Work From Home by Randy Schrum

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    "

    Work at Home: The First Steps of Family Economics for Freedom,

    Wealth, and Opportunities

    Disclaimer:I am not a licensed professional in any area. This book is from my

    personal point of view and how I run my home businesses. I am in no way

    promising riches or success. That is all up to you.

    Seek your own licensed professional advice on matters important to you. It is

    your responsibility to do your own due diligence and make decisions on your

    own.

    Randy SchrumWork From Home

    2013, Randy SchrumMy Inspired Media LLC12430 Tesson Ferry Rd, Suite 129St. Louis MO 63128

    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected underInternational and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprintor use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systemwithout express written permission from the author / publisher.

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    !"#$% '( )'*+%*+,

    INTRODUCTION"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" #

    NO YOU ARE NOT CRAZY"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" #

    WHY WORK FROM HOME? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" $%WHERE DO YOU START? """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" $#

    WHAT CAN YOU DO FROM HOME? """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" $&

    PRACTICAL SETUP TIPS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '&

    IS MY IDEAL GOOD ENOUGH? """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '(

    HOW DO I DEVELOP A PLAN? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" #)

    WHAT ABOUT FUNDING? """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" **

    DO I NEED A LAWYER, ACCOUNTANT, OR CONSULTANT?"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" *+

    THE FUTURE- WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" *(

    All Resources mentioned in this book are located here:

    www.theworkfromhomebook.com/resources

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    Introduction

    No You Are Not Crazy

    First, let me start by saying you are probably not as crazy as others think you are

    when it comes to wanting to work from home. However, if you let those who

    think youre crazy get hold of this atypical book, they will either think you are

    now really crazy or set out on a journey of working from home for themselves.

    While there are a lot of books on the topic of working from home, none of them

    have been written in this manner before. In fact I believe the majority of work

    from home books still have too much of the philosophical economic system

    interlaced throughout their pages.

    This book will challenge the very fiber of how you look at economics, working

    from home, and how you go about your personal and professional endeavors

    from here on out. Now as you can see within the introduction I have an opinion

    and belief system that will become apparent as you read. This book is not meant

    to be some great masterpiece in English literature, rather a raw guide of how to

    work from home with a basis of why you should from my worldview.

    Working from home isnt for everybody. Some people are just not willing to put

    in the work, effort, and risk it takes to succeed. However, that is not you or you

    wouldnt be reading this book.

    Finally, this book is meant to give you the strong whys of working from home.

    The why is what will carry you through and I am not talking about the same old

    shallow whys everyone comes up with. I am talking about ones that come from

    the depth of conviction and belief. That is what we will explore in this book along

    with some practical How Tos along the way.

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    So if you are ready for the challenge from both a personal and professional level,

    then you have the right book when it comes to having a successful home business.

    My Story

    After graduating high school in 1995, I decided college wasnt for me. At the time

    I was taking care of my niece most of the time and was really involved in my

    church. Two short years later, I got married to my wife Michele and today we

    have 6 children.

    In 1998, I took a position at a mega church and eventually became the Director ofthe Family Center. Around this time, I went through a one year Internet business

    coaching program that really didnt go anywhere. But while running the family

    center, I began to invest in residential real estate in my hometown. I was quickly

    bitten with the real estate bug and started investing all over, which, you could

    say, developed into my first business.

    Eventually, as with many others, the real estate market collapsed and the

    business dried up, hitting our family hard. So I took a corporate sales position for

    a brief period of time, doubling my sales division from $18 million to over $36

    million in sales. It was then I decided to leave that company and start my own

    marketing and sales consulting firm. At the time, I knew fully that this was what I

    was supposed to do, yet the economy had just hit rock bottom. Jobs were in short

    supply and we didnt have the finances to really carry us through.

    Nevertheless, I knew why I wanted to work from home. Through the years I have

    been involved in multiple businesses, which you will learn about in this book.

    Some have worked out really well for me and others just didnt seem to suit me so

    well.

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    Today my family owns multiple businesses from the comfort of our home and

    runs the businesses together. Our children are involved as well and often times

    they go with me on appointments and even road trips.

    It hasnt always been easy, but today, as I sit here writing this book, I can tell you

    it has been worth it and the rewards of freedom, family, and independent wealth

    are a great blessing.

    The Challenge

    Common Challenges

    Often times those who are inspired to start their own home business because of

    conviction and passion will often overlook the associated common challenges.

    But you have to believe nothing will stand in your way and plan accordingly. I

    believe we have lost the faith in our ability to overcome anything between the

    ages of 8-18. The economic and educational system steals our passion, dreams,

    and spirit needed to overcome obstacles. That system wants citizens to expect

    little of themselves and to just agree to the system of working for paycheck.

    However, with challenges come opportunities for growth and personal

    development:

    Some of the typical challenges we will cover are:

    Deciding on a Business

    Funding

    Taxes

    Legal

    Marketing

    Business Plan

    Resources

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    Here are some of the most important and overlooked challenges of working from

    home that I have learned over the years.

    The Lie of Stress: Many home business owners allow the idea of stress to

    build up and weigh down their daily life. Allowing stress to build up is first of all

    unhealthy physically, but also bad for your relationships. Stress weakens your

    personal and professional behavior.

    So here is how I deal with stress:

    1. Things are never as bad as we make them out to be.

    2.

    I dont focus on the problem too long; rather, I focus on solutions.3. If I cant find a solution immediately, I table the concern to allow my

    subconscious to go to work on finding one. It is amazing how often

    solutions just come to me using this method.

    4. I will go work out, take a run, sit in the sauna, or do some other activity

    that brings clarity to my mind and body. This helps me not only deal with

    stress but also come up with solutions.

    5. I never go to sleep with stress; I actually go through the practice of sitting

    stress on my nightstand every night. So what do I mean? I will go through

    the actual motion of pretending I am removing stress from the chest and

    sitting it on the nightstand. Once done, I have agreed to myself to not

    think about it anymore.

    The Lie of Panic: I used to think if I went into panic mode, things would get

    taken care of, and usually they did in the short term. However, in the long term, I

    mistakenly began to think this was the ideal way to deal with lost revenue, bad

    deals, and bad decisions.

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    I came to realize I would never achieve anything better if all I ever did was panic

    through situations to deal with them, which ultimately inhibits your success in

    relationships, finances, and business.

    The Lie of Doubters: I used to always get advice from people who were not

    home business owners or even business owners. Worst yet, because of

    relationships, I would willingly accept unsolicited advice or thoughts from family

    and friends on my business.

    Usually, these individuals are not out to willingly sabotage your success.

    However, we have been conditioned in this culture that working from home isnt

    natural, even though it is the most natural thing to actually do. Furthermore, on asubconscious level, family and friends who are not in business themselves dont

    necessarily want you to be successful from home.

