• 5 Super Wealth-Building Tips Pave the Way to Financial Freedom

    Financial Freedom wooden sign with a beach on backgroundThere are so many things involved with building wealth that it would take much more than one article to explain it all. So, we’ve put together a simple five-step guide to help you get a great start in building wealth for a lifetime.

    Step 1: Set Specific Goals

    Goal setting is a task that can be easily put off – especially when you are extremely busy in day-to-day activities. However, goal setting is the first and one of the most important steps you’ll take to achieve wealth. Set both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals may be daily, weekly and monthly goals. These should reveal where you would like to be financially by a certain time in the near future.

    Long-term goals include the amount of wealth you would like to accumulate within a year, two years, or maybe even five or ten years. Both types of goals are necessary to build wealth. Without goals, you are wondering blindly with no care or thought of what’s ahead. This pattern of life is sure to leave you empty-handed!

    Step 2: Create a Business Plan

    Every successful business from the past and today started with a plan. Your business plan should illustrate where you are now, where you plan to be in the future, and how you’re going to get there. Write these few notes down on paper. Then, fill in the blanks to create a rough business plan. It’s easier than you think.

    *Your current income
    *Business profits and expenses (if you already own a business)
    *Business budget (or personal budget if working for someone else)
    *Capital needed upfront to promote and operate business
    *Plans to acquire the capital needed (source of capital)
    *Spending plan (promotions, supplies, inventory, online expenses, etc.)
    *Expectations (What results do you expect from your initial efforts?)

    Creating a business plan is a necessary step to build wealth through your own business. Even if you don’t own a business, you should write down a similar plan to reach your personal wealth goals.

    Step 3: Avoid Harmful Debt

    Debt is the one of the key reasons many people never accumulate wealth. But remember, there are two types of debt: harmful debt and necessary debt. Harmful debt is the debt you create for things you do not need such as excessive shopping, luxury items, expensive cars that you can’t afford, etc. Necessary debt is a debt most people must have to live, such as a mortgage, car loan (affordable), medical, college, etc. These debts are a part of life for most families and will be for many, many years. However, even these types of debts should be kept well within your income limitations. If you can only afford a $250/month car loan, then shop around until you find one at this price. Don’t give in to the temptations and pressures to buy the fancier, more expensive car with a $450/month payment. It’s not worth the risk!

    You may ask, “I thought these steps were for building wealth?”

    As it happens, debt is the opposite of wealth. The more debt you have, the less wealth you will accumulate. You can’t save money or invest money that belongs to someone else. If you earn $3,000 in income this month, but owe $2,000 in loans (before everyday living expenses), you can’t possibly have extra money to save. You must either earn more or sell some items to pay off your debt. You should avoid this “debt trap” if you intend on building wealth for the future.

    Another type of debt is one for your business. You may take out a small business loan to get things started or to promote your business. If you are uncertain about whether the business will bring profits, try to avoid business debt until you have tested it a while.

    Step 4: Develop a Personal Plan

    Above, you developed a business plan. Now it’s time to create a personal plan. What tasks will you do daily to build wealth? Put yourself on a schedule and a strict budget. Work toward your goals daily by making a list of things to do and marking off each item on the list as you complete the tasks. In your budgeting, include a set amount of money you will put away in savings (savings account, IRA, stocks, bonds, etc.) If you plan to invest, be sure to diversify your investments. Choose only one or two high-risk investments and several “safer” investments such as mutual funds or bonds.

    Step 5: Stay focused on the Goal, not the Circumstances

    No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, keep your eyes on the wealth-building goal ahead. Even if sales are down in your business, don’t stop dead in your tracks. Remember, businesses have ups and downs. If you remain steadfast toward your goal during the slow times, the busy times are bound to be much better than ever. Your income will grow and you will have the extra money needed to reach your wealth-building goals.

    In a nutshell, building wealth does not happen over night with one get-rich-quick program. It happens with consistent labor toward the goals and tasks you have created. You can build wealth for your future if you do not waver from these basic truths that have worked for millions of others!

  • 7 Signs of an Entrepreneur

    explorers_entrepreneur_estp_weaknessesDo you have the right personality type to successfully run your own business?

    It takes an entrepreneurial fire in your belly to start a business and make it succeed. Not everyone has it.

