I-Marketer Blog and Newsletter

How Do You Keep Going?

Whenever someone asks me how to start a business from home I always tell them one of the most important keys is finding a way to stay motivated. To believe they will eventually succeed. To keep going when they face some adversity.

As you start a business—online or off—I guarantee you will experience setbacks, frustrations, hostile customers and possibly even fraud. Like it or not these are a part of business.

When these things happen those who aren’t motivated to push through quit. They give up on their dream. No amount of instruction on how to start a business from home will do them any good—they have lost the fire.

How can you keep from becoming a casualty in 2008? One way is to anticipate the temptations you will have to give up. If you have a plan in advance you won’t be caught off guard emotionally or intellectually when adversity hits. In fact, you might just be able to laugh it off saying, “Yeah, I knew this was going to happen…”

So what are some things you need to prepare for? Here are some:

1. You will run out of money.
2. Someone will give your product a bad review.
3. You will have family and friends tell you you’re crazy.
4. You will have technical problems you can’t seem to fix.
5. Your customer service will be awful.
6. You will get nasty emails.
7. Your “best promotion ever” will totally bomb.
8. You will get cheated.

There might be more, but you get the picture.

So, how to do you overcome the temptation to quit when one (or more) of these things happen. Here is a four step plan:

1. Say out loud: “This isn’t so bad; I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I know I can deal with this.”

I guarantee everything you experience in starting a business from home has been experienced by thousands of others. We’ve all been there. It’s going to be OK.

2. Evaluate whether or not this is a “real” issue or a “phantom.”

Some issues are real, some are not. Just because someone says in an email you are an awful “so-and-so” doesn’t mean much. But if in the middle of that email they tell you the download link isn’t working, you better check the download link and make sure it’s working. Name calling is a phantom issue, but it may be “caused” by a real issue.

3. Take action to correct anything you need to correct.

If you have an issue that needs to be corrected, correct it. Take action. If someone sends you a nasty email for no reason, unsubscribe them from your list. Psychologists tell us taking action is the best cure for fear—it gives us a sense of control.

4. Move on and run your business.

Now go about your day. Run your business. Move on to other tasks. Don’t dwell on the negative experience.

How do you start a business from home in 2008? The first step might just be to shake off the cobwebs of past failure and start again. To find out more on keys to staying motivated, I have put together this free guide:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/motivation

take care - talk soon

Scott Logan
Night Owl Marketing