How To Set Up Your Business From Home

So you're thinking of leaving the security and comfort of your day job and voyaging into the world of the self-employed OR you recently started working at home and aren’t sure what steps to take first.

Congratulations! Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment you get from growing your own business from scratch, from taking on the world with nothing but wits and a lot of hard work. I've been working at home since 1983 and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Here are ten tips I've learned along the way to help make your journey a little easier.

Tip Number One: Set a schedule.

Time management can be problematic when you're self-employed.

It's easy to get sidetracked when you're working from home and before you know it, the morning is gone. You probably had to be at your old job at a certain time so do the same thing with your business. Resolve to be at the computer, on the jobsite, or with a client by 7:30 AM (or earlier) and stick to it.

For me, no matter what time I go to sleep the night before, I’m “at it” by 7:30 the next day. Some days I’m walking with my voice recorder creating WalkAbout Marketing podcasts and some days I’m at my desk. But it’s important to get started as soon as you can.

And turn off your email: don’t let it beep every time you get a new message. I literally average 837 emails every day. Most should never see the light of day, though some are important. But nothing is so important that I have to be interrupted twelve times an hour to reply to it. In fact, I only download emails to my computer ever half hour and only look at them a few times each day (when I can reply to several emails in one short stretch of time, and then back to finishing my goals for the day).

Tip Number Two: Tailor your workspace to your personality.

How do you work best? Do you like to work with music in the background or do you like it perfectly quiet? Do you like pictures of family to remind you of your goals (and the reasons you work so hard), or do you prefer motivational posters and superhero action figures to spur you on to greatness? Find out how you work best and set up your space around your preferences.

And speaking of space, I use a spare bedroom for my home office. When we bought this house in 1998, I picked out this space for my office. I can see the driveway when FedEx and UPS show up and it’s at the other end of the hallway from our bedroom. OK, so a 20-foot walk to work isn’t bad, I admit it!

However, when the door is closed, the office is closed and I don't think about work (well, usually – I admit that I work at the kitchen table when Pam and I “watch” TV together. I can always look up for the replay or when a news report catches my ear).

If you aren't able to have a separate space for an office, a room divider or curtains could do the trick. Just find some way to separate your space from the rest of the house and family and to hide your workspace from view so you don't have to look at it all the time (and be reminded of all the work you should be doing).

And let your phone go to messages rather than letting every caller interrupt your work when they have the whim to call you. Batch the messages together, find time twice a day to return calls and make all of them then. AND, better yet, if someone wants to chat with you by phone, SET AN APPOINTMENT – I don’t take phone calls that aren’t prearranged – believe me, your clients will get used to it when you help them see the importance.

Tip Number Three: Market yourself.

Now I don't mean paying for advertising, creating glossy brochures, or doing weekly direct-mail piece.

This website is FILLED with ideas for you so read my blog!

Also, do you have a Facebook account? Keep it up to date and post often. (You can friend me at http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr – be sure to send a note when you friend me: you should ALWAYS send a note, and this way I’ll know why you are asking to friend me.)

Start a blog and use it like a diary. Think of all the things you are doing that clients and customers might be interested in. I post lots of videos to my blog (and to my Facebook profile, which acts like a mini blog for me).

Keep friends and family informed of what you're doing. Word of mouth can be the best advertising and it's free (but you have to give them something to talk about!).

Tip Number Four: Show that professionalism counts.

Present yourself with a businesslike demeanor. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun and enjoy life when you are with other people, but what people think about you is built on MANY little interactions – what’s the saying, it takes A THOUSAND “atta-boys” or “atta-girls” to equal ONE “uh oh, I screwed up.”

Show your clients that you take your work seriously and they will do the same. You don’t have to take YOURSELF too seriously (laugh, enjoy life, laugh at your mistakes – you’ll make LOTS of them, so enjoy them as they race by every day).

If you have a website or Facebook page for your business, make sure it is professional. It’s great to share your personality and family activities when they help to round-you-out as a whole person but as you look at other people’s websites and Facebook pages, see what feels right to you and what stands out as inappropriate – learn from what others are doing.

Tip Number Five: Talk to your clients.

Communication is a two-way adventure. Keep your clients updated on your progress, any changes or snags, and let them know that things are going smoothly and right on schedule.

