You can take this for what it is, my experience and reflection on over 15 years of being an entrepreneur and building several small businesses, or add to it your experience business and make it your own.  I’ll talk a little bit about answering what is probably the most important, yet often skipped, step in starting a small business, that is;  What does success look like?  When I look back, one of the most destructive missteps is failing to define expectations as they relate to a specific business idea.

The Emotional Entrepreneur

For many of us starting a business for the first time is a very emotional period much like that feeling we get when we’ve had a long lingering problem and have just discovered a simple solution once and for all.  It can be really exciting and the idea of starting a successful small business conjures up all kinds of weird and crazy images.  We will finally be respected, wealthy, and free….. We will have to schedule interviews for the newspaper to allow the local T.V channel to get the time they need for their feature piece on our new business.  We might even have to hire a couple people just to help count all our Money!

All kidding aside, it’s important to separate emotion from logic especially in the planning stages of a successful small business start up because reality has a very sobering element to it that will feel like PAIN if it meets unrealistic expectations or a vague definition for success.  Trust me on that one.  It’s worth noting that building a successful small business can be very rewarding and can even lead to a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment, but it won’t make you happy and neither will success.  Looking back I’d say the most important part of being an entrepreneur, starting a business, or creating a business plan is to define success. So what is a successful small business?

What is a Successful Small Business?

It’s no wonder that entrepreneurs struggle when it comes to defining success in their small business and without a clear idea of what success looks like it’s almost impossible to form a goal to work toward.  I’ll admit to working my tail off for over 7 years on a business so I could be successful and only after the fact did I realise my definition of success was “MORE”… If that’s where you’re at right now I’ll help you re-evaluate, re-focus and get on track in just a minute.  Here is Dictionary.Com’s definition of success:

Successful:  suc·cess·ful

• achieving or having achieved success.
• having attained wealth, position, honors, or the like.
• resulting in or attended with success.

So as an adjective we have to dig a little deeper and see what they say about the definition of Success:

Success (Definition)

• the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
• the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
• a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.
• a person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.
• Obsolete . outcome.

After looking at these definitions of successful and success you’ll notice that it assumes an intended outcome or a goal. After all you can’t have a successful performance if the outcome isn’t defines.  One could say the team was successful because they won;  The score was 42-32 so we won by ten points and were successful.  Being successful in small business isn’t usually that clear cut unless we make it that way.  I’ve also learned from experience that “winning” isn’t always an intelligent goal either especially if it requires someone else losing. (Sorry Charlie Sheen)

Ask yourself how many cut throat entrepreneurs you know who are happy? 

If being the winner means the business owner willing to accept the least in terms of profit or lifestyle, do you really want to be the winner? I don’t.  Comparative logic can and does help in defining success for a small business, but it’s only a part.  A large scale business may have a goal of 35% market share.  It’s a good goal, it’s measurable and it’s a common element of  a successful business but I’d argue it more a part of a plan than a goal.  Think of the plan as a map that gets you too the goal.  A good plan helps you stay focused and make decisions in the moment that will move you in the direction of your goal.

A successful small business is a business that has met or exceeded the intended outcomes the entrepreneur has defined as goals for that business.

While that seems like a pretty clear cut statement it’s important to understand that success is not a destination it’s a journey (excuse the cliche).  One exception might be when we create a business specifically for the end goal of selling it, but the new owner will no doubt be left with the responsibility of continuing to grow the business or position in a way that meets the new goals he or she has for the enterprise.  The point is that you’re better off finding that you need to change your goal like this smart lady did than not having one in the first place.

Biggest Myths of a Successful Small Business

Over the years I’ve learned there is a pattern to most successful small business ideas and one of the elements that is always present is the idea that you have to start somewhere and for most entrepreneurs that somewhere is where you’re at right now.  I think this is why our definition for success in our small business has to be a fluid concept that can change and grow as we do as entrepreneurs.  We all have bills to pay and personal life goals like providing for our family or creating a certain lifestyle and these should play a part in defining success for your business so you can create clear goals. If the main reason you are starting a business is to make money, good luck.  Yes money is a part of it but it’s not the end all and when your small business isn’t making money (and it may not) it will be almost impossible to continue in difficult times.  Here are some of the myths that I’ve had in journey to build successful small businesses:

• Beating someone else because of a resentment would make me successful.
• Being able to quit my job.
• Being able to have 100% time freedom.
• Being able to have other people do all the work.
• Being able to make all the money I want.
• Being able to do what I love.

These are all reasons and motivators I’ve bought into at one point or another and I’ve found them all to be quite empty at the end of the day.  New business ideas available on the Internet offer new possibilities to create really cool outcomes with simple home based business ideas.  My Internet business is one of these “new” business ideas that create a very scalable and profitable business with little to no operating expense.  While I still am extremely motivated by time freedom or at least the ability to control my free time I understand that the only real and lasting reason to start a successful small business is because I can.  We live in a country where this is possible, though it is difficult, it is still possible and I have the personal belief that this is an optional reality that is often taken for granted.

