Home-Based Business Success
Home-based business (a.k.a. making money online, or simply online business [i.e., e-business]), or the success thereof, rather, is heavily dependent on a few key elements. This is a quick summary to help you get started.
Where You Are
As the saying goes, you need to know where you’ve been to know where you’re going. History does repeat itself quite often, but we’re not talking about that here. In this particular case, we’re talking about the struggles of the past in contrast with the fruits of tomorrow. You want freedom, likely financial freedom, because you were previously constricted. Being boxed in had a way of consuming your day, likely every day — so, moving forward, you want time freedom, too.
But between the beginning and your endgame, between these two points, is a whole lot of now. This now is the difficult part. It’s the constant analyzing, criticizing, and scrutinizing unleashed upon yourself, by yourself, that’s virtually unbearable. It’s what causes most (if not all) aspiring home-based business owners to just stop.
“I’ll go back to my job”. “I’ll start an old school, brick-and-mortar business”. “I’ll become a realtor”. “I’ll learn a new trade”. “I’ll”, “I’ll”, “I’ll”. Life gets in the way of plenty of things. But beyond the emotional heartache of starting & running an online business are the details… marketing details, especially. This is what you can’t lose sight of throughout the now. Things are bad until they get good, and the transformative factor is usually a matter of figuring out what works. So, if you’ve yet to do so, hold on a little longer.
When You Get There
When you find the right niche (be it a topic of interest, an area of expertise, or an artistic edge), and your content schedule is in place (because content creation is, almost literally, marketing), AND you have a unique and/or practical product or service of value to offer — business may take off shortly after. When it does, the following needs to be taken into consideration.
Are you providing some form of customer support? Are you following up with potential leads along with existing clients? Are you delegating routine, specialized, and/or complex tasks… or is it not necessary? Is the automation of marketing & management via software & apps a better option? Are you working on improved iterations of whatever it is that you’re currently selling? Is your workflow being optimized? Is your site being optimized (for mobile, search engines, A.I. engines, etc)? Is your wellness and mental health being prioritized (allowing yourself short periods of rest throughout the day, for example)?
It’s a lot to take in, but not necessarily a lot to think about. Because pondering is essentially nothing until any sort of implementation takes place, action is what you should focus on. Action gets the ball rolling while simultaneously creating new & better ideas. In other words, it basically answers many of the questions above through innovations within yourself that naturally arise as you build your brand. Plus, it encourages collaborations with other/complementary players in your industry.
It’s All You
On your quest for freedom, don’t forget you. Yup, you. The home-based business success model, or puzzle rather, needs your independence for control over your business. It needs your ability to lead (and lead the conversation). It needs your personal input in everything that goes on (whether it’s brainstorming, blogging, advising, crafting, selling, distributing, and/or entertaining). And it needs YOU to be your best spokesperson. But all of this can only be done if you’re present. If you show up. If you do the work.
Oh, and a word to the wise. Messing up was, is, and will be inevitable. Accept this as fact, or unfortunate circumstances will own you. Rise above them by knowing that they, too, are part of the process.