[Lovelee]

I've tried different things but haven't really gotten to the point of becoming financially independent. Has anyone had any real success with this?

[Bocasean]

I have, but you've really got to find your own niche to succeed. In nearly every home-based opportunity (Opportunity = Pre-packaged business you license from another company), there are a handful of people who dominate, while the vast majority of people end up with experiences like yours.

The ones who dominate are usually the ones who catch a wave BEFORE it peaks, or they're masters of creating a unique identity or "branding" for themselves.

The other people who succeed with a home-based business are people who create their own company, product, or service.

Of course, the real answer is whatever you'd define as "success" or "financial independence." Me personally, I look to average $4-6k per month, and then throw in the occasional dynamite month where I might make $10-20k. Then there are bad months where I'll only pull $2k.

As I grow, I'll obviously look for more of the dynamite months (As of now, I've only had 4 in my career). But I just turned 30 and have only started my business up again after taking a few years to learn more as an employee of other companies. I'm still young, and all that I've learned is proving to be instrumental in guiding myself and the people who work with me towards systematically increased success.

Bottom line is, since this summer started, I've been building and running my own business as the sole means of income for me, and I'm able to provide the same quality of life as I was when I was working as a full-time employee.

Obviously, once the foundation of the business has been set and I'm beyond the "building" phases, I feel confident that I'll far surpass my earning potential as an employee, while still being the master of my time schedule.

Wrapping up, I personally don't believe the claims that EVERY home-based opportunity promise; i.e. that THEY have mastered the way to deliver "financial freedom" for everyone of their associates. Everyone who becomes a superstar in these organizations does so because of their OWN specialties and brand appeal, and THAT'S the key to finding your own success.

[Lovelee]

You are certainly a rare one. I know the many, many, many stories I read online from those claiming to make huge money is false, but there are a few exceptional ones that really shine. I get so frustrated reading opportunity after opportunity only to end up disappointed in the end. I know I'm not going to ever give up my search but it can be a tedious process. Right now I have my own online business but haven't really seen the payoff yet, maybe I don't promote it enough, maybe I got to try harder but it wouldn't be easy.
But I am glad to hear you are doing well, it gives me hope that not every business opportunity is a total waste of time.

[Bocasean]

Thank you for the support. Working from home is something that I want to succeed, and I know that there are millions of people just like me and you, so it's worth pursuing.

How we actually pursue it is the way to separate from the pack.

There's a guy I have a great deal of admiration for, who's actually a little bit younger than me, and I know for a fact that he made a LOT of money in July with his home-based business. In fact, he made 10 times as much as I did in the same month (granted, I started half-way through July, but it's still a bitter pill to swallow. Haha.)

But he started the business nearly 7 years ago, caught the wave early, and built his business to be UNIQUE.

He did it EXACTLY the way I've done it, and the way that YOU will need to do it in order to succeed: He built his own identity OUTSIDE of the "opportunity."

"Opportunities" are dangerous because they use flashy marketing phrases ("This isn't sales!" "The system does all the work for you!" "Earn 50 grand in your first week!") that suck people into joining. But actually succeeding in it simply doesn't work that way.

An opportunity is simply a PRODUCT VEHICLE. It's a commodity. Whether you sell vitamins, or fat-loss patches, or air ionizers, or vacations, you are likely selling the BUSINESS itself as the actual product, with the consumer products within it serving as ancillary bonuses.

And don't let anyone tell you that you aren't selling. Selling is your livelihood in ANY consumer business. Period.

Granted, you must build a system that makes it less work-intensive, which allows you to focus on building the business, but NO OPPORTUNITY on EARTH is "No selling involved."

If you aren't selling, people aren't buying.

If people aren't buying, your business has no cash flow.

No cash flow = no business.

If any business promises to "Do all the work for you!" then WHY do they even NEED you?

The people who succeed are the ones who take the negative stigma out of what sales really, truly means, and they deliver a product that people want in a manner that makes them feel comfortable.

And, unfortunately, there is no singular method to achieve this. There are people who have figured out the combination of methods necessary to succeed, and even FEWER who have figured it out and are able to TEACH it.

It's basically a combination of marketing, rapport, branding, product demand, trust, systems, operations, order fulfillment, and a few intangibles. Nearly ALL home-based owners are NOT aware of all the facets involved. They simply own their own sales job without realizing they're even in sales or that their REAL job is to build a business and NOT a job.

Bottom line, with nearly all Home-Based opportunities, you are selling your own services and getting people to buy your good word. People must trust who you are, what you do, and how you've gotten there, or you're relegated to "Just like everyone else" status.

And that's the essence... do a search of "Home-based business" in Google, or of any specific opportunity, and you will get thousands of hits for websites that are all run by people who are selling the same thing in the same way.

THAT'S why most people don't find the success that the opportunities promise... because they're "Joe's Hamburgers" in a sea of "McDonald's"

You've got to figure out a way to become Wendy's or Subway.

[Clough]

What exactly are the types of businesses that are being discussed here please? To me, home-based means being self-employed but not necessarily working from my home. I consider the businesses that I have to be home-based, but I do go to other people's homes to conduct my business. I am quite successful at what I do.

[Bocasean]

I have, but you've really gotta find your own niche to succeed. In nearly every home-based opportunity (Opportunity = Pre-packaged business you license from another company), there are a handful of people who dominate, while the vast majority of people end up with experiences like yours.

The ones who dominate are usually the ones who catch a wave BEFORE it peaks, or they're masters of creating a unique identity or "branding" for themselves.

The other people who succeed with a home-based business are people who create their own company, product, or service.

I've been talking about both self-generated businesses and pre-packaged product/opportunities. I've been successful with both, and I'm assuming that since you're successful, you've obviously created your own word-of-mouth success that differentiates you from your competitors.

[Clough]

Okay. Thanks for the explanation. I should have read more closely.