Weeks go by and you are still stalking your boss, waiting for the opportunity to get that promotion in the bag. Working overtime, volunteering to show the newbie around and still the guy in the suit confuses you with the postman. Exactly why are you still waiting for big break to come to you?

Every minute we process thousands of thoughts, your money maker is one of them. All services and products that exist have generated from a single though of an average person. No qualification or luck comes in to it, we are all capable of something incredible!

Now most of the UK population consists of small businesses started by no other people like you and are successful. You could be one of those people all you have to do is ask yourself is can I do it better or even have I got a brand new idea. If you think its all rocket science from there you are wrong. Research is the key to success in this part. You need to use as many sources as possible and listen to everyone's opinion, even your mum's.

At present there are many national businesses that provide advice and training courses free of charge. Shell-Livewire and Business link can provide you with everything you need weather you want to start an online shop or your own factory, there's even some funding available. With this in hand even a monkey can run a business.

Don't hang around hoping for that promotion that earns you a gold nametag, when you can give out your own. You have all it takes but are you willing to take it all?

If you're considering a career in pet sitting, then you're not alone. Many people dream about a career in which they get paid to feed pets, walk dogs and keep cats company while their owners are on vacation. But few people realize, until they've attempted the job, that pet sitting comes with its own set of challenges.

When you're a pet sitter, you assume full responsibility for your pet while the owner is away. If the dog breaks loose from the back yard, you're the one spending the day finding it. If they cat tears up the new sofa in a jealous rage, you're the one picking up the shredded pieces of cotton from around the house. If the pet python escapes from its well-protected cage, you, the pet sitter, are obliged to find it…before it finds the cat.

Here are some tips for becoming an effective pet sitter.

1. Market your services as a pet sitter. Make flyers announcing your new pet sitting business for all of your neighbors. Have referral ready and offer to submit to a background check. After all, you will be entrusted with many peoples' most prized possessions.
2. Become familiar with different types of pets. As an experienced pet sitter, you will be expected to know the difference in breeds. Hey! Any experienced pet sitter can distinguish between an Italian Greyhound and a Dachshund.
3. Offer perks to retain clients. As a customer-service oriented pet sitter, it's important to offer perks to your clients to keep them coming back to you, and not the cheap 10-year old down the street putting away money “for his college fund.” While your clients are away, tidy their houses, water their plants, collect their mail and … if you feel so inclined, wash their car.
4. Let them know how their pet did while they were away. Any good pet sitter will have a full pet report available for the owners upon their return. Stick the report under a vase of freshly picked flowers next to a plate of cookies. These perks are cheap and simple, but make all the difference to a couple just returning from a long trip. They will think their pet sitter is just the finest concierge on Earth if you treat them like royalty.
5. Follow up. After you clients have returned and settled back into their post-vacation routine, give them a call or drop by with a thank you card. Ask them how Rufus has been doing since they returned and reiterate your appreciation for the work. The trick to being a great pet sitter is contact with the client. Make sure each contact you have is excellent.

Use these few tips to go out and establish a one-of-a-kind pet sitting business. The best marketing you can do for your pet-sitting business is word of mouth, so exceed all expectations - and do it with a smile and a broom.

• I started a home improvement referral business during my years as a real estate agent. Most of the home I was selling were older, so many of my clients asked me for referrals for home improvement contractors, such as electricians and carpenters. It was as if the more buyers I had, the more home improvement referrals I was making. I started keeping a Rolodex and handing out cards and numbers. Now, I have a nice color-copy sheet printed of some of the best home improvement specialists on the market. I have everything from tile-layers to landscapers and designers. For all of my buyers, I include the list in a welcome package with a fruit basket for when they move into their homes. It's gotten so popular in my town that home improvement specialists are actually advertising with me to be on my sheet! It's not a real moneymaker for me, but it's a way to help other home improvement businesses get going with my referrals. I love it!
• My wife and I have been doing Web sites for a number of years now. When we were remodeling our home, we discovered that it was nearly impossible to find good labor in our town. Everyone was either busy or sloppy or what. So we started a home improvement referral Web site. Contractors can sign up to have a profile on the Website and then people who need work done can request a bid for the project - kind of like eBay, but locally. The referral business really took off. We enjoy being able to connect home improvement contractors with those who need their help. The cool part is that clients of the contractor can leave feedback and either refer them to others or let them know if there was a problem with the work. It's great!
• I'm an interior designer with a small 5-man shop. One of my employees has always done a great job of keeping names of contractors that she's worked with so that she can refer them to our clients. It was her idea to make a portfolio book of different kinds of contractors in town so that people can flip through and see what's available. Now, people who aren't even our clients come into our office to see the book because they know that we have items for just about everyone in town who does just about everything. We've essentially opened up a new branch of the design business to make it a home improvement referral business, which is really actually quite cool.

