Money, money, money. It’s THE accepted measure of whether or not you are succeeding with your business.
Being in business, by definition, means that you are trying to make at least SOME money. After all, no one can sustain a business that loses money year after year!
But if you ask people WHY they started a business in the first place, you’ll get all sorts of answers:
– “I wanted to help contribute to the household expenses.”
– “It’s just something for me to do to kill some time.”
– “I want to be able to stay home with the kids.”
– “I want to be able to do something for myself – to prove to myself that I am capable of running my own business.”
– “I can’t stand office politics anymore … get me out!”
… and the list goes on and on.
What you’ll notice is that only a small fraction of the reasons provided have to do with money. Money, of course, is a nice bonus – but people have plenty of other reasons for starting a home business.
So why do we always seem to measure success in terms of how much money we make?
We need to be more open to other measures of success. For example, the mom who left a high profile/high paying job for a home business that pays only a small portion of what she’s used to could still be a success — she may have left her job to have more time with the kids. And if her business allows her the flexibility to spend time with the kids, then good for her! She is successful.
Similarly, the retiree who starts his own business because he doesn’t want to financially burden his children may only make $500 a month … but if it provides him with enough additional income to maintain financial independence … then he is successful.
So is the person who left her job due to stress and now runs a home business – and is happier and healthier for it.
Money is not the only measure of success; it truly does come in all forms. Only YOU can define success for yourself!
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Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical, down-to-earth guide to building an Internet business on a beginner’s budget. If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love the book! Visit http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com or request a series of 10 free reports to get you started.
