Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Right Way To Start Your Business At Home

By Stewart Woyo


Instead of commuting to a place you hate, to do a job you dislike, with obnoxious co-workers, you may be able to start your own business and work from home. To succeed at this, you need to plan carefully. This article will show you some things to consider when you think about establishing your own home business.

First off, take inventory of what you like to do. Home businesses take a lot of work to get off the ground and it is far better to work on something you like. Also, generally if you like something, you know a lot about it, so you don't have to do so much research. Do you play a musical instrument? Give music lessons. Like to shop? Become a personal shopper. Enjoy designing web pages? Become a free-lance web designer. Like woodworking? Build and sell your woodwork. Like animals? Develop a business to care for animals while their owners are away. Do you like kids? Start a home day care. There are many possibilities and it is worth taking some time to consider them. Try talking with friends and family, and find something that seems really interesting to you.

Secondly, take a look around you and determine if your business would thrive in the community in which you live. Go through the yellow pages and see if there are other businesses that you will need to compete with. Keep in mind, also, that there may be a demand for certain services or products no matter how many other similar businesses are around; for example, if you're really good with children and you feel that a daycare center is what you would like to consider, it's a very good possibility that other daycare centers in your area could be full and not accepting new clients. If that's the case, this would be an excellent opportunity for you.

Another helpful tip is to give your business added flare. Try adding something special that makes your product/service better than the rest. If you offer guitar lessons, don't forget to mention any other instruments you know how to play. If you offer web-page design, don't forget to mention what you offer that makes your services stand out.

You shouldn't just rush into your business at home, it's always better to gradually grow into it. It's good to remember that home-based businesses can take up to a year before seeing profit. With that in mind, be prepared to make necessary sacrifices in the beginning of your venture. If you don't, you will be cutting down on the chances of success, because when there's no profit coming in, you really need to think about saving money to keep the business afloat. In general it's a good idea to keep 6 months in your bank account if you really want to avoid any problems.

The other thing is to start doing your business on a part-time basis so you can build up your client base. Yes, you will be working about 16 hours a day: 8 on your regular job and maybe 8 on your business. It is a tough transition, but in order to make it financially, you need to have some income while you are building your business. The nice thing is that any profits that you don't plow back into the business can help you build up that savings account.

Finally there is that day where you say goodbye to the old workplace. Your challenges are not over; even if your business is profitable, you will need to keep yourself going. When you go to a job, there is usually a boss who tells you what to do and when to get it done. When you work for yourself, you have to figure out how much work to do and what your deadlines are. That is a challenge.

Even in challenging economic times it is possible to have your own home based business. It requires creative thinking, planning ahead, and hard work. But in the end, it is rewarding, and can be extremely profitable if you set up everything correctly.

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