Home Office How-To

When you run a small business from your home, you might find very little in the way of deductions to help save on your taxes. This is especially true if you work online, where it’s unlikely you’ll have the cost of physical goods, shipping costs, or employee wages to help offset your income.

There are a few things you can claim, though, to help minimize the money you pay to the IRS. One of the biggest is your home office.

It may seem a bit soon to be thinking about tax season.  But in reality, some planning now can reap benefits next April!  So let's take a look at how to get the most out of your home office deductions.

What is a Home Office?

As far as the IRS is concerned, a home office is a portion of your home set aside exclusively for business use. You must be able to show that your home office does not serve any other purpose, so you can’t claim the area around your kitchen table as a home office, even if that’s where you do the majority of your work.

You must also be able to show that your home office is the principle place of business. If you rent an office outside the home, and only use your home office occasionally, you may not qualify for a home office deduction. 

How a Home Office Deduction Works

Generally speaking, your home office deduction will be calculated as a percentage of all the expenses you incur in your home. For example, if you’re using a spare bedroom as your home office, you would measure the square footage of the bedroom and divide that by the square footage of the entire home to determine what percentage of space you are using for business.  

Using that figure, you calculate how much to deduct from your taxes for such things as:

• Mortgage interest
• Home repairs
• Utilities
• Depreciation

In addition, if you conduct business online, you may be able to deduct the entire cost of your Internet service.

More Deductions to Consider

In addition to your home office deduction and all it includes, don’t forget the things that actually make that room an office. Your desk and chair, filing cabinets, printer, computer, and everything else you need to operate your business are all deductible. Your accountant will be able to advise you about whether it makes sense to count these items as an expense or to depreciate them over a period of years, but do keep track of all money you spend on office equipment, as he or she will need to know.

When you’re self-employed, it can seem like you’re paying huge amounts of taxes. That’s because some of the tax burden used to fall to your employer, and now you’re responsible for all of it. Taking advantage of the home office deduction is one way to help offset those higher taxes, so be sure you’re claiming every square foot you’re entitled to.

Conquering the Challenges

Anyone looking at me today would think that starting a home-based or online business is a walk in the proverbial park.  That wasn't the case.  There were many challenges along the way.  And if you are just getting started, I'm sure you are experiencing many of the same issues.

1.  Support.  The biggest challenge I had when starting out was getting people to take me seriously.  I don't mean prospective customers or clients.  I mean family and friends.  It's difficult to start a business without some support from those around you.  Support like a spouse who will walk the dogs so you can work, or a friend who will pick the kids up from school while you meet with a client.  But it is often difficult to have any credibility with those who know you best - especially if you have no prior business experience.  It took me quite a while to convince my family that I was serious about this and to show them I could be successful.  But as time went by and I didn't give up and as I slowly started actually earning an income, the belief - and the support - came.  Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to overcome this obstacle except be persistent, be patient, share your successes, and have faith.

2.  Time.  Like me, many of you are starting your businesses part time while still working your regular job.  And if you have a family as well, then finding time to actually build your business can be challenging.  Too many will simply take time from other things like sleep or family to devote to your business.  But you can't do this forever and eventually it will take its toll and something will suffer - your health, your relationships, or the business you are trying to build.  Don't try to steal time for your business.  Simply vow to do one thing every day to move your business forward.  On days when you don't have much time, it can be a small task like reading about your niche, or placing an ad.  On days when you have more time to spare, tackle the larger tasks.  But make sure you do at least one thing EVERY day.

3.  Space.  Depending on the type of business you start, you could require some space to run it.  At the very least you will probably need some sort of office space.  The good news is that with today's technology, almost anyplace can be an office.  When I first started, I worked from a little computer desk in a corner of our bedroom.  Then we built an addition on our house and I had a loft area to use as an office.  But today, with my laptop and smartphone,  I often find I am working in my car, or the local Starbucks, or in the living room while my husband watches television.  The products I sell are mostly digital and those that aren't are shipped directly from the manufacturer so there is no space needed for inventory or storage.

4.  Knowledge.  I spent the bulk of my career as a Navy cryptologist and Russian linguist.  So when it came time to start a business of my own, I didn't exactly have a lot of experience or knowledge.  I could send email and knew my way around the internet somewhat but that was about it. 
Fortunately, there are plenty of books, classes, and online resources where you can gain the knowledge you need.  I recommend many of them in this blog and at BoomerBizCoach Recommends.