If you are considering starting your own work-at-home business, don't be taken in by one of the many work-at-home scams on the market. Here are three easy tips to help you avoid the work-at-home scams:

1. Do your research. Chances are: if there is a work-at-home scam on the market, someone somewhere has written about it. Begin with a simple Google search into a particular work-at-home business opportunity. Take the time to read the blogs, forums and chat rooms to find out what other work-at-home business owners are saying. Without a doubt, you will find viable information that will help you in your research available online.
2. Be realistic. Even though technology makes doing business easier, it does not make it so easy that you don't have to work to make money. Many work-at-home businesses promise that you will make $100/hour for clicking around on the Internet or for sending emails. Again, don't believe what you're told. Many promises for quick money are dead-ends marketing schemes from large companies that use your entrepreneurial spirit to their own advantage by having you increase traffic to their Web sites with each click. Again, with all scams, do your research in and out before committing.
3. Hold onto your money. While it's true that all businesses require some start-up capital to get the business going, many work-at-home scams begin with the new business owner being required to pay a subscription or up-front cost for an “informative” manual or email newsletter with job opportunities. These are merely schemes that you need to be aware of. No matter what business you're in - ask yourself why someone would want to invest in your product or service and why you should invest in someone else's product or service.

There is a simple tendency for new business owners to gravitate to the nearest “authority” and pay their dues no matter what the cost. After all, you're new to the business and still need to learn the ropes in the foreign work-at-home land. But play it smart: do your research, be realistic and hold onto your money. If you have a truly valuable product or service, your business will reap the results of your hard work - even if that hard work takes time.

Keep in mind that the majority of businesses are not profitable in the first year. Most are not even profitable for the first three years. Use this time to build momentum and settle into your routine as a work-at-home business owner. If you're cut out for the work-at-home business, then you will have patience and perseverance to follow these tips and continue to refine your business until you're self-sustaining and fully independent.

Here are some tips to help you become a professional speaker:

1. Establish your business. The single mistake most small business owners make is not becoming a recognized legal entity. Unless you register your name and business with the city and State Corporation Committee, you will run into problems with the IRS. Even professional speakers need to become a legally recognized entity before they can begin their business.
2. Once you have established yourself in the eyes of the IRS, you can start marketing your professional speaking services. Start with your local Chamber of Commerce.

Once you become a member, you will have access to the membership database, usually of thousands of members. Most Chambers also send out email newsletters. Make an announcement about your services as a professional speaker or announce that you have just opened your business. It can be surprising how many people read the emails and how many people are in need of a professional speaker.

1. Establish your Web site and market your services there. Next to your local constituents, the majority of your marketing budget should be dedicated to your Web site - as this will reach the national and international employees interested in obtaining the services of a professional speaker. Become the market shareholder. Offer tips and guidelines about being a professional speaker. The more information you offer, the more of an expert you will become in the eyes of the public, which means the higher rates you can request for your public speaking engagements.
2. Become an industry expert. Study a particular topic or develop a series of speeches around a topic that you are already an expert in. If you're an artist, then become an expert on garnishing creativity. If you're a scientist, then develop a series of professional presentations on how science relates to business or team building. Once you have established a set of key articles around a key topic, you will become the recognized expert in that area of study. It's amazing how much word of mouth can spread amongst members of similar organizations. Before long, if you play your specialization card right, you will become a recognized go-to person for all organizations of a particular type.

The most important thing to remember while developing your career as a professional speaker is always follow-up with people you've met. You never know when the man in the checkout line next to you will be in need of a speaker of the upcoming company picnic.

As a speaker more than most other professions, your personal persona is what sells you. When in public, that persona has to always be on. Remember: you must show interest in your topic that extends beyond the office in order to be credible and affective.

As always, good luck with your new venture!

Congratulations, you have now accomplished a life long dream and everything is perfect. Or it is?

The one area that is most often overlooked when starting your own business is the personal sacrifice and commitment that is required by both yourself and your family. Do you really stop to consider just how much time away from home would be required? Did you stop to consider your health and whether or not your body would be able to physically handle all the additional stresses that come with your own business?

As a business owner myself for the past two years, I realized one day that the personal side of things was one aspect that I did not consider. I have seen my wife and kids a lot less in the past two years and my health has deteriorated greatly as the financial stresses of my business have begun to mount.

When I look back at my situation, I realize that I rushed into things without really taking my family into account. It was a huge mistake but fortunately I have been blessed with a very patient and understanding wife.

If you are about to enter your Self Employed dreams and are just days away from that big Grand Opening, or just considering starting your own business, make sure that you have a Family Plan, in addition to your business plan.

Businesses come and go, the same can not be necessarily said for your family and health.