Cartoon by Joe Wehrle, Jr.
Hi, I’m Karen Wehrle, owner of a brand new online home business. See this blog? So new it’s wet behind the ears? I have high hopes it may one day mean a lot to you and me. We will venture into–gasp–marketing. If you’re not an introvert, let me explain.
Home Business #1
I began my first home business at 23 as a tailor doing clothing alterations for a men’s store. Marketing involved word of mouth and an ad in the local paper that I dropped when overwhelmed with work.
You know how there’s good and bad in everything? The good about tailoring was I was darn good at it and the income kept us warm and fed. The bad was I once sewed my finger, worked all the time, and suffered an earning limit because it’s “sour” money. No royalties.
Home Business #… #… dang it.
Speaking of royalties, I wanted to write. Writing was the main reason for my first two computers. I sold some little pieces. Marketing involved summoning the nerve to mail them out. My few romance novels weren’t accepted but earned editor comments, a good thing. I just knew the next one would sell…but never wrote it.
The good about writing: I’m pretty good at it and any praise or income makes me foolish. The bad: successful romance writers must produce three or four books Every Year.
Yeah. Lifted my hair, too. I managed one book a year while tailoring by dint of hard effort. Plus, marketing involves book tours–the mere thought makes this introvert shudder.
In 2001 my third computer had a mouse and enough speed to get me online where I found a whole new world of income possibilities that didn’t use sewing machines.
I studied how writers made a living online, but with so many shiny distractions how could a curiosity-pants like me resist exploring? I began Finch Fest, a blog with stories about zebra finches. Imagine a bird version of Peyton’s Place. Marketing involved a ping for each post. Big whoop.
Of course, I found eBay. Hey, no marketing needed. Could I sell writing on eBay? Maybe, if they were short reports, but probably not enough to make a living. The short reports were non-fiction, how-to’s. But darn, my favorite topics sucked.
Home Business #2
So my second home business is selling vintage collectibles on eBay as weare2artists. What do you know, after years of practice, this year I’m a PowerSeller. Huh. The good is I play with my computer and make money. The bad is a house full of old crap inventory.
Lest you think I’m all work and no play, I’m a knitter. As a member of Socks for Soldiers, I now have pair number 29 on the needles. If you knit, please join in.
One of the shiny things online is affiliate marketing–a supposedly easy online business. Yeah? I made a few websites, but had no idea how to drive traffic. Marketing? On-site SEO. Sales? Pitiful.
Home Business #3
Which brings us back to my new blog about running a home business, what it takes, how to excel at it. What’s unique about this thing? I haven’t a clue, except my personality, such as it is, will color everything. Consider yourself warned.
What’s my Unique Selling Point, the extra-special good stuff I can offer you? Umm, not sure yet. It’ll come as we take action here. I know I would love to help you run your own successful home business. The good is misery loves company…no!
The good is we lonely solo entrepreneurs could form a little community here at Home Business Roundtable that helps shorten the learning curve to success, especially that whole marketing part.
How do rich people get rich? They work smart and have Master Mind groups. Would you join up with me at my roundtable so we can have our own home business master mind group? The bad is what if nobody comes to the party except me. Color me wallflower.
Well, I have Jimmy D. Brown whispering in my ear, so there’s two of us this time. He knows more about how to run successful online home businesses than any four or forty of us combined. With his expert help, will my latest home business succeed or fail? When can I pack up the sewing machines? Stay tuned.
Best,
P.S.
While all the links in my post are meant to help you, some are affiliate links, which means if you click and buy, I could earn money.