For example, consider that you're building a house for someone: you'll want to update them frequently. They will need to know when the foundation is poured, when the electrical panel is installed, or when the roof is on. You can do this by email, a phone call, or a face-to-face. The most important thing is keeping your client in the loop and aware of the job's status.

AND, be sure to ask your customers and clients what they WANT from you. There’s a great story about a Printer creating a company’s business cards. For years he did a great job. One day the office manager walked in to pick up the latest batch of cards and told the Printer that they just had some great stationery printed at another shop. The Printer was dismayed to learn that he had never asked his client about other needs: the client didn’t know that the Printer printed letterhead – the Printer was only thought of as the “card printer.”

I communicate a lot through email. I don’t trust my memory for all the details when a job is ongoing. And it’s always best to be sure I CLEARLY understand what my client wants. And I keep all correspondence in separate folders in my email server so I can quickly access all email from each of my clients.

If the client wants to make a change, get it in writing. It's important to get the original Agreement in writing, but it's equally important to get any changes documented and approved. This way, any project overruns or questions about the final project can be verified and justified.

Some people like Project Management software such as Basecamp, activeCollab, and Projecturf to keep their jobs organized. Most of mine aren’t that complicated, so emails work fine.

Tip Number Six: Keep your financial accounts separate.

Don't mix business and personal accounts. Get a separate bank account for your business.

Get a credit card for your business (preferably the cash-back type) and use it for all business expenses. We get a few hundred dollars back each year because we charge everything possible and pay it off each month.

And since I have a proprietorship for my Photography business and an LLC for my Online business, I have TWO business accounts and TWO credit cards, in addition to my personal account.

Once you get used to them, it’s easy to work with this way.

Tip Number Seven: Work hard after setting your goals.

Sometimes you'll take a job because you need the money. You won't always be able to pick and choose your clients because you believe in what they're doing, or the job intrigues you on some level. Some months you'll just need to make the rent, or payroll, or quarterly taxes and you'll take whatever work presents itself.

This isn't selling out. It's just a fact of life. You can still take on those projects close to your heart when the money isn't so tight and your business is running smoothly.

Look for ways to augment your income. When you're self-employed, there may be times when there's no money coming in. Investigate passive income sources, such as ebooks and affiliate marketing, to see if one is right for you.

But don’t fall into the trap of taking just anything that comes along: people will get really confused WHO you are and WHAT you are doing. Set your goals and stay as close to them as you can.

Tip Number Eight: File everything.

Keep a job's agreements, invoices, and notes in one place, preferably a folder in a filing cabinet (electronically and physically). When in doubt, file it. You can always toss it later, but you can't get something back after it's gone. (And electronic storage is cheap – I recently purchased one terabyte for under $200.)

For each project, I have file folders in my cabinet with all signed papers and agreements and on my computer I keep a folder for all email. Be sure to back up your computer to protect what you have there. And while I’m very supportive of “green” living, make physical copies when the information is crucial – even if you used recycled paper OR the back of something you printed before.

Tip Number Nine: Talk with a CPA about your business finances.

Some businesses can run on a “cash basis” right from one or more checkbooks. Some need one of the popular computer-accounting packages. And some need the services of a bookkeeper plus an accountant to handle the monthly P&L and to reconcile the checkbook, file sales tax and employee taxes, and complete the quarterlies.

Be sure to think ahead to see what YOU will need. And at least find a CPA you trust and go talk about how your business will be set up so you know you’re doing it correctly. And at tax time, s/he will be worth her/his weight in gold.

Tip Number Ten: Take the weekend off.

I’m not very good at this one, I’ll admit right up front. Sundays are for church and family (and my well-deserved nap and a chance to watch some sports on TV). But I often work a full schedule on Saturday – but that doesn’t mean YOU should do that!

When you're self-employed, you can't get away from the office very easily. It's both a blessing and a curse to work from home. Yes, it's convenient and the commute is probably under thirty seconds, but it's awfully hard to get away from the job.

You'll be tempted to work after dinner or on Saturday or miss your daughter’s hockey game or your son’s theater performance but DON’T.

One thing we learn very quickly: work is NEVER finish, so sometimes you just need to STOP – it will be there for you when you come back.

