There are a large range of choices when you start: start from scratch, buy a franchise, buy an existing business.
Now what about home businesses?
The benefits of starting a home business are many:
– convenient: no commuting, can work in your time and very flexible, wide range of possibilities
– can be done in your own time while you still have a job
– no employees, less compliance and administration
– no expenditures and can be low starting cost (as opposed to expensive franchise or existing business or brick and mortar businesses). Bear in mind though any business requires some form of investment and little things add up quickly
– some can actually provide good income, BUT do not be fooled like any business big income will mean hard work at the start in most cases
some recent stats showed that a decent part of incomes generated by small and micro businesses in Australia is coming from stay at home mums who produce some income to support the family.
The downside:
– you can become insular and you need to be self motivated. That is not given to everyone and it can be difficult when there is a difficult time to face in the business
– no team environment: harder to learn, to motivate each other, to stay at the top of your game is always harder when on your own
– the scope is not always as big as for some other more traditional businesses where you can delegate and or leverage, but some do well. as usual it has a lot to do with the owner
– most importantly there is a lot of junk out there and people who are not very experienced can burn capital or energy in things that make it more challenging
– a lot of home business opportunities sell dreams and emotions and misconceptions like you will make money while you sleep. Yes that can happen but before it gets to there you’ll need to DO things. Too good to be true is usually right
– difficulty to address some large corporations or markets which do not really like to do business with people in their pyjamas, however internet, virtual offices and so on can cater for that problem
If you want to hear more make sure to visit regularly my posts on my site. I will cover other categories of business depending on comment on my posts to address the most burning topics and questions…
Accounting is one the most commonly outsourced competencies in small business. Busy entrepreneurs either don’t want to spend the time or aren’t confident in handling the books and decide it is easier to have an in-house bookkeeper or professional accountant in charge. It is also very common for these same entrepreneurs to pay dearly for that decision.
Accounting is the function that records the financial history of the business. Managed correctly, it provides an accurate record of money in and money out, such that it is easy to identify many internal problems through the financial reports produced by these records. Managed incorrectly, it is a waste of time, a misleading mess of false information, and potentially the difference between the ultimate success or failure of the organization.
Like any other profession, there are certainly tricks of the accounting trade that are best managed by, well, the professionals. But the fundamentals of accounting should be familiar to every entrepreneur. The way your books are set up and the accounts that are used to track income and expenses should be well known to the business owner, such that you could take over the tasks if necessary (or at least train a new bookkeeper).
The position of bookkeeper in a small business is the number one opportunity for don’t assume that just because your bookkeeper is “like family” that they won’t rip you off. It happens all the time. There are a million reasons that people skim cash from their workplace, and not all of those folks are hardened criminals. The best way to avoid any potential of employees or contractors stealing from you is to understand what is going on with your accounting system. Embezzlement is far easier for an employee or outsource professional who holds all the ‘t let someone else set up and manage your books on their own. At an absolute minimum, sit side-by-side with your bookkeeper or accountant while the accounts are established and make sure you absolutely understand every line.
In addition, accounting must be completely accurate to be useful. In many cases, business owners rely on periodic financial reports from the bookkeeper to assess the health of the venture. However, if the books are not kept correctly (all entries correctly assigned to appropriate categories, entries checked for accuracy), the reports are completely useless. And, should you need to secure second round financing, you could spend up to thousands of dollars to hire an accountant to clean up the books before a bank will even talk to you.
There are all kinds of horror stories that start with the business owner relinquishing all responsibility for their own accounting system. Embezzlement is a common one, as are tax problems and employee issues. One business owner in Chicago learned the hard way not to trust others with every detail of his accounting system. After 13 years in business, his home theater installation venture was growing at a steady pace. When the recession hit, the owner reviewed his financial statements …
Are you tired of working for someone else? Have you been wishing you had more freedom and flexibility to work your day around your family or other responsibilities? Have you been considering starting a small business? Well, it is possible. There are more and more opportunities for people to live the American dream and make their hopes a reality. And there are many opportunities for prospective business owners to get the funding that they need to get their small business going.
Start up money is the biggest concern, and it is possible to obtain the start up from state grants through the government. There are also plenty of investors looking for a good place to put their money. And finally there are prior owners of businesses that will, in many cases, work with a prospective business owner to help them get established, take over the business, and have a set time period of which they will need to pay the business off in full.
But there are many small businesses that do not require much start up costs at all. Many businesses can be maintained and be run out of your own home. In this dot com age, there are many businesses that just require you to have a computer and a business license. If you have skills or talents that you can market, then it really will just be the marketing costs to get the word out there that you are in the business. Be creative with your marketing too and that will help keep costs down. For example if your business is an online business, then many other online businesses that are non competing will allow a reciprocal link to your site from theirs. This is a great way for online companies to help each other while helping themselves.
