Is A Limited Liability Company (LLC) Right For Your Business?

Up until a few years ago there were only 3 types of formal business formations. These were the corporation, a partnership and a sole proprietorship. Each had both positives and negatives and depending on your situation, you would choose the right one for you.

The latest business type however has attempted to create like a hybrid with the benefits of sole proprietorship and protections of a corporation without the formalities.

An LLC (limited liability company) provides the benefits of liability protection, like a formal corporation but also features the tax design of a sole proprietorship or partnership. The biggest benefits of an LLC are in the taxation and liability areas, although unlike a corporation, an LLC can be set up for a limited amount of time only.

Unlike a corporation where income is taxed twice, an LLC business passes through income to the owners. That is, the income goes directly to the owners of the company who then are responsible for the taxes. Of course good business practices are a must and this doesn't mean that the company can be treated as a personal piggy bank for the owners.

As the rules that bind an LLC are more in line with a sole proprietorship, many of the corporate governance like a board of directors is not required. The LLC formation also makes it easy to dissolve without the filing and notice requirements of a formal corporation.

LLC's can usually be formed with a simple form filed with the state. Check your local authorities for more information on the type of filing, forms, and other information that may be needed. One identifying characteristic to note is that the name of any limited liability company needs to end with the letters "LLC." Here's an example: Joe's Shoe Repair,LLC.
Filing LLC business documentation though is not difficult and can be accomplished in several ways.

An attorney can generate the basic documentation and should cost a couple of hundred dollars. This is recommended if you're planning to change the business type of an ongoing business. If you already have a business in operation, it's necessary to cover all the details. Using an attorney also can give peace of mind should you be concerned.

If however, you're just starting out or have a brand new business, filing the necessary paperwork is really very easy. To set up an LLC, you file articles of formation or articles of organization with the state. This document is usually an easy to complete one-page form. It has areas where you can fill in the blanks with basic information about your new company including the name and other important information. The state agency that is usually charged with accepting LLC filings is the state department of corporations. If your state doesn't use this name, a quick call to the secretary of state office can point you in the right direction. Some state also have additional minor requirements to open an LLC company. The state department where you file the documents will let you know of any additional requirements.
After the state accepts your articles of LLC formation and you complete any other state requirements, you're done with your LLC formation.

Is A Work From Home Franchise Business Right For You?

If you’re interested in opening your own business, you should definitely consider the potential rewards of a business that would allow you to work from home. A home based business offers an amazing level of autonomy, and there are a surprising number of work at home franchise opportunities. In this article we will discuss some of the pros and cons of working from home as well as some of the available home based business franchises.

Pros and cons of a home business:
One major advantage of home based business franchises is that the initial investment required is typically much lower than a traditional franchise. Work from home franchises are usually in the $15,000-$30,000 range. You can occasionally even find a work at home franchise for as little as $10,000.

Another advantage is that a home based business has very few overhead expenses. Of course you will have to maintain a home office, but your chief operating tools will be things such as a computer, telephone or fax machine. If you choose to employ one or two people, there would, of course, be some payroll.

Home based business franchises require you to stock little to no inventory, which is advantageous because it alleviates the responsibility of keeping up with an inventory system.

Many prospective franchisees find the lifestyle associated with working from home to be the key advantage. There are a number of work at home franchise opportunities that only require a part-time commitment to be successful. This provides franchisees with a great deal of flexibility in their schedules and often affords them more time to spend with their families. This flexible schedule also allows business owners to conduct business at times that are most convenient for them as opposed to adhering to the traditional “retail-style” hours of operation.

However, working at home does have some disadvantages, too. There is staggered revenue potential associated with these types of businesses. Because there is no walk-by traffic, home based businesses are dependent upon a loyal client base for repeat business.

As the owner of a home business, you will have limited exposure due to municipal law, which prohibits home based franchises from maintaining “street signage” on residential properties. You can get around this restriction if your home has been zoned for commercial use, but for the most part your business’s exposure will depend on your ability to market it through various advertising media.

National advertising campaigns are not commonly associated with home based franchises. Normally, marketing the business is the sole responsibility of the franchisee, and this may limit the reach of your marketing campaign to your own town or city.

Finally, as a home-based franchisee, your business practice will be isolated. This can curtail the number of networking opportunities you will have. If you do not maintain an active and effective advertising campaign, you are likely to lose potential customers to any competitor who operates a street-front or retail business.

