My Online Business Adventure

If you have the home business blues at the moment, it could be because it’s July.  I read somewhere that this is quietest month of the year for affiliate marketing and if your business is less than a year old it can be a trying time, wondering whether things will ever pick up.  Here are some tips for staying motivated with your home business during the quiet period.

• Work on a project, such as an ebook, that will be ready to launch as soon as things pick up.
• Remind yourself of the reasons you began your business.  Think about your goals and the lifestyle you will have when your business is successful.
• Remember that the work you do now, although it is not showing results at present, will pay off in future months - so don’t be tempted to take too long a holiday!
• Get in touch with what you love about this business - rekindle the excitement you had when you started by listing all the things you enjoy about it.
• Take a day off to review your business; set some new goals; plan a new project; brainstorm about how you can improve your traffic and make more sales.
• Spring-clean your business.  Cancel any newsletters that you never read, clear out your inbox folders, and consider cancelling any paid-for programs that are not working for you (making sure, of course, that you have done everything possible to make it work first)
•  Think of all the skills, interests and experience you have and how you can use them in your business.
• Read some motivational books (there are some suggestions at the bottom of this post)
• Read biographies of people who are successful.  This is extremely motivating, because you will find that they have all come through difficult periods, and you are not alone!
• Join some home business forums and share your feelings with other people.
• Don’t listen to any negative thoughts you may have. Reality is something you create from your thoughts, so make sure you are creating something positive.
• Above all, remember that in a few weeks things will begin to pick up so just hang on in there and don’t give up!

People in the affiliate marketing business often give up just before their business was about to take off.  Don’t be one of these people.  The most successful people in the world all had to get through tough times.

If you want more ways of staying motivated with your home business, I offer a special service for everyone who joins an affiliate program with me: a free motivational newsletter delivered to your inbox every 3 days.  Go to my website for details.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

Career & Confidence Coaching

The media would have us believe that everyone is in the same boat. We’re all facing a “credit crunch”, fuel prices are going through the roof and the cost of living is rising on a daily basis. House prices are plummeting and interest rates rocketing. The “doom and gloom” mongers are having a field day! So how do you build financial freedom in this kind of climate?

Actually, there are plenty of people out there who are not affected by the recession. Or any recession, come to that. I’m not just talking about the Sir Alan Sugars or Sir Richard Bransons of this world.

There is an industry that is growing rapidly, and not only that, but it thrives during a recession.

Yes, of course, I’m talking about the online affiliate marketing industry.

Why does this industry do so well when the rest of the world isn’t?

Partly because the set-up costs are so low and the future rewards so high. It is just the thing that people turn to during a financial crisis, such as global recession. Instead of staying in a job where their future is insecure and the paycheck does not meet growing inflation, they are starting their own businesses where they can build residual income which will carry on no matter what happens.

There is a little more to it than that though. It’s also much to do with attitude.

I heard some business guru (it might have been someone from “Dragon’s Den”) say recently that there are always people who are successful during a recession, and there are always people who are poor when the world is booming. It’s really all about what you believe about yourself.

So forget what the gloom merchants are telling you. You can build financial freedom no matter what the rest of the world is doing. Just believe in yourself and take action. If working at home appeals to you, take a look and see what’s on offer!

For home business opportunities click here.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

I know that “How to Earn Money At Home“  looks a little like my last post, but I’m coming from a rather different angle today.  If you have to stay at home, for whatever reason, there are still plenty of ways to earn a living.

I have lived with chronic fatigue syndrome for about 8 years.  Luckily I am not confined to bed, but most days are a bit of a struggle and occasionally I hit a brick wall and have to give in and rest completely.  This is what happened yesterday - and it made me realise how lucky I am to be working at home.

When I was first diagnosed I was in quite a stressful teaching job and the daily commute, deadlines and facing disruptive teenagers every day left me completely exhausted so I was having to go to bed extremely early in the evening just to be able to function the next day.   It really wasn’t a life.

In a job like that it’s just not acceptable to have a day off every time you feel tired, so working from home was a definite answer for me.  I trained to be a life coach so I could give up my job and work at home.

That was fine - but even without the commuting and dealing with behavioural difficulties, the amount of work necessary to earn a living wage was still quite a hefty load for someone who exhausts easily.

Lying on my bed and writing a novel was much easier - but there’s no money in that unless someone publishes it - and that’s another story!

When I discovered affiliate marketing, I knew I had discovered the answer.

If you have to stay at home - whether it’s because of illness, or because you are a stay at home parent - it really is one of the best ways of earning an income without having to go anywhere or do anything too taxing.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  It’s hard work.  But it’s hard work of the mental kind rather than the physical.  Having chronic fatigue does sometimes slow you down mentally as well as physically - but because you are working for yourself you can set your own pace and decide on goals that are within your own capabilities.

