Hi There

Just imagine starting a full-time or part-time business that requires little or no training, no capital expenses so you can start with just having to buy a few basic tools or stock (and with several you'll not even need to buy tools, you'll probably have them already. No vehicle because you will be working locally. No premises because you will work from home. And no stock because you'll be selling services, using your skills.

You will use simple skills that you already have, so no need for long and expensive training. You can start within hours of reading this book and could be collecting money the same day.

Covid19 has been a ban of our lives. Each of us has been touched in some way. Many have been affected in hard ways. Used all their savings to survive, maybe lost their job even. The consequences can be hard and far reaching with rent or a mortgage to pay, food to shop for, gas and electricity too. Plus the many other expenses we have. 

That is why I have written the Start a Small Business Ideas manual. First published as a printed magazine some 40 years ago, the idea has been re-visited and new ideas brought to the table.

Most of these ideas are local businesses where the internet plays only a small part in your success. So you don't need to be a computer expert to succeed. IN fact Some have succeeded without owning a computer.

With over 117 ideas to start a business there must be something for everybody. All these ideas have been tried and tested at some time. Many can be turned into a full-time business that will support you and your family, all can be part-time business that will help you top up the losses in your savings account or repay the debts that you've accumulated during the lockdown period. With many you can start bringing in cash immediately, most are cash on completion so that there is no need to wait for payment.

We all want information in different formats. Some of you will like a printed book, others will read off their tablet or phone, whilst yet others will benefit from a video course where they can see, hear and read. So there are THREE options. The printed book, an e-book, and an online course. I've kept the cost down as low as possible and if you purchase the printed book from Amazon and are a Prime customer, then you'll get fast free delivery. If you purchase the e-book then you'll have the download within minutes, at a very low price. The online course is low-cost and affordable too.

Sounds to easy? Well it is but not many will actually start. Firstly you need to read the information and decide which project to carry out. Then you need to take action get out there and tell people about your new business. Only some 3 people in every 100 that read this book will take action. Most will be dreamers or finding excuses not to start, or putting off until tomorrow, which never comes.

If you seriously want to start making money tomorrow with no training or experience, no money, no vehicle, no premises and no stock then this is for you. ANYBODY can succeed, you just need the detemination and be ready to take the first steps. Whether you just want a few bucks a week to make up a shortfall or a full-time business you'll find the answer here. I do not make any claims of your success because that will depend on your state of mind and willingness to try something new. Sometimes you'll find you started the wrong project, give it time and if it doesnt work then try another. Don't waste time or money. Remember! The average young millionaire has tried up to 17 different ventures before finding the right one. 

HERE ARE THE LINKS. Click on the relevant blue link to go straight to the page

 AMAZON PRINTED BOOK USA https://amzn.to/3bvVzYi

 AMAZON PRINTED BOOK UK   https://amzn.to/3bE3yTf

 SMASHWORDS E_BOOK          https://bit.ly/2QUhYox

 ON-LINE COURSE                     https://bit.ly/2GwqfNx

 

COMING SOON!

SALES AND MARKETING SUCCESS BLUEPRINT will be available on 1st October. This book a comprehensive list of marketing and sales ideas that will help you launch your new business using no-cost and low-cost ideas that have been proven to work. Watch out for more details. 

This book is based on the live course that has been running for almost 20 years and regularly updated, helping small businesses to success. Most of the ideas have, however, been around for longer and are the basis for a successful local business. 

Marketing is an area that is vital to any business. You can have the best product or service at a really competitive price and feel that everyone can benefit. But why aren't you selling any? You have to tell to sell and this book shows you clearly how to promote your products or services. There is no magic formula, if there was every business would be doing the same thing. But there is a whole range of ideas that can be used and that will help you promote and sell. 

We live in a world of online sales but local business should be involved in the local community. This book shows you how to reach our succesfully.

Working from Home. Some home truths

Hi Everyone

Working from home is just great. There are some really good benefits but you have to be so focussed and selfish you’d not believe. If you slip you’ll find you can be crushed by the outside forces and the inner torment that can just destroy you.

