Solo Professionals Ideas

How do you handle a difficult client and when do you know if it's time to let them go? Here are several instances where you may need to consider if the business relationship should continue.

When they stop paying you timely or not at all. If your client has always paid you on time, and their checks start coming in later than usual or not at all, it's time to find out if the problem is their cash flow or you. Either way, think about how much of your time you're willing to give them for free. If they can't afford to pay you, and you continue to work on their project, you are giving away your time. After all, you wouldn't continue to work for a company that stopped giving you paychecks.

If you know for sure they are profitable and have a good cash flow, you may need to realize it's something you're doing that they are not happy with. Then it's time to have a heart to heart talk with them to clear the air and find out how you can solve the problem.

Sometimes it's just a matter of perception- they thought you were doing things one way and they wanted it done another. See if you can improve the relationship by talking things through, and you may salvage the client and get your invoices paid.

When they nickel and dime you to death about your invoices. If your client complains about charges on your bill that previously were agreed on, then again, it could be a misunderstanding or they could be trying to put off paying your bill. If they truly have an issue with your charges, try to find a compromise. However, realize that disputing an invoice is a common way of delaying payment and make sure you don't get caught up in this game.

When their vision and yours are 180 degrees apart. When working on a project for a client, it is possible that both parties have differing opinions on the end goal or how to get there. If they hired you for your expertise, but are now ignoring your suggestions, once again you need to find out why. Did you both have the same plan at the start, but now circumstances have changed that make you have differing goals? Your first step would be to talk it out to see if you both can compromise and come to an agreement as to how the project should be handled.

When they ask you to do something illegal or unethical. If you want to continue to be self-employed, you have to maintain your integrity. If a client insists you to do something you feel is wrong, you are under no obligation to do so. Do not put yourself in the position of being the fall guy, and know that sooner or later an illegal or unethical act will be uncovered. It's not worth the cost of legal fees or the loss of future business to cut corners, falsify records or cheat the system.

As the owner of your own business, make it a point to maintain your integrity for both your clients and yourself. If you are always loyal to your own best interests, you will be successful as an entrepreneur.

?2007 Kathy Swann

It is generally okay for you to write articles, as a ghostwriter for business folks, but beware, as there are some laws now in a few industries, which makes it illegal for the clients of such articles to send them to their customers and claim that they in fact wrote them, when they didn't.

It is not against the rules for the writer to write them, as they are not selling articles that someone else has written pretending that the ghostwriter wrote. The sole responsibility lies on the purchaser of the articles not to misrepresent the facts to their end user. Think of it in this way; a writer can write a paper for a college student and get paid, that is a legal transaction, but if the purchaser, the college student, turns it in and claims to have written it - they might indeed, be thrown out of school.

In some industries, not sure if you are in one of them, but in some industries licensed professionals are not allowed to send information directly to consumers or clients, that they did not write without telling their customers that someone else wrote it, as the customer assumes that the professional wrote it. So, this is because the government does not want licensed professionals to hold themselves out to having written something that they did not and send it to a client in an email for instance. I do not know if your industry is one of those industries that is being scrutinized however, you might want to check and see.

Financial Planning is on the industries that has such regulations against this type of practice, and the SEC will not allow it - it's a new law. The writer would NOT be breaking any laws selling them the content, but the professional buying the content probably should not copy ghost written articles into "brochures" of any kind and send it to clients, without re-writing them or stating that they did not actually write them.

An Industry Blog is completely a different issue, it is designed for the industry, like a trade journal online, not for the consumer directly, thus, it not an issue. The government wants to protect consumers, not those in the industry. Consumers break the laws all the time, but get away with it; for instance falsifying loan applications, misrepresenting their resumes or not disclosing various things to licensed professionals.

Now realize, I am not a lawyer, and this is my personal opinion based on how I understand the law to read, so you have to decide if this is an issue you. I have not heard anything about that yet in any other industry but the financial industry, but even if it is not here yet, it will be someday soon. How can someone protect them selves?

Well, if they ever change the laws in your industry, you can merely put a little notation on the brochures, "Consumer Oriented Blog" or newsletter that "Not all content was written direct by - name of professional" and that would suffice, as it is in keeping with the spirit of full discloser. Can you imagine if the government regulators and lawyers ever gave us "full disclosure" that would be the "Blue Moon" of the century? Something to contemplate in 2008.

Years ago I had a good friend who loved to play tennis. Al wasn't a tennis star. He just loved to play and he especially loved to win! I'm not much of a tennis player myself but my son is pretty good and he enjoyed Al's company.

One day the two of them went off to play a few sets on the town tennis courts. As my son tells the story the sets were split pretty evenly and during the final set the score was tied and kept switching back and forth in favor of one player and then the other.

There was now a group of people waiting to use the court and of course watching the "end" of the game between my son and Al.

It is what Al did next that struck my son and me as both ingenious and funny. He approached the people who were waiting and told them if they wanted the court to be available quickly they needed to cheer wildly every time he got a point.

These "fans" followed his instructions, cheering wildly each time Al made a point and standing silently when my son made a point. Sure enough Al won the game! Now that gives new meaning to "home court advantage". Cheering fans definitely make the team and/or player(s) feel really supported.

