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Thinking of starting a home based business can be a scary affair. After the thrill of getting that brilliant idea, it's usually in that first battle with the mind that people lose and give up. Our minds are terribly good at looking at the down side of things. Here are SEVEN SCARY reasons why people shy away from starting their own home based business and SEVEN SIMPLE steps to help you overcome those fears.

Fear of failure and making mistakes.

Nobody like's making mistakes and failing, especially if it concerns something major like starting a home based business. That's why many people take the easy way out and quit. After all, if you don*t try, then you won*t fail.

Fear of change.

Running a home based business (any business for that matter) often forces you to change and improve your attitude, working style, personal preferences and bad habits. Unfortunately, most of us would rather accept the problems we DO know than the possibilities we DON*T. We*re often caught in a comfort zone * and it cripples our dreams and limits our potential!

Fear of commitment and responsibility

In many ways, it's easier to work for someone else. You needn*t worry about the thousands of details that your boss has to consider. A home based business is a guaranteed crash course in commitment and responsibility! There is NO running away from the boss, NO hiding from the customers and NO switching off your mind after work!

Fear of hard work.

When we first started our home catering business, I had LOTS of problems adapting. I went from being a web developer in long sleeves and tie in a nice comfy office to an apron in a hot, stuffy kitchen, cleaning and chopping chicken, meat, fish and veggie, scrubbing the kitchen, pot, pans and stove, taking out tons of garbage and well* you get the idea* Yes, there were days when I was tempted to give all this hard work!

Fear of success.

I*ve got to be honest - one of the major reasons I shied away from starting my own home based business for so long was the fear of success! It seemed so much easier to just be my old self, holding on to my old goals. Mediocrity is a whole lot easier to achieve than success. I feared having to face ALL the seven scary reasons listed here!

Fear of competition.

You may be worried about competitors but the truth is that when you*re a newbie, the big boys probably won*t notice you. It's when you*ve been around for a while and maybe when some of their customers have made their way to you that they begin noticing. The good thing is that by then, you should have gained sufficient experience and be savvy enough to stand your own ground.

Fear of uncertainty.

No doubt about it. Running a home based business WILL mean lots of uncertainties, but isn*t it be better knowing YOU were in control of these uncertainties instead of your boss or someone you don*t even know?

Okay* that was pretty nasty medicine. Reality always is. Now that we*ve faced seven scary reasons not to start a home based business, here are seven simple steps to overcome them*

Reality check!

Know yourself * what you're good at and what you're not. Know what drives you and what you're passionate about. Starting a home based business around what you do best is the easiest way to start.

Do your homework

Find out everything you can about the business you want to start. Visit the library. Scour the Internet. Ask people who are already doing it or have done it. Mind you, make sure they've been successful at it, otherwise they're going to lead you in the wrong direction.

Don't walk with turkeys

You can't fly with eagles when you keep walking with turkeys! Every negative word you hear (from turkeys) will scribble its way into your subconscious. If you keep company with turkeys, your hopes and dreams are probably going to end up burnt to a crisp and served on the thanksgiving table.

Fly with eagles

Keep company with eagles * positive people who know what it takes to make dreams come true! Keep your heart and mind fixed on your goal. If you're sure your home based business is workable, then find ways to work it! Seek guidance and support from the eagles in your life. Never be afraid to ask questions and seek help.

Make your dreams real

The best way to do this is to write down every dream or idea you have. Writing them down makes your dreams something tangible you can see and work on. Vocalize your dream. Visualize yourself reaching your goal. Make sure you jealously guard your dreams against negative thoughts and words.

Small steps

When you think of how BIG a problem or task is, you give yourself BIG worries! Break every problem into smaller tasks and solve them one by one. Remember* to move a mountain, you do it one stone at a time, one rock at a time, one boulder at a time.

Persistence and patience

If a dream is worth dreaming, it's worth struggling for. Problems WILL arise but remember that every problem is an opportunity for you to learn to become stronger, smarter and more resilient. Take every problem in stride and keep your eyes fixed on your goal.

There you have it folks * SEVEN SCARY REASONS that may be preventing you from becoming a successful home based business owner and SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS to help you overcome them! Success comes one step at a time * cheers!