What Kind of Home Businesses Actually Work and How to Start Your Own Business

Want to start your own business but not sure which ones work or how to start them? You are not alone! There are so many businesses out there that you can start and they always say "Be Your Own Boss" and "Work From Home"...blah, blah, blah. But how do you really know what home businesses work and which ones don't?

Finding a Home Business That Actually Works

Sure, we'd all love to make lots of money and have the option of working from home on our own schedule. That is a no-brainer! But there are some REALLY important things to remember when considering starting your own home business:

1. Motivation - Do you have it? Can you motivate yourself and keep yourself going even when times seem low and things look uncertain? Face it, any business, no matter if it's an MLM or something you create from scratch, will have it's ups and downs - be ready for it!
2. Discipline - Being your own boss rocks! (Trust me I know!) But - you have to be disciplined. Yes you can go for lunches with friends/collegues/prospects and yes, you can sleep in (if you don't have kids!) and yes, you can take time out of your day to relax. Heck, you can even plan months of holidays a year - BUT, you have to have discipline to do your job and do what needs doing because there is no one there to kick you in the butt and tell you to get going!
3. Reality - Are you being reasonable with your expectations? I've seen many people who join various home businesses who are so pumped and hyped up about how 'easy' it can be to do the business that they lose sight of the famous saying "If it looks too good to be true, it is!"  Be reasonable with your business expectations. Any home business will take time and work - period! I'm a Watkins team manager and it's taken me 3 years to get where I am now. It wasn't all easy for sure and I still work at it each and every day to keep it growing and expanding. 
4. Investment - Do you have money and time to invest? No matter what home business you are looking at you will need some additional funds to get started. You may need to buy catalogs or other 'start-up' kits so look into that and be honest. You also need some time to commit to working on your business each day. I've seen people who thought they could just 'join up' hundreds of people and live the easy life without working. (See point #3!)
5. History - How successful is this company and it's associates? What do other associates say about the business and how long has it been around? Does it carry products (or services) that are essential or 'want to haves' and does it offer satisfaction guarantees and good customer service? Does it deal with minimum quotas or monthly commitments or require a huge upfront investment? 

Starting Your Home Business

Once you've gone through some of those points above you have to decide what kind of home business to start. Research them and stick with products you like - you can't sell them if you don't like or trust them! Check out the compensation plan and see how likely it is that you can get to the higher levels where you earn more income.

Talk to sponsors and managers and ask questions. You will know from asking questions how trustworthy someone  is and how happy they are with what they do. Find out if there are money-back guarantees and what kind of customer base you can sell to. Find out where you can sell and what training tools are available to you.

Be sure to stick with something you are comfortable with. If you don't like hosting parties, don't do home businesses like Partylite, where most of the sales are all about throwing parties! If you don't want to buy materials every couple of weeks stay away from Avon, as they require updated catalogs often!  Many MLM business models pay the people at the top more so check out the plan and realize how likely it is to make decent money. Some businesses will take time to make steady income, most businesses (even bricks n mortar) don't see big R.O.Is until Year 3, so keep that in mind for measuring.

Starting a Watkins Home Business

Yes, I have to mention Watkins here because I am a Watkins National Team Manager and do fully believe in the company. I tried Partylite before but hated having to buy the big upfront investment and meet quotas. Plus I wasn't a big party person, that wasn't my gig! I didn't even bother with Avon after realizing how many catalogs I'd have to buy each month.

I love my Watkins business and manage a large team all across North America. I started doing sales in 2008 and grew my business. Now I work on helping my team members to grow their business and help them get successful. I am now doing what I love and getting paid for it, plus, it's something that we will use for our retirement. It's an investment that was well worth the membership of $39.95 - trust me! Plus, Watkins has been around since 1868 and offers full money-back guarantees. My family grew up with Watkins in our cupboards and so it's no surprise that many people (like myself originally) joined just to get the discount on personal purchases! With no min orders or quotas, it made total sense! As a manager I see many Watkins associates who are doing great with their Watkins business. Some manage teams like I do and others only do customer sales. So it's not the kind of company where you HAVE to build a team at all. It's your choice and flexible!

Who am I? I'm Tamara Laschinsky, owner of two successful business, author of two books and proud mother and wife to a family who loves spending time together! I have my degree in Business Administration with majors in e-Commerce and Marketing. I've been with Watkins since 2008 and will be honest: It's one of the best home businesses you will ever find! With products and a name that customers trust and a business model that is designed to help you grow, if you are looking for a good reliable business that you can count on - look into joining Watkins a bit more!

If you need more information, feel free to visit my information website where I also post any specials and incentives. Like right now for example, April 2012, new associates who join my team get a $50 Gift certificate. Can't beat that! If you have more questions, feel free to contact me. There's no pressure to join and I have no problem helping you make the right decision. If you are thinking of joining to get rick quick, I'll be 100% honest with you and tell you that's not going to happen!

Tamara Laschinsky, Indep. Watkins Associate & National Team Manager # 378193
403-998-8597
email: info@NaturalProductsOnline.ca
website: http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/tamara.laschinsky