Maybe there’s comfort in being part of a bigger enterprise or a feeling of security or greater potential for success with a franchisor.  You have to weigh the odds.

Going into your own business is not always a good decision. Easily, it can be your worst decision for a variety of reasons. You need to answer a lot of questions in advance of thinking about being your own boss.

Your experiences, talents, skills, expertise fall near the top of the scale. Money is an obvious consideration, too, but it is only ONE concern as you weigh the decision.

First, understand that NOT everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur or a business owner. Sure, if you have unlimited funds and can hire the expertise needed, go for it. Our focus is on the “average” guy or gal who thinks owning their own business is in their future. Sometimes it’s in the “genes” or family tree. At other times, it’s all about the money.

Don’t do it for the money! If you first think about your skills and abilities it means you’re on the right track. Ask yourself why? How? When? plus talk with successful business owners. Learn about the experiences others in business have had, how they handle employees, customer service, technical and mechanical challenges depending on the type of business. Would they hire YOU? Be your mentor?

In our opinion, you need to think about what you LOVE to do. Your next question is…. can you turn a hobby, an interest or your experiences into an income stream needed for your financial security. Just because you like to sing or ride motorcycles, drive race cars, cook, bake cakes, etc…. you get the picture…. play football, the piano, etc. For the majority of people, some of us, the challenge is becoming a “star” able to turn our hobbies into an income source.

We’ve owned franchises in our business career as well as non-franchised businesses. What would I do today is a good question but my answer may not be right for you. In simplest terms, I would go to work for another franchisee or the franchisor if possible BEFORE pulling out my checkbook. Maybe even work free if necessary to get a good dose of exposure to the business.

For a non-franchise it would mean I’ve spent a considerable length of time in the same industry working for someone else on their invested dollars. There are reasons this can happen for you but only do it for the right reasons, not to take business away from your employer.

Integrity and trust are mandatory ties to success in whatever business you choose. You may want to try a home based business where many are turning today.  Some folks choose Internet Marketing while others prefer network Marketing for various reasons.  Only YOU can decide the best route for you and your family.

Let’s dream a little about your financial security and the benefits of having, what we call, the Plan B. We understand that all of us have different opinions about a home based business. Responses are “don’t want one” or “we have no need ” to work at home, we understand.

Even if you think you don’t need to have a Plan B for financial security, please humor us and think about what happens in the workforce everyday. Obviously, if you have more money than you can spend then feel free to hit the delete key. Otherwise, hang with us for a few thoughts that may prove valuable to you.

None of us ever want to go home and tell our spouse that we lost our job today, we got FIRED! My prayer is that you will never have that experience but most of us do, sooner or later. It’s almost a given that working for an employer can have a surprise ending that we never saw coming our way. Change has happened, employers are less concerned about long-term employees welfare than bottom line profits.

Companies do go bankrupt but that’s not necessary for your job to vanish with the stroke of a pen. All of us have seen outsourcing or downsizing decisions made in recent years that immediately reduced the head count, eliminating hundreds, even thousands of jobs we thought were secure.

We’ve all seen hundreds of businesses move whole departments to another state, to offshore locations or simply sell off parts of the business to another firm and eliminate the need for employees. Employees have been seen walking out of the firm with a security guard, just in case, someone decides to go “postal”.

Usually, it’s about financial decisions the company has been forced to make for survival in a tough economy. Even if we understand and know that’s the real problem it still causes the employees who’ve been terminated to face new challenges in their career choices or an unknown future.

It’s not about losing your job but having NO money that takes your confidence level downhill. All you need is to be fired from your job, career or whatever income source you enjoy that can change your attitude and causes you to think about a Plan B in your future. We all know that unemployment checks from the Government are better than nothing but it’ll never give you financial security like a Plan B.

Some Internet resources are available for training the home based business entrepreneur. However, caution is imperative or you can get scammed big time and lose or waste your money. YOU are making decisions that affect your family’s financial security whether you work for an employer or have your own business. In our opinion it makes sense to have a paycheck while working on your Plan B. Multiple streams of income will be something you’ll enjoy through the benefit of your new found financial security.

