While conventional creditors wish to look your credit history before they approve a loan for you, payday loan companies do not. Your credit score is not important here. All that the lenders need are proof of your employment, your bank statement and one post dated check that is to be cashed on your coming payday- that’s all. Once you submit these documents, cash reaches to you immediately.

The advantages of Payday loans

1. Borrowers get the cash ready when needed.
2. No credit check is performed.
3. Short term loan that matures on the next payday and
4. Renewal is possible in case of financial hardship.

If borrower wishes, he can renew the loan for another pay period; in that case a fee is charged as the renewal cost.

The story has been flowing nicely so far. But it won’t. People with poor credit prefer payday loans mostly and here lies the tragedy. Borrowers apply for payday loans even when he is not sure whether he can repay it on his next payday. If he can pay it back then it is well and good. But if he cannot – he enters a never-ending loop. Interest and renewal charges continue to be added on the principle thus increasing the loan
amount.

Payday lenders set a higher limit of cash to be lent, generally $500 and charge $25 per $100. We should not forget that this charge is for only 7 to 20 days. Now if you calculate the APR, it will be somewhere near to 650%.

Just think of the situation - you need some cash ready and your credit is not so good. So you went for a payday loan. Now you have to pay $125 on your next payday if you had borrowed $100. Say, you cannot afford the amount at that time and decide to renew it. Then you are signing another loan of $125 and have to return around $155 on your next payday.

So you are paying $55 interest for $100 loan in one month! Now just multiply $55 with 12, isn’t it near about $650? Can you imagine how much you are paying for $100 payday loan?

When one realizes that he or she is paying too much towards the loan and decides to close the checking account, lender adds the NSF charges. Moreover the renewal charge is piled up whenever he missed payments.

Payday loan companies which did not exist 10 years back are more than 20,000 in number at present. They usually lure people to borrow from them. If they are repaid on the first payday, they are fine. Otherwise they appear as loan sharks and run to grasp you like a demon! But you must think whether you can afford it with your next paycheck or not. If
the answer is ‘yes’, go for it, otherwise do not go for it, because ready cash is not cheap!

Note from the writer:

Debt consolidation is a good option to pay back your debts. But a few a few too few consolidators are ready to work with payday loans. Debt consolidation care community has recognized this problem and started to propose practical tips to the payday loan borrowers on how to get rid of them. People looking for payday loan consolidation have joined the community and started helping each other.

Let us discuss how the company can be able to gain sales. A company gains sales by marketing the product. Marketing simply means looking for a niche market or customer to be your client.

If you operate a home based business, you might think that marketing becomes pretty hard. Thanks to the internet, it has helped home based businesses to be known by more people.

You can either create your website or do it guerilla style. Creating your own website will not cost that much really. Registering your domain name could be as low as $7 and a reliable host could be found for $5 only. If you are willing to maintain your site, it can even be almost free. However, there are also people you can pay for a reasonable price that can help do that work for you.

Guerilla style marketing on the other hand means you try market online in any way possible without having to create your own site. You can use search engine optimizations, free-for-alls, niche directories, newsgroups, free classifieds, message and bulletin boards, and free mailing lists and ezines. There are tons of these out there in the web; you just need to look hard to find it.

If you decide to market offline, it could be harder and more tiring. But sometimes personally looking for the customer can guarantee better results. It helps that you are able to explain personally what you selling. It also helps develop a rapport with potential customers.

Here are some ways to do marketing the classical way. You can distribute flyers that include your number, have them advertised in newspapers or magazines, or ask the news boy to insert those flyers within the newspaper, brochures, pass out audio tape that explains your product or service to potential customers and enter trade shows.

What strategy you decide to use in marketing your product will be greatly dependent on what you see is the most beneficial for you. There are some businesses that are hard pressed about creating advertising online even if there would be greater chances to land a customer. There are also other businesses that can do better marketing online. What decision you make just keep this in mind “Action always beats Inaction.”

Some of us tend to forget what our goals are or just have no goals in life. It’s hard to live a life that’s lost and have no bigger sights. It’s like wandering a vast ocean without nay plans or directions to go.

That’s why fro every person, whether entrepreneur or employee, it’s best to figure out to be efficient about these things. Here are some motivational, goal and planning system that might help out.

• Create your own mission and goals statement – you’ve seen companies have it, so why not you? This will be what drives you to do your daily tasks in life. The tasks you do in life will be based on your mission and vision statement.
  1. Write down your short term goals and your long term goals. Below the goals write the mission statement. The mission statement should be able to capture the goals you have set. The mission statement should also help you become the person you’d want to be.
  2. Write down the things you are willing to give up.
  3. What does success mean to you?
  4. This may sound overkill, but it does help. Print a copy, sign and date it, then frame it. Put it in a place where you will be able to see it on a daily basis or when you wake up or before going to sleep.
  5. Let the things you have written be what motivates you when things go hard.
• Always remember God in everything you do. Pray before you start the day and pray when you have ended your day. It will be God that helps you make it through those tough stretches.
• Try to see what things have changed on a monthly basis. Try to check where you are on your goals, are you getting nearer or further.
• Create a daily journal to plan for upcoming days. Always have time to reflect, plan and analyze.
  1. Before you sleep, try to write down the things you have accomplished today. Also plan the things needed to be done the following day.
  2. Plan ahead for two days. Check your schedule two days ahead.
• Also plan your weekly schedule. It’s best to plan on Sundays what will be done the upcoming week. If you have a free day, you may want to do some stuff you’ve been meaning to do.
• Review your monthly progress. At the end of the month, try to check out what are the things you have achieved and not achieved.
  The following things mentioned above are not only things to get a start-up entrepreneur well on his or her feet. These things could be used by every living person on earth as his or her own personal yard stick. It will help every person know that he or she will be doing something meaningful everyday of his or her life.

Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 is a useful tool for you to protect your private data when your friends, colleagues, kids or other people share your PC or account. With this tool, you will get one password protected folder called ‘My Private Folder’ in your account to save your personal files.

There are hardware and software specs required to run Microsoft Private Folder 1.0, but they are low enough where almost everyone will be able to take advantage of this product:

• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Professional Edition and Media Center Edition with SP2
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

Please note: Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 is provided specifically for genuine Windows customers, and requires genuine Windows validation in order to download. The software is free, and does not come with product support. Simply put, if you didn’t pay for your copy of windows, you can’t get the download.

First and foremost, keep you data safe.

Have a variety of your goods but not too many. Customers are always on the look out for an assortment of goods before they actually make purchases. It is probably innate for people to make comparisons before they decide what suits their preference. Thus, it is essential that you have a variety of goods available for them to choose from. However, having too many choices is not also advisable. It can result to some products not being bought at all, which could mean loss for you.

Monitor the “hot” items. Goods have different stock levels. By properly observing which products get to be purchased more often gives you an idea of what level of inventory should be set for that item. Knowing the safety stock level of your products would result to an increased inventory turn-over for optimized profit.

Take advantage of wholesale prices. Suppliers always provide discounted prices for volume purchases. It is advisable to take advantage of this to lower your cost per item but never overbuy. You may end up not being to sell the product at all, leaving you with losses to suffer. That is why, you have to monitor your products properly.