    By being successful, your family and friends have to take a long hard look at their

    own lives. This is something they dont want to do, they dont want to face the

    truth of the matter when confronted with the fact you have found a better way.

    The next time you accept advice from others, it needs to be taken in context.

    The Lie of Ethics:The bottom line is there is no such thing as business ethics.

    Either you are ethical or you are not, and being in business working from home

    only amplifies who you really are.

    The Lie of Limited Family Involvement: This is the idea that for some

    reason, your family (namely, your spouse and kids) shouldnt be involved. The

    reality is you work from home to spend more time with our family. Yet, what I

    used to do is set aside 8 hours every day during which my family was not allowed

    to disturb me, which seems crazy now. Furthermore, the idea that my family

    shouldnt know or be trained in what our home business does is just as crazy.

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    If you want a successful home business, I suggest you involve your families. Set

    expectations on how to deal with calls and meetings, but dont alienate them.

    Instead, use this as opportunity to train them, be with them, and run the business

    together.

    The Lie of Independence: This lie is similar to the previous one cautioning

    against alienating your family. Working from home goes against the grain for

    western economics, which stresses attending college above all else, generate

    $100,000 in student loan debt, getting married, and taking out a mortgage with

    two car loans. Then work eight hours per day at a good job, while sending your

    spouse off to work and your kids to be brainwashed by an educational system that

    you dont agree with.

    The idea of independence comes from this very form of western culture, which

    removes you from your familys lives for at least 9-10 hours per day.

    When we begin working from home, we find the desire to still operate with the

    underlying mentality that western economics produces, which emphasizes

    independence or alone time from the family, to the detriment of personal

    happiness and family life.

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    Why Work from Home?

    The historical norm has not involved working 8 hours per day, nor is spending 9-

    10 hours away from the family each day. When we look back at history for

    thousands of years, we observe that the family was the basic economic unit. Wealso see families that were much healthier and intact, a direct result, I believe,

    from working from home.

    Take a look just 120 years ago; most of the world economies were family based,

    home based, and family integrated. While there are many reasons for the rise in

    broken families; increase in the medicated population for depression; and decline

    in morality, one key identifier for a healthy family and those individuals to be

    healthy in the family unit is one where the parents are present most often and are

    free from the current way our economic system operates. All the current research

    points to this statement and it is no longer a debate.

    Today, one of the major reasons for working from home is spending time with the

    ones you love and care about and maintaining truly healthy relationships, as the

    current system breads selfishness, independence, entitlement, cheating, and

    double-minded actions.

    So who said you couldnt work from home?

    The bigger question is really why not? Today so many individuals dont believe

    they can work from home because it is something they never knew and most

    academics do not expose students to the possibility.

    You have to realize that the concept of working from home is foreign to the mass

    population, even to your trusted family and friends. Even more something they

    dont understand they will question and when it comes to their perception of

    survival will be highly critical. Sometimes, taking your life back bothers others

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    who lack the courage or initiative to do the same. Nevertheless, dont take offense

    because they just simply dont realize what they are doing.

    People will question working from home with some basic self-preservation

    questions that society has conditioned in them, such as:

    How will you pay your bills?

    How will you get the money?

    Dont you need a degree to do that?

    What makes you an expert?

    Isnt that impossible to get into?

    Who will do business with you?

    Wont you be away from your family a lot?

    Isnt that going to require long hours?

    Isnt that a risky move?

    Freedom

    Freedom is also one of the main reasons to work from home. In a regular job youare not as free as you think you are because everything you do depends on your

    employers approval at some level.

    Working from home gives you:

    Freedom to set and adjust your own schedule.

    Freedom to express your beliefs.

    Freedom to live out what you believe.

    Freedom to do what you want.

    Can you imagine the freedom to stop in the middle of your work to spend time

    with your family just because? The ability to pick up and leave for a two-hour

    hike to clear your mind or the ability to take a last minute trip?

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    How about the freedom to adjust your schedule as often as you want based on

    your familys needs or your personal life needs?

    How would this type of freedom affect the quality of your life and those around

    you?

    Saves Money

    Working from home rather than having a traditional office allows you to save

    money:

    Payrolls, in most cases you can reduce if not eliminate staffing. Especially

    you believe in a family economics.

    ,-.-/01 230450617 89:5 68 2;;-:0 :28/ 6

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    spitting off cash to you whether you are working or not. This is something a

    number of work-from-home pioneers overlook, and when one stream dries up

    they panic or go get a job.

    Continue to create businesses that support your dreams and family in the long

    run. Focus on creating multiple assets spitting cash to you whether you are

    working or not.

    At the end of the day, you can choose to work from home and be self-employed, a

    model that dries up the moment you stop working. Or you can choose to work

    from home owning businesses that develop your dreams of freedom and family.

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    Focus on doing just the things you love.

    While its easy to say this, actually think about the things you love. Could you

    create a business around that?

    Teach others to do what you love.

    So what do you love to do? Chances are if you are passionate enough about

    something, you are probably going to be gifted in teaching it and thus build a

    business around it.

    Write about what you love.

    Take, for example, me writing this book: working from home with a worldview of

    family economics that challenges the typical schools of thought.

    Speak about what you love.

    If you are passionate and not shy, maybe speaking on the topics you love are in

    your future.

    Create a product related to what you love.

    Similar to teaching, you could create a teaching product based around what you

    love or even some type of tangible product that enhances the interest.

    Sell or broker what you love.

    Chances are, if you love it, then you could sell it or even broker it, meaning you

    can sell the products or service or even create win/ win deals between two other

    parties for some type of commission.

    Notice a theme here: when its something you are talented with, passionateabout, or love then the chances of you being successful with it will be muchgreater. And lastly, you can organize what you love, set up, repair, restore, fix, ormaintain what you love as businesses.

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    What Can You Do From Home?

    In this chapter, we will discuss various models. I encourage you to keep your

    mind open to the possibilities. Western economics has conditioned us to look at

    certain businesses in a negative light, so be ready to consider things differently.

    The Franchise Model

    If you have some money set aside, you could choose to buy into an already

    established business model with proven results. Often, successful companies andchain businesses will sell franchise opportunities to set up their business in a

    geographical area.

    The cost for a franchise can often be expensive, but also be an idea way to get

    started. There are many franchises currently that allow you to work from home.

    Franchise models are like a business in a box, with a proven concept, system, and

    marketing plan. Many have corporate training days, a coach, and ongoing

    support to help you.

    Two negatives would be the high cost to start and a set ceiling of income in many

    cases due to geographical constraints.

    You can always consider opening multiple locations once you get well acquainted

    with your first one and you have established profitability.

