Chapter Eleven
You Can Whine or Do The Time
Building a business out of your home is not always easy. There are many challenges that will come up and you have to decide how much time you are going to devote to your new business. In the beginning you can't expect a full time income if you aren't putting in full time hours, plus some.
There have been countless times I have seen advertisements online or TV that promise a life of luxury, traveling, and nice cars. They promise you that not only will you have financial freedom but you don't even have to put in much time working the business.
All you have to do is send them your application fees, yada yada yada! There is an old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you...Fool me twice, shame on me”. When starting your own business at home you really have to keep your ears and eyes open for con artist and scammers.
This doesn't mean that some businesses, especially online businesses or multi-level marketing systems, can't build up a passive income where you don't have to work all that much. But....and this is a big but..., those people put in thousands of hours to get their business built up to this level.
The moral of this story is, if you want to experience wealth and time off, you have to put in the time and not whine about it.
How much time are you going to devote to your new business? Knowing how much time you can spend on any new enterprise determines the goals you set for yourself and your long range plans as well. It will also help you to set a realistic income goal.
If you have another job you have to keep for the time being, set yourself a realistic goal of 10 hours per week. You could work the business two hours every evening and five hours over the weekend. This is not easy after working an eight hour shift somewhere else. What you have to do is keep reminding yourself of the payoff. Remind yourself of where you want to be and what it's going to take for you to get there.
Make a story board and take a look at it. Are there pictures there of your children attending an expensive private school? Or maybe you look up and see a picture of that new convertible you've had your eye on? Don't let your dreams die just because you are tired.
Push through the tiredness because the results are well worth it. I have found that times when I didn't feel like working anymore, that if I just pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and kept going, soon I had renewed energy and got much more work done.
If you aren't working another job and your business will be full time, put in full time hours even in the beginning. You say you don't have any customers or clients yet? So what! Get busy learning more about marketing, making fliers and handing them out, finding free resources to advertise, etc.
The more you can learn while your business is just starting off the more equipped you will be to handle it when things get busy. If you need some testimonials for a service you provide, do it free for a couple of people and get yourself out there. There is always something you can do to be able to promote your business and increase your skills.
Remember you aren't in Kansas anymore Dorothy! In other words, you aren't at the office or job site where someone will make sure you work hard and do a good job. You are the boss now and making yourself stay busy will take some discipline. I know you can do it, just keep your eye on the prize!