How To Achieve Great Success From A Home Based Business

Profitability is the most important factor to success with any home based business. A home-based business can run for a long period of time as long as you make it profitable.

However, as many businesses don't make a profit to start with this is often the first goal of the home-based business owners, and you should achieve this goal as soon as possible.

To achieve this goal you should focus on business development, be careful with your expenses and focus on what you are offering.

Focusing on growth is a key way to build your home-based business profits. In order to influence your results you should have the right mindset. If you don't have a profitable mindset then you are likely going to stay where you are.

Rather focus on growth and have the mindset to notice opportunities when they come along that can lead to gain, and then take action on these opportunities right away before they are gone. Again, success loves speed.          

Next you must pay attention to your expenses seriously. All businesses have some expenses when they first start out even home-based single person businesses. Make sure you set up a budget that includes things such as advertising, utilities, office supplies and anything else that may be necessary to the specific home-based business you are considering.

On your list write down the expenses that are necessary for operating your business, these should be items that you need in order to make your home-based business profitable.

You will likely run into some expenses that you don't really need to operate your business. These are the expenses that don't make your business grow and only take away from the profits of your business.

Carefully consider before you truly need these expenses and if they don't make any profit then you should cut them for something that will actually help with the growth of your business.

However, you can only move your business so far by restricting your expenses. You also need income in order to gain profitability from your home-based venture.

Promotion is the most important factor to developing any business and gaining profitability. Basically you should focus on making your business known to people.

You can't expect to do business with them if they aren't aware of your company. While this may seem like an obvious point, the fact is that many businesses (home-based, store front, and internet based alike) fail simply because individuals don't spend enough time promoting their business. Once again, promotion is the key for your success.

If you have more than one product that requires promoting then consider focusing on just one main product for your business since you can focus most of your attention on marketing one product and once you get interested customers or visitors you can tell them about the additional products.

This will make it easier to run your business and you will also have better results from your actions. Remember, it isn’t impossible for you to promote many products at the same time, just time consuming and has a habit of dividing your concentrations.

These tips don’t just apply to those who are starting a new home-based business. You can still use these helpful advice to let you move your business in the right direction if you have been working on it for awhile and just can get it to work for you. By applying these tips you will be able to have success with your home based business no matter how long you have been in business.

Don’t forget that I am here for your success, if you have any topics that you want me to cover, drop me a line and let me know.

Teach Your Children to Be Assertive

Creating a Confident Next Generation

 

“When children are treated with acceptance, they develop self acceptance.”

-         Stephanie Matson

 

Yeah, we covered assertiveness at home and then at work, so you are probably wondering why I am going to teaching children. If you have been following me very long, then you already know this, but in case you are new to my blog, I am a firm believer that you are not truly successful unless you create a legacy of success and a deliberate way of doing that is to pass on your success to the next generation.

 

Teaching the future generations everything that you know, the issues that you have overcome and how you overcame them, gives them an advantage on life, thus giving them a better life.

 

Children experience pressure at home. For sure, they also experience pressure in school. So it is not too early to teach them to be assertive. Keep in mind that teaching them to be assertive is not the same thing as teaching them to be aggressive or obnoxious. It doesn’t necessarily mean teaching them to go on the offensive.

 

Just think of it, our lack of assertiveness started when we were children and continued into our adult lives. The situation is more difficult for the children. They are not yet aware that they have rights, the same as we adults do.

 

Children (and even adults!) need to be taught that:

 

· No one has the right to make them feel guilty, foolish, or ignorant.

 

Though some may try to do just that, your child needs to know that those bullies do not have the right to do such mean things to anyone.

 

They should be ignored and not listened to for the sake of your child’s well being.

 

· They do not need to make excuses to everyone for every little thing they do.

 

Children are accountable only to few people and these are mainly their parents, brothers, sisters, close relatives and immediate family. Of course, they are also accountable to themselves but no one else.

 

· They are allowed to change their minds and not feel bad about it.

 

Sometimes, adults have a change of heart. So why can’t kids have the same? They need to know that it is okay to change their minds.

 

Nothing is carved in stone, especially when it comes to children.

 

· If things go wrong; it is not necessarily their fault.