    There are three basic types of franchises:

    1. Distributorships, which sell the right to sell their parent companies.

    2. Trademark or brand name licensing.

    3. Fully equipped business franchises, such as Subway, McDonalds, 7 Eleven,

    and Hampton Inns.

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    www.absolutecurrency.comWe used to build our list to sell financial education

    products, work from home products, and other financial related offers. Now the

    website is dedicated to news and information on currency, wealth analysis, and

    trading news. It is more news focused and we dont highlight our products, yet we

    capture most of our visitors information within 7 seconds. We do this by using

    pop up scripts.

    www.wearefreepatriots.comFocused on long-term food, water filters, and

    education material around survival.

    Kindle Publishing

    By now you may already be thinking of publishing a book on Amazon through

    Kindle. This book is listed on Amazon and you may be reading it from kindle as a

    matter of fact.

    It has been widely known that Amazon has actually sold Kindles as a lost leader

    in order to sell the books that customers purchase in the future to load on them.

    In fact millions of kindles have been sold and each year, though Amazon never

    discloses the numbers. What we do know from Amazon is that over 1 million

    Kindle purchases happen weekly. We also know that Amazon owns the market

    share for books both print and ebooks.

    Thus, you could become a published author using this method and also establish

    yourself an authority on a particular topic, which could compliment a business

    you have in mind.

    The cost to publish with Amazon is currently ZERO. The upside is significant

    when you consider Amazon actually goes to work ranking your book when its

    optimized correctly. Have you ever noticed how often Amazon book results show

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    up on the page one of Google search? Sometimes it is organic or natural and

    other times it is paid by AMAZON.

    When a book is listed on Amazon it does have the potential to do really well when

    you optimize the process. I have put on my website a guide onHow to Sell 100

    Books a Day on Amazonthat you can download at no cost.

    Affiliate Marketing

    Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business

    rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the

    affiliate's own marketing efforts. Affiliate marketing has become a very big

    industry resulting in the emergence of a secondary tier of players, including

    affiliate management agencies, super-affiliates and specialized third party joint

    venture brokers.

    Super affiliates are those who have very large databases and can typically

    outperform regular affiliates by three or four times more. Joint venture brokers

    specialize in finding list owners or affiliates who can promote niche products that

    match their list.

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to grow your business if you havent ever

    considered using them. Affiliates often use various methods at their own cost to

    drive leads such as social media, (SEO) search engine optimization, (PPC) pay per

    click , solo ads or email marketing, banner advertisement, product reviews, and

    content marketing.

    Affiliates only get paid when they generate sales or agreed upon measurables,

    which presents a dual opportunity. Remember that you dont get paid unless you

    produce and you dont pay unless your affiliates produce. When you market

    affiliate products or services and refer new customers you can get paid anywhere

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    B. Off-shore investment schemes

    C. Multi-level/network marketing

    D. None of the above

    Now, guess: which one is the right answer?

    A. TV ministry scams

    B. Off-shore investment schemes

    C. Multi-Level/Network Marketing

    D. None of the above

    Did you pick A, B, or C?

    Well, theres probably some truth to all those choices but none of them is the

    right answer.

    In fact, its a trick question. The right answer is

    D. None of the above.

    more than 40 years ago! Back then, thats exactly what people were thinking

    and saying about a radical, revolutionary new business concept called

    franchising.

    In the 1960s before Ray Kroc and McDonalds, before Dunkin' Donuts, Midas

    Mufflers, Molly Maid, Pizza Hut... and all the other successful franchise

    companies established franchising as a legitimate industry all of those negative

    things were being said about franchising. And yes, there was even a move in

    Congress to outlaw it.

    And today...?

    Today, experts say the franchising industry is responsible for more 40 percent of

    all retail goods and services we buy and sell in the United States over one

    trillion dollars!

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    Franchising truly was a revolutionary business concept and it still is.

    Take a look at your alternative: 80 percent of all small business fails in their first

    year. 80 percent of those that make it dont survive to see year five and of those

    that do, even fewer will last another five.

    Think about it: how many companies do you do business with that

    have been around for 10 years or more?

    Not very many....

    Franchising is a way for the small business entrepreneur to boost the odds of

    success. A franchise takes the guesswork out of building a business from scratch.

    The franchise company creates a turn-key opportunity a ready-made, off the

    rack business, complete with products or services, logos, uniforms, training,

    vendors, policies and procedures. Virtually anyone with the desire and start-up

    capital can climb into this vehicle, turn the key, and drive off down the highway

    of entrepreneurial success.

    Its truly brilliant.

    You dont need to know all there is to know about building a franchise to ownone. The franchise company has done all that work for you. You simply pay your

    franchise fee, build or rent your location and furnish it with the equipment the

    company has already designed and successfully tested for you, hire your people,

    and then pay the company a percentage of your sales and profits.

    A Question:How well do franchisees do?

    According to its critics, the truth is about one third of all franchises fail. Anotherthird break even, and only one third make a profit. In fact some franchise

    veterans say you cant make money in franchising today unless you own at least

    five or more individual franchises units! Still, thats a much better average than

    the 80/20 failure/success rate of conventional small businesses.

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    Question:How much does it cost to own a franchise, today?

    Ahh, theres the rub.

    Franchises fees range between a low/low/low of $1,000 to $500,000

    and more. The average fee today comes in at around $50 grand.

    You can get a Molly Maid or a Thrifty Car Rental franchise for a fee of $17,500 as

    of this writing. Sir Speedy is $25,000. And the big guys, like McDonalds... well

    even if you could find one forget it! Its in the millions...

    The really bad news is thats only the fee.Youve still got to pay for the building,

    equipment, initial inventory, etc. all of which can run into the millions or more.

    The average investment in a proven franchise opportunity is $250,000! Not quite

    what the average person can afford. Moreover, most franchise companies take a

    percentage of your sales not just profits, SALES as their royalty commission!

    Its tough to start a franchise today, unlike when the industry was young and

    unknown. As in real estate, the stock market or most other opportunities, those

    who get in early make the real money.

    However, higher risk means a higher reward. Once anything is a surething, it seems everybodys doing it.

    Today franchises are proven profit centers. Thats one reason why theyre so

    expensive. You pay for having less risk than a conventional business start-up

    and you pay for being a Johnny-come-lately, as well.

    But there is a way to have the low-to-no-risk benefits of a proven, duplicable

    business system like franchising, and still enjoy the rich rewards of a ground flooropportunity.

    Frankly, most Americans dont have the extra $25,000 to $250,000 or more that

    it usually takes to own their own franchise business. But almost every one of us

    can afford to have the next best thing. And thats exactly what Im telling you

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    about here: TheNEXT... BEST... THING.... The People's Franchise...

    ... Network marketing.

