend focusing on the wrong things has a direct and significant impact on your financial future. We must learn the power of leverage and then focus on the right tools and the right people that allow us to maximize it. Too often we allow ourselves to get overwhelmed and desperately grab onto the first person that jumps into our path then try and force them into the role that we create for them. The result is often countless hours wasted trying to teach that horse to climb the tree. When that fails (which it most certainly will) we then spend even more time telling the horse to write out his goal statement and visualize climbing the tree. There is not enough paper in the world for that horse to write that goal over and over and over enough times that it suddenly defies gravity and scampers up the trunk of a Redwood.

In the amount of time spent focusing in the wrong direction you could have been working on actual results producing activities for your business and along the way even met a couple of squirrels. In order to effectively leverage you must work smarter not harder and know that it is better to have a small group of people working together that are joined by a common goal and interests than to have a large group of people doing nothing.

Whatever your business is; work on creating a community that works together, shares knowledge freely, benefits from each other’s successes, and has a mutual interest in seeing the entire team reach their goals. It’s about connecting the right people and providing effective leadership – your team will duplicate whatever you do, including wasting time trying to teach a horse to climb a tree.

To learn more about our coaching services, what businesses we are recommending, and working on please contact us using the email links to the left.

~ The Home Business Coaches

Top Questions to ask about any business opportunity

2009-02-11T15:33:00.011-07:00

With all of the economic uncertainty that is surrounding us there is a strong growing awareness that it is time for everyone to take personal accountability for their financial wellness and financial future. The days of being able to trust that our employers or the government will be there to take care of us, secure our retirement needs, or help us if we hit a roadblock in our lives have gone. It is this growing awareness that is causing such incredible growth in the number of people considering and starting their own businesses from home. It has also resulted in countless new business opportunities being launched and renewed momentum for business opportunities that have been around for a number of years.

So with all of these choices, how do you know what business is right for you and what businesses will deliver on the promises they make? The first step is to ask questions and to understand that starting a business is about more than just making money, it is about finding a business that adds value to every area of your life and that fits your unique goals, lifestyles, and interests. Not every business model is right for everyone, it is important to choose the right one for you if you are going to reach the success and financial goals you desire. I recently asked people “if you were evaluating a business so you could work at home or have another income source, what would your main question be?”. The responses I got back were very enlightening and included things such as:

* How flexible are the hours I would have to work?

* Is it something I can be passionate about?

* Does the business offer products or services that I would personally use and value?

* Are any of my friends or family already doing that business?

* Will the company train me or give me access to people that can train me?

* Is there a good team in place that supports each other, a community?

* Are there opportunities for personal and prefessional development?

* Would I be contributing something positive to the planet?

* What are the other people in the business like, are they people I would enjoy spending time with?

* Is the business model based on Abundance or Competition?

Interestingly almost none of the first questions people would ask about a business opportunity had to do with money or how much they could make! This is incredibly important and reinforces that fact that you must be doing something that brings you joy. When you combine that with a proven business model that works, the results are truly amazing - and your ability to reach the financial goals you are aiming for is exponentially greater.

Once you have narrowed down the list of opportunities based on your unique questions and criteria you can then start comparing the businesses themselves. The questions during this portion of your evaluation are standard and should be asked by everyone.

* What are people in that business actually earning?

* Is the business model something that the average person can actually achieve within a reasonable time?

* How many different income streams are available within the business that you can access?

* Is there a viable market for the products and services?

* Are those products and services diversified to withstand future market fluctuations?

* What are the start up expenses?

* What are the ongoing requirements to maintain your business?

* Once you are up and running, how much money will the business cost you (if anything) before you become profitable?

* If you need to build a team, how many people do you realistically need before seeing $1500 a month or more in residual income?

* Does the company publish an Annual Report that you can see?

Starting a new business is a serious commitment and it is important to choose the one that gives you the best possible chance of success so that you can establish your own financial security and create the life you want.

For the months of February and March we are offering a free 1 on 1 half hour coaching session to individuals that would like support in: starting their evaluation process, that would like feedback on the evaluations they have done so far, or that are evaluating the business they are already in to determine if it is the right place for them. To arrange your half hour telephone coaching session please email: ldurand@shaw.ca (please include what days of the week and times are most convenient for you)

As always please feel free to contact us directly to see what businesses we are currently recommending, you can also add your comments and feedback about today’s article in the comments section below, we always love to hear from our readers.

~ The Home Business Coaches

There is more to getting what you want than just setting a goal.

2009-01-23T15:19:00.005-07:00

As most of you know I believe strongly in the Law of Attraction and each person’s ability to create the life that they want and deserve for themselves and their families. But there is more to getting that life than just setting a goal and waiting for the universe to deliver it to you like a $5.99 pizza. Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have goals – of course you should they are a critical first step, the key there being: first step.

Goals without action and momentum are just dreams, and often just as fleeting. For example: if your goal is to go to university you must apply to a university, if your goal is to win the lottery you should probably buy a ticket, if your goal is to bungee jump you are going to need to buy a very strong rope, and if your goal is to be successful in a business you are going to need to develop the skills required and put them into action.

Sounds obvious enough right? So why do so many people fail? In many cases it is because trying to create a plan that will transform a dream into a goal can be overwhelming especially if you don’t have a lot of support. But it doesn’t have to be. There a few things you can do to exponentially increase your success and reach your goals.

