by Erinn Soule

Created on: January 25, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

I ran across this topic and just couldn't resist! Over the past 5 years I have been in a boxing match with my business. Just when I get ready to put a bullet in it, it bats it's pretty eyelashes at me and I have to go another round. In 2003 I was determined to become a songwriter and figured if I launched a website that would attract Musicians from all over, I would be in business. There was one little problem, how many Musicians do you know that actually have money? Not many. So it was a long lonely road for me to walk with a pen and paper in one hand and business cards in the other. I did however keep telling myself that I was only doing it for the love of it and not for the money.

Well in 2005 I fell out of love and decided it was time to grab this bull by the horns and so i did! I turned my once fiery passion for writing music into writing BIOS for band's, promoting the next big garage band and pushing them out into the clubs to be promoted and heard, I was a real hero! A strong chick with a passion for Indie music I was and better yet, I fell in love again. Then on one cold windy night, my phone rings and it is a Musician, one that I had been working with, he says to me, "Erin I need you to make six press kit's for me and mail them to this guy at Rhino Records, by this weekend." Well, that does not seem to hard right? Wrong. Let me remind you, I did this for the love remember? I had no money coming in, no ink in the printer and no thank you at the other end of that phone! I was out of love once again. I also swore i would never do this again. Just like a battered woman who swears she will never go back to that man again, but we all know the ending to that one now, don't we?

2007 was definitely going to be better, I just knew it. No more love though, just one night stands with Mr. Business Sense, well I must admit that by now I was starting to get the hang of how it works in this Industry...Everyone walks all over you and if you turn your back for even one second, they rip you off blind! I was left once again picking up the pieces of what I thought resembled my life long dream, but in reality it was just my business, failing business. Now before you start to feel bad for me, I have given birth to a new baby this year and this time I am jumping in hopeful yet cautious. ONE YEAR is all I am going to do, if it does not start walking on it's own, it can bat it's lashes at me all it wants, it will be time to quit.

So when is it time to close your home business? You'll know. But stay aware of everything you have learned along the way as it may be useful for your next big idea.

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