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Analyze Your Productivity

March 28, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

As a business owner, you are both the boss and the employee.  Some people can thrive in this type of situation and achieve more than they could in a traditional work environment.  For other people, this situation can spell disaster.  To be a successful home business owner you need to increase your productivity in your business. Every once in awhile you should stop and ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you are staying on track with your business goals.

Are you focused on your business?

It can be easy to lose focus when you work at home, as there will always be other things competing for your attention.  It is difficult to work at home when there are other things that needs to be done also. To combat household distractions, set an hour timer for work followed by a 15 minute break to tend to small household distractions. If the distractions are thwarting your productivity, take your business elsewhere. Mobilize your business and go to a coffee shop or park. With less distractions around you will be able to concentrate more. Remember, it is okay to let the house cleaning wait for a few hours while you work on your business. A clean house can’t pay your bills, but those few hours you put into your business could reap you many financial rewards.

Not only is focusing on business tasks important, but it is important to be focused within your business.  It is easy to get sidetracked with new business ventures and other ideas. It can be hard to spread your time and energy over too many projects. If you find yourself working on many projects, concentrate on the projects that are primary to your business needs. Other projects that are not as tightly woven within your target market can be set aside for the time being. Focus on your business priorities first by write down all your projects and prioritize them by importance.

Are you being productive?

At the end of the day, do you ever feel like you worked all day but accomplished nothing?  Take a look at the tasks you are working on, and whether they are actually important to your success.  If you find yourself getting sidetracked by surfing the web, chatting in forums, or reading blogs, try to schedule time for those activities after your “real work” is done.

On the other hand, if you feel your time is being sucked away by answering email, updating your website, or collecting research for an upcoming information product you are working on, try outsourcing those tasks to a virtual assistant.  This will help you free up some time to work on business tasks that need more attention.

Are you reaching your goals?

If you find that you are constantly missing your goal deadlines, you may want to take the time to revamp your goals.  Create an action plan that will be easy to follow and help you get to your end result.

Filed Under: Blog, Starting Out, Stay Organized, Time Management, WAHMS

Twitterpated

May 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

No, I am not talking about Bambi and Friend Owl’s description of being love struck. LOL…well…maybe a little love struck! I am talking about Social Networking. Social Networking  is in right now and Twitter is one of the many venues for it.

I love to Twitter. I use it to vent, share, network and promote. It’s FREE. A free way to advertise and promote. Amazing, huh?

Twitter really can be a useful tool in promoting your website or business. Twitter is like having  a live mini IM/blog that can reach many people. It can be a great way to get the word out about your product or service. However, you need to make sure that you are not spamming your followers!

Post on it throughout the day stuff that is going on in your day. Work, family, news, etc. Then, when you do post a few “ads,” they will not seem like you are an ad crazy twitter spammer! LOL!

You can  add Twitter right to your browser. I use Fire Fox, so I have Twitbin. It sits right to the left of my screen so I can see new posts from people I follow. And, so I can add a post when the mood arises. It is totally cool!

Pay attention to what is going on with the people you follow. Participate in conversations so that you are involved and not just a voyeur. If all you do is post about you, no one will be interested in you! Be a true blue twitter friend.

I have made many new friends on Twitter. If I never got twitterpated, I would not have met them!

So, get twittering! Oh, and feel free to follow me! ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Featured, Marketing, Social Networking, Starting Out, Tips for Success, Web Design Tagged With: , , , ,

Starting Your Own Home Business

April 4, 2009 By admin

By: Terri Seymour

OK, so you have researched the facts, weighed the pros and cons and have finally decided that a home business is right for you. But now you need to figure out what type of business you want and how to proceed with marketing this business.

There are many types of home businesses but not all of them are right for all people. You need to ask yourself these questions: Do I want to start my own business from scratch? Do I just want to join an MLM and sell for someone else? Do I want to sell physical products or digital products? Do I want to do all the work online or offline too? Do I want help with my business or do I want to go solo? Do I just want to become an affiliate and sell other people’s online products?

MLM/Direct Sales – The company you sell for is in control of how you run your business. You are paid a commission for sales and usually have to recruit a downline.