Autoresponders can address each email sent out to subscribers with the recepients name, date and other personal information if desired by the sender. Your friends, church buddies, vendors can all do it with the push of a button.

Like many products and services we enjoy today, most developed within the last 5 or 10 years, autoresponders automation is simply using smart computer systems. Automation or robot type computers is the success key to greater profits for the home based business owners.

What happened before we had the autoresponders?Thinking back to earlier times, we used to print out labels, fold letters by the hundreds and stuffed them into an envelope to promote various products, especially in the mail order business. That’s so far back in my career it’s almost too fuzzy to recall.

You probably remember the “selectric” typewriter if you’ve been in the business world for a few years along with the awesome discovery of white-out for the office typists and secretaries. When she/he made a typing error it was almost like magic removal with WO. Carbon copies challenged the process but WO was used by most typists and secretaries for many years.

I’m guessing that very few of the workforce today has ever heard of the “robo-typer”, an automatic typing machine we used in the mail-order business. Typing at speeds of 75 words per minute [wpm] without errors was almost too good to be true. One typist could run 5 or 6 machines 8 hours a day producing personalized letters.

The main job of the “operator” was feeding 8-1/2 x 11 sheets of paper into the rollers, keying in the name and address of a customer or prospect then hit the “type” button. One operator could turn out hundreds of individually typed letters on a daily basis. It was a tedious job for one person but a few breaks helped along with good coffee.

Automation has continued to make many typists jobs obsolete. Companies have invested thousands of dollars to purchase the latest advancements in equipment for various robot type jobs. Internet Marketing has caused a huge change in how businesses communicate by email with their customers and prospects.

With available systems today, a home based business owner can “look like” a huge operation that would have required hundreds of employees in prior years to do the same thing. Autoresponder services are rented from various vendors for a nominal monthly fee. Location of the system is not a concern and readily available 24/7.

Researching your options makes sense. There are a few processes involved in setting up your lists on an autoresponder along with a letter series, etc. but it truly is a no-brainer vs buying the equipment to install in your own offices. Home based businesses that we call our Plan B are growing expotentially across America.

Internet Marketers are usually trying to build a list of subscribers to introduce more of their affiliate products. Obviously, we like it when our subscribers invite their friends to join us, too. When you have a product so exciting that everyone virals it out on the www…. you’ve got a big winner. A money maker in action.

On the other side is Network marketing where you introduce your new found “whatever” to your friends. Huge groups, BIG successful people are right on in the network marketing business. Home parties are big deals in networking, connecting with friends and neighbors.

Some groups meet in hotels where members bring invited guests. Your phone is your tool for dialing, dialing, dialing. You gotta talk to people wherever you find them. Sometimes you’re talking to personal friends and strangers in the same hour.

You’ve heard it said…. just call more people or you’re not working hard enough. Buy leads, use call rooms where the professionals do the calling. You also might hear….. NFL which means… [NO Friends Left] …instead of the National Football League.

I’m guessing that the majority of people don’t want to be bothered. Sure, some will go along with your new found product simply because you’re their friend. Unfortunately, you’ll be disappointed when they don’t do anything. They’ll NEVER do what you think they will to build a home based business.

With that said…. Internet Marketing and Network Marketing go-getters or doers have some extraordinary success stories to share with whomever will listen. I’m not sure if it’s good or bad….. it seems that nobody likes to SELL…. which is long term proof that a successful sales person makes top money.

Rejection is the BIG problem. Very Few of us like to be rejected by friends or strangers either. A good sales rep. accepts the challenge and profits because of their understanding of the issues and action necessary to finally get a hearing in the buyers department and most often an order after numerous attempts.

Even a great sales person does not really like rejection anymore than the next guy. He/she just rolls with the punches in the marketplace knowing they are selling a quality product that the prospect needs to know about. After many tries for an audience, usually five to eight times of calling, knocking, dialing, a prospect may at least give you the time of day.