Available home based business franchises:
If you’ve weighed the pros and cons and decided that a home based franchise is right for you, you might consider some these franchise opportunities:

PosiGrip is a turnkey, home based franchise that offers its customers protection from dangerous slip-and-fall accidents. PosiGrip is a process that creates a tread design on almost any hard surface including tubs and showers. The process does not discolor or change the look or feel of floors or showers. It simply makes them safer. For an initial investment of $8,000-$10,000, you will receive training and support, national advertising and a complete marketing program. PosiGrip imposes no franchise or royalty fees on its franchisees.

Guard-A-Kid™ Child ID Systems is a franchise that allows the franchisee to choose working from home or from a mall kiosk. The services and products they provide their customers are essential for child safety. For example, a complete child ID and safety package that includes two wallet-size printed IDs, a large file-size ID and a CD-ROM containing all the child’s information in digital format is available to patrons. The initial investment for this franchise is $19,900. Your start-up kit will include numerous technological tools to ensure your success including a state-of-the-art laptop PC and an FBI-quality digital fingerprint scanner. Guard-A-Kid was included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® list and was also recently named one of the top 100 new franchises by Franchise Market Magazine.

You can even work from home in the travel industry. For example, Cruise Planners is a nationally recognized cruise planning agency, and they were ranked number one in their category in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The initial investment required for this home based business franchise is $20,000. Franchisees in this system enjoy training programs, marketing and advertising programs, exclusive lead and website programs as well as the highest commission levels in the industry.

Final thoughts concerning home based businesses:
The possibilities for entrepreneurs seeking a work at home franchise opportunity are virtually limitless. You can see the diversity in available franchises just from the short list above, and it is a short list. Many other opportunities exist.

If you’ve done your research and concluded that a home based franchise business is for you, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a franchise to meet both your personal and your professional needs.

Is a Home Business Right for You

A home business can be the ideal solution for those who want the flexibility of making your own hours or being your own boss. However, a home business is not easy. It does take work and time. If you have the discipline and drive to start a home business, this may be a great solution.

There are many home business opportunities available. Do you have an idea for the perfect home business? Start researching your idea to figure out start up costs and the amount of time and effort needed to run the home business. If you simply want to start a home business but are open to the type, there are several home business opportunities available. Check the Internet for legitimate home business options. Make sure to research what is needed to start and the potential for generating income from your home business.

Because of the popularity of home business, there are also scams that are abundant on the Internet. Stay away from home business scams as they will not generate income and will, in fact, cost you money. Stuffing envelopes and handling insurance claims are two popular home business scams. They require you to invest a fee for equipment and training and then you do not make any money after the investment. To avoid such scams, do some thorough research on your home business options. Get references and realistic opinions on what your investment will need to be and the return expected.

For a home business to work, you must be willing to put in time and effort. There is no such thing as money for nothing. Although a home business will allow you to be flexible with your hours and provide you more time with family, you will earn only as much money as the effort you put into it. A home business is a great choice for stay at home parents who want something to do while their kids are in school. A home business is also the perfect side job for anyone who works but is looking to earn a little extra money. You can work as little or as much in your home business as you’d like. However, remember that your earning potential with your home business increases with more effort put into it.

There is bound to be a home business opportunity that appeals to you. Search the Internet for ideas on a home business and do thorough research on the company. Once you decide on the home business that will work best for you, make sure you have the discipline to work. A home business requires you to be a self starter and have the work ethic to work without supervision. A home business is not for everyone but it can be the idea solution for extra money for those who are willing to put time and effort into it.

Selecting The Right Home Business - How Important Is It?

Some people are so consumed with finding just the right home business they never seem to get started. Finding the right home business can be time consuming as there are literally thousands of home business opportunities out there. Once you have found a few that catch your attention then come all the usual questions. You know, questions like is this a legitimate opportunity? How much does it cost to get started? Who is going to help me when I have questions? How much time will I have to spend working to start making money? The list of questions goes on and on.

Although these are great questions, you will never have all the answers before you actually get started. So let’s just concentrate on the few that really matter.

If you are on a budget like most of us naturally you would need to know how much of a financial investment you would need to make in order to start your own home business. There are a few good opportunities out there you can start for less than $100. Another important part of the getting started process is finding an opportunity that offers at least email or phone support to help you when you have questions. The most important question people seem to have is, “is this legitimate and can I make money with this opportunity?”

There are a few good home business research teams that have tested many home business opportunities and can recommend the best bets and help you avoid scams. With most all of the best home business opportunities you will make money if you are willing to do 2 things. Follow directions and work consistently even if it’s only 1 or 2 hours a day.

Hey, even if you fail, most good opportunities offer a 60 money back guarantee. The sooner you get started the better. You can succeed!

Selecting The Right CRM Solution For Your Business

In today's competitive marketplace, one of the keys to successful business development is to build, manage and expand profitable long-term relationships with both key customers and potential new clients.

