Home Business Ideas | Make Money from Home

Set Up Your Home Office

2009-10-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Running your business from a home office saves money, spares you a daily commute, and gives you control over your work environment. A desire to work at home may even be the reason you're in business in the first place. The advantages are pretty obvious, but merging your office and home does present some challenges. You'll probably be spending a lot of time there, so careful planning will go a long way toward making it all work.

To create the ideal work space, you'll need to take into consideration the nature of your business, your own work style, and the other members of your household. Pay attention to the environmental factors that make your home office a healthy, safe, and pleasant work environment. The goal is to make your home office a place where you can be comfortable, organized, and productive.

Location: Your first consideration will probably be the right location for your office. It should be convenient, roomy enough for your furniture and equipment, and relatively private with minimal distractions. Taking over a spare room in your house is ideal, but if that's not an option choose a suitable area in your home, set it up permanently for your business activities, and declare it off limits to the rest of the household. Don't plan on working from your kitchen table -it's just too inconvenient and time consuming to clear it off every time you want to get some work done.

Access: If you expect to have clients and colleagues visiting, try to have a separate entrance so they won't have to walk through the living areas of your house to get to your office (and you won't have to feel embarrassed if your house is less than tidy!). Being able to see the street and driveway from your office is ideal, since you'll be able to see any visitors or delivery trucks as they arrive. Separate your home and business lives as much as possible, both for the sake of professionalism and the privacy of other household members.

Wiring and cabling: Another consideration is electrical wiring and cabling. You'll need to have enough outlets to accommodate your computer and all your peripheral devices, plus any lamps, clocks and other electronic devices. You may need to hire an electrician to do some additional wiring to accommodate all the electronic devices your office requires. You'll also need enough phone lines and jacks for your business phone, fax machine, and Internet access if you're using a dial-up connection. You'll need a DSL or cable connection if you want high speed Internet access.

Lighting and ventilation: Your office should should be climate controlled with adequate ventilation, both for your sake and your computer's (operating your computer at high temperatures can damage it). It should also be relatively clean and dust-free, since dust and dirt can also damage your electronic equipment. Natural light is easiest on the eyes, but you'll obviously need lighting fixtures after dark. Use more than one light source in different spots to balanced lighting and buy bulbs that provide a soft glow. Place the main lighting source above and behind you so light will come over your shoulder(s) onto your computer screen and desk without creating glare.

Desk or workstation: Your desk is the central piece of furniture in your office space and the most critical in terms of your productivity. You need a desk or table with room for your computer, monitor and peripheral devices, plus a work surface with room for your papers, notes and anything else you want to keep handy. Another option is a multi-purpose "workstation" that accommodates your computer system, printer, and phone along with some storage space for books and CDs. If space is very limited, using a simple computer stand that holds just your computer system may be the best option.

Other furnishings: Invest in a good desk chair that is comfortable, durable, and adjustable to be ergonomically correct for you. Choose one with arms and lower back support to prevent fatigue. Not only will you be far more productive in a chair that "fits", but it will help you avoid back strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. If you'll be using your office to meet with clients and colleagues, include a few guest chairs and a table where you can sit down together for meetings and consultations. A combination bulletin board and chalk board or write-on board give you a handy place to stash business cards and clippings and jot down notes to yourself.

Ambience: After you have all the essentials, add some personal touches to create a pleasant work environment. Decorate your office in a way that relects your taste and personality, creates an upbeat mood, and motivates you to do your best. Surround yourself with pictures and objects that relax, amuse or inspire you. Use color in your paint or wallcovering, fabrics and artwork to set the mood. Your work space can be soothing or energizing, depending on the color scheme you choose.

Personal touches: Some possibilities for personalizing your office are family photos, a globe, your kids' artwork, mementos and objects with sentimental value, framed quotes or motivational sayings, a table top fountain, small sculptures, a fish tank, photos from nature, a wall mural, a radio or sound system, or a small TV. One of the biggest perks of working at home is having the freedom to personalize your work space, so be creative in setting up the ideal work environment for you.

Safety and security: If your office has an outside door or a door that opens to the rest of the house, make sure they're securely locked when you're not in the office and consider an alarm system as well. Not only are your computer and other office equipment valuable, but lost data may be irreplaceable. Your home office may become a target for thieves, and it's worth the effort to protect both your investment and your personal safety. Installing a smoke detector is a must. Hopefully you'll never need it, but as they say, better safe than sorry.

Home Based Business Passion

2009-03-31T03:06:00.000-07:00

When it comes to making money online many people will want to jump right in before they are properly prepared. As you know with any new job or home business there are things you must learn before you can be successful, you don't just jump right in being unprepared.
The same applies to the Internet marketing industry even though there are people out there who'd have you believe it's a "Walk in the Park" and requires no more than the belief that you can just do it.
And I'll have to admit, it can be a walk in the park compared to what you have to put up with in the working world punching a clock being a subordinate to someone who does not have your interests in mind, but there are still rules you have to follow and pitfalls you must avoid to actually make Internet marketing work for you.
The majority of people trying to build a home business online will not make money and yet there are others who will make more in one month than most people make in a whole year. Why is that?
One thing I do know for sure is that to make money online you must first have Passion for the company products and/or service of any Internet business from which you expect to make money.
Passion in this sense simply means that you've researched and like the company and products or services. It is then that you translate that like into the education, excitement and work that usually accompany Passion.
Now, I'm not trying to make anyone believe that Passion is the only thing necessary. Because to be successful you must also have a good website, good marketing, widespread advertising, company support, effective keywords, and etc. Those things are often learned from the company you join - but sidestep Passion and you reduce your chances for success dramatically.
Internet marketing work is typically not all that difficult or time consuming but it does take motivation caused by Passion to get you off and running with a sustained effort so that you won't stumble.
The best way to get started is doing your research and use the resources that the Internet provides, use search engines as in Google to search about Internet Marketing industry!
Through your research you should uncover a company that you like and have confidence in. They should be solid, founded on great principles, and easy to understand with great products and services that are sell-able for which you can have Passion. If you don't find the opportunity that you have a passion for and the attribute just identified move on, you will find what you are looking for!
Remember, there are other steps you must make before you step into Internet Marketing but if you don't first find the right company products and services to be passionate about, all of those other steps may just cause you a lot of frustration instead of bringing you great success.
Not being Passionate about a company and products and services that has market proof that it will sell is a pitfall you simply must avoid.

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Want to Start Your Own Virtual Business Assistant Business?

2009-03-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

If you have wanted to work at home but could not just have luck on your side and land your home based job, then you may want to consider starting your own business by following these tips on becoming a virtual assistant to start your own business in the field.
Starting your own virtual assistance business may be just the right one for you. Think of what you can enjoy by outing up your own business at home:
(1) you can create your own schedule
(2) you can earn more at the confines of your own home
(3) you can save more by doing away with transportation as well as other miscellaneous expenses
(4) you can simply choose which job contracts you would want to work.
What Does it Entail to Become a Virtual Assistant?
You will see that being a virtual assistant is similar to being a conventional assistant. The major difference is that you do the stuff online. However, you will also realize as one of the more important tips on becoming a virtual assistant is to make sure that you enhance your skills as virtual assistance goes beyond the duties and responsibilities of conventional assistance jobs.
What this means is that you may be required to do some technical writing as part of the job or the nature of the virtual assistance contract. You will also have to upgrade your internet skills as this is your main and only channel in performing and delivering your work load.
As most virtual assistance jobs pertain to management of websites, it is crucial to increase your expertise in web design and web management.
Following these tips on becoming a virtual assistant will help you get started in your own virtual assistance business. The internet offers a wide range of resources where you can get more tips to ensure the success of your business.

