Issue 19 - April 15, 2004

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2004 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

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1. Editorial

Following the highly successful National Home-based Business Summit hosted by the Australian Government at Parliament House Canberra in March 2003, a series of home-based seminars, followed by a National Home-based Business Summit and Expo, were held in 2003/2004.

Hosted by the Federal Government, these FREE seminars enabled participating home-based businesses to have a say on issues they were concerned about. The seminars also provided an opportunity for them to hear from a number of successful home-based business operators and gain some tips on networking, marketing and managing the risks of operating a business from and at home.

Earlier this month I attended the seminar held in Adelaide.

MC and Facilitator for the day was Peter Switzer, well-known small business expert and author. Other speakers included those from the Insurance industry, Intellectual Property, IT, Publishing, Marketing, Networking, Strategic Planning and a representative from the Australian Taxation Office.

The opening address was presented by Small Business and Tourism Minister, The Hon Joe Hockey MP.

Also speaking were two operators of successful home based businesses. One of them was a young woman named Robin Goossens. I spoke at length with Robin after the seminar and felt that her story
might encourage those with a dream to follow it through to fruition.

Robin agreed to having her story published in our newsletter. She hopes that it will give others the courage to be inspired to "reach for their dreams".

My thanks to Robin, an achiever and an inspiration.

Here is her story...

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: Believe and Achieve

Back in 2002 my husband was working long hours to support his wife and two young daughters. I wanted to help out financially, but also wanted to stay home to be with my children. So in December 2002, I came up with an idea whereby I could work from home, the hours that I wanted.

I had an idea which would allow me to do just that, and at the same time provide a cheaper, yet very effective form of marketing to South Australian businesses - Free Postcard Advertising.

The idea wasn't totally unique. A New South Wales company had been doing something similar for many years, catering more to the "high end" of the advertising market.

My difference was to make postcard marketing affordable to smaller business and at the same time encourage the general public to support South Australian business by offering incentives by way of
discounts and special offers on the reverse of the card.

I needed someone with the skills to produce these cards, so approached a close friend of mine - Craig Mansfield who, in my opinion, is one of the most talented graphic designers in Adelaide. He saw and understood my vision and wanted to be part of it so, Ad-card Promotions was born.

Setting up a relatively unknown form of marketing has its difficulties. I had no idea where to being or who to ask for help on how to set up the network of distributors I needed to display and distributed my cards. Where would I obtain display units? Which would be best for our purpose? It took me six months of hard work to set up the infrastructure before the business could begin to operate and that was the easy part.

Then there was the money need to finance the business. My husband was on a relatively good wage and it was his idea to use the equity in our home to purchase the necessities needed to get a business up and running. His unwavering faith in me was a constant strength, but at the same time, also a burden. I felt guilty about his long working hours and me spending money that we didn't have on a dream that may not work. The only way to deal with this guilt was to make Ad-Card a success.

Next, I had to convince South Australian businesses that we could provide a more effective, cheaper, value for money form of marketing. This was the hard part. The majority of businesses are hesitant to spend their hard earned dollars on an unknown form of marketing. And who could blame them? They preferred to stay with the traditional forms of marketing like television, radio and newspaper/magazine advertisements.

Thankfully, a few innovative marketing managers saw the potential of our form of marketing and Ad-Card Promotions' first display of postcards went on display to the public in June, 2003.

Suburban Taxis was the first business to 'take a chance' with us and signed up for a four month campaign. This campaign actually ran for six months and I am pleased to say that they were so delighted with the results that when their cards ran out, they immediately signed up for another four to six month campaign.

It was around this time that I discovered NABEC - Northern Areas Business Enterprise Centre. They were the light at the end of the tunnel. They helped me with my GST requirements, my BAS statements, account keeping methods and a friendly shoulder of support. Through them I joined the Business Owners Coaching Program. I meet monthly with a small group of business owners who have the same issues as I
do. As a group we work on helping each other solve problems and work through issues concerning our businesses. I thoroughly recommend this to any business owner.

The support, understanding and friendship I have received from these people are the reasons Ad-Card is still operating. I hope to continue these friendships for many years.

Three months ago, just as Ad-card was gaining recognition by businesses and the general public, my husbands work hours were cut back to a four-day week. As you can imagine, this caused us major financial problems. With so much money tied up in the new business, two little girls - one at school and one at kindergarten- to support, the mortgage and living costs, we suddenly found ourselves on the verge of loosing our home.

