| In these difficult economic times--many call these the | | | | service that you want to offer. The more you believe |
| worst since the Great Depression--more and more | | | | in your product or service, the better your chances of |
| Americans find themselves looking for a solution to the | | | | success. We all know people who can sell a |
| problem of how to survive a recession. It seems as | | | | motorcycle to a nun or flies to a horse, but unless you |
| though every day we read about scores of | | | | are one of them you a will not reach the level of |
| businesses closing or downsizing, and workers losing | | | | success to which you aspire unless you believe in your |
| their jobs by the tens of thousands. | | | | product and use it yourself. So if you are looking at a |
| Where will they all go? How will they all find work? If | | | | network marketing company, try its product(s) before |
| finding a job is hard today--and it is--then how much | | | | you join the business. Once you try the product or use |
| harder will it get when hundreds of thousands of | | | | the service then you will know how you feel about it. If |
| additional workers are being added to the ranks of the | | | | you're not happy with a product, for heaven's sake |
| unemployed every month? And for those who are | | | | don't try to sell it. |
| able to find potential employment only by relocating to | | | | Once you picked a business that relies on your |
| another part of the country, how comfortable can they | | | | strengths and a product or service you can believe in |
| feel knowing that their new job may disappear as | | | | you have to choose what your budget is going to be. |
| quickly and unexpectedly as their last? | | | | Remember that most home businesses, like any other |
| Each of us must address these issues and concerns | | | | kinds of business, usually take at least several months |
| in our own way. Some are gifted with a skill set that | | | | to become profitable. You will find it necessary to |
| will always be marketable in any economy, and will | | | | keep within a budget until then if you are going to |
| move on to a new job with ease and without difficulty. | | | | succeed. Otherwise, even with a great product you |
| Some can turn to a large network of family, friends | | | | can spend yourself out of existence before you do. |
| and associates for help in finding a new job, perhaps | | | | You should also keep in mind that, although it offers |
| even one with near certain stability. Others have | | | | many advantages over commuting to a brick and |
| sufficient savings and/or borrowing power to launch | | | | mortar business, a home business offers some |
| their own "bricks and mortar" business, in a niche likely | | | | distractions you never had at the office or workplace; |
| to prosper even during these difficult times | | | | distractions like kids, barking dogs, TV, the web, and |
| But what of those who have none of these | | | | the telephone Always remember you are running a |
| advantages? What are they to do? Well, for more | | | | business, not a hobby. You could do everything else |
| and more people the answer is working from home. | | | | right but mess this up and you will not succeed. You |
| There are a variety of ways to make a living from | | | | need to take it seriously or you will just be wasting |
| your own home. Some possibilities include: | | | | precious time and money. |
| 1. Telecommuter jobs, available on major job search | | | | Once you have the fundamentals in place, there are |
| engines like monster.com, or at such specialty job | | | | two important ways to grow your business and to |
| search sites as or | | | | make money: selling and marketing.The sales process |
| 2. Freelance projects available at such internet service | | | | consists of personal interaction. It is often done by a |
| brokers as Guru.com, or | | | | one-on-one meetings, cold calls, and networking. It's the |
| 3. Internet information marketing through such media as | | | | process that engages you directly and personally with |
| blogging, Twitter and Youtube. | | | | the prospect or customer. |
| More and more of us, however, have decided that | | | | Marketing, on the other hand, is everything that you do |
| starting a home based business is the most promising | | | | to reach and persuade your prospects to buy. It |
| answer to the question of how to survive a recession. | | | | consists of promotional activities such as advertising, |
| For those of us with the entrepreneurial spirit, who | | | | public relations, internet marketing, viral marketing, and |
| want to be our own boss, work our own hours, and | | | | direct mail. More simply put, I like to say that selling is |
| dictate our own financial future, the home based | | | | taking your product to the customer; marketing is |
| business can be just the answer we are looking for to | | | | bringing the customer to your product. Both are |
| that question. But if a home based business is a | | | | important, but if you are not good at selling, you can |
| solution that holds some attraction for you, your | | | | often make up for your deficiencies with good |
| obvious next question is: How do I find just the | | | | marketing skills. |
| opportunity for me? | | | | As previously noted, some people are born salesmen |
| Well, unlocking the secret to success by starting a | | | | (or women). If you are one of these, sales is your |
| home based business begins with knowing yourself. | | | | most powerful and direct channel to growth and |
| That means knowing your own strengths and | | | | profits. If you are not a salesman (or woman) you can |
| weaknesses: what you do well and what you do not | | | | achieve the same (sometimes even better) results by |
| do well. You must also be honest with yourself when | | | | developing and applying smart marketing techniques |
| doing this. We would all love to be perfect in every | | | | designed to bring the customer to you. |
| aspect of life, but the truth is we are not and we have | | | | A popular TV car add is currently marketing its |
| to accept this fact. This is important because picking a | | | | automobiles with the slogan "We're all in this together, |
| business in which most of the tasks that need to be | | | | and we'll all get through it together." No doubt these are |
| done play to your strengths will increase your chances | | | | challenging times, financially and otherwise. Many of us |
| of success. | | | | who have spent our entire careers in a job, perhaps |
| If you do not like to sell, and you hate making cold calls, | | | | even with the same employer, have been or will be |
| you will want to avoid businesses that involve direct | | | | cut adrift without lifeboats as employers struggle to |
| sales, whether on the phone or in person. However, | | | | survive themselves. |
| you may be a better than average writer, in which | | | | We all face the challenge of how to survive a |
| case you can market your products through online | | | | recession together. We all have to find the answer in |
| sales, ezines or blogs. Or, you may be a skilled | | | | our own way. We will all have to explore new and |
| marketer, in which case a well optimized website may | | | | unfamiliar avenues to replace the jobs that may never |
| provide you with just the forum you need to attract | | | | be replaced. A home based is not for everyone, but |
| customers and generate sales. | | | | for those willing to undertake the challenges, the results |
| The next thing you need to know is the product or | | | | can be enormously fulfilling--and financially rewarding. |