Rethinking Everything

You're still here, I see. How about this, are you still running a home business? Are you loving it? Does it pay your bills or provide what you need it to provide?

If you are unhappy, rethink your business. Do you need to reimagine your role? Is there a possibly the market was oversaturated and it's difficult to compete? Are you a lazy record-keeper?

There are a few things you can ask yourself to help decide if you should continue to push forward or if you should consider cutting your losses.

Are you in love with the idea of working from home, running your own business, or are you simply passionate with something that happens to be run from home? Chose one, two, or all three; it doesn't matter as long as you are honest with yourself.

Is it YOU that is faltering? Is it the economy where your product or service is falling short?

Whether you lack the passion or lack the skills there are so many things you can do but one of them is probably to stop what you are doing and change it. You see, if your way isn't working, you MUST try another way--even if it hurts a little.

Freelance Writers
I've gotta say this: Do not fall in love with your words unless you are only writing for yourself (have at it!). If your goal is to earn money, yes, you have to write what you know and it's also good to be enjoying it, but you'll sell nothing if you are not satisfying the market. And when I say "market" I mean what your market really is/who they are not what you believe it should/they would be.

All Others
It's a new year and a new you, make it a "like-new" business where you work harder to succeed where success lives.





Still here? I'm just rambling because I am so dang tired and busy trying to figure out if I should change that I tithe 90% of my work because you know what? My needs completely changed but my work and my business didn't. Time to grow up.

Bust Out of Your unCOMFORTable Zone

Let’s get to the heart of the matter. You are uncomfortable and tend to stay where you feel safe and secure. The first step to break out of the mold and step into your comfort zone, is to know what’s going on with you. Why are you uncomfortable? Many of us start businesses without the full knowledge of all that’s involved, regardless of the planning. We don’t know, until we get uncomfortable, that we’ll have any problems.

After talking to successful professionals and extensive research, the biggest problem appears to be making phone calls or asking for an audience (interviews, consultations, etc.). Therefore, we must figure out why. If we believe in ourselves and our products, why is calling on someone to check us out or asking for a sale so uncomfortable?

Business is about selling. Period. If you are a writer, you are selling. If you are a home party consultant, you are a seller. If you are a victims’ advocate, you are a seller.

What you sell is important. If you can’t tell someone how you can help them or how your product can solve their problem, you’ll be of no use and you’ll lose the sale.

But aren’t we jumping the gun? Isn’t YOUR problem that you aren’t even ASKING (calling, meeting)? That’s my problem. I don’t want to mistake me staying within my comfort zone for you, but if it’s not you, why are you here? The least you can do is leave a comment and give us some wonderful suggestions that make us want to jump up and change our evil -sell-less- ways! Come on, do it. Or read on.

First off, what are you selling? If you don’t know, you can’t offer it, can you?

Since I can only vouch for me, let’s go with my businesses as examples. In as few words as possible (get a paper and do this at home with your own work, will ya?), I’m writing what I’m selling. Complete sentences are no-no’s; unnecessary.

Writer — Information, entertainment

Victim’s Advocate — Hope, help, publicity

Do I believe this? All of it? Yes. That is a relief. Now, I already know if I call on someone and they are not as excited as I am, or not at all, it’s NOT me or my products.

But it can be how I present them.

Writing: Know what you are writing about, write the best you can, and presenting it according to present industry standards and revising as necessary. I can tell you my problem. I’m afraid to fail, so I do not sell. That’s my big problem. I have to figure out how to get around this, but you (and I) get the gist.

Solution: Because you cannot write first and then sell, for most writing, I’ll query at least one market once a day and follow up. As for writing, I’ll continue the five minute process and work five minutes or more every single day on writing.

Solution: We recently purchased a new computer with the operating system that will work with our previous website program and will recreate a website WHILE learning more coding, especially understanding CSS-which we’ll learn by reading books and watching training videos. A great alternative is to hire someone, but we produce zero income; my writing income supports True Crime Fanatic.

Victim’s advocate: Be available. They have to know how to find me without even knowing I exist. This is where writing comes in and publicizing. I am great at marketing, because I love it, however, the past few years, I am frustrated about not being able to market in the way that WORKS and in the way I always have since 1997, via True Crime Fanatic. It’s that we changed our operating system and our website program; all the XML/HTML/CSS knowledge I possess is just not enough. Without this website, there is not a lot I can do for anyone, it’s imperative I get it back up and running properly and updated in a timely manner.

Decide what you do and what you are selling. Then, make yourself an easy doable list. Figure out what’s holding you back and work on it. Take a leap of faith in yourself, step out, and just do it.

From today forward, come back to this list when you’re a bit behind and feel the old pain of being uncomfortable sneaking up on you. IYou can make a change and break out of your comfort zone, easily. Remember why you’re in business in the first place, why you chose the businesses you did: because you believe in yourself and your products.

Grateful

I'm grateful I do not need Thanksgiving to be thankful.  Each day, I am surrounded by friends and family who love me and treat me well. Because of this, it's easy for me to pass it on.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Stop working for a moment and enjoy your presence.

Later, I'll tell you how I wrote a screenplay in two weeks and sold over $500 worth of products in 24 hours. Now go!