Fred (my husband) took on a second job in the evening to alleviate our financial pressures and there are days when our little girls don't get see their daddy, but it is a necessary evil and hopefully only temporary. I already work part time but the income isn't consistent. I decided to undertake some temp work. I have a strong legal secretarial background so temp work in the legal area was not difficult to come by.

Now my challenge is to look after two young children aged four and six, a husband and a home. I work part time at one job and also work as a Temp two to three days per week and for a District Court Master as needed. I teach martial arts and women's self defence two nights per week on a voluntary basis and I run a home based business seven days a week ... and in my spare time.......

Ad Cards currently has over 75 businesses across South Australia - City, Suburban and Regional that display and distribute our postcards. We expect to double that number in the next nine months.

As you can imagine, life is exceptionally busy. Thankfully, I have a very supportive family and close group of friends. I could not do what I do without them.

I believe home based businesses are the incubators of tomorrow's entrepreneurs. Many start with nothing and within the safe confines of their homes, strive to bring their ideas to life. Some succeed and others fail. But home-based businesses will continue to be the breeding grounds of dreams.

So, why do people choose to work from home? There are many reasons. Some because it is convenient, some because it is cheaper than renting office space, putting in phone lines etc. Some because their
business is just starting out and are still finding their niche in the market place.

For me it was a simple choice. I chose to work from home for several reasons. I felt that being a new business it would be better financially to work from home. When the business grows to a point where it is no longer possible to operate efficiently from home, we will consider renting premises.

My business partner, Craig also works from home. We communicate via phone, email and text message. The marvels of modern technology have provided the modern businessperson with the means of working
together, without actually working together. I'm sure that if Craig and I worked in the same office we wouldn't get along half as well as we do. I wonder if anyone has every tried this with marriage? How to live together without actually living together. No toilet seats left up. No dirty cloths on the floor. No arguments.

But let's get back to the "office".

The advantages that I gain from working from home are:

1. It's cost effective - no rent, no additional electricity bills, heating costs or phone line rental. No additional expenses associated with renting office space - like office furniture, coffee, filing cabinets - all the little things needed to make an office comfortable

2. Taxation - I can claim a percentage of my home expenses at tax time.

3. Childcare - I save on child care - at least until July when my youngest starts school. Then it won't be an issue.

4. Stress Relief - I can yell at my dog when I need an outlet for my stress.

Yes, there is a downside, but if you keep positive you can handle it.

When I worked a nine to five job for an employer, I started at 8.45 am and finished work at 5.00 p.m. I had and hour for lunch and fifteen minutes for morning tea and 15 minutes for afternoon tea.

Since being self-employed and working from home, I don't have lunch, morning tea or afternoon tea. I started work at 9.00 a.m. twelve months ago and I haven't knocked off work since. Even when I'm not
"working", and by that I mean sitting at the computer or on the phone, I am working. My mind is always thinking about the business, ideas for new designs, additional outlets for the cards, marketing ideas for the business. Then there is the worry associated with being a business owner - Financial worry, Production problems, co-worker problems, the effects on your family.

With its drawbacks, difficulties and stresses, it's sometimes enough to put anyone off starting their own business. So why will there always be people in the community prepared to do just that?

I've come to the realisation that there are two types of people. There are those who are happy to work 9 to 5 for a wage to support their families - No stress, work your hours, knock off, go home and relax. I did just that for twenty years and was very happy.

Then there are those whose needs don't fit into a 9 to 5 timeslot. These people dare to dream. To take an idea and mould it into reality in the hope of building a profitable business to support themselves and their families. These people are also the employers of tomorrow, the backbone of industry and business.

The Government relies on business to provide employment for its people, and in return, business owners like us need the government to acknowledge our contribution to the local economy. We need the government to continue to support us, and we in turn will support ourselves and others.

In closing, the unpaid hours of work, the stresses placed on us and our families and the uncertainty of success is of our own choosing. If our business fails, many of us will simply pick ourselves up and try again.

Why?

Because we choose to be different from those around us who work for others. Because we choose to chase our dreams.

