The Work From Home movement is is a HUGE trend! However, unfortunately, a large percentage of people who launch a home-based business get discouraged early on, make very little money, and they quit.

In years of coaching and mentoring people involved with me in my business, I’ve discovered 10 secrets which, when implemented, almost guarantee a new business owner success. I’m pleased with this opportunity to share these with you!

SECRET #1: Expectations In Line With Commitment

The first secret for success in your business is to align your expectations with your commitment. Consistency and persistency is at least as important the amount of time you put in, although you should give it as much time every day as possible, especially in the early days when you’re just getting started.

SECRET #2: Steady Source of Qualified Leads or Prospects

Probably THE biggest secret to success in any business is finding people (or even better, having people FIND YOU!) who want your product(s), are serious about your business opportunity, and really want to move their lives in a different direction – people who have a problem they want to solve or challenges they need help meeting.

SECRET #3: Simple and Duplicatable

Any successful business entrepreneur knows this secret – ESPECIALLY a home-based business. It must be incredibly easy for ordinary people to operate.

Many people who come to home business opportunities have only a high school diploma. Most people do not have MBAs, nor do they want one. They just want a simple model they can duplicate to make some extra money, working part time, without it effecting their current job or lifestyle.

SECRET #4: Consistent Advertising Budget

The single biggest, ongoing expense for ANY business is it’s advertising budget. No advertising = No business.

Now the budget does not have to be huge, but it must be consistent. And it’s also important to know where to spend your advertising dollars so you’re getting the most bang for your buck!

From Secret 2 above, hopefully you understand that your advertising money should be spent on one thing and one thing only – generating a steady flow of highly qualified leads.

SECRET #5: Automate As Much as Possible

This secret is closely related to the advertising secret above. You want to put your entire lead generation, advertising, and sales and marketing on automatic pilot. That way it just happens without you having to continually think about it.

Now you must continually think about it, but not whether or not it’s happening. The more you automate, with the RIGHT information and with the RIGHT messages, the quicker your business will grow.

SECRET #6: Develop Effective Communication Skills

The secret to being a good communicator is simply to become a great LISTENER. We often get it backwards and think it’s about developing great skills of speaking, or being able to express our thoughts and ideas clearly and in a compelling manner.

But the truth is that that none of this matters unless we first listen to the person or persons with whom we want to communicate.

In order to create a successful business, it is absolutely necessary to know how to create relationships with others – not just make a sale. Relationships create trust. Relationships create a willingness to risk trying something new.

SECRET #7: Develop Sales Skills

If you’re not selling something (a product or service) you don’t have a business. The very definition of a business is that something is being sold. Without sales no money is made, and there will be no survival of the “business” without significant subsidy from some place.

I believe that the aversion we often have to selling is that we don’t like being sold to! All of us have had the experience of being in a store or having a tele-marketer on the phone who’s sales method is badgering us in an attempt to break down our resistance until they finally make the sale. They really don’t care about us. All they’re after is the “close”.

However this is NOT what I’m talking about when I talk about the development of sales skills. I’m really talking more about the Art of Persuasion.

SECRET #8: Build Immediate Cash Flow

Every business has expenses of doing business. These range from monthly website hosting fees, to business cards and stationery, to postage, to printing costs, to paying for expertise, to advertising.

One of the keys to success in your business is for it to be self-funding from the beginning. So many home business owners get into financial trouble because they are attempting to fund their business out of their own pocket.

SECRET #9: Personal Development

Your business will only be as strong as you are. We should spend more time on personal development than we do on our business.

The truth is that the only thing that can mess up your success, in any part of your life, is what goes on between your ears! It is critical to your success that you learn to control your thoughts and manage your emotions.

SECRET #10: Time Management

This is sometimes referred to a your DMO (Daily Method of Operation). The secret here is to have one! In other words, make sure you have a clear plan every day you work your business. Know exactly what you will do.

Get a calendar that electronically reminds you about what you should be doing, such as appointments, calling prospects, training people in your organization, etc. Then map out your DMO on the calendar.

Implement these secrets and watch you success soar!