    How do you know if you have what it takes to start a business? There’s really no way to know for sure. But I do find things in common among the emotional and family fabric of people ready to consider an entrepreneurial venture.

    You don’t have to fit all seven of these categories to be a good candidate for entrepreneurship. But it probably wouldn’t hurt. In general, the more you have in common with these characteristics, the closer you probably are to being ready to try going out on your own.

    1. You come from a line of people who couldn’t work for someone else. I don’t mean that in a negative way. People who are successful at establishing their own business tend to have had parents who worked for themselves. It’s usually easier to get a job with a company than to start your own business; people who strike out on their own often have the direct example of a parent to look to.

    2.You’re a lousy employee. No need to sugar-coat this one. People who start their own businesses tend to have been fired from or quit more than one job. I’m not saying you were laid off for lack of work or moved from one job to a better-paying one. You were asked to leave, or you quit before they could fire you. Think of it as the marketplace telling you that the only person who can effectively motivate and manage you is yourself.

    3.You see more than one definition of “job security.” I am truly envious of the few people I know who have stayed with one employer for 25 or 30 years. They look very secure. But how many people do you know who are able to stay with one company for that long? In a rapidly changing economy, job security can be frighteningly fleeting.

    4. You’ve gone as far as you can go, or you’re not going anywhere at all. Sometimes the motivation to start a new venture comes from having reached the top of the pile where you are, looking around, and saying, “What’s next?” Early success can be wonderful, but early retirement can sometimes drive energetic and motivated people totally crazy.

    5. You’ve done the market research already. Don’t even talk to me about your great business idea if you haven’t put the time into figuring out if there’s a market for your product or service. As the people behind any number of failed Internet ventures will tell you, “cool” doesn’t necessarily translate into “profitable.” Don’t bother building it if you haven’t figured out whether there’s a good chance the customers will come.

    6. You’ve got the support of your family. Starting a business is stressful under the best of circumstances. Trying to do it without the support of your spouse or other significant family members or friends would probably be unbearable.

    7. You know you cannot do it alone. You might excel at promoting a business. Maybe you love running the financial end of the enterprise. You could be someone who starts a business because you have unique creative or technical know-how to create a product.

    Any of the above is possible, but it’s unlikely that you are going to excel at all of these tasks — or at all of the tasks involved in running any business. Forget all that doing it alone stuff. You are going to need some help sometime.

    The willingness to get that help — having employees, partners or consultants for those areas in which you are not an expert — is one indicator of likely future success. “No successful entrepreneur has ever succeeded alone,” development consultant Ernesto Sirolli writes in “Ripples From the Zambezi.” “The person who is most capable of enlisting the support of others is the most likely to succeed.”

     

  • 3 Powerful Tips for Getting into the Right Business for You

    20150406194644-venture-backed-us-ipo-hit-lowest-levels-two-yearsWhat’s the best or the “right” business or profession to get into if I want to get rich?

    Regardless of how it’s asked, my answer is always the same…

    A business or profession which you like!

    If it uses your strongest abilities, skills, or talents, all the better. If it doesn’t, no big deal, you can develop the necessary abilities, skills, or talents as you go along.

    Here are three powerful tips for getting into the right business or profession for *you*:

    Tip #1 – Take a close look at what you *don’t* like to do.

    Although I don’t generally recommend looking at anything from a negative perspective, there are times when it’s helpful and this is one of them.

    One of the easiest and fastest ways to narrow your search for the right business or profession for you to get into is to figure out what the wrong business or profession for you to get into would be.

    For example…

    If the very thought of selling something to someone makes you want to…

    Well…

    Let’s just say…

    Throw up…

    Then I’d suggest you don’t consider any business or profession that involves sales or at least direct sales.

    I can tell you from personal experience…

    If you get into a business or profession that you don’t like, you’ll be miserable in the process and ultimately you’ll fail.

    So…

    Why set yourself up for misery and failure ahead of time?

    Tip #2 – Take a close look at what you *do* like to do.

    It might be something you’re doing now or have done in the past to earn money. It might be a hobby or special interest of yours. It could even be related to a class you took in school or a particular subject you’re interested in…

    Anything…

    Absolutely anything!

    Remember this…

    You can get rich in *any* business or profession.