1) If you start to hear yourself thinking or saying things like: “how am I going to achieve that?” “I don’t have the skills I need” “Nobody believes in me” “I don’t have support from my family and friends” or “what makes me so special?” stop it. Don’t allow self doubt or lack of self belief to block you from doing the things you need to do.

2) Recognize that negativity from other people is about them and a reflection of them - not you. Surround yourself with positive people and positive energy.

3) Make a commitment to yourself to constantly learn new things, when we know better – we do better.

4) Get a coach or mentor that you trust and that will be your guide, help you develop the skills you need, and support you on your path.

5) Write out your goals, be specific, keep them where you will see them everyday.

6) Once you have defined and visualized your goal, just focus on the next step you need to take on the path – one step at a time is all it takes.

7) Be excited, be brave, be bold. Step outside your comfort zone and change your own paradigms.

Everyone has all the tools they need to be the very best version of themselves, to create the life they want, and to be a force for positive change in the world. You just have to use them.

Do One Brave Thing Each Day!

If you need coaching or support to choose the right path to get you to your goals, please contact us. ~ The Home Business Coaches

The difference between success and failure is up to you.

2009-01-15T09:22:00.002-07:00

People begin a home based business for many different reasons but there is one common thread, they all want something that is not achievable with the path they are currently on. For some that might be financial security for their retirement, more time freedom to spend with their family, the ability to travel, a nicer home, or financial relief for their current lifestyle. Whatever it is that you are dreaming of, that is your motivation to be successful - how much you want that dream to come true will be a key factor in your success but it is not the only factor.

Having a dream that motivates you is a great first step but in order for it to become a reality you must believe that you deserve it and you must believe in your ability to achieve it. Every path has challenges and when we encounter them we have 2 choices: we can give up – turn around and go back they way we came OR we can find a way through the challenge and continue forward. So how do you build the tools (motivation and belief) that you will need to push forward through challenges in a home business? Start by defining your goal and dreams, write them out – be specific. Why are you starting a home business, what do you want and when do you want it by?

Next take a personal inventory, what talents do you have that will help you get there, what are your gifts and abilities that make you unique, what are you passionate about, what are your greatest accomplishments, and what do your friends / family / coworkers compliment you on? Brag, be bold, write out a personal statement that begins with “I am amazing because…..”.

Every time you face a challenge in your business review your goals and your personal statement. Believe in yourself and don’t let anything or anyone take you off your path!

In keeping with today’s topic I would like to share a short incredible video with you of a young man in pursuit of his dreams despite facing negativity and challenges along the path.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2EA8SWhh8

No matter what your song is, carry on singing.
The Home Business Coaches

What is Residual Income?

2009-01-09T09:24:00.002-07:00

Some of the most common questions we get asked are: What does residual income actually mean, why is it important, and does it really work?

Residual income is not something new, it is not “one of those things”, and it is not a mystery. Many (if not most) of the wealthiest people in the world have residual incomes – simply put: they have an ongoing financial income from work and effort that is already completed. An Actor or Studio works for months on a movie and gets paid a set amount or a share of box office earnings but that is not where their ongoing wealth is maintained. That comes from the royalties they receive every time someone rents the DVD, uses a clip in another show, or a TV station airs the movie even years later. Royalties and residual income mean the same thing.

A musician works hard for a set period of time creating an album and they get paid for that work for the rest of their life residually. Every time someone buys the CD, downloads a song, or uses a song in a movie / commercial / TV show; the artist gets paid. An Investor may give money to a new company and work with them as an advisor to get the business up and running then hand the business off in exchange for an ongoing share of the profits from that business– a residual income for the Investor; they continue to make money for years. An Inventor creates something and gets a patent that ensures they will get paid residually every time anyone any where uses that invention forever. A home business owner creates a customer base and expands distribution then gets paid a residual income as that team and their customer bases expand exponentially.

Creating a residual income is one of the most successful and proven paths any individual can take to create financial security for themselves and their families. By investing in yourself now with your time and effort you can establish an income source that will continue to grow and expand. A few hours a week can establish a revenue stream that allows you to reach your goals and financial freedom. Residual income opportunities are no longer the exclusive property of Movie Stars, Musicians, Inventors, and wealthy Investors – the business opportunities available today allow any individual access to creating their own wealth using the same principals the world’s wealthiest and often most respected individuals have used putting you in great company.

For more information on creating a residual income please email us using the Contact Us section of this Blog.

Best wishes,
The Home Business Coaches

Evaluation: is working from home the right option for you?

2009-01-07T12:14:00.010-07:00

Being in business for yourself is not the right option for everyone. Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions and see if you are on the right path.

Are you comfortable working from your home? Yes / No

Are you able to commit 5 to 10 hours a week to your business? Yes / No

Are you willing to learn and be coached in your new business? Yes / No

Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? Yes / No

Are you self-motivated to succeed? Yes / No

Are you comfortable talking to new people? Yes / No

Are you willing to try new things and experiences? Yes / No

Do you have a clear vision of your personal and financial goals? Yes / No

Do your family and friends support you in your endeavours? Yes / No

Do you believe in yourself and your ability to be successful? Yes / No

Scoring your Evaluation:

If you answered YES to 6 out of 10 questions (or better) then you are a great candidate for successfully running a home based business and creating financial success.
If you answered YES to 5 out of 10 (questions or less) you can still achieve your goals and financial success with a home based business but be sure to evaluate the training and coaching program each business offers in the areas you want to develop.