I once had the opportunity to listen to a performer who talked about how much better her performance was when she had an audience that she felt was connected with her and was really enjoying her performance.

Support is something we all need in our lives and our careers. How do you insure that you get the support you need? Whether you are looking for a job, hoping to be promoted in your company or are building your own business or law practice, you will need the support of others to insure your success. Constructive feedback is helpful and so is glowing praise. Who does that for you?

For some it may be a mentor that has taken an interest in them. The person provides advice, introductions, and a sounding board for problems and challenges. Good mentors know how to listen well.

Good mentors are hard to find. If you have one, you are very lucky. If you don't, consider hiring a coach to provide that support.

Perhaps you have considered a family member a mentor or coach. I've had clients who relied on their family members for support. People who love you often have an agenda that may be harmful to you and your career. Their agenda isn't a bad one. They want you to be safe and happy. Sometimes lessons are learned that are painful. A family member may want to protect you from the pain.

There are often risks with a career or business that only you can decide about. A person who is good at supporting you can help you to see the risks clearly and help you to determine if it is worth taking.

When my friend got the people on the sidelines to cheer for him, he had to make himself believe that they were really in his corner. Because he loved to win so much (and did win frequently), it wasn't hard for him to do that.

When you select a mentor or a coach, it is very important that you have to respect the person enough that when they do encourage you, you do believe that they know what they are talking about. You also want to believe them when they warn you to proceed with care.

Take Action

1. Make a list of the people in your life that support you. You may have several different people for different areas of your life i.e. career coach, clergy person, parenting therapist etc. Are they people that you respect and who can tell it like it it?

2. Notice the areas in your life that perhaps you have no support. Do you need support there? Is there someone you can ask to support you? If so why not ask them today? If not is there someone you could hire?

3. Negative feedback can be helpful but if someone continually gives you negative feedback, they may not be the best person to help you. Do you have anyone who is always negative? How might you distance yourself from that person?

How would you like to create a work life that allows you to be with your kind of people, in the right environment, doing work you love? Easy. Add solo entrepreneur to your resume.

You might be saying to yourself, "I am so busy now, why would I want to start a business on top of everything else I am doing?"

Here is my short list of reasons:

1) You are already in business: You, Inc. is your business. You trade your precious time for money now. Because the world is changing, your business may be more vulnerable than you realize. At any time, You, Inc. can be downsized, right sized, demoted, promoted, restructured, transferred, boss leaves, boss stays or any combination of changes that you have no control over but have the potential to make your life miserable.

2) Work Life Balance: Most of us did not start working with the idea that our free time could be so compromised by work demands or that our flexibility constrained to the degree it is with many jobs.

3) Portability: If you choose the right business, you can do it anywhere. This means that you can travel, go on vacation when you want or let your kids sign up for afterschool classes they are interested in without you dreading transportation issues. Arrange your schedule your way without having to ask permission from your boss or fretting about the example you are setting for your employees. Ah, I smell freedom in the air.

Sound good....wait there is more.

4) How about extra cash? When You, Inc. is your only business, the only extra cash you can come up with comes in the form of promotions, job change, performance reviews or maybe bonuses. Cost of living is a thing of the past for most employees, so what are you to do when you have extra expenses either self induced or unexpected? When you are an entrepreneur, you just crank up your business a notch. If you built it correctly, you will have multiple streams of income that may be tapped when cash flow becomes a problem for You, Inc.

5) Options: A good reason to start a second business is to broaden your choices, minimize your vulnerability and reduce your risk by keeping your options diversified. Many studies have shown that people who are the unhappiest at work have been employees who have the least control over their work. The thought has always been that these are lower level employees, but I find that even high level employees find themselves in situations where they feel like they don't have effective control over their work, causing a significant degree of discomfort.

When you work as a solo entrepreneur, your work is always appreciated, you never have to care what mood the boss is in, the politics of the work place match yours perfectly, and you have the best office in the joint.

A lot of people have ideas that they think would make great inventions. Most people don't do anything with the invention idea that they have. Other people struggle with it to a certain extent but never see anything come to fruition. Here are some basic steps that you can take in order to get your invention idea into the marketplace and then into the hands of the end user.

The first thing that you're going to need to do is to make sure that your idea was not already patented by somebody else. The entire patent database is now online and searchable by keyword for anybody with an Internet connection. You should familiarize yourself with the system and then do an intensive search to see if your idea has already been claimed by somebody else. Once you have established that you own the idea, free and clear, hire a patent attorney to do a more in-depth research and then to file a patent for you.

Once you own the patent on your invention idea, you're going to have to make a prototype and do a little bit of market research. In order to get your invention into the hands of the companies that can effectively market it, you're going to have to provide them with some numbers that demonstrate how well your invention will do in the marketplace. Although you certainly can do this step yourself, many people hire an invention company in order to take care of it for them.

If you decide to hire an invention company, make sure that they are legitimate. Many people have lost a lot of money by hiring an invention company that was simply a fly-by-night operation. Some simple research at the Better Business Bureau and FTC website, along with looking for end-user feedback will establish the reputation of the company for you. Taking your invention idea from the beginning to the marketplace can be a long, drawn out task. Make sure that you do some of the initial work yourself and hire people when necessary to make sure that your invention is a hit in the marketplace.

