If you have children and are operating a home business, what do they learn about you and your business practices?

• Are you efficient and productive?
• Do you treat customers pleasantly?
• Are you honest and ethical in your dealings?
• Do you tell “white lies” when you want to avoid unpleasant situations?
• Are you a goal setter?
• Do you encounter challenges without whining and complaining, but try to find solutions?
• Do you take time for your family?  Or involve your family in your business so you have time together?
• Do you practice what you “preach” to your youngsters and set a good example?

In business and in the home, our youngsters are observing us and often will pick up on what we do more than what we say.  It’s a fine balancing act to be a good parent and have the time you need for your business.  However, by maintaining good principles and practices in your business and your life, you’re being a role model for your children that you’d be pleased for them to follow and are not being a Pinocchio parent.

Additional resources:

 Are You a Pinocchio Parent?

The Plight of the Pinocchio Parent

Who starts a home business?  What would cause a person to consider it?  What are some of their characteristics?

I’m not sure there is any one characteristic that sets a home business person apart from others, but these are some that you may find you have or others do who develop their own business.

• Independent thinkers who enjoy working for themselves
• Self-starters who can motivate themselves, even when they aren’t getting a weekly pay check or have someone setting their schedule
• Achievers who set goals and continue working to achieve them.
• People who don’t give up when a situation doesn’t work out as planned.
• Someone who can continue in spite of discouragement.
• People willing to take risks and venture out on a new path.
• Someone who is willing to postpone financial security in order to do something they enjoy. 
• People who see the “bigger picture”

Do you see any of these characteristics in yourself or other home business people you know?  Are there other traits you possess that have enabled you to start a home business? 

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I recently saw a blog headline that business owners should spend time reading other business blogs to keep on top of what’s going on.  This brings up questions:

• How much time should you spend reading?
• What blogs should you read?
• Will it truly benefit you from reading other blogs?

Much of this will depend on what type of home business you operate and the knowledge and information you need to gain.

• Writers often need to collect information about their topic and find out what others are thinking.
• Product producers need to be knowledgeable about market trends.
• Business start-ups should find out what the competition is and whether there is a need for their product/service.
• Market research should be done.  Whether blogs provide this information you’ll have to determine.
• You may get some ideas about blog design and how to make yours more appealing
• You make contact with other business bloggers and can form a network with them that encourages all of you.

However, there are times when it’s a waste of time to read blogs.

• You take time from your production time
• You don’t filter the information in blogs because so much of it is the writer’s opinion, not necessarily factual.
• You become discouraged by reading blogs with opinions that differ from yours.

You will have to look at your home business and your needs.  Then determine whether blog reading is beneficial and where you get information that makes you more productive and profitable.

What are your thoughts about spending time reading blogs?

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Organizing your home business for greater productivity and profit becomes imperative, rather than conducting it on a hit-or-miss basis.  The organization involves everything from setting goals, planning daily-weekly-monthly-yearly strategies to having an efficient work space.

You may want to check out my blog, My Organized Biz, to pick up organizational business tips, as well as some for your life in general.  Some are as simple as desk organizers and calendars to computer programs that will help you plan. 

I find wherever I go, I’m on the lookout for more efficient ways to conduct my business and my life.  Today, when I was substitute teaching, I noticed two organizers on the teacher’s desk that looked like handy items I could implement.

Check out My Organized Biz.  Also, let me know of efficient techniques you’re utilizing in your home business.

Many home business owners become discouraged if their venture doesn’t take off immediately and earn a full time income so they can quit their outside job or don’t have to get one.  However, most home businesses (or any small business) take time to become successful.  It requires planning, organization, hard work, perseverence and time to succeed.  Too many give up when success doesn’t happen immediately.

Also, you must be willing to endure the ups and down of the economy, find new products and services if what you have become outdated, learn promotional techniques and provide good quality in whatever you do.  Occasionally you hear of “instant successes.”  Most of these business owners have been putting in a great deal of effort beforehand to get where they are.  Occasionally there is someone whose product takes off almost immediately, but they must then have the ability to sustain the production.

Believe in what you’re doing and persevere.  Follow good business practices, interspersed with innovative ideas.  Adapt to the economy and provide products and services needed.

Let’s hear your story and how you’ve developed a successful home business.

I’ve always enjoyed writing and sending postcards.  Even with the speed and ease of e-mail, instant messaging, and Facebook, I still practice this habit.  I’ve discovered it’s very helpful in keeping in touch with customers and business associates, people I meet in my travels, friends and relatives.