Giving up too soon knocks most newbies out of the game. Persistence is the #1 success key in sales. You’ll never be out unless you quit. Keep getting up! No sales person wins every battle for a variety of reasons. Most of the time you have no clue but you simply keep knocking until you have a route or group to serve. Arriving, getting an order, after many days of rejection is a good thing. It’s time to celebrate your success.

My choice of the two, Internet or Networking, is building my business through Internet Marketing. You don’t have to bother [call] people who don’t have an interest and it’s easier to work day or night, on your own schedule.

Never let the marketplace overwhelm you when you begin your Internet Marketing business. Remember, you don’t have to get everything perfect before you begin. It’s nice to learn more each day, fix the goofs or any mistakes whenever they show up, but perfection is not a beginners requirement.

Success as an Internet Marketer requires that you take action, not procrastinate. Experience is the best teacher in most businesses. We call that the [SHK] or “School of Hard Knocks” in our business. You may want to offer helping another Internet Marketer for a nominal salary, even free if necessary. Your offer to help another Internet marketer may prove to be the best investment you can make to learn the business.

Be your own person, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. All of us need guidance, helpful answers before we can move forward with our home based business. There’s always new software or old programs that must be updated for us to stay current and competitive running an Internet Marketing business.

Think in reasonable increments of growth and business success. Sure, there are always going to be the super stars who excell beyond everyone else. NFL football and NBA basketball players are the exception, not the norm or expectation for 99% of the workforce in America and around the world. Some of the best players make more money in 3 or 4 games than most of us make in a life-time.

What someone else earns has no relavency to your income. There will always be top earners, middle earners, followed by those making minimum wage. A huge 16-18% are under-employed along with the currently unemployed workforce according to Government statistics in the USA.

None of us can afford to waste our time worrying about someone else’s success. Your challenge is simply to make the best life possible for you and your family. Money is nice to have when all the other pieces come together for you. However, money and chaos are not good partners.

Joy comes into our lives when we are busy doing God’s WILL. Something special happens when we get our focus headed in the right direction rather than on our own thing or selfish ambitions. Believe in who you are and focus on building a successful Internet Business.

Let us hear from you.  It will help us reach out and touch more people in a positive way.  What are you experiencing as you seek a new career in Internet Marketing?  Have you discovered an exciting program to recommend to us?  Update us on your progress, your frustrations.  Write to us

Thirty years ago [30] I got fired [downsized, layed off, screwed] but it’s all the same thing meaning my weekly paycheck suddenly stopped coming. For almost 5 years I gave my employer the best I had to give and still got kicked out the door with little thought or appreciation.

How could this happen? Our region was awesome, great profits delivered every month to the home office. Good employees everywhere doing a superb job. Committed, loyal, the best group of people we could muster for our employer.

I’m guessing that’s how you feel about your job, your team of associates. Probably thinking your position is secure, no way your boss could do without you, right? I’m with you and thought the same way until change happened on my watch without severance pay, immediate loss of insurance benefits, no vacation either because the company was going in a new direction.

As you might guess, I went home with my confidence and spirits shot.  My thoughts went to having a bride, 3 young children under 10 years old, 2 car payents monthly and a mortgage on our home.  Looking out into the carport did not send excitement, only dispare looming in our future.  Did anybody care?  No need to mention that we buy groceries weekly and our usual consumption is a given.

Truth is your position may be secure, I hope so. However, nothing will feel better than having another stream of income “just in case” the boot comes and you’re not expecting it. Your Plan B is the key to financial security for your family. That’s our goal for the American workforce so none of us end up in the unemployment lines looking for another job.

For many years our business was helping people find employment on a temporary basis as well as full-time employment. Searching for employment, taking tests, interviewing for a new position is one of the toughest challenges any of us face, all on our own dime, no pay.

One thought to keep in mind is that something better is coming your way. Believe it and you’ll see it when it arrives. As told above, I got fired because the company wanted to eliminate my salary and keep the business we had built for them over a 5 year period. Another thought for you is to know that your security belongs to you, not your employer.

You’re asking, who won and I delight in sharing the details. We started a new company to serve our clientele and the business stayed with us for the next 25 years when we sold to a national firm willing to pay for our assets of value to the marketplace as it should be.

