I wrote a list of top 6 reasons why businesses fail on the Self Starters Weekly Tips forum a few weeks ago. Forum owner Lynn Terry then published the list on her blog, Click Newz.

At your request, I’m providing answers to these problems based on my years of experience with selling products and services online.

This time, we’ll talk about the #5 reason businesses fail.

#5 Negative Attitude

In a certain corner of the Internet, exercising a negative attitude is considered an art form. Most of those people are not entrepreneurs, and certainly not successful business owners.

If you’re part of that corner, I recommend you get out now. I did and it completely changed my business — and my life.

I can look back now and see how my negative attitude impacted my family AND my business.

My dad used to say: Can’t never did do anything. How right he was.

As business owners, we often look at the success of others and think, “I can’t do that.”  Or we look at a tough project we’re facing (like getting any kind of work done while the kids are out of school for the summer) and think, “I can’t possibly do that.”

My Solution: Stop thinking up reasons why you can’t succeed, why you can’t start your business, why you can’t pay for a professional site design or hire a business coach.

Start thinking about how you CAN do succeed. You may not be able to succeed in the same way someone else did. Your definition of success might be different than someone else’s. But if you have a positive attitude and follow the previous advice, such as take action, then you will be head and shoulders closer to success than the rest of the pack.

If you’re struggling with a negative attitude and would like some help focusing on a positive plan of action, I’d love to help. Just schedule a business coaching session with me and I’ll help you see your business in a new light.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Have some or all of your kids moved out and now you’re ready to start your own business?

If this sounds like you, then you need to join us tomorrow at the 2nd Annual Boomer Diva Day celebration held in honor of Baby Boomer Day.

I am excited to be a part of this wonderful online event hosted by Beverly Mahone, founder of Boomer Diva Nation and author of Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey into Middle Age.

The event is 10am EDT-3pm EDT June 20th in the WECAI web conference room.

This is a time of celebration and fun for boomers all over the world who are (as the motto of Boomer Diva Nation) “On the Move and Making a Difference”.

I hope that you will join us for the wonderful event and join in on the fun, community and support for Boomer Divas everywhere!

I’m also thrilled to share the virtual floor with Heidi Richards, founder of WECAI, and speaker of the day. She will talk about Blogging for Business.

Here is tomorrow’s schedule (all times are EST):

• 10:00-10:15 Welcome/Greeting
• 10:15-10:30 Kathy Porter – Mia Bella Candles
• 10:30-11:00 SPEAKER: Heidi Richards – Blogging for Business
• 11-11:15am Passion Parties rep, Donna Bourque
• 11:15-11:30am Dortha Hise - Avon
• 11:30-11:45 Break/Networking
• 11:45-12pm Rosie Horner - The Blog Management System Organize Your Blogging Today!
• 12-12:15pm Terri – Pop Art Diva
• 12:15-12:30pm Debbie Mormino - The Breast Cancer Diva
• 12:30-12:45pm Lisa Fredette –BeautiControl Rep
• 12:45-1pm Sharon Williams- The 24 hour Secretary
• 1-1:15pm Barb Ireland The Sample Cake
• 1:15-1:30pm Heidi Caswell (Connect Simply)
• 1:30-1:45 Stephanie Fish, Buckeye VA (Buckeye VA)
  
• 1:45-2pm pending vendor
• 2pm-2:15pm Dr Sally Witt (http://www.drsallywitt.com)
• 2:15pm-2:30pm Michelle Waters , Product Sellers Seminar
• 2:30pm-3pm Networking/Giveaways

Popularity: 22% [?]

I wrote a list of top 6 reasons why businesses fail on the Self Starters Weekly Tips forum a few weeks ago. Forum owner Lynn Terry then published the list on her blog, Click Newz.

At your request, I’m providing answers to these problems based on my years of experience with selling products and services online.

This time, we’ll talk about the #4 reason businesses fail.

#4 Lack Of Planning

Recent advances in Internet speed and availability, and online software has made it incredibly easy to hang your shingle, so to speak, on the internet.

What ends up happening though is someone has a great idea. They run over to Watersweb Shops and buy a Shop Kit Plus. They hire Kristine to create a web design. They upload photos of their products that they’re selling through a dropshipping program.

And then they get stuck. They have no idea who they’re marketing to, where they’re going to find website visitors, much less customers.

Perhaps they muddle along and find some customers, or perhaps they lucked into having a built-in target market because they are well-known at an online forum. The next thing they know, people are buying their stuff like hotcakes and they can’t keep up with it.