Earn Extra Money to Travel - Make Your Money Online

2009-03-20T01:16:00.000-07:00

You can earn extra money to travel if you have time to invest in building a business online. Many of us love to travel, be it to some exotic location with our spouse or companion, taking children to Disney Land, driving across the countryside, or simply getting away to enjoy nature. Traveling is good for the mind and body. It is a time to enjoy life and relax. It is a reward that we all deserve. Travel, however, is often expensive, and because it is not always a necessary part of our day-to-day lives, it is most often considered a luxury. During difficult financial times, prudent people will often make do without luxuries. You may have to admit, reluctantly, that you are one of those prudent people.
There is no need to feel guilty about using existing funds for your travel plans. You can make money online in your spare time, and spend what you earn on your travels. There are many money making opportunities on the internet. Perhaps it is time to get excited about learning a new skill, and start working at home to build a business on the internet.
Setting up a business on the internet requires minimal setup costs, and offers an opportunity for maximum profits. Many online marketers have seen their revenue hold steady, even through uncertain financial times. In fact, online spending amounted to $3.4 billion in the third quarter of 2008 alone. Selling on the internet gives you access to 1.4 billion web surfers--all of them potential customers.
Making money online requires skills that you need to master. You need to find or create a product, market the product, and make the sale. Finding or creating a product and making the sale can be relatively simple; the biggest challenge online entrepreneurs face is this seemingly simple act of marketing. It is primarily marketing knowledge that differentiates the big earners from those earning more modest incomes. Knowing how market effectively will send your profits soaring. Marketing skills combined with the low cost of setup and the wide reach of the internet can put you in a powerful earning position.
If you start making money online with the goal of paying for the occasional traveling vacation, stay focused, and press forward at every opportunity, you may find that you are earning enough to do much more. Time invested in earning enough money online to travel may prove to be time well spent learning to make enough money online for all your financial needs.

How to Get Over The 4 MLM Pitfalls

2009-03-16T02:13:00.000-07:00

Today I want to talk to you about 4 MLM Pitfalls we all have to overcome sooner or later in building our businesses.
Most of us suffer from:
* Lack of leads
* Lack of money
* Lack of marketing training
* Lack of duplication
Let's take a closer look at each:
I)Lead Generation:
Generating leads is not rocket science however if you don't know where to start,it can be quite a daunting task. First you need a personalized capture page to build your own list with your own auto responder. When you signed up with your company you were probably assigned a replicated website to promote your business. However what you'll quickly find out with those "Me too" websites is that they don't do very well in marketing simply because thousands of others are using the same, so chances are your prospect is not interested in taking a look at yours:
1) they've seen it before; nothing new under the sun
2) the website is too impersonal. They never get to meet you, only your faceless company. People don't join companies, they join people.
II) Auto Pilot Cashflow:
Here's a fact: it will take a little bit of time before you can start generating a significant income in your primary business. In the mean time, you'll find that you are spending more money than you're actually making. Most marketers run out of money and that's the number one reason why most will quit their business. Therefore creating multiple streams of income is a must. The more you can streamline your sales funnel the better: you set it up and walk away. That way you are not distracted while promoting other affiliate programs, you can focus on your primary business.
III) Marketing Training:
The irony of this industry is that it's a business that requires knowledge of marketing (after all it's called network marketing and multi level marketing for a reason) yet 97% of people engaged in it know nothing about marketing and are never told that they should. Instead they are encouraged to make a list of 100 people they know and/or approach strangers in the supermarket.
Not to say that the traditional methods don't work, but the fact is they are not for the majority of us.
My advice: Plug into training. Build up your value so people will spend money to join you and learn from you. As Mike Dillard says "The more you learn, the more valuable you become. The more valuable you become, the more money you make". Use your money to build yourself. Get rid of poverty mentality, get rid of the fear of investing in increasing your value.
IV) Duplication
Let's assume that you were able to acquire all this knowledge and figured this whole thing out for yourself. The question is
1) Can you afford to wait until that happens?
2) Is this duplicate for your team? Can they go out and create the same system. The answer is probably not.
That's why it is important that you find in the interim a pre built system that works for you. If you can give your team member a simple path to follow you're significantly increasing their chances to succeed.
"A confused mind does nothing": that's why systems are important. Left to their own devices, your distributors will roam aimlessly while accomplishing nothing. As a leader it is important that you do your due diligence and find efficient tools for your team to work with.
A good system should successfully address all 4 of the common MLM pitfalls. It should:
a) Convert website visitors into leads;
b) Allow you to profit fromyour advertising efforts without distracting you from building your primary business; c) Provide marketing training for you, your prospects and team members
d) Be simple to use so anyone on your team with a little bit of efforts can get up to speed in a relatively short amount of time

All Kinds of Work From Home You Can Venture In

2009-03-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

While the dream of working from home is mainly to have a steady stream of income coming in without so much as having to leave your living room or home office, there are other factors that also contribute to its appeal. For instance, the freedom to work your own schedule can relieve unbelievable amount of stress, especially when you have a family. Imagine never having to worry about rushing to get the kids out the door and to their destinations, whether it is school or daycare, all the while just praying you make to the office in time. Or better yet, not having to answer to your boss if you must take the day off due to your child being sick. Since when did we allow ourselves to feel guilty for staying home to take care of our kids?
There are so many types of wonderful online home business opportunities out there that there is sure to be one that not only excites you but has the potential to literally set you and your family up financially. Take for instance freelance work. Many companies or individual businesses pay people to write articles and such to be posted on their blogs in order to build traffic to their sites. Paid surveys are another great example of how to make money from home. Everyday people are paid to participate in product and service surveys in order to help companies understand what consumers truly want.
These are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways to make money from home. Searching online for home based opportunities will no doubt bring up several different avenues you can take depending on your level of interest. Some may require you to pay a small start up cost which usually entails selling a product for a company by way of your own website. The initial feel in most cases will provide you with your site and for each sale made through it you receive a certain amount of commission. This type of opportunity can be very lucrative if you make an effort to advertise your site and drive traffic to it. Normally whoever you decide to go with will have wonderful tips and resources available to you to help in your efforts and if you stay focused and implement the suggestions, you can very easily have a steady stream of income coming in where you never even have to leave your house.
No matter which opportunity you choose to implement for yourself, the benefits are incredible in terms of bettering your overall quality of life. Too many people stay trapped in the 9 to 5 due to fear of failing at running a home based business when the truth is you already give your blood, sweat and tears to a company that isn't even yours. Can you imagine what you will be capable of doing for yourself and your family if you took all of that effort and focus and placed it upon your own business endeavors?

Work at Home Jobs Abound During the Recession

2009-03-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

While many companies are choosing layoffs as a cost-cutting measure, others are hiring people for work at home jobs that create win-win situations for employers and employees. Telecommuting positions allow businesses to operate at a reduced expense without sacrificing productivity. For those who are hired, working from home allows them to earn a steady income while enjoying a more flexible schedule and eliminating costs associated with daily travel to and from the office.
Thousands of people are now taking advantage of work at home jobs, and others are starting their own online businesses. Interestingly, many of the people who have their own Internet businesses outsource a lot of their day-to-day tasks to telecommuters, or work-at-home contractors...but you won't find many of these opportunities on the mainstream job search websites. Unfortunately, most of the "work from home" listings that you'll find on such websites are cleverly disguised business opportunities.
Although starting a business can be extremely profitable, even during a recession, it's not for everyone. Some people prefer to be "worker bees" who earn a pre-defined wage for their time and are told what to do and how to do it. However, these "worker bee" jobs are becoming less and less available as more companies cut jobs.
If you've found it difficult to get another job in your current field, then it may be time for both a career change and a lifestyle change. Despite the recession, there's a world of opportunity for those who are willing to step outside of the "comfort zone" associated with having a traditional 9-to-5 job.

