Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 3
(This is part 3 of Starting Your Own Business. Click here to read part 1 of Starting Your Own Business or Click here to read part 2 of Starting Your Own Business.)
I was almost finished with this article and I received this e mail from a reader. Instead of me writing about the positive side of starting your own business, I will let her tell that part. I thought she did a great job explaining the positives of having your own business.
Here is her e-mail and my answer:
From: Luann
Like everyone who reads this newsletter and blog, I love it. You stated that Microsoft was started during a resession.
I have just opened up a new used furniture store in our small home town. Though I have been thinking about it for a long time, I felt the time was right now! My husband was slightly unsure. I feel that, yes, times are tough and because they are tough people can not afford new things. Yet, though they cannot afford new things does not mean they still don’t need things. People will still need to replace a worn out couch, chair or table so what will they do? Buy used.
I search auctions, newspapers, listen to swap radio stations; many things to find the best bargain for the best furniture and decorations I can find. Many people do not have the time to do this, nor do they want to. I do. My goal is to provide the best things for the best price I can and still keep my doors open. If I have to paint or repair pieces of furniture to make them alive again, I do.
I am lucky I was raised by a thrifty Mom who did this and taught me to do it. I have a desire and love for it. I was searching for the right job for so long that would fit me. I have found it! My store is not open yet, but I have been working on the furniture and store for 4 weeks now, getting ready to open.
People have come in so happy. (They have also purchased 1/3 of the things I have. I could not say "No, wait 4 weeks." I am not nuts.) Everyone that I have talked to either here at the store or in the hardware store, where I am on a first name basis with the clerks, are very supportive and encouraging.
In this short time my husband has come around and is enjoying the store also. He is so handy fixing things, with comments like, "oh this will be easy" and ocassionally it is. My main point is yes, times are hard, but there are options out there. Just sit quiet for a few minutes and listen to GOD, he has the answers. Like they say at the start of the service in my church on Sunday, "God is good all the time and All the time God is good!"
Thank you for letting me tell my story!
-Luann
Luann, it sounds like you are off to a great start. I had to chuckle, though, because there are days I think God has a great sense of humor. Would you believe that last night I was finishing writing an article for a future newsletter and in most of it I wrote all of the reasons why you shouldn’t start your own business at any time and then I received your email. Too funny!
I did talk about when you should start your own business and you definitely fall into that category. One of the main things I said you needed was a passion and excitement for what you are doing, that you need to do research and have the strength and personality to keep going, even when you hit roadblocks.
Top that with the fact that you know it is God’s will and nothing can or will stop you. That is great. If you don’t mind I might use your story to illustrate the flip side of my reasons why not to start. I kept telling God the article seemed so negative and I didn’t want it to be that way, so this will be the great positive I needed.
There’s one last thing I need to warn our readers about, which we have been dealing with recently. Tawra has been talking to many other people who have websites and blogs for their businesses. They have been telling her they are making huge amounts of money and/or working very few hours. Tawra keeps wondering, "What are we doing wrong?" We all work long hours for not very much.
When asked, one woman said she made almost $30,000 a month but didn’t mention she had made that amount only once because of a fluke. She didn’t mention that, other than that one month, she normally makes $100 a month before accounting for any business expenses.
Another woman said she was making quite a bit of money and was only working part time hours but later we found out she had been working 60-70 hour weeks until it became too much for her and she hired other people to work for her.
I tell you this so you will be very careful not to be blinded by other people’s stories. These women weren’t really lying. We just didn’t have all of the facts.
-Jill
In case you missed the other parts of this article:
Read Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 1.
Read Starting Your Own Business or Internet Business, Part 2.
What you say is true. It will take a lot of work to own a successful business.
I would like to know, what kid of research you did to test your website and products.
Actually we didn’t do much when we first started because we really hadn’t planned on making it a business. Tawra was on several chat rooms at the time. She would have all these young moms etc. asking me how I saved money doing this or cooked that or did this and they kept begging us to write a book to help them. We thought it was funny at first but more and more people asked for it. We decided to go ahead and do it and printed just a few books. Then more and more and then we started the web site mostly to make it easier for people to order. It hasn’t been until lately we have started doing research on the internet and though books of how to improve and update the website.
We keep trying new things all the time. That is part of having your business you have to keep up dating all the time. Tawra has checked out and talked to other people and what they do on their sites and I’m not sure it really has been that much help. Sometimes too much info can be confusing.
We did everything you aren’t suppose to do basically to start a business. The main thing was we didn’t go into debt and have operated in the red from almost day one so if we crash and burn we don’t have much to loose for business losses.
Bindu, We didn’t really test much. We just kept trying different things until they worked. Really you can’t say it’s “working” that well even now just because we don’t make the $ to equal the amount of work we have put into it.
I just finished all three parts of this article on starting your own business and want to say Thank You! It has been fun and realistic and good for me. The bottom line is, if God’s in it, it will succeed, although it might be a long and round-about way getting there! Thank you for all your good advice!
I have to say that I think people ARE LYING when they don’t tell you the WHOLE truth. If someone thought they were going to make $30,000 every month based on a half-truth, that could have caused someone to get into a lot of financial trouble thinking they would make that much, or near that much, every month, when the truth was so vastly different. Half-truths are lies and just as damaging as whole lies. People can ruin their lives with info that isn’t the whole truth. One of the reasons I love this website and RESPECT you both (Jill and Tawra) is because you give the whole truth, and then people can go from there. You are fully trusted by me.
Tawra,
I have a passion for teaching proper touch typing using Scripture to help students learn Bible verses as they learn computer skills. Starting my web-based business in 2008, the advertising costs are quite high and can discourage anyone from their dream to run a successful business. How did you start your advertising to increase sales?
Each business is different and different forms of advertising work for them. For example with my first business we had to go to a couple of conventions and rent a booth. That gave us the jump start we needed and never advertised again. With something like my gingerbread men I would give out samples at a craft show and that was all I needed.
For our book and this website we send out articles to different places. Going on what little you said about your business you could do a few things like post your info on bulletin boards at schools, churches, computer stores etc. You could also do things like give samples of what you do to say someone like Tawra who has a blog or website and ask them to try it and then do a review on her blog for you. The only thing about this method is now people are getting swamped with these things and they don’t have the time to review everything. Plus they know that it is usually for free advertising and put it at the bottom of their to do list.
Without knowing more of your business workings this is the best I can do for the moment. One thing though the good old stand by and really was what worked best for us is word of mouth. If you have a really good product or service and keep at it eventually the word will spread. That is the true secret of it.
I liked your comment on not being ready for success! I think that is what keeps me from trying very hard at a business. I am afraid of success and don’t have the time to take care of a business that takes off!
I hope you are laughing, because I think it is funny too.
I’m not ready to give up my family for success.
Thank you for your article! I believe in telling the whole story too; the good, bad and ugly. People will trust you more and appreciate the lack of surprises.
Keep up the good work!
Tell Leann to get a booth at a Homeschool Convention. People would purchase her product there. She should start small with the local meetings, then progress to state conventions and then area ones. She could also advertise in homeschooling magazines. Just a thought. ann
mailings to private christian schools as well
Thanks Jill and Ann! I did the TOS viral blogging last year with great results. Most of my sales are from Google searches and word of mouth. Since I have two little ones, I cannot man a booth at a convention. Although I would LOVE that opportunity. Besides visiting some private schools and doing direct mailings, I also conducted e-blasts, magazine and website ads (included Bill & Mary Pride), and added affiliates. Any other ideas?
I am grateful for your help and wisdom!
Is there anyone here who has their own cleaning business and the best way to start one of my own?