Sunday, January 31, 2010
Starting a Home Business – The Initial Steps
Starting a Home Business – The Initial Steps
By: Georg Rosenbrock
Starting a home business is easy if you follow a few easy steps. Your success is dependent on completing three essential steps right up front. These steps are first to evaluate your desire and determination, then to find the business opportunity perfect for YOU, and finally to write a good business plan.
Desire and Determination
To be successful in starting a home business, you must have a real burning desire to have your own business. If you think "it will be nice" to have your own business, you most probably don't have enough desire and determination, yet!
Starting a home business is very exciting. If you have the delusion of "start a business and get rich quick", you will be disappointed. Starting a business takes a lot of work and perseverance. Maybe that is why there are so many business failures. But by Joe, if you get it right, it will be one of the most exciting things you ever did!
Well lucky for you, I have been there before. In fact I have started a number of businesses, and know what it is like. Be willing to spend time and effort, follow the steps outlined on my website, exhibit some patience, and you will be rewarded.
The Business Idea or Opportunity
Getting into the "right" business is most probably the most difficult part of starting a home business. Keep your eyes and ears pealed for ideas. Opportunities knock in different ways. If you are not tuned into the receptive mode your home business opportunity will pass you by.
Here is a good example of what I mean. A friend had to buy a new battery for his mobile phone. He got a buying order from the company he worked at and purchased his battery. He came to me and said "Do you know how much I paid for my battery? 1/3 of the price they charge at ..."
Aha! Starting a home business, with low overhead costs, would mean that I could make a handsome profit and still be way cheaper than the shops. Batteries Direct was born!
Another way of getting your business idea is to deliberately put your mind to it and find it now! Everybody has some talent, skill or experience that could be turned into a business opportunity.
My dear wife is a qualified garden designer. We did some market research and identified a niche. We put together a unique mix of products and services, marketed it, and had another successful business from home!
The Business Plan
Write your business plan before starting a home business. Such drudgery, yet the most important document you will write. You don't need to be an expert to write a business plan. A good business plan is possible using your wisdom and common sense. A little guidance doesn't hurt either.
A business plan will cover all aspects of your business. It should include a description of the product, skill or service you will be selling. It will provide answers to all the questions, why, where, at what price, who is the customer? How am I distributing it? What packaging will I use? How are my customers going to find me? How do I promote the business? Who will be my bankers, accountant, etc?
A good business plan will show you if the business is feasible. It will give you the confidence to take that first step. The step where you are going to risk something, make commitments and get going.
Your bankers will also want to see your business plan before giving you finance. Taking time to complete a good business plan is well worth the effort. Well don't just sit there, starting a home business doesn't happen on its own; get going!
By: Georg Rosenbrock
Starting a home business is easy if you follow a few easy steps. Your success is dependent on completing three essential steps right up front. These steps are first to evaluate your desire and determination, then to find the business opportunity perfect for YOU, and finally to write a good business plan.
Desire and Determination
To be successful in starting a home business, you must have a real burning desire to have your own business. If you think "it will be nice" to have your own business, you most probably don't have enough desire and determination, yet!
Starting a home business is very exciting. If you have the delusion of "start a business and get rich quick", you will be disappointed. Starting a business takes a lot of work and perseverance. Maybe that is why there are so many business failures. But by Joe, if you get it right, it will be one of the most exciting things you ever did!
Well lucky for you, I have been there before. In fact I have started a number of businesses, and know what it is like. Be willing to spend time and effort, follow the steps outlined on my website, exhibit some patience, and you will be rewarded.
The Business Idea or Opportunity
Getting into the "right" business is most probably the most difficult part of starting a home business. Keep your eyes and ears pealed for ideas. Opportunities knock in different ways. If you are not tuned into the receptive mode your home business opportunity will pass you by.
Here is a good example of what I mean. A friend had to buy a new battery for his mobile phone. He got a buying order from the company he worked at and purchased his battery. He came to me and said "Do you know how much I paid for my battery? 1/3 of the price they charge at ..."
Aha! Starting a home business, with low overhead costs, would mean that I could make a handsome profit and still be way cheaper than the shops. Batteries Direct was born!
Another way of getting your business idea is to deliberately put your mind to it and find it now! Everybody has some talent, skill or experience that could be turned into a business opportunity.
My dear wife is a qualified garden designer. We did some market research and identified a niche. We put together a unique mix of products and services, marketed it, and had another successful business from home!
The Business Plan
Write your business plan before starting a home business. Such drudgery, yet the most important document you will write. You don't need to be an expert to write a business plan. A good business plan is possible using your wisdom and common sense. A little guidance doesn't hurt either.
A business plan will cover all aspects of your business. It should include a description of the product, skill or service you will be selling. It will provide answers to all the questions, why, where, at what price, who is the customer? How am I distributing it? What packaging will I use? How are my customers going to find me? How do I promote the business? Who will be my bankers, accountant, etc?
A good business plan will show you if the business is feasible. It will give you the confidence to take that first step. The step where you are going to risk something, make commitments and get going.
Your bankers will also want to see your business plan before giving you finance. Taking time to complete a good business plan is well worth the effort. Well don't just sit there, starting a home business doesn't happen on its own; get going!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Telecommuting requires adjustments
Telecommuting requires adjustments
By The Associated Press
January 28, 2010, 5:30AM
Call it the workplace of the future: your home.
One way companies are downsizing is to have employees work at home. When staffers telecommute, businesses can save money by moving to smaller quarters or consolidating separate locations into one.
Many workers are glad to have the opportunity. They join the people who have been telecommuting by choice ever since computers and high-speed internet connections made working at home easier. Telecommuting can give employees a better work-life balance, and they save time and money when they’re not traveling to work and buying coffee and lunch.
