Some of you out there said “well, yes, but. . . ” and if that was your answer to that question, then you are not ready, you are not prepared, and you are not on the path to success. You are likely either stuck on the side of the road to success or more likely headed in the wrong direction altogether!

If you have a plan for success and you are checking it daily, and making progress on it – good for you!  You are either already experiencing your success or it is just around the corner.  And when I say “checking it daily” – I’m not talking about your e-mail or your facebook page  – I’m talking about your specific plan for success with daily money-making activities.

As some of you may know, the last couple of years I let myself get lazy and distracted from my work at home goals.  And when we lost my husband’s income, things got really tight, and we made the decision for me to go back to work while he stayed home and worked on the business so that eventually we could both be at home.  That was the plan – I thought I’d be home within a year.  Well, it’s been 2 years, and although I love my job, the birth of my (unexpected) youngest makes me yearn to be home full time again.  And there is an opportunity there for me, but due to my failure to plan properly, I may or may not be able to take advantage of it.  

This caused me to buckle down and look at what I’ve been doing the last two years.  And what I saw in retrospect is not what I had intended to focus my attention on.  I focused on how tired I was, how I didn’t want to be working outside the home,  how I had gained so much weight, how this and how that – what I didnt’ focus on, was my plan to be home again.  I “wished” to be home, I “wanted” to be home, but I didn’t make and follow a plan to be home again.  I guess I had hoped that it would simply “happen.”

In part of my efforts to refocus on what really matters to me, I’ve started listening to Dani Johnson again.  If you haven’t heard her before, you really need to start listening to her.  I have her First Steps to Success tapes, and her Christian Tapes (which you can download for free now), and I joined her CFI Success Network (just $1 for the first month – well worth the dollar!) If you want to succeed you need to surround yourself with the right people, and put the right kind of thinking in your brain.  Dani is where I go, and I wanted to share with you in case somehow you got sidetracked from your goal, and were wondering where your success went.  So the next time someone asks you “do you want to succeed?” you can answer with your whole heart – YES! and your success will be right around the corner!  To your success!

In case you didn’t know, PLR stands for Private Label Rights, which is basically content (articles, stories) that you can purchase to use.  What the PLR ATM will teach you to do is how to provide the PLR to those people that are hungry for lots of content for their websites.  She will show you step by step how to make a nice little income each month with this.  Here she is in a short video talking about how much she makes with a PLR store

If you’re not real sure of what you want to do from home, this is a great opportunity to get some training and some extra monthly income. It is set to launch on September 21, 2010 – so check back for the link to get all the information!

UPDATE: Get your copy of  PLR ATM here!

We will go more into detail on each one a little later, but some things to consider are:

• What do I like to do?
• Do I want to start from scratch or start with a ready made business?
• How much time can I devote to my business?
• How much money can I afford to start my business?
• How much money each month can I devote to my business? 
• What kind of a support system do I have?
• What am I qualified to do – what kinds of skills do I have?

You already have a desire to work from home or you wouldn’t be reading this, but it takes more than just a “want to” attitude to succeed at working from home.  And the path that you choose today could mean all the difference between success and failure, so be sure to choose carefully.

To give you some idea of some of the types of home based business opportunities that are available, visit my List of Home Based Businesses and take a look at several companies that are available and have already produced successful work at home businesses for people.  Don’t contact anyone just yet though!  You still have lots of work to do before you are ready to interview potential business partners!

Some information comes in the form of free content on websites, or through emails getting passed from one person to the next.  But if you want to profit selling information on the internet, then you’ll want to position yourself as a virtual expert in your niche and capitalize on the problems of others where you provide a solution to their needs.

Some people profit selling information online in eBook form.  Others sell personalized consultations for thousands of dollars.  Some have made their living writing valuable content and giving it away with hyperlinks that take the reader to an information product they can buy, giving the author of the freebie a cut of the profits.

 The key to profiting from the sale of information online is to build trust with your audience.  Unfortunately, when a customer stops by your website, you can’t shake their hand and smile while you convince them to upgrade their purchase.  But you can write compelling sales copy that shatters their doubts and fears and convinces them to trust you.

At that point in the transaction, if you want to build a business selling information online as part of your long-term income strategy, then you’ll want to make sure that what you deliver goes above and beyond their expectations so that they’ll continue buying from you in the future.

Some people wonder what the potential is to profit from selling information online.  The answer is simple – there are no limits, no ceilings, and no barrier between you and your success.