    Network marketing has taken the concept of franchising providing

    independent entrepreneurs with a ready-made, low-risk, proven,

    turn-key small- business opportunity and made some genuinely

    remarkable improvements on it.

    Low Capital Investment Little or No Risk

    How much money do you need to become an independent network marketer?

    There is usually no fee required to start your networking business. Youll typically

    commit between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars for your sales

    kit, training and sales and marketing materials, and your initial product

    inventory if you even need it.

    The Benefits and Tax Advantages of a Home-Based Business

    For most participants, network marketing is a home-based business, so you dont

    have the high overhead of a retail or office location. The equipment you need to

    begin your networking operation can be as simple as a telephone, desk and filecabinet. And the potential tax advantages of owning and operating a legitimate

    home-based business represent one of the last forms of tax relief available to the

    average American today.

    No Employees You Are In Control

    As a network marketer, you are an independent contractor the CEO of your

    own businesses. Think of it as "Me, Inc.". You have no employees. The men andwomen with whom youll work are also CEOs, running their own independent

    networking businesses. In network marketing, you dont simply own your own

    job you own your own business.

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    Franchising 2.0

    When you buy a franchise, you acquire the right to market the product or service

    provided by your company. Its much the same in network marketing, except that

    you dont have to pay a franchise fee or the same huge startup and overhead

    costs, have a retail location and/or elaborate equipment, hire and manage

    employees or deal with geographic restrictions on your marketing territory. You

    also dont have to pay a percentage of your sales back to the network marketing

    company. Whats more, you are an independent contractor you workfor you

    not for the company.

    Furthermore, a network marketing company does one more truly revolutionary

    thing for you.

    They give you the ability to offer the opportunity to build a successful

    business to others in partnership with you, too!

    In direct selling, you not only get to earn income from marketing your companys

    products or services (like a franchisee); you can also earn income from the sales

    generated by people you enroll into your own network organization (like a

    franchise company). They're your 'business partners', men and women who, just

    like you, own their own independent network marketing businesses.

    Thatswhy we call it Franchising 2.0.

    And thats what creates one of network marketings most powerful and profitable

    features: it allows you to leverage your time, talent and energy to earn

    commissions from the sales made by all the other people you bring into the

    business.

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    Local Community Services

    Local community services refers to things such as remodeling, handyman,

    cleaning, landscape, painting, carrier, real estate, insurance, taxes, or any other

    number of local services. All of these can be run from the comfort of your home.

    Some cost more than others to start, depending on the equipment you need. One

    thing to keep in mind is that most of these services are commodity priced rather

    than value shopped, meaning that people are looking for the cheapest deal in

    most cases. Besides cost for equipment and marketing you will need to do the

    research to find out what the going rates are for the type of services you want tooffer. This will help you begin to see if this type of business is idea for you or not.

    Commodity pricing can be very competitive and significantly narrow your profit

    margins. If you decide to go into the local service business it would be wise to

    think outside the box to generate multiple points of business from the client so

    you can garner additional profits from certain jobs. To take it one step further, it

    would be important to come up with value added services that none of your

    competitors would be likely to offer.

    Buying a business

    Buying an existing business is also a great option and you can sometimes find

    some good deals. When you buy an existing business, you are ideally buying it for

    the fact it is already generating revenue for the owner, meaning immediate cash

    flow. You also can get into the business for low start-up costs, except for a loan or

    large payment to purchase. Many existing businesses also come with existing

    inventory as well.

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    Businesses are bought for various reasons besides the ultimate goal of owning

    one. For instance some businesses you buy for the customer list and some for

    equipment while others are for the brand name.

    For some entrepreneurs, buying an existing business incurs less of a risk than

    starting a new business from scratch. However, you must perform due diligence

    to ensure that you are fully aware of the terms of the purchase.

    If you decide to buy an existing business, you will want to be sure you are making

    an educated decision. The following steps can guide you in the process.

    Doing Due Diligence

    There are also some downsides to buying an existing business. Purchasing cost

    may be much higher than the cost of starting a new business because of the initial

    business concept, customer base, brand and other fundamental work that has

    already been done. Also, be aware of hidden problems associated with the

    business like debts the business is owed that you may not be able to collect.

    This also means researching to see if any licenses are required that you have not

    been made aware of or zoning requirements.

    Determining the Value of a Business

    There are a number of different methods to determine a fair and equitable price

    for the sale of the business.

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    Here are a few:

    Capitalized Approach:

    This method refers to the return on the investment that is expected by an

    investor.

    Excess Method:

    Similar to the capitalized earning method, except that it separates return

    on assets from other earnings.

    Cash Flow Method:

    This method is typically used when attempting to determine how much of

    a loan the cash flow of the business will support. The adjusted cash flow is

    used as a benchmark to measure the firm's ability to service debt.

    Balance Sheet Method:

    This method values the business by the tangible assets.

    Value of Intangible Assets Method:

    This method compares buying a wanted intangible asset versus creating it.

    Some intangible assets may be considered the name.

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    Here are the next steps to purchase once initial due diligence is

    complete.

    Letter of Intent:

    The letter of intent officially notifies the business owner of your interest.

    This also lets them know you are serious and should spell out the proposed

    price, the terms of the purchase and the conditions for the sale of the

    business. If you dont have all of that their then you can demonstrate in the

    letter your intentions to set the price, terms, and condition of sale after

    due diligence.

    I always like to get as much information as possible before ever giving a

    ballpark number, then come back with a number and generally back down

    from that number once all due diligence is complete, using any areas of

    concern to negotiate a better price.

    When I invest in real estate I always buy at discount prices by raising the

    areas of concern to get the property into fair market condition and what it

    will cost to do so.

    This is a similar strategy in that you dont necessarily want to pay retail for

    an existing business.

    Confidentiality Agreement:

    A confidentiality agreement indicates that you will not use the information

    about the seller's business for any purpose other than making the decision

    to buy it.

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    Contracts and Leases:

    If the business has a current lease for the location, be aware that you may

    have to work with the landlord to assume any existing lease on the

    business premises or negotiate a new lease.

    This doesnt mean you have to work from the offices, you can still work

    from home and have others run the business.

    Financial Statements:

    Examine the financial statements from the business for at least the past

    three to five years.

    Tax Returns:

    Review the business's tax returns from the past three to five years. The key

    is looking at profits, liabilities, and cost of goods sold.

    Sales Agreement:

    This agreement defines everything that you intend to purchase, including

    business assets, customer lists, intellectual property and goodwill. If you

    do not have a lawyer to help you draft the terms of the sale, you should at

    least have one review the agreement before you sign it.

    We actually keep an attorney on retainer for less than $100 per month and

    they work in all the US states currently. Take a look hereif you think you

    might want their help. The decision for an attorney is an important one

    and should not be based solely on advertisement.

