Once you get going with the day to day of your business,  you loose the direction you once had. All the plans you initially had in your head will be  gone.  You don’t think so, but it happens, write everything down in a notebook or or better yet out it in a  spread sheet.  Believe me once you start doing the actual business part each day,  you’ll  never remember all the creative things you thought of in the beginning. I recently found a piece of paper with some of my early ideas.  I was amazed how great my early ideas were!

It so important to have many things in place before your up and running. You will not have time later!

1. First, Research and read up on what your thinking of doing. Learn everything so there are no surprises.

2. Do a business market analysis of your area or on the net,  for what your planning on doing. Make sure there are not too many others doing the same thing.

3. Get all the tax, business name,  checking accounts, credit accounts, permits, licenses,  etc. all set up and taken care of early.

4.  Set up social networking sites. Start making new contacts and advertise for free your new business.

5.  Set up a Business plan.

6.  Set up a  Marketing plan.

7. Get good business lawyer. Look  some offer great deals!

8. Get an accountant to give you advice,  you’ll need to know for you taxes later.

9.  Make a business check list to follow.

10. Find the vendors you’ll need and who are you going to sell to?

11. Find the materials you’ll need to run you business?

12. Funding where is it coming from?

13. Think about getting an business advisor!

14. Insurance you may need some.

15. How about copyrights, trademarks or patents with your business?

16. Buy a computer, phone, scanner, etc.

17. Domain name purchase, hosting and  website development  all needs to be done.

18. Software which ones to use?

19. To much to list and the list goes on, but this a start!

Write your business plan very early on with goals – 1 yr, 2 yr, 5yr, 10yr etc.  Really think about and develop you marketing plan,  so you can really get started.

Make lots of “to do lists”,  so you don’t miss anything. I even color code mine to importance, OCD like, but hey it works, right! Do not skip ahead in steps. Figure out the order of events and how they need to be done.  Some things can be done much later and some have to be done first to build the other steps on.

As a mom take small baby steps each day towards your goal. Slow and steady gets were you want to be just fine.

I recently had a interesting conversation about just this.  We talked about how a business can grow too fast and become out of control fast. You don’t want to have hire people right away, just in case do you have some informal help? You also don’t want to forced to  sell the business you have worked hard to develop, because it’s bigger than what you can now handle.

Slow growth is important, believe it or not. You can control the business growth yourself!

If I missed something just let me know,  I’ll add it to the list. This list is just to get you thinking and planning for your future. You can be a mom and run a business, I know many who do successfully. It’s all a matter of time management and putting out the big fires first.

Perseverance is needed,  but we have this quality,  we’re Moms!

Good Luck and happy brainstorming for you new adventure!

Wow! What loaded questions! I guess I need a disclaimer just on this post! I think it depends on who you ask. Depending on if your think half full or half empty on the economy.  Your own views of the economy would reflect in the answer you’d give, I guess.

Well I have a few thoughts on this. A very humble opinion from a very humble lady.

Well we all know the economy is way down. On the other hand we all know of some businesses who are  still doing well. If your very fugal with running your business, your OK.  If  your business is a necessity, you can do well. I know of a few businesses who are doing great. They may have a business on the dirty side, but it’s a necessity.

We all know the free following money period, we went through as a nation is gone for good.  The free money for mortgages, having fun spending your home’s equity, and the easy  loans are all gone.

That being said, people who are willing to think outside the box and try new things can make it. If you have a more modest approach to doing business, you can do fine.  So if you want to start a business on a shoe string and think smarter about your spending, you may just make it through this rough time.  If you want to run out and spend tons of money on a start up company, I would hold off . Right now doing so would not be the time, you’ll be belly up in no time. Think smart and act smart with your money.

I do think this is a great time to put your ideas and thoughts together, while taking it slow. The pace to take is slow steady – baby steps. Think things out very well  before you act. This is a great time to wait out and learn as much as you can, if you want to start a business – Research, Research, Research.

We are all watching and waiting to see how the economy is improving here and there. We are seeing small signs of some improvement. I’d be real savvy.  I approach my business at all times like it’s a savings account more has to go in than out.

On a personal note, I am a talk radio fanatic. I’m a big Dave Ramsey fan http://www.daveramsey.com I love to hear all the opinions of others.  Some on talk radio, just follow with the common sense of our previous generations, Dave does. Dave Ramsey gives common sense business advice.  Radio talk shows are a great place to at least get you thinking.

I’d would love to know what your thoughts are too. So really please email me and/or comment. I’d really love to hear what your thoughts are on this matter.

In my opinion, there are two types of business people in the world. The real ones and the  scam people.  The real business people are very honest and open about their business and they have selected goals.  Real business people select certain areas to excel in, develop them and become great in select areas. Often they work on a few projects at a time and  work till completion.

Real business people tell what their expertise is.  If they don’t know about a topic, they’ll tell you. When they are not familiar with a topic and don’t know an answer,  they’ll often research it for you, because they want to know the answer.  Often getting back with you with the answer. (A good Networking Tip for you : You can become a true friend and great contact by doing this for others)

The real ones will their build their knowledge base and share it with everyone. (A good Networking Tip, it builds real connections) Networking comes in by sharing your own knowledge base, you build a great network of like minded people to bounce ideas off of and share.  You both grow professionally. Exactly what I do everyday. I try to learn as much as I can to help others.