Once you have your small business going you want to have established clear cut goals for growth. Fortunately, there are many computer software programs that are designed for this very thing. Everything from payroll, to budget, to customer base for mail-outs can be found on good software that is made for the small business owner. Staying on top of what is going on with your business is key to your success. Write a mission statement before you even begin, post it where you can see it daily, and then proceed to do the things necessary to accomplish your mission to be a successful small business owner.…
Company registration is one of the steps that a serious company owner must undertake. Before starting a business, it is essential to decide on its basic details including the name of the business, a clear plan regarding its operation, the objective for beginning the business, the name of the business managers, owner and if possible, the company secretary. After coming up with this information, you need to choose on a suitable method for company registration, appoint or hire an accountant, register for the VAT and open the bank account for the business.
After making these details clear, company registration will now be possible to be undertaken. It will also be possible to carry on with trade. When deciding on what company name to choose, you may decide to come up with a name that is peculiar for your business or decide to buy an off-the-shelf company which has a name under its incorporation.
By choosing to start a limited liability company, you obtain the legitimacy mark and a professional symbol for all the other businesses. During company registration, anyone can create a business name and call it a business. But, starting a business that will succeed takes effort and dedication. Although there are certain minimal costs, by undergoing company registration, you are putting up a legal instrument that will facilitate the running of your business. A good number of non-devoted entrepreneurs and other scam artists will do very little to go through the process of company registration.
A good company should have one director and shareholders. Besides, there ought to be some rules contained in the Memorandum and the Articles of Association. This is an important requirement needed in starting a business. The new company will be required to have an office where all official notices and other correspondence are channeled. Moreover, starting a business requires you have a new address.
Starting a business in Ireland can be done through several options. The common ones are ones that require one to go directly to the Companies House, utilizing a company formation service online, use of a contractor accountant or through a formation agent.
Before starting a business, it is vital you research on each of these options and choose the most suitable one. There are costs associated with each method. Most business owners find it taxing to use the direct method because of the numerous formalities and duration needed. Consequently, many entrepreneurs would seek the services of a professional to help them carry out the process of starting a business. There are several online agencies that are competent enough to help in setting up a company.
In Ireland, there is the Quick Company Formations which is out to assist solicitors, new business owners and accountants start up their businesses. You only need to visit their website, check out the available services and costs then place an order. They have been in the business for long and thus have the necessary experience and expertise required to enable you register a company. …
Starting a Business? You Need to Market Your Website, Too
Laura November 1, 2021 ArticleEvery new business needs a website, but simply posting a website and waiting for folks to find you doesn’t work. With the millions of websites floating around out there, simply uploading yours without marketing it is like leaving a business card on the moon — if nobody sees it, it might as well not exist.
Thus, it is essential that you incorporate constant marketing of your website into your day-to-day work. There are many free or cheap ways to drive traffic to your site, and the best methods fall under the term search engine optimization, or SEO. These tasks help the major search engines find and catalog your website under the appropriate search terms. Like most other marketing, SEO is only effective if it is an ongoing, consistent part of your overall marketing strategy. New business owners need to take the time to learn the basics, even if you ultimately decide to outsource the actual work.
One of the most critical outcomes of marketing your website is building linkbacks, as search engines place a lot of weight on good linkbacks. Linkbacks are live links to your website on other, reputable websites. Buying linkbacks is usually a waste of money — the link farms that take your money are identified and not counted by the search engines on a regular basis. Good linkbacks come from posting articles, responding to forums and chatboards, having other people love your site and linking to it from their website or blog, and trading links with relevant, appropriate websites. Writing and submitting articles on a regular basis is an excellent way to begin building linkbacks to your site.
Whatever your business is, there are plenty of topics to write article about. Think about what your customers need to know and use article marketing to get that message out. The better article sites will not let you submit pure marketing material (as in, you can’t mention your own company in the body of the article), but your website link can go in the resource box, along with a brief description of what you do.
Article marketing provides excellent linkback opportunities, especially if your articles contain useful information. Consider writing about how to select your particular type of product or service, what to look for and what to avoid. Describe how using a product or service like yours makes your customer’s life easier or better. Write about the features of a particular product. When those ideas are exhausted, dig into your target market research to see what other topics your potential customers are interested write about that.
Article marketing requires a steady, consistent effort. One or two articles aren’t likely to build much momentum, so schedule time to produce new articles on a regular basis. You can cover the same topic multiple times, as long as the final article is not a word-for-word copy of the others. Generally, writing a fresh article about the same topic will turn out different enough. Keep an eye out for new things …
Are you a “Woman” in (need of a business grant?)