I’ve worked from home for over 25 years apart from some short spells and I’ve gone through the best of times and worse of times. So here are some of the hurdles you’ll find on the path to home working success.

Work/Life balance

Working for a company gives you the structure that separates your life into segments. You get up, dress and groom yourself, travel to work for a set time, finish at a set time or work agreed overtime and then leave and go to your home life. Sometimes you might take work

home but usually you can stop working when you leave the office and not start again until you arrive next morning.

Working from home means you probably never stop working. You might have a home office but its usual to work on the dining or kitchen table in the evenings and even as soon as you get out of bed. It’s like an addiction. Whether you love it or hate it, you just can’t get away. You are tied to your business, probably your laptop which is constantly always switched on.

Mealtimes go out the Window and you famine or feast

Remember when someone yelled out “Anyone for a bacon buttie?” and there was a rush to pay the guy who was going to the sandwich bar to pick them up. Lunchtime comes and you go out, eat in the staff restroom or even work at your desk, but at least you ate at regular times.

Now you are working on that priority project or just get carried away and forget the time. Suddenly it’s 4 in the afternoon and you haven’t eaten. So you make a sandwich or grab a ready to eat snack. Then just a hour later you have a family meal but aren’t very hungry. Or you are drinking coffee with 2 sugars and snacking continuously during the day. Then wonder why your clothes don’t fit!!

You become isolated

You worked with others and that had its ups and downs. But in the main you have an office social life where you interact with others. Might be small talk about what you did last night, the TV or football. Could be office meetings or discussing work. But you are talking to others usually in an informal way with people you are familiar with. For some, the office life is their life where they are maybe unhappy or lonely at home.

Now compare that with working at home. You are working alone, either in your home office, or on the kitchen table. Or perhaps making a video, but still alone. The radio may be on but there’s nobody to talk to. The phone rings and it’s a problem. You have to face up to everything on your own, nobody to sit down with and discuss what to do. OK! There are internet forums and support but these are remote and you can never be absolutely sure of

the people you meet online.

So you finish up becoming quite isolated. And that might have an effect on your personality and your relationships with your family. And it certainly can add stress and uncertainty. Do you begin to prefer your own company, do you start talking to yourself! Do you start talking to your pet goldfish.

Social Media becomes your Social Life

Being alone you stop for a while and hit Facebook. That’s when your troubles really begin because you either start surfing within Facebook as one connection leads to another.

Or . . . your life starts to revolve around Facebook and you sink into the fantasy world of what everybody else is doing. And begin to lead your life on theirs. And you may start texting or adding posts to these “friends” pages whom are really at best just acquaintances and often almost strangers. And this can lead to you not only wasting time but also getting trapped in situations you just don’t want.

So . . . basically your social life just vanishes into thin air, to be replaced with a fantasy world.  We all need to socialise but you’ve cut yourself off.

You can’t have a Sick Day

Working for yourself means you usually can’t afford to take a sick day, or snowed in day when you just can’t get to work. When you just need to roll out of bed and slouch down to your work area there’s just no excuse.

So not only do you miss those days which could be spend out snowballing or just having a bit of fun. You stay alone, working. Outside you see Mums and Dads having fun with their kids. You aren’t paid by the hour. You have to complete to compete.

Are you busy? Can you just . . . ?

And you know what’s coming next. Nobody thinks you work. Your time is almost your own. But on second thoughts it not. Your time is everybody else’s.

“Sorry to bother you but can you just drop Mary off at college. She’s late and it’ll only take you 10 minutes”  Yes!. Suddenly that 10 minutes is 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back. “And whilst you are out we need some milk and a loaf of bread. Can you just stop off and get it? Oh and don’t use the corner shop, they are too expensive.” So you go out of your way to the supermarket. The total time is now over an hour!!

Then there are the friends who drop in or call you and want to tell you about their latest escapade with the car parking in town. And that’s another hour gone. So you decide to clamp down on this and tell everyone that you are working and not on a sabbatical. That works for a couple of days then back to the old routine.

