Realize Your Goals

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Realize Your Goals

It doesn't matter how great your product is or how wonderful your
service, if you don't have customers, all you have is a skill, or
a product. People don't go into business normally as a hobby,
although a lot of hobbies do turn into a business. The trick,
however, is to turn it into a positive cash flow to realize your
goals.

If you're serious about doing business, you must plan for the
long run.  Successful businesses don't normally just happen.
They are the result of long hours of planning, and a great deal
of work.

There must also be a "war chest" of funds available until a
positive cash flow is achieved. One of the major problems that
many encounter when starting up, is that they overextend their
financial resources.  No matter what your business, or how it is
run, you must be able to meet current bills when they come due.

Every business has its peaks and valleys.  During the Holiday
Season, for example, retailers have their peaks. Other businesses
may suffer but even during the "lean" times they must
still meet their monthly obligations.

The pundits may argue that the economy is what is causing turmoil
and business failures.  A business that does fail, however, most
likely has overextended itself to the point that its cash
inflow wasn't enough to cover expenses.  When the "war
chest" was depleted, the business was gone. How does this affect the
small entrepreneur?  Can we learn a lesson from this?

Let's examine a program that the average person can get into.
Affiliate Marketing is the current "buzzword" for Multi-Level
Marketing, or MLM for short.  MLM got a bad rap over the past six
or seven years due to the scamsters that abounded. A number of
companies were founded that were simply "Ponzies" in disguise.
The majority of their cash inflow was the result of signing up
new members. When the cash flow from new recruits dried up, so
did the investment of those who had joined.

Are there legitimate companies out there? Sure, and many have a
great track record.  They don't rely on attracting high priced
recruits, but have a legitimate product or service that they
offer.  If you are going to get involved in one of these
companies, that should be a major concern.

So - assuming you found such a company, it is time to investigate
the feasibility of you going into business with them.  They
provide the product or service, and you must set yourself up in
business.  Here is where the cash flow comes into play.

Can you afford the monthly amount you pay them?  Can you afford
to promote your relationship with this business without immediate
income?  If the answer to either question is "no", you'd be well
advised to reconsider.

If the answer is "yes", how are you going to promote it?  Most
companies recommend you exhaust your "warm market" first.  Your
"warm market" is your circle of family and friends that you might
convince to join in with you.  Eventually however, you are going
to exhaust this market and must start seeking people outside that
circle.

One way to attract new people is in the online arena.  While this
will not replace the "face to face" contact that is necessary, if
it is done correctly, it can add a valuable source of additional
income.

Many people make the mistake of using a web site supplied by
their company. While this can be a valuable tool, it really ties
you into their product. If you get your own site, you can use it
to highlight your offerings.  It is, of course, necessary to
advertise your web site, and ezines and newsletters usually give
you the best return on your investment. With a modest investment
on your part, you can realize a decent return.

Usually, for less than a few hundred dollars, you can get a web
site and advertise in ezines targeted to your potential market.
Most people can afford this without counting on their cash intake
to cover the expenses.  Determine what you can spend out of
pocket to make something like this work.  Then, as your cash flow
improves, expand your advertising to include a broader market.

While this is a modest start, it doesn't put you in the position
where you must realize income to make expenses.  Above all, be
patient and realize it will take time and effort to realize your
goals.

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Bob Osgoodby has been publishing online since 1996.  All the “tricks of
the trade” are contained in his latest E-book. Learn how to avoid
being shut down by your ISP for Spamming, and where to find
“E-mail friendly ISP’s.  Learn which software packages are
available to easily manage and distribute your email.  For more
information - http://www.adv-marketing.com/business/handbook.htm
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