Get rid of obsolete items. Customers have their way of knowing whether your goods are there for sometime. They are always on the look out for something new. If you think that a particular item has been on your shelves for a time, offer it at a discounted price. Furthermore, when your goods have expiry dates, it is better to have them “on sale” before the said date. It is wiser to reduce your profit for these items rather than not to have them sold at all.

Maintain an accurate recording system. Regardless of the size of your business or the number of products you sell, or the type of records to be maintained, it is important to maintain an accurate recording system. There have been numerous cases of inventory mismanagement rooted on the improper and careless recording of inventory data. Depending on your preference, you can do the recording of inventory control. These days, however, even for small businesses, computer software is made available to answer for any of your inventory problems. It is advisable then to invest some of the computerization of your system. This may mean additional cost but the software come in handy for your billing and collection as well.

Proper inventory management entails tow aspects: on one hand is the ability to know what, when and how much to purchase a particular good; and on the other hand, to make sure that once purchased, these items would produce profit. Being able to satisfactorily reconcile these two factors will surely assist in making your business successful. You surely would not want to stock up all those inventories for the rest of the year, would you?

Do you really want to live in a world were ever channel has the same news everyday provided by the highest bidder?

• Click here, sign the petition, it only takes 10 seconds of you time!

Imagine letting go of a steady income source to build up your own income source. Compared to having a job were there will be actual money coming monthly. Entrepreneurs will need to work hard and plow back the company’s earnings before getting some for them.

These is what motivates entrepreneurs really, the challenge, the people who don’t believe in them and most of all the money. Most successful entrepreneurs say they have been cash strapped at some point of their lives. They say that they are sick and tired of living a life without much. This makes them even work harder to make their company grow even more. Their situation always motivates them to work harder.

Entrepreneurs also will have the loneliest path to tread in a very ironic way. Entrepreneurs need to have customers to make their business moving. They need to establish a great relationship with their customers to be built long term.

The entrepreneur also needs to have a great relationship with his employees, because without them, the whole company’s system can crash down. In a logical way, the entrepreneur is the brain while the employees are the body. One can not function without the other.

However, there will be times that a body part has a disease and affects the whole body. When an employee is causing a mess, there should be times that you should learn to terminate them “properly”.

Emphasis is given on the word properly because even though they may have done something bad, they still need to be treated with respect and dignity. You wouldn’t want a former employee to stalk you down anyway.

Despite all of that, the entrepreneur still lives a lonely life. Why? Because compared to working with other employees, the entrepreneur most of the time will have to work alone.

Don’t be distraught however of all the challenges you’ll be facing as an entrepreneur. The road will be tough but the rewards will be sweet. Especially if you believe in what you are doing and work hard for it.

An entrepreneur compared to employees will always have his or her own time. The time the entrepreneur has should not be wasted; instead it should be used wisely. Plus there will be no boss to pressure you to do this and that. You are your own boss; the pressure you seek should be within yourself. That pressure is the pressure to succeed and prove the doubters wrong.

Are you ready for it? Would you want to be an entrepreneur? If you do, give your best shot at it. Don’t let failure get you down. Most entrepreneurs take more than one try to get things right.

Some prefer early retirements and use the payoff money to put up their own business, be an entrepreneur as we say. But running your own business can be as stressful as it is rewarding. It’s not the same with being employed in a company and having your area of expertise.

The first question you should consider is, are you cut to be an entrepreneur and start a home business? Home business owners who triumph are those who are willing to take the risk and are driven to achieve success at all cost. People who have such drive are more suited to be entrepreneurs than those who are laid back and cautious.

If you’re a risk-taker, the daily challenge of earning money through selling a product or service excites you. But if you prefer a steady salary and a predictable lifestyle, you better think twice.

The two biggest rewards of owning a home business are not having a boss and the financial benefits you will reap when your business hits big-time. However, bear in mind that a big percentage of small business fail, therefore there are considerable risks that need to be considered carefully before investing your time and money on something.

A startup home business will require a good feasibility study, a significant capital, and huge investment on time and sacrifice. You typically have to work longer and harder than when you’re just an employee and you have now more responsibilities. You’re are your own boss with no upper management to guide you or tell you what you should do. You’re on your own, remember?

So the bottom line is, being employed is a “safer” avenue. In a corporate environment you move up a ladder, you get salary raises, a continuing education, and if you’re doing a really good job you will surely get a pat on the back.

As an entrepreneur, you’ll have to depend on your own smart thinking, and in the eyes of others success only depends on either you’re making money or not. But if you are, the profits can be a really good incentive.

The key factor in building a successful home business is motivation. Come up with an idea, big or small, then think of possible ways to improve it, to sell that idea. Ask the opinions of the experts then spend time and money perfecting that idea. Don’t spend your days dreaming of your own business, if you believe that you’re cut out to be a business owner then take the necessary risks and do it.

In a survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business in the United States, it shows that most small business owners find real satisfaction from their businesses. Forty percent say they are extremely satisfied and 81% feel their companies are successful. A majority of them say that they spend most of their day doing what they like best.

These finding are truly encouraging if you’re thinking of setting up your own home business. But the final decision is up to you. Do you stay on the safe side or do you jump off the ship and take your risk out on that vast ocean of opportunities?

Not being able to know what the market wants and needs is often the common pitfalls of entrepreneurs. Some entrepreneurs just feel that their product is great and the public would buy it immediately. To some there will be a lucky break, to others it could be a big loss.

Everyone says that entrepreneurs are risky people. It is another common misconception for entrepreneurs. They are risk takers all right, but they take calculated risks. If they do not take calculated risks, loses could be more.

That’s why before starting a business they create plans. The plans they had made are virtually “what ifs”. But at least their plans include contingency plans and other stuff. The risk that entrepreneur’s take is whether to start the business or not.

As stated above, knowing the right product to sell is essential. Here are some fifteen key questions that mat guide you to learn if your product is really great and can sell well. These questions will also help you determine what kind of product you’d want to sell if you have no idea what to sell as well.

There are two factors that should be assessed when deciding to select a product. The two factors are the inherent qualities of the product and the state of the market. Here are some questions based on the factors.

The Inherent Qualities of the Product:

1. Is your product of high quality?
2. Is the product really effective or defective?
3. What are the benefits the product gives to the consumer? Are the benefits valuable?
4. Can the product be able to increase pleasure or utility, or reduce the pain?
5. Should your product be reordered?
6. Can a back-end of the product be easily developed when needed?

State of the Market:

1. Can your product be obtained or produced at a low cost to have higher margins? Or are you willing to sell via low profit margin but high volumes?
2. What is the demand for the product? Just observe here. You don’t need a very broad study. See if a product like what you are thinking moves fast in the market.
3. Is the market for your product growing? Go check if companies selling products similar like yours are growing fast or slowly. Observe these companies if they are expanding or not.
4. How many competitors are selling similar products? More competitors mean more choices by the consumer. More competitors mean you have to be innovative to capture a share of the market.
5. How many of these competitors are serious or really big time companies?
6. Are there products that can be substituted for the product you are planning to sell? When there is, it means more competitors.
7. What are those substitutes?
8. Are there factors that increase or decreases the sales of the substitutes?
9. Will it be hard to differentiate your product from competitors?

