The_Sweatpants_Manifesto2

8/7/2019 The_Sweatpants_Manifesto2

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The SweatpantsM A N I F E S T O

20 theses or getting

more time, money, and

reedom than you ever thought possible(without changing out of your sweatpants!)

successinsweatpants.com

by Trish Lambert



The Sweatpants Manifesto—Take 2© Trish Lambert. All rights reserved.

Please send this booklet to anyone you think would nd it useul and motivating.You are welcome to oer it as a downloadable document on your site, blog, or anyplace else

in cyberspace that you think it would make a dierence. (Please cite my authorship when you do so.)

Table of Contents Zoom Print Info Blog



Introduction to Take 2

This is a second take on the maniesto I rst published in 2006. In the three years since publication, there

have been some changes in the business and Internet world that require my revisiting the original 20 theses

I created in support o at-home service businesses.

The most obvious change in this edition o the maniesto is the inclusion o only 19 o the original 20 theses.

The assertion that home-based service businesses were leading to the death o reelancing has been

eliminated because I had a lot o pushback rom people who consider themselves reelancers, so much so

that I had to revise my notion that reelancing as a vocation is dying.

I’m not sure why solo service providers eel the need to cling to the label o “reelancer.” I still believe that it is

a very limiting pigeonhole to put onesel into. Why only be a writer when, with a little creativity andorganization, one can be an inormation product provider? Why be a website designer when it doesn’t take

much more to be a turnkey website production manager?

I also believe that prospective clients have a limited view o reelancers, considering them low-cost one-trick

ponies. They are unlikely to turn to a reelancer to manage a larger project, or do anything outside the one

area that the reelancer provides services in. Again, I can’t understand why a solo business owner would

want to stick with the label when the opportunities or growth are so limited.

In spite o the limiting nature o the “reelance” label, many people who provide creative services seem tohave an emotional attachment to it, so I have cried uncle. Freelancing lives on, not because it is lucrative

business niche, but because o some other need that the people who call themselves reelancer ll by using

that label to describe what they do.

So, the maniesto now consists o 19 theses, updated to reect the online marketplace as it exists at the end

o the rst decade o the new millennium. My intent is to spark your energy, start you thinking, give you the

go-ahead to make your own success—in your sweatpants!

Trish

Rollover or original intro.




19 theses o the sweatpants maniesto

1. The world has attened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

2. The service economy has spawned service micro-economies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

3. Businesses are increasingly reliant on outside services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

4. The quality o the service providers that a company selects will signicantly impact its competitive standing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

5. The vendor-client relationship has become a critical success actor or businesses that hire outside service providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

6. The Internet has revolutionized service micro-economies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

7. A home-based service business can compete successully in the attened world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]8. A home-based service business can have the same public presence as a multi-person company in a physical oce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

9. One person in sweatpants can run a global service business rom home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

10. One person in sweatpants working at home can build a 6- or 7-gure business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

11. Freelancing is quickly becoming commoditized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

12. It is dicult or a reelancer to build a 6- or 7-gure business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

13. A home-based service business has a competitive advantage over a reelancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

14. A home-based service business oers a compelling value proposition to clients. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

15. The internet has spawned new marketing channels that can speed the growth o a home-based service business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

16. A home-based service business accommodates a higher billable time slice, which more than osets its lower rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

17. A home-based service business allows an “any time/anywhere” workow that opens up schedules and allows exibility in the work day . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

18. A home-based service business owner can honor priorities and goals rom other aspects o their lie without adversely impacting revenues . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

19. Success in sweatpants oers an unprecedented level o personal and proessional reedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ GO ]

Print Table of Contents Zoom Info Blog



1. The world has attened

In his book, The World Is Flat, award-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman crystallizes the

trend we have all seen over the past ten or twenty years.

Technology in general and the Internet in particular have changed so many things. Thanks to automated

teller machines and supermarket sel-checkout, I don’t have to have supercial, time sucking interactions

with clerks and tellers. Thanks to online banking and bill management I don’t have to deal with stamps

and envelopes. My credit score has risen in part because I have automated the bill paying process so I’m

never late.

I can conduct all kinds o personal business rom anywhere on the planet that has online access—and thereare very ew locations in the areas where I travel that aren’t plugged in to the Internet. And I communicate

on a daily basis with people all over the world via Twitter, Facebook, and Skype.

Technology has attened the world by eliminating physical space and compressing time. Messages travel

around the world in seconds. Financial transactions can likewise be almost instantaneous.

