Me? Owning My Own Business?

Freedom is something we here in the United States cherish. We, as a nation, have never been defeated, within our borders, by any other nation. Our ancestors fought for freedom. We have demonstrated, as a nation, the fulfillment of the American Dream: the idea that prosperity, wealth and financial independence are available to anyone willing to put forth the effort through honesty, hard work and strong determination.

Therefore, the concept and expectation of freedom seems to be engrained within us as Americans. This being the case, we naturally tend to rebel against any form of tyranny or oppression. 9/11 demonstrated this, as at least some form of patriotism became strongly evident. We value the freedom to make our own decisions and live our own lives, without fear of reprisal or repercussion.

We value the freedom to create our own schedule, own personal property, and voice our own opinions, in a world filled with dictators and mad tyrants. We value our leisure time, as sales of sports equipment, video games, and many other items relating to recreation will testify.

Freedom is one thing that makes the idea of a home-based business attractive. You can make your own hours, set your own pace, and not worry about someone else telling you what to do. Being your own boss is an idea that sounds really good to many people, at least in theory.

The idea of setting our own schedule seems very obtainable to us, living in a free country as we do. This is why the idea of having a home-based business–not having to report to a boss—seems so attractive to us.

Perhaps you think "I could never do that; I could never be successful on my own, in my own business." If you have such doubts, don’t worry; a lot of people tend to have the same concerns when starting out. But let’s set aside the defeatist attitude for a moment and think about the possibilities.

If you examine the lives of those who have been successful, you will find an attitude of determination. If you want something badly enough, you will usually get it.

A weightlifter who thinks, "I’ll never lift that!" will fail. A black belt attempting to break boards with his hand and thinks, "There’s no way I’m going to break that!" is merely going to hurt his hand. Yet the person who says, "I’m going to do this, and nothing is going to stop me" will succeed. Obstacles may come, but as long as that person keeps his eyes on the goal, and not on the obstacles, he will get what he’s after.

There are thousands of opportunities out there. You should not expect to get rich overnight, and you can’t believe all the claims that are advertised, but if you can find what it is you enjoy, and turn that into a home-based business, life might even then become a little more enjoyable and fulfilling.

A friend of mine has always had the attitude that nothing is going to stop him from obtaining the goals that he has set for himself—goals that are often quite lofty and not easily obtained. But you know what? He has, so far, obtained every single goal that he has set for himself. Why? Because he doesn’t let obstacles stand in his way. Has he merely had it easy? No way. He has had all kinds of things try to hinder him. But his attitude is one that is unstoppable. He has made up his mind to obtain those goals, and in his mind, those goals are already obtained. And he’s not afraid of putting forth the work and effort that is required to reach those goals.

Have you ever sat down and talked with a handicapped person? Most of them, despite the fact that life seems to have ‘ripped them off’ in at least one area, go on with their life, despite their handicap. And often they are a stronger person because of it. It would be easy for them to use their handicap as an excuse to give up on life, but many of them instead have a positive, overcoming attitude towards life.

Helen Keller said, we can do anything we want as long as we stick to it long enough. Someone else said that if you do nothing, you will make no mistakes. Yet, if you do nothing, you will get nowhere. If you never try, you will never know what you could have accomplished. Alexander Graham Bell said, "When one door closes another one opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."

What is it that you want out of life? What is it that is stopping you from getting it? Once you answer these questions for yourself, you can then explore ways to overcome any obstacles that are hindering you from obtaining your dream.

Working from home has currently become the "in" thing. Home computers, fax machines, e-mail, and the availability of the internet have together made owning your own business easier than ever. Throw in factors such as commuter traffic; rude drivers; single-parent families; wanting to spend more time with your kids; lack of job security; an increasing necessity to work past retirement age; and the idea of being stuck in a 9-to-5 daily slot, and working from home becomes a very appealing and attractive option.

Of course, starting your own small business takes planning, work and perseverance. Nothing good comes easy. If you’re considering starting your own small business, do as much research as you can. Be realistic in evaluating your strengths and weaknesses. Whatever product you sell, you need to have customers who will be interested in purchasing your product; so you need to find out what your customers like and don’t like.

Of course, business smarts, management skills, organizational skills, and above all, optimism, are very helpful qualities when it comes to owning your own business and being successful at it. If you’re lacking in some or all of those qualities, however, you may be able to partner with someone who does excel in those areas.

Having a unique idea is another thing that can be very helpful, though not necessarily essential. If you can think of something that people want but is not currently available, and capitalize on that idea, you are a step ahead.

How can you make your business stand out from the rest? How is your product different from all the others that are similar? How can you make customers excited or interested in your product? How much are customers willing to pay for such a product? These are some things you need to consider when starting your own business.

The 2010 Census found 2.8 million people working at home. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey found 7.7 million working at home, 4.1 million of whom were working in a home-based business. Obviously, working at home is becoming an increasingly-popular option.

One way to begin a home business is to take advantage of established home business opportunities, including online affiliate programs. That way, most of the preliminary work has already been done for you. Though you need to exercise caution and discernment when examining the many home business opportunities and online affiliate programs, they may provide the freedom and financial independence you have been looking for.

Let’s face it: it’s extremely difficult to come up with a great business idea and then find the motivation, courage and inspiration to actually start the business; not to mention all the legal and management details, etc. That’s why established home business opportunities and online affiliate programs are so convenient.

If you find the idea of a home-based business tempting or attractive, but you’re not sure how to go about it, check out my website at http://www.jesslynsreviews.com/ for some home-based business reviews which may help you get started.

Closing Thought: The only place you find success before work is in a dictionary.