Usually, quite opposite result is produced.

When running your own business, you often work harder and for longer hours than you would for an employer.

Your perception of being a business owner and reality of it are miles apart. This is why so many entrepreneurs end up feeling out of balance and out of control.

If you are experiencing these same feelings, you are not alone, especially if you are in early years of building your business.

A gap exists between your original expectations and reality of running a home-based business.

It is important to acknowledge your false perceptions and recognize reality of being your own boss.

It is also important to understand that running your own business is one of most rewarding experiences in life, and as long as you are aware of realities and remain committed to create success you seek, you will make it happen.

In order to create breakthroughs for yourself and your business, you need to understand and embrace 8 powerful strategies.

1. Determine Your Values

This cannot be stressed enough. The success of your business will directly relate to honoring your core values.

A great tool to determine your values can be found at www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com/valuesgame.htm

2. Create A Vision

What is it you want to achieve in next six months to a year? Where do you want to be in 5-10 years in your business and personal life?

Write down vision you have for your company and your personal life (5-10 items each). With this done you will be able to set realistic goals and focus your efforts where they are needed.

Beside each item listed, write down what realizing this vision will feel and look like. Every successful entrepreneur will tell you she wrote down her vision and how this practice has contributed to her success.

3. Set Goals

Take a few hours this week to identify and write down three or four key goals necessary to move your business forward.

Include personal goals as well! (These include relationship, physical, emotional, spiritual, family, nutritional, etc.)

Picture yourself at end of this year. It's New Year's Eve and you are looking back on your achievements.

What would you like to have accomplished by then? How will you feel looking back at your amazing accomplishments?

4. Maintain Quality of Life

This is critical to success of your business. If you are burned out, stressed, exhausted, unhappy and imbalanced, your business will suffer.

Play your favorite sport every week, get out with friends, play with your children, attend school functions and dinner engagements, get adequate sleep, eat healthy meals and take your partner on a date.

If your work and personal life are not in balance, you will do yourself, your family, and your business a great disservice.

When you are in balance, you have more energy, you can think more clearly and you can maintain a sharper focus.

When you function in a balanced state, you can accomplish more quality work in 3 hours than you can in 12 hours in an imbalanced state. You will make better decisions and fewer mistakes.

Take mini-vacations. Every time you do, you will come back fresher, sharper and capable of creating amazing breakthroughs in your business.

The little things that set you off before will go unnoticed when you're refreshed. 5. Leverage

If you lack a particular skill, have someone else take on task for you. You don't have to be and do everything.

You may provide a service that is second to none.

BUT …

if you don't have exceptional sales skills, you will lose out on many an opportunity to demonstrate or provide value to anyone.

The most important, yet least developed business skill in many small and home-based business owners is selling.

You may associate selling to undergoing a root canal because of bad experiences you have had with sales people.

Lack of effective sales skills is a major contributor to demise of a business.

The great thing to realize is that selling is a skill. It is not something you are born with. It is a skill that is learned and cultivated.

Do some people seem to be naturals at it? You bet! I am in awe of some people who seem to just learn a technique and after practicing it once, are off to races like they've been doing it for years.

For others, a little more practice and polishing may be required, but in end, they can be just as effective and successful as those who seem to have it mastered right out of gate.

A major block in selling is stereotype of salespeople. When I say, "Salesperson" to you. What immediately comes to mind?

Do you see a fast talker in a bad suit? Is this person arrogant and pushy? Does this person hear a word you're saying or does he/she speak over you? Does this person ignore your questions? Is this person a know-it-all? Will this person not take "No" for an answer? If you raise a concern will this person make you feel stupid?

I had first titled this article, "Key Secrets to Being a Great Salesperson," but recognized that just by using word, "Salesperson," fewer people would read article.

The negative or positive association of a word is powerful!