5.  Tools and Equipment.  No matter what niche you choose for your business, you will need some resources.  My business is almost exclusively online, so all I really need is a computer.  And although I resisted forever, I would now be lost without my smartphone.  Fortunately, an adequate computer can be had relatively inexpensively these days.  If you are continuing to work while you start your business, put some money aside each payday to help cover the costs of purchasing what you need until you start earning income from your business.  Or you may be able to rent what you need or borrow from friends and family.  Don't let necessities (like bills) go so you can put the money towards your business.  And don't think you have to have the top of the line gadgets while you are getting started.      

Join the Ranks of the Work at Home Professionals

Let's face it.  The economy may be getting better but most of us still aren't feeling it where it counts - in our pocketbooks.  And the unemployment rate is predicted to continue to rise in spite of the fact that we are coming out of the recession.  So, you've lost your job, the economy is still not growing, the unemployment rate is still higher than ever.  You hear that working from home is the answer to your problem.  Are you supposed to believe that?  You'd better!

Thousands of women successfully run home businesses. You can too!  It really is easier than you realize.  All you need is an idea and the desire and drive to get started.  How?  Follow my step by step process and you'll be up and running in no time.

1.  Decide what your business will be.  This is actually probably the hardest part of the whole process.  There are so many ways to make a living from home today.  The best thing to choose is something you love.  What are your interests and hobbies?  What are your skills?  Where do these - skills and interests - overlap?  That is probably your best direction when just starting out.  I love graphic design.  I'm always having great ideas for a new design for the Traveling Bob store.  But I don't know a pixel from a pasteboard, so I'm probably not going to make a living as a graphic designer.  I am a certified master trainer and coach and I love helping others.  I'm never happier than when I'm in front of a room full of people and I see the light in their eyes that says they get this.  A coaching/training/mentoring business is ideal for someone like me.  So the first rule of business success - do what you enjoy and what you are good at.

2.  Get your domain name.  You can't start a business online without one.  And you don't want to wait or you make lose it.  I had to learn this lesson the hard way.  I had ideas for several mini-sites with great names.  But I waited to purchase those domains until I was ready to launch the business.  By the time I finally got around to it, the domains were gone.  What is even more frustrating is that a couple of them aren't even being used.  They were just purchased by someone who is in the business of buying and selling domains.  I can now still purchase it if I want to pay about 10x the amount I would have paid originally.  Legal?  Yes.  Ethical?  Business is business I suppose.  However, I won't pay the amount being asked.  And if I a great idea for a domain name suddenly comes to me, I purchase it right then.  I may not do anything with it.  But for the price it costs, it's better to buy it and have it if I want it than to discover it's not available when I'm ready.  Where do you go to buy your domain name?  There are literally hundreds of places.  I use http://www.godaddy.com/.  The prices are reasonable and they are reliable. 

3.  Decide exactly what you will market.  A product?  A service?  Both?  What type of product?  An actual physical product or an infoproduct?  What type of service?  Will you offer it strictly virtually (online) or will you actually physically connect with your clients?  What about a combination of the two?  Can you offer both a product and a service? 

4.  Create your product or structure your service.  If you don't know exactly what type of product to offer, check for affiliate programs that are a good fit with your business.  If you want to design your own infoproduct and don't know how, there are loads of resources to help you.  If you need suggestions on where to get help, read my blog post on the "Top 10 Internet Marketing Gurus".  Any one of them can provide the assistance needed. 

If your business is service oriented, decide what types of services you will offer and how you will package them.  Will you provide just a single service?  Multiple services?  Will you have different packages and fees?   

5.  Build your website.  If you know computers at all and have the time and patience, you can build your own.  If not, there are plenty of template-based applications available.  My favorite is Site Build It! because it works, even if you're like me and know nothing about web design.  Or you can hire a professional web designer.  No matter how you do it, though, get a site up.  Even if it's just a blog to start while you build your actual site. 

6.  Choose your host.  Once again, there are lots of choices.  If you use Site Build It! to create your site, they will also host it for you.  If you have chosen some other means of building your site, then you will have to decide which hosting service is best for you.  Research what's available and make your choice based on which service best suits your needs.  Not sure?  Ask.  If you know someone with a site you like and you trust their opinion, ask for a recommendation.

