Category: Be Your Own Boss

Five Signs Of A Legitimate Home Business Opportunity

Are you actively seeking out a legitimate home business opportunity? If so, you’re probably concerned about avoiding those options that are not on the “up and up”.

Here, we’ve compiled the top five signs of a legitimate home business opportunity to help you weed out the good from the bad.

#5: References are Readily Available

Any legitimate home business opportunity that you explore should be able to provide you with references from other franchisees or owners. Without such contacts, it would be quite difficult (if not impossible) for you to gauge what working with the business will be like.

Always ask for a list of at least five references; a legitimate home business opportunity won’t hesitate to comply. And make sure to follow-up with each person, asking pertinent questions about the organization and writing down each answer.

#4: Every Aspect of Ownership is Spelled Out

If you’re unclear about any aspect of the company, then you might not be working with a legitimate home business opportunity. Many shady operators work on the Internet, and they are quite adept at giving you only half the story.

A legitimate home business opportunity will spell out all the relevant data for you from the get-go. Consequently, you won’t be shocked down the road.

#3: You Can Talk to a Live Person

Even if you’re planning on embarking on a legitimate home business opportunity via the Internet, you still should always be able to connect with a real person.

This is a critical aspect of a legitimate home business opportunity, because sometimes emergencies arise, and email just isn’t fast enough. If you cannot ever “get through” to an individual, or if you seem to be getting the “run around” when you do, be warned – this is probably not a legitimate home business opportunity.

#2: There is a Proven Track Record

Though every legitimate home business opportunity was once a start-up, most now have proven track records that they are more than happy to share with you.

If you’re looking into an organization and thinking about investing money, make certain that you know how well it has performed in the past. And if that information isn’t available (or you feel it’s been “doctored”), run away!

#1: You Are Offered Support

Finally, one of the most important signs of a legitimate home business opportunity is the offer of mentorship and support.

Most of the legitimate home business opportunity franchises partner you with other successful investors, thereby creating a net of encouragement and ideas. This enables you to blossom and the legitimate home business opportunity to thrive on all levels.

By carefully doing a little investigation work, you’ll find the perfect legitimate home business opportunity for you!

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

Exploring Unique Ways To Make Money At Home

Many people are interested in a work at home business idea outside of the confines of selling products or hosting home parties. There are definitely many unique ways to bring home money without resorting to a conventional or well-known work at home business idea.

Telecommuting jobs are one popular work at home business idea. Basically, a telecommuting job is a job in which the employer allows the employee to work from home. Many of the most sought after jobs of this type tend to be in the areas of data entry or internet research, but there are many various ways in which one can telecommute as a work at home business idea.

With the advance of the internet, another work at home business idea that sometimes is profitable is being a mediator for an online chat room or web discussion board. It would be wise to first gain experience by trying your hand at moderating one or two sites as an unpaid position. Then, once you feel you are familiar and generally qualified, you can start looking for a work at home business idea online such as moderating existing discussion boards or chat rooms.

Another work at home business idea is freelance writing. This does require a fair amount of skill, but if you have a talent for writing, there are ways to turn this into a work at home business idea. Many websites are looking for article content from freelance writers for websites, blogs and e-zines, and this is another work at home business idea that has proved profitable for savvy writers.

Medical billing or transcription is another work at home business idea that is a fantastic solution for those who would like to run their business from home. This is another work at home business idea that usually requires some type of training. There are many courses that charge large amounts of money, and some of these are also fraudulent operations designed to target those looking for a work at home business idea. If you are interested in medical billing or transcription as a work at home business idea, it may be more beneficial to check with your local college and see if there are any classes offered.

Additionally, if you are looking for a work at home business idea, it might be worthwhile to find internet bulletin boards that allow you to post your resume online. This can lead to a work at home business idea through the contact information and qualifications you have specified on the internet.

Because the internet is such a busy place where many people are looking for a work at home business idea, it is helpful to spend some time each day devoted to your search for the best possible job. This way, you will be able to take your time, sort through any potentially fraudulent job claims, and observe how legitimately hiring companies work. Don’t be discouraged if it seems that every other work at home business idea you see does not measure up to what you would like. The good jobs do tend to be more rare, but there is a work at home business idea out there that will work perfectly for you!

