Listen... do you hear it? Put your ear closer to the monitor, and you're liable to hear the siren song calling you. Don't worry, it's not your imagination. We're all hearing it these days.

It's a catchy little tune called "You Can Be Your Own Boss", also known as "Work at Home and Get Rich". If you've been thinking of heeding that seductive call and diving into the world of small home-based business, there's a shopping list of items you should take with you into this brave new world.

But first, an illustrative story about a guy who used the very same shopping list to succeed long before there was an Internet.

About 20 years ago, a man decided to become his own boss after many years of battling rush hour traffic and punching a clock - for somebody's else's profit. He was very happy to leave all that behind as he fled to the countryside.

His new (ad)venture began its life in a farm shed no bigger than an elevator car. He had to build a name for himself and his company in a new town where his family had no history, no connections, no favors to call in.

Nor did he have any previous experience handling all the government red tape that can hog-tie a small business. It was a steep learning curve with a very uncertain outcome.

But he was destined to succeed as an entrepreneur. Why? Because he understood that there's only one thing you really must do every single day:

Hang in there. Don't quit. Don't cave in. Don't fold. (Okay, that's four things but you get the idea!)

These days, everybody within a 200-mile radius knows his name. He has a thriving business and is enjoying the fruits of his stick-to-itiveness.

Don't get me wrong. Perseverance isn't the ONLY thing you need to succeed. But without it, you will find the journey a long and winding road full of potholes.

Here, then, is the shopping list of items you'll need to start your own business, whether online or off, inspired by the guy I mentioned earlier: my dad.

SHOPPING CART ITEMS:

ADD: Determination. Stubbornness. Pig-headedness. Call it what you will, during the inevitable tough times you'll need plenty of it to keep going.

ADD: Focus. To help you get the important jobs done, one at a time and in the right order.

ADD: Time. Your business will chew up a lot of your time and effort especially in the first few make-it-or-break-it years. Be prepared for this.

ADD: Uniqueness. Make sure your service or product has at least one unique quality that sets it apart from the competition. Then zero in on that and promote it like crazy.

ADD: Unswerving optimism. Naysayers and negativists need not apply.

ADD: Interaction with your customers. In business, the personal touch can move mountains. With a strong notion of who your clients are, you will be better able to serve them and sell to them.

ADD: Fun. Sometimes you have to goof off a bit and let that brilliant new idea sneak up on you.

ADD: Did I already mention time? Well, this is the time you spend relaxing after work is over. It may not put another dollar in your pocket but it will help you keep things in perspective.

Now, be sure to put the first item in your shopping cart and as many of the others on the list as you can. Then let the siren song seduce you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suspect your web copy isn't working hard enough for you?
Get a FREE website content analysis on your site, with tips to
make your site more selling, compelling, and search engine friendly.

Visit TheWriteContent.com for your free content analysis.
(Link to: http://www.thewritecontent.com/freereport.html)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~