Distributorship – You are in control of your own business. You keep all profits and do not need to recruit a downline.

Digital Products - Selling digital products such as ebooks is done online and there is no need for an inventory, shipping or worrying about damaged goods.

Affiliate Programs - many people make a good online income just by selling other people’s products.

Service Provider - This would include such things as virtual assistant, party planner, pet sitter, etc.

These types of businesses can be combined to form one very successful business. Such as applying for a distributorship and then also offering ebooks on your online store site.

Once you have chosen your business and gotten all your permits, tax numbers, etc, you will need to start marketing your new business. There are countless ways to do this online and offline.

Offline Marketing

Offline marketing would include: business cards, flyers, attending your community events and networking, attending expos, craft fairs, trade shows, postcards, phone calls, newsletter advertising, door hangers, radio, fundraisers, school functions, catalog distribution, mailing lists, home parties, car magnets, brochures, seminars, yellow pages and more. Use your creativity to come up with your own unique marketing ideas.

Online Marketing

Marketing strategies online include: link exchanges, search engines, autoresponders, online auctions, email press release, online chats/seminars, ebooks, blogging, tutorials, ad swapping, ezine publishing, article marketing and much more!

To market your home business takes a lot of work, consistency, time and commitment. Handing out a couple business cards and throwing up a website will not suffice. Work as many as these marketing ideas as you can. Find out which ones really work for you and then expand on them. Then try more!

I want to make sure you understand that you cannot treat your business as a hobby. If you want a successful business with a full time income, you have to work your business full time. If you find one of these programs that claim you can make thousands a week for 5 minutes of work, (that actually work) please let me know. In the meantime, start using some of these ideas and get your business name out there!

Article Source: wahm-articles.com

About the Author: Terri Seymour has several years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Read about these marketing strategies and more in her ebook, How to Market Your Home Business. Visit her site www.seymourproducts.com for this ebook and lots more resources for your home business. Subscribe to her ezine with free bonus report: 77 Ways to Get Traffic

Filed Under: Starting Out Tagged With: , , , ,

What's so scary about Business Planning?

April 3, 2009 By admin

By: Anne Maybus

“So you’re in business for yourself?  How did you start off?” “Well I had an idea and then I did a business plan to see how I could make it work.”

Oh-oh.  Just mention the words ‘Business Plan’ and watch the conversation fizzle out right in front of you.  You can hear the trample of feet dashing to the exits and smell the scent of fear in the air.

What is it that makes people glaze over or disappear when you mention those words? In particular, why does it make women flee?

Visited a Business Forum yet?

Have you ever visited some of the online business forums?  These forums are the place to hang out for people who are in business, or are looking for a start.   Take a look at the topics on the message board.   What is one of the quietest topics?  Yep, business planning.   Yet if an aspect of business planning is listed under a different heading, for example ‘marketing plans’ it can be rushed with responses.  Is marketing so much more glamorous than Business Planning?   Why the fear?  These are the very people who need or have a business plan.  This should be an active topic.

What is the purpose of a Business Plan?

A business plan will help you to decide if the business is viable before you even start.  It could save you thousands of dollars by thinking it through before you rush in.  How much money do you have to set up your home based business?  If you’re like many of us the answer is little or none, so why waste the little you do have on a business venture doomed to fail?  A plan will also paint a picture of where you are heading and why.  Simple.

The statistics.

Business Victoria shows that 95.7 percent of Victorian businesses are small businesses (96.4 percent throughout Australia) and that at June 2001, an estimated 181,800 (65.2 percent) of all Victorian small businesses operated from or at home.  We know too, that home based businesses make up over two-thirds of the total small business picture in Australia.

That’s a lot of businesses plugging away to make an income.

Figures from the mid 1990’s show that 6.1% of businesses ceased operating in Australia for reasons other than a change of ownership. 6% isn’t very high, but 23,200 businesses sounds a lot more, doesn’t it?  Remember too, that these figures are 10 years old and we’ve had phenomenal growth in the area of small and HBB since then.  Scary thought, isn’t it?