For this reason, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become one of the hot topics in the business world in the last few years.

It's not only important to implement CRM but the key challenge is to do it right.

When done in a proper manner, it not only makes companies more responsive and targeted in the way they interact with customers, but also makes them educated and smarter about extending product and service offerings.

The right CRM solution isn't just designed for the company which acquires it but is also meant to provide the best industry experience to that company's clientele. If they find satisfaction in dealing with an organization that remembers them, interacts with them and memorizes and keeps all of it's commitments to them, they will have a satisfying customer experience, and they will be back with more business.

The following six points can help you to select the right CRM solution for you -

1. Focus - Find out what your existing, profitable customers want, so that their needs can be met. This helps in finding the business's focus - whether in customer service, marketing campaign management, sales order management, call center sales, interactive voice response (IVR) systems or field force automation.

2. Deployment - The appropriate CRM solution depends upon how it will be deployed in the company - whether it will be set-up as a traditional solution, an on-premise installation, a hosted service, or a hybrid solution that blends the two. Citing an example, a large industry that already has an on-premise CRM solution may decide that a hosted solution is the perfect way to rapidly extend access to CRM capabilities to a remote division. Or, a small but fast-growing organisation may choose a hosted CRM solution that allows it to gain access to market-leading CRM features and functionality without having to invest up front in infrastructure.

3. Functionality - For organisations that view CRM as a key business strategy, embedded real-time and historical interactive analytics are vital. A CRM solution is incomplete when it cannot provide critical insight regarding historical trends to identify root causes of consumer issues. Without analytics, an organisation can be hindered in its ability to make the right decisions.

4. Vendor - It is also important to select a vendor that has deep experience and is focused on helping customers achieve desired business outcomes.

5. Hosting Infrastructure - For hosted CRM solutions in particular, it is important to evaluate the hosting infrastructure that encompasses the people, processes, and technology responsible for assuring application performance and reliability:

6. Re-evaluate - It should be remembered that CRM is a process itself. One needs to evaluate the strategy and processes on an ongoing basis to meet the changing needs of the company.

Making the decision to implement CRM is not easy, but the payoff can be significant. By focusing on underlying business processes and cautiously assessing the choices available regarding deployment options, functionality, vendor experience and hosting infrastructure, each organisation can drive successful business outcomes with CRM.

Pet Lovers May Find That A Pet Business Is Right For Them

If you love cats, dog’s birds and more you may be interested in a pet business opportunity. There are several great options for pet lovers to incorporate their love for animals into a successful home business. You can easily come up with several choices from dog grooming to dog walking. Pick an animal of interest and start brainstorming. Depending on certain factors of course will depend on the pet business that is right for you. Here are three pet based businesses that you might be interested in.

Pet Sitter

Everyone has to travel now and then. Funerals, weddings and vacation may leave a pet behind. Pet owners often feel sadness and guilt for their pets being left to someone else’s care. If you are good with animals and a trustworthy person a pet sitting business can be a great opportunity. As long as you have the space, the time and the patience for this job it can grow into a fulltime career. You will want to have a general knowledge on most pets. Pets such as hamsters and gerbils will need care. Fish, dogs, cats, rabbits and reptiles are all animal-sitting possibilities. If you have a customer with a unique pet do some research prior to accepting a job? Some pets do need more care than others.

Pet Photographer

If you have a nack for taking photos and love pets than a career as a pet photographer could be right up your alley. People who love their pets, love photos of their pets. For some of us animal lovers our pets are loved like our children. Having an adorable photo of them can really brighten our lives and our décor. You can specialize in holiday photos, doggie birthday photos or pet photos in general.

Pet Treat Bakery

By visiting your local library or searching online you will find that there are dozens of pet treats that you can bake yourself. If you love baking just as much as animals, this may be the business for you. Baking your pet goodies and wrap them in paw printed papers is a wonderful idea. You can make tuna treats for the cat lovers out there and peanut butter treats for those dog lovers. All natural, healthy and fun treats straight from your oven and into pet owners homes everywhere.

These are only three of the pet business options that can be easily run from your home. None of them require a ton of start up money or expertise. As long as your have a heart for animals and a passion to start your own business you may be starting the career of your dreams.

The perfect Home Business- Is it right for you?

Does this sound familiar? You know that your job will never provide you with the lifestyle (lots of money, and lots of free time to enjoy it!) you desire. You know that starting your own business is the answer. You are constantly trying to think of a business you could do. What products could I sell? What could I invent? What do people need that I could provide? Where am I going to get the time to do this? How in the world am I ever going to find the best home-business for me?

You may have heard that if you can just find something you love, the money will come. Well, that's kind of true. You definitely want to pick something that has a market of paying customers but you also have to find something you enjoy.

