It is a dream for many people being able to work from home, avoiding the daily commute and traffic headaches, living in your PJ’s and making money from the sofa. But are there enough working from home opportunities around and if so can they sustain a comfortable lifestyle? What are the ups and downs of working and living in the same space?
There are those that get the opportunity of working from home in their current job, this can be an advantage and if it fits with both the employer and employee, then that is fine, but I want to talk about those that decide to carve out their own destiny working from home and building an online business.
The Dream
It has been very well marketed by the Internet Guru’s, that wonderful internet lifestyle, you know the one, endless amounts of money flowing through the door, whilst just a few hours per week are actually spent working, all be it at a laptop in a luxury office overlooking the ocean. Then we get the tour of a mansion and treated to glimpses of several top end cars and other toys whilst we dribble over our own keyboards as we dream of one day being the Guru on screen.
It may have worked several years ago and I am not saying that those Guru’s did not have all that they so kindly shared with us on screen, but seriously it does not work like that, it is totally possible to make that kind of money online, but it takes more than a few hours work per week, so it is time to hit the reality button….
The Reality
Sitting at the computer hour after hour, sometimes not really knowing what you are doing or whether what you are doing is going to actually work because the money is not flowing like the Guru said it would, You have done everything he said and you have not seen a bean yet, is it time to try a different product and a different Guru?
The product you are using does not make sense and you did not realize you would have to invest another several thousand dollars to make it work, you do not remember that being mentioned when the Guru was showing you his obscene bank account. It is a frustrating business and you just get worn down by all the empty promises, you just want some kind person to show you how it is done without it costing you an arm and a leg.
That is the dream and the reality, but what about the solution?
Online Opportunities
They do exist and there are plenty to choose from, but you have to understand from the outset that they all involve work, so forget about those stories of one button riches, they do not exist. I have some simple advice that if taken will lead to success every time, so here goes…
- Research
- Choice
- Attention
- Sticky
- Success
Research: Spend a good amount of time researching good online opportunities, make a short list of the best and then research them again, and again if you have to, just make sure you find the right one. If this takes a few weeks it does not matter, we are talking about your future here, so spend a good amount of time now and it will pay off for you.
A good tip is to pick something that has an active community because you know you will have support from people that are working on the same thing as you.
Choice: This is simply making a choice out of the best opportunities that you have researched. Start by making a list of your strengths and weaknesses, and then you will be better equipped to make your choice. If you really do not want to make a lot of video’s, the it is an obvious weakness, so you will not want to pick the opportunity that involves making a lot of video’s, right.
You get the picture, try and go for something that involves more of your strengths otherwise you are not going to enjoy the work involved and will not stick with it.
Attention: Once you have done your research and made your choice, it is time to get started. Live it and breath it, follow it step for step and do everything that is asked of you, give it your full attention and do not get distracted. It may be a good idea to shut down your email and social media whenever you are working your opportunity. distraction cost time and progress.
Sticky: You have made your bed, now lie in it. This is now your time to stop jumping ship and looking for something new, and if you did your research properly and made the right choice you will not want to jump ship. But my point is that you need to work this baby you picked and stick with it, give it time to work and stay with it until it does work.
Success: It will be yours, success that is, if you do the research, make the right choice for you, give it your full attention and avoid distractions, and stick with it and don’t jump ship.
Right Under Your Nose
Sometimes the very thing that you are searching for is right under your nose, yet you just don’t see it, you can’t see the woods for the trees so to speak. So I thought it only fair to point out the gift horse that is right under your nose, just in case you miss it as you rush off to research all those online opportunities.
Wealthy Affiliate: It is a solid online training membership site that is actually free to join, and you can just stay a free member and enjoy a lot of training, or you can upgrade whenever you want if you would like access to the whole sweet shop. It is full of great quality training that will guide you along the path of success and it has one of the most active communities I have come across, so the support is second to none.
Now I am not saying stop your research because I have found the opportunity for you, that is not the case because Wealthy Affiliate may not fit with you, it just might not be the right opportunity for you. What I am saying is it is a definite contender as one of your shortlisted opportunities and should be included in your research.
Okay, it is now time for you to go get started and do your research, remember don’t rush this step, it is an important step, as is your choice, so don’t forget that list of strengths and weaknesses.