Here are seven prerequisites of Great products as well.

1. The product should be fulfilling a need or want
2. Either niche market or mass market appeal
3. Should have a profit margin of at least 2:1.
4. Has a value perceived to be high
5. The product should be replenished or repurchased more often.
6. Can be easily cross-sold or up-sold.
7. The product has a related back-end product.

Basing your product from the following criterion can help prevent you from losing more money. It can help give you a feel of what the best business is right that can earn instead of losing money.

There was a speaker I heard say that “Vision without Action is the same as Action without Vision.” It would be pretty stupid to work day in and out, without you having a clear cut goal of where you want your company to be. The same could be said for a company that has a vision but does work for it.

The goals of the company are often linked with the goals of the owner. Do your personal goals include being able to achieve a certain lifestyle, a company that can lasts for years, be respected, help the community, be free from bosses, or have an innovative product? Think clearly what your reasons are for starting a business.

As the founder of your company, you can be able to build your business in the form to achieve your personal goals. To help out, write down all the personal goals you have thought about. This will be made more clearly once you have written it all down.

Then you’d have to decide whether you’d want a lifestyle company or a high potential one. At first thought, it’s always best to build a high potential company; however there are times that a high potential company can mean bigger investments. It will all be explained further later on in the article.

Lifestyle companies are usually the small companies such as local restaurants, hardware stores, barber shops, franchises, etc. These are local companies that will be rarely having sales reach up to a million dollars. People who open them are usually sole proprietors, partners or small corporations.

Having a lifestyle company has its advantages: be able to control the company, be able to continue doing what you love without much risk, can have a positive cash flow early on, report only to yourself and have your own time.

The disadvantages of lifestyle companies include: It will be hard to hire a top talent. This is because top talent will usually work for companies that offer stock options. Top talents also avoid companies with little growth potential. There is also the risk of not having that bigger gain you are looking for in business.

High potential companies are those that develop products to sell internationally. They sometimes base their product on technological breakthroughs or a change in a regulatory environment. They may also raise venture capitals to explore those lucrative opportunities. If these companies succeed they could be looking at more than 50 million dollars worth of sales.

The advantages of high potential companies include: large returns on investments, be able to attract outside investors, and have a great team to make the company succeed. The disadvantages will be the long time to have the positive cash inflow. There is also a chance that the company may take in large amount of debts.

There is no right or wrong choice of what kind of business you’d want to put up. As said earlier the business you put up should always be in sync with your personal goals.

Learn more from the folks at Save the Internet

What’s at stake?

Decisions being made now will shape the future of the Internet for a generation. Before long, all media — TV, phone and the Web — will come to your home via the same broadband connection. The dispute over Net Neutrality is about who’ll control access to new and emerging technologies.

On the Internet, consumers are in ultimate control — deciding between content, applications and services available anywhere, no matter who owns the network. There’s no middleman. But without Net Neutrality, the Internet will look more like cable TV. Network owners will decide which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.

The Internet has always been driven by innovation. Web sites and services succeeded or failed on their own merit. Without Net Neutrality, decisions now made collectively by millions of users will be made in corporate boardrooms. The choice we face now is whether we can choose the content and services we want, or whether the broadband barons will choose for us.

Isn’t the threat to Net Neutrality just hypothetical?

No. So far, we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. But numerous examples show that without network neutrality requirements, Internet service providers will discriminate against content and competing services they don’t like.

• In 2004, North Carolina ISP Madison River blocked their DSL customers from using any rival Web-based phone service.
• In 2005, Canada’s telephone giant Telus blocked customers from visiting a Web site sympathetic to the Telecommunications Workers Union during a labor dispute.
• Shaw, a big Canadian cable TV company, is charging an extra $10 a month to subscribers in order to “enhance” competing Internet telephone services.
• In April, Time Warner’s AOL blocked all emails that mentioned www.dearaol.com — an advocacy campaign opposing the company’s pay-to-send e-mail scheme.

This type of censorship will become the norm unless we act now. Given the chance, these gatekeepers will consistently put their own interests before the public good.

Unfortunately, many of the distributed cards end up in a trash can or in a drawer which is rarely opened. The business cards are forgotten as networking people join another similar event. Such a situation renders a networking event as an ineffective and time-consuming way of conducting business.

Exchanging business cards is not the main essence of networking. A networking event is an opportunity to build relationships with other businessmen and potential customers. Such relationships should be financially profitable to both parties. Only when a home business owner has successfully established such relationships can his business grow.

To establish such mutually profitable relationships, the home business entrepreneur must keep in mind that the success of the networking does not depend on the number of new people in the event, but on the quality and content of conversations with these new people. This is because a networking event is basically an opportunity to share information and ideas about business and to acquire contact from and provide support to the people attending the event.

The home business entrepreneur must develop the most important skill in business networking – listening. While listening, the entrepreneur must channel his energies into knowing the needs of other people. Then, he must think of ways of how to help the other people. Offering one’s expertise is an effective starting a business relationship.

The true aim of networking is to grow and expand the home business. But this does not only refer to meeting new potential clients or getting referrals. The profits of a home business may also increase because the owner learned a new concept or a new skill while attending a networking event. When an entrepreneur focuses on both, clients and skills, his profit will inevitably increase.

The success of a networking event does not depend on the number of participants. That is, it is not true that more participants mean more business transactions in the future. A networking event may be swarming with people. But these people may just be onlookers and have no plans or abilities to network or to purchase products.

The success of a networking event relies on the rapport established among participants. Two new friends, after the networking event, must meet and sit down to discuss ways on how they can do business together. They can give referrals to each other and meet each other’s business needs.

• I’m not good at writing anything
• I’ve done it before and there was no response

Writing is a skill that can be learned. If a person knows how to write a sentence, then he can write a paragraph. An entrepreneur does not need to become the next Tolkien in order to write a sales letter. If he has sent several sales letters and received no response, what the entrepreneur needs to do is to change the way he writes the letter.

Here are some suggestions on how to write a powerful and compelling letter that will generate sales for the home business.

1. 1. Create an outline of the sales letter. It should have three major parts: introduction, body, and conclusion
   • Introduction – State the reason for writing the sales letter. With a lousy introduction, the reader will roll his eyes and crumple the paper. With an attractive introduction, the reader will squint to read more. Write something like: “I have the solution to your problem ….”
   • Body – Explain why the products or services of this home business are not only superior but designed to cater to the particular needs of the reader. If there are several products or several services, describe them briefly. This is where the letter should appeal to the reader. Instead of describing a multivitamin or food supplement, write about an active and healthy lifestyle where the reader can imagine himself achieving success.
   • Conclusion – Summarize the benefits that the client will get when he patronize the products or services. Then, ask the client to take action, such as visiting the office or the website, and calling the telephone numbers provided in the letter
2. Highlight the important parts of the letter using a light-colored pen. An underlined sentence is less attractive than an apple-green highlighted one.
3. Personalize the letter. A reader loses his interest when he realizes that this particular sales letter was sent to several people already. To add a personal touch to the sales letter, include a small handwritten note emphasizing one benefit for the reader. A “P.S.” will also make the sales letter more personal.
4. Place important information such as contact numbers, fax numbers, address of the office, website, and email addresses. The reader should know how to contact the owner of the home business.
5. Show that the subject of the letter is urgent. This means that the reader must do something about it as soon as possible. Urgency can be placed in the letter by stating that only a few units of the product is left or the special discount is for a limited time only.
6. Check the spelling and grammar. The letter may not be formal. It may be written in the way a person speaks, but such is not an excuse for wrong spelling and incorrect grammar. Without the so-called “subject-verb agreement”, the letter loses its credibility.
7. Write from the point of view of the client. The sales letter should answer the basic question of the potential client, “What’s in it for me?”

