tips for starting a home business here

[insikman]

Now that you have decided to start your home based business, you might be wondering “How can I get it off to the strongest possible start?”

These seven tips will help you on your journey…

1) Set up a separate working space in your home. It doesn't matter if this is a spare bedroom, a part of the garage, a corner of the living room, or some other area away from the rest of the household activities. The important thing is to have some space that you can designate as your own working area. This will give you the space and room you need to craft your dream.

2) Stock your working space with proper materials. This may sound basic but one underlying element of success is that you have easy access to the tools, materials, and other resources you need. Gathering everything close by keeps you from wasting time searching for it, so this step can also be considered a time management strategy as well.

3) Speaking of time management, your third step is to define the parameters of your home based business. What days and hours will you work? When and where will you market? How will you provide services or products to clients? How will you keep all of this in order?

4) Balance action with planning. One of the most common pitfalls to a successful home based business is getting caught up in action without enough planning. Stated another way, this means that you confuse "being busy" with "working on important projects." The best approach is to plan your next couple of goals and then work backwards to create step-by-step action plans to reach them. Once you have the plan, it is now time to take the action.

5) Network like crazy. One of the fastest ways to grow any home business is to make connections with other people. Be sure to share your passion and enthusiasm with others at every opportunity you get. Let people know who you are and what you offer. Remember, people can't buy if they don't know you're selling.

6) Present a professional image. If you want to be treated professionally, present a professional image at all times. Set up a separate bank account for your home based business. Install a separate telephone and fax line. Create professional marketing materials. Be courteous and pleasant in all your customer interactions. Basically, just be someone people want to do business with.

7) Automate your business as much as you possibly can. I know you are just one person (right now) and might have a lot of extra time to take care of all the details. This might work for now, but it won't work into the future as your home business gets bigger and much busier. It's best to set up automatic systems and processes right from the start to help free up your valuable time in order to concentrate on the most profitable activities.

This might work for now, but it won’t work into the future as your home business gets bigger and much busier. It’s best to set up automatic systems and processes right from the start to help free up your valuable time in order to concentrate on the most profitable activities.

Following these seven tips will work wonders in getting your home based business started (and growing) in the right direction.

Now get out there and start building your home based business!

Article Source: http://blog.eukhost.com/webhosting/tips-for-starting-your-home-based-business/

[erniefidanza]

More and more people are jumping into home based business. Having a business and working from the comfort of your own home is a great thing.. I agree that automating tasks in every business is important, this can save your time and effort..

[Ravish40]

interesting...more one hit wonder posts.

Seriously folks....we are here for networking. It would be nice of you to post an introduction to this networking group up in the introduction folder and to participate in some genuine topic discussions. No one takes spam seriously.

[wbindia]

Dear Fellow Entrepreneurs-Jusat my two-three cents worth:

I am new to the forum, but felt compelled to offer some advise from my personal experience in finding the “perfect” At Home Business opportunity. Don’t worry this is into a sales pitch for the perfect work at home business system or best product or affiliate program to promote.

Like yourselves, I too am looking forward to the day when I can quit my full time job and transcend into working for myself (full-time) as my own boss..For those of you entrepreneurs who are already self-employed-KUDOS to you, for those of you who are still trading your time for a J.O.B. (myself included),don’t give up the fight just yet.

Remember: PERSERVERENCE Holds the key to SUCCESS.

The problem today both online and offline is that there is such a plethora of Get Rich Scheme SCAMS that has saturated the internet and offline advertising. Just look at the Madoff financial debacle and the fall-out from that??! This scam has completely undermined the entire financial industry from an “innocent” investor stand point. The bottom line-the vast majority (99%) of people out there with any sense at all are not buying into the get rich scheme mentality online or offline.

However the majority of work from home programs online seem to be advocating and promoting just that: A pathway to riches Mentality….It’s a Pipe dream and an out-right lie.

Please understand where I am coming from...I am not attacking anyone on this forum regarding your particular program, system or product that you are promoting online or offline-this is not an indictment on your Work From Home Business, System, Product or Service that you are promoting. My whole purpose for writing this is to educate, empower, the “good” legitimate work from home programs online or offline from the thousands of scam related sites that are nothing but SCAMs.

