Five Explosive Home Business Land Mines and How to Side-Step Them

Running a business from home is not easy, although your average MLM/Network Marketing “pitch man” will tell you the exact opposite. However, it doesn't have to be hard either. Most of the time, we make it that way.

Who hasn’t fallen prey to getting their head filled with all the glitz, glamour, and grandure a home-based business can bring…while conveniently dismissing all the negatives also tied to it?

Today, I’m going to set the record straight.

The reason no one ever talks about the negatives of running a home-based business is the same reason a car salesman doesn’t talk about recalls while someone is signing their purchase form: it simply doesn’t close the deal.

But…don’t you think the buyer should be aware of the recalls? Of course!

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran to running a home-based business or just getting the train started down the track, there are a few things you should be aware of that are consistent with any opportunity out there. And while all the positives are laid out for you right off the bat, it’s important to realize there are some negatives that you’ll have to combat in order to prove your staying power.

I’ve narrowed the list down to five common land mines all home business owners run the risk of stepping on, and how you can use your entrepreneurial stealth to side-step them:

Explosive Land Mind #1) Are you treating your business like a baseball card collection? – Starting a business from home can be fun, exciting, fresh, and potentially lucrative. But if you constantly spend more than you make, consistently put it on the back burner in favor of other activities, and only pay attention to it when you feel it’s convenient, then you should never expect a strong ROI.

I have an extremely extensive baseball, football, basketball, and hockey card collection that I accumulated over my early years. At one point, it was a major part of my life. However, the entire collection (while protected by glass and plastic holders) is collecting dust in my parent’s attic. Basically, it’s worthless, although each individual card carries some sort of monetary value.

You don’t want your business sitting in the attic collecting dust next to a Joe Montana rookie card, do you?

How to Sidestep this Land Mine: When you joined your opportunity, there was a reason. In some aspect of it, you found value. Also, you saw it as a vehicle that could help you relieve a burning issue in your life (debt, crummy job, loss of job, etc). Therefore, it’s important to establish goals for yourself and your business as soon as humanly possible.

And by goals, don’t just say you want to make X amount of dollars per month. I’m talking about tapping into your dreams and giving yourself something to work towards (more time with your family, a trip around the world, whatever it is that excites you!) This will keep the value you found in your opportunity shining through even during the toughest of times.

Explosive Land Mine #2) Rejection from Uncle Joe, Bill the Mailman, and Sally the Florist – Sure you may see these people all the time. Sure, they may be very close to you and supported you through every decision you’ve made in your life, whether they agreed with you or not. But…are you ready for those closest to you to stone-cold reject you and your opportunity?

Many people are not, thus producing the high numbers of attrition found in network marketing today.

It’s inevitable, and sometimes unexplainable, that your family, your friends, and your co-workers will tell others about your product, try to drum up business for you, but run for the border when you suggest they refer those customers to a business of their own! Those who have supported your decisions in the past most likely did so whether they believed in you or not…mainly because it didn’t affect them directly…or, financially.

But when you’re asking them to reach into their own pocket and join something they have no clue about, they’ll most likely become very cold, dismissive, and even standoff-ish…all of which can place a heavy burden on many networkers.

How to Sidestep This Land Mine: This one’s easy: EXPAND YOUR NETWORK! Don’t just rely on the people you know to build your business. In some cases, it’s better to build your business without a single family member or friend. Why? Because if things don’t go well, you’re the first one they’ll point the finger of blame at.

Get out and network. Become active on social networks and communities like Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and others. Find a system that generates leads for you, thus making you the hunted instead of the hunter.

The top earners in network marketing don’t chase down and tackle strangers in front of the cookie stand in the food court so they can tell them about a compensation plan that’s going to “rock their world.” They have people beating down their doors, frothing at the mouth to become part of their opportunity!

Explosive Land Mine #3) Expecting BIG BUCKS without BIG EFFORT – Thriving empires and multi-billion dollar companies were not built by someone waking up one day and saying “Hey, I want this to happen,” then sitting on their hands waiting for it happen. It takes effort, sweat, tears, frustration, overcoming learning curves, and overwhelming FAILURE to uncover what works and what doesn’t.

How to Sidestep this Land Mine: Two Words – TAKE ACTION! Think of your business like planting a garden. Your onions, peppers, and tomatoes won’t just grow because you want them to. You’ll have to cultivate them, pay attention to them, care and nurture them. Over time, you’ll see results…and some damn good home-grown veggies!

Keep a strong, undying focus on what you’re trying to accomplish and chalk up each failure as an experience that made you wiser. Pour effort after effort into your business and over time, you’ll notice a change in yourself and your business. You’ll start thinking more and more like an entrepreneur, and, in turn, your business will start to grow!

Explosive Land Mine #4) Save the Veggie Trays for your Super Bowl Party – Despite what may have worked in the ‘Golden Age’ of network marketing, holding meetings at your house rarely work. Plus, they’re a pain in the ass.

You have to worry about inviting people to come, you have to get food and drinks, and you have to make sure your house looks presentable. Then, after all your planning, you have to deal with the inevitable fact that half, sometimes ALL, of the people you invited didn’t bother to show. And if some show, you have to come up with a reason to explain why the others didn’t, all while trying to “convince” someone to join your opportunity.

How to Sidestep this Land Mine: If you want to have a party, invite people over for the Super Bowl or some other big event for the simple reason that you enjoy their social graces. NOT because you want them to “take a look” at this business you’ve gotten involved with. Most people will feel trapped and backed into a corner if you invite them over and unexpectedly try to get them to make a decision on-the-spot with no time to think about it.

To avoid this land mine, simply ixnay the “opportunity” party and rely on the power of the Internet, as well as networking with other entrepreneurs in your are (check out www.meetup.com to find a group in your area) to generate qualified leads for you.

Explosive Land Mine #5) The Bear Trap of Self-Accountability – At any job you’ve ever had, you’ve had someone looking over your shoulder to hold you accountable for your results. If you did not meet deadlines or quotas, chances are you worked extra in an attempt to make up ground.

With your business, you’re the CEO. You’re the boss. The only one looking over your shoulder is YOU. And you’re 100% accountable for your results. And without the fear of losing your job or facing reprimand from a superior, it becomes extremely easy to dismiss any lack of results you get from your business.

How to Sidestep this Land Mine: Again, don’t treat your business like a hobby. If you only pay attention to it when you want, it will flat-line. If you don’t set goals for yourself on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, it will go nowhere at lightning speed.

To hold yourself accountable, don’t put the weight of the world on your shoulders. Set attainable goals you can achieve. Perhaps you only have a couple hours a day to work on your business. That’s fine. Write down 2-3 things you want to accomplish in those two hours, and don’t stop until they’re done. If you go past two hours, think of it like overtime at a job.

Over time, you’ll be able to accomplish things faster and you’ll develop the habit of sticking to your tasks. Then, you’ll able to increase your workload. And, in time, you may reach the point that allows you to focus full-time effort on running your  very own successful business from home.

Be the Best,

Jason Cercone
www.jasoncercone.com