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.

Mistake #2 Not seeking advice or guidance from others

Don’t expect to know everything about finances, marketing, and sales. A business consultant, or a volunteer at SCORE (the Service Corp of Retired Executives) can offer business help. Or call someone whose business style you admire and ask them specific questions.

Mistake #3 Not knowing when to cut your losses and move on

It’s too bad that no matter how much you believe in your products or services, that belief doesn’t determine how much success you’ll have. If you’re losing money on a product or service, take a close look at what you can offer instead. It’s tough to let something go, but when you do you make room for more opportunities to grow your business.

Mistake #4 Skimping on the wrong things

A computer, printer, scanner and other office equipment are more important than a top-of-the-line desk and credenza. Keep in mind that most of the time clients will see only what comes out of your office, not what’s in it. Focus first on technology, then go from there. Don’t forget to invest in a reliable, comfortable and adjustable office chair. After you sit in front of your computer day after day, your back will remind you that you need more support.

Mistake #5: Forgetting to listen to your clients’ needs or requests

You may be so closely tied to your business that you overlook new ways to serve your clients, your best resource for new ideas. Before I wrote my first home office book, people often asked me to recommend a book to help them set up their home office. Finally the light bulb went off and I wrote a book. Some people have “aha” moments. Mine was more of a “duh” moment.

There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes, and when you work for yourself you’re going to make plenty. In fact, that’s part of being an entrepreneur. The key is to learn from those mistakes.

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.

• Schedule at least one mini-vacation each year. When you worked for someone else, scheduling two weeks off was easy. When you work for yourself, finding time to take two days off may seem impossible. Make a point of getting away from your home office so you can recharge and reconnect with your family.

• Limit your weekend hours. Depending on your business and whether or not you can avoid it, limit your weekend hours. Some clients may only be able to meet with you on Saturday or Sunday, so it’s important to be flexible. Other than that, schedule all other appointments during the week. (Note to realtors: ignore that last suggestion.)

• Establish rewards for completing difficult tasks or accomplishing major milestones. A reward doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. A walk around the block or going out for a cup of coffee can serve as a motivator to get the job done.

• Don’t expect perfection all of the time. Before you retype an e-mail for the third time, or make another change on a proposal, ask yourself why. Perfectionism is a dangerous trap. Before you know it, your standards become outrageously and unreasonably high. Find a balance between what is acceptable and what could hurt your credibility.

When you work for the boss from hell, and the boss isn’t you, you can quit and do your best to find another job. But when you’re the boss from hell,  you can continue to make yourself miserable or take steps to improve your working relationship with yourself.

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 they get a clear view of what’s really going on in the company, instead of getting a skewed view when they tour their business and everyone is on his and her best behavior.

I especially like the part when they ask the manager if he or she thinks the “employee’ is good at his or her job and they say no. That has to be a little humbling for the person who is supposed to know more than anything about the company.

As a home-based business owner, you can’t go undercover, but you can look at your business from a client or prospect’s point of view. There are a few places to start.

Look at your Website. Don’t just check out your home page. Instead, click around. How old is the photo that’s above your bio and along the same lines, how old is your bio? Is your logo a little dated or do you have several versions throughout the site? Make sure that every link works and that your contact info is up-to-date.

Call your business line and listen to the message. Do you hear your kids in the background? Can you hear a Call Waiting click while your message is playing? Make sure that if you have a long message, you let the caller know within the first few seconds how to bypass your message.

Find out what your clients think of your product or service. How? Ask them to answer a short, simple questionnaire and offer an incentive for their time. It could be a copy of your new e-book (the one you’re charging for, not the free one!) or a free, 15-minute consultation. After you have their feedback and assuming it’s all good, why not ask for a testimonial? Actually, the best time to ask for a testimonial is when someone starts using your product or service and is thrilled with the results he or she is getting.

When you look at your business through your clients’ eyes, you may be surprised at what you uncover.

What do you do to see your business through your clients’ eyes?



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.

That’s why I keep a notepad and pen next to my bed. I used to think that I’d remember my brilliant idea in the morning, but I never did. There’s only one problem with this non-techie method: my handwriting sucks.

I even took a handwriting course before my first book came out so that when I signed books, everyone would be able to figure out what I wrote. Don’t laugh…the class was full of people like me who didn’t pay attention in grade school during the handwriting sessions. The classes didn’t help.

Instead of wasting time racking my brain for an incredible, heart-stopping idea, I’m giving in and trying a few other tactics for letting ideas come to me.

