Warning – this is an uncharacteristically pessimistic post. Apologies in advance for not being positive all the time.
Lately, I have been extremely frustrated with how my business is going. I’ve been working my tail off to break out of a growth plateau – which so far hasn’t come to fruition.
I just don’t get it.
I started this site as the anti-home-business-scam site. I hate, hate, HATE the huge number of sites out there that prey on people who want to work at home. I set out to be the opposite – to be one place people could go to get free, trusted information on how to grow a real business from home.
I have run my business in such an ethical manner that I think it has slowed our growth. I could game Digg or other social media sites easily. I don’t. I could steal content from other websites. I don’t. I could have a slimy privacy policy and sell my mailing lists. I don’t. And of course, I could sell ads for scammy marketing systems. I don’t – to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars turned away from these people.
Revenue has remained flat – yet my expenses have gone up. I started SparkplugU to compensate for this and also to diversify our income sources – yet registrations have been disappointingly low compared to what I expected (which, to be fair, were very high expectations).
When I look at the sites and marketers doing everything I refuse to do, and I see how much money they are making, I just have to stop and wonder.
Maybe people who want to work at home don’t want the truth about how much work it takes to start up a business?
Maybe these people want to be scammed in some twisted sort of way?!
Maybe the idea of getting rich quick is more important and valuable to them than the truth?
I mean, I could create SHIT to sell. I could fill up SparkplugU classes with reworked blog posts and charge a small fortune. I don’t. I am charging way less than the classes are worth because I want them to be accessible to large numbers of people – large numbers that AREN’T buying my product, but ARE buying the Reverse Funnel Ponzi Scheme System.
Again, I just don’t get it. And it’s been wearing on me – on my faith in myself, in god, and in everything I thought I stood for. I am starting to feel like a hypocrite. I have a damn powerful website that is benefiting hundreds of thousands of people – except for me. I’m stressing out, losing sleep, and beginning to wonder if people really, truly want what we are offering :: a way to get rich slowly the hard way.
I feel like I am doing everything I tell all of you not to do. I’m being hard on myself, asking myself terrible questions, and giving in to my inner bullshit. I see that.
I’m sorry for being so human. Sometimes I wish I was that super-being that some of you think I am. I’m not.
You signed up for the real truth on what it’s like to run a business. Well, here’s the real scoop :: some days are euphoric. Some days SUCK and you will want to quit.
I am debating whether or not to publish this post. I’ve always stood for positivity and empowerment on this site, vehemently refusing to publish negative stuff and bullshit. But I’m beginning to see the extraordinary level of perseverence it takes to succeed – and realizing that maybe entrepreneurship isn’t the best avenue for everyone. Know what you’re signing up for before you start. Because you will have days like today.
Rereading this, I can see that I am blaming myself for some things that I may not be to blame for. I’m really, really good at that. But I’ll leave the post as-is – because even though I’m already feeling a bit better now that I have written it, I do think that it is important to show how you can back yourself into a corner – AND that you will have to find a way out of that corner if you are to continue to move on.
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Sparkplugging Founder Wendy Piersall is dang passionate about helping people start & grow a business while maintaining life balance (somehow). 
Easton Ellsworth is owner of 
Wendy–I’m a successful WAHM who also started a business. And when I see women looking for ways to make money from home, I always am happy to dispense some FREE advice. I ask them to let me know more about their training, talents, interests and goals–but you know what tiny percentage actually respond?
Yes, a lot of people are just looking to get rich quick. They don’t want to hear about self-reflection or evaluation or hard work.
But I think your site is a wonderful resource for those who want some real advice. I hope your profits will rise soon.
Candace (Mama Luxe)s last blog post..Hey, Come Out And Play!
Wendy, I didn’t find this post pessimistic at all. You have built your business on truth and this post represents your values and integrity. You know what sometimes being an entrepreneur does suck, in fact sometimes life just plain sucks. Those days, moments or even seasons are not the sum total of who we are but the reality that are human. As for the business stuff I don’t see your competitors as those ahem other work at home “businesses.” Your customers are not chasing riches but a lifestyle that fulfills them. You and they will connect, of this I am certain.