With an online business you don’t have to do anything physical except typing - and even if you are confined to bed, you could use a laptop.

Yes, there are always some days where you are not going to be able to do much.  But you soon learn to set priorities and keep focused on what’s important.

Yesterday I spent the day in bed, but I was still able to listen to a motivational CD and do some re-evaluation and re-prioritising of my business.  In fact, days like that can be extremely useful because we often get caught up in the actions we need to take, and forget that stopping to think once in a while is just as important.

So even if you are completely healthy and own a home business, don’t forget to take some time off to read a book, listen to an inspirational speaker, or make notes!

If you have to stay at home, whether it’s due to chronic fatigue, some other disability or because you are a parent, starting a home business could be a way of earning the money you are missing out on.

For ideas on how to earn money at home,  you can look at my last post, or go to my online business website.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

Career and Life Success Coaching 

As global recession worstens and the price of fuel and other commodities increases, more and more people are looking for an alternative to the 9-5 job.  In fact, I recently read that about 72% of Americans are considering a home business.  Whether or not that statistic is correct, there is certainly a huge increase in people taking their financial future into their own hands and going it alone.  If you are considering this, you might like to consider the work at home online business ideas I have set out below.

Before you start, though, here is a word of warning.  The internet has produced a wealth of opportunities for the home business entrepreneur.  However, it has also created a lot of opportunities for the scammer - so it is important that you check out any program before handing over your money.

It is also important that you choose a business that is right for you.  Ask yourself the following questions:

Does this appeal to me?  Does it fit in with my beliefs and interests?  How much money will I need to start this?  Is this a proven and trustworthy business?

Here is my list of ideas for getting started with an online business quickly and easily:

Affiliate Programs

This is the quickest, easiest and most cost-effective way to get started with an online business.  In affiliate marketing you promote other people’s products or services and receive commission for sales and/or referrals.  Many will pay referral commissions several levels deep.

All programs have different systems for paying out and you need to check out their commission system before starting.  You also need to make sure you are comfortable with promoting the product or service, otherwise you will be severely handicapped in your ability to sell.

With most affiliate programs you can start with very little or no cost - though it is recommended that you spend a small amount of money to pay for website hosting, upgrading or marketing.  However, there are many ways to advertise for free and you should definitely look into these.

Hosting your own website is probably the best way of promoting affiliate programs, and your main task will be to create traffic to this website using free marketing techniques such as blogging.

Private Label Resell Rights

You can find many products, such as e-books, that have already been created by someone else where you have the right to sell them as if they were your own.  Do make sure that the product gives full resell rights, otherwise you could be in trouble.  You can sell these via your website, through traffic exchange sites or sell them to an opt-in email list who have confirmed that they would like to hear from you.

Offer Your Own Product or Service This sounds like it’s harder work - but if there is something you have a real interest or experience in it can be very enjoyable to write it up as an e-book or offer your own product or service. Using what you know is a very good way to make money online.

If you love writing, you could offer a freelance writing service, or if you have good organisational skills you could write an e-book on time management.  The potential is endless and everyone has some skill that someone else would like to learn about.

This is just a small sample of some of the ways of making money on the internet - but they are certainly the most tried and proven.

Working at home can be a way of providing a supplementary income - or eventually become your main income allowing you the freedom to leave your job and become financially independent.

There are several work at home online business ideas in the side bars of this blog - or you can look at my website for even more ideas.  Have a browse and choose what appeals to you!

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

Are you worried about the economy? Nervous about your job security? Wondering how you will manage to pay your bills or mortgage in the credit crunch? Recession always puts a lot of people on edge - but not everyone. It depends on the business you’re in. There are such things as recession proof business opportunities and right now I know I’m in the right business!

If you think about a recession in a positive way, you can choose to see it as an opportunity for change. So, you might lose your job or have less to spend. But what if you didn’t really like your job in the first place?

In the today’s world more and more people are beginning to recognise that a traditional job is not the only way to earn money - and in fact the way we have been taught (get a good job, earn a regular income, retire in your sixties) is not as secure as it once was, and that is only too apparent every time there is a recession.

Setting up a home business may not be an immediate answer to today’s pressing bills - it will take time to grow -but it is certainly an investment against future economic downturns. And if your job is currently threatened, it would do no harm to start off a home business now as a commitment to a more secure future.

Many people are put off starting up on their own because of the costs involved. But in my business the start-up costs are minimal. Even if your budget is less than $50 you have the chance to create a business that will grow into something big.

Running an online home business is fun and exciting. It is also hard work. It takes time. But compared to an ordinary job, for me the rewards far outweigh the daily grind of working for someone else in a job that might not last anyway. I know that my financial future is secure. Is yours?