There are freelancers out there making more than a hundred thousand dollars a year without ever leaving home. (According to the Editorial Freelancers Association and the AWAI - American Writers & Artists, Inc.)

And as always the big question is: How do you get in on the action?

1. You do an assessment of your skills.

2. You determine if your skills can earn you a good income -- if not, then you have to buckle down and learn a new skills that, a) are needed in today's market b) that will pay you a good income and c) that you enjoy doing.

3. Once you feel comfortable with your skills level, then its time to search out freelance jobs. It would be a good idea to search out the jobs, before you invest in learning new skills. See what corporate America and the small business owners are paying for the service that you would like to provide. Adjust your skill level to what is needed and it will be easier to cross over from 9 to 5 to self-employment.

If you select a skill that you already do at your work place -- you may be able to convince the company you work for to use your skills on an Independent Contracting bases.

4. Now its time to register yourself with 5 or 6 or sometimes even more freelance web sites. Some sites charge freelancers to register, others do not. Some sites provide an escrow account from which freelancers are paid and a percentage of the payment is collected for administrative cost.

When first starting out, you want an escrow account. You want to get to know your clients under a supervised environment, so to speak. Remember you will be dealing with clients from all over the world.

5. Bid on projects that you qualify for. Bid on as many jobs as possible -- so you can make up for the jobs that you don't get. (Secret - read the project description over and over again, until you mentally touch bases with the person who wrote the description. Read the description word for word -- and know exactly what the client is asking for. If you have questions, ask. The freelance web sites usually will provide a discussion board for each project.

6. Develop an online portfolio of your skills

7. Work very hard at developing good feedback when you win a contract. Also almost always leave a good feedback for the Employer, even if they were a jerk. If the person you worked for was unprofessional -- be very careful about how you write your feedback. Chances are he/she was a jerk with other freelancers as well -- look and see what they wrote and write the exact same words! Don't bad mouth the Employer in the feedback.

8. Delivery your work in a timely manner and provide more then what is expected of you.

9. Keep your day job until you build your clientele, stay focused, stay positive, plan your actions, work your plan.

10. Write down the details of your goals -- read your goals everyday.

Complete each of the above 10 steps in the order that is most comfortable for you. It is highly recommended that you complete step #3 before you complete step #2.

It can be done, it takes time, belief in yourself and positive reinforcement from yourself (that's why you read your goals each day) Go for it, you can do it!

People are turning to the Internet in droves looking to create an Online Web Business. It's easy to see why when you think of the overall concept of working from anywhere and having your business online.

Why would anyone want to own an online business? Two things quickly come to mind. Time and money. You can earn a substantial income, whilst your time requirements decrease on a weekly or monthly basis. Once you get your web site up and running you simply need to tweak it on a weekly basis, thus the time required decreases as time goes by.

Today I'm going to talk about what I call vehicle selection. The vehicle in my example is the web site creation, marketing and maintenance. This is the foundation of your business and I would suggest choosing a very good one.

You can choose either to pay someone else to develop, and maintain your site or learn how to do so yourself. I was amazed to find out that with literally no experience I was able to find a company that would give me the step-by-step guidance necessary to both create, maintain a website and offer continuous support. The cost for this is in my opinion is unbelievably low.

The first thing you need to do is research, then you will need to choose whether you are going to develop your website or pay someone else to do it for you. If you want to keep the cost of your site overall to a minimum then keep reading this article. If you choose the latter than you can move on to Part (2) two of my (5) step process to creating an online business.

Now then, you are probably thinking that you don't have any idea of where to start. You are probably quite sure that you do not have the skill sets necessary to do this on your own. If that is what you are thinking, join the crowd, because I was quite sure I could not do this on my own. Having hindsight comes in handy in this instance, because I can tell you now that the decisions I made early on saved me a ton of money, but more importantly gave me an understanding of my online business that I would not have had by paying someone else to do it for me. I have total control, yet I have the support necessary when needed to continue my growth.

Okay, now lets go to the next step. What did I look for when researching my vehicle? Here ya go:

* A time Proven System.

* A template web site that could easily be modified.

* Strong 24 hour support

* Minimal cost

* Step-by-step guidance on how to create, modify and maintain my site.

* Total control in the end of my Online Web Based Business.

In my opinion this is the foundation of your business and that is why doing the necessary, up front research, is so important. If you have read any of my other articles you will quickly realize that I always mention how important research is to your success. I would suggest that you either do the research yourself or use a web site like mine, but not necessarily mine to locate your vehicle. Not doing the research utilizing one of these methods, in my opinion, will cost you time and money.

Please feel free to read more of my articles by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

Are you Ready?

You've taken care of all the legalities and necessities of opening your new pet sitting business. You've obtained the appropriate licensing and insurance policies, developed a winning marketing plan, acquired all the proper service contracts and forms required to start a successful pet sitting business. So, what's next?

The Next Step

As with any business, the first step to being successful is laying the proper groundwork. Once you've made preparations and laid the proper groundwork, the next step is to create your Business Policy Statement. This step should not be skipped and is highly recommended before acquiring clients.

Why is it Important?