You need down time to keep fresh and you need to spend time with family and friends. What is that old story: that on someone’s deathbed, seldom does the person say, “I just wish I had worked longer every day.”

If you need to understand why your family is important, perhaps you need to see one of my other blogs: http://RaisingGreatFamilies.com. Trust me on this one: set your schedule and CROSS OUT Sundays and leave Saturdays blank for whatever you really need to work on. (Or do the reverse – Cross out Saturdays from work and leave Sundays blank to help with the left-over work).

You and your family deserve to spend time together.

Wrap-Up

The Work at Home lifestyle can be the MOST ENJOYABLE you’ve ever known, if you follow these ten tips. Keep it all in perspective, keep your goals in front of you, and know WHY you work so hard.

Hey, life’s to be enjoyed – and let it start at home!

And – Please leave me a comment: what ELSE do you feel this article should cover? Was it helpful to you? What do you disagree with?

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

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Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog to learn more about his successes.

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Work At Home: 10 Tips To Create Your Business and Save Your Sanity!

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You never forget that time you've been fired – but I HOPE you can make things easier for someone else

The Philadelphia Inquirer is probably like a lot of newspapers in the world – understaffed, losing money, trying to stay afloat.

And as it does, it features a series of articles about Being Fired. Well, that's not what THEY call it; their title is Jobs At A Loss – Upheaval in the Region's Job Market but believe me, those PEOPLE who are listed as statistics know what it is: they've been fired.

The Headline is:

The ax falls, and then what?

The article by Inquirer Staff Writer Alfred Lubrano is filled with statistics and anecdotes. And it's filled with one more thing: pain.

Human pain.

Human suffering when 13.2 million people in the USA are unemployed (that only counts those still looking for work – those who have given up don't count, it seems) and 210,000 in our immediate 8-county area.

"But while the Philadelphia region is papered with pink slips, a layout can still hit with the potent surprise of an unforeseen meteor."

It has been known for a long time by psychologists that being fired is as difficult on the individual as a death in the family, divorce, or other traumatic, stress-producing situation.

And what goes deeper is what happens to the individual, and it's repercussions are long-lasting.

"Shame, fear, and panic can barge into a person's head after the initial trauma."

People have pointed out that in this Great Recession people who thought they were recession-proof are now

on the unemployment lines – in Philadelphia, as an example, a major law firm collapsed and closed. (And when I was selling investment real estate in the 80s and 90s, this was THE real estate law firm.)

Where Did The Dream Go?

I've often written about and created a video about The Dream – Where Did The Dream Go? It's gone for many people.

We were told to grow up, do well in school, select a major carefully, specialize, earn a good living, get married, raise 2.5 kids, help them grow well, get married, and the circle continues.

We did that, but things have come crashing down for many people.

Savings, Never Done Well By Most Americans, Evaporate

401(K) accounts are half what they were only 8 months ago. A friend say he now has a 201(K) and my good friend Neil Radisch (with whom I wrote "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" as a major musical) wrote me on Facebook that he now has a 4.01(K).

I know the pain there, with my own IRA dropping 50%.

The Dream may still linger, but the funds to make it happen are gone. (For now, at least.)

Personal Memories Never Die

The reason I started this website (and the business to support it) was because of the terrible crushing pain that many people feel when they are fired. I want to help.

Having faced it twice myself, I know the lasting, deep-seeded pain that lingers.

I still have images of my younger daughter, while she was in middle school, crying with covers pulled up over her head when I arrived home having been fired and saying, "They stole your dream, Daddy."

That's the last time I worked for someone else.

Oh, sure… being a Work at Home Dad has it's tough parts too, but never again will my family suffer like that.

Shame, Pain, And The Lasting Upset Of Being Fired

This part of The Inquirer's article really got to me… a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I read it because I've been there and understand the pain of both the child and the parent.

"One recent day, he [Dan Perry, the subject of much of the article] stalked the rooms of his modest house decorated with family photos, no kids or wife about. 'It's eerie, weird,' he said. 'I'm used to hubbub. It's just a house, not a home, when I'm here alone in the day.'"

That will change… at least it has for me. In fact, I thrive being here by myself for most of the day.

"One evening not long ago, Perry say his daughter, Rebekah, 16, typing up the lesson plans of her advanced-placement history teacher.

