Tag: home based business

Overcoming The Obstacles Of A Home-Based Business Owner

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When taking the first steps into the world of business, the home-based model is very appealing. While the benefits are obvious, taking this approach can establish a variety of hurdles too. Therefore, it’s essential that you enter the process with a winning plan of action. 

The first step to success, then, is to identify the issues and work out a winning strategy. Here are five issues that need to enter your radar and be tackled head on. 

1| Worried About The Image Of A Residential Address 

First impressions count for everything in business. As such, you do not want something as simple as your contact details let you down. The use of a virtual office address creates the perception of a larger operation based in a CBD. However, the costs are far smaller. Better still, this method also protects your anonymity and privacy. Given that the property is your family home first and a workplace second, this issue cannot be overlooked by any entrepreneur. 

2| Attracting New Clients 

A home-based business will almost always use digital marketing as a part (if not all) of its strategy. While there are many different tools to be used, the role of testimonials is greater than ever. Sadly, the bad reviews carry far greater weight from a prospective client’s perspective. These negative review responses can turn them into an asset for your digital marketing exploits. When supported by a high rating overall, the results can be phenomenal. Do not forget it. 

3| Getting Sales 

As a home-based business, actually completing the transactions can be a difficult task all by itself. A successful website built for eCommerce can impress clients and facilitate the sales. Crucially, though, your site needs to use advanced payment processing. Other platforms such as eBay and Amazon can be utilized to create an additional funnel. When supported by email marketing, social media, and good customer care, conversions should soar. Finally, you must know your niche. 

4| Managing A Team 

Potential problems for a home-based business are often based around communication. But it’s not only the link between brand and client that matters. Managing a team becomes difficult when you can’t have people turn up to your home office. Remote workers and contractors are a great alternative. Thanks to modern tech devices and Apps, staying in touch via real-time communication is easy. Developing your leadership skills can have a positive influence too. Take responsibility. 

5| Handling Stock 

Your home isn’t big enough for tonnes of stock. This is something you need to understand before entering the business world, as it could impact your opportunities. The concept of dropshipping can bring several very beneficial features for cash flow and organization. Another option is to consider a self-storage center. When taking this approach, though, it’s necessary to research any restrictions. Still, regardless of the volume of products, a solution will be available. 

Home-based businesses do require extra attention in various areas. When you get it right, though, the venture will be destined for sustained success.

Building Your Home-Based Business From Scratch

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Building a home-based business takes a lot of time and effort. You might have the passion and professionalism necessary to create your own business, but it takes more than that to achieve success. You need a strong business plan, above all else. Remember, you’re not just an employee anymore – you’re the employer, too. As a freelancer, you have to be able to run your own business, so this is much more than a career. So, let’s talk about what it takes to start building your home-based business from scratch. The following points should help you out.

Find your avenue.

First of all, you have to figure out how you’re going to make money. You might have many skills, but you have to decide which skill you’re going to turn into a profitable business idea. Most importantly, you have to decide which skill you’re going to turn into an exciting business idea. So, your goal is to find your avenue. Perhaps you could sell your old belongings, or perhaps you could write marketing articles for online clients. Some people even use freelancing sites such as Fiverr to sell bizarre services; there are freelancers who sing birthday messages in silly voices and so on. You could also become a blogger to make money from adverts and sponsored deals.

You should make a list of possible business ideas to help you find the right fit. You might want to use skills that you’ve developed in the working world, or you might want to focus on personal skills that you think could be turned into viable business services. Maybe you’re a creative person who could become a freelance photographer, for example. Finding the right avenue is about finding your strengths. Just remember that it should be enjoyable. You’ll struggle to build a successful company if you don’t enjoy what you do. As your business’ sole employee (for the meantime), you’re responsible for its success.

Start shaping your office.

You might have a great business plan and a laptop, so nothing’s stopping you from getting started. However, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a good home office. Your environment has a big effect on the way you think and feel. If you want to build your home-based business from scratch, then you should also start shaping your office from scratch. You might already have a room with a desk that you’ve set aside for your company and its activities, but you need to make it feel professional. It should feel separate to the rest of your house; there needs to be a division between home and work. You might even want to get a skip bin if you’re going to have to declutter the room or even your entire house to make the place look good. Clearing out your old possessions to create a new design for your home-based office could help to freshen up the place.

Research the market.

If you want your home-based business to be successful, then you need to research the market. Your company is entering a competitive landscape, so you need to find your place. That’s why entrepreneurs always talk about gaps in the market. If you can find problems that your competitors haven’t solved, then you’ll have found opportunities to differentiate yourself from other businesses in your industry. Make sure you keep doing your research. Keep talking to existing and potential customers to figure out what they want from companies such as yours.

Freelancing SOS: How To Take Yourself Seriously

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Everybody has the odd expectation that every freelancer works from their bed in their best pajamas. Media have made the unfair PJs cliché popular, creating a world in which freelancers have a relaxed and somewhat lazy approach to life. It’s fair to say that for anybody who’s considering starting an independent career, it will take a lot of time and effort to convince your audience that you’re a professional and respectable expert. 

