This is a typical scenario: you are deciding to start a home business and suddenly everyone you know is into your business, literally. What do you say to them? And how do you answer your own questions? What should you expect from the company in terms of stability, longevity, vitality, confidence, income, etc.? First the bad news: there are no guarantees. Then the good news: there is a lot of information from which to draw your own conclusions. The internet is huge, and any good company will offer free training and marketing tools.
But back to the WHY of that business plan. You are going to start small, slow and boy! There is much to learn. What’s the point of actually sitting down and writing a business plan? You’re not Bill Gates, this isn’t Microsoft, you’re just in your home office a few hours a week, slowly building a business presence online, not really understanding what the hell you’ll be doing.
Relax and breathe. Unlike Mt. Rushmore, its plan will not be designed to weather the ages. You can expect it to change and bend with the flow of your actual experiences, which will be entirely yours, not identical to anyone else’s.
What writing your plan will do is make you stop, think, dream, study, and focus. The written document, whether one or twelve pages long, will give your business a framework. The Internet is vast and seemingly endless. It’s easy to lose focus and get carried away with a whim or a different idea every day. Understanding where you are today, what tools you have to work with, what your goals are and how you can achieve them, and how best to measure your success will help you stay focused and not waste the few hours you may be putting into your business. At the beginning.
Whenever you feel lost or confused, you can go back to what you have written. When you analyze your situation and decide to make a change, rewrite that part of the plan. Understand that it is a living document, meant to grow with you and your business. Your business plan is your friend.
Getting started with the business plan
You must first study the company and its management. You must read and learn about the products, compensation plan and network structure. I see you next month. It’s a joke.
Plan to do SOME reading each and every workday for the next few months, if not indefinitely. Stay up to date with company forum posts every day; read something in the training reports every day. Your education will continue. Plan for it.
When you’re ready, open a Notepad window and answer these questions:
What services/products does your company offer and what needs does it meet?
Who are the potential customers of your product or service and why will they buy it?
How will you reach your potential customers?
Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?
Okay, maybe your company offers a lot of products and services. What do you want to focus on? I suggest that you focus on one or two products and/or the affiliate opportunity at first. In other words, maintenance is simple. Once you get the hang of what you’re doing, you’ll KNOW when it’s time to expand. Do only what you feel comfortable with, every step of the way. This is YOUR business, it is your right and privilege to decide your approach.
Internet marketing depends on building trust. How will you do this?
Reaching customers means marketing. Your decision, once again. And again, the options should be in your company’s training materials.
So we’re talking about developing a reading/study schedule. Here’s a possible list, once you’ve read enough to make up your own mind to answer the questions above, start writing. Your writing can be lists of words and phrases, freeform brainstorming, outlines, mind maps, whatever works for you. Just write it down and don’t forget to save it often. If your home office is inhabited by cats or small children, they have a tendency to press random keys on the keyboard. Sometimes documents just disappear. Saving avoids total disaster.
- Study the products.
- Read the training materials.
- Read about commissions, bonuses, etc.
- Study marketing aids and strategies.
- Find out what free tools are available.
- Visit the forums regularly. Read all about how to get started.
- Ask questions.
Your final written business plan will have at least four parts:
Introduction/Background: History of the company and its founder, internet marketing trends, why THIS company and why NOW, etc.
Goals: I suggest you think about what you would like to be earning in two years, but mainly focus on the goals for your first year. Realistic goals can be projected based on information on the company website, in newsletters, forum searches, and targeted questions to other affiliates.
Marketing Plan: Based on your answers to the first 3 questions above and your study of marketing aids and tools.
Action plans: the details of what you will do monthly, weekly and/or daily for the next year.
I can’t tell you what your answers should be, because you have to decide how much money you have to invest. Only you can decide how many hours per day, week or month you can invest in your business. Which products you feel most comfortable marketing and who you choose to target as your customer base are decisions only you can make. If you get stuck and don’t understand a question, don’t know where to find information, or don’t know how to ASK a question, contact your sponsor or someone in your upline. If they can’t help you, they should be able to send you to someone who can.
You should NEVER feel alone. Work should be FUN!…