Married and the mother of two young daughters, Robin holds a black belt in Tai Kwondo and a 1st Dan black belt in Karate. She teaches women's self defence and Kids Karate twice a week on a voluntary
basis. She is on the Board of Management of the Northern Domestic Violence Service and currently holds the office of Treasurer. Robins says "Prior to starting my business I had no previous background in marketing, just an idea which thankfully others also believed in." Robin operates her own successful business enterprise, Ad-Card Promotions. Take a look at http://www.ad-card.com.au

3. Resources

Moms World Wide is a community of moms, helping each other to build financial security. When would you like to work from home? http://www.wahm.com/

Looking for a Work at Home Business? A human-edited directory of online and offline business opportunities* that helps real people find real work at home. http://www.work-at-home-index.net/

Home-Based Working MomsTM is a professional association and online community of parents who work at home and those who would like to work from home. http://www.work-at-home-index.net/

4. Article: Work Your Small Business Dream

Nothing in life happens until you do something. Think, hope, plan, worry and ask as many questions as you like, but to reach your dreams you must take action and keep taking action.

I receive at least four e-mail messages a week with a variation of "I want to write for a living, but...."

Half the lovely people contacting me have made some writing sales; the other half are aspiring writers. What's amazing to me however, is that all of them know what to do. The aspiring and pro writers know how to get their work in front of editors, or if they're copywriters, they know that they have to market themselves.

BUT ---

There's always the "but".

They're still unsure.

I'm convinced that they imagine that there's a secret. Once they know what the secret is, everything will be magically clear to them, and they'll feel in control, knowing that at least $2K a week or more will keep rolling in. Then all they'll need to do is decide whether they'll vacation in the Bahamas or Tahiti this year.

There is a secret. Here it is in five words: GET STARTED, THEN KEEP GOING.

The poet Goethe said it better:

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

A famous novelist once said that writing a novel for him was like driving through the night with only the light of his headlights for guidance. However, what he could see in his headlights was more than enough for him to write his book.

The "Get Started Then Keep Going" secret applies not just to any small business, but to any dream you have. You're not given a map. How could you get a map? The world's changing every second. However,
you're given a dream, and you're always given knowledge of one step you can take today. That's all you need.

Once you do something, things start to move you toward your dream, and they're always a surprise.

All you have to do is remember your dream, keep it constantly in mind, and then confidently (or with craven cowardice, it doesn't matter) do just one thing RIGHT NOW. And then do the next thing. And the next thing after that.

If you want to super-charge your movement to your dream, promise yourself that you'll do five things every day that will move you toward your dream.

Coping with your emotional roadblocks

Maybe you're too exhausted to move towards your dream. Constant exhaustion indicates an emotional energy leak. You can plug your leaks and get around your blocks.

Here are some common blocks and how to get around them:

Block One: Your expectations

You have a dream, and you think you know how it will evolve. You don't know. You can't know. All your expectations do is get in the way. Drop your expectations. Think about your dream, and get excited. The minute you start thinking that you know how your dream will evolve, just refocus on the dream again, and the next action you have to take.

Block Two: Envy and jealousy

Don't compare yourself with anyone else. If you truly knew all the details of the person's life you're busy envying, chances are you wouldn't want his life. Be grateful for everything you have.

Block Three: Taking on too much

You can have it all, but not all at once. If you're studying, raising three small children under five, and want to run a small business in your spare time, get real. Hold your dream until you finish your course and the kids are in school.

Block Four: Assuming

Ask, don't assume. You want to send out 100 direct mail letters, but ---- (fill in your assumption here).

Send out the letters if that's what you see in your headlights. Do it.

Block Five: Negative thought patterns

Negative thoughts are like weeds. They grow, until they choke the life out of your spirit.

Here's the good news: once you can spot a negative thought, the thought dies. It can't survive with your attention directly on it, because then you can challenge it. So when you spot a negative thought, smile. You're winning.

Just for today, give yourself a break and work your dream. What can you see in your headlights? Go and do it right now.