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    Often times in the process I find areas we can improve the bottom line in

    liabilities and cost of goods along with new marketing channels never considered.

    We will talk more about marketing channels later in the book.

    Business Equity Positions

    Similar to buying a business however in this method we like to acquire equity

    positions in companies without bringing money to the table. Rather we like to

    bring our unique skill sets to the table that can often times double if not triple the

    companys sales.

    If you have a particular skill set in negotiating better pricing, money

    management, marketing, or sales you may be able to negotiate a piece of a

    business.

    I discovered this throughout the years owning our marketing firm; we had some

    clients who wanted to pay solely on performance. Though we knew we could

    deliver, I believed being paid on performance for doubling or tripling their

    business wasnt ideal. After realizing the results I was producing, I began

    negotiating ownership in businesses and collecting discounted consulting fees on

    the front.

    By now I am sure you are thinking, why in the world would a business owner be

    willing to do that? Because they grow their bottom line, and its business they

    would have never had. They might have less of the profits, but look at it like this.

    Would you rather have 100% of nothing or 40% tripling your past years sales?

    When acquiring these positions, you can stay on as a silent partner and

    consultant or even have the original owner stay and run the business. The other

    option is having the owner stay on for a set period of time for transition. We like

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    7. Publishing

    8. Executive search

    One thing to keep in mind in consulting is you always want to sell value

    proposition and more importantly the value of your expertise. I would

    recommend you stay away from commodity priced consulting.

    The key to being a high paid consultant is producing happy clients and getting

    case studies or recommendation letters from them. I currently have hundreds of

    recommendations from my clients, and just to make it easy for them you can

    write one up and have them sign it. Satisfied clients often love to give you arecommendation letter. They just simply dont have the time, so create a general

    recommendation letter that your clients can sign. The more tailored to the client,

    the better. Use can also use LinkedIn to secure the recommendations from your

    clients. This adds more credibility when the client is doing their due diligence on

    you to verify you can do what you say.

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    Practical Setup Tips

    Here is my list of practical setup tips for working from home:

    Internet

    Now this one sounds pretty simple, yet when I first started working from home I

    quickly found out the speed was way too slow. If you are doing video

    conferencing, voice over the Internet, webinars, uploading large files, or playing

    videos, you want to make sure your Internet provider can supply the bandwidth

    you need. This is one area not to cut corners on or it can impact your

    productivity.

    The minimum download speed should be 6 Mbps up to 15 Mbps. You can get

    speeds faster and if you are trading markets from home.

    Office Location

    Setting up your office location in the home really doesnt have to be that difficult.

    When I was first starting out, I for some reason thought I had to match my pre-

    conditioned ideas of an office. That idea was based on western economics.

    I want to encourage you to look at a home office differently. Here are some things

    to think about.

    You dont have to dedicate a separate room in the home. It could be

    located in your main bedroom or basement.

    The office can be mobile with both a desktop computer and laptop.

    It comes down to productivity, not what you think you need. What will

    make you productive and is absolutely necessary to get started.

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    Computer

    When thinking about computers, keep in mind a few things:

    Hard drive space and processing speed are important to your productivity,

    so having the right system goes a long way. I personally started with 1 TB,

    terra bite and processing speed should be top tier. As soon as I write this

    that speed will change.

    I personally have a desktop with multiple monitors and a laptop to do my

    work. The laptop allows me to work anywhere in the home and be in the

    kitchen or living room with the family when I am not working on

    something pressing.

    Should it be PC or MAC? Well I prefer MAC as they run faster, are less

    prone to viruses, and more durable. Here is the desktop system I have.

    Computer accessories that you should look at are microphone,

    headphones, web cam, and printer.

    o Microphone is important for webinars, conference calls, and

    recordings.

    o Headphones can be used when there is feedback on calls or

    webinars in addition to watching or listening to media.

    o Webcams will be used for conference calls, webinars, and

    recordings you may want to do.

    o Printer will be helpful so you dont have to go to an office store to

    print simple documents.

    Desk and Chair

    Depending on the space in your home, choosing a desk is relative. Remember you

    dont need a big desk just to have a big desk. Think about what will help you be

    efficient and accommodate your home and family.

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    Make your family part of the effort and decision process. Use the opportunity to

    teach, not to argue. Share why a particular direction would be a good idea.

    Now some basic points on a desk and chair:

    The chair needs to be adjustable, as this will help you change things up

    and keep a fresh perspective while working. Sitting in the same position all

    the time will begin to take its toll on you.

    The desk should be durable, but light. This will allow for you to move it as

    your family environment may change.

    Additional Equipment

    I usually find great deals onVideo Equipment, Lighting, Tools,and Office

    SuppliesonAmazon.

    When working from home, its important that you set some ground rules for

    engagement with the family when you are working. What I wouldnt do is set

    strict policies on every item, but rather let them know the importance of the

    business. When they step over those lines take the opportunity to teach them

    why and how that affects the business. Your relationships will deepen and your

    family will be glad you are working from home.

    The point is to make your family feel involved, cared for, and loved. If they

    perceive your business is more important than them then you might as well be

    working for an employer. If you setup an office with a lock on the door, remember

    you are working from home to be with your family - not to keep them locked

    out of your life for 8 hours in a day.

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    Is My Ideal Good Enough?

    Do you have an idea for a business? Whether you are coming up with a new idea

    for business or one that has already been in use, we will explore the basis to

    validate if a business idea is a good enough to take to the next step in starting.

    You dont need a new idea.

    There are already many proven business models you can do from home and

    getting started today working from home is much easier than twenty years ago.

    Initial Idea Analysis

    For the next few minutes we are going to look at two areas that can help validate

    your business idea: demographics and market reach or accessibility.

    Initial Idea Analysis: Demographics

    Demographics help us identify our ideal target market, customer. Understanding

    who is it you are marketing too, basically who will buy your product or service?

    Demographics may include some of the following:

    Age

    Sex

    Industry

    Education level

    Income level

    Ethnicity

    Race

    Precise interest (I believe this one to be very important for my businesses)

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    Is there a demographic for your idea? If you cant seem to identify demographics

    for your idea then you may have the wrong idea. With that being said, I believe as

    I highlighted above that identifying precise interest you can learn of the

    demographic is available to market your business too.

    Precise interest can be any, but not limited to the following:

    Music

    Non Profits

    Causes

    Celebrity

    Sporting

    Stores

    Seasons

    Holidays

    Geographic areas

    Outdoor activities

    And many more

    From my point of view precise interest has been the missing piece to 99.9% of

    most business owners marketing arsenal.

    Initial Idea Analysis: Market Reach

    Market reach becomes very important after you have identified the

    demographics. Initial demographics help you identify market reach.

    The way I like to determine market reach is to do both online and offline research

    using the demographics as my filters. Through research my reach at the local

    library for a local business I can determine if the market is viable in an area.