7.  Promote, promote, market, market.  The coolest site and greatest product or service in the world won't make a bit of difference if no one knows how to find you.  Become a master at "tooting your own horn" and driving traffic to your site.  Once again, if you don't know how, there are tons of resources to help you learn.  Study this blog.  Check out those "marketing gurus" I mentioned earlier.  Read.  And read some more.  And then most importantly - put what you have learned into practice.  If you make a mistake, that's okay.  You learned something.  As one of my favorite internet geniuses, Mike Litman, says, "You don't have to get it right.  You just have to get it going."  Or in the words of Bob The Teacher, "Take Action. Revise Later."  You can always come back and fix or revise what isn't working.  But if you don't try something, you'll be right where you were when you started - nowhere. 

Follow these seven steps and you will soon join the ranks of the work at home professionals.  Find your passion.  Match it to your skills.  Plan your business.  Work your plan.  And market, market, market.  Maybe one day you'll make my Top 10 list!       

I'd Rather Be Fishing!

I'm sitting here struggling to come up with something to write about today. I have a list of topics I want to post about in each of my blogs. I keep it right here by my computer. And yet, as I'm looking at the list, none of them are inspiring me.

And then it came to me. It has nothing to do with the topics. They are all good ideas for things I think most home business builders want to know. But the truth is it's a beautiful day - not too hot for the first time in weeks. My daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren are camping at the lake for the week celebrating my grandson's birthday which was Monday. He has been wanting to go camping all summer and this is one of his presents - getting Mom to go camping! And the plain simple truth is - I don't want to be blogging about business. I want to be on the lake with my family!

Which gave me the idea for my post today. Sure I can say the heck with it and turn off the computer and go to the lake. Many of you are probably saying why not? After all, it is his birthday. And you're right. One day less at the computer probably won't make or break my business. But - I took off Monday to spend the day with him. And I am taking the boat out later this evening so he can sleep on the boat with me. And I'll be out there all day tomorrow. So now it's not just one day - it's several. And several days away can make a difference.

I hear the whispers in the background. Just work a little _______ (fill in the blank: harder, longer, more, smarter) when you get back and make up for taking the time off. Let me tell you something from experience. That never happens. You may have the best of intentions but let's be honest. There are only 24 hours in a day. And no one wants to spend most of them working. Besides, if you push yourself too hard or too long, you can actually find yourself further behind. Your body and mind need rest to recharge and the more tired and stressed you become, the more mistakes you make.

Treating your business like a business means you work when you are supposed to - no matter what other things may try to lure you away. Yes, one of the beautiful things about working at home is being able to set your own schedule. And I did. I agreed that I would not work Monday, Friday evening, or Saturday. Now I have to count on myself to stick to my agreement, no matter what.

Granted there are times when emergencies require you to be more flexible. Life happens. But the sun shining and the birds singing and the lure of the lake calling is not an emergency.

Does my grandson mind that I'm not with him right now? Is he missing me? Maybe. But he also understands that "NeeNee" works to pay so he can attend his private school, and he and his sister can have things they want that Mommy and Daddy can't get them. And he knows that because I work from home, I am able to spend more time with him than his other grandparents who all work outside the home. I can stay with him when he has to miss school because he is sick. I can go with him and his sister on field trips when Mommy and Daddy can't take off from work. I can pick them up after school and take them for ice cream or walks in the park. And I can send them to good Christian schools where they get the foundation they need for their futures. And that means more to me than a few extra hours on the lake.

And so here I sit, working for a few more hours. But soon, I will turn off the computer, hook up the boat and trailer, grab the dog, and head to the lake to spend some glorious hours with my boy!

What little temptations are trying to lure you from focusing on YOUR business?

The Four Stages of Your Business Life

I was speaking with a member of my team last night. She was one of the first to join my network marketing downline and she went after it with all she had. Before long, she was making more money than I was! Last night, she called to tell me she had hit a slump and she thought maybe she had taken this business as far as it could go. Of course, she is wrong. She has just hit that stage in her business life that I call the "dry spell."

If you have been in any kind of business of your own then you know what I'm talking about. You will go through stages while you get things up and running and then find your equilibrium. There are typically four stages to the life of any business and what you do during each of them can dramatically impact the life of your business.

The first is the "new business excitement" stage. You have just joined a great opportunity or launched your first product or put up your first site and you are jazzed! You are have the best deal out there and you are going to whip the world. You are going to make so much money that no one will even believe you when you tell them. You are full of energy and new ideas and can't wait to do them all. Unfortunately, that's the problem at this stage. You may have a tendency to scatter your time and resources among so many different things that nothing gets accomplished and you get discouraged. You are so busy building your business that you forget about the rest of your life. As resources dwindle and energy drops, you begin to worry more and more about your decisions until - you quit, thinking your business idea was a bad one or the network marketing opportunity was just a scam.

