Are You Going To Win? Constantly Qualify Your Opportunities

Constant qualification is the process of continuously evaluating all of your opportunities to check that you still want to and should be bidding. It is possible to get caught up in an opportunity that you are unlikely to win and that diverts valuable resources and time from other more suitable opportunities.

First off, you need to understand the importance of having a formal bid/no bid process. This is to help you understand when and why you should bid, and to make sure you avoid projects that you have a low probability of winning. Sometimes a decision is made early to bid but is that still the right decision as you learn more about the opportunity?

As you get greater understanding of the specification you may realise that it isn’t as suitable for you as you first imagined; circumstances change – an existing client may need a project extending and you haven’t got the required resources; or you find out that the client hasn’t got the budget that you thought they had. Although you’ve invested time in the opportunity that doesn’t mean it’s too late to get out.

With any opportunity, one thing you need to do is keep finding out more about it. Ask questions and learn about the clients true needs. This is done because you want to offer the client the best solution possible, but you are also finding out whether you can deliver that solution.

At regular points during the opportunity take a look back at your original decision to bid. Is it still the right decision now that you have more information available?

You should plan and use structured methodologies for qualification throughout the bidding process. This is to help you make objective decisions and to justify the time and resources spent pursuing the opportunity.

The Learn to Write Proposals (www.learntowriteproposals.co.uk) Prospect Qualification Tool gives you a methodology for making the first bid/no bid decision as well as being able to quantify the win probability as you progress through the bidding process.

This constant qualification also allows you to see where you need to strengthen your bid. You may want to continue with the opportunity but realise that you need to take action to strengthen a particular area of your bid. Constant qualification and evaluation allows you to keep your bid focused and moving in the right direction – towards the solution that the client needs.

Qualification and preparation are the least liked processes of contracting by the majority of people involved. However, it’s an accepted fact of life. No matter your personal feelings, you should lean from what you do and make any attempts necessary to better yourself.

Overall, the goal is constantly qualify to evaluate your win chances. Qualifying for those contracts give you a greater understanding of what your business needs to succeed. No other way can more effectively pinpoint the areas where you need to improve.

Get Rich With Little Work? Here's How

You've heard all the warnings before. There's no such thing as get rich quick. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If there's a business that requires no work, I haven't found it. If you aren't very curious, don't think very hard, and try your best not to look around you, it's pretty easy to accept those bits of conventional wisdom as fact. You'll hear government pamphlets tout them (since when did career government people know anything about getting rich). You'll hear media people warn you to stay away (and in case you forgot, media folks have spent their lives as corporate employees). I sometimes think the only reason they tell us we can't get rich is they want us all to keep working our jobs at low pay! But enough of that. It's easy to see people all around you who are doing VERY well financially, not working too hard at it, and enjoying life tremendously: - The investor who keeps putting money in stocks and soon has hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bank. - The person who buys houses, fixes them up, rents them out, then sells them at a big profit. - The person who gradually starts several small businesses, using the profits from one to finance another and hiring people to run them. - The woman or man who joins a Network Marketing opportunity, then builds up their organization and earns thousands per month doing very little work -- for life. Think for a minute, and just about everyone reading this article knows one or more people just like this. They're earning, or will soon earn, FAR more money than they would working a job. Many aren't working any harder than they would in a job. And ALL of them are having the time of their lives. But how am I going to get the cash and time I need to start my own business venture, you ask. These days you don't need a bankroll OR a lot of time to succeed. You definitely don't need to quit your job. You can easily run your business in your spare time, even if you have VERY LITTLE spare time. The vast number of people who want to own their own home-based business have made it possible for organizations to sprout up, all designed with one purpose in mind -- to make it EASY for anyone to go into business. Entry fees are often quite low. For FAR less than you would pay for an office, staff, and equipment, you can have your own high- end web site, automated prospecting system, and even a professional team of sales people who bring home the customers for you. That last feature is what interests me most! Many people running a home-based business just hate to sell. In fact, that's the one thing that keeps them from making money. Having a professional team of sales people working for you can solve this problem, since they talk with prospects and sell them on your products and services BEFORE sending them your way. Because a lot of small businesses are using their service, your cost to have the sales team work for you is quite inexpensive. So stop putting off owning your own home-based business. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it. All the tools, ideas, and systems are already in place to make you a HUGE success.

5 Ways to Stay Motivated in Your Work at Home Business

Whether you're just starting out with your work at home business or you've had a home business for many years, you'll need to stay motivated if you're going to see continual success. Everyone goes through a home business slump occasionally, but it's those who stay motivated who will reach their goals. Here are five simple ways you can stay motivated in your work at home business.

1. Work from a List

Create a daily, weekly and even monthly list of things to do in your business. This sounds so simple, but yet a "to do" list is a powerful tool in helping you accomplish home business tasks. Prioritize your list each day so you can do those things that are most important first. If you have tasks that you absolutely dread, then put those tasks at the very top of the list if possible. This will give you a free mind for the remainder of the day to concentrate on the tasks you enjoy.

A list can consist of many things, from promotion steps to phone calls to make, and even a stack of papers that must be organized on your desk. Most successful business people create a list and then check off items as they are completed. This gives a sense of accomplishment throughout the day as you complete tasks.

2. Search for New Opportunities during Slow Business Times

Having a slow time in your work at home business? Don't despair. And, whatever you do, don't go apply for a job at the local fast food chain - just yet! Stay motivated by seeking out other home business opportunities that may tie into your current business.

Perhaps you offer a product or service that sells very slowly during the spring months. You could seek out related products or services that would be popular during those months to offset the other in profits. This will give you a chance to make money and enjoy multiple streams of income year round!

3. Take an Online Training Course for Better Education

Educate yourself through online training courses related to your field so you can learn how to maximize your skills and profits. There are many training courses available online today in the fields of web design, graphic design, online marketing, real estate, travel, office skills, medical, insurance, and finance.

With online training, you choose only those courses that will benefit you and your work at home business. You can usually take the courses at your own leisure from home, and will pay far less than you would for a college course.

4. Expand Marketing Avenues

Don't settle for less. Use the wisdom and experience of others who have been in business a while to expand your marketing avenues. You might consider reading after top marketers to get Internet marketing ideas. Also, there are many ways to promote your work at home business off-line.

To stay motivated, always test your efforts to see what results they bring. This is far more exciting than paying for ads and never knowing if they work or not!

5. Network with Others

Another way to stay motivated during a business slump is to network with others. Find others in related fields who can offer advice and encouragement about your business. A work at home business can be lonely at times because you never leave the house! Finding others online and off-line who do the same thing will give you an outlet for those lonely days.

Use these tips to stay motivated in your work at home business. You deserve success, so don't give up!