Home Office From Hell Cure: Transform Your Underperforming, Time-Sucking Homebased Business Into a Runaway Success Book

Foreword   George H. Ross     xv
Introduction     xvii
How to Use This Book     xix
Acknowledgments     xxii
Is My Home Office Really the Home Office From Hell?     1
What Exactly Is a Home Office From Hell?     3
Do You Have a Home Office From Hell? Yes, I'm Talking to You     4
The Ten Signs You've Got a Home Office From Hell     4
Sitting in Your Underwear at Your Computer Doesn't Make You an Entrepreneur     6
A Regular Guy Makes It Big     7
What Kind of Entrepreneur Am I?     9
Should I Build an Empire? Or Keep It Small?     11
Are You a 'Growth Maven'?     12
Or a 'Lifestyle Guru'?     13
The Secret of Momentum     14
Do One Small Thing Today     15
Your Assignment for Day 1: What Kind of Homebased Entrepreneur Are You? A Quiz     16
Growth Mavens to the Right; Lifestyle Gurus to the Left     17
The Wrap-Up: Day 1     19
So You Wanna Be a Contender? A Primer for Growth Mavens     21
I Wanna Take Over the World! Okay, So How Do I Do That?     23
Why You Need to Steer Clear of Real Estate Brokers and Most Landlords     23
Entrepreneur Story: Jack Barnes     25
Why You Should Never, Ever Sign a Lease Longer Than 12 Months-Part I     26
Why You Should Never, Ever Sign a Lease Longer Than 12 Months-Part II     26
Short-Term, Ready-to-Use ... What?     27
Executive Suites-Look Big Even if You're Still Small     28
More about Looking (and Thinking) Big Even if You're Still Small     29
Entrepreneur Story: Bob Carter     31
The Fine Print: Okay, There Are Some Downsides...     32
Shared Office Space: A Place for "Funky" Entrepreneurs     32
The Lowdown on Shared Office Space     33
Create Your Ideal Office Culture and Send a Message about You and Your Company     34
You're Not Alone Anymore!     34
The Things That Can Happen When You Leave Your Home Office Cave Behind...     35
The "I'm Feelin' Kinda Funky" Checklist     38
A Small Disclaimer to Remember When You Share Office Space     40
The Devil's in the Details     41
Entrepreneur Story: Eileen Kelly     43
Still Need More Reasons to Make the Move Out of Your Home Office From Hell? Here Are Seven!     44
Getting Your Real Office: Your Assignments for Days 2-6     44
Organizing the Move: Nine Do's and Don'ts for Cost-Effective, Low-Hassle Moving     46
Get a Phone Number to Go...     47
Making the Move: Your Assignments for Days 7-13     48
You Are the Captain!     49
Staff? I Can't Afford to Hire Staff!     50
Hire Just One Perfect Person     50
What Can a VA Do for You?     52
As with Everything, the Drawbacks...     53
Entrepreneur Story: Eva Siitonen     54
The First Hire of Many     55
Hiring Your First Employee: Your Assignments for Days 14-16     55
The Chart     56
The Wrap Up: Days 1-16     58
I Want a Business That Supports My Great Life! A Primer for Lifestyle Gurus     61
I Want to Make a Great Living...In My Underwear     63
It's What They See That Counts     63
Entrepreneur Story: Judith Addison     65
Why Can't I Meet My Clients at Home or at Starbucks? There's Nothing Wrong with That, Right?     66
The Five Places You Should Never, Ever Meet with a Client     67
How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!     67
Virtual Office Space: Stay at Home and Your Clients Will Never Know...Unless You Tell Them     69
Entrepreneur Story: Barbara Young     70
It's a Bit Like an A La Carte Menu     71
Eight Ways Virtual Office Space Can Make You Look Big-Even When You're Not     71
Getting Your Virtual Office Space: Your Assignments for Days 2-7     72
You Are Sitting at Home but Your Clients Think You Have an Office on Fifth Avenue-Now What?     73
Staff? I Started This Business so I Didn't Have to Deal with Staff     74
What Did You Do at Work Today?     75
Lone Wolf-It's Me Against the World!     75
I Like Being Chief Cook and Bottle Washer     76
The Top Seven Outsources for Homebased Businesses     77
Outsourcing? Nine Things to Do     79
Virtual Assistants Are a Lifestyle Guru's Best Friends     80
What Can a VA Do for a Lifestyle Guru?     80
As with Everything, There Are the Usual Drawbacks     81
From the Mouths of VAs...     82
Entrepreneur Story: Mitch Parado     84
Hiring a VA: Your Assignments for Days 8-13     85
The Chart     86
Planning to Outsource and Get More of a Life: Your Assignments for Days 14-16     87
The Wrap-Up: Days 1-16     90
Calling All Lifestyle Gurus and Growth Mavens! It's Time to Become a Nexpert!     93
It's Time to Start Thinking Big...     95
What the Hell Is a Nexpert?     95
Why Nexpertizing Your Business Will Make All the Difference     96