How to you make it through this stage? Focus. If you have joined a network marketing business, concentrate on finding customers for your products and team members for your downline. Decide how many prospects you can talk to effectively each day. That's your goal. If you don't gain a customer or recruit a team member that day, don't keep pushing out of desperation. Panic shows! Just set it aside and start fresh tomorrow. And don't spend all your money buying the videos or trying the products or going to the meetings. You will need to budget for these things while you grow your business. When I first joined Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, it was just a few months before the annual meeting. Everyone was talking about it and asking me if I was planning to attend. I almost got caught up in all of the excitement and was just about to spend LOTS of money on plane fare and hotel rooms when someone in my upline stopped me. He asked me how much money I was making and I told him I had just started. Then he said if I wasn't making enough from my business to pay for my trip, I should reconsider. There were probably other more important uses for that money and my time could probably be better spent at home building my business. It made sense, so while everyone else was in Las Vegas, I stayed home and recruited enough people to promote myself to the next level.

Stage two is the "dry spell." You have been working as hard as you can and yet you just aren't growing like you did in the beginning. You have run out of people to tell about your business opportunity. The initial excitement for your product has worn off. Your site just isn't getting the hits it used to. You're wondering "does this thing really work?" Don't panic. This just means it may be time for some changes. If you are in network marketing, it may be time to stop concentrate on building your own downline and focus on helping your team build their businesses. After all, if they are successful, it impacts you as well. Or perhaps it's time to look at some new marketing techniques or different markets for your products. Now is the time to learn some new ways to do things. Talk to your mentor. Read some of the books and newsletters published by the experts in your field. Brainstorm. And then make the changes necessary to move you past this stage.

Stage three is the "Wow - maybe this REALLY does work stage." You made it through stages one and two and you are seeing your business gain some new life. You feel a sense of hope that perhaps you can make this happen after all. You have new energy and a new outlook and a new optimism. Keep it going by concentrating on doing the things that helped you make it this far to begin with. This is where you want to really take a look at what held you back and what moved you forward. Discard the actions that limited you and focus on those that help you grow.

The last stage is the "I DID it!" stage. Your business is flourishing. You are making money. You have learned to balance your business life with your personal life. Don't lose it by becoming complacent. Always keep learning. No matter how long you been in business, there is still something you can learn. Always stick to the basic plan that got you here in the first place. When things slow down, take a good look at what's happening and don't be afraid to make changes if necessary.

You can do this. Look at me. Just when I was thinking about retirement and wondering how I was going to afford it, a whole new world opened up for me! I'm doing things with my business now that just a few months ago I would not have dreamed of. And it's all because I refocused my resources, listened to the experts, made some changes to my business plan, and DID it!

Failure or Success?

There are three main reasons why home based businesses fail:
1. Poor planning
2. Poor marketing
3. Poor management

According to a report I read recently, over 90% of all network marketers, affiliate marketers or other work-at-home business people quit within the first year. Then they proceed to go out and tell everyone they know that you can't make money with a home business. It drives me crazy when I think how many people could have been successful with just a little planning, training, and time management.

If you think you have the idea for the next great business, or you've found the perfect MLM, or an excellent affiliate program - GREAT! Now, before you do anything else, write your plan. If your business is already somewhat established such as a network marketing, MLM, or affiliate program, much of that is already done for you. But you still need to plan how you are going to build YOUR team or downline or customer base or opt-in list. If you are actually looking a starting your own unique business then get a business plan template (most banks will give you one for free) and write your business plan.

82% of businesses fail due to poor cash flow or by starting out with too little money. Make sure you look at the money involved in starting your business. Many network marketing and MLM opportunities say they cost little or nothing to join. That may be true. They neglect to tell you that you have to spend hundreds of dollars each month to purchase products in order to make any money. Don't be like a friend of mine who joined a MLM company and quit her job two days later because she was going to make a fortune! Needless to say, she is back at work, in debt, and very bitter about the whole MLM industry. Could she be at home today making a decent living from this company? Possibly. But she did not consider all of the financial costs involved with successfully marketing an MLM opportunity and had nothing to fall back on until she built a business.