Even if you own the company, have an excellent income, don’t put “all your eggs” in one basket, i.e. tie up all your assets with one or just a few clients. Diversity is your key to long-term success and financial security is our long range goal.

If you do find yourself searching for an employer in your future, make an appointment with a staffing service and get an update on your skills and learn what employers are looking for in new employees.  Be sure you and the assigned recruiter “connect” with each other.  Listen and learn what’s going on in the marketplace where you seek employment.  Lots more but this give you a start.

Let us hear from you.  It will help us reach out and touch more people in a positive way.  What are you experiencing as you seek a new career?  Are salaries high?  Low?  Fair?  Are interviewers giving you the facts about their firm?  Job security?  We invite you to share your experiences with us.

Second best choice is a home based business. Since winning the lottery is 100 million to 1 odds it seems prudent to focus on searching the Internet for your next income stream and start a home business sooner than later.

Walking down the hall and being in your office pronto is a nice change. Driving to work, fighting traffic along with road rage is nerves on edge. Finding a parking place, dressing up, eating out are all expenses you don’t have at your home office. You have to decide the pros and cons to make a personal decision.

However, a Plan B does not require quitting your employer. Maybe you’ll want to do both, have an employer as well as a second income stream from a home business. Much depends on your choices, your family, needs of your children or care taker issues.

Flexibility will be the most appealing benefit of your own home business. You’re not subject to pleasing a boss or supervisor’s demands when YOU are the boss.

There are no magic buttons to push for immediate income in a home business. If you find one please notify us immediately so we can join your team. Time and work are givens regardless of your choices.

You can do Networking, make personal contacts, hold home parties, etc. Others choose the Internet Marketing route but there are still demands on your time in the beginning unless you hire employees to do the work.

Virtual Assistants is another option to consider as your work increases. Talented and skilled workers are available through outsourcing your work without hiring employees directly. You can hire a Virtual Assistant for a few hours weekly or daily according to your business needs. Location of your VA is usually a non-issue for most jobs you want to outsource.

Business is all about managing the details. You’ll look like a huge enterprise to the world, no one has to know that you’re working from a bedroom or over top your garage. Your luxury convertible is idling below until you take a break for the mall, take a vacation or pick up the kids at school.

Automation, the Internet, Virtual Assistants have basically changed the opportunities of running your own business without employees. Working alone is not difficult when you can come and go as you please. Your hours are yours to manage. Not a bad choice if you are disciplined and focused on your goals.

Caution is important for all of us. When opportunities move in a new direction there are always the scam artists in front of the pack. It reminds us of the hawkers standing on the street corners trying to lure the unsuspecting into buying their fake watches. Separating the real thing from the fake copies is not easy to do.

Honesty and integrity are still working in the marketplace. However, the “bad” boys may have the “look” but their actions are coming out of the devils workshops, especially on the Internet. Easy money is always your money going into the pockets of the crooks as they ply their cunning persuasive tactics.

Experience in the school of hard-knocks is my middle name. Most of us live with a two-sided coin which has “sucker” on one side and “honest Abe” on the other. You probably know people in your circle of friends who don’t trust anybody and other friends who trust everyone. I’m not sure which is the best side but even when you open the door and get burned by a dishonest merchant, it still has it’s value.

You read about it in the newspapers or it’s touted on TV that somebody found a pocketbook or billfold with a couple $100 bills inside. An adult or a child picks it up and hands it to a security guard with all the money still inside the billfold. Is that a big deal in your eyes? It should be…. standard-operating-procedure rather than something out of the ordinary.

Why is honesty so rare today across America and the world? Is it all about easy money, believing in the possibility of winning the lottery? What can the Government do for us, we’re entitled? Maybe the old saying, “finders keepers, tough luck for the loser” or something close to that is how people think.

If you ever read in somebody’s sales page on the Internet that “we’ll do it for you” and believe those words just beware that it may not be exactly what you think it means to the promoter. I’m not sure what it means but you can get badly burned [lose a lot of money] as it’s often a slick promise [a lie!]