However, you are your biggest enemy. In a world where freelancing equals PJs work and invisible flexibility, the first person you need to convince that you mean business is yourself. Indeed, the image of freelancing, as advertised by the media, might be compelling at first, but it lacks guidance in terms of how to make the most of your time. When you don’t know anything about how to organize your day and plan your work routine as a solo expert, it’s easy to fall in the trap of the media and believe that working from home makes you lazy. But you need to learn to take yourself seriously first if you want others to follow.

You need a network which believes in you 

If you’re not the most self-confident individual, you are likely to struggle at first to establish yourself as an expert. When you are on your own, it can be daunting to approach the market and introduce yourself as the new professional in town. But you can smooth out self-esteem obstacles by surrounding yourself with people who believe in your skills. Every home-based business needs a reliable network that serves any of the following purposes: advising, cheering, and exchanging. If you happen to find a mentor, you can benefit from their wisdom for guidance. Your close friends and relatives can keep you motivated. Finally, your local business network is the perfect place to share and exchange skills and strategies.

You need a real workplace

Let’s get real; just because the media claim that freelancers work from their bedroom doesn’t mean you have to use your bed as a primary workplace. You need to create for yourself a workstation that encourages you to stay productive. Create a quiet clutter-free nook at home where you can keep your laptop and a desk. Remember to add a few plants for good measure; they boost your concentration by 15%! If home isn’t the place to work, what’s stopping you from using desk share services?  There are plenty of cozy office spaces that rent out desks with all the facilities you need. 

Your brand becomes your identity 

Companies use their unique brand and business culture to define who they are. Solo experts, on the other hand, find it a little more complicated to hide behind a logo. However, determining what your brand is will greatly affect how others perceive your expertise. In a world where there is no shortage of talented creative, your personal brand is a powerful differentiator that conveys your business personality. Creating a brand stops you from being that freelancer in a PJs and lets you become a respectable professional. 

If you’ve worked all of your life in an office environment, taking your first step as an independent professional can be daunting. But you need to build the necessary structure to be taken seriously, firstly by yourself and then by the market.

5 Challenges For Home-Based Businesses

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For many, the idea of working from home is synonymous with freedom. The typical cliché is to work from your bed in your best PJs. In truth, the work life of home-based business owners couldn’t be further from that. Indeed, when you remove the office environment, you can encounter a variety of new and complex challenges that affect both your work routine and your everyday lifestyle at different levels. Perhaps, for home-based workers, the real path to success is to learn how to identify and manage these obstacles before they impact on their health, productivity and earning abilities.

The liberating world of pajama work is nothing but a rose-tinted cliché. Indeed, to benefit from the freedom of your remote arrangement, you need discipline and effective management of tasks and processes. Here are the top 5 obstacles you need to be aware of and prepared to address as you establish your business.

#1. Where does work end?

Picture the scene. Your work commute is only a few seconds, as you make your way from the bedroom to the home office. You don’t even need to worry about what to wear or whether or not to do your hair. Admittedly, while working from home can shorten your prep time in the morning, it comes at a significant disadvantage. You lack closure at the end of the day. While when you’re office-based, you need to leave the office to get back home physically, it’s not something you need to do when you live and work in the same place. Consequently, you can struggle to leave work behind at the end of the day. Sticking to a scheduled time in a separate space is a difficult discipline to develop. Indeed, many home-based workers are tempted to stop working when they’re done for the day. If you’re running a small business, it’s fair to say that you may never be done. Instead, for your sanity, stick to fixed working hours.

#2. Thinking you have to do it by yourself

We get it. You’ve launched your own business, and, consequently, you need to run it alone until you can afford to hire a team. Multitasking is a common approach for home-based business owners, but it’s not half as effective as you might think. For a start, the brain is unable to multitask successfully. Additionally, multitasking implies that you master most business elements and can happily perform all tasks. In truth, you need to delegate some of your jobs if you want to keep your business afloat. Successful solo entrepreneurs rely on outsourcing advisory services to identify areas that can be delivered by external suppliers – such as IT. You can find experts to advise and guide you through your outsourcing journey.

#3. Feeling lonely and sad

Entrepreneurship is a famously solitary journey. For home-based entrepreneurs, the feeling of loneliness can be overwhelming and lead to serious cases of anxiety and depression. With almost a third of sole traders and solo entrepreneurs claiming that isolation is a big problem, you can’t ignore the way working alone affects your mood. You need to create a network of connections you can rely on at the start of your journey. Whether you meet people through online communities or you surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are experiencing the same thing than you, is up to you.

#4. Staying on top of your health

Contrary to the common belief, being at home doesn’t mean you’ve got more time. On the contrary, home-based workers struggle with time management and tend to work longer hours which makes it difficult for them to focus on their health. In an office, you can plan a visit to the gym after working hours. But when you work from home, you might lack movement. However, if you can create a work schedule, you can make time for your workouts. More importantly, you need to stock healthy food only, as one gets easily tempted by sweet treats — if they’re readily available.