A Policy Statement establishes expectations between you, the pet sitter, and your client. It outlines what services you will provide to the client, what fees you will charge for those services, what behavior is expected of the client and/or pet, when payment is expected, what happens if payment is not made in a timely manner and so on. A Policy Statement formalizes the Client/Sitter relationship and ensures you have a shared understanding of the services being providing. Creating a handout outlining your Policy Statement to distribute to new clients at the initial Get Acquainted visit is a good way to start your relationship off on the right foot. Your company website is another key place to post your Policy information and lend credibility to your business. Most clients appreciate this extra effort; it gives them peace of mind knowing Fluffy will be taken care of accordingly and builds their confidence in you, as a professional pet sitter.

What Things Should be Included?

What types of services will you offer?

There are many types of services sitters offer. You need to decide which ones you'd like to include in your business. Some examples of services include: Vacation Care, Daily dog walks, pet taxi service to groomer or vet appointments, supply runs for food and supplies, potty training visits, overnight visits, etc.

How long will your visits last?

Visits typically last any where from 20 minutes to 1 hour in length depending on the type of care you provide and the area you are servicing. The amount of time you spend at each visit will determine how many visits you can comfortably complete in one day and what you will need to charge per visit to make a reasonable profit.

What types of pets will you service?

Will you only service dogs and cats? What about hamsters, rabbits and fish? Are you comfortable with birds or snakes? There are many animals besides dogs and cats that you may encounter in your business. Some you may not wish to care for. The key is to set clear expectations up front.

What hours will you be available to service clients?

Will you start your first visit at 5am if that is the time Fido normally awakes for his morning potty break? How about in the evening? When will you conclude you final evening visit? What time will you eat or return phone calls to other potential clients? Outlining these expectations up front helps avoid problems down the road.

What will you charge for your services?

Although there are many factors, your geographic location will primarily dictate what the market in your area will bear. Conducting research in your area is the best way to determine rates for your services. Contact boarding facilities, veterinarians and other pet sitters to see what they are charging. Determining your service area and how far you are willing to travel and how far apart your visits will be is also a factor. Generally, the smaller territory you service, the larger your profit margin. Other cost factors should also be considered, things like the cost of gasoline, wear and tear on your vehicle, marketing supplies, and insurance premiums. Basically anything involved in the cost to keep you in business. A word of advice...don't undersell your services. The service you provide is invaluable to many, many people. Those are the clients you are targeting. Not the price shoppers or the people looking for a bargain. Pricing yourself competitively from the start will convey the professional image for your business that you desire.

Will you charge a client for an initial Get Acquainted visit?

This is a matter of personal preference. Some sitters charge for an initial meeting with the client to get acquainted with the pet(s), discuss the policies, complete all the appropriate paperwork, and obtain a house key. Others choose not to charge a fee citing it gives the client an opportunity to meet you and gain confidence in your abilities before having to pay a fee. Either is acceptable; it's your business - you decide.

How will clients pay for services?

Will you require your clients to pay a deposit or in full, up front or will you invoice them after service has been completed? Will you email an invoice or snail mail it to the client? Will you impose a late fee if not paid promptly? Will you allow clients to pay by credit card? Consider the pros and cons of each choice and decide which method works best for your business.

Will you accept Emergency Service calls?

What will you charge? If Aunt Ida unexpectedly kicks the bucket and your client has to jump on a plane in 2 hours, will you accept last minute requests for service? Will you impose an extra fee for last minute reservations? How much will you charge? Will you arrange payment options?

How will you handle client's keys?

Appearing trustworthy is key to being successful in this business. Clients are entrusting you with cherished members of their families, as well as, their home and its contents. They need to feel confident you will be dependable, take excellent care of their babies and be responsible in their home. Establishing a tracking system to identify a client's keys is vital. Remember, the tracking system should only be known to you and members of your team and should not identify the owner's name or address in the case they are ever lost or stolen. A defined written policy to share with clients and an accompanying acknowledgment form requiring a signature should eliminate problems.

What areas will you service?

As mentioned above, generally, the smaller territory you service, the larger your profit margin. Determine in advance what area you will service. The closer your target market, the more visits you can complete in a day, and the more income you can generate. Some sitters charge an extra fee for service outside their target market. If you consider this option, be sure to look at all your cost factors and make it worth your time.

Will you charge clients for early returns or cancellations?

If John Smith returns home early from a trip or cancels service the day before he's scheduled to leave on a trip - will you impose a cancellation fee? What if you had 3 other clients you could have serviced but didn't schedule because you were booked by John Smith at the time they called? Make clients aware of your early return and cancellation policy.

Will you charge an extra fee for holidays?

Holidays are typically a very busy time for pet sitters. Many regular clients are attending to other priorities or going out of town during this time of year. If you require additional fees during the holiday season, spell out in detail what that fee consists of. Is it a per visit or per day fee? Which day(s) specifically will the extra fee be imposed on?

Will you charge per pet or per visit?

Will your fees be based on a per visit basis or a per pet basis? What if Client A has 4 dogs, 2 hamsters, a cat and an aquarium full of fish and Client B has 1 dog? Will you charge them the same rate? Will it realistically take you the same amount of time to perform the visit? Consider these things before you quote a rate to a potential client. Try to get all the information necessary before quoting a service rate.