We live in a place where we can bless someone and get paid for it. (though we should do it anyway)  We can create value that people willingly trade money for and prosper because of it.  There are many different paths to providing for the necessities of life and our families, being an entrepreneru is one of them and I like to think it is foundational to the system we live in today.  Becoming a successful small business owner will create possibilities that other methods of earning won’t and I’ve experienced that first hand.  Getting a top job in your field of interest is a process that includes things like studying hard, going to college, learning people skills, learning how to interview, and such.  Becoming a successful entrepreneur is no different in that it’s also a process.  The process is similar in some ways and different in others.  In my experience the process of becoming a successful entrepreneur has included things like becoming comfortable with the concept of failing, the willingness to try something new, believe in myself, develop character like persistence, confidence, critical thinking skills and honesty.

Defining Expectations And Business Ideas

Some business ideas are suited to do things that others simply can’t at the present time.  Scalability is one of the crucial elements of any business idea and is, in some ways, the ceiling on expectations.  I would say that the McDonald’s business model isn’t scalable, obviously that isn’t true because the franchise is everywhere and if has been a successful business model no doubt.  But for me and my life goals it, or a business like it, is of no interest to me.  When I think of scalable I think in direct terms of impact on my lifestyle and my personal goals as a person and an entrepreneur.  One of the business I started that grew into a multi-million dollar business with over 35 employees wasn’t scalable because it had a risk exposure problem, namely I took on all the risk.  That was a commercial construction company and I operated mainly as  subcontractor with very little control over cash flow and less over variable expenses.  It was a high stress environment and only promised to get worse as time went on.  Are there successful entrepreneurs in that industry?  Yes, but it wasn’t right for me.  I’ve learned so much from that first enterprise I started the most significant of which is how important it is to define success and learn what it is you as the owner want from your business.  The businesses you start will define how you live, what you do each day, and how fulfilled you are in life in general.

Most people, myself included, start the business that they “can”….

This “business” usually is attached to a specific skill or talent they’ve learned at a job or trade school and the business is quite often born in what Micheal Gerber (wikipedia) calls an “entrepreneurial moment”.   The obvious reason people do this is because most of us are living lives that could be better defined as damage control that purpose driven vision, know what I mean?  All this is fine, it works out in the end because in reality wherever you want to go will begin with where you’re at.  One of the things that really helped me get clear on what I wanted from my business or better yet what I wanted my life to look like was an exercise in a book my Micheal Losier called the law of attraction.  It was an exercise on gaining clarity about what you really want in life and it was the catalyst for me to start an online business in the beginning.  Here is that worksheet in PDF format if you want to use it.

If there is one thing I’ve learned about expectations it’s that they are not targets and they are rarely “hit”…. It seems something either fails to meet at expectation and ends in frustration or it exceeds an an expectation ending in elation.  Sometimes I think the whole point of attempting to define expectations is realize the futility that they bring.  I’d rather have a bag of “if this happens then I’ll do this” (aka contingency plans) than a bag of expectations any day.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on creating good goals, successful businesses and managing expectations below in the comments. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.  Thanks!

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If your looking for a good or want to expand your current business or income with a new small business idea in 2011 I’d love your feedback. I started a home based business using the Internet several years ago and it has slowly build into a profitable business endeavor. Making money is the point and it took me a while, just being honest. I got a call this morning from a gentleman who has tried many different small business ideas that work from a home office and he wasn’t happy with his results at all. He asked if I could help.

Before I try to direct him I wanted to get some feedback on common concerns and questions you might have with regards to starting a business from home or making money on the Internet.

Leave questions comments and overall experience about home based business ideas you have implemented. Tell us what has worked and what hasn’t. I’ll do a follow up post on my personal experience and what I feel you should avoid when starting a small business online.

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In this post I talk about how most successful small businesses that are home based and operate online make money and how they create truly passive income streams over time.  There are many ways you can make money with your home business but chances are you only focus on one, and most successful home business owners don’t.  Part of making the most money with your small business is to create other revenue streams that piggy back current ones.  One of the foundational principles of marketing is that your current customers are your best marketers and the Internet really lets smart entrepreneurs take advantage of this.

Residual income can be a fickle thing and many times what one person calls residual income is what another guy calls a job.  True residual income is passive in sense that you don’t have to preform an action to get paid.  I’m not at the stage where I look to create passive income exclusively but that doesn’t mean I can’t engage in monetization methods that result in passive income over time.  Network marketing is one of the best business ideas to help illustrate this idea.  If you join a network marketing company and go look in your mail box you’ll find it’s no different than before you joined, it will be the same next month too because passive income doesn’t just show up.  The best way to create passive income in your home business is the same way it’s done in network marketing, you build pipelines through which goods and services flow in one form or another and work on a system and in a systems that automates this over time.

Systems are usually quite simple and they are a crucial part of a good home based business idea, without systems you just have a labor intensive job that you own, also referred to as self employment.  Systems in network marketing take the form of training other entrepreneurs how to build a successful business up front and in a way that the process is not dependent on yourself.  Take for instance a cappuccino machine at gas station.  The machine is a system that operates mostly on its own. If your the gas station owner you’ll have an employee who knows (because of his or her training) when and what to put in the machine to make the system work. It’s really now different from a system perspective the just implement differently.

