The Profit Puzzle

3 Steps to Profit Success

Doesn't it feel great to say "Problem Solved" and move on to the next challenge? There are 3 easy steps you can take immediately to feel the same way about your small business profit. If a lack of profit is frustrating you there is a solution so you can say "Profit Solved" and move on to even more profit.

Small Business Projects: Stuck or Done?

I've got a ton of ideas, I'm a huge process thinker and a poor finisher. As a result many of my small business projects never get done or remain stuck in the mud. They are not getting done!

How about you?

My friend Kim DeYoung (Metromom) is leading the Get It Done Challenge that'll provide you with real specific steps on how to get your ideas out of your head and into the market so you can make the money you want and also serve the customer you're meant to serve.

The timing for this challenge may not be a good fit for you right now, but the five small business project steps covered in the Challenge Overview are well worth your reading time. In fact, just reading more about these steps maybe helpful enough to get you unstuck and done right now!

8 Common Small Business Mistakes

What causes small business failure is not a well kept secret. These eight common mistakes are within your power to avoid. It's your choice!

No Goals, Plans, Money, People, Solutions, Systems, Costs, Knowledge.

You do not need to repeat the common mistakes made by most small business owners. Even if you've making them, you change that now!

Is Your Small Business on the Level?

Today is cement day for me. One of my personal projects is some landscaping in our backyard. As I get ready to pour some cement walls and pathways, I'm digging, aligning and leveling my form boards. I want the cement work to be level and positioned to properly hold back some dirt and support a lot of foot traffic.

How is this related to your small business at home success and profit?

Every function in small businesses is inter-connected. One function that is out of level is likely connected to another function. If a function is not "on the level", it's inter-connected functions are weakened and may give way, run up or down hill too quickly or slowly or be crooked.

I know this analogy is a bit far fetched, but I believe it makes sense to check level before mixing and pouring a lot of concrete. Once it sets its very difficult to correct.

Small Business Success "Some Assembly Required"

Small business success is really quite predictable because there are certain things you can and must do if you want to be successful. Most of us know when we're doing something that isn't working. This Tweet popped into my head when I read on a pickup truck "Some Assembly Required Handyman".

Small Business Success "Some Assembly Required" to Start-Up

The Profit Puzzle Checklist is useful if you're ready to work on your small business start up using a set of instructions to ensure proper assembly. Tweet me @ProfitPuzzle for more small business assembly help. Here's the rest of My Tweets from the same day:

• "Does your small business at home office put you in the mood for making money?"
• "If your small business product is a solution who is the customer with the problem you're solving?"
• "Positive cash flow is the blood supply of small business start up success!"
• "Which piece of your small business idea puzzle are you sitting at home putting in place right now?"
• "If your business idea is too small a start-up to invest your own time & money in don't ask anyone to invest in you!"

Optimize Your Small Business Start-Up?

No, let me just get started. Once my idea takes off, I'll be able to spend some time on some real planning. All to often we put off quick and easy steps that create small business at home start-up success and profit.

Call it excitement overwhelming reason. I call it short-sightness overtaking long-term success and profit. But, I understand. My "wisdom" came at the same price you'll pay for not optimizing your start up success and profit from the get-go.

Although I created this Free Checklist out of my personal experience, it does give you a quick way (I promise it won't curb your excitement) to assess 8 small business basics and 32 key component actions steps you could take to optimize your small business start-up. Just a thought, hope you don't pass it by - give it a try!

Clarify Your Small Business Objectives

Without clarity your profit picture will be too fuzzy to serve as an accurate guide to making more money in your small business. Sharpen your focus in these four areas to improve your bottom line: Personal, Business, Lifestyle, Time.

Take the Free Small Business Success Checklist Action Steps to regain your 20/20 business vision right now!

Small Business Start Up Passion P(l)ay

What role does passion play in the success of a small business at home start-up? In my experience it's the leading role. Any endeavor of merit has challenges to overcome, new things to learn and habits to put into practice. Small business success is no different - the role played by passion must be convincing or you may not get beyond opening night.

But, as Sam & Judy learned, there is a key supporting role to be played - Business Basics. The name of the character "Business Basics" doesn't even sound interesting or entertaining, but it's the role responsible for profit.

Passion maybe the sentimental favor, but the supporting role of Business Basics deserves a lot of credit for making your small business passion p(l)ay.

Small Business Start-Up Opt-In "Wizard of Oz"

In the classic movie "Wizard of Oz" we discover the person behind the curtain differed greatly from the persona of the Wizard. Does the image portrayed by your small business start-up differ from or match you as a person?

If you operate online you either have or will create an "Opt-In Offering" to build your list. Up till now there was no easy way to quickly "step out from behind the curtain" and reveal your true personality. Today, thanks to Social Networking, its fast and easy to reveal more about you and your small business.

Today, I won't debate the consequences of your image and your reality not matching up or whether that should be a concern. Much of how close a match there is is subjective away. Instead, I'll just offer my Social Networking links and let you decide whether The Daily Profit - Don Osborne Persona and the Social Networking bio, tweets, wall posts and links at Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn match up with The Profit Puzzle Website.

Small Business Start-Up Success Story Telling

Many small business at home start-up success stories are surprisingly similar. Yet, they are all uniquely different. What makes them unique is the actual person involved in telling their story is an individual who treasures the idea of becoming a successful small business owner for reasons that are deeply personal to them.

Small business success comes from learning and applying a number of basic principles or functions to a start-up business idea. What should be unique about business is its owner, not how it operates. Certain practices must be in place for a small business to become successful and profitable.

The Start-Up Success Story of Sam & Judy exemplifies the concept of how uniquely different business owners can be while, at the same time, being surprising similar.