So you wrote your plan. You examined the financial costs of your business. You have the cash to make this work. You have a source of income or some savings put aside to live on until you start bringing in enough income to live on. You're on your way to success. Wait a minute! What was that second reason most businesses fail? Something about marketing? Oh well, it can't be that important. After all, it's Avon (or Melaleuca, or Herbalife, or Tupperware, or even Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing). I'm an affiliate for SBI! (or Amazon or Iris Silks or the Internet Marketers Club). Don't they do all that marketing stuff for me?

It's true you can capitalize off the name recognition of many of these companies. Do you think that fact that Fortune markets for companies like AT&T, DishTV, and Travelocity helps me when I talk about the business? Sure it does. But I still need to let people know what it is I do. That's marketing! If you are not doing anything to promote yourself and your business, it WILL fail. Every evening, I write down a list of things I need to do the next day. I always include at least 1 thing I can do to promote my business. You should be doing the same thing. If you don't know how to market, there are lots of great books and resources available to help you learn. The first marketing books I ever read were Guerrilla Marketing and Marketing on a Shoestring. I can't even remember who wrote them but I remember and still use much of what they taught me.

Okay - business plan, marketing - now you're all set. Right? Maybe. Don't forget the last reason so many home businesses fail - poor management. I know you're thinking "what's to manage? It's just me." Sometimes managing yourself can be more difficult than you realize. Learning to manage your time and available resources effectively can be hard. Read some of my earlier posts about treating your business like a business for more insight and don't start out on the wrong path like I did. It's much easier to develop good habits from the beginning than it is to change bad ones.

Plan, market, manage. Or as I've heard it put from so many of my colleagues and mentors - Plan your work. Work your plan. Failure or success? The choice is yours.

There's Gold In That Thar' Internet!

I just finished reading an article about online marketing in which the author compared it to the California gold rush. The article said that just as hundreds raced West in the hope of striking it rich, so too are hundreds now rushing to get online with the same dream. And, it says, just as so many struck out in California instead of striking it rich, the same is happening to the vast majority of online marketers.

Are people really making millions online? Yes, they are. Are they the minority? I don't know. I don't have the data on that. Are there plenty of people making a decent living online? Yup! That I do know because I'm one of them and I know many others. Can you make a fortune online? I don't know. It's possible. But I DO know that you can make a living online just like many of us are already doing.

How do you get started? First, you need to decide what your business will be. Will you become an affiliate others' products? Will you create your own products? What types of products and/or services will you offer?

Second, it's a business. Treat it like one. If you think you are going to sign up for free affiliate programs, put up some free classified ads, then sit back and watch the checks roll in, don't quit your day job. It doesn't work quite that way. You can't own a McDonald's franchise without a little upfront investment. The same is true of any business. You can find some legitimate businesses that are very inexpensive to start. It only cost me $299 to start with Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing. And there are some very good affiliate programs such as SBI that are free to join but pay very good commissions. But you still need to invest a little bit in advertising.

Once you have decided on the basis of your business, you need to learn all you can about your internet marketing and your business in particular. There are many ways to do this and you will find all kinds of "gurus" offering to help if you will pay them enough. Some of them really do know what they are talking about and some of them don't. I can personally recommend some of them and you will find them mentioned in many of my earlier posts. You can also read this blog from the beginning for help. Be prepared to spend a little bit of money on some of the better books, courses, and seminars. Consider it part of your "online marketing degree!"

Let everyone know you are in business! This seems to be one of the biggest obstacles for most online marketers. Either they think they can't afford to advertise or they don't know how to do so effectively. Some, especially the network marketers, are afraid to do so because they think no one will take them seriously. Let's face facts. You can't slap a McDonald's on a street corner and expect to do business if no one knows McDonald's exists. You can't expect customers to find you if they don't know who you are. Tell people! If you don't have money to advertise, start by telling everyone you know. You can do that pretty inexpensively and you know far more people than you realize. When I started in Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, the first thing I did was send an email or a postcard to everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) I could think of telling them what I was doing and inviting them to visit my website. Some of them ignored me (FHTM is network marketing, after all). Some didn't. Some of those that visited became my customers. Six of them even became involved in the business with me. Those six have helped me build a team of over 300. Not too bad for a few emails and a postcard or two. And the ones who laughed? They aren't laughing so much anymore!