Networking

Most successful home based businessentrepreneurs online use some form of affiliate or network marketing that is tightly associated with the audience their website commands.  Pretty simple right.  Go to a tech site and you’ll see ads for tech products that lead to purchase gateways at pre-arranged affiliate sites.  Some affiliate relationships are simply a traffic trade and you get paid for the traffic you drive.  The money is in the network any way you look at it. Look at Google, they have the biggest network and index the most content on the Internet today.  As a result they have earnings that reflect that…

Small Business Ideas and Making Money

Everyone has ideas and rarely will even the best small business idea make you a dime. It’s all about implementation right from the start.  If your going to create a passive income stream with your small business and you look to the Internet to help you stay home based then you need to be planning to do that from the start.  Knowing exactly how your going to make money from the start is by far the most important thing.

Passive Income Doesn’t Just Happen

Many of the best passive money making small home business on the Internet today use a mailing list to make passive income. It really comes down to this.  You only have to write one email, or blog post, create one sales page, and payment gateway in order to earn money from thousands of people on the list. Back to the “work” part of it and the pipeline…..

If you want a mailing list of thousands of eager to buy people you’ll work for it. And not only will you work for it, you’ll be learning everything you need to know about generating traffic, increasing conversions, getting opt ins,email marketing, copy writing, and trust me, there is a lot more… So when you here of this person or that person making $300k in six months realize they spent years and thousand and thousands of dollars to learn and acquire all that is necessary in order to produce those results.  The results are impressive, I just see people looking around wondering how the hell that happens.  So how does it happen? They earn it.

Top affiliate marketers often scoff at business opportunities that offer a turnkey solution to starting a home based business, but many of them got their start the same way.  As far a running your home business like a real business and earning money with the least amount of man hours, a turnkey business model taken seriously isn’t a bad way to go.

A lot of good business model get judged unfairly because of people who treat them more like a hobby than a business. It’s easy to do. When you go out and spend 100k on a franchise agreement you tend to take your investment a little more seriously than you might if you started a business that could earn just as much or more but cost under $500 bucks to start. 

I love web based home business models for Lot’s of reasons, but the top reason I like them is because of leverage.  Really leverage comes from the Internet and the technologies it makes possible, regardless, it allow me to do things and create results that no traditional business model can do, a lot like network marketing.

What are some of the top reasons you see a web based home business model as the best business model?

Let us know in the Comments.

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Over the last several years I’ve created a successful home business and CreateLiberty.Com has been a solid contributing factor in that success.  Most successful small businesses have a few key elements that make them spin and for my home based business one of the best business ideas I’ve implemented was starting this site.

To be quite frank, I had absolutely no clue what I was going when I started the site.  I was primarily looking at green business ideas at the time and was hoping to find a few home based business ideas that were also in the green, Eco friendly, or sustainable “niche”…. I couldn’t find anything suitable at the time but I did get an up close look at all the successful businesses and business opportunities online and Man were they a ton of home business ideas online, probably more today.

Why are People Starting Home Based Small Businesses?

Well there is always the “RAT RACE” card we could play here, but…

Small Business Start Up Card

People are finding that the Internet makes it possible to take small business ideas that were once accompanied by several hundred thousand dollars in start up capital, scale them down and create a successful home based business at a fraction of the cost.  I’d say this is the top reason starting a work at home based business makes sense, and the same one that has so many people becoming home based entrepreneurs.

Another thing I see more and more is people taking their own small business ideasand using the Internet to start the business.  In some cases they don’t even have a traditional store front. I’d say the most popular use online entrepreneurs are taking advantage of on the Internet is lead generation.

Are Home Based Businesses Green?

In many ways a home based business is one of the top unnoticed green business ideas.  It is absolutely amazing at the lack of waste I’ve experience with my more green home based business compared to a traditional business I ran for over 8 years.  Think about this:

• I don’t buy gas because I work at home.
• I don’t use hardly any paper at all…everything is digital.
• I have more time and eat better, supporting green food practices.
• I have no material needs for what I produce.
• I don’t have a lease and haven’t need to purchase a separate building.

Another reason it just makes sense to start a home based business is because its smart to have a plan B and most folks just don’t.  In some areas the economy has really put a strain on people having a plan B and another source of steady income is one of the best ideas to think about starting your own home business.  As I mentioned, home based business ideas are everywhere and they just keep getting more relevant everyday.  What happens if you start a turnkey type home business and something happens?  Let’s say the company fails or they don’t innovate and offer new products or services and over time the opportunity isn’t as good?  Well you find a new business to promote.  One of the things I help people with is learning how to “own” their marketing machine so they have a secure business that flexible.  I highly recommend anyone who starts a home business opportunity also start a website or blog. I use the Word Press content management system and just love it.  If you need assistance with starting a blog, get in touch, I can personally be reached at joecrawfordonline@gmail.com

The best new business ideas all talk about providing everything you need to get your business up and rolling.  They talk about simple business systems that save time and allow any experience level to get their business started fast and earning money quickly, and they do, BUT…. If you don’t own your own marketing system your at the whim of the buisness opportunity your affiliated with and I don’t recommend it.  This one idea (by chance) saved me from a bad experience in the home business world a few years back.  The small network of sites I started back in 2007 are a profitable home business model themselves and I’m grateful I have them.  So again, start your own website or blog.  There is a ton of great information for free online about starting a blog or website.  You don’t have an excuse.  You can use the systems and tool provided they might be great, just be working at your own website too and brand yourself!  There is a ton of information on the subject on the Internet, look for personal branding methods on google.