Home-Based Businesses Are Booming While We're in a Recession

2009-03-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Unless you have been hiding under your bed this last year you know times are very bad. In my hometown of California some companies have started issuing IOUs for paychecks. The state of California said not to file for tax refunds because they have no money to pay. Even worse lots of companies are forcing employees to take mandatory Ferlow days off. My wife was personally affected. She has to take every Friday off with no pay. So is there an alternative? What can we do to make up for lost or well needed income?
Home-Based Businesses are seeing record sign-ups. For the longest time most people look at these businesses as pyramid schemes. Home base businesses may still have a bad reputation under some eyes but I think its safe to say most are giving it a second look.
One thing that I think is the biggest obstacle in home base businesses is the fact you have to go around bugging your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to buy stuff from you. I personally did that for year and still have the question asked when visiting family, "Eddie, what are you selling now?"
Well with the Internet playing a bigger part in home base businesses it can be easier. Automation and a turnkey system is KEY! Some one with no computer experience can plug in to the RIGHT system and be on their way to earning big money. But before you join something let me be honest with you. No matter how good a business may sound you will not get rich over night. If you join and want top results you must work it every day. EVERY DAY. Did I say EVERY DAY yet? Don't expect to sign up in something work it for a week and expect big results.
One last thing. It takes money to make money. In your quest of looking for a business you will find free businesses to start. Some may say things like Free to join and make $5,000 in 2 weeks are less. If you want to waste your time go for it. Any real business that is worth anything will cost between $300-$10,000 so make your decision wisely.
I wish you nothing but the best of luck and hope you get your piece of the pie in the "Exploding Home Base Business Industry."

How to Investigate the Franchise Company You're Going to Buy

2009-03-06T22:55:00.000-08:00

The key to success in owning a franchise is finding a franchise that is not only reputable and honest, but is also the "right" fit for you. You need to do a thorough investigation of the franchise your going to buy, while at the same time they should be evaluating you to be sure you are a good fit for them.
Remember, we discussed in the previous articles how the franchise has to fit your goals, financial situation, personality, and management style, and so on. And, there has to be a demand for its products or services in your market. The right franchise should also have a proven established business system, which means that the franchisor should have a history of successful franchisees. You should ONLY consider franchise companies that have very few failures or closures, low franchisee turnover rates, and a good reputation with its franchisees.
How can you tell if a franchise company is sound, honest, and reputable? The best way do this once you have narrowed down your search to no more than two to three franchises is to make arrangements to speak with the company representatives, and also to call the current and former franchisees listed in the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC).
Ask them detailed questions about:
site selection and development
initial training
pre-opening and opening support
how well the franchisor works with the franchisees
what kind of ongoing training and support do they offer
ask about how quickly they respond to franchisee questions and concerns
how effective are their marketing and advertising programs
are there any indications of financial difficulties within the franchise
Once you have completed this research and after speaking with franchisees, you feel confident that the franchisor provides the kind of training and ongoing support that you need, and that the franchisor/franchisee relations are good, you're ready to take the four final steps toward becoming a franchise owner.
1. Visit the franchisors corporate headquarter: Meet the senior executives of at least two franchises. To determine whether you are compatible and have common values and goals, it's best to meet the executives face to face. Most franchises have what they call "Discovery Days," where serious candidates fly out to company headquarters to spend an entire day with the senior management team and support staff
2. Go to work in the franchise: The only way to really know whether a particular franchise is a good fit for you is to work in it. Some franchisors, in fact, require that potential franchisees work in the franchise before completing the franchise agreement. Most franchisors have programs that enable you to work in their franchise for a limited time to see if it's a good fit. An opportunity that sounds great on paper may seem a lot different when you actually do the job.
3. Along with your qualified franchise attorney negotiate your contract: The franchise agreement is the actual contract you sign when you buy a franchise. A generic franchise agreement is generally sent with the UFOC and is attached as part of Item 22 in the back of the UFOC. It differs from the UFOC because the UFOC is not an actual contract; it is only a document that discloses information. The franchise agreement is a contract you and the franchisor sign, and it becomes legally binding on both parties.
All the information regarding company policy your rights and responsibilities, and the rights and responsibilities of the franchisor should be the same in the UFOC as in the franchise agreement. But the franchise agreement is not an exact duplicate of the UFOC. Because the UFOC is a disclosure document, it actually contains more information than the franchise agreement. For example, the list of franchisees, the litigation history of the franchise, the business experience of the company officers, and any earnings claims appear in the UFOC, but not in the franchise agreement. If the franchise agreement is not attached to the UFOC, contact the franchisor and ask them to send the agreement to you.
4. Sign the franchise agreement: Federal law states that you must have the UFOC for at least 10 days and the franchise agreement for at least 5 days before signing it. There is every good reason for this waiting, or "cooling off" period. It gives you a chance to make sure that the verbal promises and claims made to you by company representatives are the same as the claims and promises made in the UFOC and franchise agreement.
Use the time you have to make sure there are no discrepancies between your rights and responsibilities as described in the UFOC and as described in the franchise agreement. Have an experienced franchise attorney and a trusted accountant review both documents for you. They will help you make the right choice. A little money spent up front getting good advice from experienced professionals can potentially save you a lot of money and trouble in the years ahead.
In negotiating your franchise agreement, make sure the document leaves nothing out, and get it all in writing. While you have no guarantees that your franchise will live up to your expectations, your contract can help protect your from the risks involved in being a franchisee.
The 5 and 10 day waiting periods are minimum times the law states you must have these documents before signing. But take as long as you need to feel comfortable with the contract before signing. Don't feel pressured to sign before you are ready whether that's 10 days or 2 months after receiving the contract. Maybe, it's just not the right time for you to get into a franchise. And that's OK too.
Buying a franchise MUST NOT BE AN EMOTIONAL decision. Don't let your emotions can get in the way of making a smart rational decision. You MUST take disciplined action steps to perform an objective evaluation of the chosen franchise your going to buy.