    There are folks right now, right this very moment, who are getting rich in *every* conceivable business and profession…

    And so can you!

    There’s a way or ways you can get rich doing absolutely *anything* you like to do.

    Here’s a great example…

    I know a gal who earns a *serious* full-time income doing exactly what she likes doing better than anything else…

    Going to tag sales (also known as garage sales or yard sales depending on where you live) and buying “stuff”.

    Now…

    There’s a downside…

    She really doesn’t like selling her “stuff”. She finds the selling process boring and tedious. She gets all her “jollies” from finding and buying her treasures.

    So…

    How does she possibly make any money?

    Simple…

    She’s developed a rather elaborate network of dealers willing to buy her “stuff” in their specialty areas at wholesale prices from her, consignment shops willing to sell her “stuff” for a percentage of the sale, and she has someone who sells her “stuff” on eBay for her (who, interestingly enough, likes the selling process but doesn’t like to go out to find and buy “stuff” to sell) for a percentage of the profits.

    Although she makes less money per item doing it this way, she makes far more money in the long run because it allows her to massively do the one thing she likes to do better than anything else…

    Going to tag sales and buying “stuff”.

    Remember…

    There’s a way or ways you can get rich doing absolutely *anything* you like to do.

    Tip #3 – Take a close look at your strengths and weaknesses.

    The ideal business or profession for you to get into would be one that you like doing and one that makes use of your strongest abilities, skills, or talents.

    However…

    Although you should consider them, your abilities, skills, or talents shouldn’t be your first consideration when choosing a business or profession for you to get into.

    Why?

    Two reasons…

    First…

    There may be all sorts of things you’re good at that you don’t really like doing all that much.

    Second…

    There isn’t any ability, skill, or talent that you can’t develop if you want to.

    In his book “The Personal Power Course”, Wallace D. Wattles, best known for his classic masterpiece “The Science of Getting Rich”, wrote:

    “Perhaps the most essential part of wealth-culture consists in finding the place where you will be happy in your work.”

    When you’re “happy in your work” your work ceases to be work and it becomes fun.

    Your “fun” combined with constructive thought and constructive action can make you rich!

  • 3 Easy Ways To Make More Money This Year

    2015-04-27-1430168806-8034176-how_to_make_money_onlineSuccessful business owners all have one thing in common, they are never satisfied with sales levels. Whether you are making $10,000 a year or $1 million a year, there is always a possibility for growth.

    Growth only comes when you realize it can happen. You will not grow if you are content or can’t see the future possibilities for growth.

    Here are three easy ways that you can transform your business from the level it is at, into a profit making machine.

    1. Always track statistics

    This may seem obvious, but most people never do it. You should always track and gather as much information as possible. Track walk in customers, track purchases, evaulate marketing, monitor amount of purchases, frequent vistiors, non-buying prospects, etc.

    With this knowledge you will be more informed as to how you marketing dollars are doing and where you can increase production.

    2. Find people you can trust

    For my websites I have one person that writes nearly full time for me. I can send her topics for articles or websites, and she does the research and writes well thought out articles. I can pay her in advance and know that she is going to be there when I need writing at the last minute.

    You definitely need people you can trust as well. These people may be your managers, family members, or just friends who can help in a pinch.

    3. Develop your passion

    Sometimes I need to take a drive through the country to remember why I love what I am doing. It is easy to get caught up in the fray of customer service and deadlines, but for me the most productive time is always when I am out of my business element. Use this time away to revive your passion.

    Next time you are thinking that it is not possible for your business to make money, remember and put these 3 easy tips into practice!

  • 5 Lessons Your Kids Will Learn By Starting A Business

    96400f6b6562cbc1d525e80b2eb3ded3_when_can_i_hire_my_kids_ted_jenkin-863-430-cKids need to be kids and enjoy their time as children. But, at the same time, as they get older, they also need to learn to make money and function in our society as responsible adults.

    Oftentimes, they get a job at a Burger Joint, where they learn how to listen to a boss, and how to work with others, but then they may also have to give up some extracurricular activities, study time and time with family. Not terrible things, but enough of a challenge that many families are helping their kids start their own businesses.

    Why? Let’s compare the lessons your kid is learning working at a burger joint verses starting a business.

    1. Responsibility

    Burger Joint: Yes, it teaches responsibility. You need to show up for work and do a good job or your boss and co-workers will get mad at you.

