Saturday, February 24, 2007

5 Motivational Tools For Home Business Internet Entrepreneurs

Many online entrepreneurs are affected by the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster that an internet business can bring.

The highs are fine but unfortunately the nature of the internet ensures that the lows are frequent and lead to dispirited and demotivated business people who begin doubting themselves and questioning their whole purpose of working as a home based internet entrepreneur.

This phenomenon makes it even more difficult for the home entrepreneur to dig themselves out of a hole as there is generally no one to commiserate with or to feed off for inspiration and motivational strategies.

Furthermore, it is not only the lack of success that is responsible for a low level of motivation but also a need for more excitement and diversity which can be fairly challenging for the home based businessman.

The solutions to combating low motivational levels and boredom will vary according to the entrepreneur’s particular situation but will often include the following remedies.


1. Proper Planning

At the outset it is important to draft a short, medium and long term plan that should be constantly referred to, updated and performance measured against it.

For long term success drive is a crucial trait for any entrepreneur and having a strategy to refer to will contribute to stimulating drive and long term motivation.


2. Networking

It is vitally important for the home business entrepreneur to schedule time to get out and about.

Mingling and networking with like minded people in the industry will stimulate the entrepreneur’s thinking, vision and drive.


3. Revisit the Long Term Strategy

Often small home businesses are based on unambitious expectations and these are attained fairly easily.

The entrepreneur’s initial euphoria soon turns to boredom and little gets done to change the situation.

The solution to this would be to create larger, long term goals involving many short term achievable objectives that will keep the entrepreneur’s motivational levels high.

This also helps to ensure that the long term goal is kept alive and clear.


4. Encouragement

Some motivational theories maintain that recognition is more important than reward when it comes to personal motivation.

If this is the case it is no wonder that work at home business people struggle to keep motivated and inspired.

The home business environment, unlike the corporate workplace, is not conducive to interacting with colleagues and bosses.

It is, therefore, important for the entrepreneur to keep himself surrounded with cheerful, bubbly and inspiring people for encouragement and drive.


5. Creativity

An ability to draw on your creative strengths is an excellent quality to have and can be used to dig yourself out of the depths of despair, when you find yourself in such a situation.

Get your creative juices flowing and you’ll find that your thought process will be stimulated and you’ll be a fountain of new ideas and initiatives – great motivation.

So when you find yourself in the doldrums of motivational levels, go back to your business plan and see what it was that got you so excited in the first place to start your home based business.

If this doesn’t energize you then re-strategize in conjunction with the above motivational tools and you’re sure to have a revitalized business.