Starting a Home-Based Business - Where to Find Your Wholesale Products

2009-03-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

Finding stocks for an online store is one of the biggest problems that a home-based wholesaler has to face. Of course, there is always the option of buying items from wholesale outlets, but it still pays to know the other alternatives in case things don't work out the way you envisioned them to.
1. Garage sales
Regularly paying a visit to garage sales might just lead you to very affordable yet valuable items that you can sell in your online store. Remember though that you have to have a lot of time and patience to be able to last in a garage sale, since finding valuable items in these places is not exactly a breeze. In fact, one garage sale is not enough; you will probably need to visit five more garage sales before you find something worth reselling. The best thing to do here is to go to garage sales and early so that you will be there before anyone else comes.
To be able to know when and where a garage sale is going to be held, read the newspapers. Also, if you are planning to visit several garage sales in a day, you need to have a plan. Make a list of items you want to buy, and also take your budget in consideration. Bring lots of cash and not credit cards, because most garage sales do not honor credit cards. It is also a huge waste of time if you run out of money and have to find the nearest ATM machine to continue your shopping.
However, take note that garage sales are not the only ways to stock items. This is just n alternative, since it is not easy finding items here unless you're really lucky.
2. Liquidation sales
For branded items without the dizzying price tags, you may want to visit liquidation sales. Just like garage sales, the schedule and venue of liquidation sales near your area can be found in your local newspaper.
Before barging into a liquidation sale, you first need to find out why the store owner is selling his products. Most of the time, liquidation sales take place because of store relocation or company bankruptcy. While these may be legal reasons, it is still advisable to know about the reason so that you will not be involved in anything illegal just in case.
Only visit liquidation sales that are selling items for your niche, and don't bother with those outside of your field. There is really no point in buying cheap items that you wouldn't sell, unless of course you want to keep them to yourself.
However, just like garage sales, liquidation sales should not be your sole source of products to sell, since they are not reliable long term.
3. Estate sales
Estate sales sell just about anything - furniture, clothes, books, jewellery, and so much more. You have to remember though that in order for you not to overspend, you must have a clear idea regarding your budget. Also consider the needs of your customers and not just what you want to buy. Your main purpose in going to an estate sale is to find things to sell rather than things to stock up in your home. If you want a bargain, go for family-run estate sales rather than the company-run ones. The former is more likely to provide bargains.
4. Clearance stores
Even though clearance sales are done only every season, it is definitely something to look forward to, since you will be able to purchase items that are regularly high-priced and buy them for at least 50% off. What's great in clearance sales is that you can restock your store without worrying about the prices, since these sales offer wholesale-priced items.
Contrary to popular belief, clearance sales are not just found in malls. You can search around your neighbourhood and find small shops that also offer clearance sales. Make sure you know when these shops are going to have their clearance sales so that you won't be left behind with their schedule.
5. Wholesalers
Wholesalers are the classic sources of stocks for your online store. Even though searching for reliable wholesalers can be a little time-consuming, once you have found the perfect one it is all worth it. Moreover, you get to stock your online store without paying a huge price for it, since you have a wholesaler that you know you can trust.
One way to find a reliable wholesaler is to use wholesale directories. Directories that are legitimate only give you the best wholesalers, so you don't have to worry much about dealing with scam wholesalers. Of all the five ways listed here to stock your store, wholesalers are the most sure fire way to get products.
If you ask me what directory I want to use, then that would be Salehoo. It is one of the most respected wholesale directories online. It can provide you with a reliable list of wholesalers, dropshippers, and suppliers selling different kinds of products at wholesale prices. There is only a one time membership fee, which gives you an unlimited access to its online database for life. You are also sure that you're only getting the best deals, since the database is regularly updated. It also has the BBB Reality Seal for further protection.

Employee Criminal Background Checks - How to Do It?

2009-03-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

Hiring an employee isn't an easy task to do and what makes it even more difficult is that you may not get an accurate background information from the person directly. Checking the criminal background of your possible future employee yourself is the only way to be sure that who are you exactly dealing with.
Many criminals tend to lie about their criminal records, that is a fact. However you do have every right to know about possible issues from their past that could be vital when making a decision of giving them a job.
So what is the easiest way to check your employee's criminal background? There are basically three ways to do it and all will probably give the same results if done correctly.
1. The first way to perform employee criminal background checks is to do it all by yourself utilizing the public records databases for all 50 states. This is extremely time consuming way to do it and can take weeks or even months to do.
2. The second option is to hire a private investigator. This will not take much of your time but it will take lots of your money. The criminal background checks done this way will bring very accurate results if you are working with professional investigators.
3. Probably the easiest way to find the truth behind your employees and their criminal backgrounds, is to use a criminal history background check service online. They usually come very reasonably priced and the results are very accurate. One of the best parts is also that you get the results fast, you do not have to spend too much of your valuable time with this option.

How To Find Business Ideas And Opportunities

2009-02-26T01:56:00.000-08:00

If you have been itching to start your own small business but not sure how to to start, business ideas and opportunities are to be found everywhere.This article explains a few things about small business ideas, and if you're interested, then keep on reading, you may pick up something new.

The most obvious Internet businesses are ones such as the travel industry or any kind of consulting or marketing goods of any description.

You can scour the Internet for all sorts of different small business ideas and opportunities.So with all these home based business ideas available online, how can you decide which one is good for you? Finding business ideas is easy enough.

It's more important to make it clear to yourself why you want to take the jump! And that you really have the motivation to go through the somewhat chaotic start up phase.

Outside of monetary gain, it can be rather hard for some people to come up with a few good ideas as to why they should leave the secure world of an employment.

Once you're sure you want to go for it, there are a plethora of home business ideas that you can consider. However, if your idea of easy home business ideas, means ideas that you should be able to make money without a lot of effort, then your search for the perfect business idea will never end.

There are plenty of home based business ideas to choose from depending on your hobbies, interests and experiences.You need a business that will work, and that will provide you a solid long-term income.

5 Best Small Business Idea's

2008-06-12T04:15:00.000-07:00

With all the doom and gloom news about the economy, there's never been a better time to make an extra paycheck online with a minimal amount of time and effort.

If you have an internet connection, you can get started on the road to having the internet pay for your mortgage, car payment, kids' college tuition, or even that special vacation you've wanted. Now, don't worry that you have to be a tech whiz to start a business online--I'm a complete techno-dunce.

A perfect part-time business would have to be very easy to start, require little time and money and no technical expertise, be easy to maintain with just a few hours a week and have a proven track record with a high probability of success.

There's actually one other important criteria--it has to be perfect for you! Experience has taught me that it's different strokes for different folks, and there is no "one size fits all" perfect business. You're much more likely to be successful if you do something you find fun and interesting.

With that in mind, here are five of the best ways to make extra cash moonlighting on the internet:

1. Information marketing:

We're in the information age, and the internet provides you with the ideal medium to exchange know-how for money. Do you know the best fishing holes? How to play guitar? The secrets to a successful marriage? A recipe for moist and delicious brownies? A trick for saving gas?

Think about your career, your hobbies and your interests. Virtually anything you know can be turned into extra cash. And don't worry if you think you're not an expert--as long as you know more than the average person on the topic, that information is valuable.

However, if you don't believe you know anything that others would pay for (highly unlikely), you can take someone else's know-how and make money that way! It could be as easy as interviewing a veterinarian to help you create a dog-training product.

Ninety-two percent of people go online looking for information, and you could be one of the many people cashing in on selling it.

2. eBay:

One of the largest online marketplaces makes it a piece of cake to get your own business going. You can open an account and start making money within hours on eBay!

While I dislike that whole "sell your garbage on eBay" thing, there is some validity to it as many people get their start on eBay by selling items from their garage or attic that pre-eBay would have been thrown out. This approach is fine, but where is the business once you run out of those items? If you want to create an eBay business that doesn't require tons of time and effort, you need to leverage products that can be sold over and over again.

This is one of the reasons I'm not a fan of the "eBay seller for hire" kinds of opportunities, where you sell things on eBay for other people. You get access to stuff people want to sell, but because each item is unique you have to work to list each and every one. There's no leverage there!

Take a look at some of the largest eBay PowerSellers and notice how they specialize in very specific products (iPods, cell phones, dog grooming kits, etc.). This allows them to leverage their efforts. A listing is created once, and money is collected over and over again.

Unlike information marketing, this business requires the handling of physical goods, but even that can be automated, so it shouldn't prevent you from considering this idea.

3. Affiliate marketing:

This may possibly be the absolute laziest way to make money because it doesn't require you to have a product, make a sale or ever have any interaction with customers.

This is essentially a "referral" business, or as one of my book contributors likes to call it, "passionate recommendations." Basically, you can get paid a referral commission just for sending people to sites (or vendors) that are set up to pay affiliate fees once a sale is made. The vendor does all the selling, fulfills the purchase and handles any customer service issues--and you just collect your check….not bad!

Some people choose affiliates based on who or what is paying the highest commissions, and that certainly is a viable option. Most people opt to choose products or goods they are passionate about so that the process is much more fun and engaging.