"'What's this?' he asked.

"'I'm typing her notes for $80,' Rebekah said.

"That was the price of a class trip to Washington. Rebekah knew her father had lost his job and was loath to ask for money. So she asked her teacher for some work.

"Later that night, Perry lay awake in bed at 4 AM, the small and desperate hour when, many unemployed people report, they are alert and anguished. He contemplated Rebekah and the $80.

"'My heart was heavy with sadness for how my daughter was regarding this,' Perry said. Children's reactions are often profound."

And believe me, they never forget the pain of seeing their hero, their leader, their rock and support suffering.

"Perry cannot not worry. 'At night, I go to this secret place in my soul, and it's like I'm standing in front of a mirror alone. I have no one to hold to account but myself. And I look at myself and ask, 'What am I going to do?' There's a mortgage and cars and other things to be paid, and no one's hiring. How am I going to help my family?'"

Men Often See Themselves AS Their Jobs

Men and women look at this situation very differently, with us men basing much of our self-image on our jobs.

I remember in the very early 1990s having had a nightmare that woke me up in a cold sweat. I dreamed that I would no longer be a Vice President of Jackson-Cross Company (then a huge commercial real estate brokerage firm in Philadelphia, where I sold $247,368,657.97 of Investment Real Estate and marketed more than $1 billion for others in the first as the company's VP of Marketing and Planning). I'd been there for 13 years, done very well, was respected throughout the industry as a top salesman, but my mind was already playing games with me as the economy was rocked at that time, though not as much as now.

I wasn't fired, I went to work for myself. And I had been doing most of the work from home already (since 1983 when Liz was born). But the self-image was rocked and my whole body knew it.

The Only Way To Get Through This Is Together

Those who survive times like this find help in others. Others who have been through it. Others who can steer them in the right direction for new job skills. Others who are supportive, upbeat, have the energy for two people… since the fired person has lost much of the energy needed to prosper.

Mastermind groups. Small business support groups. And yes, even a group like the one found here on UltimateWorkAtHomeDads.com where we support Dads now working at home (or looking to work from home).

We're here. We hope you'll let us know how we can help.

And though we can't erase the burned-in images and the pain caused by your being fired, we're here to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible and make the transition to working from home a smooth one.

If this information resonated with you, perhaps this short video will too: Where Did The Dream Go?

The Dream? It changed. And now it's time for YOU to change and come up with a new Dream.

And we're ready to help.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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How Many Of The Millions Of Unemployed In This Economy Will Begin To Work At Home?

Are you unhappy at work? Do you find yourself daydreaming about working from home? You are certainly not alone.

Millions of successful, professional people are finding that working at home is the answer, whether they have been downsized, rightsized, paradigm-shifted, or simply couldn’t take hearing another buzzword.

Of course, the work at home industry is not without its own buzzwords. Like freelancing, outsourcing, virtual assistance, consulting and others which continually overlap, making the whole work at home concept very confusing for first-timers.

Perhaps even more mind-blowing and confusing than these word games, though, is the pervasive concept that everyone who works at home does so in their pjs, coffee in one hand, sugary treat in the other, and both slipper-clad feet up on the desk.

Enticing as this image may be, only Hugh Hefner gets away with this trick. For the rest of us, pajamas simply won’t work, and here’s why:

Wearing pjs or gym clothes may interfere with your productivity.

Choosing a blend of casual comfort and professionalism creates the best work at home wardrobe. Our clothes define how we feel and, to a great extent, who we are.

Remember that time you ran a quick errand in a pair of old sweats and a slightly ripped t-shirt? Remember how you ran into Sue from across the street and avoided her like the plague?

The same thinking applies to working at home. Sure, no one is going to see you. Sure, you’re only talking on the phone. But you can see you.

When you dress for the job, you feel prepared to meet the day’s challenges, ready to present yourself as a competent professional. Must you put on a full suit and tie? No. But pajamas aren’t going to cut it either.

If you’ve ever tried it, you know what I mean.

These four tips will help you remain comfortable and productive:

1. Always go for comfort, but not too much. No highly-starched shirts, ties, or wool that drives you nuts. An Oxford-style or Polo-style shirt is great looking, comfortable, long-wearing, (and you’re half-ready for the golf course, just in case).