Recession proof business opportunities come in many shapes and forms. Why not have a look HERE and see if you can find something that suits you? At the worst, you will discover a new world of opportunity for the cost of a few dollars. At the best, you will provide yourself with future financial freedom.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

OK, the world economy may be in decline. In the past I might have found this depressing. I may even have worried about redundancy (that happened to me a couple of times too) and how to pay the mortgage. But now that I am working from home these things just don’t affect me. I quit the rat race several years ago, and never regretted it.

Working from home benefits you in many ways. For a start there’s the savings in petrol (woops, sorry US people, I mean gas!). It also feels good to know that I’m doing my bit for the environment by working from home. I don’t have to buy my lunch, buy expensive suits AND there are some tax benefits to working at home. However, these are not the main reasons I feel good about my home business.

Having an online home business makes you constantly aware of ever increasing income generating opportunities, in particular, methods of creating residual income. Residual income is where you get paid repeatedly for something you only do once. For example, if you write an e-book, you would be paid every time you sell a copy. This is passive income, and every time you do something else, it can build and build. In other words, you get paid for what you did rather than what you do.

The majority of people work in a job where you perform various tasks and then get paid for it. The next day is the same, and then the next day. Unless you get promoted, there is very little opportunity to build your income. And even if you do, there’s usually a limit as to how much you can earn.

I’ve always loved the idea of being my own boss and having the potential for limitless earnings. I have tried being self employed once or twice before, without too much success, but now I’ve discovered working online for a living I feel secure about my future.

But I have to say, it’s hard work, and not for the faint-hearted. Especially on a day like today when the sun is shining and the garden beckons and I can hear the birds singing. All the same, at least I’m not stuck in an office all day - and I can sit in the garden with my coffee and at lunch time if I want to.

OK - I shall stop staring at the back of the pub from my window and get back to what I was saying.

Some work at home jobs are a little too linear. I mean, you do something, get paid for it and then try to find the next person who will pay you for doing something. This is far too much hard work for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love life coaching and doing the occasional bit of freelance writing, but these are things you have to work at constantly.

No, the best way to grow wealth is with passive income. I like the idea of initial work and then being able to earn a constant, steady income from it. I like to think that I might be earning money while I’m asleep, or on holiday - or even sitting in the garden sipping coffee, or a Pimms… (now you’re talking!)

So I am so glad I found a way of doing this online. In affiliate marketing, once people subscribe, you have started a passive income. When they renew, you earn money. When they recruit someone else, you earn money. Yes, it starts off slow, but it builds - and the possibilities are truly limitless.

I don’t have to worry about my financial future any more. Soon, I will be living the dream I’ve always had: to be a writer - and without the writer’s worry about income (after all, J. K. Rowlings only happen once in a blue moon - though I’m not ruling that out either!).

I will always be glad I quit the rat race. Working from home benefits are just so beyond anything a job can offer.

Now, did someone mention Pimms….?

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online

It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in the UK.  One of those days that make you feel glad to be alive.  And glad to be working at home!  OK, there are a few downsides to owning a home business, but right now I cannot think of any.  The advantages of working at home cancel out the disadvantages many times over.

While I work at my computer, I have my window open.  I can hear the birds singing and a gentle breeze wafts in to clear the air.  At 11 o’clock the church clock will chime the hour and I will take my coffee into the garden and relax for 20 minutes while I read something useful, like a writing magazine or personal development article.

I might even take my notepad out later and write some notes for a new article.

Then at lunch time, I could take the dog out for a walk by the duck pond, or even pop in to my local pub if I wanted to.

At five o’clock, instead of sitting baking in a traffic jam, I could go out and do a bit of gardening to finish the working day off nicely.

Do I ever want to go back to working in a stuffy office, a noisy classroom and hot, sweaty commuting?

Nooooooo….. I don’t think so.

Would you like to feel the advantages of working at home?  Find all you need to set up a home business at Achieve Financial Freedom Online.  I will help you every step of the way.

Ros Bott

Financial Freedom Online 

Working at home online is great, but there is always so much to do and only 24 hours each day. Do you find yourself struggling to complete your daily tasks? Do you get distracted by children or neighbours? Having a daily time management system is the answer.

Only you can work out what system will work for you. We all have our own concept of time and what it means to us. Using a system can be the difference between enjoying the time you spend working, or not.

Planning your day, having a daily, weekly and monthly to-do list, making sure friends and neighbours know when you are unavailable, having a set routine are all ways of making sure that your day runs as smoothly as it can.

For more information on this, have a look at my article, Daily Time Management for Home Business Owners.

Enjoy your day!

Ros Bott

For home business opportunities, go to Financial Freedom Online