Insurance and credit card companies pay high commissions for referrals that convert to customers ($40 to $150 and up), but the competition is fierce. It may pay well, but is this something you'll enjoy doing for the long haul?

Alternatively, you could take a look at your hobbies and other things you enjoy and see which affiliate programs are a good match. As always, do your research to verify the viability of your market. A good place to look for ideas (and downloadable products just waiting for an affiliate) is ClickBank.com.

4. Blogging:

This business is best suited for folks who enjoy communicating about a particular subject. Think of blogs as journals of sorts. Although you can have a personal blog, writing about a particular topic will have a higher chance for financial success.

The range of topics is virtually endless--photography, sports cars, parenting, dieting, star gazing, the latest gadgets, Hollywood gossip--you name it, as there are blogs on just about everything you can imagine. Don't worry about competition. Folks who read one blog are apt to read others on a topic they're passionate about, as long as you have something interesting to say.

Once your blog starts getting traffic, you can make money passively with things like AdSense (Google's ad revenue sharing plan) or actively by doing a little bit of affiliate marketing. You can see both types of moneymaking strategies at SparkleCat.com, which is a blog about a person's cat. What makes it interesting is that it's written from the cat's perspective and often refers to her "human." At the top of the page are Google AdSense ads, and sprinkled throughout are suggestions for things like cat furniture and premium cat food, which are tied to an affiliate program. Pretty cool, no?

5. Yahoo! Store:

This business is very similar to eBay in the sense that it's a monster-sized marketplace but more similar to a store in the true sense of the word. Think having your own retail outlet but without the hassles of rent, employees, utilities and all the other expenses of a traditional brick-and-mortar store.

The neat thing is that it can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want it to be because of companies called drop-shippers, which can do most of the work for you. In fact, you don't even pay for the inventory until you make a sale. How cool is that?

Most people think the hard part of this business is creating your virtual store, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yahoo! has made the templates and wizards so easy that, dare I say, even a caveman can do it!

The best way to ensure your success is to do your homework and research what products people most want to buy. You need to find a niche. Once again, start with things you enjoy. Let's say you love fishing. What products do fishing folks want to buy most? (Or get even more specific, like, what are bass fishermen looking to buy?)

Then the task is to find the right source of those products so you can carry them in your Yahoo! Store. In most cases, you'll be able to pull pictures and product descriptions directly from your sources and plug them right into your store.

As you can see, this business requires a little bit more upfront work, but once it's done it can be maintained with very little regular input on your part.

There you have it--five perfect part-time businesses. Are you ready to start moonlighting on the internet now?

Home Business Fear Factor

2008-05-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a streaming video about a home based business opportunity. The movie spends six minutes extolling the virtues of having a home based business. If you're interested in a home based business and have done some research already, you're not likely to see anything new here. Furthermore, it works mostly by focusing heavily on unearthing your fear. Your fear of financial problems, of not having enough money, of the bad economy, etc.

This leads me to a point: A lot of home based business opportunities are marketed on fear like this. Let's face it - fear sells. It's a tried and true marketing ingredient. Fear is used heavily in marketing to motivate action. You see it all the time in particularly in insurance and medical advertising.

But should fear stand on its own?

The movie in question never mentions the business it's promoting. You can tell it's promoting something but it's never named in the movie. Fear continues into the second movie (after you sign up for the email list). The opportunity is finally named in the 2nd movie (I'll leave the name out here), but you get the idea here. Fear creates enough interest to sign up for the email and get to the business opportunity they're promoting.

Fear is a good motivator but it shouldn't stand on its own. But because fear is used so heavily on the front end here, it makes one wonder if about the substance of the actual opportunity being sold. Is the opportunity that weak that it needs that much fear as a front end motivator?

What do you think? Does this example go overboard on the fear factor?

Small Business Ideas: Kids & Teens

2008-05-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Regardless of where their money comes from, some of the country's biggest spenders are barely out of grammar school. Tweens (ages 8 to 14) have a combined annual purchasing power of more than $40 billion, according to market research firm Packaged Facts. And spending by and for their teenage siblings (up to age 17) is expected so reach nearly $209 billion by 2011.Today's kids have grown up in a booming marketplace of technology, entertainment and stimulation, says Ronald Hill, marketing professor at Villanova University, "so they're easily bored and seek multiple forms of external excitement."

He and other experts see them filling that need with cell phones, computers, music, movies, dining out, designer-label clothing and accessories. And anything online (think Webkinz), with a name brand (Olsen twins, anyone?) or an association with teeny-bopper celebs (a la High School Musical) has an edge with these increasingly pop culture-savvy kids. For more on marketing to kids with deep pockets, check out the "Babes in Cyberland" article in this issue.

home business ideas: Idea's of Future

2008-05-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Boomers heading for the city: If you're seeking an affluent, concentrated market, get ready to embrace the growing number of city slickers. According to Property & Portfolio Research Inc. and Reed Construction Data, urban high-rises and condos are sprouting up all over--this year, there were 18,586 new condos in Miami alone and 10,875 in San Diego--combining luxurious amenities with the convenience of downtown living. Career-minded boomers looking to downsize their living spaces are a natural fit.

"The rising cost of fuel, length of commutes and desire to live more efficiently are driving baby boomers to urban centers," says Richard Swerdlow, CEO of Condo.com. So entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the population shift should focus on marketing their wares and services to successful city dwellers.

Boomer staffing: As the oldest of the 77 million U.S. boomers begin retiring, their open positions will offer younger boomers new opportunities. Smart executive recruiting firms will target these seasoned workers. Allen Gutterman, founder and president of professional-level staffing firm Response Companies, expects this playing field to ripen in a few years. But Stephanie Klein, 39, has pioneered this arena. Her Denver-based staffing firm, The Boomer Group, has placed more than 1,500 boomers in positions since 2004.

Mobile content: Everything from web browsers to digital music libraries are squeezing down to cell phone size. All that content doesn't just automatically appear--someone has to provide it in a form that fits the particular demands of the phone or PDA. Mobile content is a tricky business to dive into.

Ring tones are passé and gaming has been slow to catch on, but messaging and video services are ready for growth. Market intelligence firm iSuppli sees the premium mobile content market hitting more than $44 billion in 2011, largely on the strength of video.

That means it's a good time for entrepreneurs to crank up their market savvy and get involved in mobile content.

home business ideas: Senior Products

2008-05-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

As Americans age, they become more concerned about brain health. Five million Americans already suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to rise to 16 million by 2050, according to data from The Alzheimer's Foundation of America. Naturally, products that help seniors keep their mental edge are growing in popularity.

Dan Michel founded Dakim Inc. in 2001 to provide such a product and came up with the mPower Cognitive Fitness System. He got the idea after designing games for his father, who was suffering from Alzheimer's. "The more I engaged him in things that turned out to be cognitively stimulating, the more ‘with it' he was," recalls Michel. The staff at the senior living community loved the games, too--and asked Michel to create a product for use with other residents. The resulting touchscreen system lets seniors play games, puzzles and other challenging and fun cognitive activities. The response from senior centers has pushed sales into the seven figures and inspired this Santa Monica, California, entrepreneur to create an at-home version, set to launch next year.To enter this market, start by approaching caregivers, says Jacqueline Marcell, an elder-care and Alzheimer's expert and author of Elder Rage. "There's a growing need for products and services that fit the marketplace," she says. Check out what's already available and think about what would make life easier for both patients with dementia symptoms and their caregivers.

home business ideas: Senior Services

2008-05-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

The population is aging--by 2030, the number of adults age 65 and older will double to 70 million. No one is feeling the crunch more than baby boomers, who now find themselves in the "sandwich generation"--caring for both their children and their aging parents.

