One of the keys to succeeding in information product creation is to break the process up into discrete steps. This frequently isn’t an instinctive reaction for the typical information marketer. Especially on the internet where small sized learning products are the norm.

However, it is extremely important to your ultimate success. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you don’t do this you probably won’t succeed… even when you are starting out let alone as you move forward.

Your product creation system should do this for you if only to help you to understand the overall task.

But why?

In this article, I’m going to ignore chunking and focus on the practical aspects. That’s not to say that chunking isn’t important. It is. It’s important to understanding and to learning the process. But while you can use the same chunks as you move forward, long term your focus needs to be on the operation of the system not the understanding of it. Unless of course you are constantly training new people!

So why is chunking important to long term use of the product creation process? (Yes, I know systems design uses a different term for this process but I’m not teaching you systems design. So I’m going to use the word learning content designers use.)

The first reason that having individual discrete tasks is important is one of schedule estimation. Frequently it is very difficult to estimate how long the total task of creating a product will take. After all, the size and type of the products matters as does the number of products in your product funnel. And those are just the most obvious elements. However, estimating a discrete task is often much easier. The total can then be estimated as the total of the discrete tasks.

Secondly, scheduling a large task can be problematic. However, by segmenting the task into a number of discrete tasks, you gain a much greater flexibility in scheduling. Not only that but as your business begins to add people you are able to schedule multiple people to the product creation.

Finally, segmenting a large task into smaller discrete tasks allows you to have much better control over the product creation. This affects two different areas — status and quality.

By segmenting your process into discrete tasks you are able to schedule and record the progress at much more detailed level. As a result you are more in control of the status of the product creation. You know what everyone is doing. When they should complete it. And how much it should cost. You also know exactly what has been done.

You also improve your overall quality. Instead of waiting until everything is done you can check quality as you go. This allows you to immediate react to low quality products without absorbing their costs. This means that you have less rework and your rework costs less. And if the product is not going to meet its quality requirement you will know about it in time to stop the development, change the requirement or fix the product.

There are literally thousands of home business opportunities on the internet, with a good proportion of these so called opportunities that are outright scams. Many other home business offers do actually stack up as being legitimate. After reading lengthy sales letters and being offered countless offers the reader would be convinced that this is going to be the program to make him or her break the shackles of poverty and provide a stable income. The truth however is that while many of these programs will work the workload and sheer amount of learning to do can kill the idea. Many will follow the program diligently for 30 days but will see little or zero reward for their efforts and will either quit all together or move to the next and greatest online business program, some will persevere and win, but very few.So what is the answer to finding an easy and affordable home based business opportunity.While there is really no such thing as a totally free at home business, you will have to invest even if its only for a domain name and hosting so you will have some costs. As with any business there are operating costs involved, online business is no different. However you can easily start a home based business on a tight budget. The secret is to re invest your earnings back into growing your business.To Achieve success at a home business you need to focus on three main points.1 You need goals and a detailed and outlined plan of attack2 Realise this is a business, even if it’s part time and requires continuous focus on your plan of attack on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.3. A business requires consistent hard work.The last statement will put many people off. The truth is that if you are to go it alone and the majority of people will, it takes time to get things done, even if you have great tools to help, which they certainly do make things happen faster, you still need to take the time to use and plug information into those tools. To win you will have to work, however with the right advice you will work smarter and earn quicker.Types of Easy home business opportunities.Affiliate marketing. This is the easiest home business to start and the one that has little up front costs. This type of business allows you to build websites on a particular topic and promote other peoples products by where you make a commission on any sales.Google ad sense. Again a very simple home business model. Set up a website on your choice of topic and place Google adds on your site, here you get paid when anyone clicks on your ads. Many marketers are saying this model is no longer profitable, which is great for those of us who are doing it. In fact because of increasing competition the payout for ads is increasing also. Using this model it’s wise to promote products that offer a high cost per click.CPA offers. CPA means cost per action, similar in a way to ad sense except you are generally promoting only one add. You get paid when someone clicks on your add and fills out the advertisers form, the payouts for many CPA offers is very good indeed.The main stumbling blocks to internet home business success.1. Getting overwhelmed! There are so many programs, tools, seminars, books, videos about home business that it’s easy to get stuck and not know what to do next; you just sit there asking what do I do next. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to take on to much.2. Over analysing spending too much time researching programs, books, markets, Focus on one program, one business model, until you have it working.3. Mindset, this is a topic on its own and you need to address it, its going to play a major part in your success. You need to train your mind to believe you will succeed at having a profitable home business.Having an online business for many is the ultimate career, you are able to work the hours you choose, be it day or night, and once you have your systems in place and are earning what you need to earn you can pull back the hours you work and enjoy your life.

Insufficient funding is one of the top reasons why 80% of businesses fail within the first year and a half. As a business owner, not only do you have to cover all operating expenses, but the time and effort needed to succeed means you will almost certainly have to bid farewell to your day job and regular pay checks. Unless you’ve saved up enough to pay for everything for at least 18 months, you will probably have to find other sources of funding.

However, here we encounter another problem. A recent survey cited by the Credit Union Times showed that only about one-fifth of small business owners – incidentally about the same rate of successful businesses – rely on a small business loan. The survey showed that 62% were fearful of taking on a loan and almost one-fourth of respondents think they would not be approved for one. A Harvard Business School working paper by Karen Mills (Administrator of the US Small Business Administration until 2013) showed even more discouraging statistics. Banks continue to apply measures that restrict small business lending since the financial crisis hit, since such loans are generally always riskier than those to large businesses. Loans amounting to $1 million or less – the domain of small businesses – have gone down 21% since 2008. These loans made up half of all bank loans in 1995, but only 30% in 2012.

So what can you do to have a better chance at securing a loan?

As the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.” Given the stricter requirements of banks, you will need to come up with a very convincing plan that shows your business will truly make a profit. Each number presented has to be supported by hard evidence or at least some realistic projections backed by in-depth research. There must also be a clear plan as to where the money will go and how it will influence your business’s success.

Aside from this, your entire personal finances will also be scrutinized, so make sure your taxes, mortgages, credit cards, assets and liabilities, and even your credentials are all spotless and in order.

The bottom line is, if you believe in your business idea and do the necessary due diligence in coming up with a sound budget and business plan, there should be no reason to be denied a small business loan. Otherwise, you may want to reconsider quitting your day job.