I just got back from taking a walk.  And the weather really got me thinking about the benefits of rainy days.  If the title of the post didn’t give it away, I took a walk in the rain.  

When I was a kid, my family would take an annual trip to either a waterpark or theme park.  The waterpark was a two hour drive, and the theme park was a three hour drive.  It was planned months in advance and there was pretty much no way we were gonna miss going when that day came up. 

You’d probably assume that I hoped for a nice day where the weather was 80 and sunny, but I didn’t. 

I would cross my fingers and hope for a rainy, cloudy, cool day.

Why on the earth would I do such a thing?  

Simple, I figured out early on that if the weather was bad, then the park would be pretty empty and the lines for the rides would be a heck of a lot shorter than normal.  

And since I love roller coasters and waterslides, I was all about short lines even if the weather was less than perfect.  In fact, I was always really disappointed if the weather forecast was for a perfect, sunny, summer day. 

So what does this story have to do with having a home based business?

Everything!

Right now the economy is down in the dumps (as I’m sure you’re well aware) – i.e. it’s a rainy day.  That means less people starting new businesses and many other businesses downsizing or closing their doors altogether.  

In all honesty, it’s a great time to be starting a business simply because there is less competition.  

And for a little inspiration, here’s one of my all time favorite quotes,

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain.”

1.    Have a pile of change laying around.  Take it to the bank – it could very easily add up to $25

2.    Donate plasma.

3.    Sell something on eBay.  Video game.  DVDs. CDs.  Stuff you’re not using anymore.  Heck, the average person has about $3,000 worth of stuff in their home they’re no longer using they could sell on eBay. All you need to do is find a few things that will add up to $25.

4.    Borrow it from a friend or family member.

5.    Have a garage sale.

6.    Offer to mow the neighbors’ lawn.

7.    Walk peoples’ dogs for a couple weeks.

8.    Freelance (If you have any skills like writing, graphics, programming, web design, etc, there are people who want to hire you to do work for them right now)

9.    Post an ad on Craigslist in the Gigs section.  Say something like, “hard working, general help for one day. Will do anything (legal) for 8 hours.”  You can charge more than $25, but it’s a way to get the money.

10.    Barter for it – here’s website that will inspire you.

That should be a good start for you.  Surely, one of those will work for you.  The key is to take action and get started… today!

Once you’ve got the money, head on over to this page to get your FREE DVD – How To Start A Home Based Business For Less Than $25.

I’ve had a few people ask me why this site is all about starting a home based business for less than $25 and not about starting a home based business for free?

After all, it is in fact possible to start an online business without spending any money.  This wasn’t necessarily possible three years ago, but these days it is.

But there are a few reasons why I don’t teach people those methods.

1)  It attracts the wrong kind of person. This is the biggest reason.  I don’t want to spend any time on the people who are just looking for a quick score and want something for nothing.  Those people are just a drain on my time and energy.  I know that money for some people is extremely tight right now, but $25 isn’t a lot of money.  Anybody can get it (this isn’t like starting a franchise where you need at least $25,000 to get started).  And I know that it’s not really the amount of money a person has to invest in something, but the fact that they do have to invest something to get started makes them a far more serious student.   I only want to work with serious people.

2)    You’re putting business in the hands of other people.  When you start using free sites on the Internet to build an empire, you’re really giving up a lot of control over your business.  I’ve heard of peoples’ account being disabled for no reason.  And they don’t really need to give you a reason either.   If you want to give up all control to somebody else’s whims, then think about getting a job.

3)    It’s Less Effective. When you use other peoples’ sites to build your business, you’re making everything you do much more difficult.  People visiting your site don’t trust it as much as they otherwise would.  It’s like trying to fight a boxing match with one hand tied behind your back.  Think you’re going to do very well in those cases?  Me either.

Let me be perfectly honest with you here.  There is always a cost to having a business whether it’s home based or otherwise.  If you’re not willing to invest in yourself, then quite honestly, you’re not cut out to be your own boss – get a job and let someone else run your life.
I know that sounds rather harsh, but it’s the truth.

Think you can get your hands on $25?  Then head on over to this page and get my Free DVD – How To Start A Home Based Business For Less Than $25.

Finding Balance In Your Home Based Business

I’m a self confessed workaholic.

But I’m a recovering workaholic.

When I started working from home back (okay, dorm room) in 2001, it was an all consuming passion for me.  I loved it and that was all I wanted to do.  I didn’t want to do homework.  I didn’t want to go out.  I didn’t want to exercise.  I didn’t want to hang out with my girlfriend.  I wanted to work, and I did.

Everything else in my life suffered.

It actually took years before I realized that I needed a change.  Sure, I made some money along the way, but it was at the expense of everything else in my life.

That’s why I’m writing this article today, to help you avoid my mistakes and the mistakes I see many others who run home based businesses making.
One of the great things about running a home based business is the commute.  You can walk down the hallway and be in your office in 3 seconds.   However, at the end of the day you need to be able to shut the door and leave it alone until the morning.

Work as much as you need to in order to make your business successful, but when you leave the home office (or wherever you do your work), leave your work there.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was this – “wherever you are, be there.”

Let me explain.

If you’re at work, just focus on work.  Don’t plan your vacation.  Don’t email friends and pass on forwards.  When you’re working, focus on working.

For me, that was the easy part.

This next part was difficult.

When you’re out with friends, be out with friends.  Don’t think about the work waiting for you.  It’ll only stress you out.   If you’re with your spouse or kids, be with them.  Don’t sit on your laptop ignoring them under the pretense that you’re “spending time with them.”    You’re not.  In fact, you’d be better off sitting in your office away from them than trying to multi-task like that.

Wherever you are, be there.

It’s only natural when you run your own business to be passionate and want to spend a lot of time on it.  And that’s okay.  Just remember to take a step back once in a while and remember there is more to life than work.