An estimated 44 million Americans provide care for elderly family or friends. "Any businesses that can address this dilemma in terms of health care, stress management, financial planning and problem-solving for elderly parents--that is a huge area of concern right now," says Cathy Hamilton, founder and managing editor of BoomerGirl.com, a media company that provides news, information and community advice to baby boomer women.

Helping both the sandwich generation and seniors is Pamela J. Braun, a licensed clinical social worker who founded Geriatric Assessment, Management & Solutions LLC in Sun City, Arizona. She provides assessment and evaluation, medical appointment coordination and medical/legal power of attorney services.

With annual sales between $300,000 and $400,000, Braun, 43, says, "The biggest reward is being an advocate and knowing you're making a difference in the quality of these people's lives."

Small Home Business Idea: Health-Care Staffing

2008-05-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

You can't stop Father Time. Along with a growing aging population, we're seeing an increasing amount of ailments. With all those extra health issues, we need as many medical professionals as we can get. But 2006 projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed an expected shortfall of more than 1 million nurses by 2020.

That's a clear call for staffing professionals to step into the health-care realm and help companies deal with the shortage. Lisa Dearborn, vice president of health-care services with staffing firm Response Companies, also sees a growing demand in pharmacy staffing and preventive health care and disease management.

For entrepreneurs thinking about entering the field, it helps to have more than just recruiting and staffing experience; you need to have your finger on the pulse of the medical community. "At the end of the day, you have to have a genuine interest in your candidates' lives. You have to understand where they're coming from, and you have to be able to relate to them," says Dearborn. That means hiring recruiters with medical backgrounds who can communicate effectively with potential candidates and clients. Looking ahead, it's a healthy prognosis for health-care staffing.

Biotech and Health Tech

2008-05-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

We're way beyond Band-Aids; today's health care has gone high-tech. Dan Skovronsky, 34, is realizing big things with his molecular imaging company, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, in Philadelphia. Having just closed a $26 million round of funding this year, Avid is proof of the growing success of biotech and health-tech companies. "[The industry] is being driven by aging baby boomers and the cost of health care," Skovronsky says. "There's pressure to do things a little smarter. We're starting to shift more toward early screening, early diagnosis and monitoring."

Dr. Gary J. Kurtzman, vice president of the life sciences group at Safeguard Scientifics, a technology and life sciences holding company, sees health-tech entrepreneurs coming from various backgrounds: Some are doctors, some are academic researchers and some are serial entrepreneurs in the medical device field. "This is not an area for someone who wants to play it safe," says Kurtzman. "People have to be very realistic about how long this takes--and [know] it takes a lot of money." Prospective entrepreneurs should surround themselves with a strong team and be prepared to tackle financing hurdles. Says Kurtzman, "It's the relationship between the people, the ideas and the capital; put the right mix of those together, and you have a formula for success."

Small Business Ideas: Food & Beverages

2008-05-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

In today's Post let me discuss with you guys another top ranked and most positivly reviews Small Home Business Idea. At my home business Ideas Blog I will include all those Small Business Ideas which are workable.

Food & Beverages have always been a bestsellers. Below find out some more facts about this Small Business Idea

Spirits:

As consumers nationwide toast the moment, their glasses reveal the cravings of today--premium spirits. "Over the past 15 years, there has been a trend toward people drinking less but drinking better," says David Ozgo, chief economist at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. He points out that the superpremium segment has enjoyed double-digit growth over the past four or five years.

In this industry, life is good, but barriers to entry can be quite sobering. Production costs are high, distribution regulations are difficult, and shelf space is a hot commodity. But you can measure up by standing out.

Matti Anttila's refined drinking habits and frequent visits to Rio de Janeiro clued him in to his niche. The former investment banker noticed the lack of a super-premium brand of cachaça, a Brazilian spirit, and resolved matters by launching Cabana Cachaçain New York City in 2006. From production to design, Anttila, 28, focused on creating a premium spirit that evokes an emotional connection with Brazil. By hand-selecting cocktail-forward, A-list restaurants and lounges as his primary accounts, Anttila has introduced his brand to 10 U.S. states, as well as London, and has good reason to celebrate with 2007 projected sales of $2 million. Says Anttila, "I'm creating a brand, but I'm also helping create a category, and that has really increased the overall upside of the venture."

Effective Home Business Tips

2008-05-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about starting your own home-based business, the available options can be overwhelming. However, there are many tried and true home-based businesses that may be just what you are looking for.

Here are the top 25 home-based business ideas, in no particular order:

Personal trainer. If you are fitness-minded, you can start your own career as a personal trainer. Check out the National Federation of Professional Trainers for information about the certification process. Yoga instructor. Begin sharing your expertise with others by teaching yoga classes. There are a number of online resources, depending on the school of yoga that you practice.

The Yoga Alliance Web site provides information on yoga schools, certification, insurance, and so on. Tutoring. You can start a business tutoring students by advertising at schools, the local YMCA, and other places frequented by families. If you have children, talk to their teachers and determine the needs of your school district. Business coaching. Have experience with management or some other specialized business skill? Share it with others by becoming a business coach.

The International Coach Federation provides certification and a coach referral service for its members. Consulting. If you are an expert in your industry, such as finance, marketing, or mediation, consider beginning your own consulting business.

Medical and legal transcription. If you have transcription skills and the necessary equipment, you can easily work from home for a variety of different companies. Check local community colleges or online for transcription training courses. Medical claims billing. This industry is one of the most popular work-from-home businesses — so much so that suspect companies have been popping up on the Internet and in classified advertisements. ELearners.com can help you locate transcription training courses online. Accounting.

There are many franchises and opportunities available for certified public accountants. If you are interested in getting certified, take a look at the Web site of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for information on specific state requirements. Web design. If you can design quality Web sites, consider turning your skills into a home-based business. Although the software and hardware costs can be steep, good Web designers tend to be well-compensated for their efforts. Desktop publishing. Do you have a creative flair for putting together brochures and newsletters?

You can offer your own desktop publishing services to other small businesses. Software can be expensive, so make sure to give applications a trial run or take a course before investing in one. Photography. If you are skilled with a camera, you can open your own photography studio in your home. Keep in mind that you will need space to shoot the pictures as well as a light-free space for a darkroom if you decide to process your film and print your photographs yourself. Home inspection.

The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors Web site provides information on becoming certified to inspect homes. Remodeling. If you are a gifted carpenter or contractor, you can turn your passion into your own business. The SBA provides loans to experienced contractors looking to renovate homes or businesses in order to sell them. Interior design. If you have a flair for the creative, consider interior design. The American Society of Interior Designers Web site provides resources for aspiring interior designers, including a list of each state's requirements for licensing. Catering or personal chef. Consider starting your own catering or personal chef business.

You can set yourself apart from competitors by providing specialized services such as low-carb or vegetarian menus. (Be advised that catering requires a "food establishment" license and catering operations require a commercially equipped kitchen that meets all state and federal health requirements. Contact your local city or county health department for more information.) Gift baskets. Gift basket creation is a popular and creative home-based business. Target both individuals and businesses to increase potential sales. Wedding planner. If you are an ace at organizing important events and have a Rolodex full of contacts, consider becoming a wedding planner.

There are numerous online certification courses online, including one from Weddings Beautiful. Personal shopper. If you are a great shopper with an eye for people's personal styles, you can offer your services to those less inclined. In addition, consider providing a gift shopping service for those too busy to shop themselves. Concierge. If you have a lot of energy, a love for the mundane, and the ability to juggle multiple tasks, consider providing a personal concierge to busy business people or parents.

