By VaNessa Duplessie

Rant time folks. Don’t read if you’re not up for hearing the TRUTH.

I’m pissed this morning. Yes, I cursed. I’m a mom and never curse in front of the kids but we’re all adults here.

I want you to LISTEN UP. In less than one week a few students of mine who shall remain nameless have told me that they have be “advised” to not seek work or to let go or scale back on jobs they have so they could build their business and have more time to focus.

Both students have familes, kids, mortgages and spouses that depend on them. Both were told that if they just focused on their business full time it would be better. Both are stressed out and are infact more UNFOCUSED because of it. Both have spent oodles of money and borrowed from family, friends or cleared their savings to invest in their business. They love this business and aren’t going to give up, they are just worried and it is taking longer than they thought. Both have made money in their home business so they’ve had a taste of what it can be life and know this IS REAL and VIABLE.

Here’s what I told them: FAMILY COMES FIRST then comes your business. You do what it takes to take care of your family. If you’ve been an entrepreneur LONG enough like I have, you know Businesses can come and go. You get ONE SHOT at your family. I have a golden rule: I will NOT lose my family over my business. Believe me, my spouse has thought I was nuts at times when I spent oodles of money on coaching, training and products. But I’m still here 3 years later and doing fine. I live a life I am comfortable with. This is not my FIRST ride on the merry go round.

I’ve had a real estate company, a restaurant, and years of consulting practices. I’ve lost my shirt in some and had great success in others. (We will never own another restaurant!) Business is an EBB and FLOW. I could lose everything tomorrow and it wouldn’t matter. I’d still have my family and we’d start over. We’ve done it before.

THE TRUTH BE TOLD: There is NOTHING WRONG with working a PT job or a FT job and building your business on the side. There is EVERYTHING RIGHT with having a sense of peace over marketing dollars spent when you know you are not taking food out of your kids mouths. NEVER BET THE MORTGAGE. Most of the time you’ll lose.

DON’T LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO TELL YOU TO QUIT YOUR JOB, INVEST YOUR LIFE SAVINGS AND THE MONEY WILL COME.

THERE’S A REASON MOST NEW BUSINESSES FAIL WITHIN THE FIRST 5 YEARS AND HOME BUSINESSES WITHIN 1 YEAR. IT TAKES STAMINA AND THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET.

IT’S WORK PEOPLE. AND IT CAN BE FUN!!!

Don’t get me wrong, you DO need to take RISKS in your business. CALCULATED RISK is good.

Let’s face it, everyone online is her to make a good living and life the lifestyle we want. Most of us are here to sell products and services that HELP people. Some are just in it for a BUCK. Those people will be gone in short order. I’m in it for a BUSINESS and for the long term of leaving a LEGACY. 5 years from now, I will still be here helping people, just like I was 5 years ago.

I’ve learned that from my mentors and I’ve witnessed it. THIS IS A LONG HAUL GAME.

IT IS OK TO MAKE MONEY HELPING PEOPLE. And YOU can make money with your business. It takes time and effort. And some days seriously SUCK, while others are FANTABULOUS.

BE SMART ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS and how you go about your days.

Do NOT quit your job to START your home business. QUIT YOUR JOB WHEN YOUR BUSINESS SURPASSES YOUR DAY JOB INCOME ON A REGULAR BASIS.

See folks….the strong and persistent PERSERVERE. Everyone I have ever talked to who has “MADE IT” — DIDN’T make it over night. It takes TIME. And they worked their A**es off to learn their craft. Most people have two problems: they run out of time and money based on their personal situation.

Let the security of a J-O-B or any other role FUEL YOUR BUSINESS. Use it to your advantage.

Please please, take care of those you love, evaluate your personal situation and most of all. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT. Selling is done to the emotions but your gut always knows.

This post may freak some people out. It needed to be said. ITS THE TRUTH.

And just so you know while I never bet the house, I do bet on BLACK 13.

I BELIEVE you can succeed. I BELIEVE in YOU like my mentors BELIEVE(D) in ME.

CLICK HERE to get more of VaNessa’s rants, raves and help to remove the fuzziness from your business.

The purpose of being in business…any business…is to make money, right?

Cathie Heath says it’s surprising how many people lose sight of that in their day to day operations.

While the desire to provide excellent service and to help others is a GOOD thing, if we don’t remain solvent, we won’t be in business long.

It may sound like a no-brainer, but if you want to help people, you need to stay in business!

by Miriam Buhr

Home and Small Business Owners are categorized as self-employed and as such have no company-provided health insurance.  It’s a different story if you are married to someone who has company benefits because you then enjoy the benefits of being included in the policy with potential of catering to your needs.

If you do not have a spouse with those bennies, there are still other options.  So my next question is, do you belong to a professional association? If so, you may be eligible for group insurance. Another option for the self-employed is that you can connect with an independent insurance professional and talk about getting individual group coverage.

Or follow the lead of other business owners, hit the online pavement and do your own research.  

Before you make a final decision, be sure that you are dealing with a reputable company.  Research their history to get an idea about their track record. You can start your research online but then take it to a live platform and call the companies that you are researching. Keep in mind that companies have issues every once in a while.  Find out how they resolved these issues and how prompt was their response. In the end, be wise about your choice and use your judgment to determine if it fits your needs, values, and if they are likely to be around when you need them.  

What follows is a list of INFORMATION Sources to get you started.

• eHealthInsurance.com   www.ehealthinsurance.com
• e-Insure Services, Inc.   www.einsurance.com
• InsWeb Corp.   www.insweb.com
• Quotesmith.com, Inc.   www.quotesmith.com

Happy Research!!

by Miriam Buhr

 There are a myriad of programs for the expressed purpose to help women entrepreneurs to start, grow, and expand their businesses. I am cognizant that a good portion of business owners personally finance their businesses. Yet there is another part of this sector that seeks financial support.

It is well established that business financing come in many forms. The information that follows targets US based government programs, which categorize government financing into two areas: grants and loans.

The current federal and state government agencies do not offer grants to women to help them start a business. Non-profits and private organizations normally endow business owners with grants.   Yet based on experience these grants are very rare and the focus has typically been on helping minority women and women in economically disadvantaged communities.

Although limited in numbers, loans are available specifically to help women start and expand their businesses.

The list below is certainly not exhaustive but it does provide programs specifically for women entrepreneurs:

• ACCION USA Small Business Loans 
• California: Women’s Economic Ventures Small Business Loan Fund
• Delaware: Delaware Access Program
• Illinois: Minority, Women, and Disabled Participation Loan Program
• Iowa: Target Small Business Assistance Program 
• Massachusetts BDC Capital Community Loans
• Mississippi: Capital Access Loan Program
• New Jersey: Urban Plus
• New Mexico: The Loan Fund
• New York: Micro Loans for Minority and Women Owned Businesses
• Wisconsin: Linked Deposit Loan Subsidy
• Wisconsin: Women’s Business Initiative Corporation Small Business Loans

Keep in mind that the above mentioned resources not only provide information about how and where to locate government funds, but some of the web sites listed also provide other business related information for different types of entrepreneurs: home based businesses, self-employed, non-profit organizations, disabled people, and minority owned and veteran owned businesses.

Ladies, it is wise to research so that you can make a sound business financial decision as well as determine what is available for your own personal use or referral purposes. If you live outside of the US, I encourage you to make note of these financial resources.  You have a good probability that you can locate similar and available programs in your particular country.