The happiest people are the ones that are doing what they enjoy! What about you? Do you have a hobby that could be expanded into a small home business? Almost any type of hobby can be turned into a business with low start up costs. First, define your hobby. Is it something you are very knowledgeable about? Are you current and up to date? Would you be more successful on a local level? Is there anyone in your area with a similar business?

Finding the right business is crucial! You could work day and night, put in your 200% effort, and end up even more broke, if you choose the wrong business. The right home business, with the same effort could make you a fortune! Anyone can get into a business, there are literally thousands of them out there. Your goal is to find the business that you will enjoy doing the most.

When you start looking for a business, every business is a possibility. You will need to filter through all these possibilities until you have it narrowed down to your perfect home-business. This "filtering" is done through a Criteria List. This is a list of standards that each business must measure up to, or it gets tossed out!

Some people spend years dreaming about starting their own business. Many are simply unsure of the direction that they'd like to pursue if they took the chance and ventured out on their own.

Just how do you go about making such an important decision? Give yourself sufficient time to be able to formulate honest answers to the following questions.

· What's my "heart's desire" when it comes to work? Think big! Or at least wide. If you're contemplating turning your interest in gardening into a career, expand your horizons to include as many forms of possible work in such a field as you can imagine; from as general as owning a retail garden center to as specialized as inventing and marketing a gardening tool to serve a unique niche such as elderly gardeners. Hand-in-hand with this question is one that often gets overlooked in the excitement associated with being an entrepreneur. Can you imagine doing such work for extended hours and to meet the approval of your customers/clients or would this potentially take away from the enjoyment you now have for such a passion/hobby?
· Do I have the job skills necessary to be successful at such a business? While desire can be a strong driving force, one still needs to know how to drive to reach their goal. While it's not necessary to possess every skill needed for the business you're contemplating on opening, you at least have to identify such skills and determine if you have the time, energy, and/or resources to learn them and/or to ask for outside help in performing various tasks such as bookkeeping or marketing. Answering this question thoroughly also involves analyzing whether you have the right personality to get the job done. If you're not a "people person" and you're considering opening a beauty parlor in your home, you might want to re-evaluate if such a career is the best use of your capabilities.

Most successful entrepreneurs have a strong passion for their ideas or concepts. They know what they want and they know what they enjoy doing. Their work becomes their play. The secret to success in business is to find your passion. Know specifically what it is you want in life. You need to be certain that what you are doing is something that you really and truly want. This is not something that you should want, or that someone else wants. It is something that YOU personally really want.

Imagine you've found your business passion. Picture yourself running your very own dream business. You love every minute of it and your work becomes your play. Consider what effect this will have on your life - now and in the future.

There's no doubt that making the ultimate decision to be self-employed can be both liberating and frightening at the same time. When you go the extra mile and take the time to identify the line of work that will best suit you, you'll be able to appreciate the fact that, for every day you invest in making such an important decision, you'll potentially be adding quality years to the life expectancy of the business you've given birth to.

Research your hobby well and assume you will work very hard to get your first account or sale. Start small and set obtainable goals. Stay focused on your dreams until they are your reality!


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Researching The Home Business Opportunities Right For You

With today’s job market being diluted by outsourcing, many people are suddenly finding themselves out of a job. Sitting around the house all day worrying about what you will do when your savings is gone is not a good thing, and with the number of opportunities available for operating you own home business continually growing, many find themselves as a home business owner is default.

However, finding a business you can operate from home will take some research and should be aligned around your interests, knowledge and experience. Once you being a home business, you will need to work it as a traditional job because income from that business is what will pay your bills and keep you from going hungry. It will also consume a lot of your time and energy so it needs to be something that you like.

Most people hear, as they are growing up, that the best job in the world is the one you would do for free if you didn’t have to worry about your bills. The same holds true for starting a home business. It should be something you like to do and are willing to work at in order to pay the bills. Otherwise, it’s just another job.

For example, a person who has a lot of experience working with their hands and building things out of wood or metal may find a home business performing furniture repair or refinishing suited to their hobby. They can also create and market woodcraft items, selling them through local retailers or at craft markets, effectively having their own home business selling things they make in their home workshop.

Another example could a person who has worked as accountant for someone else for years who suddenly find his or her job has been eliminated. They can open their own accounting service performing billing and invoicing for other small businesses. Many new businesses cannot afford to hire a full-time accountant and by working with several small companies, you can create several income streams to help make ends meet.

Simply drawing on your experience and knowledge learned while working for someone else can often lead to ideas for starting a home business. In many cases, most of the work can be done at home, telecommuting with clients. In other businesses, you may have to travel to meet with clients or attend shows at which to sell your products. Either scenario will provide an income earned through your home business while paying the bills.

