10 Start-Up Tips for Home Based Women Entrepreneurs

1. Do What You Love. Start a business that you are passionate about, instead of one that just makes money. Often times people get involved in something because of the money, and then realize how much they dislike it. But when you are doing something you love and that is also in demand, the money will come and it will also feel good.
 
2. Know Where to Place Your Focus. Remember the 80/20 rule? This states that 20 percent of the work you do produces 80 percent of the results. Use metrics to identify what part of the work you’re doing is getting the results, and then do more of that and less of what is not producing results.
 
3. Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses. It’s important to be honest about what you know and what you don’t know. You want to work from a position of strength. Do what you do very well and do a lot of it. When you do too much of the things you’re weak at doing, you will lose the joy of your business as well as suffer as a result.
 
4. Outsourcing. As you note your weaknesses, it’s also important to find a way to fill those gaps. You may use outsourcing help, technology, or even take a course if necessary to shore up your weaknesses so that they become strengths.
 
5. Be Accountable to Yourself. Honesty is very important, including self-honesty. If you can’t tell yourself the truth, look yourself in the eye, and move forward with your goals, then you’ll fail at being a business owner. To help get yourself a coach or get into a mastermind group such as Women Empowering Women Mastermind Group. www.wewmg.com
 
6. Set Realistic Goals. Learn about SMART goal setting, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound. This means that you want goals that are realistic within a particular timetable and deadline.
 
7. Surround Yourself with the Right Team. The right team for you may not be what’s right for someone else. Learn to trust yourself as you choose a team to work with, whether employees or contractors. Skill matters, but so does personality. If you mesh with your team, you’ll have a more pleasant and successful environment.
 
8. Don’t Apologize. Men never apologize for success, and women should learn not to. You’re not bossy; you’re the boss. You’re not arrogant; you’re in charge. It’s okay to be successful; you don’t need to say I’m sorry about anything.
 
9. Get Help When Needed. The most successful people know that they need to ask for help when it’s important. Consider that throughout history men have been successful in business - not alone, but with the help of others around them.
 
10. Have fun! Don’t forget the reason why you started a home based business in the first place. Remember to enjoy and love what you do so you can have a successful home based business and lifestyle.