If your like I was a few years back, scouring the Internet looking for successful home business I could start, get in touch via the successful home business page and I’ll get you more information on starting your very own home business, the information is completely FREE.

If you know Internet marketing and and are looking for a way put those skills to use and make money from home… you should check out the page as well, maybe you could partner with CreateLiberty.Com and myself… I’m looking for leaders who bring something to the table…. if that’s you, let’s connect!

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This post is an informative invitation to those scouring the Internet looking for the best home businesses to start their own small business online. I’ll talk more about one of the most successful home business models and online business opportunity I’ve found, and I’ve been seeking (spying) out the best home based business ideas for quite a while, in hopes of finding a good fit to offer here at CreateLiberty.Com…. 

A bitter sweet experience with a turnkey business opportunity in the personal development industry a couple years ago started what has become a very successful network of home business and small business websites. I’ve always loved business and truly thought I found a successful home business I could use to create an on the go income…I just wanted to be able to work from where I was and I didn’t want employees again…..That isn’t asking to much, right?…Well it didn’t work out, not for me anyway…. So what happened? 

Well, long story short, it was my first go around with this type of business (direct sales business model with a “2 up compensation plan”) and I wasn’t prepared for what success required, nor was that ever clearly defined. I felt like I was spinning my wheels. 

I’ve always been good at what I really set my mind to….Always. 

I think most people are, know what I mean? 

Think about the things you have really excelled in. Wouldn’t you agree that the things that captivated your full attention and ambition turned out to be successful? 

So why didn’t I achieve the success I wanted? 

Primarily the two contributing factors that were obstacles to my success were, I did not understand lead generation, and the compensation plan…Here is what I mean. 

I bought a website that was supposed to be “proven” to work great for connecting with intelligent individuals who were looking to create a significant income working part time hours from a home office. The website was CRAP, primarily for one reason: It would never attract natural search traffic (the free kind) which is how you got here today. 

The compensation plan was what it was. Being my first experience doing business on the Internet and my first “business opportunity” I didn’t want to lay out a bunch of capital right off the bat, which is understandable, so what did that mean? 

I generated over 23k US dollars in the first month and NEVER saw a PENNY! Ouch!! Still stings a little bit, mainly because I here a little voice saying “I told you so”, which was from a “well meaning adviser”….. 

So at this point I felt trapped, here is why… 

I felt like in order to be successful I’d basically have to lead people, people just like YOU, along a path that would leave them feeling the same way I did that day… or week. NOT FOR ME! 

I want to feel good about what I do. I work hard and invest time into what I really care about and since I’m an entrepreneur that usually includes my businesses. I didn’t feel good about the prospect of leading other along a path that I felt was a dead end and that is where I found myself. 

Here is what I’ve learned since: 

Most successful home based business owners do a few common things and believe me I’ve studied a long list that would likely fill this page. The “common” things or successful strategies to starting a building a lucrative and successful home business that delivers both free time and lots of cash (net profit) ALWAYS: 

• Follow a System
• Own their Marketing Machine 

Home based business ideas, good ones, come and go. Five years from now the best online businesses will be different from the ones to day, know what I mean? Here is the thing…. If you own your marketing machine, it won’t matter ( I can help you with this). Remember that business I mentioned earlier, well it bombed….If I had been building a marketing machine specific to that business I would have bombed too, but I didn’t and thank God for that. In fact, instead of “bombing” I went on to build a successful network of small business websites that generate a passive income month after month around the clock regardless of where I go, what I do, who I’m spending time with or what other business ventures I’m working, how about that! 

Oh… another thing that most successful online business entrepreneurs do is: They look at their home business like a real business and plan accordingly. Looking back I was thinking only short term and not approaching the opportunity that the Internet (or the business opportunity) really offered. The short term is important and I wouldn’t recommend starting a home based business that wasn’t geared to be profitable within the first 30 days or so because I know how power profitability is, more from a mental standpoint than anything. 

How to Create a Successful Home Business

If your still here and engaged in what your reading, I bet you have a real good reason why success is important. I mean what does earning and extra 5 to 10 thousand dollars working less than 20 hours a week do to your life? We all have our own reasons, but here is the thing, if success is so important to you then why not go ahead and create a situation where you success is inevitable? I’ve actually done this, and it isn’t that difficult. 

Is creating inevitable success really possible? 

Success isn’t mysterious anymore, not today, not in 2010. If success is anything, it is a science, hell there is a book with the name “The Science of Success”….. 

Everyone, including you, has what I call an Inevitability Equation that pertains to success, it goes something like: 

If I do this then I can only experience success. 

When it comes to having raving success in your own cash generating home based business it is all about defining what it is you have to do. Most people won’t flat out share what they do, for what ever reason it just doesn’t happen a whole lot… 

…But, what if a business model, or the compensation plan is structured so this happens freely and is even and element of elite results? You bet… you’ll get the goods! 