The scam people will say they’re an expert in everything to get your money. Scam people willl be an expert on everything from A to Z (E-commerce, Site Analysis,  SEO, Coaching, Affiliate Marketing, Social Networking, Direct Sales, Advertising, Shopping Carts, Virtual Assistants, etc)

Believe me when I say,  being on online is so complicated and complex, you can’t be an expert in it all. The fact is the trends change and the what people are doing online is always changing.  If someone is saying their an expert it all, STAY AWAY. Th fact is,  most of the people who I know who work with online businesses  specialize in a few areas of concentration. Having concentrated for years on the same thing and really building their knowledge base. Be it SEO, Affiliate Marketing, Virtual Assistant, Coaching, etc. To be truly great you need to really focus on a few topics, learn and watch constantly the changes which are happening.

You know the scam people want your money, just be smart.

I guess what I want to say is, be careful and educate yourself first.  Use good online resources or  go to the library or bookstore for a few hours and sit and read. Learn about certain topics. Start with the topics which you are in the most need of knowing about.

Money Saving Tip:  Educate yourself first on topics and you can spot the scam people and have your questions ready to interview potential consultants!

If  you want to learn about how to increase your  SEO. Start first by try to build up your own SEO number yourself. Free ways exist to increase your SEO number. If you want to improve  your SEO and what your are doing currently is not working, you have researched and try it all. Then find someone who is a SEO specialist.

I would talk to you local contacts first, ask them who they have used as a consultant. Ask about which books they have read on the topic. You may be able to do it yourself, if does take time. Blogging helps your numbers and there are SEO keywords. On topics to do with being online, there are “go to guys or girls”on it all. Your local contacts may know of someone in your area you can talk to or someone online they trust.

Be smart. Good luck. Please don’t get ripped off.

The large learning curve exists, but it can be overcome with baby steps and learning everyday.Invest the time, learn yourself and you’ll Thank me.

Hang in there and read, read, read.

Networking WAHM

One of my favorite marketing activities is networking online. Many of my clients engage in this activity as well. But, soon after starting online networking, many people find themselves in a state of overwhelm – so many groups – so little time! First, how do you know which groups are ideal for your business, and second, how do I effectively manage my online networking and avoid becoming overwhelmed with it all?

First, let’s talk about some of the ways that you can networking online. You can participate in online networking groups such as the type you might find at Yahoo, Ryze, or Zaadz. You can also participate in special online events through organizations like WECAI.

It’s important to find networking groups where your niche is hanging out. These are the people that you will be able to help build your business. When you visit sites like Yahoo, do a search on keywords for your niche and see what kinds of groups are out there. For example, if I’m looking for networking groups, I might search on “women entrepreneurs.” Hanging out with your niche will help you gain clients, and it will help you discover what your niche’s needs are as they relate to your business.

You can also join networking groups where your peers congregate. These are great to discuss industry trends, get business questions answered and share ideas. For example, I’m a member of a few groups that are geared toward coaching.

You want to be sure the groups you’re interested in are fairly active. An active group usually has a couple hundred members, and will have at least 15 to 20 messages in a week – some have a lot more than that, but that’s a good number to look for.

When you join a group, spend a few days getting to know what the rules and expectations are. For example, some groups do not allow e-mail signatures, some groups have special days for ads. Also, spend some time reading the discussions and learning about the members.

When you’re ready, post your introduction, and jump into any conversations you feel you’d like to join.

If a group is busy and it seems like the conversations move fast and there are new threads constantly being added, you don’t have to respond to everything. When you visit the online groups, usually there is a message archive that you can browse. All of the threads are usually grouped by topic, so you can choose which discussions you’re interested in following and responding to. It is completely fine to only respond to the threads that you are most interested in. Don’t forget to offer your expertise in discussions where it is warranted. This will help members get to know what you can offer them, and it is a great way to establish yourself as an expert.

Another rule of thumb is to not work a sales pitch into every post you make. That can seem insincere. Save your sales pitch for ad days and for your e-mail signature. The goal of networking in any situation is to build relationships. You may not make sales or get e-zine subscribers the first time you post – and that’s ok. You want the members of the group to get to know you, and you want to get to know them.

Consistency is the key to make online networking work for you. Decide how much time you’re going to devote to this marketing activity and then be consistent. For example, you may decide to visit your online groups three times per week and spend 2 hours responding to posts. Or, you may decide to only visit once per week and spend 3 hours networking. Be organized with your efforts and stick to a schedule. This will make it easier to manage, and it will ensure that you don’t get stuck socializing when you really should be working

In addition to making really great business connections, online networking is a way to make amazing friends and meet fantastic people. Remember, not every single person you meet through networking will become a customer, but they will be a great connection – and you never know where that might lead!

Jenn Givler is the Catalyst for Thriving Businesses. She teaches entrepreneurs how to break through fear, frustration and overwhelm in their business. Visit her web site and receive your free report: The 5 Reasons Your Business Is Still Stuck – Even though you’re doing everything right. http://www.jgivlercoaching.com

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