When the entrepreneur wants to have a powerful sales letter, he should keep all the above suggestions in mind.

Unfortunately, the ethics learned in the classroom is insufficient when a person is already plunged in the real world. For example, most college professors of ethics emphasized the importance of truth and the danger of deception. Yet, the practice of honesty cannot be easily done.

In the field of law, here are probing questions for the lawyer:

• Would you attempt to destroy the credibility of the opponent’s witness who was telling the truth?
• Would you place a witness on the stand when you already know that they will lie or omit some important facts?
• Would you give legal advice that will surely encourage your client to lie?

The safe answer offered by the ABA is this: “Despite the confidentiality in the lawyer-client relationship, lawyers should not knowingly deceive the court because the purpose of justice is deterred by deception by a court officer.”

In the field of medicine, here are non-restorative questions for the doctor:

• Would you keep secrets to protect yourself and loved ones or because you have promised to keep a secret?
• Would you tell the sick and dying of their condition?

The doctor will always be in a limbo when it comes to the second question. The diagnosis might be inaccurate and telling the truth may just accelerate the deterioration of the patient’s health. Or the truth will allow the patient to make preparations for his inevitable death.

In the field of law enforcement, here are investigative questions for the cop:

• Would you lie and cheat to catch the criminal?
• Would you abide with the rules knowing that the bad guy will get away?

Similar to the position of the doctor, the policeman will forever be in a limbo when it comes to these two questions. He may decide to lie and cheat but may lose his credibility. Or he may stick to the book but end up knowing that he allowed more people to become victims.

In the world of business, here are questions for the entrepreneur that needs scrutiny:

• Would you omit certain conditions of a promo just to make a sale?
• Would you wield psychological pressure on a prospect so that he will make a purchase knowing that he has no need of your product?
• Would you exaggerate the benefits of your products and services?

The entrepreneur must find a way to accomplish his goal of attaining financial independence without deceiving people along his path.

With all the conflicting situations a person finds himself in, the use of ethics becomes more challenging. Yet, the person must still find a way to choose the right decision. The aim is not to always sleep better at night because this becomes impossible. The aim is to eventually build one’s own set of morality.

Then, time is spent in different ways. Some people like to follow a fixed schedule, equating time to the number of goals they can achieve in one day, in one week, in one month, in one year, and even in one lifetime. Other people like to spend time without schedules and believe in the saying “carpe diem”. Again, perhaps both ideas are right.

However, the majority of the people spend time in this way. First, they exist in the present. But second, they kept on thinking of the past. And third, they will always hope for a better tomorrow. While there is nothing wrong with this concept and usage of time, many people go into illogical extremes. That is, some people live only for today. Others cannot escape their past. And still others think only of the future and forget the present and the past.

This concept of time, when applied to the MLM business, definitely hampers any form of success. Some home business owners become too reluctant because of past experiences. Other businesspeople care only for the client who is here and now, and forgetting the rest. And still other businesspeople don’t take into consideration the conditions of the past and present, as long as they follow their visualization of the future.

To be successful in MLM, a person must hold the three phases of time in a state of balance. He must think about the past to learn from it. He must make plans to live a good life in the future. And he must develop his abilities, skills, and character while he is experiencing the present. To do this, the person must face and honestly answer the following questions:

• When does the active business efforts belong? Is it for the past, for the present, or for the future?
• Do the past events and past mistakes hinder or prevent any business expansion? That instead of learning lessons from the past, one is heavily influenced by the idea that what happened in the past will certainly happen again.
• How long does it take to wait for that perfect MLM recruit who will boost the business? Apparently, the waiting will make the time longer. This means that the businessman conducting an MLM business must not wait for manna to fall from the heavens. He should take action.
• Is the present time well spent?

To achieve that success while using the MLM program, a person must shift his concept of time. That is, he must learn from the past, plan for the future, and live the present to the fullest.

In this decade of plastic money and electronic cash, the home business entrepreneur must provide his clients various ways of payment. There are five of the major ways of accepting payments: cash, checks, debit cards, credit cards, and online payments. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages.

To better manage the finances of a home business, the entrepreneur must be aware of the inherent costs for each method of payment.

• Cash
  • Advantages:
    - Cash is “liquid” and it can be immediately used to pay bills or to buy equipment
    - There is practically zero processing time when a product is paid in cash
  • Disadvantages:
    - Cash can get lost or can be stolen
  • Possible investment needed:
    - A safe for keeping cash that cannot be immediately deposited in a bank
  • What the entrepreneur must remember:
    - Some customers prefer to pay in cash, so this payment option must be always available
    - Immediately deposit cash payments in a bank, everyday if possible, and during the daytime when the likelihood of being robbed is small.
• Checks
  • Advantages:
    - Preferred option of clients who are paying for a service
    - Best option when there is no cash in hand and no facilities for debit cards, credit cards, or online payment
  • Disadvantages:
    - Payment can be considered delayed, when compared to cash
    - The check could be a bouncing check and may not be worth anything
  • Possible investment needed:
    - Not much investment needed, except that the entrepreneur must have a bank account
  • What the entrepreneur must remember:
    - With a new client, ask for a photo ID and get the client’s driver’s license number
    - If the amount is considerable, ask if it is possible to be paid using a bank draft or have the check certified first
    - Take a close look at the date and the amount. These should be exact. If the date is wrong, such as February 30, the entrepreneur will need to get another check. This wastes precious time.
• Debit Cards
  • Advantages:
    - Almost all consumers have debit cards.
    - Safer than cash payments
  • Disadvantages:
    - The entrepreneur will need to invest additional capital in setting up this payment option
  • Possible investment needed:
    - Buy or rent a debit card terminal, which is available from most banks and credit unions
    - Terminal connection fee (about $40 with a landline and $100 with a mobile phone)
    - The bank charges a transaction fee which is equivalent to about ¢10 to ¢50 per debit card transaction
  • What the entrepreneur must remember:
    - These are near real time transaction, make sure you have funds available to the transaction
• Credit Cards
  • Advantages:
    - Convenient for the client
    - Known to increase the sales by 50%
    - Can be accepted in many ways: in person, over the telephone, via snail mail, and over the Internet
  • Disadvantages:
    - Cannot be done if the home business entrepreneur has poor credit
    - Several fees needed to set up this payment option
  • Possible investment needed:
    - Application fee for the credit card merchant account
    - Set up fee
    - Rent or purchase fee for the processing equipment and its accompanying software
    - Administration and statement fees
    - Processing and transaction fees (about 2% to 8% of the sales)
  • What the entrepreneur must remember:
    - Must get a credit card merchant account from a bank, a credit union, or a merchant account broker
• Online Payment
  • Advantages:
    - Extremely safe
    - Fast and convenient
    - International transactions are possible
    - Cheaper than setting up the credit card payment option
  • Disadvantages:
    - During payment, the potential client will be redirected to the website servicing the online payment. This confuses the client who will probably cancel the business transaction
  • Possible investment needed:
    - Payment for setting up the business account
  • What the entrepreneur must remember:
    - Create a business account because personal accounts cannot accept payments from clients
    - The payment from clients can be retrieved by any of these methods:
    · Direct deposit into the bank account
    · Issued check and sent through registered snail mail
    - Or the payment received can remain in the business account and be used when the entrepreneur uses his debit card.