2. Sweats are for the gym. Pajamas are for bed. Your office is not where you work out or take a nap. Feeling too comfortable and casual may spill over into your demeanor, and this can translate into unprofessionalism.

3. And remember your shoes. Shoes impact work attitude, believe it or not. Barefoot feet say “Relax! Take a load off!” and, while you don’t want to be a ball of nerves, a workday is not a day at the beach.

4. Shave and shower to begin your day. Grooming has a psychological effect on mental preparedness. You simply “feel” ready after a nice hot shower and a shave.

Still believe you can work at home in your pjs?

Not if success is part of your master plan. The concept is simply more sales pitch than professional reality. At the end of the day, reality is what pays the bills.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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Marketing, Branding, Image Building – What Do They Mean To Entrepreneurs?

I'm not a huge fan of "branding" or doing marketing to "build a brand" for an entrepreneur.

Those who have millions of dollars to throw at building a look, offering television commercials, and hope that when you stand in front of the refrigerated case you will remember what you are to purchase can build a brand, but not you.

We all remember "New Coke" and the near disaster that Coke worked its way through several years ago when it changed its formula to make it sweeter and taste more like Pepsi. Hey, if I want Pepsi, I'll ask for Pepsi. Millions of dollars were lost as they admitted their mistake (hey, it's not failure, it's feedback… and believe me the market gave them plenty of feedback!).

And now there are the marketing and branding changes from which PepsiCo (the owners of Pepsi and Tropicana) have done an about-face for the top-of-the-line orange juice, Tropicana.

Tropicana Sales Nose Dive: Marketing Changes Are To Blame

As reported on AdAge.com, "Tropicana's rebranding debacle did more than create a customer-relations fiasco. It hit the brand in the wallet.

"After its package redesign, sales of the Tropicana Pure Premium line plummeted 20% between Jan. 1 and Feb. 22, costing the brand tens of millions of dollars. On Feb. 23, the company announced

it would bow to consumer demand and scrap the new packaging, designed by Peter Arnell. It had been on the market less than two months.

"Now that the numbers are out, it's clear why PepsiCo's Tropicana moved as fast as it did. According to Information Resources Inc., unit sales dropped 20%, while dollar sales decreased 19%, or roughly $33 million, to $137 million between Jan. 1 and Feb. 22.

"Moreover, several of Tropicana's competitors appear to have benefited from the misstep, notably Minute Maid, Florida's Natural and Tree Ripe. Varieties within each of those brands posted double-digit unit sales increases during the period. Private-label products also saw an increase during the period, in keeping with broader trends in the food and beverage space. "

Marketing Lessons For Entrepreneurs

Here are some points for Entrepreneurs to remember:

• 1. A Confused Mind Always Says NO. If a consumer is confused, doesn't recognize what is being offered, can't find what he/she is used to looking for, s/he will say NO and move on. When Tropicana looked like something else but the consumer recognized MinuteMaid (for example), the shift was easy even if the product wasn't perceived as being as good.
• 2. Don't Mess With Your Proven Sales Success. I drink Tropicana every day. It wasn't until I drank the third glass that the watery consistency and "odd flavor" hit me and I asked my wife (who does most of the shopping for us) about this new smaller packaging (narrower, fewer ounces, different look) style of OJ. It took both of us carefully reading the packaging to "discover" that the 50% Lower Sugar style of Tropicana replaced the sugar with an artificial sweetener. WHAT!? The brand that prided itself (and told all of us) that it was never made from concentrate (not that I know why that is a bad thing to do) now replaced the natural orange sugars with a bad-for-you artificial sweetener!? (I make NO medical claims here about this sweetener, but general consensus is that no artificial sweetener is good for us.)
• 3. Learn From Others – The Wheel Has Already Been Invented, You Don't Need To Reinvent It! Does the term "New Coke" not send shock waves still? Changing the packaging and logo is one thing (and it clearly hurt sales): but messing with the formula, changing the "never from concentrate" image of the top of the line product, changing the taste and natural health benefits… I thought we all learned those lessons from New Coke and other products that messed with success.
• 4. Test Your Changes On Small Groups First. It seems that this new direction was rolled out without sufficient (some say NO) testing. My wife pointed out that in HER store, anyway, this new product wasn't even displayed with the regular Tropicana – was that to mask the different size packaging? to keep the "artificially sweetened" product away from the "real product"? OR was the store confused by the look and didn't know to put all the same product together? Hard to tell.
• 5. Never Cut Corners Or Change What People REALLY Buy From You. Entrepreneurs must never do a quick and easy product when people expect top of the line from them. We must never take the easy route when people expect the best from us. We must remain true to ourselves and our clients and customers or they will leave us and never return.

