How to set realistic goals for your home business

As I was unpacking my things after a house move recently, I found a piece of paper from a business I had started in 2004. On the piece of paper were listed my five top goals for the network marketing business, written at a goal setting seminar where I was told to dream big and pretend that money was no object. As I read them today I laughed because I finally realized that I had been sold a lie. The goals were neither practical nor realistic. This is what I have since learned about goal setting that has really made a difference to how I make things happen in my life.

1. Write the goals down and break them down into small achievable pieces. For example, the goal may be to gain a acquire a new skill that you need for the business. The goal may be written, "Acquire new skill. Contact training centers. Find out costs, times. Book a course. Pay for the course. Attend the course." As each of these small goals is completed, tick them off your list. Having to write down your goals causes you to do two things: Think about the goal and encourage yourself as you complete each step.

2. Surround yourself with things that remind of your vision. For example, your goal may be to earn enough money this quarter to take a vacation. Find pictures of the location you want to go to for the vacation. Write down how much money it will cost. Write down a date that you will achieve that goal by. Find interesting pictures or articles about that destination and stick them up with your goal. Then plot a time line and how much you need to make at points along that time line. Check off your progress by coloring in along the line as you reach each target. There is power in seeing the vision, in getting the finite details written down so you can consider all aspects of your vision.

3. Commit to a time frame. So many people say they want to do things but are too conservative to commit themselves to a time frame. A time frame can be a motivating force all by itself. Remember, plans are made to be changed but a starting mark will get your engine firing.

4. Set realistic goals. My goal to be financially debt-free and able to purchase a home within two years was a little unrealistic when starting out a business with no capital. I certainly didn't plan for my partner to have an accident and injure his back a short time into the business, meaning that I had to go back to work. Try to consider some of the things that may go wrong so you have a contingency plan.

5. Pace yourself. Not everything has to happen overnight. When you are setting the goal, imagine all the barriers to you achieving it, then put a time frame that is relevant to those barriers.

6. Have a plan. A plan is your way of measuring your progress. If the goal can't be measured, you are unable to measure your progress. For example, if your business is a modeling consultancy and you're a little overweight, your questions when goal setting may be: You want to lose weight? How much and by when and how much does that mean you'll need to lose each week and what can you do to make that happen?

7. Review your goals. If you don't know if your goals are realistic, get someone else to have a look and ask questions. I love the question, "How?" I have often said to my husband, "Nice idea. But how?" If he has thought the idea through and set real goals, he is able to tell me not only how but when and what the cost will be.

Goals can be tremendously satisfying or deathly disappointing, depending on whether you remember to make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound). Be SMART and reap the rewards of goals realized.

Need some low cost marketing ideas for your home business?

Marketing can be very expensive if you are unaware of the range of low-cost marketing techniques that are available at your fingertips and telephone!

The first step in working out what's right for you is to come up with a ball park figure on how much you have to spend. It will cost you something, whether it the cost of the internet, paper, printing or phone calls, but everyday presents itself with a marketing opportunity for you. Here are my top 10 suggestions:

1. Use your God given talent to speak. Everyone you meet is a potential customer. Be it friend, service provider, family member or a stranger in the queue at the local supermarket. If you can talk, you can market your business simply by sharing positive stories about how your customers have benefited from your business.

2. You have a body that goes everywhere, dress to impress and wear signage on your clothes. A simple badge with the logo of your business, or a printed T-shirt, tie or scarf, are a form of marketing that does not require any bravery on your part. You can be a human billboard and so can all of your family. Print some t-shirts for your kids, especially good looking clothing and before you know it they will have the parents of their friends wanting to use your business.

3. If you drive a car, you have another billboard for advertising your business. Simple magnetic plates to stick on the sides or back of your car are not that expensive and can be taken off so your car can be used for dual purposes. Or you can put some bumper stickers on. Not only are you advertising your business but it is tax deductible.

4. Local papers can also be a source for drawing new customers. A small ad can get them coming in the door, however, over time this can be quite expensive.