 

Many children internalize family problems. They take the blame for things they have no control of. In fact, these are things that they should not deal with at all. An example of this is the separation of their parents.

 

· They do not have to know everything. It is okay to say, “I do not know” or “I do not understand”.

 

Adults do not know everything so why should a child know everything?

 

It is important to teach your child not to feel inferior because they do not have the right answers to all questions at once. Children often feel this way in the early years of school. They need to be reminded that their lack of knowledge is the primary reason why they have to study in school!

 

· Making a mistake is not the end of the world.

 

There is nothing wrong about committing mistakes. They need to know that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. They should just admit the mistake and correct it, if possible. Mistakes are mechanisms that facilitate learning.

 

· They do not have to be everybody’s friend.

 

Not everyone is going to like them, but that is okay. Many children feel that there is something wrong with them if they have few friends in school. This is one of the basic lessons for children. They are going to meet other kids who will not like them. It is the same in the adult world, isn’t it?

 

· If they do not understand something, it is okay to say, “I don’t get it.”

 

Children feel bad if they do not get it. They think that they are inferior and there is something wrong with them. Not everybody gets it, but it is okay. Life still goes on.

 

· They do not have to prove themselves to everyone they meet.

 

Children need to be taught that they do not have to prove anything to others. It is okay just to be themselves. Having to prove something to everyone is exhausting and will sap the self-confidence you are trying to build in your child.

 

· They do not have to be perfect.

 

Perfection is not possible anyway. They should just be themselves. It is unfair to expect perfection from your child, when you cannot attain it yourself.

 

The biggest obstacle to your children’s personality development might just be their own social skills. Young children have social and communication skills to make them feel self-confident. Meeting new kids makes many children nervous.

They are unsure about what to say or how to approach other children and adults.

 

You can prepare them for new social encounters by doing frequent little role-playing activities with them. Help them practice social conversation by pretending to be the new kid. Teach your child how to initiate and sustain conversation with others.

 

Teaching them social skills is the first step to making them more comfortable in just about any given situation. The more comfortable they feel in these situations, the easier they will learn how to be assertive. The better they understand themselves, the more they will know and articulate their needs.

 

As you go about the role-playing activities, you must teach your children how to ask questions and get others to respond. Also, equip them with skills on following up the information they receive. This will teach your kids to become good listeners. This is especially helpful for shy children. This way, you develop children to become good listeners, excellent conversationalists, self confident and assertive individuals.

 

Because of their tender age, frustration easily sets in and children have a tendency to respond with anger. It is imperative to teach your children that anger is not a good tool for asserting themselves. As an adult, you already know that other people react negatively towards anger and aggressiveness. Anger distorts the message the child is trying to deliver, thus resulting to a break down in communication. Just as this is highly ineffective for adults, so it is with children.

 

Credibility is automatically discounted when they display anger. Children are more expressive in communicating anger. Signs of anger may include dragging their feet (passive aggressive), throwing tantrums, breaking toys, or even hitting others. It may be hard to understand, especially for young children, that anger is not an effective tool in building assertiveness.

 

When you are asserting your authority over children, one of the qualities that you should have is persistence. Repetition is another effective way of teaching young toddlers. You repeat over and over what you want from them.

 

Your children can use the same tool to help assert themselves to their peers. Yelling, screaming, and pounding will not get them what they want, but persistence will wear down the opposition.

 

Another useful tool is working out a compromise with others. Everyone wants to feel they won the round. A compromise insures that both sides win and nobody loses. Asserting without denying the rights of the other person can bring about a peaceful solution for everyone.

 

Non-assertive children will be oversensitive to criticisms, especially those expressed by family members. They are also terrified of getting caught making a mistake. They are constantly afraid of being wrong, doing something wrong, or being thought of as stupid. You can also spot non-assertive children because of their lack of persistence. They give up far too easily and do not try after a single failure.

 

Children must be taught to deal with mistakes. They have to know that it is not the end of the world if they make an error. Everybody makes mistakes, so it is okay as long as you admit and try to rectify it. When children are not taught how to cope up with mistakes, they tend to get extremely upset.

