When you think of term creative endeavor, does launching or running a business come to mind? To most creative people, business is antithesis of creativity. Yet slowly, ever so slowly, nature of business is changing. The need for innovation in business is gradually overtaking need for control as resource that makes difference between success and failure.

Really? But isn't business essentially about control? Controlling resources and controlling people? Yes, but business is also about innovation and communication, both of which live at heart of creativity.

There are two reasons why I believe creativity will become increasingly valued in business. Control is certainly critical in business, both resources and people need to be managed carefully. But control is easier to teach than innovation. Given an equal need for both innovation and control, control is easier skill or talent to find and implement. Thus innovation rises in value because it's more difficult to find and utilize effectively.

Are innovation and control equal needs? They certainly haven't been in past. Control has been leading force in business since beginning of industrial age. That age has ended however, and we now live in an service-based information world of commerce. This means resource that needs to be controlled is more likely to be information rather than, say, coal. Information can be managed easily across electronic wiring and storage media. That means important work of business will be creating and disseminating information, and that requires a creative mind.

Here are 10 points that one should keep in mind when trying to generate income from an online home based business.

1. Customer need

Find out who is your hot target market. And promote them your products or services. But promote products or services that they need or want. There is an easy strategy that you can use, to find out what your market wants. The idea is to visit as many discussion groups or forums. Select forums that your hot target group visits. Check-up what is being asked all time. Another idea , would be to read best seller list. This too is an excellent way to find out what people want and need. Below are a few Discussion Forums that you can visit: http://www.bizweb2000.com/wwwboard http://www.ablake.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi http://www.primeprofits.com/wwwboard http://www.free-publicity.com/cgi-bin alk.cgi

2. Headlines

Let me ask you a question. When reading newspaper or browsing through books, what do you read first especially when you are in a hurry. You guess it right, headlines. Do you know that your online visitor is also in a hurry? In many countries they have to pay high rates for their Internet connections. And when they reach your website, they will look for what attracts them. And if your headline on your website or ezine is compelling, they will stop to read further. To read some famous headlines , check out : http://www.global-ibiz.com/extra/headlines.htm

3. Keep Visitor / Reader focused

All of us at times have tendency to focus on ourselves. Our minds dwells on, what we want to say, what prospect would think about us, what we are going to have for lunch etc etc. The hard fact is that, your online visitor is not interested in anything that does not benefit him/her. Your prospect has many things on his/her mind too. For instance he/she has fears, weakness, concerns, needs.Remember all these when trying to promote your products.

4. Dealing with a Real Person

We are not dealing with computers or gigabytes. You and I are real people using Internet as a vehicle to relate, discuss, improve and if opportunity arises , to even sell our products and services online. For anyone who has been sincere all their lives offline, don't change, be same person online. Online or offline Golden Rule still applies. With some exceptions, treat people way you would like them to treat you.

5. Your visitors need to be reminded