The task becomes clearly defining the “this” in the equation. At the end of the day “this” will include: (this is big) 

• Daily Time Commitment
• Participating in Correct Training
• Developing a workable budget
• Developing a Daily Method of Operations
• Staying disciplined with DMO and budget plan
• Understanding and engaging in Income Producing Activities
• Developing Leadership Skills/ Helping Others 

Basically what this list means is that you have a certain amount of time you can devote to your business without totally disrupting the balance in your life. You come in with certain skill sets and you may need to pick up a few new ones, training will allow that to happen quickly. You have a budget now an apparently it works to one extent or another. You need to make room in your budget for you business expenses, lucky for you cost of operating a profitable home business are peanuts compared with ANY type of a traditional business. There will be certain things you will do everyday, or at least the days you set to work on your business. This “daily method of operations” will be your road map to success and it takes the guess work out of “What can I do today to help my business grow”. 

So now you’re honoring your time commitment made to the business and engaging in the training you need for success. You’ve developed your budget and know what to do each day. The next thing to really get good at is staying focused and disciplined with your DMO and operating within your budget. You will understand which activities produce income and you will be engaging in them more and looking for ways to increase the time spent on income producing activity. 

Leadership is really more “Doing” than anything. In the home business world results are the badge of leadership. If you work at the ideas already mentioned you’ll be getting results and begin helping others. 

I like helping other succeed and this is on of the key elements I look for in a good home business opportunity. The best home based business ideas will have a compensation component that rewards those who are willing to help others actually achieve results and the top incomes (multiple six figures) are exclusively reserved for those who are successful at helping others. 

The only way to fail at this point is to Quit. Now that is power, talk about being in the driver’s seat of your financial future! 

Often times people fail or quit an otherwise profitable and successful home based business opportunity because the try too hard. They try to achieve their goals in 30 days when they have goals that require more like 18 months to legitimately realize… There is a good chance they overlooked the budget part of the equation too. Throwing money at the wall, wasting cash on crappy marketing, never made anyone a success in the world of home business; it won’t work for you either. Trust me I learned the hard way! 

Really think about the life you would like to create. Think about the big goal…. If you have a compelling enough goal, one you really, really want to achieve, then you will realize the value and give it the time frame it deserves. Trust me your worth it and so is your goal. 

You are Invited to Evaluate a Successful Home Business

I am Joe Crawford I’d like to personally invite you to evaluate a top tier business opportunity designed to create significant incomes and that intentionally requires less than 20 hours a week to operate successfully. My experience requires me to tell you that setting up your marketing machine may require more time…. At the end of the day, your marketing machine IS your business! 

Right now I’m looking for people who are ready to start a work at home based business in the next 2 months. ONLY sign up via the form below if you are relatively certain that you want to: 

• Start Your Own Business
• Your Business Must Be Home Based 

 

Join Create Liberty Entrepreneurs on Facebook!

There is no obligation; you’re simply asking to be put on the list of people who are interested in evaluating the business details. 

I only want to work with people who are serious about creating a 100k plus income from home and would like to do that in the next 12-18 months. 

I’m looking for about 10 people who want to work together, share ideas, and contribute to achieving like minded goals, if that’s you, I can’t wait to chat! 

Thanks, 

J. Crawford
joecrawfordonline@gmail.com 

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Would entrepreneurs be as urgent about finding the best small business start up strategy in 2010 if the economic times were at an even keel?  I’d say probably not.  There are many advantages smart business owners can harvest from an economic time of turbulent change, and really that’s all we’re really talking about with current economic down turn in my opinion.

OK, I guess it’s actually a recession. And I’m won’t pretend that millions of people have been adversely affected during the last 3 years or so, it is what it is.  Successful small business ideas will still be successful and successful entrepreneurs will still be cashing in, the question is, are you going to be one of them?

I think it bears mentioning that when the Government steps in to solve a problem, maybe it’s because its a problem to them.  It seems to me that is about what it boils down to. Do you have any problems today you didn’t have 3 years ago in your business?  If you’ve built a solid business that’s scalable, lower sales shouldn’t be a problem, at least not a critical one, right?

If I’ve learned one thing about the last three years it is to own more than one business.  Owning several business is the best small business strategy in 2010 for a few simple reasons.  The best small businesses to start will vary each year and having more options to work with makes a ton of sense.  Many online business start ups are easily changed to pick up differnt income streams based on performance during the year.

First of all, I’ve learned that one business can feed another and a problem in one business can inspire a new product or service in another business.  My online business is largely dependent on one or two revenue streams, this bugs me.

I think I’ve been complacent the last few months especially. If your like me you likely have about a dozen business ideas for every business start up you have actually launched, even the best small business entrepreneurs get complacent from time to time, so don’t fret, but ask, “what am I doing about it now”?

One of the best small biz strategies has always been multiple streams of income, but owning entirely different businesses in different industries will be hot in 2010.  The fortune 500 companies went down this track years ago, but small business owners have lagged.

One advantage we have as small business entrepreneurs is that we can take small yet concentrated niche markets that are being under-served by these large companies and capitalize on our efforts.

Even to a new entrepreneur, starting a business for the first time, I’d say start a couple.

My 2010 Best Business Ideas

Here is list of things I plan on doing with my online business in 2010.