Work your business. The number one reason most internet marketers fail is that they give up. They just quit. They don't make thousands of dollars overnight and so they just stop working. Do you know how much my first FHTM commission was? 84 cents! Eighteen months later I'm not going to tell you how much I make, but it's enough to support me quite nicely. Am I a millionaire? Not yet. But I make more than enough to live on. So get up and go to work every day. If you have to keep your regular job while you build your business, that's okay. Just be sure you do at least one thing everyday to move your business forward.

Internet marketing is just like any other business. You will get out of it what you put into it. I can't promise you will get rich. I can promise you that if you find a legitimate business or affiliate program, take the advice of those who have gone before you, let people know you are in business, concede that you aren't going to get rich without some investment, and most importantly, WORK YOUR BUSINESS and DON'T GIVE UP - you can make a living online. Heck, if I can do it, so can you!

Build A Team of Experts

My husband and I are getting ready to file our taxes and as usual, the discussion comes up - do we need to make some changes for next year? As business owners, we are faced with the fact that we make all the decisions concerning our business. The choices are endless! Is it time to incorporate? If so, should I become an LLC or is an S Corporation better?

Should I let Dearl talk me into using the Blackberry he bought me for Christmas (which is still in the box) or stick with my trusty system of Day Planner and Post-It notes?

Where should I focus my marketing this year? With all of the dire warnings about the economy, will some methods work better than others?

We desperately need a new computer. I want another PC. Dearl wants a Mac. Who is right?

Is it time to hire an assistant? If so, should we use a virtual service or actually hire someone to come to our office?

Decisions, decisions, decisions. AAAGGGHHH!!! It's enough to make you crazy! Especially when the wrong choice can have drastic consequences for your business.

If you are lying awake at night struggling with the answers to these or other business questions, it's time to build yourself a team. My team consists of personal friends and professional acquaintences whose advice I trust. I simply need to pick up the phone or dash off a quick email or text message for all of the support and answers I need.

To build your team, simply make a list of all the questions you have. List all of the professional services you need or may need in the future. Then start thinking of all the people you know that can fill one or more of these needs or answer one or more of your questions. My team consists of my accountant (I hate numbers!), a lawyer (always good to have someone whose up to speed on legalities), my daughter the computer geek, my friend Ken the marketing guru, and my friend Karin who is also an entrepreneur and is a good one to turn to when I have questions about communication. (She's the one who keeps me from blasting off emails I may regret later!). I also have friends who keep me up to date with the latest Alzheimer's research and the current services available for my dad (they work for the area Agency on Aging), a nurse and a holisitc health practioner that provide me with the latest health news (Dearl's heart), and two grandchildren who remind me when I'm not taking enough time for the important things in life ("Nee-Nee, why haven't you been by to see us lately? We miss you!")

How do you find the people for your team? You probably already know many of them so just ask. Tell them you are forming a team of advisors for your business and would like them to be part of it. Lay out the ground rules for their participation such as how to contact them, when to contact them, will they be compensated for their services, etc. Once you have them in place, ask them for referrals to people who may fill other needs for you. If they can't make any recommendations, then get out and network. I met my lawyer through the Girl Scouts and the nurse at a women's networking luncheon. And I have a whole network of internet marketers I can turn to for advice just from attending the jvAlert events. And of course, there is the wonderful group of ladies that make up the Baby Boomer Divas. They are a never ending source of support and advice!

"Solopreneur" - it's just a word. It doesn't mean you have to go through the business experience alone. Build your team. Use your team. And one day when someone who is just starting out on their own asks you to be on their team, remember where you came from and say yes!

P.S. The general consensus from my team of experts has been to ditch the Day Planner, burn the Post-It notes, and USE THE BLACKBERRY. I'm not sure I'm ready for this, but I trust their advice so here goes. Wish me luck!

Treat Your Business Like a Business

So you have decided that this is the year to start your home based business. Great! Working from home is a great way to be in charge of your own life and make the kind of money you've always dreamed of. It's been life-changing for me. I work when I want to work and relax when I want to relax. Of course, that caused problems of its own when I first started working from home. When you start working from home, especially if you are working in network marketing or MLM, people will not consider it a real business. When I first started and was struggling to make a living, my own husband would ask me how much longer I was going to stay home and play instead of finding a "real" job. You have to remind everyone that you are serious about this. It IS a real business! And you have to be sure you treat it that way if you expect others to take you seriously. Don't think you can invest in a business, pay the startup fees or enrollments fees, and then just sit back and watch it grow. You have to work your business like you would a "traditional" business.