A friend of mine had this problem with her diaper cake business. She made awesome diaper cakes and acheived a #1 ranking in the search engines. But success killed the business. She found herself, her kids and her husband struggling to fill the orders.

If she had had a plan for growing her business and handling success, she would have been able to outsource her production, train employees or subcontractors to take care of the overload.

Lack of customers and website traffic is not the only thing that will kill your business. Sometimes success will too, unless you plan for it.

My Solution: Plan to outsource, create a business plan and create a marketing plan. If you need help with your business plan, you can easily create one in just a couple of hours with One Page Business Plan.

If you’re not sure where you want to go, or need help solidifying your ideas, I’d love to work with you and help you. Just contact me through my business coaching page.

Popularity: 33% [?]

I wrote a list of top 6 reasons why businesses fail on the Self Starters Weekly Tips forum a few weeks ago. Forum owner Lynn Terry then published the list on her blog, Click Newz.

At your request, I’m providing answers to these problems based on my years of experience with selling products and services online.

This time, we’ll talk about the #3 reason businesses fail.

#3 Life

We’ve all been there — kids get sick, we get sick, husband gets laid off… you name it. In my case, moving more than a dozen times in the past 12 years tends to put a cramp in my style. It’s hard to get my work done when part of my office is in the new house, part in the old house and part in a pile of boxes. ARGH.

Some business owners have let their busineses die for more serious reasons, like a car accident, a very sick child, a spouse who is ill, and more.

Unfortunately, we never know when these things are going to happen.

My Solution: As business owners, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our families and our customers to make sure our business is setup so that it can function with out us for a bit. Or, at least without our hand in it on a daily basis.

What this involves is outsourcing. Whether it’s checking email, answering helpdesk tickets, responding to questions on a forum or updating your website, a virtual assistant can ensure that your business keeps running, even if you’re off having a baby, moving across country or recovering from an illness.

Even if the business is one where only you can produce a unique item, like lampwork beads, your assistant can answer your customer’s emails, letting them know what is going on and when you are expected to return and finish their orders. Communication is key in these situations, and will make the difference between a business that thrives and one that dies in a sea of negative comments and bad reputation.

If you’re interested in exploring outsourcing, I’d like to recommend my VA, Stephanie Fish of BuckeyeVA.com.

Popularity: 45% [?]

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a list of top 6 reasons why businesses fail on the Self Starters Weekly Tips forum. Owner of the forum, Lynn Terry, also published the list on her blog, Click Newz.

Some of you requested answers to these top reasons businesses fail, so I’m providing answers based on my years of experience with selling products and services online.

This time, we’ll talk about the #2 reason businesses fail.

#2 Impatience

This one is  a biggy. I struggle with it — knowing where I want to go and wanting to be there RIGHT NOW. In my case though, I start looking for things to do. The problem occurs, however, when people look at their goals, look at where they are, and decide to quite.

Sometimes you read stories about how a baby sling seller built a thriving business in 18 months or less. Or how one day a cloth diaper seller’s client told a friend about her store, and the friend told a magazine editor she knew and the next thing, the cloth diaper business was booming.

My opinion, both those ways are harder than just being patience and taking one step at a time, much like the tortoise, if you know what I mean.

The solution: Take one step at a time. Evaluate everything you do to make sure it is taking you towards your goals. Even when it seems like you’re working for nothing and you might as well just quit — ask for help.

If you know people who are already successful in business and you can bend there ear, ask for advice for an hour, give them a call and pour out your heart.

Or, you can call a business coach (Like me!) and seek advice. It often helps to have someone on the outside, who understands what you’re trying to do, take a look at your business and give you advice to rejuvenate your enthusiasm.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Tara Kelly submitted this question to our survey:

What is the best way to manufacture a product in a green way and what is the best way to know if JVing with a manufacturer would be in the best interests of all involved?

I decided to bring in a natural (green) business expert, Carrie Lauth of Natural Mom Business Guide, to answer this question.

She suggests several ways to ensure that your product is manufactured and distributed in a way that is not harmful to the earth.