    Entrepreneur: Teaches you responsibility as well. You need to work hard or you won’t get paid.

    2. The Value of a Dollar

    Burger Joint: You learn that time is money.

    Entrepreneur: You learn that creativity, ownership of responsibility and hard work is money.

    3. How to Market Yourself

    Burger Joint: Teaches you how to fill out an application and go on an interview to market yourself. You do this once and then you’re done.

    Entrepreneur: You have to market yourself and your business on an ongoing basis if you want to make any money.

    4. Customer Service

    Burger Joint: Service with a smile or your boss may reprimand you.

    Entrepreneur: Service with a smile or you don’t get repeat business and your income drops.

    5. Banking Skills

    Burger Joint: You learn how to collect a paycheck and how to deposit it into the bank.

    Entrepreneur: You learn how to budget for advertising costs, taxes, and expenses and weigh them against your profits. You learn to deposit your income into the bank and write checks to cover expenses. You learn how business works.

    As you can see, both options have benefits. As for which option you’ll choose? That’s up to you and your child.

  • 5 Start-up Ideas for Your Home-Based Business

    home-based-businessSo you’ve decided to start a home-based business? That’s great, but where do you start? If you’re online quite a bit, then there’s no reason you can’t start a business right from your own home on the Web. There are so many resources available online today that you can benefit tremendously from the research of others while building your own business. And, there are many companies that will do lots of the work for you when you join with them.

    Here are five easy start-up ideas for your home-based business to save you time and money.

    1. Choose Your Hours

    Decide how much time you will be able to invest in your home-based business. To be honest, there are many new business owners who never make it because they’re not willing to invest their time. If you work a full-time job and plan to keep it while your home-based business builds, then you should determine how many free hours you can spend working. Can you invest a few hours per day, or week perhaps?

    Once you choose your hours, stick with them on a consistent basis. Treat the home business just as you would a store with operating hours. If you open a store from 9 to 5, then someone must be there during those hours. So, if you plan to work on your new business from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. five nights per week, then let this be your “operating hours!”

    2. Choose a Business

    Even if you plan to start a business selling products of your own, you might find it useful to join with a company to sell their products to build extra income at first. You can even do both if you can invest enough time and effort into both businesses. Choose a product or service that you enjoy selling. No business is fun if you dislike it. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to be successful.

    With the Internet, MLM businesses are building down lines like crazy. This is the perfect opportunity for you to earn some extra cash or even a substantial income. The reason MLM businesses are so profitable online is because it is so easy to contact people by email and through your own website. Some MLM companies even do most of the work and contacts for you to save you time and money. Communication is very easy online even if you’re not really a “salesperson.”

    If you plan to join an MLM group, be sure to choose a reputable company that has been in business for at least several years. Ask to speak with others who have worked with the company a while. Check with the Better Business Bureau Online to be sure there have been no (or very few) complaints. There are many scams online today, so sign on with a well-established MLM company to be safe!

    3. Prepare Your Home-Based Business Work Area

    Before you start a home-based business, be sure your home office is up to par. Upgrade your computer to a fast one with a super-fast Internet connection so your work will not be hindered by outside factors. Also, get a very comfortable desk chair with plenty of back and arm support. Choose a keyboard and mouse that you’re comfortable with, and organize your desk. Working in a well-organized environment clears your thinking so you can work and promote without distraction.

    4. Investing Your Money

    Before you invest a dime, be certain it’s the right business for you. When selling products for others, you might be asked to invest money before getting started for inventory, membership, a website, and so forth. If so, study every aspect of the business before doing so. Any business start-up will require some monetary investment, but you need to think before you invest.

    Once you’ve chosen a business to invest in, set up a budget solely for your business. Having a business account at your local bank will help. Also, set up an account with an online payment processor if possible. PayPal and StormPay are two of the most popular ones online right now. If signing on with an MLM company, find out how they issue their payments first.

    5. Use Your Talents and Skills

    Whether you sign on with an MLM company or start a business selling your own products and services, remember to use all your talents and skills. Maybe you’re a great typist or a very savvy Internet user. Perhaps you know how to design websites, printed flyers, or promote online. Use your talents to maximize your home-based business profits.