There are some ways to be sure you do this. First, make yourself a schedule each week. Having set hours for working your business will help ensure you actually work on your business. It doesn't have to be 9-5 Monday through Friday. I'm an early morning/late evening person so I do a lot of work between 5:00 - 8:00am and 9:oopm - midnight.

Second, let everyone know what you are doing. You have to promote your business. If you are uncomfortable telling your friends that you are doing network marketing or MLM, perhaps you need to take a second look at your choice of home businesses. If you believe in your business don't be ashamed of it.

Third, dress to go to work. Every morning before I go to my home office, I shower, dress, put on makeup, fix my hair - all just to walk down the hall from my bedroom to my computer. I feel much more professional when dressed for "work" and that attitude of professionalism comes across in my phone calls and other interactions. When you have a meeting with a potential client or dowline member, be sure to dress appropriately then also. Too many times I've gone with downline members to presentations and have been surprised at their appearance. They've invited all their friends to tell them about our wonderful opportunity and so they show up in jeans and a tee shirt or scuffed shoes and stained pants. How are you going to convince your friends that this is the opportunity they've been looking for if you still look like you always did? How will you convince a potential client to take a chance on you if you don't look clean and polished and put together? You don't have to wear designer suits or expensive jewelry. Just be neat, clean, professional, and confident.

Treat your home business like a business! Work hard, don't give up. If you do, you WILL find success! Remember, it's not going to happen overnight. But develop some business discipline now and work on your goals every day. Soon, you'll be working from your laptop on a beach while your unbelieving friends are still tied to their JOBS!

My First Ezine!

All of my marketing guru friends tell me I need to start an ezine. I have put it off for as long as possible, thinking it would be too difficult and time consuming. But after listening to them tell me I REALLY needed to do it, it was such a great marketing tool, etc, etc - well, I finally gave in and published my first issue. And you know what? It was much easier than I expected.

First I chose my listserve. My more experienced ezine buddies all suggested Constant Contact. I did look at a few others, but Constant Contact suited my needs so I signed up with them (www.constantcontact.com).

Next I had to decide on content. I wasn't sure exactly what my ezine should look like, other than the fact that it shouldn't be too long. Who has time to read these days? But I solved that problem fairly easily. First I found an ezine template at HomeBiz Tools (www.HomeBizTools.com). And then I got promises from some of my marketing friends to supply some guest articles. So all I had to do was fill in the blanks with a little content of my own and we were off and running.

So, how did it turn out? See for yourself. Simply send an email to wealthtogether@hotmail.com and request to become a subscriber. It's free. Then tell me what you think.

If you are running a home business, you really should consider an ezine of your own. It really is easy and a great way to generate extra revenue. When you do, be sure to add me to your subscriber list!

What You Can Expect from Me

I have spent a lot of time trying this product and that system only to wind up broke and disillusioned. "Make money while you sleep!" "Start your cash machine today." Promises, promises. And I bought into every one of them.

Can you make money on the internet or through a home based business? You betcha! Is it easy? Depends on what you call easy. Will you have to work some long hours and (uh-oh) invest a little cash? You will if you really want to build some wealth. Will what worked for me work for you too? Maybe - maybe not. There is no one-size-fits-all method to earn financial freedom.

I have learned some things in my struggle to earn a living from the comfort of my home. Things like which programs really do work and which are just scams. Ways to save the money you do earn. People you can connect with who really will give you advice. How to stay healthy while you are building your online "empire." Resources to help you get there faster. I will happily share my adventures and misadventures with anyone who wants to avoid the mistakes I made. Not everything I share will be of use to you. Take what you need - leave the rest. All I want is to share my experiences with you and maybe we can all learn to live an abundant life - together. And if you have some expertise on any topic, please feel free to share it with us. WealthTogether means just that. We are all in this world together and everyone has the right to live abundantly. God WANTS us to live an abundant life. We are MEANT to be successful. What that means to you depends on what you want from life. I would not have made it without the help of others. Now I want to do the same for you.

I hear someone out there asking who is this person? I have never seen her marketing anything. Probably not. And just because you never heard of me until now does not mean I don't know what I'm talking about. There are thousands of people making wonderful lives for themselves at home and online and I'll bet you never heard of most of them. They don't spend a lot of time promoting themselves. They just go about their business every day - whatever it is. I will introduce you to some of them because they have helped me and they will help you too.

We're off to discover Wealth - Together! Come along for the ride!