I try to write at least one postcard a day.  Sometimes these are cards my husband and I make that involve our business news.  Others may be cards from my paintings and his photos.  There also are cards that contain illustrations from my books. We may add inspirational and motivational sayings.  Others simply have my written greeting on the back. 

For customers, I might mention new products and services.  On holidays and birthdays, I send friendly greetings.  I like to keep in touch and find that people seem to appreciate it.

Do you like to receive postcards?  One friend called me and said, “I received your card, Mary.  I didn’t know people sent cards and letters through the mail any more!”

How do you use postcards in your home business? 

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In this world of environmental concerns, whether real or imagined, businesses that emphasize the “green” in their business generally have more success in getting noticed.  If you’re experiencing a slowdown with your business during this sluggish economy, consider how you might be able to enter the “green” movement momentum.  If you can slant your business to encompass some phase of environmental concerns, you may be able to attract more customers.

• Perhaps you already have a product that falls into the “green” category, but you simply haven’t been focusing on promoting this aspect.  So, rethink your promotion techniques.
• What about providing a service that helps others conserve, reuse or recycle?  Perhaps this would incorporate some of your present products.
• Can you conserve in your business and let your customers know that you’re using recycled bags, paper, and other supplies?
• Find a need in the environmental conservation movement and develop a product or service that fills it, such as the mom who developed reusable (and easily washable) sandwich and snack bags.  Other moms are grabbing these up for their youngsters’ lunches.
• Join with other businesses in your community (or online) that are involved in “greening the globe” in some fashion.  If what they’re doing isn’t too extreme or impossible for your business, get involved with them to give your business more exposure.

How are you focusing on “green” in your business and promoting it?

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It’s not a sign of failure in your business if you have to get an outside job temporarily, or keep your outside job longer than you planned.  The ecomony of these times may make it difficult to make as much income from your business as you once did, or you thought you would. 

Something that you produce or a service that you provide may not be as necessary, so people aren’t spending money for it.  In addition to, or instead of, you may need to find another direction for your business, another product or service.  In the meantime, the income from your present outside job or one you must get, will help tide you over and pay the personal and business bills.

For instance, when I was doing oil and water color paintings, along with note paper and postcards, many years ago, there was a recession and customers weren’t buying these items.  However, I discovered that quilts and patchwork items were popular and went in that direction with a sewing business I was operating at the same time.

In present day terms, I took a summer job at a local delicatessan, but kept working at my home business, too.  This brought in a regular income and helped me meet new people and rekindle old friendships.  It requires quite a bit of time juggling, but is possible to do both when circumstances warrant it. 

This doesn’t mean my home ventures are failures, just that the economy has taken a different turn.  I must be flexible and adjust my life and talents to meet the needs.  So….

• Become flexible
• Research the market
• Acquire new skills
• Meet new people and rekindle old friendships
• Adapt to the changing times

How are you meeting today’s changing times?

Yesterday I referred you to C. Hope Clark’s article about web sites and what you need to do to draw traffic.  Hope’s advice also can apply to blogs you set up for your home business.

Laura Spencer, at Writing Thoughts, has some additional thoughts about what could be wrong with your business web site: One most common problem that many companies overlook is the quality of the writing on their website and the quality of writing in their printed materials.

In her blog post, Professional Writing – A Key Component to a Professional Image, gives valid suggestions on how to keep your customers/clients from thinking you do sloppy work or provide a sloppy service because of sloppy writing on your web site or in your promotional materials.

When you combine Laura and Hope’s advice, you will be further along the road to success.

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“Websites number in the millions,” says newsletter editor and writer, C. Hope Clark. “What can you do to let yours be known?” Hope has a very good point here and one that many business owners ask.  How can you attract traffic, readers and buyers to your web site, depending on your goal.

So, Hope has written a very informative article, You Have a Web Site, So What?, in her latest issue of Funds for Writers Small Markets newsletter.  Here she gives tips generally for authors and those who want to sell books.  But her tips are good for any web site owner who  wants to gain recognition and promote a business.

You learn from Hope about the necessity of promoting your web site (and the same would go for your blog).  You can’t expect to develop a web site or blog, then simply sit and wait for viewers and customers.

After reading Hope’s article in her Editor’s Piece of Mind section, how about sharing some of your web site and blog recognition techniques?

(Incidentally, Hope’s FFW Small Markets has been one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers for nine consecutive years.  So she definitely has advice you can listen to.)

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