Doing the 21st century business entails expenses that are unheard of a hundred years before. But these costs replace many other expenses such as transportation and other overhead expenses. Thus the home business entrepreneur must invest in setting up these payment options to facilitate and increase the flow of incoming money.

Theoretically, a home business can be established and managed by everyone who knows how to read and talk. But in reality, a home based business cannot be started nor brought to success if the entrepreneur does not have all three qualities: persistence, commitment, and determination.

Persistence

The renowned author Pearl S. Buck once said, “… don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has to get down to work.” This implies that the success of a home business will depend on how persistent is the entrepreneur. There will be uninspired days and there will be disappointing results. But these should not be allowed to interfere with the day to day work of the home business. The entrepreneur must be keep in mind the three rules of work created by the genius Albert Einstein:

• Out of clutter, find simplicity
• From discord, find harmony
• In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity

Commitment

Having commitment is having a positive mind set. When starting a home business, the entrepreneur must pledge himself to bring the business to success. He must also remember that when he starts the home business, he is playing multiple roles: the CEO, the marketing director, the customer service personnel, the bookkeeper, and the secretary. This means that starting a home business portends busy days ahead. Here are several sayings that could be viewed as home business tips to keep the entrepreneur committed:

• Quitting comes before failure
• Enthusiasm is the burning coal of success
• Commitment is not an avowal to keep the business going. Commitment is a positive step towards realizing one’s dreams

Determination

Many people who never engaged in any entrepreneurial venture really wanted to have their own business. But something is holding them back. This something is a set of excuses that instills self-doubt and fear. A successful entrepreneur overcomes the excuses because they are determined to reach their goals. Here are tips that will help a person become decisive about pursuing a home business:

• Do not procrastinate
• Break down a big goal into smaller-scale and achievable objectives
• Inform as many people as possible about the goals of the chosen home business. This can provide leverage for the entrepreneur

With persistence, commitment, and determination, the home business will take off the ground.

Before creating a press release, the entrepreneur must know what characteristics of a press release are preferred by journalists. Here are some suggestions on making an attractive and effective press release.

1. Make the press release catch the attention of the editor so that it will be published. The editor of a newspaper receives several press releases in a day. To have a certain press release chosen, these must be present:
   • A magnified tension and suspense between the new home business and its competitors. The media navigates towards clashes and strife.
   • A headline and a first sentence that seizes the attention of the reader. “The Newest Soul-Stirring Café Opens Today” is certainly better than “Business Man X Opens a New Café”, unless the name of the businessman is already famous.
   • First paragraphs that contain vital information. The first paragraphs must immediately tell the reader what the press release is all about. There must be no confusion at all about the contents of a press release.
2. The press release should attract customers. The main goals of the press release are to promote the home business and to advertise the new products. To accomplish these goals, the entrepreneur must do the following:
   • Show that the business is unique from its competitors. The uniqueness of the home business gives what businessmen call the “competitive edge”.
   • Utilize active and exciting words. The imagination of the reader must be stirred. Thus, the press release should not be made of pale and anemic words.
   • Focus on the benefits that the reader will get if he patronizes the new home business or its products. In the interest of advertising, never point out possible disadvantages.
   • State in detail the advantages. Detailed descriptions will definitely convince a reader to become your client.
   • Do not sell. The press release is a promotion but it should not become a sales pitch. A sales pitch gets junked by the editor.
3. Keep in mind some writing technicalities. A press release must sound professionally made. Even though the entrepreneur does not have intensive writing experience, he can write a good press release if he remembers to do these things:
   • Include in the press release the contact information of the home business. This should include the name of the entrepreneur, the telephone number, the fax number, the email address, and the website’s URL.
   • Forget the technical words. Instead of using “calciferol”, write “vitamin D”. The press release is meant to send a message and not to impress the reader about the vocabulary of the writer.
   • Keep the press release within two pages. If it is more than two pages, the busy reader will ignore the press release.
   • Proofread the press release. A wrong spelling and a bad grammar can be disastrous for the home business.

Instead of entering a hall or an auditorium, the home business owner will enter websites. He need not put on a suit to do this. Instead of distributing business cards, he only needs to leave a signature showing the name of his business and his contact information. Such will save some trees. And instead of plastering a permanent smile on his face while making small talk, all he needs to do is find the right link.

Despite the differences of personal networking and Internet networking, the ultimate aim of networking remains unchanged: to increase the sales of the business. The needed process also remains the same: to establish quality business relationships. To accomplish the aim and to carry out the process, the home business owner must look into two important features of a website: the discussion lists and the live chats.

Discussion lists can be found using search engines or through online communities. Discussion lists are virtual bulletin boards, in which the contents are sent to members of the list. The contents of these discussion lists are called postings. A posting is sent through email everyday or every week.

The home business owner may be allowed to join and post a message in these discussion lists. His message must be relevant or useful to the members of the discussion list. After his message, he must include his signature and a reason to encourage or entice people to contact him. The “reason” may sound something like this, “Get the free e-book”.

Live chats are exciting opportunities to meet people and talk with them in real-time. Live chats are usually focused on a specific topic. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the people participating in these live chats are interested in the chosen topic. But the home business owner may find more professionals in chat rooms that require membership.

Live chats may also have a guest speaker. For many networking businessmen, having a guest speaker is more profitable. When a participant posts a question for the guest speaker, his name and contact information are noted. Afterwards, he will receive emails from several people who are offering him more information and resources related to the topic he asked during the live chat. A home business owner can do the same.

If the entrepreneur cannot find a discussion list or a live chat that suits his particular home business, he may create his own. This may take more effort and more funds, but it will put the entrepreneur at the center of the network.

Home Business Structure

The home business structure refers to how an entrepreneur will conduct his income-earning activities. There are two major choices for the entrepreneur:

1. Retailing
   The entrepreneur simply sells certain products and services, via the Internet. For example, an entrepreneur will sell fantasy-inspired designs for t-shirts and mugs.
2. Networking
   The entrepreneur creates an organization or a sales force from which he gets leverage. For example, an entrepreneur will recruit three people who will sell a certain food supplement. In one week, these three recruits (also called down-lines) can sell 12 bottles of the food supplement, a feat that could not be accomplished by one person alone.