Starting a Business in 2010

Start 2010 with an overall plan including current businesses that are earning money, new business ideas to implement in 2010, and a couple new projects I haven’t tried. Obviously this business plan will be flexible, but it gives me a framework for productivity.  Eventually even I get sick of trying to convince myself that a business idea I have is great and will make big cash.  This year I’m gonna pull the trigger on these ideas and let the marketplace decide, after all its the only way to get paid.  Starting a blog this year is one of the best investment for 2010.

Another idea I will be implementing in 2010 is to start an online business that has a tangible product. I’ve never really done this as a separate business entity.  I’ve done some direct sales and some affiliate marketing, but never an actual product. I’m thinking private label, or drop ship, something of that sort. If you have any advice in this area, let me know via the comments.

Another 2010 business goal I have is to sell a website or domain name for over 10k.  I’m not sure how I’m gonna pull this off, but I’m working toward it.

Lastly, I’d like to create a user generated content site. I have a site in mind that I already own, it just takes the leg work putting it all together. I’m planning on using word press to pull this off. Again if you have any suggestions or experience in this let us know in the comments!  I started a forum that is connected to one of my websites, actually I started it and forgot about it for the most part, ever done that?  About 8 months later I logged back in for the second time ever to find some people had asked questions and actually had some good activity.  I thinks its probably important to manage a forum if I intend to make money with one.

What is you pick for the best small business start up strategy in 2010?

Are you pulling the plug on any business ideas?

Are you transitioning to a home based business?

Are you expanding a brick and mortar business online?

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In this post I’m talking about home business ideas that can earn 100k plus in 2010.  More specifically turnkey product driven business opportunities in the direct sales and work from home industries.  You’ve likely seen them advertised on the web from time to time in the last year. So what are some options for earning 100 thousand dollars with a home based small business idea in 2010?

When ever I see people claiming to earn 40k or 50k in a month or even over 100k I’ve learned what that means. I’d say nine times in ten its a top level affiliate marketer launching a product with the help of 50 to 100 affiliates.  While the income does come pouring in during a rather short period of time, there has been a ton of work done prior.

Some of the work includes:

• Building a subscriber list in excess of 100k subscribers.
• Having a highly trafficked website with a following.
• Knowing how to get targeted traffic fast via natural search, social media and paid search traffic.
• Having a budget set aside to make the paid traffic happen.
• Having systems in place to deliver product, pay affiliates and accept money themselves.
• Having a network of affiliates to turn to at product launch.
• Having a great product that has been tested and is ready to roll out.

Now lets assume your not relating to the above… Or lets assume your not a top level affiliate marketer and the likelihood of you launching your own product this year to earn 100k plus from your home office is next to nill.

Are there any home based business ideas in 2010 YOU can use to earn 100k or more?

It happens, probably more often than you may realize, but its not the norm and lets look at why.

The first thing people miss and its pretty simple, is potential.  Not all business ideas you can start in 2010 even have the potential to earn the average person 10k let alone bring in 100k. I think it comes down to increasing your odds.  If you take  minute and look at the resources you have available and then find a business model you can operate from home that has the potential to earn 100k, then you may have a fighting chance.

For instance, if your a network marketer with a solid team and several thousand marketers who will follow you into a new opportunity, then you could probably join a $50 dollar mlm and make some serious cash. My list ain’t long and mlm sucks so I’m gonna pass on that as it would likely be a waste of my time. How about you?

Affiliate marketing is on the table for me.  Earning the one hundred thousand dollar income level is probably not, unless I developed my own product with a strong back end, in other words I would need more than one product, and creating these products would cost more than I’m looking to invest in 2010. So I keep affiliate marketing as a stream of income, I may not earn 10k this year with affiliate marketing, but so what. It gives me a source of content and when I see good affiliate products I’ll give them a whirl, what the hell, right?

I earn steady and consistent income selling ad spots on CreateLiberty.com and a few other sites in my small network, I’ll continue that into 2010 and ad revenue in 2010 is a good business model for me. Its proven, in my case, there is no overhead, its scalable, and I have a few ideas to expand ad revenue. By the way if your marketing  business opportunity or generating leads, check out our advertising page.  This site is becoming more and more popular, its becoming an authority in the home based business arena and it a great site to use to generate leads.

The next home based small business idea for 2010 that a person can use to earn 100k is a turnkey direct sales model business.  They are inexpensive to start, they don’t require a ton of experience, a subscriber list, or even a website in many cases.  They are literally built with the person who has none of the above in mind.  Successful people who are willing to do the work, follow simple suggestions, and be consistent often have significant first year success in excess of 100k. 

I’m looking at a couple business opportunities like this right now for home business to start in 2010. If your in the same boat and are looking to earn extra cash in 2010, get a hold of me. Visit the “Successful Home Business” page  on this site and send your interest.

I’m working on a market with a group of guys right now and will wrap up around Christmas. I’ll have some time then for several months and throughout the summer. If your serious about earning a solid income without spending 40 hours plus per week for the rest of your life, fill out the form and we will get in touch.

If the prospect of working with a few other people who can add value to the journey and help you earn money faster appeals to you, go fill out the form.

Its a weird economy, LOTS of opportunity when we are in times such as these, people are looking, new stuff is coming out all the time.

Isn’t it fun.

Another thing about direct sales business opportunities, the good ones anyway, is that you get paid first, your not waiting for company to send you a check at the end of the month. I like that. I’m used to that. 