Here's another quote from Goethe to inspire you to action:

How can you come to know yourself? Never by thinking, always by doing. Try to do your duty, and you'll know right away what you amount to. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

(Quotations from http://www.quotationspage.com)

Love to write? Join Pro Write: Professional Writing Secrets Build a successful professional writing career. For both novices and experienced, selling writers. A new interactive writing workshop every month, for fiction, nonfiction and copywriting, plus writing coaching and writing manuals. Subscription includes access to writer's forum, three ezines, and writing markets. http://www.prowrite.biz/

5. Sponsors

Need to outsource? Contract the Services of Lynne Bullen Strategies. Outsource your Public Relations, Editorial and Commercial Copywriting, as well as your Secretarial and Administrative needs. Lynne also specialises in Digital Transcription. Contact Lynne at lynne@lynnebullenstrategies.com.au or visit her website at http://www.lynnebullenstrategies.com.au

If you want to promote your business but find the cost of traditional methods far too expensive, try a new and innovative way of getting your message "out there" with Ad-Cards. Check it out at http://www.ad-card.com.au or email Robin at adcard@chariot.net.au

*Pro Write: Professional Writing Secrets* turns your love of writing into a highly paid career. For both novices and experienced, selling writers. A new interactive writing workshop every month, for fiction, nonfiction and copywriting, plus writing coaching and writing manuals. Subscription includes access to writer's forum, three ezines, and writing markets. JOIN TODAY --- http://www.prowrite.biz/

[Editor's note: Below is a wonderful, tongue-in-cheek article by Linda Cox. Please have fun with this. I'm sure it will have you laughing]

6. Article: FAQ: How to Get Insanely Rich on the Internet

Welcome to the Total Idiot's Guide to Internet Success!

Let's begin:

Q: How long will it take me to get insanely rich?

A: Depends on you. Probably two weeks. Some people take as long as a month.

Q: Does it take hard work or long hours to get insanely rich?

A: No. This is the internet.

Q: Can just anybody get insanely rich?

A: Yes. This is the internet.

Q: How do I proceed?

A: As you're surfing around the net you'll see banners and links that say things like "Make Fourteen Million Dollars in Ninety Days, Click Here to See How!" Simply click the link to get started.

Q: It won't really take ninety days though, will it?

A: Of course not. They just say that so you'll be pleasantly surprised and so it doesn't sound like hype.

Q: Okay, I've found one that says "Retire to Your Own Caribbean Isle in One Month!" Is that good?

A: Perfect.

Q: What does MLM mean?

A: Nobody really knows. Morons Lose Money has been snidely suggested by the little-brains.

Q: I signed up and now I sell low phone rates. They say it's the easiest thing to sell because everyone uses a phone. And since it's MLM, by the time my third level is operating I'll be making $345,915.45 per week.

A: Conservatively.

Q: They say the first step is to get my mother into the program. Why is my sponsor happy that Mom has Alzheimers?

A: Your sponsor is a shrewd business person. People with any sort of memory disorder make the best targ... uh, clients. You can switch your mother's long distance carrier for her, and then start calling the other members of her support group.

Q: That sounds a little fishy.

A: The ends justify the means. You are offering people substantial savings on long distance. It's for their own good.

Q: How else can I get new business?

A: Spam. Spam. Spam.

Q: I thought spam was bad.

A: No, spam is good. Anyone who says it's bad is just jealous because their brains are too small.

Q: But won't I lose my web host and ISP?

A: In the get-rich-quick business, it's important to cultivate a zen-like non-attachment to service providers.

Q: What else can I do to promote my new business?

A: Here's a list of suggestions:

-- Sign up with a free website provider and fill your site with zany colors and flashy banners.

-- Join every free banner exchange.

-- Get your own free-for-all links page.

-- Join every opt-in email list with the word Money, Rich or Lackwit in the title.

-- Buy software that submits your site URL to the 15,000 most important search engines.

-- Buy software that submits your ad to the 50,000 most-read free classified sites.

-- Buy software that submits your link to the 100,000 most popular free-for-all link pages.

-- Hire a bulk emailer.

-- Sponsor a golf tournament.

Q: Okay, I've done all that and I'm still not rich. I haven't even driven my hitcounter to its knees yet. What am I doing wrong?

A: It's possible that you're not very bright. Consult one of your friends who has retired on their internet earnings.

Q: What if I don't have any friends who have retired on their internet earnings?

A: Then contact someone on the internet who has retired on their internet earnings.

Q: What if I've never heard of anyone retiring from their internet earnings?

A: Well, then maybe you can be the first.

Linda Cox (J.A.M.G.) was actually a real-world corporate marketer for many years before going on the net without a net. Now she's Just Another Marketing Guru. More Linda here: http://www.LindaCox.com

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