Many HBB’s probably never even make it to the statistics as they are so small and invisible. So if they fail, who will notice?  Did they have a business plan?

Image problems.

If a business plan is so worthwhile then why do so many people shy away from it?

Business Plans have an image problem.  They’ve been associated with big business and high finance for so long they deserve to have their own little collar and tie.  Doing a business plan involves financial projections, cash flow, and all those hard to work out figures doesn’t it?

Short answer?  No, they don’t always have to involve the numbers.

If you need a start up loan, a grant, or an investor, then yes, you’ll need to do the numbers.  After all, who’s going to give you money when you can’t tell them how much you will need?  Find yourself a good accountant to help you with the financial side of the plan because that’s what they are good at.

If you’re really serious about building a business then it makes sense to do some numbers anyway.  It would be nice to know if you’re going to make a profit, wouldn’t it? Keep it simple.  If you know you have a profit of $5 per item and you need to make $100 per week, then you know you need to sell 20 items every week.  Can you do that?  If the answer is ‘no’ then you’d better look for something else to do.

The Living business plan.

I divide business plans into two distinct categories.  There is the Traditional business plan which is so loved by banks, and then there is the Living business plan.

The Traditional business plan is the one you keep in your filing cabinet after your merchant facilities or start-up loan have been granted.  The Living plan is the kind of plan you can use on a daily or weekly basis to keep you on track.  It should set out your ultimate target, list the goals you will need to achieve along the way, and some strategies you need to have in place to meet your goals.  It doesn’t have to be set in concrete; neither does it wear a collar and tie!  It doesn’t have to be typed or printed.  It just has to mean something to you.

My favorite Living business plan is a collage of images all representing things the owner is striving to achieve both personally and professionally.  It has a series of images beneath it depicting the steps along the way.

How inspiring is that?

My own plan is in the shape of a step ladder with my Ultimate Business Heaven at the highest point.  On each rung I have listed the things I will have managed to do by then.  That gives me a map to my goals and also allows me to see when I have reached each rung.   When I have another of my ‘you-beaut’ ideas the plan will help me to see if the idea will take me up or down the ladder.  I am very attached to my great ideas, but why waste my energy on them if they won’t get me where I want to go?

Your choice.

Business plans are a necessity; there’s no question about that.  The only decision you have to make is why you want the plan.  If you need to show it to someone else, then go the whole way with a traditional plan.  If it’s for yourself, then do what really means something to you.

Just because it’s in pictures doesn’t mean it isn’t a business plan.

So what’s scary about that?

Now let me talk to you about statistics………….zzzzzz

Article Source: http://www.homebusinessresourcedirectory.com

About the Author: Anne Maybus [B.A., GradDipBus (HRD)] has 15 years experience in human resources.  She is the owner of www.cleverstreak.com.au, a website aimed at increasing the confidence of women returning to work, and is the creator of a  business women’s network at www.businessbyplan.com.au.

NOTE: You may use this article for reprint ONLY if you DO NOT change the article in ANY way, AND you keep the source and bio IN TACT with ALL links ACTIVE!

Filed Under: Starting Out, Stay Organized Tagged With: ,

How to Start up a Small Business

April 3, 2009 By admin

By: David Gass

Starting up a small business is always exciting. It is also full of challenges. It is easy to go wrong if everything isn’t planned properly. Not setting it up correctly can create legal problems. Here are some tips to help start a small business so the new business is viable, well managed, and successful.

Business ideas
It is always a good idea to start with a list of things to do with a business. Start with hobbies or interests and add work experience to come up with possible business ideas. Once the correct idea is found analyze its feasibility as a means of making money. To do this, construct a business feasibility study.

Business Planning
Business Planning helps to detail all aspects of the business. From identifying the suppliers to determining product costs, from sales-pricing to establishing customer and competitor profiles, from defining marketing strategies to planning taxes, the feasibility study explains whether the business will be viable or not.

It also helps figure out how to finance the business. This may be with savings, loans, or through credit card financing. Whatever the decision, don’t forget to develop a business plan, especially if there is a need for borrowing money through a loan or credit. A business plan not only helps get financing, but it also keeps the entrepreneur focused on the new business. It helps define business activities, organizational goals and how to achieve them. It details the business environment of the industry and, most importantly, contains the financial information bankers look for.