    Basically are they reachable via offline and online market efforts.

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    Online I like to take my demographics and search using googles free keyword

    tool.Here I can add my keywords and location to see if people are interested in

    my idea or not. Better yet I can see suggestions around the keywords I enter.

    I also like to use googles advanced searchoption that allows me to search within

    specific websites, especially social communities and forums to see if my target

    market resides there and by how many. By knowing basic statistics of the social

    platform being searched, I can then come up with a valid number that is

    reachable using precise interest as a key filter.

    While this may sound a bit advanced it really isnt once you get into it. You canlearn this by simply spending a little bit of time doing both. You will quickly pick

    them up if you put your mind to it. You can also search Youtube for how to videos

    on using both Googles free keyword tool and the advanced search tool.

    As you go through the process you will begin to see various other opportunities to

    research and verify your reach and demographic. What I have attempted to do is

    demonstrate some ways to do it for no cost.

    Big research firms would like to charge you thousands of dollars to achieve the

    same data I am telling you can get on your own putting a little bit of time into it.

    So is your idea viable?

    After completing these research exercises you should have a good idea. I have

    also put together avideo tutorialon how to conduct online research here.

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    Company Information

    Here you describe the nature of the business, location, and need you are going to

    meet.

    Some things to include:

    Describe the basis of your business and list the needs that you are trying to

    satisfy.

    Explain how your products and services meet these needs.

    List the specific consumers, organizations or businesses that your

    company serves or will serve.

    Explain the competitive advantages that you believe will make your

    business a success, such as your location, experience, operations, or other

    added value points.

    Market Analysis

    This section should illustrate your industry and market knowledge as well as your

    research findings. Be sure to include the following:

    Industry Description and Forecast, describe the industry, including

    its current size and historic growth rate as well as other trends and

    characteristics

    Information About the Target Market such as:

    o

    Distinguishing characteristics needs, interest, concerns, and

    groups they belong too.

    o Size of the target market.

    o Forecast of this markets growth.

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    What potential market share can you capture? It is important that

    you dont just throw out a number up; back it with data. This will be better

    demonstrated when you identify the strength of the marketing channels

    you will use.

    Pricing and gross margin targets, layout your pricing strategy and

    margins that are built in for profit. At this point I cant stress how

    important it is to sell from a point of value rather than commodity based.

    Even if you market a tangible product, adding value to the offer can allow

    you to price differently and capture market share.

    Focus group and market test, I always bounce my ideas off others for

    group feedback, and often test market ideas as well on target markets

    using lead magnets to gauge interest. This is a great place to provide that

    data.

    Competitive analysis, identify your competition by product line or

    service and market segment and access strengths and weaknesses. Reverse

    engineer what they are doing and see if you can duplicate successful

    strategies.

    Window of opportunity, identify the expected length of this business

    opportunity.

    Organizational Structure

    A simple layout of the management and owners, as well as their roles and

    expectations, should be listed. While we are talking about working from home,

    you may acquire businesses and having a plan is so vital to keeping you on track.

    Marketing Plan

    I like to really break this section down. This is ultimately what will drive business,

    so I believe it can be the most important.

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    Assumptions, I like to start with listing our assumptions of our target market.

    This would include the demographics we have on them and our potential reach or

    accessibility.

    Competitors, be sure to list your top competitors in the market, so you know to

    stay up on what they are doing.

    Here are some tips in regards to competitors:

    1. Sign up for Google alerts and be alerted anytime they do anything online.

    This will keep you informed of their activity, strategies, and what they

    might be doing well.2. Be sure to reverse engineer what they are doing with marketing and see if

    you can build upon that.

    Channels

    In this section, you want to list the various marketing methods or channels you

    plan to use. Be sure to list why and the data behind each channel that validates

    using it.

    Here is a short list of marketing channels to consider for your business along with

    some tips on each. Just remember, you can use one, several or all these channels

    based on what you find out on your reach to access them through various

    channels.

    Referral Marketing

    You can use referral marketing when customers, friends, and business

    associates refer business to you and often times you compensate them in

    some way. Identify those customers, friends, and businesses you could

    target for referrals and list the potential.

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    Networking

    Along the lines of referral marketing attending networking meetings,

    business meetings, trainings, events, and seminars that you can network

    your business. You can probably make a list of potential events that your

    target market may reside or businesses and people who have that target

    market in their database.

    Direct Mail

    At the end of the day, people still love to get mail and if you can be creative

    in your mailing, you can bolster response rates.

    The key is using data list that can get in front of your target market, and

    today, many of the list brokers are also direct mail fulfillment houses.

    If you are using direct mail, consider the strategy and process to convert

    the prospects. I like to go through a process of exposure by getting

    attention (direct mail piece), then capturing the lead (getting them to give

    me their info), bonding with them (with case studies, testimonials, proof),

    and then asking for the sale.

    Other Print and Conventional Marketing

    This includes:

    o Newspaper advertisement

    o Phone book advertisement

    o Radio advertisement

    o TV advertisement

    o

    Event sponsoring

    o Tradeshow exhibiting

    PPC

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    Pay Per Click can be a very effective strategy of spending money on

    keywords with Google or other search and social platforms to drive

    targeted website visitors. For a long time I didnt like to do this until I was

    able to access the next channel below.

    Retargeting

    The practice of placing ads in front of previous website visitors on other

    sites after they have visited yours. This is very effective in increasing

    conversions after the initial visit if they dont convert the first time. You

    can literally follow them around online and place ads in front of your

    visitors until they convert.

    Email

    Using email marketing, you can get your message directly in front of your

    target market. If you choose to have a website you can capture leads and

    email them or you can do solo ads.

    Solo Ads is the practice of paying email list owners in your niche to send

    an email for your offer on your behalf. I like to have them email them to a

    specific give away to capture their information first. I also like my emails

    to be solo, meaning nothing else is promoted in the email accept my offer

    exclusively.

    Doing a simple Internet search for solo ads with your niche keyword

    should generate some results of providers. My client mastermindcovers

    this topic extensively as well.

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    Articles/ Blogging

    This is also called content marketing and goes with authority-type

    websites. The key here is capturing prospects information. (I also want to

    stress that an authority website doesnt necessarily need to be the same

    website you sell from.)

    Content can be information, news, tips, articles, reports, and videos. The

    key is to be consistent with providing this information and getting it to

    your target market through some of the other aforementioned marketing

    channels.

    Prospects will be much more likely to view your content and messages

    about your content than a product offer. In fact, we have found in some

    cases that the engagement rate is three to four times greater. This can

    work well in combination with some other marketing strategies.

    SEO

    This channel is the method of making sure your website and content on

    the website is keyword-optimized naturally to the search engines. This

    means making sure you are search engine optimizing your pages, post,

    content, and pictures with your target market keywords.