Of the two structures, retailing requires less social skills. But networking can bring in a potentially higher income. If an entrepreneur decides to have a networking structure, the best home business tip is to first research and study publications about networking or network marketing. Of course, an entrepreneur may set up a business which can do both retailing and networking.

Home Business Entity

The home business entity refers to the ownership of the home business. It may be sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages. To help a new entrepreneur (especially one with no commerce background), here are brief descriptions of the various business entities:

• Sole proprietorship – The home business is owned by one person.
  • Advantages:
    • Freedom to make all decisions
    • Simple organization
    • Complete profits
  • Disadvantages:
    • Limited capital
    • Unlimited liability of the owner
• Partnership – The home business is owned by two or more persons who agreed to work together as co-owners and share the profits of the business.
  • Advantages:
    • Combination of talents, skills, and abilities
    • Larger capital when compared to sole proprietorships
    • Easier to organize when compared to corporations
  • Disadvantages:
    • Divided authority
    • Unlimited liability of the partners
• Corporation – The home business is owned by an artificial and intangible entity which is managed by a group of people. These people have stock shares in the corporation.
  • Advantages:
    • Attractive to investors who will provide greater capital
    • Easy to expand and to transfer ownership
    • Limited liability of the stockholders
  • Disadvantages:
    • High maintenance expense

    High tax on the capital stock

Deciding which entity is best can make the entrepreneur smoothly conduct his business. But before making a decision, it will be beneficial to the entrepreneur and his home business to first consult an accountant, or a lawyer, or any reliable and competent business professional.

• Legal Fees – These would refer to fees paid to a lawyer when his services are used to incorporate the home business. Some entrepreneurs may forego the services of lawyer and proceed with the incorporation themselves. This will save expenses. But this is advisable only if the entrepreneur has a good grasp of the legalities of incorporation.

  Otherwise, a simple error, such as the absence of corporate minutes may dissolve the corporation’s legal identity.

  Most legal firms that handle business transactions have flat rates when they are hired to incorporate a business. The rate is approximately $500. The lawyer handling the incorporation will prepare the requisite paperwork as well as setting up the first meeting of the shareholder/s.

  The legal fees will shoot up when there is more than shareholder. That is, the legal firm will charge an additional $500 (estimate only) for every shareholder. This is because the lawyer will have to draw up the shareholders’ agreement.

  The entrepreneur may save some expenses if he does some of the paperwork, such as the certificates and the articles of incorporation. The local State office has forms for these legal papers.

• Filing Fees – The existence of the new corporation must be recognized. And this involves several filing fees. The major filing fees are:
  1. Fees paid to the office of the Secretary of State – which is about $200 in many States. Some States charge higher while others charge lower
  2. Fees paid to other government agencies – which is estimated to be around $200 too.
  3. The franchise tax payment for the first year of operation – which may range between $800 to $900, depending on which State the home business is being incorporated.
• Accounting Fees – When a home business entrepreneur hires a legal firm to process the incorporation of the business, the same legal firm can also manage the accounting and the taxes. The cost of accounting will depend on the following:
  1. Number of employees(if any)
  2. Corporate structure
  3. State tax issues, and
  4. Other factors.
• Taxes – For the first year of operation, the home business entrepreneur will need to pay these two major taxes.
  1. The general excise tax – a tax based on the earnings of the home business, and it is paid every quarter (four times a year)
  2. The corporate taxes – a tax which is paid annually to keep the existence of the corporation

Marketing may be done in many ways. Some ways are demand exorbitant costs, while others charge minimal expenses. For most home businesses, there are “starter kits” provided. A typical starter kit will be composed of audio cassettes, CDs, and several forms of literature. The literature will be brochures about the product, flyers for advertising, newsletters, and even stickers and bookmarks.

For some entrepreneurs, the starter kit is quite sufficient. For others, they feel the need of additional marketing. But additional marketing may mean additional expenses. For example, posting a TV add is very expensive. A TV commercial is charged by the second. A cheaper way is to have a presence in the Internet. Getting a domain name will cost $7 to $10 and connecting to a host entails a monthly payment of about $5. If an entrepreneur can afford these, then he should utilize this line of marketing.

If, however, the new home business entrepreneur is operating on a shoe string budget, he can still employ several marketing strategies in the Internet at practically no cost. These strategies are described as “guerilla marketing”. Of course, the entrepreneur has to spend more effort and time to get his marketing strategies going.

Here are some of them.

• E-zines – refer to electronic magazines; send information about the home business to these e-zines
• Free classifieds – advertise the products of the home business in these sites
• Free mailing lists – place information about the home business and make its presence felt in cyberspace
• Message and bulletin boards – post information regarding the home business and its range of products
• News groups – join a newsgroup where the nature of the home business can be shared to many people
• Niche directories – submit a link that will take net surfers to the website of the home business

To find the above, a resourceful entrepreneur may sign-up for free newsletters which will give him some inside information. He may also utilize popular free search engines.

With guerilla marketing, the process of advertising and finding new clients need not chip off a big block of the budget. All the home business entrepreneur had to do is to utilize ever free marketing resource offered in the Internet. This means that he must not wait for a financial windfall before he can start marketing. An expensive marketing does not necessarily mean an effective one. And free marketing may just be what the home business needed to boost the sales.

Home Business Tip No. 1 : Choose a home business that caters to a large growing market

Without a large market, the home business is like an anemic patient with no blood supply. The home business may appear booming in the beginning, but it will not survive in the long run. This means that newly invented gadgets (perhaps a book that automatically opens to the page last read?) are not great for home businesses.

If the market is not growing or expanding, the large number of entrepreneurs who will join this particular home business will eventually saturate the market. At present, the growing markets are in these categories:

• The industry of home-based business opportunities – estimated to have earned $400 billion
• The industry of E-Commerce and Internet marketing – pegged to surpass the present earnings of $1 trillion
• The industry of mail-order or catalogue sales and marketing – valued to be worth $350 billion
• The industry of health and wellness – appraised to have reached $1 trillion after only a few years
• The industry of personal care and grooming – considered be earning around $80 billion

Home Business Tip No. 2 : Select a home business that offers a unique consumable product

The product or range of products offered by a home business must be unique and cannot be easily obtained from anywhere else. This means that laundry detergents and similar other products, which can be picked up from the grocery, are not great for a home business.

The ideal product for a home business must be consumable. This means that the satisfied customers will re-order and re-purchase, bringing a relatively steady income every month. The ideal product should also offer a solution to a major problem. This is called “value for money”.

Home Business Tip No. 3 : Engage in a home business that utilizes leverage

In the world of business, leverage refers to methods and techniques that will allow one person to perform tasks that are usually carried out by many persons. Thus, the perfect home business is one that will allow an entrepreneur to gain financial freedom without burning the midnight oil or needing to work more than 24 hours in one day. Using leverage is also described as “working smartly”

Home Business Tip No. 4 : Set up a home business that is capable of automatic delivery of its products

Without this capability, the entrepreneur will have to physically deliver the products himself. This throws the concept of leverage right out of the window. And this will seriously decrease the potential income. A good home business should have a system in which the entrepreneur will just place the order, and the company will have the ordered product delivered to the home of the buyer.