 You can launch information products for sale online for next to nothing.  You can do it on a 100% free option if you promoted it through a free Wordpress blog using article directories and sig files with PayPal as your paying option, or you can take a more legitimate approach and use fee-based tools like your own domain, a shopping cart set up through ClickBank, and strategic banner ad placement.

 If you want to know how to profit selling information products online, then you need to look at the successful marketers who have paved the way for you, people like Tiffany Dow, Rosalind Gardner, and Darren Rowse.  Learn about list building, social networking, and testing your efforts for good measure.  There are unlimited opportunities for people who want to market info products online, and a constant influx of hungry buyers permeating the marketplace in search of solutions to their own needs.

Aspiring administrative professionals can benefit tremendously by being an intern for a virtual assistant.  VAs can often use an extra hand to get everything done, and their interns can learn many things by working with them.  Here are five things interns can learn through a virtual assistant internship:

1.  Multitasking – Being a virtual assistant is practically synonymous with multitasking!  Each client usually has several things that they want their VA to do, and most VAs have more than one client.  So prioritizing tasks and working on several things simultaneously is something that the virtual assistant excels at.

An intern can learn a lot about multitasking just by watching a VA.  And once the intern has started performing some of the tasks, he can apply what he has seen to what he is doing.  By the time the internship is over, he will probably be well versed in getting things done.

2.  Customer Service – Good customer service is important to every virtual assistant.  They apply it to their dealings with clients, and they might even handle customer service for those clients.  So in order to be successful, a VA must know how to treat customers.  She can pass this mindset on to her intern.

3.  Webmastering – Virtual assistants are often proficient in basic web design and coding.  They may design entire sites for their clients, or they may update existing sites.  These are useful skills for anyone who does business online.  The VA can teach her intern the basics while she is working with him.

4.  Marketing – This is another thing that VAs can do for themselves and for clients.  They must constantly market their own services in order to find work, and they often handle various marketing functions for their clients.  Most do the bulk of their marketing online, but some also handle offline promotions.  Any intern can benefit from learning about these things.

5.  Writing for the Web – Virtual assistants often write web content, blog posts, materials for email campaigns, and sales copy.  Each of these types of writing has its own unique characteristics.  The differences are subtle, but they do exist.  A VA can teach an intern how to write for each medium most effectively.

Whether they’re college students looking to gain experience or small business owners who want to learn new skills, interns can learn a lot from a VA.  The skills taught by a virtual assistant can not only help someone who wants to be a VA himself, they can also benefit those who want to work in an office or break into another related career.

There are lots of things you can hire an intern to do that will help you out and provide a learning experience for him at the same time.  Here are ten projects that are great for Internet marketing interns:

1.  Writing articles – Every Internet marketer needs articles for one reason or another.  You can place them on article submission sites, use them on your blog, include them in your newsletters, and do lots of other great things with them.  Writing articles also allows your intern to brush up on research and writing skills.

2.  Creating pages for Squidoo – Squidoo and similar sites are great for generating traffic to your website, but it might be hard to find the time to create a good page.  This is a great project for your intern to do.

3.  Finding reciprocal linking partners – Inbound links are a valuable commodity, and reciprocal linking can get you those links at no cost.  But it does take some time to find webmasters of relevant sites who will link to you.  Why not get your intern to do it?

4.  Running pay-per-click campaigns – Pay-per-click advertising can be an Internet marketer’s best friend, but keeping track of your campaigns can be very time consuming.  Interns can do this for you, and they can learn a lot about what does and doesn’t work in PPC in the process.

5.  Search engine optimization – SEO is one of the most important considerations in online marketing.  An intern who knows a fair amount about it can get hands-on experience by working on your site’s search engine optimization.

6.  Running email campaigns – From the nuts and bolts of setting up autoresponders to tracking results, there is much to be learned from an email campaign.  Letting your intern work on one will benefit both of you.

7.  Setting up shopping carts – A shopping cart is a key component of any Internet marketing site.  Allowing your intern to set up shopping carts on new sites will free up your time.

8.  Dealing with affiliates – Helping affiliates is great for Internet marketing interns.  It teaches them about customer service while letting them see how affiliate marketing works from your business’ standpoint.

9.  Podcasting – Letting an intern work on your podcast will give you time to tend to other matters.  It’s also a great way for interns to learn about podcasting and online audio.

10.  Promotion of special events – When you are planning a special event, it’s always nice to have an extra hand.  Your intern could handle the promotion aspect of it, freeing you up to do the planning.