I was scammed several years ago totaling almost 10K. The company or the product line need not be mentioned in this forum other than to inform everyone-that as an industry-we need to do more regarding policing our own-selves with respect to whatever work at home business, system, product or service you are promoting.

Beware of the Online and offline get Rich Scheme Scams.....

It seems that with a ever deteriorating global economy the numbers of increased scam related opportunities both off-line and on-line have doubled. Unfortunately it's times like these where the real scammers prey upon the vulnerable seeking to make their fortunes at the expense of their would-be victims.

Again...just take a look at the Madoff scandal -and how he swindled billions from investors over several years. How many others are still out there waiting to be discovered that have also stolen millions or billions from innocent investors? There are others, from mortgage related scams to investments.

The point is, there will never be an endless supply to the "get rich" mentality, everyone seems to be looking for the magic bullet of economic security and fortitude which sadly-does not exist. People who are trying to lose weight are looking for the magic pill that they can pop in their mouths---and poof-the weight suddenly and magically disappears! Guess what ? No secret pill exists! The only way to lose weight is to eat sensibly coupled with proper "healthy" nutrition and exercise. Having a Masters Degree in Health Education and working in the Public Health field for over 15 years I do know what I'm talking about here...

Finding the magic bullet to the perfect home based business or work from home opportunity is no different, it takes had work, and lots of persistence and due diligence. There is no magic bullet or special key that you enter into your computer and "poof" all your financial troubles are gone as you rake in the millions over night ....that is a falicy..

Rules to Follow when seeking out a Legitimate Work at Home Business

1) The Product must stand alone. In another words, if you remove the fees that you will have pay up front for your e-Commerce business (web hosting, e-mail, marketing, merchant account, monthly dues etc,) there must be a genuine legitimate product that everyone needs/wants and that you can believe in to sell to your customer base that has true and lasting VALUE…If not you need to run away as fast as you can...

2) If you were not in the business-would you purchase the product or service yourself? Think about this question for a minute and really be honest with yourselves. Many would hesitate to answer this question truthfully.

Again-the Product or the Service must stand alone and offer True Value to your customers. How can you honestly and ethically promote a product or service to your potential customer base if you would not purchase the product or service yourself? Furthermore-how can you market the product or service to your customers if you find it has no inherit Value?

3) Most SCAM related work at home business sites are just selling the system or the program which is nothing more than recruiting members under you as the product, which is an illegal ponzi scheme. Unless there is a legitimate product with true lasting VALUE…then you need to ask yourself what is the business or service you are promoting “if” there is no product or service to promote?

4) Make sure any program you sign up with has at least a 30 day money back guarantee, and make sure you have this in writing.

5) You need to understand your total monthly fees-which can be significant from merchant account fees using (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, etc), to web-hosting charges, monthly membership charges, e-mail account charges, monthly marketing charges, phone, fax etc. Many programs withhold such information until after you realize you are in over your head financially with reoccurring monthly fees.

6) CONTENT: Make sure you have a content VALUE rich website

With millions of websites on-line these days, you have to make sure your website is visible to the average web-surfer. Let me be perfectly clear, there are no such things as getting rich over night on the internet…those days are long gone... All the major search engines (Mother Google, and Yahoo, and now BING…) are too sophisticated in their software and mathematical formulas to be able to discern between CONTENT quality websites that are providing value, and service compared to the run of the mill scam sites.

7) TRAFFIC: How do you get the traffic-by providing a CONTENT Theme rich website with VALUE…

OK you've got a great content laden web-site, now what? You need traffic. How do you get traffic? You can pay for it, through advertising (both on-line and off-line), joint ventures, which all requires considerable advertising costs to you, PPC, etc...But... if you have a high content quality website guess what? The traffic will arrive on your website because quality content drives the human traffic you need to succeed in your home-business.

Put yourself in a website marketer's shoes for a moment: When you want to find something online-What do you do to search? Simple...You enter the search term in Mother Google or Yahoo or BING, and VOILA Mother Google returns several search terms based upon your initial search criteria. Then what do you do?.....That's right..you then check out several of the searched terms for relevance. You check out the website layout, how easy is it to navigate around the site, etc.

