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jturnrich's BlogCategory Home Business
by Lesley Spencer, MSc; Founder & President HBWM.com Inc. One of the most common obstacles many home-based working moms face is trying to start or run a new business on a limited budget. The first few years of a business are usually the hardest financially. Some moms leave full-time careers and substantial salaries to start a new business. Others start a home business as stay-at-home moms wanting additional income to support their family as well as a professional outlet to balance their diaper-changing days. In either case, starting and running a home-based business takes money. How much money, will depend partly on you and the type of business you choose to run. Below are our top 10 tips to save you and your home business money: 1. Do your own market research by talking to potential clients or customers. Many new home business owners skip this step only to come back to it later (or wish they had). Those who start businesses without doing any type of research risk the possibility that their target market doesn't need or want their particular product or service. The competition may be too fierce. There may not be enough potential customers to support the business. Or the product isn't priced correctly. It is just as important not to price your product too low as it is not to price it too high. Talk to others in similar businesses as yours to see how much they charge and what they offer for that price. 2. Team up with other non-competitive businesses that target the same market to do some co-marketing. For example, desktop publishers and print shops can do a direct mail campaign together advertising both of their services or buy an ad in a local publication and split the costs. Neither is in competition with the other. They also can hand out business cards or flyers for one another as well as give word-of-mouth referrals. It's a great way to double one's marketing efforts while splitting any advertising costs. 3. When you have a satisfied customer, don't be afraid to ask for referrals. People like to help others especially new businesses trying to succeed. Show pride in your work and people are sure to notice. And when they do, ask if they know any others you can send a brochure or sample to. Another great way to encourage referrals is to offer a discount or special offer for any customers who are referred to you. 4. Barter or trade your services for other products or services you need. Associations and organizations are not only great places to network; they are also great for finding businesses that offer services and products you need. Look for businesses you could help with your product or service and offer to barter or trade for theirs. (Be sure to check with your tax professional for tax issues involving bartering and trading.). Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing(http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com) has found bartering her virtual assisting coaching has allowed her to get web design work done, PR work out, proofing of assignments and much more. It's a win/win for all. 5. Find another home-based working mom to swap babysitting with. All home-based working moms need some dedicated time to work on their business tasks. By swapping with another mom, both can work on their businesses without adding to their childcare costs. 6. When buying new office equipment, go to a place that offers a low-price guarantee. You can save time and money by shopping at places that will refund any difference in price if you find the product cheaper elsewhere. 7. If you are looking for computer equipment, consider buying used equipment. Look in the classifieds and talk to others that may know someone looking to upgrade. Ask for warranty information and make sure the machine is in good working condition. Also take a look at the computer companies offering refurbished machines. Some are priced accordingly and usually come with some type of warranty. 8. Send postcards for direct mail solicitation. They are cheaper to print and less expensive to mail. Another advantage is that they are more likely to be read since they take no effort to open. 9. If you hire sales help, pay by commission only so you only spend money if you make money. A salesperson can increase your sales without adding any up-front fees or salaries. 10. Use pre-printed design papers for letterhead, brochures and business cards if you only need a small amount. The papers can be found at most large office supply stores, and they are great for new businesses trying to get started on a small budget. These money-saving ideas should help with your budget but new business owners also need plenty of drive and determination to succeed. It takes time to develop and grow a business so be patient and give it all you've got! About the Author Lesley Spencer is founder and president of the HBWM.com Network
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If you take a look around the Internet, you'll find hundreds of thousands of people who are looking for an easy home business. But what exactly does EASY mean? The answer depends on who is answering the question! In this article, I'm going to show you six things that easy home businesses have in common - things you should look for when starting a low effort easy home business. Picking a business with these features will greatly increase your chance of success in your business ventures. Here are the six things to look for in an easy home business: 1. A Well-Established Company With A Great Track Record It's no secret that most so-called easy home businesses fail. There are a thousand reasons why, and it would take a business degree to really understand it all, but one thing that easy home businesses share is a great track record. If a company is able to survive and thrive for 4 years, it means they have everything in place to run the business - and that means you can join up and hit the ground running. 2. Popular Products This ties closely with Item 1 - an easy home business must have products that people want! It sounds simple, but many "fast cash" businesses you see being marketed on the Internet have products that you would NEVER buy in a thousand years. Yet they expect you to sell them! By choosing an easy home business that has products that are easy to sell, it makes everything easier. You don't need to twist arms, or deal with a high percentage of product returns. Everthing goes smoothly when people are calling YOU to order! 3. No Large Up-Front Costs This might sound surprising, but CASH is in short supply when you start any easy home business. That's right - every easy home business has this problem. It's important to know that the cost of getting into a business is not your only cost - there are marketing costs to consider, for instance. How will you attract new customers and new sales? You'll need to have business cards, a telephone (try not to use your home phone, just in case your business skyrockets or, Lord fordbid, goes bankrupt), and other expenses. You may need to attend teleconferences, or travel to events, and these costs should be considered BEFORE you jump in to any easy home business with both feet. 4 No Inventory to Maintain We've all seen the easy home business opportunity that lets you get in on their hot opportunity - if you'll fill your garage with products. Those days are gone! In today's environment, easy home businesses do all the product handling for you - they will produce it, package it, ship it, and even bill the customer on your behalf. Your only requirement is to tell them where to send your earnings! Be sure that the easy home business you choose has no inventory requirements. 5. An Easy Way to Attract New Customers A great easy home business is one that has customers coming to YOU. This is achieved by having a system in place that lets customers find you. 6. A Great Marketing System The best easy home businesses come with a fine-tuned marketing system that you can use. This is a system that you can plug into with minimal effort, and see results in a very short timeframe. Things like replicated websites, co-op advertising, and low cost marketing kits are things that indicate a great marketing engine is in place. You'll need these tools if you are going to attract potential customers quickly. Summary If you spend some time looking at easy home businesses, you'll find some that have the six features in this arcticle. Choosing a business with these features is the best way to maximize your chances of success, and gives you a greater likelihood of seeing positive cashflow in a relatively short timeframe. There's no guarantees, but this checklist will really improve your odds of success! About the author: Jack Sinclair is a successful entrepreneur, Internet Marketer and loving husand and father who likes to help others succeed. Get his free 7 day course to learn how to find multiple income streams, at http://www.passive-income-source.com ------------------MY OTHER BLOGS---------------------------
BORACAY ISLAND PARADISE
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