Work At Home Business Options

Posts Tagged ‘home business’

Every year the holidays seem to arrive faster than we expect and this year is no exception. With the economy being sluggish, thousands of stay at home moms are wondering what they can do this holiday season to earn some extra money for their family.

Here are 10 ideas that you can do this season to earn some extra cash that don’t require a college education.

1. Gift Wrapping Service – If you have a lot of free time and enjoy wrapping gifts, you could offer a gift wrapping service. You don’t need to be a professional, you just need to be creative and neat with your packaging.

2. Baking Holiday Goodies – People lead very busy lives these days and don’t have a lot of time to spend in their kitchens baking breads, cakes, pies and cookies. If you enjoy baking, you could offer to do the baking for your family and friends.

3. Babysitting Service – Parents are always looking for a few good babysitters so that they can run their errands and do their gift shopping. You will need to be flexible with your time and offer evening and/or weekend babysitting hours.

4. Greeting Cards Service – If you have nice penmanship, you could offer a greeting card service. You would have your customers purchase their own greeting cards and hand you their mailing list. You fill out the cards, address and stamp them…and then mail them off for your customer.

5. Dear Santa Christmas Letters – You can find free templates online on how to type up and send Dear Santa Claus response letters. Children love to get a reply back from Santa Claus along with a little trinket in their envelope.

6. Pet Sitting – A lot of people travel every year for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and they are looking for pet lovers who are responsible to care for their pets while they are away. You are usually required to walk, feed, water and play with the pet while the owner is away on vacation.

7. Gift Shopping – If you like to shop and don’t mind fighting the crowds in the stores, then perhaps this is an option for you. You can have your customer give you a list of the items they want and you go out and purchase them for those on the customer’s holiday gift-giving list.

8. Housecleaning – I know several home owners who hire seasonal housecleaning help. If you enjoy cleaning and if you are only looking to do it for a handful of weeks, this would be a nice option to earn some extra money.

9. Crafts – If you are creative and talented in the crafting medium…there is no better time to host your own craft show. If hosting one is not your cup of tea, you can find numerous Holiday bazaars and craft shows in your own community to participate in.

10. Party Host Services – A few years ago, a friend of mine was hosting a large party for her co-workers in her home. She hired me to come over for the day and evening to help her set up, cook, serve and clean-up after the party. If you enjoy entertaining guests and assisting a party host, this is a great opportunity to earn some extra money.

I hope these 10 ideas have sparked some creative ideas of your own. If you are looking to make some extra money this holiday season…now is the time to prepare a plan, print up some flyers and spread the word about whatever type of service you plan on providing this holiday season.

This article was written by Shelly Hill, copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved.

The idea of escaping the rat race is liberating.  No more meaningless meetings where you pretend to care about things that you actually don?t care about at all.  No more hectic commutes and rushed mornings.  No more boss!  No more cubicle.  It all sounds so great, doesn?t it???  Of course it does!  The idea of working from home and being your own boss is delightful.  The reality, however, is a bit different.

The Problem is You Are Not Normal
The majority of American workforce go to their jobs each day, they clock in and clock out, and their plan is to work until the age of 60ish, and then retire.  If you are reading this article, that is not you!  In fact, if you are reading an article like this, then you, by nature, are most likely entrepreneurial, driven, and a risk taker.  Let?s face it?you would not be considering working from home unless you believed that you could succeed.  This is dangerous.  Let me explain.

At first the grandiose vision of controlling your own fate by starting up your own business and working from home is great.  But once you actually take the leap and begin working from home, you will quickly realize that you are, in fact, in control of your own fate!!  For better or worse!  Here is the deal?if you work from home, you are the only worker.  That means when you work things get done, and when you do not, things do not get done.  Now, it is very possible to build an automated business that produces income for you when you are not working, but that will not happen overnight.  That will take time.  Therefore, especially in the early days, the amount of time you work will often correlate highly with how much revenue your business can produce.  This leads to the primary conflict I want to introduce in this article?the work/life balance.

As I said, when you first venture out into the great land of entrepreneurship and self-employment, the grandeur of future success is energizing.  However, the reality is that working from home will require dedication, hard-work and self-discipline.  You will quickly realize that the more you work, the more work you get done, and if you are considering this path, then you are most likely driven and ambitious, and this is a deadly combination.  If there is always work to be done, and you are extremely driven and ambitious, then there is the very real possibility that you will never stop working.

Set Clear Boundaries
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to make you aware of this very real scenario and encourage you to plan ahead.  Now, you can sit down and plan a rigid schedule for when and how often you will work each day and each week.  And strive to not break this schedule.  One of the biggest killers of many new entrepreneurs is sheer exhaustion.  Never underestimate the importance of rest and relaxation.  If you work from home, it is easy to never stop working.  But the reality is that you are not impervious.  It will catch up with you. 

Therefore, plan scheduled breaks throughout the day, and try to work very limited hours or not at all on nights and weekends.  By recognizing this ahead of time, and planning accordingly, you will be equipped and ready to manage this challenge when the time comes.