“The fap o a butterfy’s wings in Central Park could

ultimately cause an earthquake in China.”

The “buttery eect” o chaos theory—the assertion that small and apparently insignicant incidents can

have ar reaching consequences—is more apparent than ever in our attened world. One sentence entered

on a screen in New York can produce staggering results in Singapore, all in the blink o an eye.

Technology has

attened the world

by eliminating

physical space andcompressing time.




2. The service economy has spawned service micro-economies.

The rise o the service economy was noted a number o years ago. Business experts like Theodore Levitt

chronicled the increased importance o the service sector in industrialized economies.

Services account or a higher percentage o the gross domestic product o the United States than 20 years

ago, and this trend is likely present in other countries around the world. Another interesting act is that

the list o Fortune 500 companies contains more service companies and ewer manuacturers than in

previous decades.

The increasing signicance o the service sector has had a trickledown eect. Now there are service micro-

economies, smaller, localized portions o the market that use services that weren’t even available a couple o decades ago. Both personally and proessionally, many o us routinely use service providers to:

• cleanourhomesandoces

• washourcars

• buyourclothes

• runourwebsites

• writeourbooksandarticles

• keepournancialrecords

• manageourschedules • overseeourworkouts,etc.

Local economies (including the economy o the Internet) have changed in much the same way that macro-

economies have changed because o the rise o services as a signicant marketplace component. And the

demand or services in these micro-economies is on the rise.

Services account or

a higher percentage

o the gross

domestic producto the United States

than 20 years ago.




3. Businesses are increasingly reliant on outside services.

Labor costs can account or 50% or more o a company’s operating expenses. As companies have scrambled

to nd ways o cutting costs, outside service providers have stepped in to roles that once were the sole

territory o salaried sta. Entire unctions may lie outside a rm’s walls, and some o these unctions are

essential to the business.

One characteristic o the attened world is the never-closed customer service desks o many technology

rms. No matter what time o day you place your call, you will get a live person. And or all or part o the day,

that person will be sitting at a computer thousands o miles away, most likely in India.

Whether we like it or not, outsourcing has become “business as usual” in many ways. Large companiesroutinely outsource “noncore” unctions like acilities, payroll, and human resources management. Small

companies lean on outside providers or more business-critical unctions so that they can take advantage o

skills and expertise that they can’t aord to hire.

The advent o internet-only businesses has brought about even more inclusion o service providers into the

inner workings o a company. Many internet entrepreneurs keep their immediate companies lean and hire

contractors or everything—their administrative assistants, their webmasters, their sales and marketing sta.

Many successul companies are comprised o the owner and a team o contractors, with some or all o those

contractors sprinkled over a vast geographic area.

Whether we like it or

not, outsourcing has

become “business as

usual” in many ways.




4. The quality o the service providers that a company selects

will signicantly impact its competitive standing.

With outside service providers occupying more and more strategic roles or their clients, the ability to select

the right providers will ultimately have an impact on a company’s ability to compete.

Selection criteria must go beyond the simple and potentially dangerous one o price. In the vein o getting

what we pay or, most o us recognize that hiring the lowest-priced provider is asking or trouble. The risk o

hiring high priced providers is not as obvious, but exists nonetheless.

The appropriate selection criterion, and one that creates a number o sub-criteria when applied properly, is

value. Though this term is oten overused in business media, it is still an important consideration. To statewhat is probably pretty obvious, value relates to what a company gets or what they are paying.

When ocusing on value, there are a number o other criteria that will indicate the right provider choice.

Which criteria are chosen, how they are prioritized, and how they are applied to provider candidates will vary

rom company to company.

Companies that take the time to arrive at eective criteria and then apply those criteria in a disciplined

manner are the ones that will get the right providers or their needs with the least amount o extra work

or problem. And since many companies don’t take this approach, those that do will come out ahead in thecompetitive landscape.

Selection criteria

must go beyond

the potentially

dangerous oneo price.




5. The vendor-client relationship has become a critical success

actor or businesses that hire outside service providers.

The nature o the vendor-client relationship has changed. In the “olden days,” this relationship tended to be

eudal, with the client expecting the vendor to ask “how high” every time they said “jump.” The “customer is

always right” mantra encouraged subservience in vendors, which made or an unequal dynamic in the

relationship.