De-Clutter
First, start de-cluttering your desk by getting a box and putting everything from the top of your desk into the box.  Go through each and every item in the box and decide what you are going to do with it.  Options are:
File it
Throw it away
Transfer information to a calendar
Move it to another room
or does it requires immediate action?

Your goal is to initially put things in one of the above categories.

For non-paper items, you want to decide if the items are important to keep on your desk or if they should be stored elsewhere.  Remember, keep only those things on your desktop that are necessary (okay, and a few un-necessaries such as photos, etc. But still try to keep un-necessaries to a minimum.)

Get file folders and labels, and set aside some time.  Setting up an organized filing system isn’t as hard as it may seem.  Simple words you’ll remember are better than words you don’t use when trying to remember where you’ve put things.  The goal is to file things as they arrive in a manner that will make them easy to access the next time you need them.

Here are a few things to consider when setting up a filing system:

* Are you losing monthly bills and having to pay late fees?
* Do you have all of your receipts ready for tax time?
* What medical information do you need in case of an emergency?
* Do you have a home inventory of your assets?
* Can you locate warranty information when needed?

If at all possible, reduce the amount of paper you have to file before you start organizing it into files.  Get rid of as much as you can into the shredder or garbage can.  If you can’t toss it, try giving it to someone else to handle if it pertains to them.  The idea is to get it off your desk so it won’t clutter it up.  Then file what’s left.

Sort your papers into broad categories to begin with – for instance, auto, finances, health, house, insurance, money, and personal.  Next break the broad categories into more precise categories:  Finances could break down into banking, investments, and retirement; auto could include repairs and warranties; insurance could be broken down into car, health, homeowner’s, and life.  You get the idea, but you may have to subdivide each smaller category even further.  Banking could include checking and savings; investments would include 401K and stocks.  Follow this line of thought until everything is filed.

Remember to use words that you would actually say.  Ask yourself where you would look for something if you needed it six months down the road and use those terms for your categories.

Another paperless option would be to scan receipts, invoices, and statements and file them on your computer or on a flash drive.  Then you can shred the original paper copy.  You may want to keep one invoice of each of your utilities in a folder and then scan and shred the rest.  That way you have a paper backup for account information just in case you need it.  Make sure when setting up computer files, you follow the same rules as in paper files, use words that you would use to find things to make it easier to retrieve the information in the future.

Once you have your filing system in place you want to use it – every day.  Don’t let papers start piling up on your desk again.  If you get something in the mail that lists an important date, add it to your calendar and toss the paper.  If the information needs to be kept, file it right away, or scan it and shred the original.  Finally your cluttered desk will be replaced by organized files and you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it, including the top of your desk!

However, there can be times when an owner simply cannot run their business.  An illness, a family obligation or other serious matters take precedence.  This can be catastrophic for the business if the owner is ill-prepared for this possibility.  Many owners don’t even like to think about the day that could come where they couldn’t run their business – after all, they’ve worked so hard to create it!  But facing the inevitable may help prevent financial loss or even the closing of your business if you are faced with this possibility.

Here are some tips to help you prepare:

• Always Have Plan B.  This is important to keep in mind for many important factors that occur in your business. For example: who will manage your business if you are unable to for a period of time?  It is ideal to have at least one or even several people in mind for this position and to talk them beforehand.  You don’t want to have someone in mind, only to find that when “crunch time” comes they are truly unable to do it.

• Keep Good Records.  Some business people feel bogged down by the tiny details and are less interested in keeping good records.  However, keeping good records is an important factor to keeping your small business going if you are unable to. The person running it will then be able to find information quickly and easily.  Records include financial information and contact information for clients and suppliers.  It also includes information about any insurance policies and banking information.

• Insurance.  Having insurance will help your business run smoothly, especially if something happens and you are unable to run your business for a period of time.  Consider adding short-term or disability insurance to your current plan to protect your family’s bills.  Have a life insurance policy as well, to protect your family.  Having medical and dental insurance for your employees is an excellent benefit that their families will greatly appreciate.

• Work With Good People.  It is said in business that the most expensive thing you can do is to hire someone else.  With paying benefits and salary, it is truly understandable why hiring people could be so costly.  So it is important to be working with the best people.  Even if your company hires independent contractors, interview people extensively and check their references.  Make sure that you are hiring people that are skilled at what they do and are also reliable and dependable workers.  If you are unable to run your business for some reason, it will be critical that your company has people that you know you can count to get things done.