Jason Hoerr is an entrepreneur, writer for SmallBusinessLoansDirect.com, and trader based in Charlotte, NC.

4 Top Reasons Direct Selling Can Help People in A Bad Economy
By Xavier Garcia

Direct selling is a marketing channel of direct distribution for products and services directly to consumers without the shipping of products to conventional retail outlets.

According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) the Direct Selling Industry was responsible for over $28 billion in retail sales in the United States and over $114 billion in retail sales worldwide in 2009. That number continues to grow each year. The direct selling sector is a huge engine of economic growth in the US. According to numbers reported by the Direct Selling Association (DSA), more than 50% of American adults report having purchased services or goods from a direct selling representative. Additionally, one in five American adults claim they have been or currently are working as a direct seller. With more than 62 million sales associates connected with direct selling companies worldwide, the direct selling (network marketing) industry is dynamic and growing not only locally but on a global scale. Here are a couple reasons why direct selling is taking off:

1. Earn Extra Income

Direct sales can be a great way to earn some extra money as a supplemental income, or perhaps fund college savings, and retirement. Like any job, particularly in sales, so it is work. It’s not like you sign up and then all of a sudden checks start rolling in. You have to hold parties, demonstrate the products, and one-on-one selling which is the most popular technique for making product sales. But, while all direct sellers make money on the difference between retail and wholesale product prices, most direct-sales companies also have a commission structure that rewards the “downline” recruitment of additional salespeople into their system. This gives the direct seller an opportunity to expand his/her business as well as give others the same opportunity.

According to the DSA, the median income for direct sellers is a modest $2,400 a year. It’s enough to pay that extra bill, take that vacation or buy better holiday presents. Although some sales representative do earn tidy incomes, most use direct selling as a part-time supplement income.

2. Start A New Career

In 2009 the industry hit an all-time high of about 16.1 million Americans were direct sales representatives, according to the Direct Selling Association and with only 7.5 percent involved doing it full time with more than three-quarters being women. With employers watching their budgets more so than ever because of the bad economy, employees incomes as well as job opportunities have been stagnant. Nowadays, Americans more than ever are trying to make ends meet by turning to direct selling. More professionals today have entered the arena from doctors, attorneys, executives and many more have become instant entrepreneurs in the direct selling industry.

3. Start Your Own Business

Anyone can do it. There are no required levels of education, experience, financial resources or physical condition. People of all ages and from all backgrounds have succeeded in direct selling. Direct sellers are independent contractors. You’re your own boss, which means you can have the following:

• Business Ownership-Own a business of your own Boss and call your own shots.

 

• No Caps on Earning Potential- Earn what you are truly worth. You can earn as much as you want in proportion to your own efforts. The level of success you can achieve is limited only by your commitment and willingness to work hard.

 

• Goal Setting-Set your own goals and determine yourself how to reach them.

 

• Easy Start Up & Exit Strategy-Start your business with very little or no capital investment. Plus, it’s a business that’s easy entry and easy exit unlike traditional businesses.

4. Work flexibility

You choose when and how much you want to work either part-time or full-time. According to the DSA, some 5.1 million Americans were involved in some form of direct sales in 1991, up from 4.7 million in 1990. Furthermore, 89% of direct sellers do sales work only part-time, which means they either are homemakers or have other jobs with women accounting for 90% of all sellers. Many direct sellers are attracted by the flexibility of work hours but also by the opportunity to develop personal business connections.

Direct sales has helped many people in the US and across the world supplement their incomes as well as replace it in many cases. According to San Francisco Times, one lady of Brentwood started selling sweets last year by holding house parties with tastings of drinks, candy, cupcakes and other goodies. With her husband’s computer business struggling this has been a blessing for them.

She gives four or five parties a month, and works about 10 hours a week and nets $500 to $625 a month in sales. In addition to that she makes another $100 or $150 a month on commissions from sales generated by new reps she recruited. She claims, “It’s helped us out tremendously.”

So is Direct Selling for YOU?

Well that all depends on your ambition and ability to discard the hype and find a genuine business opportunity. So how about it… Is direct selling for you? Will you allow yourself to be successful? Perhaps be the next Direct Selling Icon? Business is all about timing and there is no better time now to be in the direct sales industry..

If you are serious about starting your direct sales business, there is one opportunity with no hype that I highly recommend that has stood the test of time. It offers a unique niche business opportunity where you dont have to buy into the sizzle. You’ll be able to create a solid lasting residual income unlike no other with this unique direct selling business. Visit my site at workingwithxavier.com to learn more and sign up and get my Free Report on “Insider Secrets to Building Your MLM Business Lightning Fast” Revealed By 7 Figure Networkers showing you specifically how it is possible to do exactly the same thing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Xavier_Garcia

http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Top-Reasons-Direct-Selling-Can-Help-People-in-A-Bad-Economy&id=6227195

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5 Fresh Innovative Marketing Ideas by Terri Seymour

When you own a business it is extremely important to get your name and business brand out to the public. We, as business owners, are always looking for new and cost effective ways of doing that. We do not want to settle into a routine because it works. We should always be looking for fresh new ideas to spread the word about what we offer with our business.