Karen Swims last blog post..Hitting the Pause Button
We all run into walls and wonder if it is worth it. The real issue is how to get out of the rut.
I’d go find a white board some place and ask yourself these three questions:
1. What is working?
2. What could be better?
3. What are the next three things I can do to improve what could be better?
Then do some tweaks.
All channeled via David Bullock and Christine Kane. It works.
And stick to your principles. This is precisely the time to stick with your principles because if you don’t do it now they won’t be worth anything. Especially since you’ve got the right ones.
Wendy,
You’re not alone, there are times when I felt the same way too.
You have to understand one thing. People do want to work from home. They do want to break free from their mundane 9-to-5 jobs. But many are more interested in doing some other things from home. Affiliate marketing is one of them.
Their lack of interest in doing real work or business from home worries me. I sense that all those Clickbank eBooks are giving them some wrong impressions about gaining financial freedom from internet marketing etc. You know those eBooks, they made everything sounds so easy and many believed them. That’s not good.
You should continue to educate the public. Let them know the truth about everything.
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Wendy – I’m sorry to hear you’ve been frustrated lately! But I appreciate the honesty!
Maybe once the economy starts doing a little better it will help?
I wish I could offer some advice that would help – but I’m still trying hard to get somewhere near where you are now.
Which reminds me – I need to sign up for one of those classes!
Hey Wendy,
Just remember, you are who you are and you really HELP some of us who need that help.
Thanks.
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I just stumbled across your site today…for the very first time. I found this post to be very honest and I really do appreciate that. Your post reflects how all of us feel about life from time to time. It’s not always happy and wonderful.
I was recently laid off again and have decided to start a blog to help people like myself. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m not afraid of the work. I really want to help other people realize life is not perfect…
Wendy,
In your post your apologize for being “so human”. I actually want to acknowledge and applaud you for being willing to embrace your humanity in front of your readers. You provide a wonderful example which then gives all of us the permission to be human as well.
A good venting session is often what we need in order to really process and honor our feelings, especially the more challenging ones. And after venting, I know it always helps me to ask myself the question, “And what am I committed to?” This enables me to refocus back on the bigger picture of my purpose and know that the present challenge is another learning opportunity in my journey.
Since discovering Sparkplugging.com, I have gained much value and look forward to continuing to gain and offer support to and from others in this unique community you have created!
Thank you for leading the way for so many.
In gratitude,
Amy
On Twitter @amymiyamoto
When I started reading your post I thought “Boy, there are going to be a zillion comments on this one.” Only eight so far – nine counting mine. Just last night I got a message from an acquaintance, inviting me to listen to a recorded message about the latest million$ scam – er, opportunity. I’m sure there were a lot of people on that call, but I wasn’t one of them. If we don’t leave this life with our integrity intact, what was it worth, anyway?
Sending you a virtual hug!
Kudos to being brutally honest about working at home. So many people think it is a “piece of cake” and we just make money hand over fist w/o really doing anything. I’ve never worked harder in my life than I do now, and some days do just suck.
But hang in there, it will turn around. My first thought was maybe enrollments will increase once school starts? I know I don’t have time for anything extra right now….and maybe that is the case with other people who have kids home for the summer.
Be proud of what you are doing and how you are doing it.
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Wendy, I was just saying to another friend the other day that it seems some people’s goals are just to make enough money using questionable methods, and make sure they have enough money to pay the lawyers once they get sued for those practices, and to have money left over after paying the lawyer. It would be painful for you though, if you do do unethical things though. A part of you will be strongly resisting it, and your mind won’t be fully in it. You will not get anywhere that way. Those things will work for some people, but for you? Nah.
Rant on. If it’s all very real, people will resonate with you. “Waiter Rant” just became the most recent best-seller!