At this stage, think about the legal structure of the company. Shall it be a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a corporation? Check some of the websites that provide assistance to help determine, which form is more tax-efficient and suitable.

Legal Set-up
Find out what permits and licenses are needed to operate the business. Do remember to double check whether anything is missed. Some states require special licenses to sell services or a particular type of product.

Operational Set-up
With most of the underlying business formalities completed, get the marketing material ready for the big day of the business launch. The company needs business cards, letterheads, advertising brochures, a press kit with press releases, and a corporate dossier.

Open a bank account. Set up accounting systems. Get a business address to operate from. Arrange for the rental lease, and purchase office equipment and supplies. It would be a good idea, at this stage, to consider getting insurance for the business assets. Some insurance requirements, like employee compensation for example, are mandatory in most states, but others like fire, theft, or liability are advisable, though not absolutely necessary.

Additional Help
Many sites offer small businesses the software they need to begin. This software supplies all the needed forms and documents. It also gives detailed descriptions of the laws one must follow in setting up a new small business.

Article Source: http://www.homebusinessresourcedirectory.com

Authors Bio: David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a free weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com

Note: You may use this article for reprint ONLY if you DO NOT change the article in ANY way, AND you keep the source and bio IN TACT with ALL links ACTIVE!

Filed Under: Starting Out Tagged With: ,

Finding your Niche

April 3, 2009 By admin

By: Jason Johns

Some years ago I got into investing; didn’t spend much money, but read a lot about it.

I was perhaps struck most by a book called One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch. Google for him and you will see how successful he has been with his investing.

What I felt was the most valuable information was how he chose his investments. He didn’t sit in an office and pour over numbers, working out which was the best and gave the highest return. He did that, but only AFTER he’d got a few ideas.

He found his best investments just by going about his everyday life with his eyes open.

For example, his wife bought home a pair of tights / pantyhose in an egg from a supermarket. He was intrigued, did some research, found a massively undervalued company (NICHE), bought shares, and made a killing.

He went away on business, stayed in a lovely hotel that was cheap, clean and really really good. He got home, did some research and discovered a massively undervalued company (NICHE), bought shares and made another killing.

Niche’s are all around us, we’ve just got to keep our eyes and ears open. What are the people on the bus talking about? What are the office workers gossiping about? What are the popular TV Shows? What shops are busiest in your local mall? What are the fads amongst the teenagers?

All these are powerful and effective ways to find a very lucrative niche.

What is your local area famed for? Or your country? Are these popular abroad or are they becoming trendy or part of popular culture? If you live in London but come from another country, for example, is there a large number of your fellow countrymen living there who miss some of the information, delicacies or even their countrymen.

What opportunities does this present to you?

What common problems are you encountering that you want answers to? Do you think there might be other people who have similar problems and would like a solution?

The Internet provides a powerful tool for research, but we should not discount what’s happening off-line. Find a potential niche, then turn to the Internet to research it.

What you do not realize is that you have an absolute wealth of ideas at your fingertips that don’t even involve the Internet that could be absolute goldmines.

Too many people get caught up in focusing on one niche or target market, without realizing that people want information on every day subjects too. It is often these subjects, the more esoteric, that attract the most attention, and hence are the most profitable.

Look around you and look at everything you encounter as if it could be a fresh niche for you to exploit, you will be surprised with what you will find.

Article Source: http://www.homebusinessresourcedirectory.com

About the Author: Jason E Johns is a successful Internet Marketer & personal success coach. He has produced a number of effective programs to help you become the success you desire. To find out more about affiliate marketing & affiliate programs, visit http://www.successforaffiliatemanagers.com

NOTE: You may use this article for reprint ONLY if you DO NOT change the article in ANY way, AND you keep the source and bio IN TACT with ALL links ACTIVE!