You’ll discover there are lots of training sites on the Internet but just be careful which ones you choose. Some can be free and others may have an investment required to use them. Thousands of Internet Marketers share experiences and knowledge in forums and at other locations. You still have to invest time in the learning process but lots of help is available for the asking when you are serious about building your own home based business.

Home based business owners can benefit from a well thought out mastermind team. Doing your “own” thing is great but input from other business executives can be extremely valuable when making important decisions.

Unfortunately, there are very few Mastermind groups. I’m not sure of the reason but there is a time commitment from everyone. You might agree to meet weekly or every two weeks. You have to decide about what makes sense for you.

Careful selection of your team members is critical to your success. Internal executives should be involved in most of your meetings with the firm’s mastermind team. Don’t leave your executives on the outside when they are important to your growth and future success in the marketplace.

Research what others are doing with their mastermind team. How do you begin the process? Is there a particular background or expertise required? Maybe 5 or 6 is a good number to consider inviting from the business community as potential mastermind team members.

Another option to consider is the local university, to inquire if they have a formal system to be involved with the local business community. At the University of NC Charlotte there is the Ben Craig Center [BCC] which provides lots of expertise through their connection with the university.

How do they evaluate their successes? Their failures? Whom at the university oversees the incubator system at the BCC. Are university students or graduate students involved?

If you have deep pockets then you can hire the necessary legal counsel and accounting expertise but every new business does not start off with excess cash. There are services and valuable guidance available through the Small Business Administration for both financial and advisory guidance. Usually, a large number of the SBA counselors are retired business executives in a group known as SCORE. Worth checking out!

As you know, our focus remains on the home based business owner. Our goal is to encourage everyone to build a Plan B for financial security. It takes little money to learn the insiders track to Internet Marketing and training from the experts. Remember, YOU are your own security, not your boss or employer. Join us in our effort to put America and the World workforce back on the right track for success.

Whether you’re in a brick and mortar business or strictly an Internet Marketer, there’s advertising and promotion resources widely available. It’s more a challenge to discover what will work for your business rather than where are the sources that drive social media. Some social media resources are well known while others are obscure with little value. Maybe some will grow over time and be worthwhile as a business resource.

You may be asking what is so important about using social media. Communications, interactive dialogue is our goal as Internet Marketers. In many areas we find that communication between organizations, individuals and communities have turned into social media connectors. It’s hot, used by many, worth knowing how to use it in your business as a valuable tool for interaction with your contacts list of friends, neighbors, business associates, customers and prospective customers, too.

However, don’t discount all the other means of contact with your customers and prospects. You can write articles like we do, email on a regular basis, use direct mail, follow-up with thank you phone calls. Think about what your customer needs, wants, that you can provide. Can you offer discounts like some are doing everyday through email contact? Discounts, special services are low balled daily to beat the competition.

In your marketplace today you have to be alert to challenges offered by your competitors or get left in the draft of a new player, suddenly trying to take your business. Sometimes you’ll see loss leaders or something free to get the attention of your customer. Everyone wants what they don’t have, your customer.

Never say “I’m not going to do that” or you may discover your business has moved on to a competitor willing to meet the competition or offer their own enticing bonus. Customer loyalty is awesome but tight money has brought out many bargain hunters who’ll switch to a new vendor of services.

Ask yourself if your customer service is exceptional. Are you staying in regular contact with prospects as well as your regular customer? Do you call and make sure your personnel are meeting customer expectations? It’s one thing to think “all is well” but another to call and make sure your customer is pleased with your service.

Don’t get comfortable believing your customer will always be. Everyday there are defections, jumping from one service to another, often for minimal reason or no reason at all. Usually, the reason you lose customers is because you failed to stay in contact, lack of focus, interactions that should be a given. Never believe that your business is guaranteed, your customers will never change vendors is only a dream, not reality for any of us.

As usual, we encourage business owners to have a Plan B as a good business decision. Multiple streams of income should be the dream of everyone. Learn how and enjoy the benefit of real security with us.