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Wendy, thank you so much for being so up-front and honest. Your work does not go unnoticed – I hope that you get a boost real soon.
Wendy, My problem with the courses, and possibly for others as well, is so far they are all teleconferences. Teleconferences are not feasible for me. Maybe in the future you could offer an alternative format? But the cost was definitely reasonable.
Thanks for your comments and support everyone! I’ve been feeling better since I let this all out – but honestly, I have a long way to go… which is fine for today.
@Deb, where did you get the impression that all of the courses are teleconferences? Most of our courses are run via an online conference room – I obviously need to make that clearer somehow if you got the wrong impression. Thanks for your feedback – it was very needed and appreciated!
I’m so glad you posted this Wendy. There are days that I feel like chucking it all and going back to the office. It’s good to know that it’s not just me that gets discouraged and filled with self doubt. It’s a scary place and one where I often find myself planning for failure. I don’t know how I get myself out of that funk except to just keep plugging away and recognizing each small victory as a blessing. Again – thanks for posting this. It helps me tremendously to know that I am not alone.
As for the comment about teleconferences – I was confused about that at first too. I was wondering how I would be able to be in on a conference call with a 4 year running around in the office. I was relieved to see that the courses are web based.
AND FYI – I have only taken one course so far but I loved EVERY minute of it and I truly learned a great deal in a very short period of time.
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Wendy,
How about a big virtual high-five on this post.
You kick a$$ and your site holds the truth.
Before I quit my job I was a commodity broker for 7 years. I helped people speculate (bet) on things like gold and oil. The biggest lesson I learned about people is… YES a majority do want to be lied to when it comes to making money. That is why they are broke and looking for advice. The dream of being the 1 in a 1,000 that make it big overnight is more important than actually making money. Why do you think so many people play the lottery?
All that being said there are people who want the truth and are willing to do the work and I think most of your loyal readers fall into this category.
Stop letting the bums get you down.
Wendy,
At some point anyone who is committed to Doing it Right is going to realize that to some extent it’s a competitive disadvantage compared to doing whatever it takes to make a dollar – Because it is. But only if money is the only goal.
Doing it Right is it’s own reward, but you know that. I bet you would rather be remembered for doing it right than for making a lot of money.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels like this. Even though my business is nowhere nearly as successful as yours, I have those same thoughts.
I really do admire you and your work. If someone were to ask me my top 3 inspirational people when it came to starting my business, you would be one of them.
Aprils last blog post..Make networking work for you
@Wendy – I see your point about other areas having courses in other formats. So it’s just the particular courses I had been interested in that are via teleconference. Fair enough.
There’s a saying that goes something like ‘those that learn about entrepreneurship avoid it’… you’re doing great, and you’re changing lives. Every day IS a roller-coaster, but compare it to a placid existence that SEEMS like its ideal, and I bet you’ll soon be bored, craving the very challenges that plague you today. I admire you for posting this, and I know you’ll simply regroup and fight on.
What you’ve done Wendy is showed the reality to people of what this web based/Internet/Coaching/etc. lifestyle is like. The guru emails make believe this is easy, “Just follow the system”. While that’s true to a certain extent, when you have unique and fresh content, in a specific niche (a niche that’s not “making millions through Internet courses”), it’s a challenge to put the whole package together.
We adapted over time and found that people valued our software platform and multimedia services as much or more as the content we were producing in the niche. Ding! Adjustment. Now making money and helping SMB’s stand out/be memorable/be different. (Thought I was doing that in the other niche but…oh well).
Not sure if this helps but it was our opening up to alternative variations of what we were providing that unlocked the interest in our stuff, profit, etc.
Still neophytes but on the rise.
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Wendy, I was surprised to see this post, too. I have admired your efforts and success from afar for the last couple of years. I am in the same quandary, although I don’t feel as if I have ever reached the growth on which to plateau, after five years. Constantly in a state of re-invention and still trying to figure out how to make this pay for itself, much less provide any real income or other benefit with my offline writing.
