I’m starting an events business from home. How can I get people to take me seriously?

I’m starting an events business for mothers and their children and decided to base it from home. People keep saying that this is just a sideline, that I’m doing it as a hobby, but it’s not, it’s a serious full-time business that I want to grow quickly. Can I ever get people to take me seriously?

Think of the people who do not respect your capacity to run a successful business as jealous suitors for your time and as a potential source of viral advertising.

As I note in my book, There’s No Workplace Like Home, I was often asked to justify running a home-based business with the question: “What did you do when you had a job, before you gave up work?”

You have done your homework, found that working mums need quality events that add value to the lives of their kids in the same way as stay-at-home mums need the support of an events manager like yourself in order to retain their sanity and shared enjoyment with their children.

There are three ways to get them to take you seriously.

1. Invite them to assist you in promoting the business by joining a focus group of other supporters who are helping you expand the business

2. Encourage them to consider what business they could start-up or support that would link-up with your business for mutual benefit.

3. Get testimonials from your customers and write stories for local media that help build your brand identity.

All of these measures invite a wider appreciation of the serious intent of your business venture and absorb their fears for you (best case) or jealousy of your newfound freedom and achievements (worst case). Either way you need to concentrate on your planning to live more of your life and leave others to learn the secrets of your home-based business success story.