Before deciding to open a home business, you should check with your local zoning department to make sure there are no zoning laws against operating a business out of your home. Typically, if the business has no reason for clients to visit and no signs are posted in the front yard, there are few problems with a home business. If you plan a deluge of customers increasing traffic on your street and blocking the sidewalk when they visit your shop, you may have to rethink your home business efforts.

Is A Home-Based Business Right For Me?

Almost everyone is talking about a Home-based Business, and some giving it a try. You’ve probaly heard numerous success stories of people earning more than they used to, from the comfort of their own homes. You’re almost tempted to leave your job, and embark on the home-based business venture yourself. But you’re not sure you’ve got what it takes...

First thing is, a home-based business is not for everyone. Many have succeeded in it, but there are just as many who fail. They either ventured into their home-based business too quickly, and unprepared. Or they just could not handle its demands. In the end, the promise of the rewards of a home-based business was nowhere in sight.

You don’t have to make the same mistake! Here are some questions you can ask yourself, to help you find out if you got what it takes, to start your own home-based business.

Do you think you can mind your own home-based business, and make it successful?

Once you have started your own home-based business, you will have to give the business the attention it needs for it to be successful. You will probably be working alone, which means there will be no more lively conversations with your officemates around the water cooler, and no more chatting about last night’s TV shows over lunch. So If you are the kind of person who like to thrive in such kinds of social interaction, chances are, you may find that working on your own home-based business, might become boring.

With your home-based business, you will be trading your office interaction with family interaction. If you would rather spend time with your kids and your spouse, than with co-workers, then a home-based business might just be right for you.

Do you need someone else to motivate you to reach your goals?

Do you find yourself playing the role of “follower” instead of “leader” more often? Are you happy with such a situation? If so, you might not be cut out to start a home-based business of your own. Your home-based business needs a leader... Being your own boss means you’re going to have to motivate yourself to reach your business goals. So if you are more comfortable taking orders from someone else, instead of you doing the ordering around yourself, it’s best you stick to your day job.

Are you happy and comfortable with your current job?

As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. If your current job is able to pay for the bills, allow you enough time for yourself, and your family, allow you to take your family on vacations etc. then there’s probably no need for you to start out from scratch, by putting up a business of your own.

In the end, only you and you alone,can determine if you got what it takes to start a home-based business.

Is A Family Business Right For You Special Needs Teen?

Should your teen get a job? Perhaps. If you have the perfect situation and your teen is excited about the opportunity, then go for it. You know your child better than anyone, and many special needs teens do very well working for others.

However, if you are uneasy about sending your teen off to a job, then have you considered the possibility of starting a home business with your teen?

Think about it. You and your teen can work together. You can help him or her to learn about responsibility, customer service, sales, marketing and book keeping.

Here are some ideas to consider:
1. Pet Sitting or Grooming. If your teen loves animals (and doesn’t have allergies), pet sitting can be the perfect way for your teen to make money and build self-esteem in the process. The only critical thing here is that you have to make sure they are meeting their appointments. Depending on your teen’s level of responsibility, you may be driving and, possibly going with them. An alternative, of course, is to bring the pet to your home, if that’s an option.

2. Yard work. Raking, weeding, spreading mulch. All of these things can pay quite well for a teen. In fact, your teen could easily make more money per hour than many of his classmates who have regular hourly jobs.

3. Pooper scooper. Yes, you read that right. Yards get messy. People are busy. It’s a perfect fit. It’s not the most pleasant work, but, it is work that you can do on your own schedule. It’s flexible and it pays well.

4. Elderly care. Stop by once a day, to bring in their paper, take out their garbage, and check in.

These are just a few of the many ways you and your teen can build a business together. Please, if your teen can not function in a fast paced job like McDonalds or a Movie Theater, then don’t force it. There are ways to help your child to learn the skills needed to become an entrepreneur instead.

What Home-Based Business Is Right For You?

If you are looking for a home based business or any other way to make money working at home, then you have probably been overwhelmed with the information available online. You can’t search for “work at home” on the internet without being bombarded by a million and one ads – all of which claim to be the BEST work at home opportunity.

So how do you know which one really is the best? Well, there are a lot of factors, but I’ve tried my best to highlight some of the items to consider before jumping into a new business venture.