    Don’t just sit at home and dream of owning your own business. Use these five start-up tips to get your home-based business moving today!

  • 5 Strategies to Successful Cash Flow Management

    cash-flow-managementManaging cash flow is every manager’s challenge, every day, every year. Those managers who keep a close eye on their daily activity and emerging industry trends can help reduce their company’s exposure to the chill of a cash crunch.

    How can you predict, avoid and/or, minimize the impact of a cash emergency?

    First, pay attention when any cash shortages arise. When cash gets short, pay close attention and be prepared to act. Questions to be answered include:

    1. What caused the problem? Pre-payments to take advantage of special discounts can reduce cash. Transportation strikes, for example, could delay shipments and therefore payments. An industry (or economy) slowdown will often result in customers stretching out their payables.

    2. How can you cope? If cash on hand is not robust, let the special discounts go. It’s usually more cost-effective to pass on a discount than to borrow to overcome a shortfall. Keep up on the news. If you hear about any threatened strikes and/or disruptions to your supply chain, make sure you have a back-up position. Even if temporarily more expensive, it can save your business by showing your customers your reliability and versatility in challenging times. If your customers are in industries facing hard economic times, keep closer tabs on your credit policies and be active in collections. If necessary, tighten credit terms, but use discretion. Being firm but supportive to your customers will go a long way in keeping them in the fold while still giving you a better cash flow. Defer purchases and/or negotiate extended payments if cash gets short.

    Most importantly, document both the signals of problems and your solutions. That way, if the signals happen again, you can refer to prior successful action as a first possible solution.

    Imagine possible, but normally unpredictable cash flow challenges. Some problems can’t be anticipated, so “what if” scenarios can be created. You don’t have to get elaborate, but you can ask what would happen if there were a flood, or, as we’ve experienced more recently, a devastating hurricane. What then? Other problems, such as “product sabotage” can only be dealt with as they occur. Constructing possible scenarios to reduce risks associated with “unforeseeable” problems is an important management tool. Learn from, and document, each experience, or you may have to repeat it.

    Second, watch sales. Any prolonged (and “prolonged” computes differently for each company and industry) drop in sales without a comparable — and simultaneously emerging — reduction in expenses is a prescription for trouble. Of course, there is at usually some lag between sales changes and a compensating contraction in expenses, but early diagnosis can reduce the negative impacts significantly. Once a changing trend has been identified, act promptly or the impact of the lag will be more severe.

    Third, review the budget. If short-term borrowing is regularly needed to meet normal operating costs, the unavailability of such loans or a sudden change in operating expense could be devastating.

    If ongoing operations cannot be supported by sales, either more sales are needed, fewer expenses must be incurred or a combination of the two is in order. While this sounds very simple, all too many companies hesitate “in hopeful anticipation.” If remedies are not introduced on a timely basis, a severe cash crunch could follow.

    Fourth, keep a close eye on new product development. In many companies, R&D expenditures for new products are often allowed far greater variance from projected budgets than normal expenditures. After all, when you create something new, it is really hard to accurately predict costs — or turnaround time — at the outset.

    Failure to keep these costs, and time commitments, within bounds or monitor their continuing impact and cost/benefit can lead to continued funding of projects well beyond when they should be cut off. Overall cash flow can be easily drained into a seemingly bottomless pit, and often an entire company is jeopardized by one errant project.

    Fifth, beware of pet projects. A pet project is any organizational activity undertaken for ego value rather than consistency with the organization’s mission and profit targets. Pet projects, whether new ventures or ongoing cost/profit centers, can often lead to cash flow problems. All organizations have pet projects from time to time. Failure to recognize and deal with a pet project when a cash crunch looms has been the death knell for many companies.

    Many cash flow challenges have such simple origins. Often it’s simply a matter of days, or weeks and they can creep up on you. And the daily grind can cloud your vision, encourages false hope or distract you just long enough for problems to take hold. You can learn from past and/or current cash shortages. You can be watchful that sales, budget and R&D costs stay in line. You can keep a lid on pet projects. In an increasingly competitive world, you need to be alert.

  • Thinking Outside The Box – The How To

    boxthinkWhen innovators talk about thinking outside the box, they mean coming up with creative ways to solve problems – new ways to look at things. How do they do it? How can you do it too? We first have to ask what the “box” is. Then we can look at how to get outside of it.