    This is why authority marketing is so powerful.

    Many people try to crack the SEO code and see if they can find loopholes

    to move higher in the search engine results. However, I wouldnt do this as

    eventually the loophole methods get closed and the search engines

    penalize websites using those methods, thus becoming a

    counterproductive strategy. Your safest option is to stay within the

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    guidelines of the search engines.

    I have included a report on my websiteto help you better understand SEO

    if this is a channel you want to use.

    Social Media

    Social media is an incredible channel and involves additional sub channels

    as you consider which social platforms your target might preside and how

    reachable they are.

    Each of the social platforms has search options and most have

    advertisement options. Better yet, many have communities you can build

    and message at no cost. These communities are very similar to text and

    email communication options when you own the communities.

    I like to leverage the social platforms community building, subscribers,

    followers, and fan options. The key is when the social platforms roll out

    with new features and options is to think about how you can build

    engagement. Then, after engagement, think about how you can get your

    message in front of them.

    Lastly I will say that social media is about engagement, then conversion.

    The key to engagement is to give people a voice around common beliefs,

    feelings, and emotions. Note I am not necessarily saying that is your

    product or service, by providing the vehicle for your target market to voice

    on topics you have secured a lead source. These communities dont even

    need to be directly related to your product, but at least indirectly.

    For example, we have communities around wealth and finance that we use

    to drive to our offers on trading programs and wealth programs. However,

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    these products or services are never mentioned on the front end.

    The same goes for other platforms like facebook. We have communities

    dedicated to patriotism and guns. These communities point our prospects

    back to our long-term food business and ammo business.

    Joint Ventures

    This channel uses the concept of leveraging a broker who works to arrange

    a mutual win/ win with other product or list owners who may benefit from

    your offer or list. The broker doesnt get paid unless business is generated

    from the introduction. So leveraging a Joint Venture Broker may be ideal

    for you. A simple search online and you may be able to find a broker for

    your business.

    My companies have worked with Joint Venture Brokers extensively and we

    have trained hundreds of brokers. If you would like an introduction, you

    can request abroker introduction on my website.

    Joint venture brokers can get paid anywhere from 5% to 40% of the profits

    on deals they generate for you. When you look at various marketing

    channels, this is one often overlooked. There are brokers who specialize in

    both online and offline business.

    Alliances

    This is similar to Joint Ventures, but in this role you may work with a

    similar product or service provider whose customer or prospect would be

    ideal for your service.

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    In an alliance relationship, you both agree to refer business to each other

    and often times do marketing campaigns together.

    Local Groups

    Local groups would be things like your local business chapter, BNI,

    chamber of commerce, meetups, and local events.

    The key to local groups is to remember the idea of givers gain. Meaning by

    giving at the local meeting level you can usually gain long-term support for

    your business referrals.

    Branding Strategy

    Branding is vital to your business and developing that in your business plan is

    just as important.

    Once you decide on a business, it is important to secure the brand name,

    domains, and social accounts. It is also important that you research the brand

    name, domains, and social profiles to see if the name is taken already before you

    finalize the concept. If it is taken then you dont want to end up with a .biz or

    modified social account name.

    Taking a modified name online or not being able to secure a .com will affect your

    business. If you are so in love with the name that you do it anyway, just realize

    people will judge your entire business by that.

    You can get basic concepts and designs done through various websites online.

    Just search for graphic design service and you can get something turned usually

    for a few hundred dollars.

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    Deadlines/ Goals

    This section of your plan should lay out what your goals are over 6 to 36

    months along with deadlines to complete various task to get the business

    up and running.

    You should be considering deadlines such as:

    How long you will take to get your office setup.

    Timeline for finishing your business plan.

    Timeline to complete marketing materials such as website,

    business cards, flyers, and ad placement.

    Timeline to before you start promoting your business.

    Some goals you should consider to establish are:

    Number of sales calls.

    Number of prospects you will expose to your business. Monthly sales goals.

    Monthly marketing actions such as content creation, post, and

    touches.

    I like to set mini goals in my personal and professional life. Mini goals may be

    something as simple as achieving a few things in a day that allow for a win. By

    creating little wins throughout the day and week, you can then achieve bigger

    goals. More importantly mini goals compound over time allowing you to apply a

    slight edge principle that results in big results over time.

    The slight edge principle works both ways in positive and negative ways. By doing

    something over a long period of time the results will begin to show up.

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    Budget and Projections

    A forecast can be generated after you have done market research including typical

    conversions based on various marketing channels you select to use and setting

    realistic goals.

    Forecast

    When you develop a forecast, it is best to show projections for 6 months, 12

    months, 24 months, and 36 months out. This will allow you to measure your

    activity and see how you are doing.

    It is important that the forecast relies on data that demonstrates typical

    conversions for your market. This would mean for example if you send out a

    converting direct mail piece, the typical response rate is X and the typical

    conversion to sales is X.

    Using historical data on various strategies and industries can help you project the

    future results.

    Budget

    With a forecast comes a budget detailing your expenses. It is important not to put

    expense projections on the sheet just to add things. Be realistic about what you

    need.

    Here is a short list for what should be included on the budget.

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    Marketing Cost

    When considering marketing cost, it is important to have decided on

    marketing strategies that generate an ROI, Return on Investment. This

    means deciding on measurable strategies you can track.

    Office Needs

    Office needs should be minimal.

    Travel cost

    Travel cost may be needed if your marketing channels selected would

    produce the results you need. Meaning you should always make sure it will

    pay off in the short term or long term for your business for making the

    trip.

    Internet Related

    Internet costs would include website hosting, domain, email, and other

    Internet tools you may need.

    Health CareYou should account for any needed medical expenses. Research alternative

    health care options available in the market. There are several options

    available.

    Salary/ Draw

    You need to determine the amount of money you need to live off of until

    you get your business up and running. Remember how much money you

    will save not working for an employer.

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    What About Funding?

    Now the great thing about starting a home business is the fact you can start many

    home businesses with very little funding. If you are short on funds then you

    should look at various options I have listed in the book whose costs are minimal.Things like buying a business with money up front may not be ideal for you if you

    dont have the ability to still make ends meet as you get started. But the great

    thing is you can start with a low cost startup and then move into other businesses

    that require significant funding up front later.

    When starting a business many lenders want to extend you credit for things such

    as computer purchases, equipment purchases, and even vehicle purchases.

    Additionally many credit card companies have business credit cards for startups

    that allow you to build business credit and credit lines for the business.

    If you know you are going to need funding beyond your means and your business

    idea is really solid then it comes down to other sources. You can begin the process

    of other sources I am listing below if you have a solid business plan. Without a

    solid business plan you will probably not get the time of day or lose their interest

    the moment you show a poorly laid out plan. What is a poorly laid out plan, well

    without you being in business for a long time it could be just one minor error.

