by Cassie Howard | Jan 26, 2015 | Work At Home Mom |
As someone who’s worked from home for over a decade, I know exactly how crazy it can seem to be able to work from home, in your pajamas, and not have to answer to anyone other than yourself. Not only can you wake up and go to bed whenever you want, but you can also take as many vacations throughout the year that you desire, can take a sick day without needing a doctor’s note, and can watch your favourite TV show on Netflix while you work away. Now – let’s get real. Of course, you CAN do all of those things when you work from home, but should you? Probably not. Though working from home has its perks, you can seriously jeopardize the success of your business if you don’t treat it the right way. In case you’re wondering what it’s REALLY like to work from home, let me tell you… You still need to wake up early Most people are at their brightest first thing in the morning. This is when they get their best work done. So don’t think that just because you work from home, that you can sleep in all morning. You can’t. To get your best work done, you need to be up bright and early, ready to take on the day. Pay attention to your working habits and see when you perform at your best. You may be surprised to find that morning time is the best time for you (and if you work better in the afternoon or evening, consider yourself lucky!). Getting up early is especially important with young kids...
by Cassie Howard | Jan 26, 2015 | Business Niche |
When you’re thinking about a new business, you first need to come up with an idea. An idea that you are super passionate about. Something you can see yourself working on for years and years to come. Something that makes you wake up each morning with excitement. THAT is first and foremost. If you don’t love what you do, you will fail. I promise. Life’s too short to do crappy work that you don’t enjoy. Once you’ve decided on an exciting idea, you need to start thinking about the niche. Which niche are you going to fit into - and more importantly, is it a profitable niche that you really want to pursue? Before I go any further, let me quickly explain what a niche is, exactly. A niche is a a specific type of content/service/product. For example, on my website, MrsJanuary.com, we cover all things frugal living. Therefore, our niche is “frugal living”. If you’re a virtual assistant, your niche would be “real estate virtual assistant” or “blogger virtual assistant” - whatever type of virtual assistant you are. If you sell jewelry, your nice would be “antique jewelry” or “kids jewelry” or “glass jewelry” - whatever type of jewelry you sell. Make sense? But how do you know if your niche is profitable? How do you know if what you offer is actually wanted by others? Good question, and one you should definitely consider. The best way that I’ve found, to determine if a niche is profitable or not, is to check with Google. I use a free tool called Google Keyword Planner. (Note: You need to sign...