How to Become a Recognized Nexpert     97
Becoming a Nexpert: Your Assignments for Days 17-18     98
Nexpert Story: Jimmy Alvarez     99
Yikes! Am I Really Qualified to Be a Nexpert?     100
Let Me Say It Again     101
What Makes You the Nexpert, Jeff?     101
Get Thee to the Web!     103
How to Become a Nexpert 101     105
Why Getting Articles Published in Magazines, Newspapers, and on the Internet Will Help Grow Your Business     107
Words In Print = The Truth     108
Entrepreneurs Tell How They Got the Most Exposure Out of a Single Article     109
I'd Like to be Published in The Wall Street Journal-I Think     110
Who Is My Audience?     111
Where Can I Reach My Audience?     111
Know the Pubs Inside and Out     112
Read about Writing     113
Okay, Now I Have to Write Something-But What?     114
How to Pitch     115
Nexpert Story: Jane Schwartz     117
Wait a Minute-I'm a Horrible Writer!     119
Just Get Published-The Money Will Come Later     120
Why No Good Writing Goes to Waste     120
Getting Published and Becoming a Nexpert Author: Your Assignments for Days 17-41     121
Retain Your Rights!     122
Why Speaking is Almost Always Worth the Effort     123
I'm Afraid to Speak in Public. Can I Really Do This?     124
How to Create the Best Speaking Opportunities for Your Business     125
Cool Things You Can Get for Your Business Because You Are the Speaker     127
You Are Not Selling. You Are Teaching     127
Who Is Your Audience? What Makes Them Tick?     128
What Message Do You Want Them to Get?     130
What Is Your Intention?     131
What Is Your Intention?     131
Get Their Attention-Repeat the Message     132
Start with a Trick     134
The Marvelous Q&A     135
Speak Like a Pro     136
Put Down the Pointer and Step Away from the PowerPoint!     137
How to Use Handouts to Seal the Deal     139
Nexpert Story: Bea Richardson     141
Giving Your Nexpert Talk: Your Assignments for Days 42-61     142
What the Hell Is a Tips Booklet?     144
Who Cares about My Tips and How Does that Translate into Sales?     145
Don't Skimp on the Tips!     146
What Should I Write About?     148
Just Write It!      149
Remember-This Is a Project for a Long Weekend. Keep It Simple     150
It's Easy to Become a Published Nexpert!     151
Five Writing Tips for Your Tips     152
Okay, I'm Lazy. Can I Just Create a Tips Sheet?     153
Sell It or Give It Away?     154
Nifty Uses for My Tips Booklet     155
Nexpert Story: Marie Genero     156
Becoming a Nexpert Tips Booklet Author: Your Assignments for Days 62-66     157
The Wrap-Up: Days 17-66     159
How to Be a Nexpert 102-Taking Your Newfound Nexpertise to the Next Level     163
I'm On a Roll, Jeff-What's Next?     165
If You Scratch Your Nose, Call a Journalist     166
Get Yourself an Interesting Angle     167
Say Yes-Then Jump!     167
Developing Your Angle     168
Ten Steps to the Perfect Pitch     172
Pitching to the Press     175
Talking to the Press with Your Press Release     176
Anatomy of a Press Release     177
Yikes! The Reporters Bit. I Have Interviews Coming Up!     178
The Radio Talk Show     179
Radio Tricks and Tips     180
Nexpert Story: Bobby Hargrove     181
Your Print Interview      183
Four Things You Should Never Say in an Interview     184
Nexpert Story: Troy Heller     185
Getting and Giving Your Nexpert Print/Radio Interview: Your Assignments for Days 67-80     187
Let's Push a Little Harder, Shall We?     188
What Exactly Is a Tele-Seminar, and Why in Heaven's Name Do I Want to Host One?     189
Tele-Seminar Basics-The Technical Stuff     190
Okay, I'm Game-What Do I Do First?     191
Who Is My Niche Audience? What Do They Need to Know?     192
The First Format-The Interview     194
The Other Two Formats-The Monologue and the Q&A     195
Creating Your First Nexpert Tele-Seminar     197
To Charge or Not to Charge; That Is the Question     198
Tele-Seminars 101     199
Five Things You Can Do with Your Tele-Seminar Recording     200
How to Get Your Audience to Listen to Your Tele-Seminar     201
Five Things You Can Do to Follow Up     201
Putting Your Nexpert Tele-Seminar to Work for You: Your Assignments for Days 81-99     202
Nexpert Story: Jonathan Miller     204
The Wrap Up: Days 67-99     206
From Your "Home Office From Hell" to a Thriving, Growing, Innovating Success in 100 Days     209
Your New Life as a Nexpert!     211
You Are on Your Way to Having the Best Year of Your Business     212
One Nexpert Puts It All Together!     212
Basking in the Glow of Your Nexpertise: Your Assignment for Day 100     215
Taking Your Nexpert Status to the Next Level: The Second 100 Days     215
Appendix     217
The 100-Day Plan     219
Index     229