Having a home based business holds a lot of advantages like flexible hours and being your own boss. You can even take vacations whenever you please. These are all enticing and a lot of people would actually prefer having their own business instead of going to work. Yet, like most things that hold an advantage, you have to put in a lot of effort into your business before it starts giving you the life you want. There’s the planning, strategies, implementation, and the continuous innovation – everything you need to get your business off the ground.
Staying focused
The challenge of having your own business is the ability to stay focused on your goals, which takes a lot of effort and consistency. Even with the right opportunity, you need to stay focused, be patient, and persevere. All successful businesses have one story line in common; they all started small and through hard work got to where they want to be.
The challenge of being a direct seller is the same, you are your own boss, therefore you need to find ways to push yourself to meeting your goals. It’s important that you love what you are doing and are enthusiastic about it. But there are days when you just feel like taking a day off, and then you want another one just because you feel that business is slow. These are the times when you need to talk yourself into working more. If business is slow, you have to find ways to keep it moving. If customers are not buying, why not extend your network a bit and attract more customers? There are always ways to keep your business moving if you look back at your goals and focus on them.
How can you stay focused on your business?
- Write your goals down – thinking about your goals is one thing – putting them on paper is another because it will make you more conscious about them. This will help you stay focused because you have a better understanding of your goals.
- Stay motivated – it’s not easy to stay motivated, but when you start to doubt your business, think about your goals and imagine the benefits. If you still have strong reasons to continue, then get back there. Focus on your motivation because this will keep pushing you toward your goals.
- Imagine your goals – take some time to imagine your goals until you can actually feel them. Visualize how you sell your products, how others will react, how it will make your customers happy. It’s a way to keep you on track and think of new ideas for your business.
- Plan of action – you have your goals, motivations, and you already have an idea how it’s going to play out. All you have to do is plan how to execute it. Find ways to realize your goals but remember to stay flexible to challenges.
Even focusing on small things that are guaranteed can help your business move forward during slow days. Ask yourself, what’s important now? What is moving you forward to your goal? Steer clear of confusing activity with accomplishment. This is important because you don’t want your business to stay stagnant. Remember that if you’re inactive, so is your flow of income.
Here are some things you can do for an hour each day to help your business:
- Get in touch with customers – call them and ask if they like their new purchase, how they are enjoying it, or if there’s any problem. It’s a win-win because you’re making your customer happy by following-up, and you get feedback for business ideas.
- Thank you notes – send your appreciation for having them as customers. Send birthday or holiday cards to them, and it’s great if you can include a discount for their birthday.
- Social media – make use of the Internet. Read something about your industry and share it with your customers. It’s a way to widen your network and find interesting ideas. Look for seminars, webinars and helpful blogs to give you ideas on your business.
When it comes to business, it’s important to have clear goals and a focused mind. I would appreciate hearing how you stay focused on your goals.
Author:
Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of buzz2bucks.com – a word of mouth marketing firm and Director of Client Communities of Momentum Factor-focused on the direct selling industry. She helps create connection, credibility, community and cha-ching through mobile marketing and social commerce around your brand. She is co-founder of #brandchat – a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding.