 

Learning to deal with one’s own faults and those of others is difficult enough for adults to deal with, let alone children. Let them know it is okay not to be perfect, none of us are. You should not expect them to perform perfectly all the time.

 

Perfection is something none of us can live up to, no matter how hard we try. It is unfair to expect a child to be perfect. Many children spend their whole lives trying to live up to their parents’ unfair expectations, instead of learning to be the best at whatever they choose.

 

As far as criticism is concerned, you should prepare your children in handling them. They will receive criticisms all through out their lives. There will always be somebody around to criticize them. The critics are out there waiting to pounce on them for any imperfection or error.

 

When children learn to relax, just be themselves, filter what others have to say, and learn not to be easily influenced by opinions of others, they will lead a happier and relaxed life. They will grow up and become well-adjusted adults in the future.

 

Keep in mind that the only way you will be able to teach your children how to assert themselves is by learning how to be assertive yourself. As much as you want your children to be assertive and learn to stand up for themselves, you should not become a pushover parent.

 

If you find it hard to say “no” to your children when they are making unreasonable demands, and if you give in repeatedly, you are setting the stage for their demands to grow larger and larger with each passing day. It is up to you as the adult to set the example for your child. No means no, period, end of discussion. You do not need to become a doormat to ensure that your child becomes assertive.

 

Be a good role model for your children. Children learn what they see and experience. If you are assertive and fair, they will learn to become one, too.

 

Always keep in mind what John W. Whitehead said, “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”

 

Keep on the lookout, there is one more post coming on the topic of assertiveness and success.

Assertiveness at Home:

Teach People How to Treat You!

 

Assertiveness has its place at home, as well as, in any other place. In fact, this is the training grounds for your new assertive self because people are more likely to let you know if you are going to far. Better an upset family member that you can make up with than a boss who could fire you.

 

Wherever humans gather, there will always be a need for well-placed assertiveness. Just as there is a need for boundaries in the workplace, so there is also a need for boundaries at home.

 

A boundary is a line that you draw between yourself and others; this includes even loved ones. It is a line that represents physical and emotional limits. You draw the line to indicate that going beyond that means a violation of your standards and rights. It may sound strange to think of boundaries between family members, but it is essential for a healthy and happy family.

 

All members need to know their limits when dealing with you and that same boundary protects them too. Setting boundaries can make you feel safe and make others feel safe, too. Everyone would know what to expect and have information about wants and needs of everyone.

 

Stop and think about the times you felt uncomfortable, hurt, angry, or betrayed. Those dark emotions indicate that your boundaries were somehow crossed. This clearly shows the need for everyone to have those boundaries.

 

Boundaries ensure that your rights are protected. You have the right to enjoy positive and satisfying relationships. This type of relationship allows you to express yourself honestly and tell others how you wish to be treated.

 

I think you would be surprised to know that many couples simply do not know how to treat each other because they do not know what they want. If you want your spouse to treat you with consideration and respect, you have to tell him/her. It seems so obvious and simple. Your spouse would not know if you do not tell them. You must teach them how to treat you.

 

There are times when being assertive towards your spouse may seem like an uphill battle. It just feels like he/she is not listening to what you are saying; it seems like he/she is not attentive to your needs. Approaching them in the same old manner may be your problem. It is time to find a new way to say what you need to say.

 

Many men and women approach their spouse with the old passive/aggressive guilt trip starting with negative feelings, feelings of superiority, and blame.

If you start with the blame game, your spouse is going to shut down within thirty seconds. He/she has heard all this before and will tune out as soon as you open your mouth. It is time to try a new tack.

 

Put aside those negative feelings and do not start with a criticism. Try to see things from your spouse’s point of view and find again good things that you love about that person. Appreciate his/her good points and put aside the issues you two fight about.

 

Approach the encounter carefully, keep calm, and most importantly, watch your language. Always remember that ill-chosen words can hurt deeply. Avoid blaming the other person. Try to be supportive of your spouse and for heaven’s sake, admit when you are wrong!

 

Asserting yourself and negotiating does not mean tearing the other person down all for the purpose of proving that you are right and the other party is wrong. Making your spouse feel miserable and unworthy is no way to negotiate your wants and needs. That is not a win-win situation. Instead, look at your spouse’s positive points and boost his/her morale. Abraham Lincoln said, “It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he’s worthy of himself.”