    That one minor error could lose you the funding deal.

    If you seek outside funding, I would recommend you put together the initial plan,

    then approach Master Plans to put the business plan in the possible position.

    They will probably re-due the whole thing that is exactly what you want. However

    if you dont do one first you will not be able to answer their questions or

    understand how they are trying to put you in a better position to secure funding.

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    So here are your outside funding options:

    Venture Capital

    Venture capital comes from investors who have money they are looking to place

    into startups. They typically want a piece of the company; some want to keep a

    piece of the company and have a payment schedule when the company starts

    turning a profit. Others want a piece of the company and a payout schedule, and

    once the payout schedule is complete they sell their position of the company and

    you can buy it back.

    The venture capitalist basically owns equity in the company and is willing to take

    the risk with you if they believe in you, your business plan, and the niche. Someinvestors focus specifically in particular niches so finding them is usually not too

    difficult.

    Today you can use websites like Fundable.com to raise money as well. Going

    online to search you can find many sources. Just remember to get a quality

    business plan together before you do anything else.

    Loan

    Typically, loans can come from banks or private lenders and in this case they

    usually require collateral, meaning they want to put a lien on some portion of

    assets that you have in order to secure the loan. Additionally they will begin to

    require payments likely before you are generating profits.

    In this case, if the business doesnt succeed and you cant continue to pay for the

    loan, they will take the asset you put up as collateral.

    Partner

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    With a partner you invite one or more people to join with you and with this come

    many aspects to look at. Partners can bring money to the table, be involved day to

    day, have an officer position in the business, and have a percentage ownership.

    Some things to think about with partners:

    Do they have the same beliefs as me?

    Do they have good work ethic?

    Do they understand the reward and risk involved?

    How will we resolve conflict?

    Who will be ultimately in charge?

    Sign an official agreement to terms and roles in the partnership.

    I personally dont go down the path of partnerships, as I like to work from home,

    and be free to make decisions based on my beliefs and convictions. Partnerships

    make things a bit complicated.

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    Do I Need A Lawyer, Accountant, or Consultant?

    So do you need a lawyer, accountant, or consultant? Probably. I like to have my

    documents and agreements reviewed, ask tax questions, and even talk to business

    coaches.

    I currently use a service for all my legal needs and business questions that costs

    me less than $100 per month calledLegal Shield and Go Small Biz. The service is

    great because if you are in the US is covers all the states. Whenever I call the

    office, they return my call back the same day and put me with an attorney who

    specializes in the area I am questioning. When I have business strategy questions,

    I call their office for that as well and they assign an expert in that field to call meback. They also will do research on my questions if it requires a more in depth

    answer.

    I have had this service for years and most people dont know it exists.

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    The Future- What Does it Look Like?

    During this book I have shared my personal beliefs, tips, and ideas along with

    practical considerations for working from home. In this final chapter before I

    share the resources I like to use, I would like to share some closing thoughts to

    help you along the way.

    So what if you fail?

    Have you thought about it and wondered how you would handle it? I am here to

    tell you I have failed many times, just like other great men and women in the

    past. The question is, will you rise above failure, realize it is part of the experience

    and press on to new heights of success?

    Such times are opportunities to learn from my experience and decisions. It is a

    tremendous opportunity for growth.

    Here is one thing about failure that I have never allowed to creep in my mind. I

    dont ever say I am not cut out to work from home. That is simply a lie from the

    system that has trained you to be dependent on big government and others rather

    than on your own efforts in combination with your faith.

    The lie of not being cut out to work from home steals your dreams, freedom, and

    the idea of spending more time with the ones you love most.

    Sharpen the Axe

    !"#$% '% (#) *+,-( .+ /*+0 1+23 4 .-%% 431 5 2#66 (0%31 .*% 7#-(. 7+,- (*4-0%3#38 .*%

    4)%9: ;

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    I am a firm believer in personal development, trainings, books, seminars, and

    events. Each week I set time aside to sharpen my knowledge, to learn, to expand,

    and get an edge in the marketplace.

    With sharpening the axe comes the key ingredient of taking time to sharpen

    yourself physically, spiritually, and emotionally as well. I have found the more

    time I spend making myself better (not in a selfish way) so those I care about can

    experience the best me, my life and business is enriched. My mind is clearer, my

    decisions are better, and my energy is performing at peak levels.

    The magic of part time

    You may be facing a scenario that you need to transition into working from home.

    Therein comes the magic of part time: by working part time on your business you

    can work full time on your income. Who says you need to quit your job

    completely unless you have the resources to do it and have a solid business plan

    in place?

    You can start today working towards your goal of working from home.

    Family Economics

    Today you and I have an opportunity an opportunity to fundamentally shift the

    way economics and families are approaching life. I truly believe the system today

    is bankrupt not just financially, but morally and relationally. When you look at

    the system of education and the current economic engine. They breed rebellion,

    dissatisfaction with life, unhealthy desires, false ideas, and gray areas of ethics.

    You say is that the education system or the economic engine? Its both.

    We can change that. We can build home businesses that breed respect,

    happiness, healthy desires, level heads, sound minds, and people of character.

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    Our families will be better for it, our kids will turn out better, and we will be

    better for it.

    I dont know about you, but I am tired of the western way of thinking when it

    comes to family and business.

    Who said that sending your kids to an education system to be

    indoctrinated with belief systems that you dont agree with is ok?

    Who said you needed a college education with $25,000-plus in student

    loan debt?

    Who said you should get a cushion 40 hour a week job along with your

    spouse and spend the majority of your lives away from each other?

    Who said you should be sending your kids to day care?

    What makes this ok? Because everyone else is doing it and it is all you have ever

    known?

    The product of this type of culture is clearly evident. We have broken families,

    kids rebelling, and people dissatisfied now more than ever with both a financial

    and emotionally bankrupt world.

    I believe working from home is a great benefit and challenge. The benefits we

    have outlined and the challenge is for us to rise to the occasion and fight for our

    freedoms, our families, and our future.

    It is time to Work from Home.

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    Top Recommended Tools and Resources

    Below is a list of tools I use or have used for my businesses. Do your research and

    look them over, some will save you incredible amounts of time, resources, and

    headaches. Customer Support

    o Online Management

    o Call Center

    Contact Management

    o Email Subscribers

    Website

    o Hosting

    o Design

    Wordpress Website Themes

    o For Ecommerce

    o For Authority

    Wordpress Plugins

    o All In One SEO

    o Redirection

    o Flare Social Share

    Payment Processing

    Media Buying

    o Direct Mail

    o Email Ads

    o Press Releases

    o Website Visitors

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