• Automate.  Some business tasks can be automated.  A lot of companies have switched many bills to be automatically paid through online banking such as utility bills or rent.  Your telephone system can have an automated system that directs callers and keeps track of voicemails for everyone.  Some supplies can be placed on auto-refill with your suppliers, so they will instantly send them at a certain time of month or when they know you are running low.  Automating tasks will make things very convenient, and will help the company to keep things running smoothly in the event of a crisis.

We all know that no one can truly run your business like you can.  But coming up with a strong back-up plan guarantees that your business will be run efficiently in case of an emergency.  It also helps ensure that there will be a business to return to after the emergency is over.  Setting up a back-up plan is different for each business; consult with professionals for advice on how to create the best back-up plan for your business.

Situations which may require an Attorney

• Start up work. In this day and age, forming a company simply requires paperwork. Deciding what type of company will work best for your situation usually only requires research. The documents and forms you need, in most cases, can be downloaded for free. Of course, it is always best to seek legal assistance if you do not understand what you are agreeing to. Usually the process is straightforward and easy to complete on your own.

• Operating and Employee Agreements can be tricky, however. For basic agreements there is a bounty of samples available online. If your company has unique needs or unusual circumstances, especially during a period of rapid growth, utilizing an attorney can be invaluable.

• Trademarks and Patents can be a complicated maze to wade through. While specific systems have been put in place, often times the path is not straightforward. To avoid costly mistakes and better utilize your time and energy it is recommended to have a lawyer involved. The benefit is having an expert tell you not only what you can do, but what you can’t. An idea is only viable when it is feasible.

• Investments and Financial Partnerships. If your business will be seeking investments or financial partnerships it is essential to retain the services of an attorney – preferably one with a fair amount of experience and a solid track record. The language of finance is complex, especially from a business standpoint. The process and eventual outcome can be dire if you don’t have knowledge on your side.

When an attorney becomes part of your business team it is important to remember they are working for your business, not you. The basic philosophies and principles usually do align, but flexibility is crucial as the company grows.

Finding an Attorney

If legal assistance becomes necessary, the best way to source an attorney is to simply ask around. Networking with other small business owners is a terrific way to find referrals. Like any new business partnership, the initial consultation is important and quite often free. As an entrepreneur you have the power to build your team. It isn’t unusual to inquire about fee structure, experience, case history and how the lawyer communicates with their clients. Conflict of interest can be vague. Query point blank if the attorney currently works with any of your competitors.

The small business owner is the employer. When hiring somebody new, check and double check references. If you are not convinced, it is advisable to keep looking.

Hiring an attorney isn’t a need for all small business owners. The best way to proceed is slowly and well armed with research. Weighing the pros and cons with your legal needs is an important part of the decision-making process.

1. Sending too many or too often. A little appreciation is a good thing, an e-mail a day is just plain annoying. Use your free e-cards sparingly (or any e-cards). If you send too many, your customer will simply hit “delete” before even opening.
2. Sending E-Cards with Advertisements in them. The purpose of sending an e-cards is to show appreciation for your customer, not to try to “sell” them. Sending a free e-cards that has advertisements (whether you get any benefit or not) is just plain tacky and will not have the desired effect. Your customer will simply feel like you are trying to “sneak” another sale.
3. Sending Business Inappropriate Cards. Yes the dancing can-can girls are funny, and the flatulant farm animals make you laugh so hard your sides hurt, but this is a business contact, and should be treated with respect. Save the off color, adult content, bodily function cards for personal use. If you offend a customer, you may never see them again. Use cards with a professional feel and you won’t go wrong.

4. Sending Awareness and Activism Cards – Many sites offer awareness and activism cards in addition to every holiday you can think of. Be careful of sending cards for causes YOU believe in, but maybe not necessarily relate to your business. If you sell vegetarian recipes and pre-prepared meals, sending a Vegetarianism card is fine. If however, one of your main customers if the president of the local cattleman’s association, sending a Vegetarianism card may cause you to lose your best customer.
5. Holiday Card issues. The same principle on activism cards goes for holiday cards. However, you can send holiday cards as you feel inclined, however, just be aware of how they may be received. I am a Christian and I send out Christmas cards, however, I usually include a note that says something to the effect of “since this holiday is so important to me and who I am, I just wanted to let you know that you are thought of and appreciated at this time of year.” This way you can celebrate who you are without assuming that everyone shares your beliefs or offending anyone.

If you follow these guidelines, you will be much more likely to reap the positive benefits of sending free e-cards. Happy card sending!