Today, service providers who recognize the strategic value they bring to their clients approach the relation-

ship as partners. While excellent customer service is still a key to the services they provide, these business

people will shy away rom the old eudal behavior and stay with clients that take a win-win approach in their

dealings.

The companies that take this approach with their providers, thereore, will attract and retain the best

providers. The inclusion o these top-notch team members will steepen these companies’ growth curves in

a big way because they will have partners who truly care about and work toward their clients’ business

success. And unlike their less partner-oriented counterparts, these companies won’t experience “vendor

churn,” which will allow them to be ar more productive over time.

Companies that stick to the old model o, “I’m paying, which means I can be as demanding and rude as I

want,” will be unable to keep providers that can become key team members. At best, their providers willprovide exactly what they have been contracted or, but they won’t be motivated to see the interaction as

anything other than another business transaction. At worst, providers will cut and run mid-project, leaving

loose ends and wasted investments that end up stiing business growth.

Service providers

who recognize the

strategic value

they bring to theirclients approach

the relationship as

partners.




6. The Internet has revolutionized service micro-economies.

In the 1980s I oered marketing services to small companies in my immediate area. I was your average

reelancer—I owned a job, not a business. I had to work really long hours to generate the level o income

that I needed and I attended to all the operational details mysel. I loved steering my own ship but I

denitely didn’t love having the business dominate my whole lie.

Today I own 4R Marketing, providing similar services but in a very dierent way. The internet has spawned so

many tools and options or business owners to cut down on overhead tasks that I can stay on top o nances,

marketing, and selling in a raction o the time that it once took. Best o all, my work day now averages eight

hours, rather than the 12+ o my previous business.

None o my clients are in my own city, so I have no need to drive the highways to meetings. I create new

connections on a daily basis through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, so local networking events are a thing

o the past. My car stays in the garage most o the time. My work clothes are shorts in the warm season and

sweatpants when it’s cold. It’s been so long since I took anything to the dry cleaners I can’t remember where

they are located. I have time to visit with riends, ride my horses, take my dogs or long walks, read books,

and do crossword puzzles.

Oh, and 4R Marketing has grown so much that I now have a team to get all the work done.

All because o the dierence the Internet has made.

The internet has

spawned so many

tools and options

or business ownersto cut down on

overhead tasks.




7. A home-based service business can compete successully in

the attened world.

A home-based service business has key advantages over its “on the street” counterpart that make it a

competitor to be reckoned with.

A home-based business doesn’t incur as many overhead costs to secure work as a physical business. On-the-

street jobs require ace to ace meetings, which require unbillable time, gas and mileage, and supporting

stu like appropriate clothing and the dry cleaning to maintain it. This all translates to expenses in time and

money to bring in revenue—and that money and time must be covered in the billing rate.

Virtual jobs don’t require anywhere near the same amount o time to procure, can be won without traveling,and don’t require dryclean-only clothes. I can bid on more virtual jobs in a week than I ever could with live

business development. Because I spend more time at the keyboard than driving around town, I can log more

billable hours in a work week with virtual work.

With signicant savings on the expense side and additional hours on the billing card, is it surprising that 4R

is a 6-gure business?

I can bid on more

virtual jobs in a week

than I ever could

with live businessdevelopment.




8. A home-based service business can have the same public

presence as a multi-person company in a physical oce.

The battle or business is based on perception. I prospects like what they see, more than hal the battle has

been won. In the internet-intense marketplace that we have today, home-based businesses can go toe-

to-toe with large companies when it comes to attracting prospects, and can give them a real run or their

money.

A service business, small or large, home-based or not, is only as good as its content—in the eyes o the

market, that is. Without a tangible product available or appraisal and evaluation, a service provider relies on

the written word, client testimonials, and samples rom past projects to attract prospects.

Because o this a home-based service business can look the same (or better) as a “bricks and mortar”

company. A well-designed and inormative web site, well-placed articles and press releases, and email that

comes rom the company’s domain (rather than a ree or ISP-based email) are all actors that will level the

playing eld in terms o prospects’ initial perceptions.A service business,

small or large,

home-based or not,

is only as good asits content.




9. One person in sweatpants can run a global service business

rom home.

A computer, an internet connection, and a web site are all the inrastructure needed or a global home-

based service business. O course, the business will only be as good as the quality o its inrastructure, so

having the right computer, connection, and web site is really important.

Make sure that your hardware matches the type o service you provide; a writer, or example, won’t need the

kind o memory, hard drive storage, and graphics card that a graphic designer needs.