Exercise. Without sounding too much like Jillian Michaels, when you exercise, you release endorphins and you feel better. When you feel better, you can think more clearly. Remember Reese Witherspoon’s character in Legally Blonde?   She says that her fitness guru client can’t be a murderer because exercise releases endorphins, which makes you happy, and happy people don’t kill other people. What we do without brilliant defense strategies like that?

Meet someone for coffee. A friend, business associate or even someone you see at the coffee shop everyday, may have some insight that would help you solve a problem or come up with your next business idea. Make sure that the person you’re sharing ideas with, encourages you rather than shoots down everything you say. All of us know someone like that.

Read articles and visit websites outside of your industry. You could discover an idea from a completely unrelated field and apply it to your small business.

Take a walk, go for a drive, ride the subway…just get out of your home office. When you work from home and sit at your desk all day, you can feel boxed-in. When everything around you is the same as it was the day before, your imagination can fizzle a bit.

I never know when I’ll get my next idea, but my new approach to problem-solving and generating ideas may give me the results I want. I may even start taking a birdseye view of the world to see a solution in a different light. At least that’s what I figured out when I visited Birdwatching.com.

How do you come up with ideas?

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.

You can’t control all of the stress related to working from home but you can apply a few basic de-stressing strategies:

• Replace outdated equipment. Your old computer may work fine, but how much time and energy are you wasting on old, out-of-date equipment and older versions of software? There are great deals out there so get rid of your old fossil of a computer and buy something that’s faster and has more memory.

• Use a good planning system. Whichever system you use to plan each day — I’ve tried most of the planning systems out there and I promise there’s something for everyone — make sure it fits your needs and comfort level. If you don’t have control over your schedule, your stress level will spiral out of control.

• Get ready for work each day. I’m all in favor of working naked (both literally and figuratively), but you never know when you’re going to need to run out and meet with a client or pick up office supplies so you can finish a last-minute project. You don’t have to dress in a business suit — one of my clients urged me to design a line of home office clothing that didn’t require a bra — but by being dressed each morning, you’re prepared both mentally and physically to take on any situation.

• Set a work schedule. If you leave your work hours up to chance, you may not make it to your desk until 3:00 every day. Your schedule can be flexible — that’s the beauty of working from home — but knowing when it’s time to work and time to play can make each day a little less stressful.

Stress is part of everyone’s life. But thinking about the lack of a commute, the ability to choose your clients and the freedom to catch your child’s next soccer game can bring anyone’s stress level down a few notches.

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.

Guest post by Anne Leedom

Does your child dream of owning their own business one day? If this is the case, then you can nurture their entrepreneurial spirit as they grow and help them create the life of their dreams. There are certain considerations that can give you great insight and help you decide if your child has what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

1. What’s their motivation? Ask your child if they would want to be an entrepreneur regardless of how much money they might make as they build their business. If their goal is simply to achieve a certain income their chances of success, and more importantly, personal satisfaction are limited. Their real motivation must come from something inside, not from external rewards like monetary goals or praise from others.

2. Who will it benefit? Is their dream is based on something they want to give, or is it more about something they want to receive? A true entrepreneurial spirit includes a desire to do something that reaches beyond oneself. This is the reward that spurs the spirit of an entrepreneur.

3. How hard are they willing to work? One of the biggest misconceptions about becoming an entrepreneur is that life will be easier than working for someone else. Rarely is this the case. Becoming successful requires tremendous commitment and usually the hours reflect the level of dedication to their dream.

4. Are they prepared? What are they planning on bringing to the table? Even if this is their own company, they’ll need to have the experience and knowledge required to succeed. Ask them if they would hire themselves? If the answer is no, then they’ll need to spend some time becoming educated at what they want to really do. If this doesn’t sound compelling then entrepreneurship may not be for them.

5. Can they handle success? How comfortable are they with personal success? One of the number one reasons independent businesses fail is the fact that many people are their own worst enemy. Some people like the idea of success and independence, but as their new business grows, self-sabotage becomes a factor and dreams become financial nightmares. True entrepreneurs never accept defeat, and they never create it for themselves. Their entrepreneurial spirit pushes them past any difficulties and their greatest joy comes from the pride and sense of satisfaction that comes from living your dreams.

Anne Leedom is the Founder of Net Connect Publicity, an online placement agency for experts, products and services. She is also the founder of Parenting Bookmark, a national website on character education.

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.

• It legitimizes your business. Just as I asked the woman about her site, potential clients will do the same to you. When someone searches for your business and can’t find you on the Web, he or she may question your credibility.