Filed Under: Starting Out Tagged With: ,

Home Business Comparison Sheet

April 3, 2009 By admin

By: Diane Drayer

When you start your search for the perfect Direct Selling or Network Marketing business, here are some valuable questions to ask when comparing companies and opportunities:

1) Start up cost should be minimal. Start up cost in direct selling and network marketing companies are usually modest and mainly to cover the cost of the sales kit.

Q. What is the company’s start up cost?
Q. What comes with a new Distributor/Consultant kit?

2) Some companies require a monthly purchase.

Q. Is there a monthly minimum purchase requirement and if so, how much is the monthly investment?

3) Most companies submit the local state sales tax, however, there are a few that do not.

Q. Will I be required to submit my own state sales tax?

4) Check with each company regarding their return policy. This will be vital to your business.

Q. Can I return unwanted or damaged products and if so, what is the company’s return policy?

5) Do you have a “buy-back” policy? Some companies offer to “buy-back” unsold marketable products purchased within the 12 months prior, should you decide to quit the business for 90% of the price you originally paid.

Q. Does the company offer a “buy-back” policy?

6) Some companies require Independent Representatives to pay for portions of the Hostess gifts, etc. You should know up front whether part of your commission earned will go to cover these cost. This will reduce the actual amount of commissions earned.

Q. Will I be required to cover part of the Hostess Gifts or pay admin fees, etc.?

7) It is always smart to compare catalog and supplies cost as they vary by company.

Q. What do company catalogs and paperwork cost?

8) Customer shipping charges are important to your business and can vary greatly from company
to company.

Q. What are the customer shipping charges?

9) It is customary for companies to have a monthly or quarterly sales requirement to stay active and/or receive overrides.

Q. What, if any, are the monthly/quarterly requirements?

10) If you plan to participate in local fairs, festivals or events, you will want to know whether the company allows you to sell “cash & carry.” Many will not as they prefer Representatives to provide one on one customer support and book to increase sales.

Q. Does your company allow Representatives to sell products “cash & carry” at local fairs and events?

11) Many companies provide Representatives with a company approved website. If you plan to market your business online, this will be vital to your success.

Q. Does your company provide a website and if so, what is the cost?

Q. If they do not, can I design my own?

Q. Are Consultants/Representatives allowed to market online and what are the company guidelines?

12) Some companies authorize Representatives to deduct their commissions prior to sending in their Show Order, while others require all monies collected forwarded to home office and then commission checks are issued monthly or twice per month.

Q. How are you required to submit payment for a show?

13) How often are commission checks issued..monthly, bi-weekly or weekly? My experience has been that most issue monthly. Be sure to ask as there are a few that offer twice monthly and weekly.

Q. How often are commission checks issued…monthly, bi-weekly, weekly?

Q. At what time of each month will I receive my commission check?

14) Many companies now ship their products directly to the consumer or Hostess, however, there are few that require Representatives to deliver a Show or products.

Q. Will I be required to deliver products?

15) With some opportunities, Representatives are encouraged to stock products to have on hand for eager customers.

Q. Will I be required to stock or carry inventory?

Q. If no, will my business be more successful if I elect to have on hand “hot sellers?”

16) Most companies allow their Representatives to purchase products or display items at a special
discount.

Q. Are Representatives allowed to purchase products at a discount and if so, what is the discount?

17) Have them explain the commission structure and levels of achievement as it varies greatly by company.

Q. What is your commission structure?

18) Do they offer additional incentives, such as trips, a cash bonus and etc.?

Q. What additional incentives does the company offer?

19) What type of support is available?

Q. What type of support can I expect?

As with any business, finding what works for you and your lifestyle will be the key. Take time to research opportunities and consider whether the business and support team are a good match for you. Another wise decision is to consult with a home business tax professional before launching your home business. Learn what can and cannot be deducted, as well as, good record keeping.

About the Author: Diane Drayer is an experienced online marketer, as well as, the creator and moderator for the popular Ryze Direct Selling Network. In addition, she owns and manages www.DirectSellingOpportunities.com. When she isn’t busy moderating her Ryze board or marketing her home business resource site, she teaches others how to build and maintain a website through her MakeAnEasyWebsite.com service.

Filed Under: Starting Out Tagged With: , ,