I have something to tell you….
You know, sometimes people, especially men don’t respect women the way they deserve to be respected. This especially applies to professional representation. But you know what? Times have changed.
Did you know…?
“One of twelve big companies in the UK with a woman CEO has less than three females on its board. This company is Rite Aid, with two female members. The remainder have a healthy number of between three women board members through to as many as six at WellPoint.”
This is a great reason why [women business grants can be even more important]
The question you are asking yourself now is… “WHERE CAN I FIND A GOOD GRANT?”
I understand it’s not always that easy for women to just find grants, especially with the economy in the slump it’s in at the moment.
So what now? Well… just read the rest…
There are millions of dollars just waiting to be claimed for grants from the government and other little-known organizations. The problem is, “you” need to find the right grant for “you”, and also at the right place.
Did you know that businesses run by professional females are becoming more and more successful? This is another great reason why women business grants, and the right ones are out there for you to find if you look hard enough and if you are serious and willing to be apart of the chase! I mean, that’s fun right?
Sure it is!
“We are living through extraordinary times, and extraordinary times call for innovative solutions. I am convinced it is essential to accelerate the progress of women into senior positions, given the world’s need to deploy the best talent available. This need is greater than ever in the current economic climate.”
If you are a female, looking to do great things with your future, well I’m happy to say this is a great time for you! You can definitely be extraordinarily successful, and this is just the beginning! Times have changed, and will continue to change so it’s important that we all adapt.
Take some time and leave me a comment, or visit my blog…
“The Best Advice is always free”
Starting a small business requires bucket loads of wisdom. Financial wisdom offered through various media is not always inherently beneficial to the reader and their business.
The foundations for financial excellence are elementary and logical; here is a new perspective on financial insight to starting your small business. Making use of purely scenario planning this illustrated scenario would be a recommendation for all businesses that you intend financing.
The average cost of setting up a franchise and small business in U.S.A. is currently in the $300,000.00 to $ 474 000.00 marks, a sizeable sum taking into consideration the prevailing economic climate and business confidence levels.
Loans or Finance
In order to stimulate the economy, banks are eager to finance new business as this has a long-term stimulus on the economy and contributes to job and wealth creation.
Most individuals do not have the entire capital amount available to finance their new venture and financing becomes the preferred and logical route to market.
Taking into consideration the average price of a new franchise $474 000.00, the average cash portion of financing that particular business would be $ 153 000.00 which includes the initial, cash joining or franchise fee.
This would equate to a financing portion of $321 000.00 or 68% of the initial set-up cost of the business.
From a personal and statistical point of view, the gearing or debt ratio is too high and the minimum recommended debt ratio should never exceed 50%.
Why is gearing so important?
It is nerve-wracking and soul-destroying to build a business for you only to allocate the major share of your income and profits to servicing a loan and the commensurate interest payments. The strain on the cash flow and reserve funds is too great, and the business rapidly becomes a financial risk to the entrepreneur and the banks concerned.
“The Free Advice”
Total Cost
When using the above figures as our reference and benchmark, if the inclusive cost of the business is $474 000.00.
It would be prudent to assume that if shares were offered at $1.00 per share then the business would have 474 000 shares on offer.
Share Distribution
Taking my advice of a 50% gearing or financing ratio, the business when financed by the entrepreneur would allocate to the entrepreneur, 50%(237 000 shares) of the shares currently on offer (The portion he/she has paid cash for)
The remaining 50% of shares on offer would be the right and technical ownership of the banks or financing institution.
The Thinking Motivating This Strategy
As the entrepreneur pays off the loan, their ownership or share-holding increases exponentially.
Goals are easy to set, time and financing permitting the entrepreneur sees his/her goal of 100% ownership as achievable and desirable.
When the bank is essentially a partner in your business the relationship changes, the entrepreneur can take the banks perspective into consideration as they are a valuable share-holder, the logic of having a “you” and “me” approach becomes a …
Women in Networking – Turn Social Networking Into a Lucrative Social Media Online Business
Laura July 22, 2021 ArticleWomen in networking know the power of social contacts and spheres of influence, and how they are integral in creating any movement, supporting any cause or generating new business. Few people, though, have the talent to organize, bring people together, or network with others to get things done. This is a skill, and a highly valuable one. The oftentimes difficult thing in life is to be able to take the talents that we have and to develop them to their fullest. If we can pull that off, not only do we individually benefit, but we help others to realize their own potential at the same time. What’s often missing, however, is a vehicle for those talents to blossom.
Online social networking is a relatively new phenomenon. For those of you with social networking skills, the vehicle for both business and personal growth may be just a steps away. Here are some tips that may generate some new ideas if you are in the market for starting a business.
The power of networking is often underestimated, but in some businesses it is not only important, it is the ONLY thing. Several companies, often called hybrid or network marketing companies rely solely on individual entrepreneurs to build business networks of customers and like-minded business owners. These companies have compensation plans that offer unlimited profits.
If you have a knack for networking and are willing to learn how to social network online, you can develop a business that far exceeds an income that is limited by the hours you exchange for dollars. You can start in a business on the internet with virtually no investment AND advertise it all over the web without paying a cent. Do some homework and think about starting a business online where you can turn your real world social networking talents into a lucrative online social media business.…
Business Building: Does In Person Networking Still Make Sense?
Laura June 8, 2021 ArticleIn a high tech world where it is virtually possible to survive and run a business over the web without ever leaving your bedroom, does in person, face to face networking still make sense?
Of course some will argue that in person networking is now obsolete and is completely unnecessary. Certainly with social networking and how comfortable people are now with doing business via their mobile devices you could still make great connections purely via the Internet and never have to step foot out of your home. In many ways you could say that it is definitely more cost effective and better time management not to do face to face meetings or attend networking events.
However, in a new business environment dominated by the web and Internet companies it is clear that those who do get out from behind the curtain and embrace real world engagement with other real people can gain a major advantage over the competition. You may have the best prices in world, the coolest outsourcing network set up that allows you to run staff on three different continents, 24 hours a day and the catchiest slogans, but at the end of the day people buy people, not slick websites. If you are the only one out there making a personal connection you could have a major advantage over the competition regardless of price.
You do need to be careful about budget when getting out and doing in person networking. If you aren’t watching the bottom line it is easy to blow a lot of money and time on unprofitable meetings, not to mention gas, fancy restaurants, bar tabs for entertaining and more. However, when people are able to put a face to a name they are much more likely to bite on big ticket sales items, forge new strategic partnerships and sign checks much faster, all which can mean much bigger profit margins and taking your business to the next level much faster than you thought possible.
So, yes in person networking definitely still makes sense in a lot of industries. Be sensible about it, but if you block out even a couple hours a week to attend networking functions at the Chamber of Commerce, put together mastermind luncheons or even hang out with the right crowd you will find it can have a huge positive impact on your business and enable great growth. Worst case scenario, getting out will at least provide a better balance in your life and open the door to new inspiration for fueling your venture to new highs.…
Starting a Business? Successful Marketing Focuses on Your Customer’s Needs
Laura May 14, 2021 ArticleThe primary purpose of starting a business (at least in most cases) is to make money, and lots of it. Entrepreneurs pick a business idea they are sure will be popular, with product and service features they know will be irresistible to consumers. Their thoughts are filled with how many customers they need to meet their projections, how much traffic they need to draw, and how the operations can be streamlined. They are sure that once they have all the details worked out, the customers will show up in droves.
Very often, this confidence in their venture spills over into their marketing materials such that the messages they deliver are misfocused on how great the business, products or services are. Unfortunately, this classic approach is no longer effective. Today’s consumers are more knowledgeable and savvy than ever they are far more concerned with what your product can do for them. The new adage for defining marketing efforts must be Ask not what your customer can do for you, but what your business can do for your customers!
Every bit of your marketing effort, from the website to personal sales to follow-up contact, must be completely customer-centric. Everything you think about your venture needs to start and end with your target market. They don’t care what you need, what you want, or how you feel. They only want to know what your products or services are going to do for them. Just remember, it’s not about you, it’s all about the customer.
Define your venture’s marketing messages by the benefits your customers will receive by doing business with you. Know the features of your products, but reframe those into direct benefits for your customers. People want to know how your product will make them better, happier, more attractive, or solve some other problem in their world. For example, a mobile oil-change service has the feature of “oil changes at your home or office.” Better to focus on the benefit of “saves you time and keeps your car on the road.”
Identify your venture’s USPs (Unique Selling Propositions), or what makes your business stand out over the competition. Three separate USPs are good, especially if each of the three targets the primary needs of different market segments. Of course, to define your USPs as benefits rather than features, you will need to know your target markets inside and out, in order to define the benefit that will draw them in.
One way to improve your marketing messages is to personalize the appeals. Use testimonials from satisfied customers and anecdotes about situations that your products improved. Emotional appeals are much stronger than factual appeal, regardless of the audience. Of course, the facts and statistics about your product should be available, but a laundry list of data isn’t likely to sway too many consumers.
Focus on showing customers what your products will do for them and how it will make their lives better. We are all pummeled by hundreds of marketing messages each day …
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