Generating leads is another item on any good direct sales entrepreneurs mind. Good opportunities help you get the the lead generation job done, they won’t do it for you, but they can help.

Well hey, I’m off to look at business models to earn 100k in 2010, why don’t we look at a few together? Go fill out the form and start a Successful Home Business Opportunity for 2010.

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Small business owners often wonder what the Internet can actually DO for their business. Entrepreneurs have to be big on the DO department, their livelihood depends on it.  Cool doesn’t cut it and fads don’t turn into financial success. The Internet isn’t a fad and most successful small business owners know that.

Improving financial success is on the minds of successful small business owners and that’s the place the Internet has to impact small business…. In the revenue column.

I’ve looked into many small business ideas and have yet to find one that can’t be better by using tools provided on the Internet or using the Internet to improve marketing or customer loyalty.

One specific example I’d like to mention is in the retail industry. In Northern Michigan people still can vegetables and “put up” foods in the fall so they can use them over the winter. ( I work with some people on a retail food business)

If you owned a small business in the food or produce industry and also ran a website that had information for your customers you would have a following and likely an email list. In fact some entrepreneurs use this capability in evaluating the best business to start.

Lets say you developed an  email list of customers who canned tomatoes and sent out an email to order canning tomatoes. Its likely that you could go out and procure a set number of canning tomatoes based on orders and earn more based on volume discounts and ALSO eliminate waste associated with produce, especially canning tomatoes. This is just one example.

So the first small business idea that is tied to the Internet is:

Increasing effectiveness of communication with customers.

Can you do it in your business? How?

Another top idea for using the Internet to improve a small business is innovation.  I like to think of small business as innovation.  I’ve watched many small businesses and the ones that seem to be on top are the ones that are constantly making changes that are in line with their primary purpose and directly serve their target market.

Small businesses using the Internet to innovate many times means changing the way CUSTOMERS behave.  Changing the behavior of customers to create a win win scenario is huge to a small business especially one with established foot traffic and customer traffic. There are many do it yourself website solutions that allow a person to make their own website for little or no cost.  And many hot online businesses actually started out as an arm or an improvement to customer experience.

Its much easier to assess the cost of a change and the impact of a change when you already have numbers, real numbers, to apply the changes too.

The canning tomatoes example hits on this idea too, but lets look a bit closer. 

People are using the Internet primarily for one reason, to find information.  People make decisions based more on information today than they ever have and this is where you could use the Internet to innovate your business.

Lets go back to the grocery/retail example.  Using a website you could talk and inform your customers about the products you sell. Instead of telling one story (your businesses story) in your marketing/business plan, you could tell a story for every product you sell.  Where is it grown/manufactured, who grows it, what are their names?

Having the capabilities to bring photo, video and audio right to your customers about the products you sell is powerful especially in an industry that is lacking in that now.

So small business ideas and the Internet idea number two is “changing customer behavior”

In the book “The Science of Getting Rich”  ( you can get the book here, I give it away free) … it talks about being creative and competitive.  In fact the book states that if your in a business or industry where the only way to succeed is on the competitive plan…Then GET OUT.

Price alone is not and never has been a good indicator of best and this goes for high end and low end.  People often falsely assume quality with a higher price and this creates a real mess in the retail end of things.

Creatively explaining your product, why it cost what it does, and what it will do for your customer is a must in today’s small business world. You have to do it.

The third idea I want to mention is just that. Using the Internet to creatively tell about your business, your products, and your services.

If you offer something at a lower cost than your competitor, you need to tell them why.  Is it an exclusive supplier? Is it that you buy with a group and receive volume discount?  Do you simply drive further to purchase your product?  A lower price tag won’t cut it many cases and the Internet, a website and other tools of technology can help communicate in a clear and creative way just what your offering your customers.

One last idea to think about as a small business owner who cares about your business and your customers is the social element of the Internet and how you can use it to offer more.  If your customers could ask specific questions on your website about products or service you offer, would they?  Using the food example: If customers could ask how to do stuffed peppers, would they? And if another customer who happened to know saw the question do you think they would answer? Probably….. that’s community, its a big deal.

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Every now and again I like to share some ideas of places you might venture to expand your view on things entrepreneurial.  I’ve collected some small business ideas from around the web here at Create Liberty.Com and thought I’d  share some resources I read from time to time myself.

I’ve browsed the web the last couple days and thought I’d share a few small business ideas and home based business websites that either offer great information or neat ideas.

For those of you who are new entrepreneurs or thinking about becoming one you should check out Business Wings, its a great resource for articles, advice and small business start up help.

One site I contribute to focuses on low cost business ideas and there is a recent post on home based business ideas for stay at home moms you might check out.

Direct sales is another popular stop in the work at home entrepreneurs journey and getting a 100k plus jobs in sales  is a coveted achievement.  Getting a top sales job is one thing, producing and advancing is quite another and times have changed lately in the sales industry.  Small business owners are finding new ways to increase sales via marketing and better customer relations.  More and more sales people are required to participate in developing a successful sales process, this a key in landing a six figure job in sales today. Internet small business ideas often combine a dropshipper or wholesaler with a direct sales business model. It works online due to the expanding market reach the Internet offers.