Will you require client's to contact you once they've returned home after extended service?

Some sitters require a client to contact the sitter or leave a message once they've returned home after an extended trip. It lets the sitter know the client is home and caring for the animal so the pet(s) is never mistakenly left unattended. If the client doesn't call on the expected date of return, service would continue until the sitter receives a notification call from the client.

These are just a few of the general elements to consider when creating a Policy Statement. Your list may look quite different from the items described here. Your Policy Statement should reflect what is important to you and meet the needs of your business. If you lay the proper groundwork and prepare yourself for success; there is plenty of opportunity available for those interested in pet sitting as a career. Pet sitting is one of the fastest growing small business segments today. Americans spent an estimated $40.8 Billion on their pets this year. 63% of US households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 million homes. That's a lot of potential business - go uncover your share!

O.K. so you want to build an online business!! How about becoming an Infopreneur!!

Do you even know what an Infopreneur is? Well, it has nothing to do with cow manure or working in the sewer. I get laughed at when I tell people what I am.

Most people have never even heard of the word.

Well, it comes from two words:

1. Information-a collection of facts from which conclusions can be drawn, knowledge aquired through study or experience.

2. Entrepreneur-one who assumes the risks of starting and running a business venture.

So, an Infopreneur is someone who assumes the risks of starting and running an online business that specializes in the creation and sale of information products. That's what I am!!

Anyone can become an Infopreneur!! If you have a favorite hobby, a passion, or you are knowledgable on a particular subject, you can build a home business. A successful business!! We all search the internet for information, right? I mean anything from planting flowers to changing a baby's diaper. The web is the "information highway"!! If you have information, it will be searched!!!

Building a business online has to be done the right way to make it successful. I started the wrong way about a year ago. Does this sound anything like your experiences?? I was tired of going to work everyday, I had been in the same profession for 20 years and just burnt out!! I didn't want to work for anyone else. Sound familiar. So, like me, I bet you are looking for a way out, some way to make money online, and earn a substantial income without leaving your home. I got into MLM's and got scammed more times than I can count. What about you?

So, I started searching, reading and being persistent about learning how this internet business thing really works, and finally I had my "AH-HA" moment.

You have to have something people are searching for!! You can't search for them. Buying leads does not work! They have to find you, and I'm sure you have information that somebody else wants or needs. Can you believe you can actually do this?? Well, you sure can, and that is my goal, to help you become a successful Infopreneur!!

This is not overnight "get rich quick" !! There is no such thing, you do know that, right ?? No matter what they say. (I have never even figured out who "they" are)

Building a successful online business takes time but not alot of money. And, it takes a basic understanding of alot of different things. Things like, blogs, e-zines, advertising, websites, affiliate programs, Search Engine Optimization, and much more. I only wish that when I started looking, over a year ago, I could have found all of the basic, true information in one place. That is what this website is all about. I want to help you by presenting the basics and giving you tips on what to do first and what NOT to do ever!!

So, if you are ready to build the best online business for yourself as an Infopreneur, Let's get started!!!

Do you want to get rich online? You can do it! There are a few things that you should know before getting started.

Plan

If you fail to plan, you'll fail in the end. I don't want to sugar coat anything, so I'll be frank with you. Whether you are new to the online marketing industry or you're a veteran, you have to have a strategy.

Any successful business endeavor starts with a well thought out idea. However, the truly successful businesses succeed with short and long term planning. You have to have the foresight of where you'd like your business to go.

Be Patient

Slow down and take a deep breath! People will be coming at you from all angles via emails and phone calls. There are a wide array of companies and programs to promote and you might feel enticed to program jump. While having several streams of income is good, jumping into too many different programs could leave you inefficient and unsuccessful. Real money is achieved through patience. The internet is open 24/7, so there's no need to get in a rush. Allowing yourself to be rushed may cause you to spend your money frivolously.

Attitude Is Everything

Have you fallen down with online marketing before? Did you get back up? The fact that you are here reading this article tells me that you probably did. Good for you! You have what it takes to make money online, now you just have to keep a positive attitude. There will be ups and downs, but a lot of the results will come from how you respond to the trials.

You might not think that attitude has much to do with your end result of becoming wealthy or not. In reality, your attitude has everything to do with your success or failure. Too many people give up way too quickly when they get discouraged. If they are not having the success that they want, they decide that it's not for them and quit. Like I said earlier, internet marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take some time to learn all of the marketing methods and techniques that will help you become wealthy. If you are looking to get rich quickly, then you're going to have to keep looking. While internet marketing can allow you to earn thousands of dollars per month, it may take you up to six months to have those results. Dive into learning all that you can and never give up!

Once in your life you are given the opportunity to start a business. Yes, you might have an amount spared to invest in an entrepreneurship. But you are afraid you don't have the necessary skills and finances to make it in the business world. Eureka! Your best friend whom you know quite well who owns a business (and is successful) comes to mind and answers your fears and doubts.

Yet, you are in a haze to start a business with your friend? Perhaps, you are mulling over in your mind if things won't work out your friendship will be shattered. Still, you know that when it comes to fiscal matters you two totally have the same point of view. Well, that's a good sign! But partnering with your best friend in a business venture is an entirely different picture. Below are some favorable and unfavorable reasons why you must consider your friend to be a business partner:

• Working and sharing of bills.

