Often I’m asked to help someone, either already in business; been in business and been burned or disillusioned on some level, or perhaps they have an idea of a product or service and how can they get it out to the public. I prefer to take a holistic approach to business long before giving any advice.So here are some of the questions I like to discuss with anyone I’ve been asked to mentor. This consultation is always freely given. That is just my way.
1. Share why you want a home business? Wanting to add income to another job for more security? Or perhaps wanting to slowly move from job to full time Home Business Owner. Maybe looking for something to support retirement plans, Mobil or stay at home. Or are college bill looming on the horizon? One think I know is the importance of not putting all your eggs in ONE basket, diversification in investments is just as important a diversification and residual income in business, home or what we call brick and mortar business.
2. Tell me about your living situation, family life and style, children if any and ages, health issues and financial status. I share make sound advice and be blind to what the base we are building on is like.
3. Go deeper into your goals, both current and future. Long term also tells me how realistic someone is and where and what kind of programs to work with them on. 4. I ask about their computer skills and talk a bit about the value of a web/internet face with their business, from a home based business as well as a brick and mortar business.
5. What, if any experience do they have already – good or bad?
6. Rubber hits the road when we get to the point of how much CONSISANT time, money and energy they are willing to put into their own business.
7. What obstacles do they see possibly getting in the way; like busy home life, on computer skills, too old or too young, no ideas how to start or what to do, ect.
8. Are you willing to be teachable: that means in today’s world technology is changing rapidly and each of us needs to spend some time staying current on our education. Luckily I have a strong business whit outstanding up-to-date training both live webinars or web conference rooms as well as recoded.
9. And of course I ask them what they are looking for in the way of a Business Mentor, encouraging them to ask anything they want about me, what I can offer, how we might work and such.
10. Now if they are willing, we’ve got something to work with, started building a relationship on mutual respect. I’ve also through this process learned a lot about, yes their needs and desires, but how to best communicate with them to be most helpful. Having studied at length the different personality traits, I know that people both learn and can receive/retain information if given in different ways.
There are many styles of business that will give different results, need to be worked in different ways – NO one size fits all. So I listen First and then Share.
It is a joy for me to lend a helping hand to people wanting a home based business and to assist in helping them achieve the success they are willing to work for.
