Rich Bitch Financial Success for Women Articles

Six Steps to Online Business Success!

Step One: A Solid Business Plan
To become successful in any business, but particularly an online business, you need a solid business plan! You have probably heard this before, but it is the single most important reason online businesses fail. Especially women who have to juggle their home life, their kids and social life with an online business, which is often run from home, get into trouble without good advance planning. The second most common reason online businesses fail is actually because of a business plan: or rather due to an unrealistic business plan. Equally important to actually having one, you need to set realistic goals and actually set dates. Do what it takes; buy a large calendar, or a small pocket organizer, whatever works best for you as long as you have a clear sequence of "business events" and goals on black and white.

Step Two: A Proper Home Office
Having a space to yourself in your home from which you can work is ideal. You cannot expect yourself to succeed in business if you are simultaneously talking to a client on the phone while feeding your child or watering the plants. You need to get away from all distractions and separate your life from your work environment. Having a proper home office in a separate room is ideal, but if this is not possible you still need to set up a designated "work space" to which only you have access and which can be separated from you house with dividers or a curtain. This home office shouldn't be an area that is shared with anyone else (many female entrepreneurs lost important client data and went bankrupt because their child or spouse accidentally installed a corrupted file or game on their computer, causing a computer crash). Often overlooked is the office furniture; a kitchen table chair will not do! Sitting on the wrong chair for years can lead to disabilities and poor posture, so invest in comfortable furniture that will entice you to work!

Step Three: A Separate Phone Line and Email Account
This largely ties in with having a proper home office from which you can run your online business. However, having a separate phone line and email account is so important it deserves a place of its own! Imagine an important potential client calling you to discuss a large order or assignment, and your toddler picks up the phone and tells the client that "mommy is making stinky", not very professional don't you think? A separate phone line will segregate your business from your home life, and it will separate your private (or "Mom-ness") self from your professional self. It will also eliminate embarrassing mistakes such as picking up the phone with "hey sexy" expecting a call back from a friend, and having it actual be an important client calling after hours. A separate email account serves two purposes: having your own email domain will sound and look more professional than "rainbowprincess@genericprovider.com". Even if you use your own name, using a generic provider signals "cheap and unprofessional" to potential clients and it decreases your credibility.


Step Four: Marketing!
Plain and simple: you need to market yourself. Look up all business contacts, or even social contacts, you may have made over the years. Everyone should know about your new online business! This includes family and friends, as well as old work colleagues. Getting the word out to people you are familiar with is just the start; you will need to produce a brochure or website, depending on what type of business you are in, to further market yourself. Get professional looking business cards as well, and soon enough you will be spreading the word almost effortlessly. Word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing tool around, so use it! You never know if a friend doesn't know someone who may need your products or services!

Step Five: A Separate Bank Account!
If you want to know exactly how much you are making and spending on your business, you should set up a separate bank account for all business related transactions. From this account you can then pay yourself at the end of the month. Too many businesses have failed far before the entrepreneur noticing because they were using a shared account with their spouse, or simply just didn't keep track of their business finances. Setting up a good accounting system from the start, and keeping track will already put you on a path to greater success!

Step Six: Business Hours
Success does come with hard work, but working too hard can bring you great misery and you can risk loosing interest in your business entirely. At the end of the (working) day, you should be able to shut a door behind you and say "I'll get back to it tomorrow". Working too hard can damage your health and your social relationships. Being tired and overworked will also negatively affect your business relationships, so taking a rest is in your online business' own best interest!

Running an online business can be extremely rewarding, both financially as well as personally. However, you need to be organized, first and foremost! Following the steps above will put you on the right path to online business success! Put your business first by taking yourself seriously and putting yourself first as well! After all; having freedom and prosperity is what an online business all about!

Keyword. online business success and strategy