Put Yourself In Your Clients/Customer Shoes First

It's times like now that I work hard to put myself in the shoes of the consumer and forget my Wharton training or any of the other advertising and marketing work I have done over the years.

How would I recognize the new product – just by a name or does the whole "look" hit my emotional buying habits? Will I be confused and say "NO" or will I still purchase?

I have to admit that the only way I can stand to drink this new version is by mixing it with the "real stuff," which I have done. (My upbringing just wouldn't let me throw it away, so I have to hide the bad taste of the new drink by the delicious flavor of the "good stuff.")

Are people so taken with themselves, so cocky, so self-righteous that they feel that they can improve the world on a whim?

At least in my family we can go back to the regular Tropicana (I prefer mine without pulp) no matter what the branding is: but for those who hated this new version and didn't realize that it was simply a marketing mistake, are those customers lost forever?

Keep that in mind for YOUR products!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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Wall Street Journal chronicles that finally they figure out that men have some say about the food we eat!

The Wall Street Journal article starts with a subheading that says that the new Post Cereal campaign aimed at men marks a departure for cereal advertising campaigns.

(Now let's make it clear: the type advertising being talked about here is what I call "Teaching Frogs How To Drink Beer." I won't go into the whole topic (you can listen to what I said before on my GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com site:

This is NOT the type marketing I suggest for most entrepreneurs, but it is what car companies and even cereal companies use.)

But we're told that to revive the crunchy Post Foods Grape Nuts, marketing geniuses have come up with cheeky commercials aimed at men.

"That Takes Grape Nuts" is the catch phrase as if the cereal were ubiquitous and we'd all know what that meant. We don't. And I wonder how many people will be lured to a magic website where lots of 2-minute videos will show how many circumstances call for "That Takes Grape Nuts" fortitude.

And to butch up the site to be sure that real men will feel comfortable watching videos about and talking about cereal, they pack the website with tips on restoring vintage cars and other macho topics.

And the print campaign will run in Sports Illustrated featuring men fishing and golfing.

HOWEVER… as silly as it all sounds, learning that this is the first time cereal isn't aimed at Mom and her kids made me wonder:

What the heck have they been waiting for?

The article points out that Grape Nuts is mostly eaten by men, but there has never been an advertising campaign reinforcing that – like all the other cereals, advertising has been aimed at women figuring that they do most of the grocery shopping.

What – I can't make up my own mind about what I want to eat and either write it on the grocery list or ask my wife to shop for it when she goes weekly after church (and visiting my folks for lunch at their retirement community) each Sunday?

And if the reason for my eating it were compelling enough, I'd stop myself to get some.

"Men will be entertained by the ad, but is it going to influence their purchase if they aren't the ones doing the shopping" asks Kristi Faulkner, a principal at Womenkind, a specialist New York Marketing firm.

Grape Nuts sales dropped 15% during the year ending February 22, 2009 while for the same time frame All Bran saw sales rise 30%. (But they admit that marketing was way down – estimated at $1.9 million in 2008 vs a projected $5 million in 2009.)

See that's the problem with Teaching Frogs How To Drink Beer marketing – you need millions to get people to remember you.

What strikes me here, other than institutional advertising doesn't work much of the time, is that advertising executives feel (or their "research" has shown them) that men have NO influence over what they eat for breakfast.

Hey – if you want me to eat something, tell me about it, let me taste it, smell it, see how good it makes me feel and I will be the one to decide that I want to eat it.

My wife can decide for herself and I will decide for me.

Wow – A whole article on the front page of the Media & Marketing section of the Wall Street Journal telling us that for years men have eaten breakfast according to what someone else told them to eat.

Hey, it's the 21st Century. Let's respect men, let them eat what THEY want, and let's see if your pleasing them will generate money for you.

