QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
By Mark McKeller

Q. I really want to start a home based business, but I don't fell like I have any particular strength that might be good for running a business. What do I need to know or be like to succeed?

A. You rarely need any particular technical or business skill to succeed. What is important is your ATTITUDE about what you are doing. A healthy and realistic attitude will drive your success; you can learn whatever else you may need to know, or get help from others with expertise you need. "Healthy and realistic" is more than just "positive". Are your goals achievable? Do you understand the reality of making mistakes and having difficulties? Are you willing to exert more effort for less return that you expected, and still feel good about your business? Your attitude has three parts, and it is helpful to understand each of them to best evaluate and manage it as a whole.

Your attitude about your product. Simply put, you must believe in what you are selling. Does it provide some tangible benefit to people around you? Is this benefit worth the price you must charge? Would you buy it? If you believe strongly in your product or service, it's much easier to maintain a healthy attitude, especially when those inevitable "technical" challenges arise.

Your attitude about your market. Not everyone will value your product; in fact, most probably won't. And you may not be very good at finding the ones that do, at least in the beginning. Therefore, be prepared for "no", and be patient in finding your niche. Acceptance of rejection as necessary for success is critical in maintaining a healthy and realistic attitude. Treat rejection like a game- see how well you learn from it and better target your potential clients.

Your attitude about yourself. You can destroy the greatest opportunity in the world of you don't believe in yourself. Accept rejection, and understand that rejection of what you sell is not rejection of you. You simply looked in the wrong place for business. Also, recognize your accomplishments. Set and write down your goals, document your successes, and learn from it when you come up short. This keeps your attitude both healthy and realistic.

Feeling frustrated or depressed about your business is normal from time to time. When you feel this way, analyze how you feel in the above areas. Do you still believe in your product? Do you remember that rejection is a necessary learning experience? Are you setting goals and tracking your success? Nothing will help ensure your success better than a healthy and realistic attitude.