• It makes it easy for customers to find you. I know I’m not the only person who hasn’t used a phone book in years. When someone needs your services, chances are they’ll search for you on the Internet.

• It allows other, more popular sites, to link to yours. When a site that has thousands of visitors a day adds a link to your site, potential clients will find you. Commenting regularly on popular sites will also draw traffic to your site.

• It helps you get media exposure. When writers and producers are looking for experts and guests, they search the Web. If you don’t have a Web presence, they can’t find you.

• It provides you with a great way to announce new products and services. Brochures are old school. A better way to let others know what’s new with your company is through regular Web updates.

• It lets others know that your business is up-to-date and not stuck in the past.

A Web site isn’t for everyone…except for those small business owners who want to grow their business.

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 end a personal or a business relationship.

• Don’t text too early or too late. Consider time zones when you text. You may have a brilliant idea at 6 am but your friend or client who’s two hours behind you, may not want to hear your idea at 4 am. The same goes for night owls. A publicist I worked with a few years ago used to send me texts after midnight because that was her peak creative time. Those quickly stopped when I started texting my responses early in the morning.

• Don’t respond to every text. Let’s say that you and someone else have been trading text messages. When you or the other person sends (what’s supposed to be) the last message: “OK…I’ll see you on Tuesday,” let it go. You don’t need to send a response that reads, “K” or “OK” or “deal.”

• Don’t send a text to a client when you’re mad, in a hurry or um, in an altered state. Leaving angry voice mail messages is one thing (right, Mel Gibson?), but texting a nasty message that can be forwarded to others is a bad idea. The same goes for messages when you’re not necessarily coherent. Unlike a phone conversation (unless it’s recorded), a text message lasts forever.

• Don’t text and drive. What can I say? Oprah’s No Phone Zone campaign got to me. It’s been a challenge, but now when I get in my car, I leave my phone in my purse.

Texting is a great way to save time that you’d otherwise spend playing phone tag. Once in awhile though, it’s nice to talk on the phone too.

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.

• Make sure your laptop is fully charged before you board the plane. If you have a long flight, you may run out of power. If you’re watching a movie, count on it.

• Always travel with headphones. On the flight home, they played a movie. I pulled out my cheap headphones and after untangling them I watched the in-flight movie. It made the 3 ½ hour trip go by more quickly. I was too tired to work anyway.

• Print your boarding pass before you go to the airport. If you fly Southwest (my favorite airline), make sure you get your boarding pass 24 hours before your flight so you’ll have a better chance of getting a lower boarding number.

• When you’re checking into the hotel, ask whether or not there’s a charge to use the Internet. It never fails…the more expensive hotels charge for Internet while the more reasonably priced hotels don’t.

• Before you check out of your hotel, check your room for chargers, clothes and anything else you may have left behind. During one of my trips last summer, I left my iPhone charger behind. Ouch!

I enjoy going out of town, but as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz said, “There’s no place like home.”

Check out a few of my other posts about making traveling easier:

The easiest travel tips can be the hardest to remember

Tips for making traveling tolerable

During the two days of information-packed sessions ranging from how to market your business to growing your online presence, I was surprised at how much I learned.

Not only did I learn great tips and strategies from the speakers, I picked up a few tips from the attendees as well.  This was no group of slackers!

Before you go to your next live conference, consider these tips:

• Make sure that the conference you want to attend, will help you grow your business. Unless you’re attending a conference that’s in town, going to an out-of-town conference can be expensive and may not be worth your time and money. Even if it is in town, the conference should be worth the time you’ll need to take off from your business.

• Take notes…plenty of notes. By the end of the two days, I had pages and pages of valuable notes and strategies to take my business to the next level.

• Start a To Do page. The organizer of the conference, Cathy Alessandra, provided each of us with a detailed booklet that featured each speaker’s bio and room to take notes. I took notes on the speaker’s pages, and on a separate To Do page I listed action steps. Taking notes is one thing…putting the information to use is another.

• Network, network, network. During each break, I made it a point to meet at least 3-4 new people. They even had a contest for the person who collected the most business cards. (I lost.) Almost every person I met was prepared with a one-sentence “elevator pitch.” I’d ask someone what she does and she’d answer, “I work with (insert type of business) to help them (insert three benefits). Brilliant! In one sentence I learned what they did and what type of people they helped.

I’ve “virtually” attended plenty of Webinars and at times walk away from my laptop with tips I can use.  But nothing beats the energy, enthusiasm and inspiration that a group of successful entrepreneurs (both male and female) provides at a live conference.  The next time a Webinar invitation hits your e-mail, think twice and maybe opt for a live conference instead.