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A Successful Online Business Requires Realistic Expectations

Working a business in the online environment can be exciting. After all, it’s cyberspace – a new frontier. And, there is little doubt that many sources of information, ways of interacting with one another, and doing business will continue to expand in popularity and effectiveness on the web. Many wanna-be business owners have jumped onto the bandwagon of the Internet and gotten themselves immersed in an online business or two. And many have been very disappointed with the results, simply because they weren’t realistic in terms of expectations.

It’s commonly known that most online businesses fail. It’s largely because those involved pull the plug and abandon their efforts. Much of this retreat in the online marketplace is attributable to inadequate planning that fails to temper expectations. The Internet works at the speed of light, but revenue and profit doesn’t necessarily follow at the same pace. Let’s look at some of the areas in which we need to be much more realistic when it comes to our expectations for success in an online business.

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Starting a Side Business – Why Now is the Time

Kevin M

Unstable employment may be here to stay. 10% of the work force is now unemployed, and millions more are under-employed, working at temporary or part-time jobs. By some indicators the economy is showing signs of recovery, but globalization, advances in technology and rising healthcare costs have been gradually cutting away at employment long before onset of the Great Recession.

In Multiple Income Streams to replace One Man-One Job?, we discussed different options to deal with the increasing unreliability of permanent, full-time, fully benefited jobs. Starting a side business is at the center of that discussion.

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Multiple Income Streams to replace One Man-One Job?

By Kevin M

You may be employed at the moment; in fact you may even be well-employed. But look at many others around you and what do you see? With millions unemployed, millions more under-employed, and hundreds of thousands of jobs being outsourced to lower wage countries, what does the future of employment hold? Is it possible that the sun is setting on the traditional one man/one job model of employment and income?

Before dismissing the possibility, consider that only 40 years ago tens of millions of workers were employed in largely high paying, mostly unionized factory jobs. Just over 100 years ago the majority of Americans were employed in agriculture. Where are all of those jobs now? And if one man/one job is going the way of the factory job, what are our options?

Developing multiple income streams may become a necessary reaction to an environment where the unemployed often return to the work force in lower paying jobs.

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Cultivate Multiple Income Sources

STRATEGY #5 TO SURVIVE A DOWN ECONOMY

By Kevin M

In the dreary job market of the moment, people are having difficulty with two major areas in particular: keeping a steady income flow and increasing that flow. The increasing level of unemployment is not only eliminating jobs, but it’s also putting a lid on raises and promotion opportunities. This is in large part, the driving force behind the credit crisis and the epidemic of foreclosures and bankruptcies. Is there a way to deal with it without taking unnecessary risks?

In 10 Ways To Survive a Down Economy (published on Christianpf.com June 1) we listed ten strategies to help us deal with the bad economy. Our topic for today, Strategy #5:

Be prepared to cultivate and balance multiple income sources. You may have a full time job and a part time business, or vice versa. Think of your work in terms of an investment portfolio, in which diversification adds strength. There are probably several jobs you are potentially good at; always be on the lookout for new opportunities.

Why increasing income or broadening the income base matter

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Start and Grow Your Nest Egg, Even if Your Broke

By Kevin M

If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggling just to get by each month, that situation won’t improve until you reach the point where you have a cushion to back you up. You might think that the pressure would be eased by an additional income source, but the problem with higher income is that in a short time it tends to get swallowed up by Lifestyle Inflation—the more we earn, the more we spend.

Some financial types recommend paying off high interest credit cards before beginning a serious savings account. They cite math equations pointing out the numeric absurdity of carrying high interest credit cards (13% or more) while earning close to nothing in interest (1-2%) on savings. On paper, backed up by numbers, this looks very compelling.

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Selling Your Skills on the Open Market

By Kevin M

This is a weekly open forum dedicated to increasing income, cash flow and customer base, for anybody who needs to increase business or supplement a paycheck. Salaried employees, homemakers, small business owners, commissioned sales people, entrepreneurs, retirees—this is FOR you, and we’d like to hear FROM you. What works in one household or business may not work in another, but then again it might. Or it might be modified and adapted to different situations.

