By: Larry D Johnson
Copyright (c) 2009 Larry D Johnson
When I started my home based business, believe me I made a lot of mistakes. There was no one I could count on to guide me through it all. I was a little stubborn to ask for help, and no one volunteered. I finally decided to reach out and now I have learned what to do and what not to do. I am thinking that maybe other folks like me starting out in their own work at home business, may run into some of the same mistakes that I did. So I looked around and found some of the most common mistakes new work at home entrepreneurs make. I decided to use this information to help those of you who are wanting to start a home business. Many "WORK AT HOME" mistakes can be avoided, when we learn from the mistakes of others.
1. First of all, before you start a home based business, you must know what it is you'll be doing. You need to educate yourself about your "work at home" business. For example , Internet Marketing , Placing classifieds, getting a WEB SITE,Follow-ups,etc. Lets say you have a business that involves signing up people under you, and they need help getting started, how are you going to help them get started if you do not know how yourself? Your first couple of weeks or so should be a learning process for you, getting to know your business, how it works, and how you make money with it.
2. SPAM What is SPAM? SPAM is unsolicited advertising. It is my opinion and many others who believe that SPAM is in the eye of the person being SPAMMED, not the person sending the SPAM. While you may not consider a message to be Spam, if the person receiving it does, it's SPAM. If you are not 100% certain that the person or persons you are advertising your Internet site to will not complain, DO NOT advertise your site to that person or persons. Any SPAM complaint is very serious and is cause for immediate termination in most online companies. Lets look at some types of advertising that may be considered SPAM? Bulk e-mailing (sending an e-mail advertisement to persons listed on an e-mail address lead list). Advertising with bulk e-mail services (companies who will send an e-mail advertisement to persons listed on an e-mail address lead list for you). "Bounce back" e-mailing (sending an e-mail advertisement in reply to an e-mail advertisement that was sent to you). Advertising your Internet site to people that you don't know, who didn't specifically request the information. Cross-posting or advertising to Usenet newsgroups, forum or discussion lists, and online chats (IRC) is not allowed. These are only examples. Remember, SPAMMING includes ANY unsolicited advertising.
3. Posting ads on Forums: Like spamming , posting ads on forums message boards can get you banned. Forums are only to be used as sources of information about business opportunities. You can ask questions, or get/give advice about any "Work At Home" business, or other topics , but absolutely not allowed to place any ads of any kind. When visiting Forums. You should always look for the rules or regulations of any Forum which you decide to participate in, so you know what is and is not acceptable on these Forums.
4. Submitting to FFA's. These are free for all sites that you can post your ads on. Take a little advice from me. Do not waste your time posting your ads on these sites,because your site will never get seen,because most FFA's have such low rankings,it will give your site a low rank, because you posted on them. Instead place your ads on classified ad sites. Here is how to find classified site to place your ads. Go to your favorite Search Engine and type" free home business classifieds" or something like that. Make a list of at least 10 of these sites to use for Free Advertising.
5.Shouting. Other than using caps to emphasize a few words within an e-mail,or a web page, do not use all caps. Using all capital letters in a text or a correspondence is considered shouting, and shouting at people just causes them to leave.
6. Slow response to e-mails: If someone has taken the time to send you an e-mail for more information about your business, or has some questions, and you do not respond to them in a timely manner, then you probably have lost a potential customer, or an affiliate. Even if you do not know the answers, let them know that you do not have the answers, but you will find out for them, and get back to them A.S.A.P. Remember, "Success is in the Follow-up."
7. No persistence: Let me tell you that there is no such thing as a "Get Rich Quick Scheme" They do not exist. If you want to have a successful "Home Based Business," then you must be willing to work hard for it. What you put into your business is exactly what you will get out of it. Persistence is the single most important factor in determining a successful "work at home" business. Be persistent and you will be successful
8. Trying to start a home business with expectations of making little or no investment. OK Lets get real. Many well meaning entrepreneurs fail at their home business because they were not willing to invest time and money to start and maintain their business. You will never be successful if you do not invest financially in your business. Listen, You don't have to go broke supporting your business. Develop a budget you can easily live with and stick with it.
9.Having unrealistic expectations. Almost equally important is the need to have realistic economic expectations when undertaking a home based business. There is no magic here, folks. A home based business provides many rewards such as working in the comfort of your own home, avoiding a stressful commute, being your own boss, setting your own hours,no dress code, etc., but anyone that is also expecting "instant riches" is sadly mistaken.
10. Not taking Action. I can understand that when you start a home based business, it can seem overwhelming, because there can be so much to learn. Reading and learning is fine, but at some point you must get started. Fear of failing is what keeps many people from ever getting started in their business. Nothing will ever happen, and you will never make a dime, if you don't take action to start actually running your business. So there you have it. I hope you can avoid these 10 mistakes, and concentrate more on succeeding in your home based business.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/10-mistakes-to-avoid-before-starting-a-home-based-business-920420.html About the Author: Larry D. Johnson is teaching normal people like YOU the secrets to earning as much as $5000* to $10,000* a WEEK from their HOME BASED BUSINESS, Using the CarbonCopy Pro Marketing System, Find out here MyEzeMoneySite.com or visit his blog at Help In Starting A Home Based Business