Home Business Tip No. 5 : Undertake a home business in which full support and training is provided

Many entrepreneurs who undertake a home business have no previous experience about this particular business. Thus, to immediately start their venture, the entrepreneur must be provided with support and training. The support comes in the form of marketing tools and automated processes at the website. Such support must be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The training must make the entrepreneur extremely familiar with the product and the company. With training, the entrepreneur will be equipped with the knowledge he needs to conduct the home business.

Home Business Tip No. 6 : Join a home business which has a well-established and well-respected Parent company

The reputation of the Parent company is important. The entrepreneur must make sure that this company is stable and not about to declare bankrupt in the next ten years. Thus, the entrepreneur may find it beneficial to ask details about the company.

One MLM training is different from another. And there is a plethora of MLM training websites on the Internet. Yet, one can view all MLM trainings as a session of dictating the new businessman on what to think and what to do. Being told about what to think and do is not a sure way to reaching MLM success. In fact, all the training must do is to show “how” to “generally” do things. Then, it is the businessman who will independently think and act.

Today, however, many MLM businesspeople have forgotten how seminars and trainings should be. Sometimes, the training itself becomes the method of earning money. And the new businessman spends far too much money. He spends money for the training manual, for the e-books, and for the MLM training tapes. All these literature and paraphernalia will not be effective if the person who buys them does not change his outlook in life.

While personality is almost impossible change, what are easier to change are the reactions of a person to the events around him. Any MLM training should accomplish this. Specifically, a business man should change:

• “The way he reacts to an undesirable situation” – He must remember that not everyone is going to say “no” to him. There will be an end to these unprofitable days. Thus, the businessman must persevere and tell people about his products and services, along with the MLM scheme used to earn money from these products and services.
• “His knowledge about how the human nature usually operates” – A businessman may recall his psychology class or read self-help books. With enough knowledge, he will no longer be undeniably and irreparably hurt each time another person swears against the MLM. With a better knowledge about human nature, he will have a set of realistic expectations.
• “The way he perceives fear and motivation” – Fear compels a person to do something that he needs to do. While motivation is associated with “excited feelings” and “burning desire” to accomplish a task or reach a goal. The concept of fear is distinctly different from the concept of motivation. This means that anything a person needs to do is not part of what he really wants to do.
• “His awareness of himself” – The businessman should know the stuff that makes up his inner self. A deeper awareness of self will make him realize that a rejection from the client is not a rejection of him as a person.

MLM training is important. But having the willingness to change is far more important than being present in all MLM trainings and workshops.

Unfortunately, such belief is based on a wrong assumption that making new
acquaintances will consume too much time. The reality is that an average person
will always meet new people even without changing his schedule.

Such belief is also self-destructive. Meeting new people is a key factor in
expanding the home business. It has been estimated that an average person knows
250 other people. Meeting a new person implies that the home business owner have
indirect contact to an additional 250 people. If he shuns networking, he is
placing limits to his home business.

To conduct networking within a busy schedule, here are several suggestions
that a home business owner may use:

When meeting someone new, make sure that these three things are done:
1. Show an eagerness to know more about the new acquaintance
2. Express an intention to help
3. Suggest to meet again and stay in touch with each other

Even if nothing profitably develops with a new acquaintance, at least that other
person will think that the home business owner is a nice person.

• Do not attend some networking events. Join networking events that are related
  or crucial to the professional or business life only.
• Accept more business cards from other people. This places the home business
  owner in the position where he can control the pace of the business
  relationships.
• Become a member of an online business networking community. This allows a
  person to conveniently conduct his networking at home. Most networking
  communities are free or can be used with a minimal fee. The home business owner
  can browse at the profiles of the other users and he can choose whom he wanted
  to contact.

Believing that one has no time to network anymore is detrimental to the home
business. Networking will always be important. It provides the opportunities to
meet the person who may be the source of a crucial information, or of good
prospects, or even the name of a better store. The possibilities are almost
endless. Aside from the obvious benefit of growing the home business, networking
hones a person’s communication skills. Busy home business owners should
prioritize networking.

1. Maintain the quality of the products and services.

   The quality of the products and services offered by the home business is crucial to earn the loyalty of the customer. The products must have all the features described by the advertisements. The service must be efficient and excellent. In other words, the customer must get what he expects from the home business. Otherwise, no discounts and special offers will induce a customer to return to the home business.

2. Anticipate the particular needs of the customers.

   Even if the home business is selling only one type of product, the customers will vary in their preferences. The home business owner must pay attention to these preferences. And he must keep these special needs and preferences in mind each time the customer returns. This will make the customer feel valued as a person and not just a source of profits.

3. Provide service which is more than what is usually expected.

   To go beyond the usual expectations of the customer will give the impression that the home business cares for its customers. This extra service may be a modification that the customer has requested. For example, in a cake business, the client may request a special feature in the icing of the cake that is not found in the catalog.

   Such extra service will definitely please the customer. At the same time, the home business will have an additional feature in its range of products.

4. Entice customers to come back for more.

   The home business may offer special discounts and other privileges if the customer decides to patronize the products again. Other privileges may be the latest information or a “priority status”. A priority status means that a repeat customer need not fall in line together with other casual customers. His needs will be served immediately.

5. Foster a work environment that will keep employees.

   One factor that contributes to satisfying a customer is the employee of the home business. The contented employee becomes loyal to the home business and he will do his share in encouraging customers to come back again. Thus, the home business owner must thoughtfully treat his employees in the same way he treats his customers.

Of course, not all customers can be lifelong patrons. Satisfying one customer may be worth more trouble than the sales he brings. In this case, the home business owner must carefully analyze his options, either treating this customer as a casual customer or referring the customer to a competitor. Still, when a new customer comes in, the home business must view him as a potential long-term devoted customer.

How did the successful businessmen acquire these desirable habits? To answer this question, one must first have an idea about how habits are formed. In the beginning, a habit is just a new action which is consciously thought of and carefully watched. This means that this action is a behavior being learned.

Then, as time goes by, and as the action is repeated over and over again, it becomes routine. The person has mastered the action. Eventually, this routine will be performed without the guidance of conscious thought. At this point, the routine has turned into a habit.

Having habits is unavoidable. Everyone will develop habits because such is part of our social and cultural existence. But the crucial question is this: Do the present habits help in achieving life’s ultimate goals and dreams? Perhaps the answer to this is a reluctant “yes”, or an obvious “no”. This means that other habits should be formed, specifically, the habits of those successful MLM business.

Fortunately, these business habits can be learned and mastered. One must daily practice these habits so that they become automatic. Here are four major business habits which will greatly help a person achieve his ultimate goals in life.

• For those extra hours in the evening, one should persistently work on the business instead of passively watching inane television shows.
• One should wake up at least an hour earlier than the rest of the house and spend this extra time reading a self-help book.
• Instead of going to the theater or spending time at the mall until the body becomes tired, one must call leads or contact the names written in the list of prospects.
• One must have a strong faith in four aspects of his business: the dependable company, the quality products, the progressive MLM industry, and the optimistic self.

