Home Based Business Opportunity - Top 3 Mistakes Made When Starting An Internet Home Business

You are ready to jump on the web and make your dream a reality. You want to start an internet home business. This is a great opportunity for you to pursue your dreams and make a profit at the same time, but be wary of the many pitfalls and mistakes that can hinder the success of your home based business opportunity. Here are the top three mistakes that prevent the success of those starting an internet home business.

The first pitfall of starting an internet home business is throwing away your money. You can start your internet business on a shoestring and if you are serious about success then perhaps you should do just that even if you have the means to make a substantial investment. It is all too easy to start throwing money at programs and packages as well as advertising and web developers. Do not spend a dime on any of these things without really thinking it through and checking out all the options. So many of these information packages that cause you double, triple or even quadruple figures include or are made up solely of information already freely available on the internet. Now you may find eventually that you want to invest in some paid information from your chosen guru but until you have ready widely in the field you are in no position to select a guru to follow let alone invest in.

The second pitfall to the success of your home based business opportunity is not thinking your plan through fully and not doing your homework. This can lead directly to the first pitfall as you end up throwing money at solutions to a problem that either may not exist or may actually be an opportunity rather than a problem. The more research you do to understand the opportunity you plan to pursue as well as the mechanics of starting an internet home business then the better prepared you will be to not only create a fully developed plan but execute it as well. There is a wealth of information available on the internet so start doing your homework and thinking and planning for the future of your internet home business.

The final, but perhaps most fatal, pitfall that devastates so many of those starting an internet home business is quite simple -- thinking it will be easy. Starting an internet home business is not arduous but it does involve work. It involves time and effort to research and plan, it requires work to set up, and it requires labor to maintain and grow your home based business opportunity. Depending on your business model and plan not all stages will be similarly labor intensive but you should expect at least some portion to require your time, attention, and effort. Starting an internet home business is not like winning the lottery. It is not free money. You may not need to invest much money but you will need to invest time and effort.

If you can avoid these three pitfalls when starting your internet home business then you can earn quite a substantial payment for the investment of your time and money. You can make your home based business opportunity a success by avoiding these three pitfalls.

By: Deanna Mascle

A Guide To Starting a Home Based Clothing Business

You may just be like many other women out there: you hate trying on clothes at stores. Now, you probably like shopping, but going into these small, poorly lit rooms to try something on is probably something that you dread. And the thought of trying on intimate apparel, like lingerie or swimwear is enough to make you shiver. Today, many stores are changing their return policies, especially with items like swimwear and lingerie, so you are forced to try it on in the store. Well, if you don't like the idea, maybe you should consider starting a home based clothing business.

What exactly is a clothing business, and how do I start my own clothing business are two questions that you might be asking yourself right now. Well, the idea is simple; you have parties with your friends, and sell them the latest clothing, lingerie, or accessories to make them look great. And the best thing is that they can try it on in the comfort of their own home! Clothing businesses are especially great for selling lingerie, because you can see and try different varieties easily and privately.

There are multiple clothing businesses available, paying anywhere from 20-50% commissions on sales. The choice is up to you whether you would like to sell intimate apparel, latest fashions, handbags, jewelry or all of the above.

Nothing sounds more fun than a group of friends getting together and trying on clothes & jewelry. And the kicker is, you are working and earning and income at the same time.

Starting a clothing business is very easy. To start with, find a direct sales clothing company that is a fit for you. A few choices would be Jockey, Jolica or Purse Party. Be sure to do your research so you know exactly what you are getting into. Some questions to ask might be:

1. Is there a startup kit and what are the costs?
2. Are you required to generate a certain level of sales per month?
3. What advertising resources do they offer to help kick-start your business?
4. What kind of support is offered from your upline?
5. Will you have a website to sell products and create additional income?

Once you've done that, start inviting your friends and coworkers to your parties and start counting your cash. If you have a good eye for fashion and trends, you will be great at this home business. You will be able to increase your sales by recommending great products and fashions for your clients to try out. Organization is key to running a successful clothing business. Starting a business will force you to get organized, so you can keep you clients happy and coming back for more.

If you are looking for a great home based business, why not consider starting a home based clothing business! If you love to shop and help others pick out the perfect outfit, this could be a perfect fit for you!

by Mindy Benkert

Niche Marketing with Great Articles

One of the most magnificent qualities of the Internet is that, bybringing the world close together, it enables people who fill onetiny corner of interest to come together, marketing to each other,sharing ideas, and growing as a niche community.

For instance, consider antique marble collecting. I don't know manypeople who collect antique marbles. But if I do a search online, Ican find dozens of sites that specialize in it, many with excellentinformation on their sites, places to trade and sell my antiquemarbles, and tools with which to make my own marbles.

How can you leverage the enormous power of niche marketing?

The best way is by providing your web site with great contentfocused directly at these niche markets. Instead of selling to themasses who are interested in Bono and Coca-cola, sell to those whoare hungry for information and resources concerning their specialinterest.

In order to do this, you must identify yourself as an expert in the field you're targeting.

Becoming A Guru

Gurus are the wise men who sit on the mountains, dispensing advice.You don't have to sit on a mountain but you do need to dispenseadvice if you're going to be a guru. This means you should knowwhat you're talking about.

Online, degrees and education don't mean as much as the informationyou can prove you have. The way you prove your knowledge online isby supplying your website, whether it's a sales website or anetworking one, with great, original, valuable content.

This is great news for anyone who writes well. Despite itspromotion as a great image-based medium, the Internet is primarilya text-based medium.

It delivers pictures, music, and video very well indeed, but mostinformation today is contained in text, and the search engines thatcatalog your website deal in text as well (even the image-basedsearch engines focus on the titles and descriptive text you assignto your pictures and video).

But what if you know your niche market, but don't write well?There's a solution for that too. You can purchase content othershave written for you from www.YourOwnArticles.com, or you can havecontent custom-written for your niche market.

Finding Great Content

There are numerous great places to find content online to add toyour website, and - better yet - you can get the content for free.

Or so it would seem.Sites like GoArticles and Idea Marketers are known as article directories. They provide the service of matching well-written, informative content with webmasters who desperately need it.

The articles are free for the taking, with the caveat that if youdisplay one on your website, you must also cite the article's author and link to his or her website.

Well, free isn't always free. And in this case, when you're tryingto establish yourself as a knowledgeable expert in a niche market, it's likely to undermine your entire purpose.

When you list someone else as the author of an informative articleon your website, you're setting that other person up as the guru onyour website.

And you're even providing this competing guru with the ultimatemarketing tool - a link to his or her website when they've justinterested the customer with an excellent piece of information. Instead of using article directories, you're better off running articles on your website that you can claim as your own. You wantarticles ghostwritten for you, and the way to obtain them is to goto article brokers like www.YourOwnArticles.com.

These companies deal with private label articles, content that youcan claim as your own because all rights to the article have beensold by the author. Instead of advertising someone else as theguru, you've just shown your customers that you, yourself, are theknowledgeable one.

Articles, Newsletters, and Ebooks

Private label articles can be used either as individual articles or content on your website, or they can be used to build newslettersthat you can send out to subscribers.

If you get a nice collection of articles, you can even createebooks to sell or give away to your customers as reference sources.

All of these purposes are valid and intelligent ways to use privatelabel articles, and any of them will drive business to, not awayfrom, your website.

By Cody Moya

Waivasir.com Celebrates "Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day"

If your job often makes you feel tired, burned out, or stressed to the max, try a new bathrobe on for size. February 11, 2008 marked the sixth annual “Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day,” a time to celebrate the freedom home business ownership offers people. Everyday an increasing amount of working parents are waving goodbye to the pressures of the corporate rat race and settling into a more balanced and better quality of life…working from home.

President and CEO Kim Bloom has been working from home as a certified Graduate Virtual Assistant in Bealeton, Virginia since 2006, providing administrative support and other business support services through her company, Waivasir, to Arts and Entertainment professionals and small businesses. "Utilizing today’s technologies, administrative support staff no longer have to work within the confines of the brick and mortar structure. Many Virtual Assistants work from home as business entrepreneurs, graphic and web designers, consultants, coaches and other problem solvers, facilitating solutions for clients locally or globally”, says Bloom. “Best of all, I get to do what I love while balancing my responsibilities as a stay-at-home mom to my 10 month old daughter,” she adds.

Kristie Tamsevicius, co-founder of Webmomz.com, a site that empowers women who have chosen to work from home, views having a home business as the ultimate life balancer. “Some people may think that living and working under the same roof creates more stress, but in fact, just the opposite is true. Working from home gives you the freedom to schedule your work around your life, rather than the other way around. That way you can create a life that you truly love.”

And the home business bug isn’t just biting American workers. People in England, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand are celebrating the power of the bathrobe and taking control of their workday and financial future.

Considering that the average worker spends up to 12 hours a day focused on work-related activities, often skipping lunch due to job demands, it’s no wonder that many people feel out of balance. So for the millions of people who have dreamed about a home based business and the opportunity to finally have some life balance, February 11, 2008 may have been the perfect day to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and map out a new business plan—one that makes the bathrobe your power suit.

On Monday, Webmomz.com held a random drawing for three luxury bathrobes, as well as for a host of other prizes.

Additional information on the festivities held that day and about the WebMomz prizes can be found at www.webmomz.com or by contacting Kristie Tamsevicius at 847-244-8450.

Throughout the month of February, in honor of this event, Waivasir is offering to new clients a one-time 25% discount on the first five hours of Virtual Assistance services when purchasing ten hours or more.

Waivasir, Inc. is an independent service provider of Virtual Assistance and business support services specializing in Arts and Entertainment. Services provided include administrative support, personal assistance, travel research and arrangements, advertising and marketing solutions, graphic and web design. For more information about Waivasir, Inc. and its services, visit the web site at http://www.waivasir.com

Nicolina Ballerina: A New One Stop Online Couture and Home Business Specialty Dog Boutique

Nicolina Ballerina, a one stop online Couture Dog Boutique was founded by Bret Snyder of Utica, NY, and inspired by his little Miniature Pincher, Nicolina, in answer to her need for specialty clothing in the cold climate of upstate NY.

Miniature Pinchers have very little fur and after Nicolina came to live in Mr. Snyder’s home, it was clear that she would actually need clothing to be comfortable. Soon it was also clear to Mr. Snyder that Nicolina was quite the Princess who not only enjoyed the warmth of clothing but strutted around like a fashionista when she was dressed in the fanciest of outfits.

Mr. Snyder, in his search for pretty dresses and warm sweaters for this little girl, soon discovered that there are many difficult to find outlets for couture and specialty dog apparel and was inspired to bring these outlets to the public in one online location.

Nicolina Ballerina, Couture and Specialty Dog Boutique,was begun from this inspiration and now after several months of research and development has opened its online operation with a broad spectrum of canine fashions, beds, leashes, charms, tags and other difficult to find specialty items from several dog couture companies providing convenient online shopping and friendly personalized service for the discerning dog owner.

Nicolina Ballerina is a new and growing company that is continuing to add new products as they are discovered and hopes to carry the very best quality and original canine couture items on the market. Visit Nicolina Ballerina at www.nicolinaballerina.com for your canine fashion needs today.

Direction, Desire and Determination, 3 D`s To Home Business Success

When reviewing home business opportunities you must do a thorough review of the opportunity. Make sure the company has a superior marketing plan as well as exceptional marketing tools to help you succeed in your quest for home business financial freedom.

Press Release Body: When reviewing home business opportunities you must do a
thorough review of the opportunity. Make sure the company has a superior marketing plan as well as exceptional marketing tools to help you succeed in your quest for home business financial freedom.

To make money using the Internet you need to be involved in several different opportunities to be successful – make sure the home business opportunities you choose to pursue have a clear path to success, giving you a definite direction in achieving your home business goals.

Most people fall into one of two categories, those that just think about success and those who have the desire to succeed. Even though every one really wants success in their life, few really take the necessary steps to be successful in life or any type of home business for that matter.

It is so easy to come up with excuse after excuse why you can’t be successful. It
really is a mystery why we can’t take control of our wants and needs. If you just
step up to the plate and take control over your life’s ambitions you’ll see how success is really within reach. If you believe you can achieve, but you must also have the desire to achieve what you believe.

You’ve been provided great direction; you have the desire, so now it’s all downhill, you are going to be successful in your home business and you will make money – right? That may be enough for most, however without determination your chances for success will be far less than someone who has the determination to withstand the hurtles a home business entrepreneur will face.

9 out of 10 home business ventures will fail – why? Many people start a home business with excitement and a desire to be successful – but as soon as the going gets tough, most will lose hope and faith and turn the energy that fueled their home business completely off.

You must go the extra mile, have the passion and determination and success will not be an issue – you will succeed in your home business. Your success should be fueled by your mistakes and failures. Take what you learned from an unsuccessful situation and build on that failure – never give up, never surrender.

A successful person has the endurance to make money with their home business in spite of all the difficulties that will arise. They have no doubt and never wavered no matter what is thrown at them. You must be stubborn and hard willed refusing to cave in when you are at what seems to be the bottom. The power of your determination has most likely never been tapped – we can all be successful at anything, I mean anything if you are stronger than the opposition - failure.

Failure must not be an option – Thomas Edison made 4,999 unsuccessful attempts at creating the perfect light bulb – it was his strong willed determination that finally leads to his successful 5,000th attempt. The list of these types of examples is endless – your determination for success must be endless as well.

You can pursue success and overcome just about any problem, snag, or bump in the road that life has to offer – if you have a strong enough determination. Where there is a will, there is a way. If you waste time wondering “why me” or “why can’t get a break” you will be destined to fail and never have a successful home business.

Nothing worth doing will ever be easy, you can overcome the odds and make money in your home business venture if you have Direction, Desire and Determination – nothing can hold you back with when you have these three ingredients deep within you

By: Jivinder Singh Sabherwal

Team up With Other Work at Home Moms

If you're looking for ways to increase your own business, you might consider working with another work at home Mom in order to give your business more exposure.

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Often referred to as "Joint Ventures", when you team up with another work at home Mom, it creates a way for you to promote your businesses together and share in the profits as well. Maybe you are an expert in online marketing and know another work at home Mom who is a wonderful writer. You could work together on a book about online marketing. Or maybe you know someone who is an expert at podcasting, she could then interview you about your business and together you can sell the audio files. The options that you have are truly limitless when you have two people with great skills.

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If you've been considering an idea for some time but don't know anyone with the skills you're looking for to team up with, just start researching. Visit some forums or online networking groups and simply send them an email and let them know you have seen and like their work and that you'd like to talk about teaming up on a project.

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Whichever method you choose to find someone to team up with, be sure that you talk to several people before making your final decision. You do want your joint project to be a tremendous success after all. See if the person has some sample pieces of work that you can review and be sure that you think you'll work well together as you'll be making some pretty momentous decisions on everything from layout to pricing.

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When you do find the ideal person to work with, be sure that you both fully understand how the work will be shared, what kind of deadlines there will be for each step of the porject, how you'll sell the project online and how the profits will be divided.

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Once you've got one under your belt, don't be afraid to go in search of more joint ventures. Remember, this can be an ongoing money-making process for you if you find the right kinds of people.

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By Kristine Wirth

Starting a Home based Business makes Dollars and Sense

When starting out a home based business as with any business you need to have a dream and be hungry for success in order to achieve that dream. You always have that “idea” (the triggering point) which sparks off in starting a business. However, you also need to have the persistence and motivation to make that business a success. Only this way will you be able to achieve your ultimate goals.

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Your goals may be:

• More time to spend with family & kids
• Independent (be your own boss)
• Working flexible hours
• Savings on expenditure otherwise spent on commuting, office attire etc.

Here are some useful points to keep in mind when starting out or in running your business.

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Be realistic. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to know what these are beforehand. That way you’ll be able to focus on your strengths and minimize weaknesses. As you will be setting out on a life changing mission knowing them at the outset itself will increase your chances of success. Some essential factors needed in order to succeed are self-discipline, the drive to do what it takes, motivation and focus.

Set Goals. Identify your goals clearly. By doing this you will more likely be able to achieve them. These maybe your dreams like having a new car, a house in the country or by the seaside, more time with your family and kids, or even helping others. Whatever they are and no matter how many you may have, make a list of them. It is possible to achieve all of them as far as you don’t lose sight of your goal.

Construct a Business Plan. There goes a saying “if you fail to plan you plan to fail”. Having a business plan is a must. It is simple to construct one. Have an income and expenses statement (you can make an estimate of your income and the expenses that you need to meet). Also make an allowance for any unplanned expenses. (In case of emergencies) in addition to the usual business expenses of stationery, internet, telephone and any other expenses you would incur.

Research and Review. A lot of legitimate options and systems are available to choose from depending on your capabilities and skills. Doing online business is fun however; Working from home requires self- discipline, dedication and professionalism in order to succeed. You work for yourself and by yourself so careful planning is required in order to get things in order.

Plan Your Day. Draw up a time management plan specifying what tasks should be carried out during what times. Document it and stick to it.

An important facet about Legitimate Business Systems is that they come with a Mentor. Absorb whatever you can from the Mentor, be like a sponge and take as much advice as you can. Soak their knowledge up and be ready to act. These people who are ready to mentor you have already made it to the top and made money. They are unselfishly ready to pass on their knowledge on to you - it won’t get any better than this. This is the ultimate opportunity.

Do not give up. Stay focused at all times and stay on track. You are sure to be successful.

Candy Wrappers- A Home Business Success

Tired of commuting daily to office and back? The lack of time you have to spend with your children? Thinking of starting your own home venture? Here is a great home business suggestion – Candy Wrapping!

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Candy wrapping involves covering candy bars with designed over wraps created by you. You would be creating these over wraps to celebrate specific occasions and events such as weddings, birthdays, sports events or even graduation ceremonies. These over wraps would be personalized accordingly to the occasion.

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For example let us assume that a couple is celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. They would contact you to obtain personalized candy bars for their guests, in order to make this occasion more memorable. You would design a special over wrap for this occasion with a personalized message which might read out as “50 Years of Togetherness” and include the name of the couple and their anniversary date.

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To start your own home based candy wrapping venture, no special talent or skills are required. If you have a good artistic sense, basic understanding of ordinary software programs such as Microsoft Word and organization skills, you can fit right into this business. Brushing up on your customer servicing skills and marketing skills would ensure that you obtain a good clientele.

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When considering the equipment required, a computer and a color printer are the essentials. In addition to this a scanner and a digital camera would be useful when incorporating pictures sent by your clients or your own pictures to your designs. To design the layouts of your templates you can either use a basic program such as Microsoft Word or other advance programs such as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, etc.

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In this profession the quality of the paper which you use to print the over wraps play a very important role. There are many types of paper available and you should consider the weight of the paper when purchasing, as the more heavier it gets the more difficult it is to wrap. A paper cutter would be a very useful tool when cutting the designed wrappers to the appropriate size. A glue stick or double sided tape is the last piece of utensil required to place your wrapper in place. Always remember that in this profession you never remove the candy bars original label as this is an important requirement for food products. You only place your wrapper over it.

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You can decide whether you would limit your service up to the designing stage of the over wrap or go all the way up to the wrapping of the candy bar. If your services also include the wrapping stage, you should purchase the candy bars for your clients. Buying them in bulk would reduce your costs but you should purchase it only when you receive an order, since it is not an item which you can keep in storage. When shipping the order, always ensure that the candy bars are wrapped with bubble wrap for protection and it is stored at the correct temperature in order to avoid melting or damage.

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Creation of a business plan is very important no matter how small your venture maybe. It would enable you to keep your business on track and also manage your company growth. Marketing your services is another vital step. The best marketing tool would be your own product. In addition to this you can utilize business cards, flyers or ads.

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The Candy Wrapper Home Business is a fun and quite rewarding business. In addition to making money doing something you enjoy, you can have the satisfaction of creating precious keepsakes for your clients.

YOU are the Most Important Factor in Any MLM Business

Of course there are many important factors in any business; the product, the marketing system, the support team, the payment plan etc. However, the most important factor by far is you. You alone have the power to commit or give in, you have the power to succeed or fail.

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Myth 1: Duplication is as easy as 1,2,3! One of the most important concepts to grasp is that even though a system may be "duplicated," that doesn't meant that the results will be duplicated. Why? The human factor. It takes a lot of hard work, time and dedication to build any business and some people are just going to work harder than others. So even though having a proven system in place is fundamental, just be aware that there are many other factors to take into consideration as well.

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Myth 2: The Completely Automated System There is no such thing as a "completely automated system." It sounds attractive because that's what we all want, reward without sacrifice, but it just isn't true. How could something be completely automated? Even the best website in the world will never be seen unless it is properly marketed. Once again, there will always be one very important variable, you.

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So how can we become dynamic leaders? Of course there are some people who have more of a predisposition to leading than others, but I truly believe that almost everyone can develop themselves into a dynamic leader. It takes discipline, it takes commitment and it takes courage. We need to train ourselves to be leaders. There are three key factors that will deeply affect our leadership abilities. Of course there are many more than three, but if we master these three qualities we will be well on our way to becoming a strong leader.

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The first quality is passion. Have you ever spoken to someone who lacks passion for their business? There is absolutely no way that you will attract dynamic people into your organization if you sound bored. Nobody wants to join a boring business. A strong leader attracts like-minded people through their passion and energy. So, before you speak to anyone in your downline, be sure that you are pumped up. You may have to do 20 pushups or blast your favorite song on the stereo, but do whatever it is that gets you excited before you get on that phone!

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The second quality shared by great leaders is consistency. People want to join a team where they know there is ongoing support and training when they need it. You have to be consistent with your communications to your team, let them know that you are still there and that you care about them and their growing business. This is where many people in the MLM business make a critical mistake, they may be super motivated in the beginning and communicating on a daily basis with their team, but many people lack the discipline to be consistent through the months and years. You will see the negative effects almost as you start to slack off in this business. Remember, you are the motivator to the team, so if you are unmotivated very few members of your team will productive. Be consistent and it will pay off exponentially.

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The third great quality of true leaders is integrity. You have to care more about the team than yourself. For instance, if you are doing some co-op advertising, be sure that you take on the majority of the risk and the minority of the profit. Your team will respect that in you and it will encourage them to do more, to work harder and to pay it forward to their downline. MLM marketing doesn't have to be a dog eat dog world, it should be a highly ethical environment where the team leader is looking out for the group's best interests.

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So there you have it, we can never eliminate the human factor in any business. The human factor is the most important element to any successful venture. If we practice integrity, consistency and passion in both our personal and professional lives, we will experience success and build stronger, healthier relationships.

By Laura Cosse

Furnishing A Functional Home Office

If you are one of the millions of people (and more are being added every year) who work from home or even if you bring work home with you, you need to have a nicely furnished home office. Your plan for the office should be functional and comfortable; you want to combine the "get to work!" feel of the cubical with that relaxed feeling that can only come from working in the home.

Here are a few ideas we put together to help you achieve this.

• Start from the entrance in! Believe it or not, a door can make a huge difference to the feel of your office. W recommend a door with a glass middle. This way, you can shut it for privacy without feeling as though you have lost contact with the rest of your house; catching a glimpse of your kids running by can really lower your stress level. Best of all, you won't have to put up with people knocking if you are on the phone; they can see that you can't be disturbed!
• Buy an ergonomic desk. People who work at home tend to spend a lot of time on their computers, and it is absolutely critical that your desk and your entire computer set up is measured to prevent repetitive motion injuries. I prefer a desk that sits with at least two feet between the edges and the walls on either side, with enough room to slide a chair a little bit back and forth to shake the ideas out. There should also be room on the desk for the tower of your computer; you will probably need to access all those ports at some point, and it can be a real pain to get on the floor to do it every time!
• Get an ergonomic chair! A nicely padded, adjustable chair can make you feel as though you aren't really working at all. In addition, it will help you to avoid future aches and pains.
• Have a bulletin board. In many respects the computer has taken over many of the functions left to office "furniture". They include calendars which can be programmed to remind you of important dates and so on, but they can't keep pictures of your family and friends where you can see them as you work. These can be important parts of getting any working person through the day, so personalize your office a little bit with the addition of a bulletin board.
• Bookcases along the walls. Even if you don't need a lot of books for reference at your job, having books lining the walls definitely gives the home office a professional feel.
• Don't forget the waste paper basket!
  

Those are a few of the ideas that many people incorporate into their home offices which combine for a great combination of the professional and comfortable feels. Of course, some home offices will also include additional furnishing in order to communicate with customers and clients.

By: Leslie Gerard

Starting Your Home Business The Right Way

Even though much has been said on the topic of home business start up procedures, it is still somewhat surprising how much misinformation circulates around the Internet and the marketplace. To dispel some of the myths and also false information, here are the hard facts about starting your home business the right way:

Begin your start up procedure by being very clear about your intent. There is more to starting a business than looking to the profit margin! Narrow down the margin of your business. Will you sell a good or service? Will you provide a service? Will the service take you to others’ homes or will they come to yours? Will your service be done offline or online or both? These are all important questions and ones you need to have the answers to before you get started.

Consider now your expenses. Will you need to create a website, obtain permits or licenses, or maybe purchase supplies? Get an estimate of how much money you will need – realistically – get started. Many times new business owners do not carefully consider the start-up costs as they should. This is a crucial step that can mean the difference between success and failure.

Next, consider the financing. Depending on the amount of money you need, you need to think through the various sources. By and large, maxing out your credit cards or taking out a home equity loan are bad ideas.

Define your target market. Devise a marketing strategy tailored to this market. While it would be nice to have a high powered New York advertising company set up a campaign for you, the funds needed for this endeavor are stellar; make the most of the opportunities you have and stick to your marketing budget.

Prepare yourself for business. You will need a phone number tied to your business endeavor which needs to be different from your home phone. Furthermore, it is wise to also have an online presence. Set specific business hours.

Check up on the competition. While you do not want to copy their marketing or services, it is wise to take a look and see what others are charging for similar services, what they offer, how they perform their duties, and also what the greatest advantage you see to their operations is. Do not seek to imitate them but instead find a way to surpass the competition.

Last but not least, set benchmarks. These are goals which will help you stay on track and at the same time provide a method for an honest assessment of how your business is developing. At the same time, they will prevent you from drifting away from your initial intent and instead help you to focus on fist achieving that which you have set out to accomplish prior to taking on new challenges. Keep in mind that following these steps will not guarantee success. It will, however, give you a fighting chance in an industry where the competition is stiff and staying on track and on the cutting edge is the only way to become and remain profitable.

By: Reuben Van Klaveren

Residual Income Opportunities For Your Home Based Business

Have you ever dreamed of making residual income from a home based business? Would you like to make residual income from the work of others by doing little more than just deposit the money? If you have ever had thoughts along these lines, you will find that the Internet is your best friend! With so many reputable income sources for your home business ideas, you may choose to either operate a bona fide home based business, or simply work from home, even if you are not necessarily running a business. There are many opportunities that permit you to earn a little money for reading emails or taking surveys. Even as you are not operating a home business, you are making money by working from home. Yet if you truly want to make more than just a little pocket money, you will be wise to focus your attention on the residual income opportunities which abound online!

Just like a songwriter will make residual income from a work she or he created years ago every time it is played on the radio today, you can also build a business around an opportunity that will make you money for months and years to come! Finding programs that offer the potential for residual income is easy to do. A simple search with any search engine will bring you literally millions of websites that you can use for your research. Entering a multi-level marketing (MLM) business is of course the best method without question, and choosing a product with a future - such as nutritional supplements - is a winning method for not only finding a product that is in hot demand, but also a great home business startup idea for building a business which many others will be happy to join. As you sell the supplements and make a steady income, you eventually will begin to recruit promising prospects and groom them to become sales people just like you. Eventually, these sales people will go out and make good money selling the supplements, but you will keep a small percentage of their profits for yourself. Find enough recruits, and you will soon make enough money from the profits of your recruits that you can quit selling the product altogether and instead simply focus on recruiting and training new sales people.

In some cases individuals will seek to maximize their "home based business" income opportunities by signing up for several MLM opportunities that fall into the same general area of business. You will shorten your learning curve drastically, streamline your future training times, and thus have the opportunity to truly realize a good return on investment.

Of course, prior to signing on anywhere, you must research the company, product and market. Know what it is you are selling, and whether it is currently in hot demand or if the market is already saturated. In the same way, ensure that you are dealing with a reputable company which will make recruiting others easy and which features a generous compensation plan that will keep the money coming in. In this way you will find the best home based startup business ideas for building residual income.

By: Barbara J. Beddall

Make Money Selling Other People's Products

Commonly known as Affiliate Marketing, the business of selling other people's products is rapidly becoming more and more popular among individuals who seek to operate their own business without the accompanying hassles of inventory management, shipping and collections. All they have to do is introduce the product and generate product sales and someone else will handle all incoming orders, shipping and customer service.

Online this can be done very easily. All that is required of you is to set up a website recommending the product and directing your visitors to the product website. If your referral purchases the product, you receive a commission. Many affiliate programs store cookies (information on your referral's computer) up to a certain number of days which means that even if your referral does not make a purchase immediately, you will still be credited with the sale of the product if they do return to the website at a later date to make a purchase. This also means that if your referral goes back to the website to buy another product from the merchant, you will also be credited with the sale of the second product.

If you already have a website that receives a fair amount of traffic, affiliate marketing could be a business opportunity that you can capitalise on to make some extra cash off your website. A majority of internet businesses either sponsor their own affiliate marketing program or use a separate company to host their affiliate program for them. You, as a website owner, can register to become an affiliate. Although some companies will want to take a look at your site before approving your participation, others will automatically accept you as an affiliate partner.

Once approved, you can begin to promote their products. You will receive a code that identifies your website and tracks any visitors from your site that goes to the merchant's site and places an order. In return for advertising the company's product on your site, you receive a commission on any sales generated from your site. Typically, the ads you place on your website are available as plaint text ads or graphics and are generated by the company or their affiliate marketing hosting service. These text-links and banners contain the tracking code that identifies the customer as having come from your website. So long as the code is identified as yours, the company will know who to credit for the sale.

You can sign up with companies that compliment the topic of your webpage as well as any other topic you might choose. If you sell products or services on your site, it is not advisable to host affiliate ads for companies in which you are competing against. It is also recommended that you change the ads frequently as many companies offer different products or services during different times of the year or for holidays. By keeping your advertisements fresh and in season, you have a better chance of making additional sales for the company and earning more money.

A couple of points to take note of when marketing other people products on your website:

1. Most affiliate links that you receive are written and coded to take your visitor straight from your website to the merchant's website - directing the visitor away from your website. That means if they close the merchant's webpage, they will go back to their default home page. If you modify the code slightly to give the instruction to open the merchant's webpage in a new window, your visitor can return to your website when they are done with the merchant's website. This gives you another opportunity to direct your visitor to another one of your affiliates.
2. Choose your affiliates carefully. If you have family-oriented website, you will want to make sure that none of the ads you place on your site will direct your visitors to sites designed for mature audiences only. Additionally, you should frequently verify that the links you have on your website actually go to the merchant site with which you are affiliated. Company names online can be sold and links altered. You may find your links no longer valid or that your links now point to merchandise that may not meet your family-only criteria.

By: Shen-Li Lee