A desktop computer with a broadband connection will be less costly and do everything you need it to do.

On the other hand, i taking the company on the road with you is part o the plan, set yoursel up with alaptop that can do it all with a WiFi connection.

At an absolute minimum, your web site needs to be an “electronic brochure” that clearly communicates who

you are, what you do, and why people should use your services. Add interactivity (a blog or people to

comment on, a link to your social media pages), and rom there, the choices are up to you, your creativity,

and what pulls in business or you.

Your main communication channel will likely be e-mail, with the telephone being used rom time to time.

I, like me, you want mobility, you might want to have a mobile phone as your main business line. But youdon’t even need a telephone these days— services like Skype and Vonage give you the ability to run your

phone calls through your internet connection. You can even get a Skype mobile phone that will pick up a

WiFi signal!

Finally, it’s easy and cost-eective to orm a company (an LLC or corporation, check with your nancial

advisor), and there are many advantages to having a ormal company. Plus, all the paperwork can be taken

care o on the internet, so you don’t have to change out o your sweatpants!

A computer, an

internet connection,

and a web site are

all the inrastructureneeded or a global

home-based service

business.




10. One person in sweatpants working at home can build a

6- or 7-gure business.

In less than two years o its launch, 4R began generating a 6-gure revenue. Today I have a solid client list

and a team o contractors who work with me to deliver the goods.

I had no idea when I started out that I would get so ar so ast. It has been a very pleasant surprise to nd

that I can own and operate a successul company without renting oce space outside my home or hiring

lots o people as in-house employees.

The good news is that the business world has assimilated the internet in the way it works. Companies are

becoming more and more accustomed to working virtually. Services that used to be “in person only” arebeing contracted to companies thousands o miles away.

Earlier, I talked about the inrastructure needed or a home-based service business. I also talked about how a

home-based business can generate more opportunities or less overhead expense. That’s the beginning.

Turning a home-based service business into a 6-gure earner takes ocus, ollow through, and quality. Once

you’ve attracted the right prospects and they’ve decided to award you their work, the path to big revenues is

the same as with any type o service company—deliver on your promise and take really, really good care o

your ideal clients.

Companies are

becoming more and

more accustomed to

working virtually.




11. Home-based service businesses have more potential than

a reelancing practice.

Freelancing has traditionally been or people who want to make an income without leaving home.

Freelancers are answerable to no one but themselves and only need to put on shoes i they are going out

to meet with a client ace to ace.

A home-based service business owner also works at home in bare eet, but is not reelancing. He or she owns

a ull-edged enterprise with its own identity. The company can grow and develop the same way any service

business does; the main dierence is that its solutions are delivered electronically and all client interaces are

via phone and/or internet.

Today, it doesn’t cost any more time or money to operate a home-based service business than it does to be

a reelancer. A home-based service business can compete with reelancers on price because its lower over-

head allows lower rates, and because it oers ar greater value or the money.

A home-based service business retains all the advantages o reelancing and is much higher on the service

provider ladder in the business world. It can grow beyond its initial oering into a company with multiple

service lines and a team o proessionals. Output doesn’t depend solely on one person’s abilities and

expertise. Clients view the provider as a company rather than as an individual, and are more likely to expand

the relationship over time than they would with reelancers.

The bottom line is that rom a buyer’s standpoint, there’s no reason to hire a reelancer these days when a

home-based service business oers more benets or essentially the same price.

Today, it doesn’t cost

any more time or

money to operate a

home-based servicebusiness than it does

to be a reelancer.




12. It is dicult or a reelancer to build a 6- or 7-gure business.

A reelancer is generally incapable o building a six-gure business. One reason is that this kind o earning

power requires that the solo practitioner command higher ees, or that additional personnel be included in

order to multiply capabilities. In either case, the reelancer stops being a reelancer and becomes a

consultant or a business owner.

There is another much more signicant wall that keeps a reelancer rom breaking into six gures. It’s what I

think o as the starving artist mind-set, characterized by a “I must suer to succeed” mantra. The starving

artist is in love with the drama o the struggle to succeed. The pain o ailure eels good to this mind-set.

Also, reelancers think small. They are risk-averse, preerring to stay with what they know rather thangrowing new skills. They are hyperrugal, oten cutting corners where it matters most (web site, brochures,

computer, applications, other tools).

