You are here: Home / Archives for Entrepreneurs

5 More Business Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

January 23, 2012 By 15 Comments

When I blogged about business mistakes I’ve made, several of you asked me to list even more. This time I asked a few of my friends to share some business mistakes they’ve made, but I admit I’ve made a few of these mistakes too.

Mistake #1 Not spreading the word about your business

Maybe your business is better than everyone else’s, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about you. When you develop a new product or service, send an e-release out to your media contacts, spread the news on Twitter and other social networks, and tell everyone you know. Don’t be shy. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: , , ,

What Do You Do When Your Horrible Boss Is You?

July 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The movie “Horrible Bosses“ opens soon. While I didn’t write it, I could have inspired it.

I used to work for a horrible boss. This boss demanded long work hours, allowed limited breaks and scheduled deadlines that were impossible to meet.

The horrible boss I worked for, was me.

If you’re ready to work for a boss who is understanding, reasonable, and respectful of your time and talents, there are a few simple changes you can make.

  • Limit the number of hours you work each day. When your commute is only seconds away, it’s easy to go to work early and stay late. The key is knowing when to stop working and when to start enjoying your personal life.
  • Keep your to-do list reasonable and remember that you can’t do everything. Instead of scheduling a long list of tasks to finish in one day, limit your list. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , , , ,

See Your Home-Based Business Through Your Clients’ Eyes

January 5, 2011 By 2 Comments

Image from cbs.com

There’s a show I’ve watched a few times called Undercover Boss.

The premise is that the owner, president or CEO of a corporation, goes to work as a regular employee. The manager or person in charge of the store, manufacturing plant or other type of business who’s in charge of training the new employee, doesn’t know that he or she is dealing with the “head cheese” of the company. It’s a brilliant idea!

By going undercover, Mr. or Ms. Cheese sees first-hand what’s wrong with the company. The best part is that [Read more...]

Filed Under: Making money from home, Working with clients Tagged With: , , , ,

You Never Know Where You’ll Find Your Next Business Idea

January 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When I need to solve a problem or come up with my next, great idea, it never hits me right away, no matter how hard I try. In fact, the more I push myself, the more I can count on not accomplishing anything. It’s a little frustrating.

Some people think of their best ideas while they’re in the shower. I think of my best ideas before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the middle of the night.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: , ,

4 Ways to Create a Stress-Free Home Office

December 27, 2010 By 2 Comments

Think about the stress-free life of working from home. There are no co-workers to interrupt you, no boss looming over your shoulder and no set work schedule.

You can come and go as you please, dress however you like and even stop working early to catch a movie. (I can’t be the only one who does that!)

Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

It is, except for the hidden stress-inducers including interruptions from your family and neighbors, a few household chores screaming for your attention and the lure of a nearby refrigerator. I complain there’s never anything “fun” to eat, but then I remember I do the shopping. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , , ,

Five Ways to Nurture Your Child’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

December 8, 2010 By

I come from a long line of entrepreneurs. From the time my sons were little, I’ve encouraged them to get an education, get business experience through various jobs, and then go out on their own.

Whether or not you realize it, you may be passing along your entrepreneurial traits and your enthusiasm for being your own boss, to your children. In this guest post by Anne Leedom, you’ll learn how to determine whether your child will be inclined to follow you down the entrepreneurial path.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: , ,

If You’re Serious About Business, You Need a Web Site

December 1, 2010 By

Last Friday — I couldn’t stay away from the mall — I met a woman waiting in line who offers a service my clients could use. When I asked her for her Web site address, she told me she doesn’t have one because she works on a referral basis. I tried not to give her a strange look but the thought of someone running a small business without a Web site, threw me.

The bottom line is that if you’re serious about owning your own business, especially one that’s home-based, you need a Web site.  There are several things a Web site can do for you. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Improving your web site, Making money from home Tagged With: , ,

5 Stupid Texting Mistakes to Avoid

October 11, 2010 By

E-mail is the perfect timesaving tool, but so is texting. In other blog posts I’ve shared stupid e-mail mistakes, but now it’s time for a list of texting mistakes.

My friends, associates and I have made most of the mistakes on this list (we like to be good examples of what not to do). As you read through this list you may recognize some of these mistakes or thank your lucky stars that you have enough common sense not to make any of these mistakes.

  • Make sure you’re sending the text to the right person. After you type a text and before you push send, double check whose name is at the top of the screen. Whether you’re complaining about someone, making suggestive comments or sharing private information, a text to the wrong person can have devastating results. It could even [Read more...]
Filed Under: Home office technology, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity Tagged With: , , ,

Tips and Tricks for Your Next Business Trip

October 6, 2010 By

Last week I traveled to four cities in six days to give seminars to entrepreneurs and home-based corporate employees. The people I met during my sessions were sharp, savvy about business and eager to share the challenges they face while working from home.

Sure, I hear from home office folks through this blog and e-mail, but there’s nothing better than being face-to-face with others who, like me, don’t have to face a daily commute.

While I was on the way home from my last seminar, I thought about what I had done to make my trip go a little smoother. Consider the following tips the next time you’re out of town for business or for pleasure. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity Tagged With: , ,

How to Stop Making Start-Up Mistakes

September 3, 2010 By

No one likes to make mistakes, especially in business, but if you don’t make mistakes you can’t grow. As an entrepreneur who has chucked the corporate life, the commute and the comfort of knowing I’d have a paycheck at the end of the week, I’ve made plenty of mistakes.

During my start-up days, I made some financial mistakes along with a few stupid, bonehead moves that I’ve ingrained in my brain never to do again. I’m not finished making mistakes because I’m not finished growing my business. The difference between my start-up days and today is that now my mistakes are much smaller and less expensive to fix.

In her article “10 Mistakes That Start-Up Entrepreneurs Make,” Rosalind Resnick shares a strong list of things you should avoid doing when you’re starting a company. A few of my favorite suggestions are: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts
Hide me
Sign up now for an excerpt from Organize Your Home Office for Success!
Name Email
Show me
Sign up now for an excerpt from Organize Your Home Office for Success!
Enter your e-mail address below to get an excerpt from Organize Your Home Office for Success. You'll also receive updates and occasional promotions that are available only to subscribers. We respect your privacy and will not share your information with anyone.
Close