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

Driven By Or Just Driven?

“Drive thy business or it will drive thee,” states Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard’s Almanac. Every great business started in the heart of a hopeful individual and then at the meeting table of important people, be they a husband and wife at the dinner table or a group of business people at a bar with cocktails. Eventually the idea blossomed into a genuine business, usually in a small office in the back of a home and eventually into a separate building in the heart of a business district. The successful business, though, first began as a successful home business. Those who created made it successful with a few basic skills.

First and foremost, hard work characterizes the successful home business. Just because an individual now works from home does not mean he has the right to sleep in until noon. The most successful home businesses owners distinguish themselves with their work ethic. They wake up early and maintain a strict schedule of opening their “office” at a specific time and even closing it at a specific time. The discipline that characterizes a successful business also characterizes the successful home business.

The strong desire for success also characterizes the successful home business. The driven individual will succeed at a home-based business adventure because his desire to succeed will lead him to basically do whatever he must to make his business succeed. His desire comes from the drive to simply succeed at whatever he does and prove to the world that he can make this business venture work. Furthermore, if he truly believes in his product, he has the drive to make the business work because he indeed believes he will contribute something great to the world.

The drive or desire leads to the willingness to sacrifice to make the home business a success. Many individuals are willing to sacrifice time and finances to make their home business work. Some empty their savings account because of their belief in the home business idea, and others work tirelessly, giving up previous recreational pursuits for the sake of the business. They see a glorious picture at the end of the hard road they are treading, and they thus willing sacrifice just about anything to reach that glorious end.

Prudence pairs itself with desire and sacrifice in the heart of a successful home business owner. This aspiring entrepreneur understands that in order to become wise, he must listen to wise people and do what wise and successful people do. This means growing his business slowly. Those businesses which grow too fast often crumble because they lack that solid foundation that only the business owner can build. Thus a successful home business will grow steadily but slowly, never jumping head by leaps and bounds. Instead, the business owner will strive to make wise business decisions everyday and stick with whatever short term and long term growth plans he has established.

Ultimately, the home business owner determines the success of his company. His desire, willingness to sacrifice, and even acquired wisdom will either help him to grow a successful business or hinder him from succeeding. He must establish disciplined habits early on and keep his eye on the end product, and in the end, he will find himself the owner of a successful company.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

5 Ways A Home Business Can Make One’s Life Easier

Home businesses come in many different shapes, sizes and forms. These types of businesses provide individuals with an alternative to the office job setting and provide various freedoms to the business owners as well. In fact, there are five often-cited ways in which a home business can make one’s life easier overall.

Child Care Issues

Perhaps one of the most often cited features of a home business which can make one’s life easier is that by owning a home business, individuals are able to work while staying at home with their children. This makes the need for daily child care a nonexistent factor. Although some individuals who work from home still opt for putting their kids in daycare, having a home business does make doing without child care a possibility.

Transportation Issues

Another way which home businesses can make a business owner’s life that much easier relates to transportation issues. When owning a home business, one can conduct their daily business affairs from the convenience of their home office. This gets rid of the need for commuting to an office each day and putting mileage on the car, not to mention paying costly gas bills. It is also a time saver with regard to not having to commute to and from work which is also a highly regarded trait of owning a home business.

Tax Deductions

One who has a home business is also able to reap the benefits of multiple tax deductions and incentives which may be available to them. Using a home office enables a business owner to save money in the long run by seeing deductions on their annual tax returns. Although this only happens once a year, the rewards are often quite good for home business owners who operate their business out of their home office.

Being Your Own Boss

An additional incentive for home business owners is that they are their own boss. This is a wonderful thing to consider. No more bossy employers enforcing strict, unyielding schedules. Being your own boss is a sure way to make one’s life easier. One can work when they want to, take a break if they like and pursue their occupation in the manner which they see fit.

