Consistency is the key to a profitable home-based business

I make my share of long drives. During these journeys, I continue a long-running experiment: My car’s trip computer displays mileage and range information in real time. Even tiny changes in speed have a very large effect; adding even a few miles per hour to my speed decreases my miles per gallon by up to four. Slowing down may also increase mileage to a point, before it starts dropping again. Heavy-footed use of the gas pedal really impacts my range. Exiting the freeway to do a few minutes of stop-and-go driving in a town along the way? My mileage plummets. Overall, I average over 32MPG—not too shabby for a 260-horsepower V6.

There are other ways to boost my mileage and get the most out of a tank of gas. Rolling off the gas as I crest a rise followed by rolling back on as slowly as possible as I reach the bottom and start up the next hill gives me the greatest overall efficiency. Oregon and parts of Washington have lower speed limits, which helps allow one tank of gas to last the entire 460-mile distance from Ashland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington.

Why is this story relevant to your home-based business?

Pacing, consistency, and subtlety are the keys to getting great gas mileage. The same is true for getting the most out of your home-based business.

Pacing: My normal cruising speed is about 65-70 miles per hour (portions of Washington have the higher speed limit). Speeds of about 55-60 increase mileage but also make the trip take longer. Speeds below 55 tend to reduce my mileage. Speeding up requires the engine to spin faster, which burns more fuel.

Same with your home-based business. The faster you want to go, the more resources you need to invest. Slow down too much and you’ll need to spend more to make up for your spotty efforts. Finding your own “sweet spot” for your marketing will give your efforts the best balance of coverage and longevity. Should you advertise weekly or monthly? How often should you contact your prospects and associates? Should you invest more in new people or your existing organization? Which specific methods of managing and marketing will best promote your home-based business?

As for consistency, freeway driving is much more efficient that stop-and-go city driving. I sometimes leave the interstate for 5 miles or even less to have lunch. Each mile I drive in town costs me several miles of freeway range. The amount of gas you burn leaving a stoplight could take you quite a ways along a freeway. Stop your marketing and you’ll need a heavy investment of time, money, and effort to make up for lost time. Remember the old mantra “out of sight, out of mind?”

Never market, promote, or manage your home-based business unless you’re committed for the long haul. You may not like the drudgery or the expense and that that’s natural. But the only way to succeed as quickly and as lastingly as possible is to knuckle down and just do it.

Don’t forget subtlety. Hard acceleration requires lots of gas. It also tends to discombobulate passengers and cargo alike. Gradual speed changes are, well, a little boring… but they burn less fuel and don’t scare your passengers. Students at my marketing training sessions are always coming up with all kinds of suggestions for seasonal marketing campaigns and logo modifications for all the major holidays. Each such change entails costs for a graphic designer, printer, Web master, and more. It also strays from the original marketing message and confuses the target audience who may not necessarily associate the changes with your home-based business.

How about subtle changes that leave the original logo/theme/etc. intact and add a tiny touch? That little dab will give you the seasonal flair you seek while not disturbing your mail message. Limiting yourself to small, gradual changes is also a lot less costly. Remember, the aim of marketing is not to look fancy or to showcase your artistic talents and whimsy. Your single goal with your marketing is ultimately to increase your profits- something that’s rather hard to do if you’re not always seeking to extract the most mileage from your efforts.

Market your home-based business as if you were driving a car down the freeway trying to extract every last inch of distance from your limited (and increasingly costly) fuel supply and you will go far—literally.

Anthony Hernandez

Anthony Hernandez is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Business Association Coach and author of Guerrilla Marketing Success Secrets with over 20 years of successful self-employment experience. He is proud to be a co-founding member of the MOXXOR WORKS Team. Visit the MOXXOR WORKS Web page to learn more about the MOXXOR WORKS Team and our home-based opportunity.