Working along with a friend can be fun. Fun is doubled because bills are split in two.

• Flexibility in running the business.

Your friend or partner might have the knowledge and skills in administering a business that you don't have. Plus, one of you might have the ample time to run the business. Either way if your strengths and weaknesses complement each other, it means you both can compromise. It's a give and take relationship but in this sense you are both giving and taking what's good for your business.

• Mutual and shared responsibility.

Each partner is almost accountable for his or her own decisions and actions, the decisions and actions of the other partner, and the actions of any of your employees.

• Conscientious fiduciary duty.

You decide and act for the benefit of someone else or the benefit of many even while putting yours secondary. Let's say, you run a flower shop with a partner and an amazing deal comes your way to open another shop without your partner, your fiduciary duty means that you either have to forego the opportunity or share it with your partner.

• Having a business partner can provide skills you don't have, money and connections.

• Sharing of workload, financial burden and creative ideas.

As the old adage says, "two heads are better than one."

• Disagreements about minor and major issues.

Having a friend as a business partner is supposed to be fun, but if you don't want to ruin that by working closely with someone who irritates you then you might as well run your own business now rather than later on buying out your partner because you realized you basically disagreed about everything.

It is an excellent idea for any new business partnership to do a trial period first. Make a project or two together and if you coordinated well and worked harmoniously, your styles mesh. If so, good luck to your business partnership. If not, it's a hard lesson learned and to be avoided.

Energy and Determination - The hardest part of creating a business plan is having the energy and determination to start. At first it seems like an overwhelming task. But once you get going you will find that writing the plan is not as tough as it seems. Start with some of the easy steps. Know and describe your business and your product or services. Talk about the market you are targeting. And explain what stage of development your company is in. If you get hung up on a particular part of the plan skip it for now and come back and fill it in later. Do not worry about making a perfect first draft just get some thoughts down to get the process going and you can always come back and polish it up later.

Know your target market - Throughout the writing of your business plan you want to keep in mind your intended audience and why you are writing the plan e.g. if you are trying to attract equity investors you will want to emphasize the big upside profit potential. At the same time you need to be especially careful to adequately disclose the risks and uncertainties in your business, because investors often look for someone to blame if their investment disappears. If you are trying to get debt financing you want to emphasize not the huge upside profit potential--but the certainty that the debt can be repaid. In fact, talk of big profits may scare away debt financiers because high profit potential usually means high risks. If you are writing a plan to help you run the business better you may skip or write very simple sections with general background information on the company and the industry, and instead focus in more depth on the areas of your plan that are currently most important to you.

Strategies the heart of your business plan - Basically the first half of the business plan is geared towards helping develop and support a solid business strategy. You look at the market, the industry, customers and competitors. You look at customer needs and the benefits of current products and services. You evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each competing firm and look for opportunities in the marketplace. All of these steps are largely aimed at helping you create a strategy for your business. The second half of the business plan is largely to execute your selected business strategy. Your products and services, your marketing and your operations should all closely tie in with your strategy. So while it may be easy to select a smart-sounding strategy for your plan, I recommend you give a lot of thought to the strategy that will set the course for your business.

Think positive and be competitive throughout your plan - In today's crowded marketplace, you are probably going to have serious competition no matter how creative your business concept is. That is why you need to think competitively throughout your business plan. You need to realistically identify where you will do things in similar manner as your competitors, where you will do things differently, where you have real strengths and where you have real weaknesses. Try to run a major aspect of your business, significantly better than your competitors may be a very difficult challenge. Hence, you are often better to focus in planning on being different than your competition and competing with them less directly. Can you find a particular market function to focus on? Can you find a unique strategy? Can you position your products differently? Can you use different sales or marketing techniques?

Do not go too far with your business plan - A lot of business plans sound good on paper, but do not work in the real world marketplace. It is difficult to attract people to a new product or service. Just because it is better does not mean people are going to switch to it! People or companies have established buying patterns and are currently doing business with someone else. To get them to do business with you, you need to do more than to attract them to your business. You have got to steal them away from someone else business. It is also quite possible that when you enter the marketplace, that your competitors may react with their own new products or services or by cutting their prices. And while it is easy to overestimate sales projections it is just as easy to underestimate costs most especially for a beginner. There are always going to be a large amount of cost overruns, expensive problems, and items that you simply overlooked. So project conservatively and try to have an extra cushion of cash tucked in reserve.

Owning and running your own business can definitely be a challenging operation. The popular adage If you snooze, you lose - rings very true in the business world. Both your market and your customer demographic are constantly on the move, and if you fail to move with their ebbs and flows, you will find yourself going bankrupt, and ultimately closing your doors.

A smart and alert business owner keeps their ear to the ground so that they not only move with the market, but they anticipate the flow and react to stay ahead of their competitors. Whether you are maintaining your business venture, or expanding your business horizons, business improvements are an effective method of ensuring that you remain at the forefront of your market.

Business Scenario

You've opened a coffee shop catering to customers who prefer fair-trade coffee. You did this at a time when other larger stores chose to stay with their present inventory, so you were able to capture this niche "socially aware" demographic, without a great deal of effort. For three years you have enjoyed your ethical market domination, enjoying the fruits of your labor, and have managed to expand your business, opening a new coffee shop location. However, because of your recent expansion, your cash flow is running on the thin side until your second location comes up to speed.