Still, workplace consultants and company executives say telecommuting can take some, well, work for someone who needs to adjust after years in an office. Some tips for making the transition:
BECOME DISCIPLINED
It can take discipline to work at home. A telecommuter needs to be able to schedule realistically, prioritize and stay focused on work despite distractions like children, pets, even the refrigerator.
"You can’t be a person who thrives on boss-imposed deadlines and a boss looking over your shoulder," said Alexandra Levit, author of "New Job, New You," and an adviser to the Obama administration on workplace issues.
A brand-new telecommuter also has some logistics to work out. That means talking to the boss about what you’ll need and who’s going to pay for it.
If you have a family, you’ll have to integrate the changes in your job into your children’s routine. But remember your work needs to be a priority. For example, if your kids want you to stop working when they come home from school so they can tell you how their day went, they need to know you can’t always listen.
Leslie Truex, author of "The Work at Home Success Bible," said a boss may not care about a telecommuter’s child-care issues.
"He will care if it saves him or the company money, or if makes his job easier," she said.
Some companies, however, may be flexible about working hours, so telecommuters can pick up their children from school or take them to soccer games. In return, an employee may be working earlier in the morning or later at night to get the work done.
ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE
Many telecommuters find working at home isn’t quite as easy as they expected.
When Tory Patrick’s public relations firm gave her the option to telecommute two years ago so she could move to Washington, D.C., from Orlando, Fla., with her husband, she took it.
"At first I was like, ‘Wow, I can work from home in my pajamas,’" Patrick said. "I quickly learned you can’t work like that."
Experts say establishing a routine — getting dressed, going to a set workplace in your home, taking a lunch break — is key.
It’s also a good idea to check in with managers just as workers would do if they were still in the office. Patrick sets aside time to talk to her boss, sometimes scheduling a weekly meeting.
While it’s a good idea to maintain a daily schedule so you can stay productive, Jayne Nanavaty-Dahl, manager of IBM Corp.’s group for work-at-home employees, said it’s easy to overwork when you’re telecommuting. When you don’t have to leave the office to catch a train or make the drive home, it can be tempting to stay in front of the PC for just a few minutes more, and then find you’ve worked an extra hour or two.
BEING VISIBLE
When you work away from a traditional office, your colleagues and managers can’t see or interact with you in the usual way. It can be harder to communicate and establish necessary working relationships. Telecommuters should be sure they stay in touch via phone, internet chats and social media websites.
It’s also a good idea to show up in the office from time to time, especially if you supervise other people. Make sure people see your face.
"Being there in person, that’s how relationships are established," Truex said. "Sometimes if those relationships lapse, you are not being effective, or productive, anymore."
By The Associated Press
January 28, 2010, 5:30AM
Call it the workplace of the future: your home.
One way companies are downsizing is to have employees work at home. When staffers telecommute, businesses can save money by moving to smaller quarters or consolidating separate locations into one.
Many workers are glad to have the opportunity. They join the people who have been telecommuting by choice ever since computers and high-speed internet connections made working at home easier. Telecommuting can give employees a better work-life balance, and they save time and money when they’re not traveling to work and buying coffee and lunch.
Still, workplace consultants and company executives say telecommuting can take some, well, work for someone who needs to adjust after years in an office. Some tips for making the transition:
BECOME DISCIPLINED
It can take discipline to work at home. A telecommuter needs to be able to schedule realistically, prioritize and stay focused on work despite distractions like children, pets, even the refrigerator.
"You can’t be a person who thrives on boss-imposed deadlines and a boss looking over your shoulder," said Alexandra Levit, author of "New Job, New You," and an adviser to the Obama administration on workplace issues.
A brand-new telecommuter also has some logistics to work out. That means talking to the boss about what you’ll need and who’s going to pay for it.
If you have a family, you’ll have to integrate the changes in your job into your children’s routine. But remember your work needs to be a priority. For example, if your kids want you to stop working when they come home from school so they can tell you how their day went, they need to know you can’t always listen.
Leslie Truex, author of "The Work at Home Success Bible," said a boss may not care about a telecommuter’s child-care issues.
"He will care if it saves him or the company money, or if makes his job easier," she said.
Some companies, however, may be flexible about working hours, so telecommuters can pick up their children from school or take them to soccer games. In return, an employee may be working earlier in the morning or later at night to get the work done.
ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE
Many telecommuters find working at home isn’t quite as easy as they expected.
When Tory Patrick’s public relations firm gave her the option to telecommute two years ago so she could move to Washington, D.C., from Orlando, Fla., with her husband, she took it.
"At first I was like, ‘Wow, I can work from home in my pajamas,’" Patrick said. "I quickly learned you can’t work like that."
Experts say establishing a routine — getting dressed, going to a set workplace in your home, taking a lunch break — is key.
It’s also a good idea to check in with managers just as workers would do if they were still in the office. Patrick sets aside time to talk to her boss, sometimes scheduling a weekly meeting.
While it’s a good idea to maintain a daily schedule so you can stay productive, Jayne Nanavaty-Dahl, manager of IBM Corp.’s group for work-at-home employees, said it’s easy to overwork when you’re telecommuting. When you don’t have to leave the office to catch a train or make the drive home, it can be tempting to stay in front of the PC for just a few minutes more, and then find you’ve worked an extra hour or two.
BEING VISIBLE
When you work away from a traditional office, your colleagues and managers can’t see or interact with you in the usual way. It can be harder to communicate and establish necessary working relationships. Telecommuters should be sure they stay in touch via phone, internet chats and social media websites.
It’s also a good idea to show up in the office from time to time, especially if you supervise other people. Make sure people see your face.
"Being there in person, that’s how relationships are established," Truex said. "Sometimes if those relationships lapse, you are not being effective, or productive, anymore."
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