| My Story (The Short Version) | | | | my idea of making it in a home business was working |
| My name is Ray Matthews, I am married and I have 6 | | | | every waking hour. I though if I just outworked the |
| children and 4 grandchildren and I love the life I have | | | | competition, I would become more successful. I don't |
| chosen of being a work at home dad. I have been | | | | want you to misunderstand me here, any successful |
| able to be with my wife and children and do the | | | | venture requires hard work and long hours but where |
| important stuff that life is made of. Sure I've had ups | | | | we sometimes fail is overworking without clear goals |
| and downs, successes and failures, but longevity in a | | | | and proper planning. |
| home business is a process that you learn as you go. I | | | | You can spend 90% of your time doing things that |
| want to give you some secrets that I have learned | | | | don't make any difference at all in your success. A |
| over the years that will apply to any home business. | | | | mindset of just hard work without proper focus can |
| Here are some mistakes that will cause certain failure | | | | lead to stress and failure in a home business.Take the |
| in a home business. Don't just read this article, absorb it, | | | | time each day to evaluate your activities of the day |
| consume the information here and increase you | | | | before and continually refocus your efforts on the |
| chances of success astronomically! | | | | things that really matter. Keep a planner and record |
| Costly Mistake # 1 - You're in The Wrong Business | | | | your daily activities then look back each month and |
| When considering a home business you should | | | | identify what is working and what is not working and |
| consider your strengths and weaknesses. I am | | | | begin to trim away the activities that do not produce |
| convinced that a great percentage of the home | | | | results. You will be surprised at how much time you |
| businesses that fail in the first five years are a direct | | | | spend doing things that are not productive and |
| result of bad choices when selecting what kind of | | | | occasionally counter productive (those activities that |
| business to start. I have personally been involved in | | | | actually cause you to lose money). |
| successful and unsuccessful ventures. I have found | | | | Costly Mistake # 5 - You're Stressing Over Small |
| that when I have failed in one that it was due to a bad | | | | Stuff |
| choice I made. Let me explain what I mean: | | | | Over the past twenty-two years I have stayed |
| Your business should match your experience, | | | | awake many nights stressing over things that I had no |
| expertise, and passion. Just because some opportunity | | | | control over and in the long haul never had an impact |
| looks good and there are others that are making a | | | | on my successes. Stress and worry steals your focus! |
| fortune at it, doesn't necessarily mean that you will be | | | | The things that seem to be overwhelming (mainly |
| successful. For example, if you are not an outgoing | | | | financial difficulties) can be overcome by keeping your |
| person and you choose a business that requires lots | | | | mind on the outcome and not your current |
| of personal contact for sales or maybe recruiting, you | | | | circumstances. Things will only get better if you |
| may not do well in that business. | | | | maintain your composure and keep pressing forward. |
| Before selecting a home business to start, take some | | | | Stress, fear, and worry will keep you from getting the |
| time and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. | | | | answer you need, when you need it to take your next |
| Take a long hard look at yourself, what you have | | | | step. You will find yourself thinking more about the |
| experience in, what you are an expert at (or at least | | | | obstacles you are facing than the strategy you need |
| above average), and what you are very passionate | | | | to overcome those obstacles. |
| about. If you are selecting a business that fit all three, | | | | Here is the answer to your stress dilemma; Become |
| your chances of success just went through the roof. | | | | convinced that there is an answer to your problem. |
| Costly Mistake # 2 - You Don't Know What You Are | | | | Search for the answer instead of worrying about the |
| Doing | | | | problem. If you trust, the answer will come! |
| Most people fall in love with the idea of owning a | | | | Costly Mistake # 6 - You're Allowing the Dream Killers |
| business and working from home but they never take | | | | to Get You Of Track |
| into consideration the learning curve involved. Whether | | | | When I started my first home business in 1986, there |
| it's an internet business or a repair shop in your garage, | | | | were people around me that doubted my ability to run |
| there is a learning curve that can destroy your | | | | a successful home business. If I had listened to those |
| chances of survival long term. You may think that you | | | | voices, I would have never stepped out and I would |
| know your trade well, you may very well be an expert | | | | most likely still be working for a company, competing |
| at what you do and you may have great passion for | | | | with the younger talent fresh out of college, or I may |
| your chosen career, but if you have never depended | | | | have had to take a cut in pay or even change careers |
| on it for an income outside your company experience, | | | | and accepted a lower standard of living. |
| you may be in for a rude awakening when you | | | | Nobody knows you like you do! Sometimes the voice |
| attempt to make a living at it. | | | | of the naysayer may even be someone close to you. |
| I am not trying to be negative here, what I want to do | | | | If you have a desire and passion to make it in your |
| is give you the information you need to become | | | | own business, you sometimes have to tune out the |
| successful. So before taking the plunge and risking | | | | world around you and move forward with confidence |
| your future on what you may think is a no brainer | | | | no matter what others may think or say about you. |
| business, factor in some time for training and the | | | | Costly Mistake # 7 - You're Getting Out Too Soon |
| possibility of repeated failures before you finally find | | | | I am convinced that there are a very high percentage |
| your groove. Set aside some time each day to get | | | | of new home business owners who jump ship just |
| some training! | | | | before their breakthrough. Things always seem to get |
| Costly Mistake # 3 - You Have a Great Product or | | | | hard just before you breakthrough and become |
| Service, But Poor Marketing | | | | successful. I'm sure that you have heard the old saying |
| One of the areas every business owner needs help | | | | "It's always darkest just before dawn." This is true in |
| with is marketing their product or service. You may | | | | business. You may have done the necessary work to |
| have a breakthrough product that everyone needs | | | | reach the point of success but you don't quite have |
| and probably would end up owning, but if it's not | | | | the vision to see past the current circumstances. What |
| marketed correctly, no one will buy! Marketing is not | | | | a tragedy it would be to reach a point where your |
| 10% of your success, it's not even 50% of your | | | | financial success was just around the corner and then |
| success, it's 80%. In other words, you can have a | | | | to quit thinking that your never going to make it. |
| great business plan, a revolutionary product, incredible | | | | The key here is clear vision. Before you throw in the |
| passion, and a great work ethic, but if the marketing is | | | | towel take the time to assess where you are and |
| not there and not good, chances are you will be | | | | where you may be in a month or two months. Be |
| forced to close shop. | | | | clear in your decision to either hang in there or become |
| The answer to great marketing is two to three hours | | | | a failure statistic. Consider the possibility of what real |
| a day (to start with) learning how to present your | | | | success could do for you and your family and weigh |
| business or your brand to the right people in the right | | | | that against what it could cost you to stay in and see |
| fashion in order to create sales. Buy some books on | | | | your business through. I think you will see that the |
| marketing, search the internet for marketing training | | | | benefits far outweigh the costs if you have a passion, |
| and learn to present yourself to the world in a way | | | | product, and correct marketing plan. |
| that will bring customers to your web site or place of | | | | Conclusion |
| business. | | | | I hope this article has been informative and will help you |
| Costly Mistake # 4 - You're Overworking | | | | become one of the top 5% that stay in business after |
| Yes, you heard me right, overworking can cause your | | | | five years and prosper. |
| business to fail. When I first started in business in 1986, | | | | |