5. Fliers that you can letter box or hand out at train stations is another way of generating business. 1000 fliers may cost a few dollars but is money well spent if you are able to distribute them. Once again, if you have children, harness the energy and enthusiasm they have for your business and make distributing them a family outing.

6. Websites are only useful if you get people to look at them. You can do a very low cost website by doing most of the work yourself using a service provider who has well designed templates. For as little as $100AUD a year, you can have a website that people can log onto and verify that you are a legitimate business. Remember, the role of advertising is to let people know you are in business and what products or services you offer and the best way to contact you. Having a website does make this whole process a lot easier for those who use the technology.

7. Business cards are also handy as they help you to network. I know of at least one free online printer that will allow you to make up 500 business cards and you only pay for the postage to your home. This is an easy way to kick start your networking promotions.

8. Giving away some products is also another good way to get people to notice your business. Choose a few products, wrap them nicely then advertise the contest. One or two posters in the window of your business and people will be happy to take a look if they have a chance to win something for free. The same goes for special offers, either discounts or two-for-one sales.

9. A newsletter, distributed via the internet is another very low cost marketing tool. If you have writing skills, marketing via a newsletter is simple and effective.

10. Faxing or emailing to potential customers your price list and services, then following up with a phone call is also another way to promote a business. When I set up a home maintenance business in 2000, this is how I generated business. Within a very short time, I had our business booked out up to 3 weeks in advance simply by using this method. The same method worked when I was an Employment Consultant trying to get people work. It's magic. The phone call makes them locate the document and look at it. Even if they have discarded it, they don't want you to know that they did it, so you have them on the back foot straight away.

There are so many other ideas, like having a business launch, putting on special sessions for valued customers, sending birthday letters, distributing fridge magnets (great for business cause people need and love them), right down to standing on a busy corner wearing an A-Frame billboard.

You can do it low-cost, if you make the most of what you have! The key is to be consistent, as advertising begins and ends with the big E word - effort!

It is hard to find a good manager these days!

Ever been on the receiving end of an ineffective manager?

I'm sure you know the type.

They rush into your work area and brain dump, thinking that's a form of delegation; ignore you all day, until they want something; get mad at you when you fail to fulfill a task that they haven't even given you access to the resources for;or simply drown you in work until you are falling apart from stress!

I'd say it's easy to find a bad manager, but much harder to find a successful one. So what makes a manager successful? I did some research and this is what I came up with. My top ten qualities of a successful manager are:

Demonstrates integrity
A manager should walk the talk. The old saying, "Lead by example" is the first quality that makes a manager a stand out and that goes for owning up to errors!

Deals honestly and diplomatically
A manager, who owns their mistakes, deals openly, and honestly with others, earns the respect of those they are trying to lead. Equally, a manager that understands that people can have issues is a definite plus!

Demonstrates flexibility
A manager who is responsive to the needs of the business AND the needs of employees is able to keep their team on target and yet achieve the goals of the business.

Shows commitment and reliability
A manager who delivers their promises shows their team that they are reliable and promotes trust.

Listens effectively
A manager who 'seeks first to understand, then to be understood' (Dr Stephen Covey) is a manager who will always have their finger on the pulse of the business. A good negotiator
A manager who comes to the table prepared to give a little that the outcome is a positive one for everyone, will not only earn the respect of his employees but be guaranteed of the opportunity for further negotiations in the future.

A thorough planner
'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.' This saying is especially true for managing. A manager is a coach to their team and the team are looking to them for the game plan. Is fair
A manager who doesn't take sides, show favoritism or victimize those they are supervising, will earn their trust and in turn, will have more personal power to influence their team for good.

Knows how to have fun and has a good sense of humor
A manager who is able to promote a safe and happy work environment where appropriate fun is braced, will ensure the retention of staff.

Seeks to understand those they are supervising
A manager who is able to accurately assess the skills, abilities and personalities of their work team, will be able to develop individual managers to maximize their effectiveness and help them reach their potential, whilst focusing their efforts on the goal.

How does your manager rate? Get them to read this blog and rate themselves against the criteria.