We're big boys now – we can decide important things like "what cereal am I going to eat today" by ourselves.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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Opportunities Abound For Work At Home Dads, Even In THIS Economy!

How often do we have to hear it from or read it in the news? The economy is the worst since our parents (and for some of us it's our parents' parents) were young. It's really awful.

All indicators are down. My personal retirement fund has shrunk by about 50%. Unemployment is rising (about 6.5% in my county), and if it hasn't touched your family, you KNOW a family it has struck.

What do they say: it's a Recession when your neighbor loses his job: it's a DEPRESSION with YOU lose your job! It sure feels that way! (Seems to me the only time you feel worse is when everyone tells you that the economy is GREAT but you just lost your job – that happened to me once and that feeling is burned into my brain and heart, still searing my insides.)

And the effect ripples through our town, county, state, country, and world. You can't escape that we're part of a SYSTEM, not a series of individuals. Someone losing a job in Maine doesn't buy as many groceries so the farmer in Texas doesn't plant as man crops and the family in California has to pay more. And on and on and on.

And Bernie Madoff can only account for about $67 Billion of this, so there are many other factors at work.

And when I was a kid, I remember my Dad talking about the economy (he later ran a major real estate firm and was on the Board of the Philadelphia Fed… so he had learned a thing or two).

And if there was one major lesson I learned from him it's that OPPORTUNITY is just as great in any part of the cycle (for indeed, economies are cyclical).

So… that means that there are opportunities abounding right now.

And if you follow Internet Marketing (especially Information Product Marketing), perhaps you just witnessed Frank Kern (one of the really good guys) sell more than $4,000,000 worth of CDs and booklets, teaching people how to succeed in today's economy. And this was in about 26 hours.

But For Many, Where Did The Dream Go?

But for people watching their 401(k)s being drained or their IRAs tumble, it certainly must feel like the sky has fallen. And if you're sitting at home instead of going into that job in an office, store, warehouse, or factory, the pain can be intense.

Or Perhaps You've Been Saying, Take Me From The Rat Race

Or, perhaps you still have a job but are nervous that you might be next to go. Here in the Philadelphia, PA USA area, apartment developer Steve Korman has pleaded with companies (many of which he owns stock in) to remember that firing people leads to more firing. He'd like to see a corporation earn less, but keep all of its people working.

Not many corporations share his thoughts.

Or, You're Already Working At Home And Think, How Can I Turbo Charge My Work At Home

You know how it is to have the freedom of working from home. No commute. No expensive lunches out. No boring meetings that take up so much of your time.

But with the way the economy is now, you really need some help to turbo charge your results. Going back to an office job just isn't in the cards for you, even if the economy had any jobs available.

I've Been There Too

As a Work At Home Dad since 1991 (longer, really, since from 1977 – 1991, I sold $247,368,657.97 worth of Investment Real Estate and though I worked for a large real estate firm, I did much of my work from home), I recognize each of these stories… and each of the opportunities they bring.

Oh, it may not FEEL like an opportunity when you're faced with being fired or the potential of a layoff, but it can be.

So, I've dedicated myself (with the help of some of my very smart friends) to help Work At Home Dads.

Dads Have Been Forgotten – But NO MORE!

When you search the Internet, there are all kinds of opportunities for Stay At Home Moms, but the Dads have been forgotten. And with the economy the way it is, we Dads can use all the help we can get. It's said that 82% of all the recent layoffs were to men!

I have created several family-centric sites (RaisingGreatFamilies.com, ILearnedItAllFromMyKids.com, FathersAndTheDaughtersTheyLove.com among them) and my professional photography business was all related to families (Family Portraits, Weddings, Bat and Bar Mitzvahs, Theater).

Over the next few months, I will openly share information to help Work At Home Dads. The site just starting, so be sure to enter your name and email address and I'll be sure to let you know when those resources are available.

Time We Banded Together, Men: Form Our Own Mastermind Group!

There's nothing like the power of when creative and hard-working men join together. Hey, not being sexist – my wife would smack me if I did that (to say nothing about my two successful daughters), but it's time for us men to band together to make the family economy work for each of us.

I look forward to hearing from you – hearing your ideas, your greatest concerns about working from home, hearing about some of the solutions you have come up with. Let's share this information to help all of us.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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