It's true that most people are busy, but extra time for some sort of home-based extra income-producing project can almost always be found. It may mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite pastimes - such as having a couple of beers with guys or watching TV - but if you score big with your extra income project, you will have all time you want for doing whatever you want to do.

The first thing to do is to sit down with pencil and paper and list your daily schedule. What time do you wake up? Then step-by-step, list everything you do each day. Most people will find that they have about three hours each day that can be utilized in a more constructive or efficient manner. As we've noted above, you may have to give up time you waste in your local pub or a few television programs you watch, but it will be worth it in long run.

Efficient time management boils down to planning what you're going to do, and then doing it without backtracking. Start by making a list of things you want to do tomorrow, each evening before you go to bed. Schedule your trips to store or

wherever to coincide with other things you have to do, and with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care of as many things as possible while you're out of house. Take stock of time you spend standing around shooting breeze - especially time you spend on telephone - and eliminate all that isn't necessary.

Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time to do them, and a specific amount of time to devote to them. For instance, just one hour a day devoted to yard work would probably make your property envy of all your neighbors. Don't try to do a week's work in one big flurry. Whether it's painting your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and trimming your shrubs, do a part of it, or one particular job each day, and you'll be amazed at your progress.

Take care of all your mail day you receive it. Don't let those bills and letters pile up on you. If you're unable to pay a bill immediately, file it in a special place that's visible, and note on envelope date you intend to pay it. Answer your letters same day you get them.

Most entrepreneurs first write their business plan and then develop their services or products. This causes them to generate and fulfill a marketing plan that requires them to swim upstream using backstroke. To save stress, consider placing business plan on hold until first completing a few customer surveys. Okay, some of you are saying, "Catherine, how can you do a survey before you know who your market is?" Yes, this is one challenging double edge sword, that is, if you're mindset is set there.

Over years, I've found that everyone I've worked with generally knew what he or she wanted to sell. I don't believe you are any different. This is perfect place to start. You have a clean slate to write on. You might be at a place of seeing it in nonspecific terms with measurable doubts as well. That is okay, doubts will always be there, thus, allow them to be your friend instead of a foe. It’s easy to start with a gender preference -- choosing either women or men as having a higher purchasing balance for what you are selling. If you don't have a majority gender in mind, choose one you feel most comfortable talking with or asking questions to.

Let’s dive in a little deeper, its time to start thinking about your surveys and what to ask. Okay, don't fade out on me now. Generally, when people think of surveys, they visualize or experience sensations of long drawn out processes that cost more money then they can afford or time that they don't have patience for. Boy, do I remember those days of thinking.

Let’s play together on this concept of taking surveys before writing your business plan. At least, allow old perceptions to sit outside your door until you've finished reading this article and learning of a new possible alternative perspective. The perspective that surveys come first and don't need to be time-consuming, money-hungry, must be done by professionals, mongrels.

Take area you want to focus on, combine with your gender preference, and begin there. For instance, if your area is life coaching and you feel more comfortable with working with women you have a starting point. This doesn't mean you will never coach men, set those thoughts aside; they will block your progress and keep you stuck.

From knowing just this basic information, you can now create a few simple surveys in no time at all that don't require any money. Even if you know more specifics about your buyers, you might want to back it up to this point if you are stuck in generating questions. To generate this survey plan you don't need to know whether your focus is for a product or service, or even if its for electronic, telephone, or in-person delivery, at this time.

The first question you want to generate and ask is what your gender wants to buy next. If asked in narrow terms, they will answer. If asked too broadly, they will respond with "don't know." If latter, rewrite question more specifically, then ask again. Whenever I start, I sometimes have to revamp my questions five or six times. Just an FYI, to help you understand that even experts refine as they go. Surveying is an evolutionary process.

A second survey question is for people who have purchased from you in past. What are looking for next? What do they want to accomplish in next few months or whatever future terms they desire to talk about?