For everyone considering or determined to develop writing as a home business. It can be done. Many of us have done it. But before you throw up the day job and start dreaming of life with just you and your laptop, start your research into possibility and profitability here.

Do you have what it takes to make a business of writing. Try this fun quiz. It doesn't throw up all the pitfalls. It doesn't pose all the questions or any answers. But it certainly helps you focus.

And this is what it should feel like....?

• When you switch on your computer in the morning, what do you do first?
• How long do you spend writing each day without stopping?
• How long do you spend writing per day?
• How many days a week do you write?
• How much time do you spend per week researching new markets?
• How much do you invest per month in writing courses?
• How much do you invest per month in subscriptions to professional bodies?
• How many specialisms do you have?
• Are you writing fiction? Non-fiction? Anything and everything?
• How much exercise do you take? How much coffee do you drink?

Target a specific financial amount you intend to earn per week.

• Each week submit to at least one new market you have not  tried.
• Write one article a day for the first two weeks of the month and submit them.
• Aim to have fifteen articles doing the rounds at any one time. 
• Use any which don't sell as give aways or in an article bank for personal promotion.
• Always try one high-paid market in the week. Low payings are hard work.
• Start your own name website.  Use a free site while you gain experience.
• Write four articles per month you could use in a "how to" e-book
• Invest in a subscription to a high quality markets database.
• Join and contribute to several writers' groups in the net.  Make contacts.

Revisit targets.  You may be surprised at how well you are doing.  If not, readjust.  The worst thing you can do is set yourself up to fail.

• Cut down on number of words to achieve daily if you are failing to hit your target

Go back to your quiz answers.  When you switch on your computer in the morning, perhaps the first thing you chould do is

• LIST three simple achievable targets for that day. Do them.

If you're spending a long time writing each day and achieving nothing

• Write less per day.  Make sure you have two days off in the week at least.

Do you spend too much time on emails and web-surfing?

• Target one lead per week from info you get from emails and the web.

Invest in a writing course.  It does not need to be expensive.  Some great stuff out there is free.

Check out advantages carefully before paying large fees to professional bodies.  As a beginner, these may not be as advantageous as paying for use of a writers'markets site.

• The tax man only allows deductions if you are visibly earning as a result.

Finances and energy can be at a low ebb this month.  Try spring cleaning your workspace both literally and figuratively.  The workout will help put spring in your step at just the right time.

Do all your articles look a bit samey?  Try reading a selection of columnists you admire.  Look carefully at their phrasing, their vocabulary, their choice of topic.

Could you learn anything to apply to your own writing?

Often a change of topic is as good as a rest.  It can be nerve-wracking going into unknown markets and writing outside your area of expertise.  But it could be the answer you need to freshen up your writing.  If you are straining to understand something new, you are all the more likely to explain it simply and clearly for your readers.

How important is advertising? It can make or break your business.
People need to know you exist, what you have to offer, and how
they can get what you have.

No business can succeed without proper ad placement. Advertising
is very important to the success of any business venture. If you
don't have the money to advertise in a national publication,
advertise locally. If you can't afford to advertise locally,
think outside the box. How can you advertise your business
inexpensively, yet still show yourself as a "professional"?

A one-time placement in your local newspaper, on television, on
the radio, or in a national publication will be a total waste of
your time, money, and effort. Consumers need to see your product
a minimum of 7 to 10 times before they will even consider
ordering your product or service. Your best bet would be to
purchase a business-size card ad, with two or three colors, a
graphic, and a bit of information about your product or service.
Advertise in the same publication for six months. If after three
months the advertisement doesn't trigger any new sales or
clients, change the ad, but keep it in the same publication.

Last year, we had a new coffee shop open up in town. Though many
coffee shops have come and gone, this one picked up gusto and
earned enough revenue to open a second shop in the next town. How
did the owners prevail? They knew how to advertise their
business. They placed the same advertisement in the same spot, in
the same paper, every week-without fail. And they learned to use
their public relations skills to gain free radio time as well as
television time.

When sitting down to develop your advertisement, keep these
things in mind:
"    What advertisements do you read over and over again, even
though you pretty much know what the ad is going to say? What is
it about that ad that continues to capture your attention?
"    Which advertisements do you automatically gravitate to when
reading the paper? What is it about those ads that draw your
attention to them?
"    What do you want your advertisement to do for your? Promote
your business? Offer a sale? Inform the public?
"    What is your product or service's biggest seller? Should
that be mentioned in your advertisement?
"    Don't crowd your advertisement with tons of colors, words,
or pictures. Less is truly more.
"    Place a "call to action" in your advertisement...call this
number, visit our store, sign up for ____, or visit our website
to download free ____.
Finally, remember that you can't always rely on the results of
others as to a "good place" to advertise your business. If your
business isn't geared towards the readers of a certain
publication, your results will not come close to that of the
person who recommended that publication in the first place.


Alyice Edrich is the author of several work-from-home e-books and
the editor of a monthly business e-zine. If you're ready to make
more money from home, set your own hours, and do something you
truly love, stop by http://thedabblingmumpress.com or
http://thedabblingmum.com/business today!