My first recommendation is to answer the following questions as honestly as you can:

*How much time are you willing to invest in a job/business?
*Do you want to work 100% from home or would you be able to work outside the home a set number of hours per week?
*How much money are you comfortable with spending to start a business?
*How much money do you expect to make from your business?
*Do you enjoy working with people (in person, over the phone, online)?
*Do you enjoy sales?
*Do you prefer to work alone or with a group of people?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you are better equipped to tackle the mounds of advertisements for work at home opportunities. The next step is to see how well your needs/wants/likes fit into the businesses available to you. Before agreeing to any type of business, find someone who is already doing the business and ask them the following questions:

*How much time do you work each week?
*What does your average daily business activities consist of? (This will give you a better idea of what type of work is involved and whether or not it is for you.
*What costs are involved in start-op? Ongoing operational expenses?
*Do I need employees?
*What is the product or service you sell?
*How much money can I REALISTICALLY expect to make working “x” number of hours per week? (x being the number of hours you are willing to work)

Now that you have your answers, go ahead and write down the top 3 business opportunities that appeal to you. Then think it over for a while. Starting a new business should never be a spontaneous decision – especially if there is a large financial investment. Take some time – at least a couple weeks! – and sincerely think about and compare each opportunity until you feel confident with the one you’ve chosen.

In closing, I do have a couple warnings for you when searching for that “golden” opportunity.

*If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.
*You should NEVER...I repeat NEVER have to pay someone just to receive information about a job or business opportunity
*If an advertisement seems incredibly vague, it is most definitely intentional. A good number of “too good to be true” offers don’t give you all the details up front because they know if they do, no one would be interested.

Most importantly, be well informed. Do not give ANYONE your hard-earned money until you have the answers to your questions and the confidence in making the right financial decision.

Hey Contractors, You’d Better Pick The Right Market For Your Business

I hear two complaints CONSTANTLY from contractors.

1. I can’t find enough good work.

2. I can’t find enough good workers.

What most contractors fail to realize is that the two problems are closely related. The first causes the second. And both are a function of the market you operate in.

Finding an adequate supply of good workers can always be solved with money. If you can afford to pay the wages workers want and give them the hours they need, they will flock to your company.

A lack of high margins is what complicates staffing.

The market you sell to greatly affects your ability to make money and your ability to hire good workers.

You need to choose your market wisely, very wisely.

Before permanently committing your destiny to a market (including the one you are currently focused on) you must research the following issues.

1. Can you track down enough prospects?

2. Can you market to the prospects cost effectively?

3. Do clients value anything beyond lowest price?

4. Does the work require expensive equipment?

5. Can you find enough sufficiently skilled people to do the work at the wages you can pay?

6. Is competition weak?

7. Are margins high?

8. Do you have the cash reserves to survive the market’s pay cycle?

The greater your number of "no’s", the more you will struggle. Here are the facts of business life:

Fact #1: You may be the best at what you do but no one is going to pay you for it if they don’t value it.

Fact #2: Heavy competition leads to price competition.

Fact #3: If you can’t market your business cost-effectively, you’ll waste all of your income chasing leads.

Fact #4: If you can’t hire workers, you can’t grow a business.

Business boils down to solving problems of value more efficiently than your competition. Choosing the right market essentially means picking one from which you can generate good leads; for which you afford to hire the right workers; and for which you can afford to buy the right equipment.

Choosing the right market is essential to realizing your financial goals. You cannot overcome a bad market.

Bad markets translate into low profit margins.

Low profit margins mean that you can’t afford to pay above market wages. So you will struggle to find reliable, hard working, skilled workers.

Low profit margins mean that you can’t afford to take a bath on ANY job. So you sit tight on your foreman, which makes him sit tight on his crews.

That drives good workers away.

When you compare your market to your capabilities, you may discover that the current fit isn’t good. Don't fret, you may have several attractive options.

You may find that your current capabilities and services fit a different client than you have traditionally pursued. I see this often. A contractor builds a company perfectly suited for commercial work yet is chasing residential work.

You may find that you need to narrow your focus to a specific size and type of project and become the best, most efficient in that niche. Don’t try to be a "full service" shop for every possible client. That’s recipe for certain failure.

If you find yourself in need of a new market, prepare for a tough transition.

You may need to overhaul your marketing system, your selling approach, and possibly your equipment fleet. You may need to let go of some workers and find new ones. Your job costing data may be rendered completely useless.

Your decision will be governed by many factors, not the least of which is the strength of your relationship with your present clients and your company’s reputation on the street. If your relationships are strong, you should be able to raise your prices sufficiently to recruit and retain skilled workers. If not, you need to throw those relationships overboard and start anew.

If your street reputation is strongly identified for a given market, rebuild your company around that market or shut it down and open up under a new name. Changing your brand image is almost impossible. Either work within it or flush it.

Nine times out of ten, a haphazard approach to market selection seals the contractor's fate: failure. Great advertising campaigns, superior operations management, and a tight money control will not overcome a poorly selected market.

