Steve’s confident attitude vanished as soon as we sat down to discuss his business. The burst of clients he had acquired at the end of last year had slowed and he was now starting to panic. He knew he needed to increase his marketing, but he was stuck for new ideas.

No wonder! His target market was a long list and the last word of which was “Etc.” Like many businesses, he felt the need to offer every service he could especially as money was getting tighter.

Offering everything isn’t the right thing to do.

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Do you work from home? Here are some tips that will make your days more productive.

1) Start Each Day with a Plan
I know early in the morning what I will be working on that day. A lot of people start by checking their email and then do whatever comes to their minds next. You should spend at least 10 minutes every day to answer yourself this question, “What is the ONE thing I need to get done today that will put me closer to my goal?” That’s your top priority; work on it first.

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If you ask your accountant, they will tell you that marketing is an expense. Most businesses think of marketing as an expense because they keep writing checks for their marketing, but don’t see anything coming back in return.

The true business owner or entrepreneur knows that marketing is not an expense, it is an investment. For it to be an investment, every marketing dollar that goes out needs to account for more money coming into the business.

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There is always much talk about the end game of an entrepreneur in the form of an acquisition, a funding announcement, or an eventual snuff out. The startup life is a day in day out marathon of work with very little glamour. We rarely hear about the harsh realities that an entrepreneur faces. This isn’t meant to be a downbeat and negative article, but actually quite the opposite. By knowing the harsh realities that lie ahead, you can be prepared when they come about so you can march on. Here are some of the harsh realities that come with being an entrepreneur.
 

1. Your First Implementation of an Idea Will Be Incorrect

 
  The first attempt at the implementation of your idea will often be incorrect. It is not because you’re not smart, not doing the right things, or some other reason to be hard on yourself. This actually is a good sign. No idea survives its first interactions with its clients and requires you to analyze the feedback to adapt the idea to the clients’ needs. You could be prideful, not listen to what your clients or prospects are telling you, and just keep things the way they were. In the end, that just leaves you with no clients and a product or service that you may not even use yourself. It is fine if things change up a bit when it comes to your idea and its’ implementation.

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