Reduce Overhead This Way

Lastly, an individual who runs a business out of their home will often find that their life is made easier by saving themselves money in the end. As opposed to those individuals who own businesses which are run out of separate offices, home business owners will see large reductions in overhead. Making use of the home as a workspace is a great way to make life easier on the individual and their wallet.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

5 Tips To Know If You Have What It Takes To Start A Home Based Business

You may see, hear, and read a lot of people constantly raving about the numerous wonders of a home based business but in reality, starting and managing one isn’t immediately a bed of roses. In some cases, having a home based business is easier than having a business in traditional settings, but in some cases, it’s absolutely the other way around.

Tip #1 You Still Need the M’s for a Home Based Business

The only difference is that there’s no need for you to pay for rent and possibly, you’ll have lower business costs because your business is based at home. But other than that, the process of starting up and the necessary factors of production are still the same.

Money – It’s rarely possible, if at all, to start a home based business without spending even a dollar for investment and pre-operating costs.

Material – If your home based business is selling products and not services then you’ll still have to ensure that you’ve got the best materials to produce the best products in the market.

Manpower – For a home based business, you can usually make use of family members – even your kids – to help out and provide the necessary labor for the business.

Machinery – Usually, a home based business selling services online can function with a computer and Internet access, but if you’re selling products, you’ll naturally need other additional equipment.

Tip #2 You Still Need to Register Your Home Based Business

The fact that you have a business based or you’re working from home doesn’t exempt you from your obligation to pay taxes. You can, however, apply for tax deductions that you may be eligible for due to your home based business.

To qualify for tax deductions, you need to prove that one part of your home is indeed used primarily and exclusively for operating your business. Secondly, if ever personal meetings with your clients, suppliers, and affiliates are required, you use that particular section of your home for such purposes.

Tip #3 Products, Services, or Both?

A home based business may sell products, services, or both. The success of your home based business definitely depends on how marketable your products or services are. Consider the following factors:

Quality – How does the quality of your products or services fare compared to those manufactured or provided by your competitors?

Cost – How much are you selling them for? Since you’re operating a home-based business, you should take advantage of your situation and use it to lower the price of whatever you’re selling. Lowering your price is something you can afford to do because you have lower costs, and it will at the same time allow you to compete against bigger retailers on the same ground.

Tip #4 Online, Offline, or Both?

The success of your home based business will also depend on how you should to advertise about your business. If, for instance, you’re selling home baked cookies, you’ll probably achieve greater profit by focusing mostly on selling to your neighbors and acquaintances in the area then advertising online on the sides. Setting up a home based web designing business on the other hand would certainly benefit more from online advertising.

Tip #5 Are You Good at Waiting?

A home based business will also take time to prove its profitability and stability. Thus, make sure that you’re willing to wait for your business to grow. There are any number of hurdles that your home based business might face in the future but you need to be prepared to face all of them if you wish to succeed.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

10 Tips to Succeed in Your Legitimate Home Business

Virtually everyone would jump at the chance to start a legitimate home business so they could work at home and attain financial freedom. But not everyone has what it takes to transform a home business opportunity into financial success. Here are ten tips that will help you achieve your personal and financial goals through running your own legitimate home business.

1. Secure your start-up funds. Any successful business owner will tell you that you need to invest money in your business in order to make money. A home business is no exception. Expect to spend a maximum of $5,000 for a legitimate home business opportunity. If the opportunity is sound, you should be able to get back your initial investment within a matter of days or weeks, but you do need that initial investment.

2. Get high-speed Internet. If you don’t already have DSL or a broadband Internet connection, you should have it installed. The best home business opportunities are Internet based, so you need reliable and speedy Internet access.

3. Find the right opportunity. Like every other person, you have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Find a legitimate home business that draws on your strengths. If you aren’t a salesperson, for example, stick with a home business that doesn’t require you to make cold calls.

4. Get support. Launching your own business can be a daunting prospect, so be sure that you have the support you need. Look to family members and friends for encouragement, and look to the company with which you affiliate to provide you with a sense of community.

5. Take advantage of available resources. Unless you are a seasoned entrepreneur, you probably aren’t aware of the nuances of running a business. The home business opportunity you choose should have a number of resources available to you, so take advantage of them. These resources might include a back office set-up, daily or weekly conference calls, and online tutorials.

6. Key in on marketing. The success of any business, whether a brick-and-mortar store or an Internet-based business, is marketing. The bottom line is, if people don’t know about your business, you’ll never turn a profit. Take full advantage of the marketing tools and advice that you’re provided.

