Home Based Business ? 5 Steps To A Successful Home Based Business

Have you been thinking about starting a home based business?

When I retired from radio, I knew I wanted to do something that matched my passion, a business, that I could do from home.

Here are five steps for you to keep in mind when creating or maintaining a successful home based business.

* 1. You need to treat your home based business like any other job, you must be professional. You should treat this just like any other job, get a separate bank account for your business, get a telephone line and/or email specifically for your home business.

You will not want to mix too much of your personal life space in with your business. Get a separate room from the rest of your house for your business and set specific work hours. You have the freedom to work when you want and for how long but you should treat it like a structured goal, if you want your business to be successful. I realize this might be a challenge for stay at home moms. Do what you can. I know I changed a bedroom into an office one time just so I had that separation.

* 2. As I said above, set business hours for your home based business. You need to set a strict business schedule that works with you, and you need to follow it. You should not start working and take breaks to go to the store or watch a movie. If you set a good schedule that works for you follow it, work during the work time and then take breaks. This also means you need to leave your "e-mail checking" alone. Nothing crashes my schedule more than when I check my e-mail and forget the task at hand.

Set goals for projects that need to be completed. Do the things that make you profit.... Dani Johnson has a great break down of this in her training. Spend 80% of the time doing that which brings in the money. 19% to training and 1% to problem solving!

* 3. Self-discipline is very important when creating or maintaining a successful home based business. Starting and maintaining a successful home business is hard work and is not something to take lightly. You will need to have the self-discipline to work hard, even harder than when you are working for a company, and work long hours, longer than most jobs you have worked.

If you work hard, long hours and have great self-discipline you will start to get a good home business. Once this occurs you can lighten off yourself a little bit and start to really enjoy the freedoms of having a home based business. It may take a little time for this to occur though.

Once you learn and incorporate the skills to make money for your business, (http://showthemoneymakingsecret.com) you'll have time to stretch and grow in other areas.

* 4. Just like in any other business, advertising is one key. When you create a home business no one will know who you are. You need to advertise through internet banner ads, print media, and internet forums, whatever it takes. Pay per click advertising is another great form of advertising as you get paid for it and it helps promote your business.

You can also go the route of social media marketing which takes less money but more time. Check out the Six Market Plan Steps I wrote about and created videos for great ideas in this area, especially step three. (http://ministry-marketing-strategies.com/social-media-magnet.html)

* 5. If you want customers to be able to trust you than you must maintain your integrity. If you maintain your integrity you will win the trust of the customers and they will begin to buy your product or service. Once this occurs the customers will begin to help you by spreading the word of your company and the good product/service you are selling.

Nothing beats serving others. Nothing beats creating a positive and honest brand about who you really are.

Starting and maintaining a successful home based business is a hard thing to do. Once you have created a successful one, though, it is all worth it. These five steps should help you along the way to meeting your goals and doing something you are proud of, a successful home based business.