oca Cola, alone, spends over $1.5 billion US dollars every year to sell their product, and it's safe to asssume McDononald's has a similar budget.

Now why do the people in charge of these two highly successful businesses waste all that money on marketing? Because no product sells itself. Work from home businesses are no different. You need a marketing plan and a sales effort if you want to succeed.

3. My business is too small to need a business plan.

D-Day was the largest coordinated mili

There are lots of ways to get off to a bad start with your home business. As a Home Business Consultant and Coach I've heard the five listed below most often. Starting off with any of these common misconceptions can cause you a lot of grief as your home business starts to grow.

1. With work from home businesses like mine, having the lowest price is the best way to enter the market and get customers.

I can't think of a idea that is more widespread among the owners of new work from home businesses. Starting out at a lower than market price might get you some early attention, but it does nothing to improve your chances of success in the long term - and you are in this for the long term, right?

The truth is, you get the customers/clients you look for. If you focus on people who are looking for bargains, or who are very price sensitive, those are the people you are going to have as your customers. When you try to move to market price at a later date most of them are not going to move with you. Instead, they'll be looking for the newest low-price kid on the block.

If you want happy, loyal customers at the market price, or even at a premium to the market, have the confidence to price yourself there on the first day you are open for business. If you just can't bring yourself to face your competition without lower prices, offer an introductory special that is clearly indicated as a temporary mark down from your regular prices. Once the time period for your intoductory, or grand opening special has passed put your prices back where they belong.

2. My product/service will sell itself.

Have you ever heard of Coca Cola? How about McDonald's? Is there likely a person alive in the industrialized world who hasn't been exposed to the product of these two giants? If any product could sell itself, it should be likely that products with the reputation, recognition, and market acceptance of those offered by Coke and McDonald's would fit the bill.

Yet, both Coca Cola and McDonald's market extensively.Coca Cola, alone, spends over $1.5 billion US dollars every year to sell their product, and it's safe to asssume McDononald's has a similar budget.

Now why do the people in charge of these two highly successful businesses waste all that money on marketing? Because no product sells itself. Work from home businesses are no different. You need a marketing plan and a sales effort if you want to succeed.

3. My business is too small to need a business plan.

D-Day was the largest coordinated mili

es. Starting out at a lower than market price might get you some early attention, but it does nothing to improve your chances of success in the long term - and you are in this for the long term, right?

The truth is, you get the customers/clients you look for. If you focus on people who are looking for bargains, or who are very price sensitive, those are the people you are going to have as your customers. When you try to move to market price at a later date most of them are not going to move with you. Instead, they'll be looking for the newest low-price kid on the block.

If you want happy, loyal customers at the market price, or even at a premium to the market, have the confidence to price yourself there on the first day you are open for business. If you just can't bring yourself to face your competition without lower prices, offer an introductory special that is clearly indicated as a temporary mark down from your regular prices. Once the time period for your intoductory, or grand opening special has passed put your prices back where they belong.

2. My product/service will sell itself.

Have you ever heard of Coca Cola? How about McDonald's? Is there likely a person alive in the industrialized world who hasn't been exposed to the product of these two giants? If any product could sell itself, it should be likely that products with the reputation, recognition, and market acceptance of those offered by Coke and McDonald's would fit the bill.

Yet, both Coca Cola and McDonald's market extensively.Coca Cola, alone, spends over $1.5 billion US dollars every year to sell their product, and it's safe to asssume McDononald's has a similar budget.

Now why do the people in charge of these two highly successful businesses waste all that money on marketing? Because no product sells itself. Work from home businesses are no different. You need a marketing plan and a sales effort if you want to succeed.

3. My business is too small to need a business plan.

D-Day was the largest coordinated mili

d, they'll be looking for the newest low-price kid on the block.

If you want happy, loyal customers at the market price, or even at a premium to the market, have the confidence to price yourself there on the first day you are open for business. If you just can't bring yourself to face your competition without lower prices, offer an introductory special that is clearly indicated as a temporary mark down from your regular prices. Once the time period for your intoductory, or grand opening special has passed put your prices back where they belong.

2. My product/service will sell itself.

Have you ever heard of Coca Cola? How about McDonald's? Is there likely a person alive in the industrialized world who hasn't been exposed to the product of these two giants? If any product could sell itself, it should be likely that products with the reputation, recognition, and market acceptance of those offered by Coke and McDonald's would fit the bill.

Yet, both Coca Cola and McDonald's market extensively.Coca Cola, alone, spends over $1.5 billion US dollars every year to sell their product, and it's safe to asssume McDononald's has a similar budget.

Now why do the people in charge of these two highly successful businesses waste all that money on marketing? Because no product sells itself. Work from home businesses are no different. You need a marketing plan and a sales effort if you want to succeed.

3. My business is too small to need a business plan.

D-Day was the largest coordinated mili

ut your prices back where they belong.

2. My product/service will sell itself.

Have you ever heard of Coca Cola? How about McDonald's? Is there likely a person alive in the industrialized world who hasn't been exposed to the product of these two giants? If any product could sell itself, it should be likely that products with the reputation, recognition, and market acceptance of those offered by Coke and McDonald's would fit the bill.

Yet, both Coca Cola and McDonald's market extensively.Coca Cola, alone, spends over $1.5 billion US dollars every year to sell their product, and it's safe to asssume McDononald's has a similar budget.

Now why do the people in charge of these two highly successful businesses waste all that money on marketing? Because no product sells itself. Work from home businesses are no different. You need a marketing plan and a sales effort if you want to succeed.

3. My business is too small to need a business plan.

D-Day was the largest coordinated mili

oca Cola, alone, spends over $1.5 billion US dollars every year to sell their product, and it's safe to asssume McDononald's has a similar budget.

Now why do the people in charge of these two highly successful businesses waste all that money on marketing? Because no product sells itself. Work from home businesses are no different. You need a marketing plan and a sales effort if you want to succeed.

3. My business is too small to need a business plan.

D-Day was the largest coordinated military action to take place in the history of the world. Within one month of the original landing (in which 4,000 ships participated) 1 million men, over 150,000 vehicles and 1/2 million tons of supplies had entered europe.

When they asked General Eisenhower how important the invasion plan had been to his success he said the plan was unimportant. He explained that no military plan survives the first five seconds of contact with the enemy but that the planning process had been invaluable.

OK, you are a little home business, not the D-Day invasion. Why waste time on a plan? Because the planning process will be invaluable for you as well. You will learn things you didn't know, see things you hadn't seen, and realize things you thought were true for your business are just plain inaccurate.

It's the process of investigating the plan, and setting your goals down in black and white that matters. You can throw the thing away once its done if you have the heart, but don't miss building it from the ground up. Its a foundation stone of your future success.

4. I'm going to use word of mouth to market my business

Sorry... can't be done. Word-of-mouth is the result of excellent marketing, combined with an excellent product, or service, delivered with excellence. It can't be your marketing plan - because it is the result of your marketing plan plus your product, or service.

It's true that word of mouth advertising is probably the most effective advertising work from home businesses can get over time. The problem is, the only way you can get it is to; FIRST, market your business well so you have some customers (if you don't have customers who is going to spread the word?), and SECOND, impress those customers with your quality product, or service.

If you market well, and provide excellent customer service you'll build the positive word of mouth you deserve.

5. My friend/girlfriend/son is building my website for free.

I've heard 100 people say this and 90 of them are still waiting for thei