#5. Missing the latest trends

Regular training and business talks are an everyday occurrence in an office. At home, keeping up with the latest industry trends can prove difficult – especially as your time is precious. However, to stay relevant in your market, you need to use smart tools to update your knowledge regularly. Google Trends can help you to monitor what your audience is searching and to identify trends on time. Something as simple as tracking social media mentions can provide enlightening insights on what people are talking about.

Working from home is a disruption to the typical office environment. However, it’s a disruption that comes at a cost, your mental and physical health. Looking after yourself and using smart strategies and tools can ensure you remain on top of your field at all times.

Running A Business From Home Is Easier Than Ever Before!

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Many people these days find themselves totally dissatisfied with the standard model of employment, that’s hardly anything new. After all, the standard work-a-day world has had a reputation for sucking the life out of people for as long as it’s existed. For decades, people have dreamt of throwing off the shackles of their employer and striking out on their own. People have always wanted to start their own businesses and take charge of their lives. The big difference now is that it’s something that many people are actually able to do. It truly has never been easier to start your own business. One of the major things that have lowered the barrier to entry when it comes to business is that people are, more than ever, are able to run their businesses from the comfort of their own homes. Where you once might have needed a dedicated office space in order to get your startup off the ground, now you really only need the drive, the time and the inclination. Here are a few reasons why it’s never been easier to run a business from home.

Cloud storage

Running a business comes with the need for a pretty hefty amount of storage. This used to mean purely physical storage but over time that was replaced by digital storage. While digital storage definitely takes up less space than physical storage, not many people have the room (or budget) for a large series of servers to store all of their files and information. This is where cloud storage comes in. Cloud storage is essentially a huge network of online servers that allows you to safely and securely store your data. This means that your files and information are always available without taking up huge amounts of room on your personal servers. Not only does this save you huge amounts of space but will also prevent your servers from slowing down due to the massive drain from trying to accommodate all of that storage.

Virtual office

While a virtual office might sound like something from the future, it is in fact very real and extremely useful. One of the biggest roadblocks that a lot of startups face, especially ones run from home, is that they find it difficult to make customers, clients and investors take them seriously. A lot of people will see that a business is run from home and automatically assume that whoever is running that business is doing it as a hobby and perhaps not really that interested in it. This leads them to assume they won’t get the same level of service that they would expect from a more established company. Services like yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk allow you to present your business in a way that seems far more established. Virtual offices can also include telephone and email services that will make sure that no matter how you are being contacted, your business always seems professional and legitimate.

Of course, none of this means that running your own business is suddenly something easy that everyone in the world can do at the drop of a hat. But it does mean that you don’t have to spend your life stuck in the standard work situation, slowly losing any spark of passions or drive that you once had. Instead, the modern world has allowed people to take control of their lives and their businesses.

Maintaining Financial Health As A Non-Profit Organization

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The uneducated might believe that a non-profit organization enjoys less financial strain, but you know the truth. If anything, your business has an even greater need to keep the monetary situation in good health. Without it, you’ll be unable to satisfy the company’s mission statement, meaning the entire venture is a failure.

So, without actively relying on selling products, how can you be sure to keep your finances in good health? Here’s all you need to know about keeping the finances in good health for years to come.

Keep Costs Down

As a non-profit organization, the need to spend money in a sensible fashion is huge. While you cannot fight the fact that there will be overheads along the way, cutting out the waste should be a priority. 

Depending on the size of the business, it may be possible to run the operation from home. This instantly bypasses a lot of the crippling expenses, especially in those early days. Furthermore, modern technology allows you to build a team of remote-based workers. In many cases, this will reduce the direct staffing costs as well as the operational ones.

As a non-profit company, it may be possible to negotiate special concessions on business insurances and other expenses. It’s always worth conducting a little research and asking a few questions when speaking to your providers.

Get More Financial Backing   

Your non-profit business will live and die by its ability to gain financial background from the public. Private investments and support are a great starting point, but it’s the average Joe on the street that can truly provide stability. 

In truth, your current endeavors are probably bringing very limited results. Visiting globalfacesdirect.com will help you revolutionize this part of the venture. Aside from increasing the funds gained by the operation, it’ll allow you to dedicate more time to the tasks that will actively drive the venture on.

Non-profit businesses may also be open to special grants. This is particularly true when working on something that helps the local area or supports a worthy cause. Once again, though, only you can take charge of the situation. A few phone calls should open your eyes to the various possibilities.

Make Financial Management A Key Focus

Many non-profits fall into the trap of keeping financial management separate from the primary focus of the business. However, the accounts will influence every aspect of the operation. Maintaining a link between this department and the others can transform everything for the better.

Incorporating accounts receivable software can make a world of difference. Head to softwareadvice.com to discover the best solutions for your non-profit firm, and you’ll soon see that the whole venture runs more smoothly. This collaboration of departments should aid the overall financial management, and keep you on track.

While money might not be the company’s main incentive, you cannot afford to fall into the trap of treating financial health as a secondary concern. Ensure that you pay it the attention it deserves with greater integration, and you will not regret it.