Another great resource is the new and improved Small Business Administration website. From planning your small business to financing you new start up the SBA site can be very useful.

If your looking for new small business ideas or need some inspiration in developing your own you could visit more on this home business ideas site or visit Dane Carlson’s Business Opportunities Website.

Starting a successful home based small business is a worthwhile endeavor and it is our hope to help you in your journey.  From choosing the best home based business idea to getting it started right you can find help from people who have already taken the plunge and we encourage you to do just that.

Do you have a specific question about starting a business or earning more money in your job?  Making money online with a website or blog is a very popular topic. While I don’t write about it much on this site I have been able to earn a steady significant income with a few blogs that I publish and it is very rewarding.

Some of the top benefits of making money with blogs are:

• Being able to work from almost anywhere.
• Being able to blog from my blackberry.
• There are many passive income streams I can implement into my blog.
• I can network with other successful home business entrepreneurs.
• I can help others by sharing knowledge.
• I don’t have employees anymore.
• I can work when I want.
• My income seems steady whether I blog or not.

I really like the list I just wrote and enjoy the lifestyle working from home on the Internet provides for me. Work at home based businesses are so varied, you could find a business that suits you regardless of your passions or interests.  Give it a try.

Many people start a home business on a part time basis and this works well for many business opportunities.  Its also a great way to minimize risk and not  drop all your eggs in one basket.

What are some business ideas or money making ideas you’ve tried?

What was it like?

Ever come across a home based business that was a scam?

I’ve read about many Internet scams where you fork out a bunch of hard earned money and are left holding the bag.  It pays to do your due diligence and confirm the business your evaluating is legitimate.

Do you have a small business or home based business resource online you would like to share with our readers? Please add you thoughts in the comments of this post!!

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If you are an entrepreneur you probably get simple home business ideas flying around in your head all day long and if there aren’t a bunch of new business ideas floating around up there, you probably see ways to improve your business or lifestyle wherever you look.

Bright Ideas, Bright Business Ideas.

If your anything like me, your experience of going to a coffee shop or visiting a local merchant, is more like an evaluation or an adventure than it is a task. I see smart, and dumb, small business ideas everywhere I go. I’ve also learned to predict, with some accuracy, about how long a business might be around.

I gotta say this too, I really appreciate a good small business. I have a deep respect for any entrepreneur but especially one who has intentionally created an experience for a customer that comes back again and again.

I like simple business ideas.  I think they are the best ones.

A favorite question: Would people pay for that?

By the way, share with our visitors any ideas you have of home based businesses or small business ideas that have been low cost but powerful. Do it in the comments if you feel moved.

It seems entrepreneurs are idea people. I love business ideas or any idea that creates the situation of money being exchanged. I find it fascinating, the idea of trade, the agreement.

Money really has no value outside the agreement two people make. Whether its smart marketing or a candid conversation, someone decides to buy, they agree on value and offer their hard earned money.

Over the years I’ve had a number or employees, friends, and family who all have, in one way or another, offered their opinion on being in business for themselves. A common theme I’ve heard is: “I don’t have enough Money to start that business”…..

I have another view. Our experience helps create our opinions and our opinions help create our experience. Opinions have power if you give it to them.

I started a concrete business in my early twenties with no money, really none. ( of my own ) I got a couple hundred bucks from a guy who wanted a floor in his garage, bought the few tools I had to have and was on my way. Five or six years later, we had 30 plus employees and did over 2 million in sales. Sooo… when I hear, “I don’t have the money to start this business I’d really like to start”, it sounds uninformed, know what I mean?

A service oriented buisness is a good business to start for the new entrepreneur.  Many are inexpensive as far as start up capital is concerned and everyone can offer one service or another.  Most service businesses like construction, home improvement, yard maintenance, window washing, cleaning…etc. can all be started for under 500 dollars. Home based business doesn’t require the start up capital that most traditional small businesses do.

Consulting is a simple home based business that can be started with little capital. Most professionals already have a home office and the equipment to get a home based business started. Small business consulting, interior design consulting, continued education consulting, tax consulting, home health care consulting, the list goes on. Do you have expert knowledge that people would pay for? Then sell it. Let people know what you can offer, ask them if they would like to buy it. Be creative.

Home Based Business Ideas

Successful home based business ideas are always connected to something and someones. It is smart to start a home based business that is serving an existing market. Creativity is tricky, too much and its a flop in business, don’t reinvent the wheel, try making it better.

Marketing a home based business is an area of expense, and a big expense if you not careful. Marketing can really get out of hand. I suggest a marketing system that utilizes third party influence. I mean your customers. Come up with a smart way to get your customers to do what you want them to do which is to keep buying the products or services your small business offers and get other people to do the same. This tip, while not specific, is what makes a home based small business successful. Always do that, and after you’ve done it, do it more.

I like blogging as a home business. I enjoy writing about small business and personal development. So I have a few websites that earn money. Using the Internet to make money from home is a great business opportunity. I think its overlooked and under explored. Most people look at me funny when I tell them I author a couple small business websites. They ask if I’m a writer, I say….”not really”, cause I’m not, I don’t think?

Anyway I hope this gave you all some food for thought. Small business ideas that you get excited about are good small business opportunities to explore. If your going to be doing something you may as well enjoy it, right?

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