Did you fail to research the eight basic strategic marketing questions? No time like the present to run through them. It's the first step to building a really successful business.

Choosing the right Web Hosting for your Ecommerce oriented business

People get intimidated when they think about web hosting, but with a little time and effort, you can have a nice website to share with the world wide web. Before you start shelling out money for a domain and web space, you need to decide what you need a website for and how detailed you plan on making it.

For most users, there are plenty of free resources for personal sites. When shopping for web hosting, it is important to consider your primary use of a website. Will it be for business or personal use? How many visitors do you anticipate having each month? Each web hosting company provides a variety of packages, each of which has a bandwidth limit. This is the number of visitors that can access your website on a monthly basis and the price of your web hosting will be largely determined by this and other factors.

Many companies offer free web hosting services in exchange for them placing banner advertisements on the website owner's page. The majority of free web hosting services, however, are designed for personal or small business use. The reason is because they offer a small amount of megabyte availability for website storage and do not provide a URL that is easy to remember.

In the present online climate, many business Websites are being used as online shops and online service providing resources, where the customer or the client would feel equally comfortable browsing in an actual office or shop as surfing the related business Website.

These Web sites can also take advantage of "shopping cart" functions for online shopping, which means one can shop virtually on the net, satisfying their need by selecting and purchasing the products they want to buy. Traditionally, web hosting refers to the service that keeps a Web site's content online at a specified URL, making the content available to Web surfers. However, now many of these ecommerce applications can be bundled at a low cost in discount ecommerce web hosting packages from hosting providers.

The very role of ecommerce in our life and its influence is nearly beyond measure, and thus, it is imperative that a business keep an online presence. eCommerce is essential for the growth of an online business, especially moving forward. e-Commerce web hosting packages are a valuable in that they can create and increase revenue and profitability for an online business. e-Commerce even reduces overhead costs and can play a major role in revolutionizing your customer service. And if the eCommerce web hosting can be found at a discounted price, then there is no question about the value of these services.

However, there are certain things that have to be fulfilled if one wants to receive the full potential value of eCommerce web hosting. They are: registration, web hosting, web designing, web promotion through creating links, database solutions and marketing, software development and other add-ons including privacy policies. Web hosting packages with e-Commerce solutions at a discount rate can provide the most secure ways for your customers and you to begin trading online, where the business would demand less face time from your end. After all, eCommerce or the flourish of commercial activities through the electronic medium holds the very future of the commercial world.

Choose The Right Autoresponder Service For Your Web Based Business

Does your business find itself lacking a little in the service department? Are you getting complaints about not getting back to people or do you think that you need to use a newer fresher style of marketing? If so then perhaps it is time that you started looking into one of the many different autoresponder services that are out there. These autoresponder services can change the face of your business and help you to pull in many more sales than you have ever seen in the past. In fact, with a good autoresponder service on your side you could up your business as quickly as in one week.

When it comes to an autoresponder service you need decide on what kind you want. You can get an autoresponder service that will be a software program or one that is an actual autoresponder service. If you choose to purchase autoresponder service programs you will only have to make a one time payment to them. This is usually affordable and simple to do, you will be able to use your autoresponder service programs or scripts as many times as you want and you will never have to pay more than your initial investment.

You can also choose to get an actual autoresponder service. This autoresponder service will save you time and energy in a big way. It is so simple and easy to use an autoresponder service that there is a very good chance that you will never look back. Many people have switched form an autoresponder service to a script and then regretted it.

When you are using a script and something goes wrong you have to figure out where the problem lies and how to fix it. When you are using an autoresponder service they do all of this hard work for you. They find the problem and they fix it for free. This is a great selling point on the part of an autoresponder service, especially if you are new to the entire concept.

When you choose an autoresponder service you will also have the peace of mind knowing that they are keeping on top of all the newest and hottest developments in this industry. Bulk mailing is a growing industry and it is changing all of the time. When you have signed on to an autoresponder service you will have the benefits of getting all of the latest technology. If you are running your own script it will never change on its own and you could be missing out on some powerful autoresponder service features. Features that could change your business for the better.

An autoresponder service is a simple and affordable way for you to keep in touch with potential clients. When you are using an autoresponder service you will always know you are getting your messages out to the public and that you are making a splash, a big one. So find out more about the many great autoresponder services online today.

Choosing A Home Based Business That's Right For You

If you want to be financially stable and unburden yourself from all those expenses, then you need to work hard for it. However, there are times when your take home salary from your company is just not enough to cover all your needs in your daily life. This is why you have to find another way to make money.

With today's economy, more and more people are now finding different ways to make that extra cash they need in order to live a more comfortable life. With enough money, you will be able to make your dreams a reality. So, how will you be able to do this if you spend most of your day in an office at the company you work for?