Small thinking inests the way that reelancers interact with clients. Many reelancers I have known over the

years are extremely sensitive about being “mistreated” by clients. They get huy about being treated with

respect, and get really nasty about how stupid their clients can be. I have heard reelancers talk about the

companies and people or whom they work as i they were enemies to be conquered with rather than

partners in whose interest they work.

Finally, many reelancers see their work as more o a hobby than a business, which also puts a cap on their

revenue levels. As a client, I have had reelancers disappear into thin air in the middle o a project, tell me the

day ater the deadline they agreed to that they aren’t going to do the job ater all, and neglect to keep me

posted on progress. This kind o behavior won’t build a 6-gure business. Heck, I’m surprised it even brings

in ve gures!

Many reelancers

see their work as

more o a hobby

than a business.




13. A home-based service business has a competitive

advantage over a reelancer.

A home-based service business can out-compete a reelancer or the same reason that a reelancer can’t

earn six gures: mind-set.

A home-based service business owner has a dierent view o the market than a reelancer. Where a

reelancer wants to keep the status quo, a home-based service business owner wants to stretch and grow,

which makes them perceive and act on opportunities quite dierently.

The home-based service business owner markets the company as a whole rather than one individual, and

interacts with clients as a peer and a partner, not as an adversary or enemy. Home-based service businessowners are more risk tolerant that reelancers, and will invest money in activities or initiatives that have a

good chance o paying o.

Because o their low overhead, a home-based service business can oer the same services as a reelancer

at about the same price. And because the business can oten oer other services as well, the client will get

ar more value rom bringing them on board to provide a range o services than rom hiring and managing

multiple reelancers.

Look at it rom the buyer’s point o view: Why deal with reelancers when a home-based service business cando so much more without a lot o extra cost?

A home-based

service business

owner has a diferent

view o the marketthan a reelancer.




14. A home-based service business ofers a compelling value

proposition to clients.

A home-based service business oers something that all business want in their service providers: Value.

Because o their low overhead, home-based service businesses can compete on price with their “on the

street” counterparts and can compete on proessionalism and expertise with reelancers.

So, a company that procures services virtually pays less or comparable quality...and that’s a pretty

compelling value proposition!

A home-based

service business

ofers... Value.




15. The internet has spawned new marketing channels that can

speed the growth o a home-based service business.

The biggest dierence between the “on the street” business I owned the 1980s and the business I run today

is the internet. Like many other home-based business owners, I use the internet as my primary marketing

channel. But unlike many o my peers, I have grown revenues to six gures in less than two years. The

primary, possibly only, reason I’ve been able to do this is Elance.

Elance.com is an online project board where buyers o services can post requests or bids, receive bids rom

the global services talent pool, and have access to key inormation rom the bidders to make the right

selection. Between them, Elance and its primary competitor, Guru.com, have taken over the online services

brokerage market. Even though there are other boards, none o them have anywhere near the same musclepower o these two.

With Elance, I can keep my sales pipeline ull all the time. I can post more bids in an hour than I used to do

in a month. And because Elance has a secure nancial transaction eature, I can work or clients all over the

world and get paid via credit card through the service.

Elance charges me a ee or the privilege o bidding on the projects it oers, and also a commission or every

job I get awarded. In essence, they are my sales sta, and I don’t begrudge a penny that I pay to get access to

clients that I would never encounter without them.

Though my client list now includes companies that don’t use Elance, every single one o them is no more

than three degrees removed rom the online board. Clients that came rom Elance have reerred me on to

their associates, and some have become strategic partners.

With Elance, I can

keep my sales pipe-

line ull all the time.




16. A home-based service business can log more billable time,

which more than ofsets its lower rates.

To repeat points previously made, virtual jobs don’t require anywhere near the same amount o time to

procure, can be won without traveling, and don’t require changing out o my sweatpants. And I can bid on

more virtual jobs in an hour than I ever can with live business development.

Because I spend more time at the keyboard than driving around town, I can log more billable hours in a work

week with virtual work. With savings on the expense side and additional time on the billing card, the lower

virtual rate at least equals (i not exceeds) the on-the-street rate when it gets to the bottom o my prot/loss

statement.

I can log more

billable hours in a

work week with

virtual work.




17. A home-based service business allows an

“anytime/anywhere” workow that opens

up schedules and allows exibility in the work day.

“Have WiFi, will travel,” has become my motto. Because o the way my personal lie is set up, I need to be able

to do business rom the house, rom our boat in the marina, and rom our RV. And because I love to travel, I

want to be able to work anywhere I go so that I’m not trading revenue or time o.