7. Set up a work schedule. The wonderful thing about being able to work at home is the flexibility that comes with it. However, setting your own work hours doesn’t mean that you don’t have to work. It’s helpful – particularly when you’re starting out, to schedule your work hours as though you were going in to a “regular job.” In doing this, you’ll ensure that you put in the time necessary to make your business succeed.

8. Minimize any distractions. If you’ve never worked from home before, it’s easy to divert your attention from the task at hand. While you’re working, close the doors of your home office, turn down the ringer on your home phone, and vow not to check your personal email. Forget the laundry and the errands, and concentrate on your business.

9. Keep good records. It may not seem important know, but come tax time, you’ll need financial records of all of the expenses and income associated with your home business opportunity. Some people use a spreadsheet, while others use special accounting software. Either way, keep track of everything, and keep your receipts.

10. Have fun! Having the knowledge that you’re working toward your financial freedom while being able to work at home in a legitimate home business is incredibly rewarding. Always keep your goals in mind, and have fun creating a stable future for you and your family.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

The Challenges and reality for Babyboomers as they get close to retirement

Have the challenges of the Babyboomer generation made it impossible to retire?

According to Gallup article, babyboomers still work even though they are eligible for retirement.

Although the first wave of boomers became eligible for early retirement under Social Security about six years ago, the generation still constitutes about one-third (31%) of the workforce, similar to percentages for millennials (33%) and Generation X (32%). via Many Baby Boomers Reluctant to Retire | Gallup

So, why aren’t more Babyboomers retiring?  Well, besides the normal challenges of increased cost of living there are other expenses that were not considered:

For example,

12798668haSU0

Medical expenses for themselves or their family members

When we were younger , did we think that we’d have to pay $10,000 for dentures?

Lack affordable health insurance plans, rising medical costs in general, long wait time for procedures and the massive explosion of the babyboomer population entering the years where they will need more health care, the rising phenomenon of medical tourism also called medical travel or international health travel via Medical Tourism Being Seen as an Alternative To Obamacare

Inconsiderate planning for retirement

Did you have training when you were younger on how to save for your retirement?

Over half of over 55s who currently earn £20k – £30k have saved less than £30k for their retirement. This translates to an income of around £165 per month. Yet despite this, almost a quarter of people (23%) in this category anticipate a retirement they describe as “comfortable”, demonstrating a dramatic difference between what they are used to and what they might actually afford. via Babyboomers reinvent retirement pJ 

Unexpected support of family members

When you were young did you know that besides supporting your children, you would be supporting your parents as they got older? It is not usually planned that you will be the caregiver of your parents. 

The number of older people with intense care needs will outstrip the supply of informal care from family members in 2017, with the consequent ‘care gap’ affecting as many as 230,000 people by 2030. via Thousands won’t be able to rely on family in old age. We need a contingency plan

Little did you know that when you had your children graduate from college that due to the economy and or cost of living, they return to your house a few times to live. Your children want a life of their own but the uncertain economy has made them return to their family home.

 

In the past decade and a half, according to the Economist, about 3.2 million 20- to 34-year-olds have gone back to live with mum and dad via Let’s see some babyboomer rage about Generation Jobless

Many seniors are realizing that what they’ve saved for retirement years isn’t going to be enough to support them and even provide them with necessities – much less the luxuries they’d like to enjoy.

That’s why so many seniors are building online businesses well before the retirement party. One of the benefits of building a part time business in your spare time before you retire is that you’ll already have an income and it can increase as your business grows.

Having a second business to pursue after retirement keeps your mind sharp and you won’t ever get bored if you’re committed to your business pursuits. But this time you can set your own hours and only answer to yourself as the boss!

 

How You Can Become a Virtual Assistant

Becoming a virtual assistant isn’t like finding a job. It’s like becoming the CEO of your own business. Instead of a resume, you’ll need a website and a filled-out LinkedIn profile with a full portfolio of examples of what you can do for the client. To become a VA you will need to have a deep understanding of how it works, and who you want to work with.