    The “box” is the normal way of doing things and looking at things. It is the assumptions that almost everyone involved is making. The best way to start thinking out of the box then, is to identify and challenge all the assumptions that make up thinking inside the box.

    One of the major liquor brands was faltering years ago, and they couldn’t seem to boost their sales. Promotions, lowering the price, getting better shelf placement – these were the “in the box” solutions. Then someone challenged the assumptions, by asking “What if we stopped the promotions and just raised the price?”

    The price was raised as an experiment, and sales soon doubled. As it turns out, some types of liquor are bought quite often as gifts. Buyers don’t want to buy the most expensive one, but they also don’t want to seem cheap, so they won’t buy products that don’t cost enough. Now imagine what happens to your profit margins when you raise the price and double the sales. That’s the power of thinking outside of the box.

    Ways To Get Outside The Box

    Challenging assumptions is a powerful creative problem solving technique. The difficult part is to identify the assumptions. If you are designing a new motorcycle, write down assumptions like “speed matters,” “it has to run on gas” and “it needs two wheels,” not because you expect to prove these wrong, but because challenging these can lead to creative possibilities. Maybe the time has come for an electric three-wheeled motorcycle.

    Another way to get to creative solutions is to “assume the absurd.” This is either fun or annoying, depending on how open-minded you can be. All you do is start making absurd assumptions, then finding ways to make sense of them. The easiest way to do it is by asking “what if.”

    What if a carpet cleaning business was better off with half as many customers? It seems absurd, but work with it. Hmm…less stressful, perhaps. More profitable if each customer was worth three times as much. Is that possible? Commercial jobs that involve large easy-to-clean spaces (theaters, offices, convention halls) make more money in a day than houses, with fewer headaches. Focusing on getting those accounts could be the most profitable way to go – not so absurd.

    Another way to more innovative ideas is to literally do your thinking out of the box. Get out of the house or the office. Look around at how others are doing things. On busses in Ecuador, salesmen put a product into everyones hands and let them hold it while they do a sales pitch. Then you have to give back “your” product or pay for it. It is very effective. How could you use the principle in your business?

  • 5 Steps To Get Your Priorities Straight At Home And In Business

    prioritiesOperating a successful home-based business is a time-consuming endeavor. This is doubly true as work-at-home moms in that we are responsible not only for the success of our business, but for our family as well. We must be self-reliant, self-motivated, and discipline ourselves in order to attain success in both areas.

    When running a business from home, it’s easy to let the phone calls, emails and paperwork keep you tied down, making you feel that you don’t have time to take a break or to spend quality time with your family. Maybe you’ve noticed that you spend a little more time than you’d like in front of your computer or on the phone. Maybe you see your kids acting out, trying to gain your attention. Perhaps you are seeing that this isn’t the work-at-home dream you envisioned. You started out with such noble intentions, but maybe the excitement of success in your business has caused you to lose sight of the REAL reason do what you do each day. It happens to so many of us, but don’t worry, help is on the way.

    Below are five ideas to prioritize your life and business:

    1. Be honest – You probably didn’t start your work-at-home career to climb the “corporate ladder” of your at-home business. Chances are that you started your business with the best of intentions – to be able to be at home with your children, to contribute financially to your family, or simply to have a little spending money of your own. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord to show you the things that you need to change.

    Take a moment and honestly ask yourself how you’ve been handling the time commitment of owning a business:

    • Are you spending too much time on the phone, the computer, etc?
    • Are your kids spending more time than usual in front of the TV?
    • Do you snap at your children because of the stresses of your business?
    • Do you worry about your business – to the point that it distracts you when you are with your family?

    2. Make a list – Sit down and write out a list of things that you see that you’d like to change. This can be a list of things you can do differently to limit the time you spend on your business; or a list of ways you can “de-stress” so that you can deal kindly with your family.

    3. Log your time – Buy a notebook or create a spreadsheet that you can use to log the time you spend on your business each day. Make a column for each day across the top and a row of half an hour increments down the side. Every time you sit down at your desk, write “IN” in the box that corresponds to the time and day. Every time you leave your desk (or complete a task), fill the appropriate box with the word “OUT.”