Carrie’s recommendations include:

• Use organic ingredients in your product.
• Package it with recyclable packaging. For beauty products, there is nothing like good old glass for aesthetics - and glass is infinitely recyclable. If you’re using plastic, be sure it’s a type that can be recycled and it should also be BPA and phtalate free.
• You can buy packing peanuts that are compostable and biodegradable.
• Use recycled or reused paper for your packing slips and tags.
• Another fun idea would be to include eco living tips with your product shipments to help raise awareness.
• Consider creating online FAQs and reports to answer customer questions instead of printing out customer instruction sheets.
• Buy energy offsets and advertise the fact that you do this on your website (This is what I do!).

My response: Now, for your question on creating a joint venture partnership with the manufacture. This would depend on the terms of the agreement. If the terms are beneficial to both of you, then I say go for it!

If not, then you might consider another relationship (perhaps you can buy at wholesale or become an affiliate) or find another vendor.

Do you need answers? Submit your question to our Product Seller’s survey!

Popularity: 38% [?]

I recently wrote a list of top 6 reasons why businesses fail, which I published on the Self Starters Weekly Tips forum. Owner of the forum and long-time Internet Marketer Lynn Terry also published the list on her blog, Click Newz.

Some of my readers requested answers to these top reasons businesses fail. What can you do to prevent your business from failing for these reasons?

I’ll start with the #1 reason businesses fail today, and will continue with a six-part series.

#1 Lack Of Action

This reason often dooms a business to failure before it even starts. As I said originally, some people will read all kinds of websites and ebooks, but never put what they learn into action.

I also see some of my clients who have actually took the step of purchasing a website — but never went any further. Others loaded their products and site design, but stopped short of actually letting other people know about the site.

The solution: Take action! It’s better to take a wrong action and learn from it, than no action at all. You can’t possibly know all the answers without any experience. Get out there and do your best. Then listen to your customers. Once you start receiving feedback from the people in your target market, you’ll know what you need to change and how you can improve.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Do you have questions about search engine optimization? Would you like to hear an expert talk about what you should avoid when trying to optimize your website?

Head over to the Winning Sisters Skype room at 11:30 a.m. Central Time today. I will be discussing SEO and my new product, SEO Power Up.

Popularity: 40% [?]

If you are currently working at home, you probably already have your own very good reasons. Perhaps my list will help you add to yours.Or if you’re new to the home business concept, perhaps this will give you some concrete ideas to go along with what you’re feeling.

Also, these ideas apply whether you’re wanting to start your own product selling business, or work for someone else at home.

So here goes:

1. If you have young children, working at home allows you to continue being their primary caregiver. The first three years of your child’s life are especially important. Even better, no missing those major milestones like the first step and first words. If you are breastfeeding mom, you can nurse your baby while working at the computer. Your toddlers can play at your feet and your preschoolers can help you type. (OK, so mommy’s of preschoolers might want to do some outsourcing…LOL!)

2. Save a boatload of money on childcare. If spending extra time with your children isn’t enough to convince you or your significant other, perhaps saving piles of money is. Childcare for just one kid can cost upwards of $70 per week — even if you don’t use the childcare all day, every day. If you must have some time, then a Mommy’ Day Out program can give you a few hours a couple of days a week and still save you tons of money.

3. You can set your own schedule. Notice, I did not say that you are free from a schedule. I’ve learned over the years that having a schedule is terribly important. But you can schedule around school plays, field trips, doctor’s appointments, etc. Not to mention, it’s just nice to be able to take a day off here and there to enjoy the weather.

I’d love to hear your reasons for staying at home. Just fill out the comment form below.

Popularity: 45% [?]

Debra LoRusso submitted this question to our survey:

Do I need any type of license besides a “seller’s permit” or a city business license to sell my product on the internet? I live in California and I have to do a little sewing to make the product. Thanks for your advice.

My response: You do not need a license to sell products online — at least not if you live in a desert island in the middle of nowhere. Or maybe on the moon.

However, if you live in a city, you may need a permit or a license from your municipality. You may even need to check the zoning of your home. In most cases though, if you aren’t going to have a ton of inventory stashed in your house, or people stopping buy to shop, you shouldn’t have any zoning issues. I would check with your city though.

If you live in the U.S., you most likely live in a state (insert tongue in cheek). As a business owner, you need to file a DBA (doing business as) form with your state, and you’ll need to register your business as either a sole-proprietorship, LLC or corporation, and you’ll need to request a state tax ID.

I also recommend that fill out the paper work for a federal tax ID, also known as an Employer Identification Number. You’ll use this when filing your taxes.

Since you’re a California resident, you can go to the California Secretary Of State website for more business information.

Do you need answers? Submit your question to our Product Seller’s survey!

Popularity: 42% [?]