* Choose Your Niche – Who do you want to work with the most, and what skills do you offer them that they need? Do you want to work with speakers and help organize webinars or in-person events? If you have skills in that area, you can do that virtually. Technology has enabled us to do all kinds of things without being there in person.

* Develop Your Skills – If you want to service certain people, such as coaches for example, and there are services that they need that you don’t know how to do yet, you can learn. In fact, there are enormous opportunities to learn. For example, any software you’d like to learn, you can seek information about training directly from them.

* Name Your Business – Choose a name with the future in mind. If you want to be the name and face of your business, use your own name, but if you want to be able to sell your business in the future without you having to keep working, consider giving a more niche-focused name that can transfer.

* Get Legal – Once you’ve picked a business name, you’ll need to find out how to set yourself up legally in your local community. Some places require licenses for county, city, and state. Others do not. You can check with your county office, or a local SCORE.org office, or even your local community college for information about that. At the least get an EIN free from the IRS if you’re in the USA.

Link to get EIN – http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/How-to-Apply-for-an-EIN

* Set Up Financials – Determine how you’re going to do your billing, and keep track of your income and expenses. There are many free and paid software programs, and you can also use a spreadsheet. Some software to look at is GoDaddy Bookkeeping, Waveapps.com, and QuickBooks.

Links:
GoDaddy Bookkeeping – http://www.godaddy.com/Online_Bookkeeping
Waveapps – https://www.waveapps.com/
QuickBooks – http://www.intuit.co.uk/

* Determine Your Rates – You can bill hourly or you can bill by project, or a combination of the two. It’s important to have an understanding of what you will bill for each thing because that’s how you’ll become profitable. Don’t set your rates too low, because you’ll have overheads. A good way to figure out rates is to determine what you need to earn per year to live plus have some fun, and divide that by how many billable hours you have room for.

* Build a Website – Do not build a free website. Use a good service like NewRainmaker.com, or self-hosted WordPress.org to make a professional website. There are people you can outsource this to for about $500 and up depending, on what you want in your website.

Link to New Rainmaker – http://my.newrainmaker.com/portal/

* Promote Yourself – The final component of becoming a VA is to start promoting yourself as a VA. Use social media, networking in person and online, and every means at your disposal to get the word out about your business.

Anyone who sets their mind to becoming VA can do so. The industry is wide open and needs a variety of people with different skills to serve all the people who need someone to partner with them in their business.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

Pros and Cons of Working for Yourself

Working for yourself isn’t all plusses. Sometimes there are huge minuses. It’s up to you to determine whether the plusses outweigh the minuses. But, it’s good for you to know in advance what the pros and cons of working for yourself are so that you can be realistic about what you’re getting yourself into.

Cons:

* Work and Home Life Often Collide – Due to the lack of regimen, and no clear delineation of work versus time off, you’ll find yourself working odd hours to accommodate the needs of your family; thus feeling as if you never have a day off.

* You’ll Do a Lot of Work for Free – Much of the work you do for your business is not billable, therefore will feel like free work until you start making a profit. It can be hard to push yourself to do things that aren’t producing income right now, but you must push through so that you can keep your business running smoothly.

* Family Will Ask You to Do Stuff (since you’re not doing anything) – Not just family, but sometimes friends will start to depend on you being there for them for everything. They’ll ask you to do their chores like watching their sick kid so they can go to work. Your spouse and children will stop helping out around the house as much, since you’re there anyway. It never ends.

* You’ll Crave Being out of the House – Sometimes, when you go out, as you’re on your way home you’ll get the distinct feeling you’re going to jail. You will want to do anything but go home, even grocery shop.

* Stuff Will Distract You – Without supervision, even the most studious and organized individual can go off the rails due to the internet, television and stuff that is around to distract you from work. It’s up to you and only you to set up a good working schedule to help you avoid this.

Pros:

* No More Living by the Clock – If you arrange your business right you can wake up naturally without an alarm forcing you to get up when your body isn’t ready. You can also go to bed when you want to as well. It’s freedom not to always live by the clock.

* No More Traffic Jams – One of the best perks is not having to be caught in a traffic jam during rush hour when you need to pee. You won’t have to do that anymore and it will be a relief, most especially on bad weather days when everyone else has to trudge through the snow or the heat wave.