However, I am also noticing that this is a rough time of year for introspection: With the kids going back to school and all the busy-ness of new schedules and homework and routine and all of that, once I get them all out the door in the morning, I’m here thinking, “Okay, I should be back to something, too…now what?!” And that’s contributing to the angst — let’s give ourselves a week or two (one week per kid? I still have a week to go!) to settle down and re-focus.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, and, honey, look how far you have come!
Happy New (School) Year,
Sherri
Sherri Caldwell – The Rebel Housewifes last blog post..Happily Ever After – Twenty Years
Okay, that CommentLuv thing is COOL — and I went through SparkPlugU courses for September, now that I’m beginning to think about getting ready to settle down and re-focus, and I am signing up for two in September, plus a course ebook — now, where do I find a Coupon code (optional)? Not that I don’t think the $70 is reasonable (for 4 course hours & a book), but I don’t want to miss out on anything!! The courses are offered at great times, by the way, for WAHMs, thank you. I am looking forward to SPU in September!
Live, Love & Laugh,
Sherri
Sherri Caldwell – The Rebel Housewifes last blog post..Happily Ever After – Twenty Years
OK, Sherri, since you asked…
10% off through Sept 9th – so for any of our readers who know us well enough to find this coupon code – it’s yours for the taking!
Enter SPARKPLUGGER at checkout.
ALSO – VERY IMPORTANT:
I have created a survey to help me get past the “I just don’t get it” part of this post. If you have 5 minutes to answer 9 questions, you have a 1 in 100 shot of winning a Nikon CoolPix 8 megapixel camera.
Keeping it real, Wendy. I’ve been doing this for ten years. Most of what you read and therefore “know” from magazines and folks who want to take your money is how wonderful it is. It’s not always wonderful, and it still does beat answering to someone other than yourself, in my opinion. But it sometimes is a very tough slog with a ton of sacrifices. Good post.
As someone who already completed one of your SparkplugU courses (Podcasting Bootcamp), I am very thankful that you are able to get through your pessimistic days and continue doing what you’re doing.
I took the survey but I’d like to add a suggestion. How about creating a screencast of a class, so that people know what to expect. The online conferencing app that you use is pretty slick. I was impressed.
Thanks again, and I’ll be signing up for another class in September.
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I know how frustrating it can be to watch people go for the scams so much more easily than the real opportunities. I had one person a couple months ago email me 3 times asking about opportunities she’d found, and all 3 were essentially the same scam. I think she just saw all the promises and stopped reading every time.
It’s tough going against the instant success crowd. There are so many people out there promising their custom… err, victims, the world that they can’t see that any business takes real effort.
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Thank you for all the hard work you`ve put into this site. It`s been a huge benefit for me and there are some opportunities that have really been amazing (the ads, for one!).
You`re learning one of the lousiest lessons about business, though. The good ones don`t earn the most.:( But I love what you`re doing here, with integrity and I know thousands of other people do, too.
My thought is that maybe you could add some more advanced courses (charging more) or even produce some info products. I know I`d buy an ebook from you on business.
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Hi Wendy, I’m a long time reader but I do believe this is my first comment. I just want to tell you how much I admire your honesty. Thanks for keeping it real!
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God Bless your honesty girl! I recently watched a show where DONALD TRUMP talked about going bankrupt and some of the darker days of entrepeneurship. It was nice to hear that someone I admire has been in my shoes– and I feel the exact same way about this post. I think letting everyone see the good, the bad and the ugly of being a work at home entrepeneur is doing a favor to every person who refuses to be scammed by get rich quick companies. The road can be fun and it can be hard and i’m glad that you’ve taken the time to show both sides of the equation!
That is why we all love you!!! MWAH
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Can’t improve on all the advice here. Just to observe that one of the times I have to bite my tongue is when people I regard as otherwise quite intelligent tell me they signed up with one of the Internet marketing tricksters and are wondering why they aren’t making money. They know what I do but never asked for any guidance. I think it’s sad but it’s the way they’ve chosen.