I went to London last year on a business/pleasure trip. During the week when I wasn’t in meetings, I holed up

at the Starbucks near my hotel and worked on projects. My clients didn’t even know I was out o the country!

Last year I spent St. Patrick’s Day at a local pub with ree WiFi. While I worked on delivering on the day’sdeadlines, I listened to Irish music, soaked up the party atmosphere, and generally enjoyed mysel. And once

the deadlines were met, I treated mysel to a pint o Guinness!

And I’m writing these particular words rom King Mountain Ranch in the Arapaho National Forest in

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. I highly recommend it as a working vacation!

The internet, and especially the wireless version o it, allows a home-based business owner to do their work

anywhere and anytime, which lets them schedule around other parts o their lives without losing a beat. I

have a virtual ax service that lets me send and receive axes online, and there’s always Skype or the phonecalls that my cell phone can’t make.

With my WiFi-enabled laptop computer and my cell phone, I am a walking oce, and my clients can reach

me no matter where I am. I have more reedom to build my schedule and manage my time than I’ve ever had

beore. It’s great!

The internet allows

a home-based

business owner to

do their work any-where and anytime.




18. A home-based service business owner can honor priorities

and goals rom other aspects o their lie without adversely

impacting revenues.

That “anywhere, any time” aspect o home-based business ownership makes is possible to balance the

personal and proessional sides o lie.

• Ahome-basedservicebusinessistailormadeformotherswhoareathometakingcareoftheir

amilies and who want to stay in (or re-enter) the business world.

• Itisagreatoptionforsomeonewhohasweariedofcorporatelifeandwantstodrivetheirown

ortunes without spending all their savings to get going.

• Itisperfectforsomeonelikeme,whoistoorestlesstostayinoneplaceforlongbutunabletojust

take o or days on end without attending to business.

A home-based service business will let you enjoy your kids and all their activities. It accommodates the need

to care or elderly parents. It adapts to any liestyle, all without sacricing revenues.A home-based

service business

adapts to any

liestyle, all withoutsacricing revenues.




19. Success in sweatpants ofers an unprecedented level o

personal and proessional reedom.

Owning a home-based service business spells F-R-E-E-D-O-M: Freedom to pursue your own goals, reedom

to grow your own venture, reedom to construct your lie exactly the way you want it.

I could not achieve reedom when I worked or someone else, and I’m betting you’ve ound the same to be

true or you. It is one o the reasons I started 4R Marketing. And it is why I now coach other home-based

service businesses under the Success in Sweatpants banner.

Buying home-based services also spells reedom: Freedom to select rom a global pool o qualied talent

and reedom to get the best value or your money.

And, really that’s it. It’s all about reedom—no excuses!

I could not achieve

reedom when I

worked or

someone else.




These theses make the case or the home-based service business, but they don’t get into the nuts and bolts

o building and operating a thriving company, nor the ins and outs o selecting a home-based serviceprovider with condence.

I you want more insight into how to build a 6-gure home-based service business, or how to take

advantage o the home-based service market as a buyer, I can help.

Success in Sweatpants is my coaching practice, ocused entirely on home-based service business owners.

I oer one-on-one coaching services, along with sel-study and group courses. As a certied Book Yoursel

Solid® coach, I base my services on the Book Yoursel Solid system or marketing and selling, the system I

used to book 4R Marketing solid. It’s a simple and ecient method to get clear on your business and get themost rom your marketing activities.

4R Marketing is going strong. Today, my services align with my coaching practice, and I help clients with

whatever they need to get their marketing in gear, whether it’s simply writing their web site copy or all the

way to planning and implementing a marketing strategy that works. I you need online, ofine, or social

marketing assistance, let me know!

As the “bert” part o Swimbert, a marketing joint venture, my associate Karen Swim and I create websites

that work. Using the Wordpress platorm, we build out a site that a home-based service business ownerneeds to connect and engage with their target market, then turn it over to them to sel-manage. Our

packages are designed to be cost-eective and marketing-eective. I oer a ree 20-minute website

assessment, so i you want some input on your site, let me know!

Speaking o Swimbert, Karen and I are sponsors o No Guru Zone, which endorses coaches and consultants

who take a real-world, walkin’ the talk approach with their clients. We also host a BlogTalkRadio show o the

same name.

I you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear rom you. You can reach me at

[email protected], on Twitter @trishlambert, and on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Where to rom Here...

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