* Fewer Work-Related Interruptions – Office chatter can get overwhelming at times and it can be difficult to get work done due to it. Not to mention office meetings. Be honest, did you ever really get work done due to a meeting? During the meeting you’re thinking about how you could be getting work done right now instead of talking about it.

* You Really Can Work in Your PJs – Oh yes you can. You can wear PJs, yoga pants, or a moo-moo; no one cares. You can even get inspired right out of the shower and work naked if you want to. It’s your business and your house.

* A Flexible Schedule – If you have a parent-teacher meeting you don’t have to ask permission to go. If you want to get your hair done, go for it. Whatever you want to do during the day is up to you as long as you find time to also get your work done so you can get paid. Your schedule is your own.

* You Can Eat Healthier – Going out to work often causes everyone to eat out for lunch five days a week. That can not only be super expensive, but it is also very unhealthy for everyone to do it. Now you can prepare healthy lunches for yourself or eat leftovers from dinner the night before. Save money, and save your life.

Working from home offers many benefits and even a few drawbacks. It’s up to you to determine if you have the personality for it. You’ll need to rein in family and friends who want to take advantage of you, as well as yourself, to stay on track for creating a healthy and profitable home business.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags:

How to Find Your Place in an Entrepreneur World

Deciding to become an entrepreneur is just the beginning. You know you want to own your own business and control your fate, but you’re not yet sure exactly what it is that you should do. Thankfully, by answering the following questions you can narrow down your choices and finally find your place in an entrepreneur world.

What are your interests?

While you don’t need to be an expert in the business you choose to start, it will help you get ahead of the game if you have some interest in it already. If you have a passion for it, all the better for you. What’s more, if you are actually an audience member for your business idea, then that’s even better because you will already have a lot of the information you need to get started.

How much starting capital do you have?

Don’t panic if you have nothing to get started, but it’s good to be accurate and know what you have. Figure out if there are things you can sell quickly to gather some money to get started. If you have a number in mind then you’ll know which business ideas are out of bounds and which ones you can truly make happen. This is not the time for pie-in-the-sky thinking; this is a time to be realistic.

What skills do you have?

Even if you’re not sure yet what you want to do, identify your skills. Do you enjoy people? If so, what kind of people do you like the most and who would you like working with the most? Often starting with your target audience is the best way to choose a business. If you can narrow down your skill level and the type of people you want to work with, you can get far in choosing a business to start.

What skills can you buy?

When you start a business it’s important to realize that you cannot (and should not) do everything. If your budget is super tight you might have to start with what you know instead of what you can buy. However, knowing what you can buy will help you imagine the future as your business grows.

What skills should you learn?

If you’ve realized you have holes in your skill level, are they skills you can learn? If something has come to mind that needs licensure, can you get it? How long will it take? What will it cost? How will you get to the class; are they online or offline?

What resources do you have?

Some of the resources you already have might be a computer, internet access, and even your skills and people that you know. Make a list of any resource, be it a person, place or thing that can help you reach your business ownership goals.

What resources do you need?

As you listed resources you have, you likely came up with some resources you do not have but need. Don’t panic; just make the list and think about listing them in order of “must have” to just “want to have.”

What type of personality do you have?

Are you a loner? Do you enjoy spending long hours in front of your computer or would you like to do something that is more active? Do you like being with a certain type of person? Are you a morning person or a night person? When you identify how you work best and whom you work best with, it will help narrow down your choices.

What is your risk toleration level?

Everyone has a certain level of risk aversion. One way to look at it is to ask: how much can you stand to lose without destroying your marriage, losing your home, or giving up time with your children? If you have a low tolerance for risk, you may not want to become a day trader.

How much time do you have to devote?

If you currently have a job that you have to go to, and want to start a business part time, it’s important to still identify how much time you can realistically devote to getting a business off the ground right now. Even if it’s just two hours a night after dinner, there is something you can do to start a business. But, the amount of time, along with the other information you’ve gathered will help narrow down your choices.

Answering these questions can help you determine the area you should enter into as an entrepreneur. Giving the next steps after your self-evaluation a lot of thought and consideration as you craft a plan of action will ensure your success today and in the future.

Categories: Be Your Own Boss Tags: Tags: