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Home-based business is a $ 440 billion a year industry. That's more than the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, and consumer goods industry – combined. How? Because of the great numbers of people in business for themselves who are now working from home. The low start-up costs, flexible hours and the Internet are fueling the growth of self-employment enterprises. By 2005 as many as 150 million people, in North America alone, will be enjoying the freedom and benefits of owning their own Internet business.
"It is anticipated that by the year 2005, 50% of the households in the United States will be involved in home-based business" - Newsweek Magazine.
WORKING AT HOME PHENOMENON
In
a home-based business, Internet business and any other self-employment endeavor
there is no such thing as "get rich quick". However,
you can make a lot of money, while you are on your own. Consider
this:
The number of Internet users surpassed 615 million in 2002 and
will continue to grow strongly in the next years.
By the end of 2005 the number of worldwide Internet users will
reach 1.2 billion. They are all potential customers of your initiative. So,
it is not too late to develop a profitable work-at-home enterprise, because
the Internet is still very young and obviously
has a great future. Consequently, your personal venture has a great
future as well.
Working at
home is a rapidly-growing phenomenon fueled by an
economic slowdown, by age discrimination, by company downsizing,
mergers, layoffs, and bankruptcies, by the myth of job security working for
others, by a desire for more life at home and less life on the road, and by the self-empowerment of the
Internet. (Look for more details in the article below.)
Home
business has suffered greatly from a tarnished image, created
by an endless parade of con men, working their trade in the online and
offline worlds, using misleading information and impudent lies, preying on those with work and money problems,
for one purpose
only: profit. Therefore, turn your back on those "opportunities" that
promise large incomes in a short time, without any or with little
effort. They are all scams! To succeed you
need to learn, to work and be patient.
SHE DID IT WORKING FROM HOME
Read the amazing story of how one woman, with no previous business experience, earns $435,000+ per year selling other people's stuff online. In her down-to-earth, sincere and often humorous style, Rosalind Gardner guides you through the entire process of building an affiliate business on the Internet. To learn exactly how she does it, click:
YOUR HOME BUSINESS AND YOUR FAMILY
Remember: when you start working at home you will be your
own most important asset, so an objective appraisal of your strengths and
weaknesses is essential. To determine if you have what it takes, you need to
answer some questions about yourself: Am I a self-starter? How good am I at
making decisions? Do I have the physical and emotional stamina to be my own
boss? How well do I plan and organize?
Are my attitudes and drive strong enough to maintain motivation?
If you are not single, you will also need to answer these
questions: How will my enterprise effect my family? Will family
members fully understand and support my endeavor? Should I ask them for help?
Frequently, family members of the beginning
business
owner seem supportive or even enthusiastic. At the same time they may expect
that you earn a lot of money in a short time and without much effort. Carefully
consider their loyalty and respect for you. A question of paramount importance
that you must be able to answer is this: Can you keep your family and business
decisions separate?
Once again, remember: it was your decision to become
self-employed and you are your own most important asset. Be patient and do not let your
skeptical family members discourage you. When you show determination and
optimism, they will see money making potential in your efforts, even if
you do not succeed as quickly as they expected.
Examples of dwellings that can harbor a successful home business:
HOME BASED BUSINESS TIME
Everywhere all around the world people are starting their own
businesses. It has really exploded in the last decade and economists believe it
is just the beginning. There are many reasons for this tendency. Here are a
few:
1) Technology. Computers have made it so that anyone can run
an enterprise from their home. They can now do all their accounting, all their
marketing, and just about everything they need from their computer.
2) Internet. The Internet has provided a vehicle that makes more
home-based initiatives possible than ever before. Now you can advertise your
products or services globally and your store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
3) Outsourcing. You can now run a business from home and
outsource almost everything, from customer service to shipping.
4)
Economics. There used to be a time when only one person in the family
working covered the bills. Now two-income families are the norm and many of them
aren't even making enough money. Nowadays, home business often becomes a
survival issue.
5) Downsizing. Many corporations have laid off
hundreds of thousands of workers in the last decade. Many of these people start
working for themselves.
6) Specialized Skills. Many of the workers
laid off have taken their specialized skills into a home based business. They
often find out that working for themselves can be more rewarding - both
financially and personally -than working for a corporation.
7)
Turn-key businesses. There are many franchise companies and network
marketing companies that provide a turn-key solution to anyone who wants to
start a one-person business.
In short, there are millions of people all
around the world who are in work-at-home endeavors right now. That number could
very well grow into the billions in the coming years. All of these people need
help making their initiatives
work.
SELF-EMPLOYMENT AS AN ESCAPE FROM STRESS
In the twenty-first century the working world is a challenging
place. The ethos of "jobs for life" has been completely discarded and companies
are now more ruthless than ever in downsizing if this will help them keep ahead
of the competition. In the corporate world today, most employees operate at
overload level. Let's take a look at some statistics:
People in the United States now have the
longest working hours in the industrialized world. 78 percent of US workers describe their jobs
as stressful and 50 percent say they experience high stress every day. The US National Safety Council
estimates that one million employees are absent on an average work day because
of stress-related problems.
United States' businesses spend well over $1 billion every year on medical bills
for their stressed employees. A quarter of all employees in the United States describe their job as
the number one stressor in their lives. Employees between the ages of 25 and 45 have a 25 percent
chance of being so stressed that their daily productivity levels fall by one
third.
People can't realize their full potential when they're exhausted
and unwell. This situation quickly changes when they decide to work at home, as
a result of a conscious decision or may be just another downsizing. An
individual enterprise can sometimes require a lot of work and problem solving
efforts, but it is never so stressful and tense as a "regular
job".
WORK FOR YOURSELF, NOT FOR THIEVES
Scam artists offer a wide array of "get-rich-quick" and self-employment schemes that target consumers who are looking for an investment opportunity, part-time employment, or the chance to start their own business. Before you decide, which offer is right for you, take the following under consideration:
Be skeptical about "get-rich-quick" advertising claims. Think twice, if they offer you a businesses that should bring thousands of dollars a month without much effort on your side.
Be aware that "experts" who endorse a program are often paid by the advertiser. If an "expert" is suspiciously exited about the offer you analyze, check out his or her reputation.
Be cautious about "testimonials." They may be paid for too. They may not reflect the experience of most consumers. Be wary of purchasing a self-employment program if company representatives give you evasive answers or aren't willing to answer your questions at all.
Before you join, decide whether the price is right. On the other hand, should they charge you at all, if you offer your time and equipment to participate in their venture? If you pay, know what you are paying for.
Don’t be pressured to join or purchase immediately. Good opportunities are not sold through high pressure tactics. Before you join or buy, ask about the company’s qualifying requirements and refund policy.
Check out the company with consumer protection agencies and the Better Business Bureau. They may be able to tell you if any unresolved consumer complaints are on file.
ONLINE MARKETING 
Online marketing is,
simply put, marketing on the Internet. You do not need a “system”. You acquire
or create a web site and you properly market it. The Internet is a wonderful
place to do business and here are good reasons:
Reason 1: Advertising on
the Internet is free or practically free. Advertising in magazines and
newspapers can cost thousands of dollars. A single radio spot can cost hundreds
each time it's played. Conventional advertising is expensive. But on the
Internet, advertising and marketing is practically free!
Reason 2: Online
marketing is much faster than conventional marketing. There are no ad deadlines
to deal with. No two-month delays for your magazine ad to appear; and no
printing, envelope stuffing, or mailing.
Reason 3: The Internet levels
the playing field. Off the Internet, a small retail sporting goods shop has a
hard time competing with a superstore the size of an entire city block. The
small retail shop can only afford small newspaper ads. Sportmart has giant ads
and special pull-out sections. But on the Internet the small sporting goods shop
can present products with the same professionalism and flash as a big
superstore. Think about it: Coke and Pepsi can afford to spend one million
dollars per minute on television ads. But on the Internet, they can't do
anything better than you can do.
Reason 4: Selling on the Internet is
easier than anywhere else. Unlike a retail store, an Internet online store
requires very little maintenance and effort. Plus there's no employee payroll,
no rent, no insurance and none of the other costs associated with a retail
store. Each and every day thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions of
people could visit your online store.
Reason 5: You can instantly make
changes to your web site. A typical color brochure can easily cost thousands of
dollars for design and printing. But if you discover an error, want to change a
price or add a new product, you can't. You're stuck with that brochure until you
redesign and print a new one. But not on the Internet; here you have total
freedom to adjust prices, add new products, put new graphics on your web site,
and so on. And changes can be made in minutes.
Reason 6: You can quickly
and easily collect demographics and statistics. In marketing it is critical to
test and measure, make changes, and then repeat the test and measure process. In
print advertising and direct mail order, one single test can take two to three
months. But on the Internet you can test and measure, make changes to your web
site, then test and measure some more, all in a matter of days.
Reason
7: There are many potential customers. There are tens of millions of people on
the Internet each and every day. That's certainly sufficient number of prospects
to make your marketing effort worthwhile.
Reason 8: Prospects are in the
right frame of mind. When viewers see a TV commercial, they are often relaxed
and not motivated to get up off the couch, find a pen and paper, and write down
a phone number. Likewise when listeners hear a commercial on the radio, a good
majority of them are driving. On the Internet however, most prospects are
already in a working mood or a business frame of mind. And taking action is
certainly convenient. Filling out a simple online order form, or clicking a
button to print a mail order form couldn't be easier. What more, with online
ordering there are no postal delays.
Let's recap. The Internet is a
wonderful place to do business, because the results are almost immediate,
changes are easy, and it's virtually free. The Internet's "level playing field
advantage" allows small companies to compete with the giants. There are many
potential customers on the Internet, and these customers are in the right frame
of mind to place an order.
10 steps to affiliate
success
by J E Sheward
There are several companies on
the web today who offer excellent affiliate programs. However, if you think you
just have to sign up to become an affiliate and sit back waiting for the checks
to start rolling in, it is just not going to happen. You can make good money as
an affiliate but it will take some effort and time on your part. The following
tips may make that effort a little easier, and the time a little
shorter.
1. Make sure that the company you sign up with has some sort of
“training” site, or tips for selling their product, and someone in your up-line
you can contact if you need some help. You don’t want a company that just turns
you loose with no direction or help.
2. Look at their commission tiers.
Do you have room for advancement? Will you make a commission from the affiliates
you refer? Can you earn residual income? You definitely want to be compensated
for your hard work by moving up in the ranks, and residual income is crucial to
continued checks each month.
3. Do they offer gateway web sites? In other
words, do they offer a ready-made web site with your unique affiliate ID number
that you can promote, or do you need to have your own web site. Either way is
fine, it just may be easier for a beginner to have a gateway web site to promote
first.
4. Are their products something that you yourself would be
interested in or benefit from? You don’t want to promote something that you
yourself do not believe in.
5. Do they offer several streams of income or
only one or two? The more products or streams of income they offer, the more
opportunities for a sale.
6. Once you’ve chosen a company (or companies),
you need to learn as much as you can about their products and/or services so you
can better promote and sell them.
7. Promoting is the single most
important aspect of any successful business. Due to the many varied ways to
promote your business, this will need to be the subject of another
article.
8. Be sure to utilize the training and tips offered on your
members-only site. They are usually full of useful information on how to promote
their specific products, along with links to other helpful sites.
9.
Designate a specific time each day to work on your new business and stick to it.
If you treat your new business as a hobby, your commissions will reflect
such.
10. Be persistent and don’t get discouraged. It will most likely
take several months to see real profits start rolling in, but they will roll in
if you stay on course. The Roman Empire was not built in a day, and neither will
Your Empire be.
Proven
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