You Can Be Successful With A Home Business

By Bill Fletcher

Yes, it’s true; nobody really wants to think about starting a home business that may not prosper.  In fact the truth is NO One Wants A Home Based Business..what they want is making money.  And that is because it can involve thinking about your business failing.  Still, it’s important to know what you can do to prevent that and to help your business flourish.  The fact is having a home based business can and does make money for the owner if done correctly. That’s what the tips below are for.  You Can Be Successful With A Home Business if you are willing to work at it.  It will take time and some frustration.  But the best advice… NEVER QUIT!

TIP! To save money when running a home business be sure to hire a certified accountant. It may seem like an extra expense at first, but the expense from a small error can be far more expensive if you were to be audited.

Keep home and work communication separate. Don’t send work e-mails from your personal account. Also consider getting a separate work phone line. If that is not an option, get caller ID. Don’t take personal calls while at work.  Your home business should be at home not at your Job.

As With Any Job Your Home Business Has Hours

Set working hours. You might want to work through the night, but that will lead to burnout sooner or later. Give yourself specific times to work so you can be constant and know what to expect in your day. If home business work time is over at 10pm, don’t stay until midnight. Respect yourself to obey your own boundaries.

With any business, getting started will require more time.  But once establish, reduce your hours so as to have free time.

For me, I operate my business in segments.  I work for 2 hours, then take a 1/2 hour away.  My work day is about 4-6 hours depending on what I need to do.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s are free time to be with friends and family.

Have A Business Plan

Write a business plan. Figure out whether your home business idea is workable. Even if you don’t plan to apply for a loan from the SBA (Small Business Administration) or a bank, you still need a business plan. Determine whether there is actually a market for your product before putting a lot of money into it.

In you plan you should have a 1/4 plan.  At the end of the quarter, review and modified if necessary.

To ensure success advertise your business or service. Invest in your own business cards with your name and company logo on them. You can pass these out and post them on bulletin boards. Many colleges, coffee shops and even restaurants have bulletin boards that you can use to advertise your business. Getting the word out is key to your success.

Here is an idea for a home run business! If you are handy with fixing things around the house, you could consider running a Handyman Service. Many homeowners do not have the basic skills to make simple repairs to their homes. Having someone in their neighborhood that they can call on is a welcomed convenience. You can set your own rates by the hour or by the project, and have full control over what jobs you want to take.

If your are operating a MLM business or network marketing business be sure you have a blog. Having a blog give you an avenue to reach your target market.  If done properly, not only will your business grow, but if positioned correctly, you will be able to make money with your blog.

Empower Network

Empower network was designed by network marketers by network marketers.  But Empower Network put a “twist” on the traditional MLM style.  The compensation plan is 100% not 10-20 percent as with many MLM Companies.  Plus you have an affiliate program build into Empower Network and a blogging platform already set-up for you.

Here is a FREE Video to watch on Empower Network

Tax Records

To protect yourself from an audit keep excellent records. Office supplies and mileage can be written off at tax time, but be sure to keep receipts. Invest in a file cabinet to organize hard copies or scan receipts onto your computer. If you keep detailed records it will be easy for you to face an audit.

Assemble a profile of your typical customer. How much money do they make? Where do they live and work, and what are their needs? How old are they and do they have children? Identify them, figure out where they shop, then get your products into those locations. If your market is parents, try organizing a fundraiser program with local schools, allowing the school or organization to keep a portion of the sales.

If you are ready to form your home business, think about what legal steps you are required to take. You will need to decide if you want to form your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Your business will need a license or permit, in order to operate. Depending on the type of business, you might need to get special insurance. Making sure that you address all the legal issues, will protect you and your clients from any legal misunderstanding.

Blogging

One of the best ways to ensure that your home business makes as much money as possible, is to effectively market your business and products on the internet. Blogs, article writing, forums, and emails are all great ways to get your business more visibility for free, leading to more traffic.  Use the free services of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a host of other social sites.

It’s important to advertise your home based business. This will bring you more customers which means more money for you and your business. Free advertisement can be done by blogging about your products and/or using a social media site like Facebook.

See, it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought it would be; thinking about starting a home business that can help your future. Life can take a lot of unexpected turns and not having or losing customers has to be thought about. Do yourself a favor and follow these tips above to start your home business effectively.

Thanks for listening,

PS:  Did you check out the videos?  This is a great video about Empower Network