In Can You Barter For What You Need? we discussed using your skills and services to barter for products and services you need. You can take the same principle however, selling your skills and services direct for a cash income, and nearly everyone has one or more skills to do this. You can do this as a side business, and eventually make it full time.

”What skills could I possible sell?”

Most of us don’t think that the skills we do at work would be of much value to people on the street. Think again. Right now a lot of small businesses either can’t afford to hire someone or have had to let people go. Even though staff is reduced, the work is often still there and needs to be done.

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Day Trading: Investment Program or Career?

By Kevin M

A few weeks back a comment was placed on this site by a visitor who’s url address included the letters “tv”. Since I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting career and business ideas, I had to follow up on this profile. If he was involved in television in any way, that might be a career profile worth looking for a story in. But upon following up through his website, I found out he certainly does have a most interesting career, but one that has absolutely nothing to do with television.

His career? Day trading.

It never crossed my mind to consider day trading to be a career of any sort. I’ve mostly tended to think of it as an investment scheme of some type, and not one for the faint of heart. (That part is most definitely true—see the “Disclaimer” from his website below if you have any doubts.)

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Be Flexible in the Face of Changing Circumstances

STRATEGY #6 TO SURVIVE A DOWN ECONOMY

By Kevin M

If there’s ever been a time to adopt flexibility as a strategy, it’s now. The certainty we knew only a few short years ago is currently failing us, and our progress and even our survival may rest on our willingness to adapt to change and to new rules as much as anything else.

In 10 Ways To Survive a Down Economy (published on Christianpf.com June 1) we listed ten strategies to help you deal with the bad economy. Our topic for today, Strategy #6:

”Be flexible in your plans and ready to adapt to changing circumstances. If your job is eliminated, offer to contract or to work part time for the same company. If you develop multiple income streams, a shift to a part time arrangement may be to your advantage on a number of fronts. Be prepared to convert a negative development into an opportunity.”

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Cashing in on Seasonal Jobs and Business Opportunities

FRIDAY INCOME & CASH FLOW FORUM

Kevin M

Working a part time job or side business in combination with a full time situation can be a tough juggling act, especially over the long haul. Some people can manage it, but probably most can’t, at least not for extended periods. It’s called having a life!

But sometimes you just need a little bit of extra money. Maybe you need to build up some cash in your emergency fund, clean up some bills, cover some repairs or a major purchase, or maybe for an upcoming holiday or special event. You aren’t looking for a lifetime arrangement, just a short term burst of extra income to clean up your finances.

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Finding Profits in Pet Care

By Kevin M

Friday Income & Cash Flow ForumThis is a weekly open forum dedicated to increasing income, cash flow and customer base, for anybody who needs to increase business or supplement a paycheck. Salaried employees, homemakers, small business owners, commissioned sales people, entrepreneurs, retirees—this is FOR you, and we’d like to hear FROM you. What works in one household or business may not work in another, but then again it might. Or it might be modified and adapted to different situations.

Dog Walking and Pet Sitting

This recommendation will require you to leave your house, but typically you’ll need to go no farther than your immediate neighborhood since it’s a service you would provide to a very local clientele.

There are full time businesses devoted to dog walking and pet sitting, so you know there’s a market for it immediately. All you need to do is to tap into it, and you’ll have a built-in advantage just by being local. Remember that for a lot of people, their pets have a status as family members; to some people they’re the emotional equivalent of children. It isn’t a job they want to turn over to a stranger, so by being known and in the neighborhood, you may not have to work too hard to find clients. Once you establish clients in your own neighborhood, you can work on referrals to find more in other neighborhoods.

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A Successful Online Business Requires Realistic Expectations

Starting a Side Business – Why Now is the Time

Multiple Income Streams to replace One Man-One Job?

Cultivate Multiple Income Sources

Start and Grow Your Nest Egg, Even if Your Broke

Selling Your Skills on the Open Market

Day Trading: Investment Program or Career?

Cashing in on Seasonal Jobs and Business Opportunities

Finding Profits in Pet Care

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