Checklist for the Would-Be Home Business Owner
by Marnie Pehrson

Think you don't have what it takes?  Think again.  This entrepreneur tells you what you need to do to get yourself started.  All it takes is some organization and self-discipline! 

= Do what you love and success will follow.  

= Have a strong dose of enthusiasm for life. Enthusiasm and passion for what you do and for life can cover a multitude of errors. 

= If you have enthusiasm for what you do, you will stick with your business. You will be motivated to giving it the time and attention and patience that it needs to grow from seed to a flourishing tree. 

= Capitalize on your strengths. Recognize your weaknesses and be willing to compensate for them either by studying new skills or hiring others to help you in your weaker areas. 

= Specialize. Differentiate yourself from the crowd. Offer more service and tailor your services to your customers' needs. 

= Remember the law of multiplication. Multiply your products and your distribution channels. If you offer service evaluations for companies, you might also provide other related services. You could offer training for their employees on customer service, videos on dealing with customer complaints, seminars on closing the sale, and books on these subjects. Multiply your efforts from one "you" to many products and many customers. 

= Commitment. 

= Consistency in work, in advertising, in your quality. 

= Develop a mission for your life and for your business and compare all decisions against those missions. 

= Develop plans of action. How will you get from point A to point B? Set goals and strategies from getting where you are to where you want to be. 

= Use a system for tracking your schedule and daily tasks. 

= Double up on tasks to save time. 

= Use every scrap of time. Waste not a minute. Learn to use the odd moment. 

= Plan ahead and pool projects. 

= Never hide behind busy work. It takes just as much effort to fail as it does to succeed. 

= When purchasing a computer, evaluate your software needs first, then choose a system that can fulfill those needs. Buy as far to the forefront of technology as you can. 

= Look for the redundancies in your work and either eliminate or automate them. 

= Take advantages of on-line services to boost your business and research your markets. 

= Check into RingMaster and MemoryCall services to give your business a professional tone. 

= Remember that the order of your priorities in life is just as important as the priorities themselves. 

= Set aside a family night one night a week, and schedule "dates" with your spouse. 

= Set rules and expectations in your family to provide order and security. 

= Set family goals and evaluate your progress periodically. 

= Survive phone calls by teaching your children to draw what they need, investing in a portable phone, and rewarding and praising them when they are quiet. (A sound proof room would not hurt either). 

= Teach your children the business, and get them involved early in helping. Remember to treat them like you would an employee when they help. Would you yell and fuss at an employee if they made a mistake? Probably not. They would be out the door in a heartbeat. 

= Go the extra mile. Exceed your client's expectations. 

= Add a personal touch to all your customer relations. Learn their names, remember their birthdays, and above all else, treat them as equals. 

= Learn from complaints. Use them to make your product that much better. 

= Use E-mail, newsletters, and phone calls to keep in touch with clients. 

= Arm yourself with a list of rewards for a job well done. Remember, the only pat on the back you may ever get will be the one you give yourself. 

= Take one day in seven to rest. 

= Push the "record button" in life. Make lasting memories that can carry you through a lifetime. 

= Learn basic bookkeeping and tax laws. Take a class at your local community college on business accounting and business taxes. 

= Learn to say "No." 

= Delegate wisely and completely. Learn to trust and listen to the ideas of those you supervise. 

= Remember that word of mouth and promotion may be the cheapest form of getting business, but they are the most effective. 

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