Custom jewelry creation. Designing your own custom design jewelry can be a lucrative pastime. Make sure to wear your own creations as a way to drum up business. Computer repair. Are you the person everyone calls when they have a computer problem? Turn this into a business and start getting paid for fixing fatal errors. Check out Geeks on Call America and Rescuecom if you are interested in franchise opportunities.

Cleaning service.

If you are good at cleaning, consider offering your services to others. One way to go is with a franchise. CleanNet-USA and JaniKing are two of the largest franchisers in the cleaning market. Carpet cleaning service. There are many popular franchises that allow you to start your own carpet cleaning business and receive the equipment and training you need. ServiceMaster Clean and ChemDry are two of the bigger ones. A riding school. If you own your own barn, land, and horses, you can open your own riding school. Equisearch.com offers resources, including some useful articles on liability issues. Child-care services. Turn your expertise with children into one of the most popular home-based business opportunities.

Top 10 Business Ideas of 2007

2008-05-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Home is where the heart is and more frequently, the business is. The appeal of operating a home business is tantalizing to millions of cube workers who want more freedom and control over their lives.

According to American Community Survey data by the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work annually. Nationally, the average daily commute to work is about 24.3 minutes in 2003. This is greater than the 80 hours or two weeks of vacation time taken by workers yearly. No wonder the appeal of commuting to a home business is widely appealing.

Older but growing home business opportunities offer startup entrepreneurs the chance to enter a proven industry and spend less time and selling skills to educate the market. While a newer home businesses opportunity has greater need to educate the market but the higher profit potential and reduced competitive landscape can be enticing for new startups.

Here what's hot for home business opportunities in 2007:

1.Pet Sitting:

Imagine the perfect home-based business where you get paid to walk and enjoy the companionship of pets.

A pet is often the "children" of the family in more homes today as Americans spend more than $34 billion a year pampering their pets.

Darlene Ehlers of Pampered Pets Home Care in Blue Jay, Ohio and Pet Sitter of the Year couldn't imagine the potential of a home-based business opportunity. "I started as a part-time business and never dreamt it would be a full-time business. It just keep growing and growing," says Darlene.

With busy work schedules and the choice of leaving their "best friend" in a kennel, more and more pet owners are hiring the services of a pet sitter to walk the dog and provide companionship while at work. With the current dog and cat population in the U.S. at 135 million, according to The Pet Food Institute, this is one home business that should purr for years to come.

2. E-Bay Aftermarket:

Small business is big business. It's the reason why big corporations have entered the game with increased focus over the last few years. One new niche market created is from the E-Bay phenomena. Over 700,000 businesses use E-Bay as a marketplace to connect with consumers. Home-based entrepreneurs who provide services to this market will be well positioned in 2007.
Small business needs services to compete in the growing E-Bay market. Helping companies conduct market research, pricing strategies, shipping, and competitive analysis in the E-Bay market will be a niche business at home with very few commuting hours.

3. Home-based Debt Collection Agency:

Debt has become a way of life for many Americans. According to the Federal Reserve Board, consumer debt is at a record high of $2.03 trillion as of 2004 and continues to grow. All the outstanding, unsecured debt has become a multi-billion dollar business for the 6,000 plus debt collection agencies.

"In debt collection as well as starting any home based business, you will need to continue to educate yourself on laws pertaining to debt collection and small business, especially home based. Some laws are specific to home based rather than an office based business," says Michelle Dunn, author of "Starting a Collection Agency." Dunn tells those considering starting in the collection business to gain outside experience even a part-time job as a collector.

4. Children Arts Education:

The growing mantra of companies today is innovate or die. In a global village with short product cycles and intense cost competition, ideas and creativity are the competitive advantage for American companies. While innovation is the driver of competitive advantage, the future lays in the next generation of workers; our kids.

Daniel Pink, author of "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future" reveals the need for our next generation to be right brainers or highly creative. "These people - artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers - will now reap society's richest rewards and share its greatest joys," states Pink. Research firm Eduvenutres pegs the tutoring market alone at $4 billion dollars.

Home businesses creating products and services to the creative generation will reap big rewards in the years to come.

Companies like Texas-based KidzArt provides creativity-oriented educational programs to this market. Mother Shell Herman saw the early need in 1993, when schools were reducing art budgets and America lacked a national arts program. Today the company has over 58 franchisees and is growing yearly.

5. Garage Organizers:

It would seem in the booming interior design and home makeover industry that every space of the house has been covered. The last frontier in the home business is the garage. A Harris Interactive study indicated almost 40% of Americans rate their garage as the messiest room in the house.

As Americans continue to consume more products than ever, the garage often becomes the cluttered space in the home. Enter the garage organizer who puts the clutter away and gives homeowners a peace of mind. The number of garage organizers is pegged at 500, double the rate of 2000, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers. Just as organizing closets was the next big thing in the 80's, the messy garage is the final space to clean up.

6. Background Checks:

Hiring employees used to be a simple matter of a call to a few references. Today, employers find the task of finding a skilled workforce more challenging following security concerns and workplace violence. So companies are turning to background checking for pre-employment screening. Over 96% of HR professionals report that their companies do background checks of new hires, up from 66% in 1996 according to The Society for Human Resource Management Workplace Violence Survey.

Small businesses with limited resources are turning to background check companies to handle investigation, due diligence, and understand legal requirements. This business is ideal for startups who want to operate from the home and provide a vital service to companies.

7. Specialized Coaching:

The coaching market has boomed in the recent years including specialized areas such as life, spiritual, corporate, relationship, and business coaching. As with any industry experiencing fast growth, new markets open up providing opportunities to those aware of the changing conditions.
Brad Sugars CEO of Action International, the franchise with over 900 business coaches sees the qualities of a good coach as, "a previous business background, a level of common sense of running a business and the people skills. Coaching is a person-to-person activity and the skill set of communicating people is essential."

According to Sugars, coaching is the hottest home business opportunity because of "the massive media recognition, business owners see it not as a luxury but a necessity, and there is more professionalism in the business

8. E-Learning:

With sky high fuel costs and limited employee time, many companies today have turned to web based learning for education and training of their workforce. IDC forecast the E-Learning market to reach $13 billion in 2007.

With advances in new web application tools such as podcasts and video blogs, development costs will decrease over time. Corporate training via the Internet is a must have for companies competing in a rapidly changing global environment. Meeting the needs in subject areas such as management skills and technology training, will place home-based entrepreneurs into the profit center of this industry.

Inc 500 company Training Pro provides e-learning courses compliance to the loan and mortgage industry. Founded in 2000, the company has posted revenues of $5.8 million and 834% growth rate. Using the web provides the business with an information hungry market that wants to learn anyplace and anytime.

9. Specialized Outsourcing:

Outsourcing is an integral part of life as a small business even before the term was widely spread. With limited resources and a focus on core competencies, companies serving the small business outsourcing market are in a solid position. While it seems big corporations are better suited to reach this market, small business owners trust and enjoy doing business with other small business owners.

Specializing in a business function such as sales and offering to serve to the business market is the best way to go for a small firm. New York-based Corporate Rain Inc. helps companies in the sales area. The company has grown from $10,000 a decade ago to millions today.

10. Scrap Booking:

In today's easy to save and store digital age, consumers have been building a large photo library. One booming business capitalizing on this growth is the scrap booking industry. As one of the fastest growing areas of the craft industry, scrap booking accounts for over $3 billion a year in revenue.