    At the end of the week, total up the hours each day that you have spent on business tasks. Are you surprised or is it about where you thought you’d be? This can be a real eye-opener and show you in black and white if your priorities have gotten off track. Take special note for how much time you spend on e-mails and things that aren’t billable.

    Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com also recommends that you plan ahead and schedule your time. Prioritize things and have the work that will require the most effort and concentration scheduled for your peak time. Try and not get sidetracked and stay on task focusing on what you need to do. You’d be amazed how much more work you can get done by simply changing how you work e-mails. If you only answer them at set hours, you save yourself from being online all day and not accomplishing much.

    4. Take a break – If you get to the end of the week and your time log has you in shock, it’s time to take a break. If you normally work during the weekend, make it a point to take this weekend off. Shut down your email, turn off the ringer on your phone and shut the door to your office. You’ll be surprised at how refreshing this will be.

    Use this time off to re-evaluate how you need to be spending your time. Try to plan out when you can work on your business without losing out on time with your children. If your children are in school, make it a point to stop working when they get home. If your children are still small, maybe you can limit work hours to naptime or, if possible, have a grandparent watch them once or twice a week to allow you a bit more work time.

    5. Plan an activity – Now that you’re ready to make a change in your routine, why not plan an activity once a week? This can be an outing with your child or just something simple like setting aside time to make cookies together.

    If possible, find another work-at-home mom and hold one another accountable to keep to your new schedules. Make a weekly play date where your children can spend time together – you can talk business if necessary or decide to make it a “no business talk allowed” discussion time.

    The years that you have at home with your children are a gift as is your business. The time necessary for each will be different for every family and situation. Take the time to find what works for you and set your schedule accordingly. Make it a point to evaluate your priorities every few months to make sure that your time in spent properly. The rewards will be well worth it, when your family not only is proud of your accomplishments in your business, but also more importantly your accomplishments as their mom.

  • untitled-design-2-1170x6302Does working a couple hours a day at home on your computer and making thousands a month sound appealing to you? Well, there are people who are doing just that by using Google Adwords and loving it. They have more time to do the things they really enjoy in life. What they all learned is to work smarter, not harder.

    What is Google Adwords? Whenever you conduct a search using google you will see a list of search results. These are displayed for free. In addition, you will see Sponsored Links displayed at the right of the search results and sometimes displayed at the top of the results. These are paid advertisements. The Adword advertisements are pay-per-click which means the person advertising pays google every time someone clicks on their advertisement.

    People are using Google Adwords, a Pay-Per-Click program, to market their own website and products. In addition, many people are also using it even if they do not own a website. They use it to promote and market affiliate programs. The benefit to using adwords is that you can get instant traffic to your site.

    Following are (5) steps to starting a successful google adwords campaign.

    Step 1- Gain Basic Knowledge

    Before you attempt to start making money with adwords you first need to educate yourself. You need to understand how adwords and pey-per-clicks work. Google has an informative site that provides demos and guides to learn the basics of how it works on their webpage. There are also numerous ebooks on the topic. However, make sure that the authors are credible, experienced, and professional experts. These experts share a wealth of information, tips and strategies.

    Step 2 – Open a Google Adwords Account

    After you understand how google works then you are ready to open a google adword account. Google has minimal costs to get started. Google will take you through several steps in setting up your account.

    Step 3- Write a Creative Text Ad

    You will need to create your ad. The purpose of the ad is to get as many people to click on it as possible. You want to stand out from the rest. Before writing your ad, study your competitor’s ads. Then write several different creative text ads and test each one to see which one has the highest click thru rate.

    Step 4- The Keyword List

    The keyword list is crucial. The right list can be the difference between success and failure so you will want to build the most efficient and focused keyword list. The more focused your keywords are the more targeted and interested the visitors who click on your ads will be resulting in more purchases. However, the more general your keyword list is the more visitors not interested in what you are selling and this can easily and quickly use up your advertising budget.

    Step 5- Setting Your Budget

    Google will ask you what is the maximum you would like to spend, on average per day and what is the maximum you are willing to pay each time someone clicks on your ad. Set your maximum budget at an affordable and comfortable level and never spend more than your visitor is worth.

    These are the five basic steps to get you starting towards google adword success. As you practice and gain experience with adwords, you will keep improving your campaigns performance. And as you performance improves you will get more targeted visitors that will result in more sales.