Did the website deliver for you what you were searching for? If it did, you explore the site further eventually clicking on links or ads on the site regarding relevance of the item. Then if everything meets your satisfactory, you may sign up for a news letter, or actually purchase a product or service that the merchant is offering. If the site does not deliver, you then explore other sites that meet the same search criteria.

8) PRESELL: You must be able to Presell your potential customers

OK..you've got a great content quality website, you're starting to see an uptick in your traffic stats, now what? Now you've got to"Presell" your website visitors with what you are offering? You ned to build a RELATIONSHIP FIRST with your potential visitors...You need to warm them up to your most sought after product or service (the sale). What is your brand of one that is unique to just you-your unique selling voice?

You'll have to figure this out but you have to warm up your potential customers to what you are offering them through your value laden professional services/products or you can sell others' products, or advertise for other merchants. There are many different ways you can do this. It doesn’t matter whether you are promoting your rural medical practice or selling porcelain dolls from China.

9) MONETIZE: How are you going to monetize your site?

This is the last step. How do you monetize your site? Your finally here-this is where the rubber meets the road, this is why you've developed your content quality website for your most sought after response from your website visitors. Don't let them be disappointed, provide for them what they want? Because if you don't your customers will click right out of your site!

If you're site is about real estate for example, provide a content laden real estate website that delivers what your customers are seeking. Because if they do not find it on your website...guess what? Your potential customers will click right out of your site to another website that provides what they are seeking.

Apply these principles: CTPM "irrespective" of your product or service you are promoting for your Internet business.

Remember: "The only Unfulfilled Goals in Your Life are the Ones you Never Attempt"

Best-

Wayne

[wbindia]

Ravish40-

Sorry you feel my post was SPAM-

I don't have an agenda-I'm not promoting one particular home business system, product or service over the other than to ensure what ever prodcut or sercvice you are promoting provides VALUE to your potential customers (irrespective of your home business you are promoting).

Most of the online programs are SCAM based on recruting members-People are not ignorant to this scheme, and the days of making hundreds or even thusands over night are long gone. People have long wakened up to that false sense of reality.

My point: Unless you have a legitiimate product or serivce that provides true value-then you should really question what you are promoting. There are more scam related sites than genuine hoem business opportunites.

Products with TRUE VALUE and SERVICE that people really want and need should be the #1 objective of anyone thinking of joining the home business band wagon. I was scamed several years ago for nearly 10 K. I have learned from that experience and if I can warn any "tire kickers" in this form re. what at the minimum people should be looking for with respect to home business opps -than I have provided value should "would be" business owners jump in feet first with a business system that provides NO product or service with value. Unless yours is one of these....you shouldn't feel so threatend.

Best

Wayne

[sharondavis]

I think Shelly was referring to Ernie's post.

[wbindia]

Thanks-

I detest scam just like the rest of everyone else here on this forum. I am new to this forum and did want anyone to think that I have an "agenda" becuase I don't. We all have varying amounts knowledge to share, to help guide others in their "quest" for the right home biz opp.

Glad to contribute to this forum.

Best-

Wayne

[specialist.network]

I'm a realtor. I do most of my work from home (faxing, emails, phone calls can all be done from home). Then I schedule most of my showings during the evenings, and weekends as that's when most of the people want to see houses anyway. The only times I need to work during the day are for home inspections (as I'm always present for those) and for closing day.

[jacksonp]

1. Create an online presence.
2. Start a blog that relates to your business.
3. Send out a newsletter for new and existing customers.
4. Add a poll to your websites.
5. Advertise in the signature line of your email.
6. Advertise on well-known websites.

[liber8life]

More and more people are jumping into home based business. Having a business and working from the comfort of your own home is a great thing.. I agree that automating tasks in every business is important, this can save your time and effort..

you got it right Mr.Ernie Fidanza{i assumed that was your family name, i hope so}:D i strongly with your statement..having a home-based business can save one's time and effort..:D