To work on one’s business, the first item on the agenda is to work on oneself. A person should strive to improve his personality by implementing discipline and persistence. He must remember that changing into a better person and becoming a more successful businessman, does not depend on the company, on the spouse, on the up-line, on a Higher power, or on the friends. Such change depends entirely on oneself.

Obviously, there was something unattractive to the website which prevents visitors from placing online orders. Perhaps something about the instructions was confusing. But how will an entrepreneur know which part of his website made a potential customer leave the site? The solution to this a process called “tracking”.

With a tracking system installed in a home business website, the entrepreneur or owner will have an idea about the number of visitors who opened the site and what percentage of this number explored other links. The tracking system can also identify how many of these visitors have joined the mailing list, have downloaded the free e-book or software, and have taken any survey.

When the information from this tracking system is presented, the home business entrepreneur can determine which part or parts of his website need changes and improvement. Here is one typical example.

A home business website may have four pages. The first page or the homepage is where the product is introduced or how the product can best help the target clients. This page contains a link to the second page, which contains the primary “sales letter”. This page has two more links, one towards the third page where commendations from clients are found, and one towards the fourth page which is the order form.

If the tracking system reports that only 6% of the visitors of the homepage proceeds to the second page, this means that the first page was not interesting enough. The home business owner may need to change the headlines and/or the articles. He may add graphics or remove some. After all the changes have been made, the tracking system must be reset to zero.

After a week, the statistics from the tracking system must be checked again. If the percentage of visitors moving from the first page to the second page has increased, then the changes made were positive and could lead to additional sales. But if the percentage has decreased, the changes to the homepage were not advantageous at all. The homepage needs more improvement.

Once around 40 out of 100 visitors in the homepage click the link to the second page, then the statistics of the second page must be studied next. The tracking system will provide the data that the home business owner needs. If the percentage of visitors in the second page going to the third or fourth page is extremely low, such as 1 out of 20, this means that the second page needs changes.

The second page will undergo the same process that the homepage went through until the percentages from the tracking system are satisfactory. Then, the other two pages must receive the same attention.

The changes made to the home business website will result to more sales. And these changes are guided by the information provided by a tracking system. Thus, installing a tracking system greatly helps in generating more sales.

If the primary goal of the entrepreneur is the last one, helping people, he may find himself driven to the wall. At one glance, helping people is contrary to making a profit out of the services offered by the home business. This is why entrepreneurs with these goals end up choosing one of two paths.

The first path is choosing to concentrate on helping people and sacrificing the sales. This path leads to the failure of the business because the entrepreneur is too focused on the needs of other people. He may have formed the concept that asking people to purchase his products or pay for his services is not really helping people.

The second path is choosing to concentrate on making the home business reap profits. This path throws the original goal of helping people out of the window. The entrepreneur simply decided to just make money. But in the long run, he will end up dissatisfied.

There is a third path, however, called the middle road. The entrepreneur makes a considerable living out of his home business, and at the same time, he is able to help as many people as he can. But to enter this middle road may demand a radical change in the belief system of a person.

Here are important ideas to roll around the brain:

• If no one hires an entrepreneur, he never gets the opportunity to share his talents and gifts. For example, the talent of being extremely good at fixing electronic appliances goes to waste if the person is never hired to fix any appliance.
• If no one is aware of the existence of his business, the entrepreneur has no chance at all to help other people. For example, if the home business sells products that promotes health, the neighbor of the entrepreneur cannot avail of the benefits of the product simply because he wasn’t aware of the existence of the home business.
• If the home business goes bankrupt due to zero sales, the entrepreneur will need to find another source of income to support himself and his family. This new source of income may not place the entrepreneur in a position to help other people. Again, his talents and expertise go to waste.
• If the entrepreneur is still trying to make both ends meet, he has no opportunity, no time, and no resources to help other people.

To enter the middle road of helping people and still have a financially stable home business, the entrepreneur must change his view about selling and marketing. Selling and marketing are not selfish endeavors. These are means that will help him accomplish his more noble goals.

An entrepreneur may view these complains as disasters. When the costumer complains, it may mean that he will not place additional orders or avail of other services offered by the home business. And, by word of mouth, he may prevent other potential customers from patronizing the home business.

The complaints, however, may present a golden opportunity to turn the casual (and even irate) customer into a loyal client. To attain this desirable transformation, there are four important steps that a home business owner can do.

1. Attentively listen to the complaining customer
   The home business entrepreneur must devote all his attention to the complaining customer. He should not defend himself or the home business. And he should not attempt to correct any misconception that the customer may have.
2. Sincerely apologize for the fiasco
   After listening to the customer, the home business owner must admit the failure of the home business to satisfactorily cater to the needs of the customer. He should apologize and his apology should be sincere. A customer will easily spot a lip-service apology. The home business owner must not place the responsibility of the fiasco on an employee. By taking the whole responsibility, the home business owner becomes a man of integrity in the eyes of the customer.
3. Genuinely empathize with the customer’s feelings
   Right at the heels of an apology, the home business owner should empathize with the discontent and disappointment of the customer. He must see the situation from the point of view of the customer. This will make the customer know that the business owner understood his plight.
4. Give a guarantee that whatever the complaint was all about, it will not happen again.
   The business owner must then take steps to prevent the recurrence of the same problem. He should assure his customer that the home business will strive to give a better, faster, and more satisfactory service. He should also mention the specific measures that he is going to implement. It may be a change in policy or in the structure of the business.

Using these four steps, the home business owner is basically telling the customer that the home business is still a great place to seek solutions or buy products. The customer will continue his patronage of the home business if his complaint was managed appropriately.

Here are some suggestions so that the entrepreneur-salesman can find more customers.

1. Believe in the quality of the products or the services offered by the home business. There’s nothing like a sincere admiration for the products that will convince people to patronize the home business.
2. Make a profile of the “perfect customer”. Some entrepreneurs tend to believe that the product of their home business is practically for everyone. Perhaps this is true. But not all the time. Here are some things to think about:
   • If the product is expensive when compared to its alternatives, the perfect customer should belong to the higher-income bracket
   • If the product is for health and wellness, the perfect customer would be someone who values their health
3. Once a profile of the perfect customer has been made, the entrepreneur-salesman should go back to his list of acquaintances and determine which among them fits the category of “perfect customer”.
4. If the person before the entrepreneur is not the perfect customer, the entrepreneur must still talk about his product and his home business. He need not sell. His objective is to make his home business known.
5. Browse the classified ads in the local newspapers. These are “gold mines” in which the entrepreneur will find prospects who may be interested in his products. Then, he may send brochures or flyers to them.
6. Attend events like exhibits and fairs. To know when and where these will happen, the entrepreneur must invest in the local newspapers. He may join the event as an exhibitor. Or he may bring his calling cards and brochures when visiting a fair.
7. Give something for free. If the home business has products, the entrepreneur should distribute free samples and request the recipients to spread the word about the new product. If the home business provides services, such as consultation, then the entrepreneur must look into giving free advice.
8. Offer tips or referral fees to friends. The entrepreneur’s friends have other friends who may be interested in his home business.

There are billions of people in this planet. And there will always be people coming in who may become the new customers of the home business. As a salesman, the entrepreneur will need one virtue: persistence.