Opportunities abound for the home-based entrepreneur as a professional scrapbook artist, workshop teacher, or a direct sales rep.Publisher Creating Keepsakes estimates the business is beyond fad and bigger than the golfing industry with 26.3 million American households scrap booking versus 23.7 million golfing households. This home business opportunity is well-positioned for the future.

Running a small business from the home will continue to be appealing to employees who crave independence, no commuting time, and flexibility. Turn your home in to a business.

Critical Factors for Small Busines Success

2008-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Focusing on the things that make the biggest difference to your future prosperity.
(Note, although this article was written in early 2002, it is totally relevant. Right now.)
About three weeks ago I was surprised by this headline in the morning paper:
"Fed says September 11th hurt economy."
Wow!
"What did I miss here?" Was this news? USA Today thought it was. I was shocked the Fed saw fit to announce it.
And this week, another one: "NBER Confirms Recession."
Hey, Greenspan! Get out and talk to people. All over the country people tell me that if they break even this year, they'll consider it a win. If that's not a "recession"…
But have you ever wondered what it takes to end a recession? Not the textbook answer: two consecutive quarters of growth. Have you ever wondered what causes those consecutive growth quarters in the first place?
The economy turns up when enough people get tired of the economy being turned down.
Companies need things. They need new people or new services like marketing and sales. Some need new premises or new equipment. You might be saying something like "We really need this or that but we're not spending another dime until the economy gets better."
So we suffer from a cascade effect where you are waiting for someone else to make the first move -- and the economy spirals downward -- getting worse and worse -- until…
Until people begin to say, "I'm tired of this," or "I can't wait anymore," or "Let's get going." And as if by magic people start spending money again, and poof -- the recession's over.
I'm a growth strategist -- I help people figure out the best way to build their businesses and make more money. I'd like to know when this recession will end, but I'm not an economist and that's to difficult a question. Instead, I ask know how much longer can people sit on their duffs before they finally get so tired they have to act again.
I expect early next year people are going to reach that point. Although The Fed just made it official, many businesses turned down in the third quarter of 2000, and haven't picked up since.
Aren't you bored with all the do-nothing? Don't you want to start building your business again? Of course you do. What do you think everybody else thinks?
(Side note: This forecast is right in line with the "professionals" who say the recession will end mid- to late 2002. That will only happen if entrepreneurs and consumers start spending early in the year.)
So what are you going to do about it? What are you personally going to do to end the recession?
What are you going to do to start making money again? (I agree with President Bush. You don't have to put that flag away, but the most patriotic thing you can do right now is start spending money. If enough people take that leap of faith, the global economy will take off like a rocket.)
Are you going to be ready?
Now is a good time to prepare yourself for the next time when people decide to start "doing business" again.
Last month I outlined a way to polish and even rethink your business strategy. Here I will quickly review the critical factors which will insure your success.
A plan designed as a platform for growth and profits must consider each of the following critical success factors:
Money factors: positive cash flow, revenue growth, and profit margins.
Acquiring new customers and/or distributors -- your future.
Customer satisfaction -- how happy are they?
Quality -- how good is your product and service?
Product / service development -- what's new that will increase business with existing customers and attract new ones?
Intellectual capital -- increasing what you know that's profitable.
Productivity -- how efficient are you? How effective?
Strategic relationships -- new sources of business, products and outside revenue.
Employee attraction and retention -- your ability to do extend your reach.
Sustainability -- your personal ability to keep it all going.
For each factor ask these three broad questions.
1. What can you learn from last year's experience in this factor?
What did you do right? What worked? Always start with this question. Why? Because it's positive. That's why! It's shocking how people naturally drift toward the negative. Even when I ask -- verbatim -- what did you do right, more than half the time people respond with something they did wrong.
How can you do more of those "right" things? How can you make them even better? How can you apply what you learned in this area to some other?
Only when you've exhausted this line of questioning ask, what did you do wrong? Not to beat yourself -- to make sure you don't repeat it and discover ways to repair or improve the process.
Next, ask what is missing. What could you add which will improve your effectiveness.
(Effectiveness can be stated as the ratio of OUTPUT to INPUT. Efficiency, on the other hand, is how many INPUT actions you take per unit of time. For instance, you can increase the number of calls you make per hour -- that is an increased efficiency. You can increase the volume of sales for the same number of calls -- that is increased effectiveness.)
Random examples of things that might be missing include consistency in marketing, new products or services, more sales people, a source of new leads, an employee (or a self-) development plan.
2. What are your goals related to this factor?
Setting new goals can, all by itself, transform your business. Your goals should be bold and dynamic -- big enough to inspire you and everyone around you. Goals work best when they are objective and quantifiable. And you must believe they are achievable - regardless of how difficult or impossible they might seem.
Some examples of bold goals: dominate your market niche; double last year's sales; top of the list in prospect mind- share; 100 percent customer repurchases; three new products developed and shipped by mid-year; customer problems solved in half the current time, a career path for each employee, sufficient cash to cover any business emergency.
3. How are you going to achieve these goals?
A successful plan to achieve your goals has several components:
Who will be accountable for each goal? Not you? then which executive? Which managers? What department?
Some factors map directly onto a specific department, like revenue is owned by sales and marketing. But factors like intellectual capital or customer satisfaction - they don't fall clearly into one department.
Even so, someone still has to 'own' the factor. Figure out who. If no single person is accountable - guess what - it won't happen.
Whoever accepts accountability for a specific goal should answer the remaining questions.
What strategies and tactics have a good chance to realize the goal?
If you've set bold objectives, you probably don't yet know how to reach them. That's what makes them bold in the first place. For now, you're going to have to make up some answers and live with the uncertainty.
And while there are no guarantees of success, each target should have an identifiable path with a reasonable probability of getting you there. That path will define one or more initiatives and milestones you can put on a timeline.
What structural and procedural changes will you make relative to this factor?
Some examples are adding two salespeople, or a new assistant. Perhaps you will establish new reporting lines, eliminate paper memos, acquire a competitor, or having a monthly new business quota. Each structural and procedural change will spawn its own initiatives, which you will also time-line.
Does this initiative require new people? Do you need new job descriptions, or add managers? If you have to add people feed all the financial considerations back into your budget.
Taken together, all the factors, goals, accountable parties, initiatives, structural changes, timelines, measures and milestones add up to a strategic plan for the year.
Can you live without addressing every one of these factors?
Of course you can, but can you prosper?
Yes -- you can do that too. But it will be harder.
Let's face it: some companies sell the same product year after year without making any changes. Look at WD-40. They completely own the do-it-yourself lubricant niche --all they have to do is take orders and keep the shelves stocked. But their growth rate was negative 4.6% this past year. Obviously they are neglecting one or more critical factors.
So yes -- you need to consider every critical success factor -- even if you don't do anything about it you have to think about it.
Increase sales but neglect service - what will happen to customer satisfaction? It will probably go down, which will affect repeat sales, your reputation in the market place, and ultimately new sales.
Improve product quality but neglect employee retention? What will happen to quality next year? Likely it will go down. And then what will happen to sales?
As you can see, each factor's improvement synergistically contributes to your company's survivability and prosperity.
Can you do everything at once?
Most businesses don't have the resources for that, so something has to give -- right…
Or you can create another breakthrough.
This time, create a breakthrough in planning -- one which commits you to some level of advancement for every one of the critical factors.
This planning task is not as big as you might think from reading the above. Regardless, you may still think you can't afford the time…
Look - any amateur can grow a business when the economy is going gangbusters, but it takes a purpose, inspiration, and attention to detail to increase profits while the rest of the world is in a recession. Having a strategic plan -- one which considers all the critical success factors - is a sure way to improve the odds in your favor.