It's at this point the larger java distributors manage to register that they're losing a large percentage of their customer base and are not getting them back, despite their well-financed marketing campaigns. They finally bite the bullet, change their suppliers to bring in fair-trade beans, and then blast a powerful marketing campaign, advertising ethical products at discounted prices. They manage to break your business' price-point, and as much as we would like to believe in customer loyalty, it only occurs in a small number of cases and unfortunately it isn't enough to keep a business afloat.

Getting the competitive edge

You need something to draw your customers back, so be very clever. One solution is to make a business improvement by modifying your services. This way you can get an advantage and take back the business from your competition. The larger stores may have you beat you in pricing, but even they won't be able to sell everything.

This is where you sit down and put together a hard research to plan for your next mode of attack. Ask yourself, what is it that your customers are looking for that still isn't provided by the larger chains? Let's just say that you decide to stay with the ethical and organic market and plan to add a section in your stores to provide your customers with purchasing specialized live juices and farm fresh organic local produce.

You take the time out to conduct a market analysis and create a marketing plan, and you find that you may have found the perfect advantage necessary to win out against the big chain stores. You make your initial inquiries, determine your costs for improvements and make tentative deals with local organic farmers, discovering that your plan is both sound and profitable.

The problem is, now you have the perfect idea, but you don't have the capital to follow through. Your finances have been stretched with the second store and you don't want to over-extend your debt by going to the bank for a loan, and paying more hefty fees. How will you bounce back without sacrificing your other location, or mortgaging away your profitability?

Potential road-blocks to success

So you probably may go to your local bank as a first stop. However, to apply for a business loan from a bank, you will probably need a great amount of preparation before applying for finance. You will need to fill out a substantial amount of paperwork including a business plan, cash flow projection report, a personal finance statement, your previous business tax returns, a credit rating report as well as numerous other business reports. Even after applying for a business loan, the chances of approval are quite slim, and you may have to wait a long time to receive the funds, and that is just in the event your business loan is actually approved.

Also, most small business owners know that angel investment can be detrimental to operations and ownership, not to mention that angel investors are few and far between, and tend to invest on an infrequent basis.

An immediate "hassle-free" finance strategy

Fortunately you can eliminate the hefty paperwork and delayed processing times by choosing to go with "business cash advances". A business cash advance gives you the capital necessary without the need of immediate repayment, and it gives you the funds right away.

You can use the business cash advance for whatever you wish:
Advertising
New Location
Pay down debt
Inventory
Remodeling

This method also ensures that you retain ownership. After all, isn't that the reason you got into your own business in the first place?

By following the tips above, you will find that not only are you able to maintain your business profitability, but you will be able to build on your dreams of lifelong financial independence and business success.

Everyday people are turning to the Internet to start and web based businesses. A major reason is that the cost of startup is minimal. You can do it all while sitting at home without the overhead requirements such as a storefront etc. You carry no inventory and you don't have to purchase any products until they are already sold.

I see so many searches for these opportunities on the Internet. You see searches for phrases like dollar online store, dollar general online store, application dollar family online store and dollar online open store.

When I was doing my research for online businesses I found several Online Dollar Stores that I liked and one in particular is very popular with people who frequent my site.

Here is an example of what I found that is offered on some programs:

You get an Online Dollar Store website, instant store setup, make sure franchise fee's are waived, access to hundreds of name brand products, marketing tools and step-by-step guidance and a free marketing consultation.

Another important criteria when looking into this type of venture is that they require no prior experience. This is important because many people have not had experience with an online business before.

In this type of business you will not have the typical expenses such as a storefront, inventory cost and employee's. It's all done online so you can have your own Online Dollar Store in no time at all.

In my previous articles you will find that I always recommend that you either use a website like mine but it does not have to be mine. If you choose not to use a website then you will need to do the necessary research yourself. It can be done and you can be successful, but it takes a great deal of time.

You will have to put forth some time and effort to be successful to ensure you meet your financial goals.

You will need to do the following to get your exciting new work at home endeavor started:

1. Research and pick an online dollar store that you feel will meet your online goals.
2. You will need a computer, access to the Internet and some extra time.
3. You should set up separate email address if and when possible.
4. Join the program and get your online business started.
5. Put forth the efforts necessary and have patience.

It's a bit easier if you simply want to work at home doing some data entry, typing at home or online paid surveys then owning an online business. That is why I like this company and others that will do the web page setup and give you step-by-step guidance so you can be up and running quickly.

It's easy to see that the opportunity to own you own online business is there if you want it. For many just the thought of eventually giving up their day job is enticement enough to get their work at home business up and going. Many are choosing to take a chance at experiencing the American Dream. Many people are creating additional income or replacing their day jobs daily!

If you are reading this article you more than likely have the necessary equipment to own an online business.

Please feel free to read more of my article or others I have written by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

When does an idea become a business?

It might start as a little spark of imagination out of nowhere, or an insight into how things could be better. Maybe you looked systematically at trends in your area of interest. Perhaps you saw a concept that could be applied elsewhere, or got frustrated with an unsatisfactory experience. Whatever the source of your business idea, you soon realise there is a big gap between concept and reality.