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Hi Wendy, great to see for once, a blog post that isn’t always cheery and full of promise. Running your own business is hard work, and maintaining integrity whilst doing it, harder still, considering there are so many people out there gaming the system. I read a great post recently by Seth Godin on staying focused..
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/08/the-secret-of-t.html
Well worth a read when feeling in need of a boost.
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Wendy you have come so far and achieved so very much. Everyone has down days, down-and-stinky-dark dog days. If you step back and take a break from pushing yourself you’ll see your amazing growth curve.
I honor how honest you are being in your blog.
Remember to take time to treat yourself kindly.
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Wendy,
Don’t lose your faith. My wife asked me a question last night that might pertain here, so I am going to throw it at you:
“If making money wasn’t important, what business would you be doing?”
I am still working on answering that one…
Please feel free to call or email if you want to talk. I will go take your survey.
Blessings,
George
Georges last blog post..To Make Big Money Selling Online You MUST Have A USP
Hi Wendy
I come across this post a week late, and many people have said things I very much agree with- so I’ll add my personal empathy for your frustration- ugh! That’s so painful to be spending more, but not seeing the business grow to make it easier for you, especially with all the love and care you are pouring into it.
The other thought I want to add is that I’m wondering if you are rejecting certain ways of providing information, some of them fee-based, because certain others have done it without integrity?
In other words, are you throwing the baby out with the bathwater, to use a well-worn cliché?
When I read this paragraph: “I mean, I could create SHIT to sell. I could fill up SparkplugU classes with reworked blog posts and charge a small fortune. I don’t. I am charging way less than the classes are worth because I want them to be accessible to large numbers of people – large numbers that AREN’T buying my product, but ARE buying the Reverse Funnel Ponzi Scheme System.”
I was thinking there is a third way (and a fourth, fifth, and sixth way) that isn’t about charging so little you can’t support yourself easily, and on the other hand isn’t about breaking integrity or scamming people.
As George said above, I’m happy to brainstorm with you sometime, if you’d like.
Because you rock!
Mark Silvers last blog post..I’m a bit of a blogging bozo
When we hit the wall of dissapointment, it can quickly degenerate into discouragement and then despair.
My wife and I run a small food delivery business. We were once full of energy and enjoying the excitement of our new business and the freedom it gave us. That was 5 years ago. But now, there are days when the routine gets to my wife. I find myself reminding her that even as we find ourselves “struggling”, we are still a lot better off than when we were despairing 5 years ago at the possibility of me losing my job.
Somehow, as a home biz owner, your passion can easily turn into a “job” and that’s when you start feeling claustrophobic. I think in a way it has to do with your own personal goals and your internal “threshold” of contentment. The fact that I can work at home, be with my kids, lunch with them and just jump in the kiddie pool with them at 3 in the afternoon is enough for me. Despite the ups and downs of running a home business, I am truly contented.
As for folks preferring the “reverse funnel system”… it’s all about the perception that “making money online” is easy. In fact, most of my friends think I have it easy with my websites. When they ask me how to do it and I tell them that there is work involved, they turn off. People think if they have to work to make money, that’s what their job is for. The internet is for making quick easy money.
Hi Wendy
I can relate to your questioning and frustrations.
I am late commenting on this post as I have only just had access to high speed internet which has enabled me to catch up on my emails. I spend chunks of time each year in the UK (my home is now in Canada) with an elderly mum. This is why I gave up a successful corporate career to work from home or rather – not be location-specific.
As I say, I can relate to your questioning and frustrations. My guess is that these people are not all making shed loads of money – that is just marketing hype. I also bet that a lot of them would not have the track record, qualifications and senior level experience to go get a decent corporate job if the internet and working from home disappeared – you would and I would.
Stick at it teresa – harness the power of Facebook etc but maybe get more into coaching private élite clients at high fees. Sell yourself at a higher price and keep your wonderful blog as a mechanism to get known and build credibility and maybe achieve a level of passive income with it.
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