 

Sometimes, the problem is not your spouse but another member of your family or your spouse’s family. Keep in mind that you are living your own life now with your partner and children as a family. Do not let relatives or in-laws push you around. You will encounter some family members that practically insist on a fight.

 

It is better to politely avoid an argument and simply refuse to be pulled into any form of discussion or confrontation. Keep it simple and try these deflections:

 

· I’m going to bow out of this one, thanks.

· Sorry, I don’t have an opinion on that.

· I truly wish I had something to contribute to this, but I don’t.

· Maybe you could rephrase that, please.

· Leave me out of this.

 

Do not be recklessly assertive and go overboard when dealing with a loved one. When dealing with those you are closest to, learn to be more assertive and less aggressive. Be more confident and less fearful.

 

Learn to be more effective so you will not come off as wishy-washy. Stop being a fence sitter; say what you feel and mean what you say. Demanding to have everything your way will not earn you the respect you desire from your family. Being calmly assertive and fair with everyone will command that respect. It will even encourage them to emulate you.

 

Boundaries must be set and adhered to at all times in order for families to be happy, healthy, and respectful of each other. Asserting your rights within the family is not asking too much and makes for a better relationship. Boundaries would include making sure each member of the family has needed privacy and space. It also has to do with how each member speaks to the others in the family. Negative, insulting, or rude talk is not acceptable.

 

It is unfortunate that some people allow others to decide for them and then become bitter in the end. This is especially true within the framework of a family.

One spouse begins making the decisions for the entire family, without necessarily consulting the other. If you find this to be true in your own household, keep in mind that your partner began making those decisions because you allowed that to happen.

 

Many spouses let their partners have it their own way to maintain the peace in the family. This can absolutely work to your disadvantage. The longer you allow it to continue, the more difficult it becomes to assert yourself, take back your own life, and exercise your decision-making capabilities.

 

This whole dynamics can lead to low self-esteem and feelings of inferiority since you allow others to decide matters for yourself. Their actions are inferring that you are not capable of making your own decisions.

 

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” If your spouse has begun taking the initiative and is making decisions that you do not agree with, guess whose fault was it?

 

By your inaction, you have taught your partner that it is okay to go over your head and decide what you should have and not have. You have given away your power but you can still get it back. You will find in the last chapter of this report a short assertiveness training manual to help you regain your power of decision.

 

If people in your life are treating you badly, you must figure out things that you are doing which allow them to continue behaving in such a way to you. What is it that makes them feel free to verbally or physically abuse you?

 

Women may find themselves feeling uncomfortable around men who curse or tend to talk about women in unacceptable terms. Men who behave this way have no respect for women. By remaining silent, these women are allowing this behavior to perpetuate.

 

One of the biggest roadblocks to asserting yourself could be the unarticulated desire. Many people want something from someone but are unclear, even in their own minds, on exactly what that “something” is. They make no verbal assertions about their wants and needs, but rather expect others to instinctively know what that mysterious “something” could be.

While we are all about improving ourselves by learning new skills and developing new talents, most of us are simply not capable of reading the minds of others (outside of the amazing Kreskin, that is!). People cannot possibly grant that mysterious “something” to you if they do not have a clue on what it is.

 

Stop waiting for your spouse, kids, boss, co-workers, or friends to magically figure out what you want or need. Assert yourself and tell them clearly what you need.

 

Remember that assertiveness is about getting what you need and protecting your rights, while not stomping on the feelings and rights of others. So, open you mouth and say what you need. If you want to reap the benefits, you must first give it a name. You must articulate whatever it is that you want, need, or desire.

Maybe the simple act of making a decision is what is holding you back.

 

Indecision keeps you from articulating what you need. Indecision causes homeostasis, inaction, and resistance to change. If you do not make a decision, someone will eventually decide for you and you probably would not like the result.

 

Knowing what you really want is essential. In this world, the only thing you will get is exactly what you ask for. What are you asking for?

 

Being more assertive (NOT AGGRESSIVE, PUSHY or RUDE) with those closest to you will give you the ability to move on to creating boundaries and with co-workers, employees, contractors, etc.