So you look around, do some research, and bounce the idea off a few other people. You think it through, imagine variations on the theme, and flesh out a few details of how it might work. Through this process, your confidence grows. "This idea has real potential", you think to yourself. Plenty of uncertainty remains, but you will never be able to eliminate all of that without actually having a go.

And so the defining moment arrives - do you believe in the idea enough to commit to making it a business? Because if you don't believe in your idea, then no-one else will.

The start-up phase of a business requires a snowball effect. The person with the initial idea has to generate enough momentum that the business takes on a life of its own.

It starts with their own belief in the opportunity and cascades out to others. Family, co-founders, potential business partners, customers, suppliers, investors & employees, ... the list goes on. At some point, enough of the right people are convinced it will work - and magically, your idea becomes a early stage business.

It's not incorporating a company that creates a new business. Instead, it's the growing belief in the concept, cascading out to everyone whose involvement is required for success.

As a founder or early participant, you have to act with confidence in the business well before it appears to justify it. You see its potential, whereas others can only see a few scraps of paper and wild ideas. But it's your belief, and ability to build similar confidence in others, that turns your idea into a business.

You've probably heard the saying 'You get what you pay for' but had you thought about its corollary: 'You get what you ask for'? When you ask for your fees are you asking for what you really want-and I am not talking just about the money?

I know a business analyst who was being contracted out at $65 per hour when the market was paying other people of his caliber (if they could find them) $150-$200 per hour. He wasn't especially motivated by money because he was content with what he had; his problem was that the work simply was not challenging enough. In his business, you don't get the best projects to work on if you are only charging $65 an hour.

He eventually solved his dilemma with just one short conversation. He told his client he was not happy with the rate they were paying him, 'Come back with something more competitive.' They did-twice his current rate and an infinitely more interesting project.

In another example, a friend was telling me about her partner who loved the type of work he did, but resigned from his job out of desperation because of the internal politics in the office. For a while, Gavin got seriously glum as he considered other options before being wooed back to his original employer as a consultant. Though he was doing the same work, he was on a six-month contract, at an hourly rate that was twice his previous salary. When that contract expired, it was renewed at almost double the rate again! My friend was laughing as she told me how Gavin was a changed man. The job was the same, and the politics remained; the only difference was that he was now being paid more than a hundred and fifty dollars an hour.

According to my friend, it was because Gavin was paid more that he felt more valued, which raised his self-esteem. External events changed his internal experience. Other people might work in reverse: they may need to raise their self-esteem first before they are able to receive more money.

If you are a contractor does your fee schedule reflect your abilities and skills? Ask yourself: Do your prices place you in the market for the type of client and work that you want to do?

Freelancers hate to say "no." Many of them dread marketing and live in constant fear that work is going to dry up at any moment, so no project, no client, no request or demand is ever turned down.

Being able to say "no" to certain things probably inspired you to go to work for yourself in the first place. It is ironic, then, that one of the first things many freelancers give up is their ability to say "no" to anyone.

That's a shortcut to a lot of low-paying projects, doing work that is not terribly satisfying for clients who are more trouble than they are worth. To be successful in your freelance business, whatever the service or market, make "no" one of your favorite words!

Here are just a few places where a good "no" will contribute more to both financial success and personal satisfaction than a weak "yes":

• Say "no" to clients that aren't really appropriate for your services. Your target market is defined just as much by whom you won't work with, as by whom you will.
• Say "no" to projects that you know will not produce the desired results for the client, or you will be blamed for the project's shortcomings and take a hit to your reputation.
• Say "no" to products and services that limp along, month after month or year after year, without producing revenue commensurate with the effort it takes to deliver them.
• Say "no" when too many of your colleagues want to use your time for brainstorming, support, and networking. If you spend more time networking with people just like yourself than you do with people just like your clients, you are not getting a good return on your networking investment.
• Say "no" to prospects who are fun to talk to and are really enthusiastic about your work, but who cannot afford you or never seem to get a project going. You can have just as much fun talking to real customers.
• Say "no" to "magic pills" that will supposedly organize your life, double your productivity, or open a huge new market to you overnight. Freelancers, even more than employees, have times when they feel desperate for quick solutions. Go back to the basics and follow through on them more consistently, instead.
• Say "no" to one or two of your most annoying, or lowest paying, clients each year. Keep pruning the bottom of your list and planting new, better clients in their place.
• Collect as many "noes" as you can from your marketing efforts, whether via direct mail, phone calls, or some other marketing approach. If you can't stand to hear "no", and rarely do, you aren't working hard enough to sell yourself.

It is especially hard to say "no" when you are starting out, and you may have to be a little more flexible in the early going. But remember that of one of your primary business goals is building more opportunities to say "no."

In other words, one of the signs that your business is growing, that you are building a strong reputation and good demand for your services, is that you either have to turn down business, because you have too much to do, or you are able to turn down business that isn't rewarding, personally or financially.

"No" your way to the kind of work, and kind of life, you were looking for when you decided to turn freelance. You will be surprised at what saying "no" a little more often will do for you!

(c) 2007 Will Kenny/Best Training Practices