Working in an office and nobody calls you to do a pick up! Everybody respects that you are working.

Your Neighbours wonder what you do

What does Jim do all day? He doesn’t seem to work and when he goes out he looks so unkempt. Maybe he lost his job. Maybe he’s an alcoholic. He’s always in old clothes. Strange man isn’t he.

And suddenly you are being accosted when you go out and asked some strange searching questions  . . .  or you are ignored. So once again you are losing that social interaction and get strange looks. So you are talking and drop into the conversation that you write courses online. And you get those funny looks and you can almost hear the gears in their brains clinking into action “What does he mean? I don’t really like to ask because he’ll think I’m stupid”

Looking Good

Remember when you wore a suit every day? Those were the days. Looked good, felt good. Knew you were the smart guy. Always a sharp dresser.

Working from home it’s sloppy joe time. No need to dress up. Old jeans, trainers and a sweatshirt. Fine. You feel comfortable. Some-one had told you that when you dressed well and felt good then your work was better. But you just can’t be bothered. And your work does probably suffer.

You look at yourself in the mirror and suddenly realise that you need a shave if you’re a guy or haven’t used make-up for days as a woman and you look like you are recovering from a hangover.

Office Parties a thing of the past

 Remember those office parties? Xmas or some other celebration like a birthday or leaving. Any excuse. Leave work, head for a bar or go for a meal and have a laugh. Get to know everyone better and let your hair down. It’s time to relax.

But working alone you have nobody to celebrate with. You could go down the pub and sit in the corner. No. Just forget it. You can’t even reclaim the tax on a Christmas dinner. Ah well. Better get on with work.

Getting some exercise

I worked in an office some years ago selling conservatories by phone. This was about 1998. We used to do the whole sale by phone. No salesman visiting to close the deal. It was hard but rewarding. But my point here is that every lunchtime a couple of us would go out and just walk for about 30 minutes. It was an industrial estate so nothing particular to see. But we used to get back to work and be active in the afternoon whilst everyone else began to get tired. I also rememeber that I was pretty fit.

Working alone you’ll keep going all day and then wonder why you are tired in the afternoon. You’ll have forgotten what fresh air smells like and you will become lethargic. Life will be work, work, work.

But it’s not all Bad

I’ve listed out the bad things about working for yourself from home but there are some great advantages.

You don’t have to slop around the house or feel isolated. You can have a work/life balance and be respected by your friends and neighbours. You just need to bring that discipline you have in working for a company into your life. It does mean self discipline but you just need to get some new habits into place.

The main benefits, however, in working for yourself is that you can achieve what you want. Whether you want money, fame, satisfaction or anything else, it’s possible. If you work for yourself now, you’ll know this is true. There is nobody else you need to rely upon. Just yourself. 

Be positive. Take Action 

Success starts with sharing your dreams

Success starts when you create an idea and make your dream. Sharing it with someone else and fixing that dream firmly as an ambition is the real launching ground for the success to happen. 
Work with me over at least 3 months and see the difference a critical friend can make. See how new ideas and skills can help you expand your business. e-mail me on ask@mikeleahy.com for more information

December here in a week

What are you doing to prepare your campaign to bring in sales during January and February,historically the lowest sales months of the year?
And this year the hike in VAT plus British Gas gas and electricity up by 7% and other increases it's going to leave many householders looking to cut back dramatically. This will have an adverse effect on practically every type of business.

So now is the time to sit down, brainstorm and come up with some simple practical ideas that wioll give you the edge over your competitors.

New Year resolutions usually kick in on New Years Day and kickout before mid March. So why don't you start now. It's often really just a question of  of changing your habits.
So . . . 
Don't spend hours writing Business Plans and Marketing Plans. 
Write down on an A4 Sheet your BIG GOALS - just bullet points.
Then write down the small stages you need to take to reach those goals. Those small steps are solutions. Think about it.
By tackling say 4-5 small; goals each week you will reach your Big Goals.