Below are five innovative ideas that you may or may have not yet seen to help get you more traffic, more sales and more income.

1. Introductions in Blog and/or Ezine – This is an effective method of cross promoting for you and fellow online business owners. Search for sites that compliment (not compete with) your site. Email the owner and introduce yourself, let them know a little about you and your site and then ask them if they would be interested in a cross promotion with you. You would introduce each other on your blogs/sites/ezines and tell a little about their business. This would be better than just an ad because it adds a personal touch which people tend to pay more attention to than just ads.

2. Swap Article Resource Boxes – if you write and submit articles, swapping resource boxes with other article marketers could be a great way to increase your traffic, sales, etc. As with the introductions, search for complimentary businesses and then contact the owner. A good place to start would be some of the better article directories. Find quality articles and consider contacting the authors for your proposal.

3. Compile an Article Portfolio – Article marketing is very effective and by compiling your articles all in one convenient portfolio would be a good way to get more of them used by ezine publishers, webmasters, etc. Group your articles together in one large word file. Then convert it to pdf. This is a great way for people to be able to access your articles easily as well as choosing the subject they are interested in. Provide download links to your portfolio in your email signature, on your website, in your ezine, on your blog. Post in on forums, your Facebook page, twitter, etc. The possibilities are endless!

4. Ad Pool – Contact a group of fellow blog owners, ezine publishers, etc and discuss the possibility of forming an ad pool with them. Each person puts in an ad and you all rotate the ads in your ezine, blog, etc. Be selective in the types of ads you accept so they are taken more seriously by your readers.

5. Swap Video Ads – This would be similar to link exchanging and ad swapping but taking it a step further. Choose complimentary businesses and you can actually help bring each other more business by swapping video ads for your site or blog.

It’s not always easy to find, new innovative ideas for your marketing campaign but by putting a new spin on some old ways, it can turn out to be very successful for your business. Helping yourself by helping others is always a plus and the above mentioned ideas all will help you accomplish that!

Terri Seymour (also known as “The eBook Lady”) has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 and $2 resell ebooks & software, articles, affiliate programs, RSS feed, and a free business ebook with Master Resell Rights.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

I run or co-run a few home businesses and today I thought I would pass along a few tips that I have learned over the 20+ years that I have had a home business.

First…let me ask you this question. Do you procrastinate and don’t get your business work or client work done on time? Do you wait until the last day or hours before it’s due to complete it? If so, that is a bad business practice that you MUST change today!

When you have a home business it is usually yourself or yourself and a few others who are running it. You don’t have a large group of employees to rely on to help you get that work done. There are things that happen in our daily lives that we don’t plan on…like our family members getting sick, deaths ocurring in the family, natural disasters, electricity or internet going down or whatever.

If you let your work sit and try to work on it right before it’s due what happens if some emergency arises? Who will complete that work and get it in for you? In most cases…no one!

This is why it is VERY important that you break that procrastinating last minute habit today!

You really need to set up a schedule and pencil all of your business tasks and deadlines. You need to work on your business projects or client work ahead of time and have it completed and ready to go for submission or delivery several days before it’s actually due!

By planning ahead and completing your work ahead of time you will prevent business disasters and equally as important, it will be less stressful for you and those around you. Clients and Customers do not like to hear your “excuses” on why your work or their work hasn’t been completed on time.

 If you want to be taken seriously in your business and be taken seriously by your customers and clients you need to get organized and get your work completed ahead of time. So break that “bad” business habit today and save yourself a headache tomorrow.

Shelly

In this day and age, many online individuals and friends are partnering up and starting various online businesses. That is all well and good but do you have an official plan of what you will do if that business partnership dissolves in a few years? If not, you really should!

Before you even begin a business partnership with another individual you both should sit down and discuss what will happen if and when the partnership dissolves. Here are some things you both should consider.

1. If one of you decide to leave the partnership, how much notice should be given to the other partner and how should this notice be communicated? Depending on the type of business you have started, the notice should be no less than 30 days.

2. Once one of you decides to leave the business, what is expected of that person until the final end date? In other words, will the person leaving the business still be required to fulfill their daily job duties until the final end date?

3. Once the business partnership is dissolved, who will retain the business? Will there be any costs involved in restructuring the business to sole ownership and who will be responsible for paying those costs?

4. If the partnership should end on bad terms, do you have a non-disclosure policy in effect? If you don’t have one, I suggest you draft one up! A lot of times when partnerships fail, hurt feelings sometimes get out of control and gossip and slander can hurt the partner that is left running the business.

When you partner up with another person and start an online business together, it is important to properly plan out all of the details of that partnership should a break up occur. By planning ahead for this type of scenario, it can save you a lot of heartache, grief and money.

This article is copyright 2011 by Shelly L. Hill, All Rights Reserved.