One of the best ways to do this is by starting your own home-based business. Thanks to the advancement of technology and thanks to the internet, you will now be able to compete with the big companies and have your slice of the big pie.

Today, there are a lot of home based business ideas that you can consider. However, because of the wide variety of choices itself, you may find it hard to choose what kind of home-based business you should start.

Firstly, your home based business should be the one that will suit you best. This means that it should be somewhere in your field and somewhere that you are knowledgeable about in order to make it work. Here's how you can choose the best kind of home based business for you.

If you are into computers and you have vast knowledge about programming or about web design, then you may want to offer your services over the internet. By providing website samples, and by writing articles about web design and submitting it on article publishing website, you will be able to advertise your services over the internet.

If you like crafting or you like to manufacture your own products (wood crafts, clothing, and jewelries) then you can do so and sell it over the internet. There are auction websites available on the internet where you can post pictures of your work and sell it. Who knows, maybe in the future you may get your own customers and get large amounts of orders?

If you like to write articles about a particular subject, then you can sell e-books or work for a company that requires web content article marketing. This is one of the biggest things in the internet and there are a lot of job opportunities that you will be able to apply for.

Before you start your own home based business, you first need to think about certain things in order to know if starting a home based business is for you. The first factor is time. You need enough time to effectively manage your business. If you can't spare a few hours a day for your home based business, then home based business is not for you. Just like any other kinds of business, you need to be able to take care of it in order for you to make it run smoothly.

These are some of the things you need to know about starting a home based business. As you can see, your hobbies or your interest can now provide you with the cash you need. All you need to do is a computer with an active internet connection and you are ready to go.

Choosing The Right Home Based Business - Then Working It For Profits

Have you thought about owning your own business from home? The benefits can be remarkable. You can earn an excellent full-time or part-time income, often just working a few hours per week.

In no time, you will be saying goodbye to the J.O.B, the boss, the commute, and earning less than you're worth. Even though this sounds good (and it IS good), profiting in your business from home is not a given.

Home based businesses have a very high failure rate. Most people get an idea for a business, then start out with little more than a hope and a prayer. Granted, a few do succeed, slowly finding their way by trial and error. But the School of Hard Knocks can be expensive and time consuming, with 97% of those who try giving up in frustration.

That's why I always urge people to base their home business around a well thought out direct sales opportunity. Direct sales provides for high commissions -- much higher than MLM -- and greater stability. I've found, and industry statistics bear this out, direct sales is probably the easiest way to earn a good income from home in a truly serious business of your own.

Follow these tips to greatly increase your chances of success:

1. Insist the opportunity you chose has a proven marketing system that is easy for you to duplicate. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Get a good plan, then work the plan consistently for a year to 18 months to achieve consistent profits.

2. Build your success on the success of others. Big profits always come from teamwork. When you can help others earn while profiting from their hard work, you've got the key to rapidly accruing profits.

3. Make sure the products and company are something you'll be proud to put your name on. Representing a great product isn't hard at all. You'll be happy to tell your friends, family, and prospects -- and they'll be delighted to hear what you have to say.

4. The business you chose should be built on integrity. Far too many businesses online are based on ripping people off. While that can earn you some money in the beginning, shaky deals always fall apart fast. Stay away!

5. Your home-based business should improve your life, let you work fewer hours, and give you more flexibility to be there for family and pursue your interests. Knowing your business is making your life better will keep you going through the tough times and spur you on to greater heights.

Earning money from home using a duplicable marketing system and applying it to big profit products that benefit everyone is a remarkable experience. You'll find direct sales is your path to home-based success.

Computer Consulting Business: Find the Right Clients

If you really want to make a decent living and want to have a good, successful, viable computer consulting business, sooner or later you have to narrow down your focus and develop a keen intuition. Additionally, you have to become good at spotting the best small businesses accounts.

The Small Business Myriad

There are millions of small businesses in the U.S. and there are millions of small businesses abroad. There’s a pretty good chance that there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of companies that would qualify as small businesses in your local area.

The sad fact is, if you latch onto the wrong ones, you’re not going to have a very good computer consulting business.

Finding the Best Accounts

You need to know where to find these best accounts. In the computer consulting business you also need to know how to say "no," and when to say "no."

It’s extremely important that you know where to look, and how to verify that a small business is going to be a gratifying client for your computer consulting business.

You obviously want to feel a certain sense of career satisfaction. That’s probably one of the reasons you’re looking at starting your own computer consulting business as opposed to sticking with a traditional corporate IT career.

Keep the Financial Aspects in Mind

Your computer consulting business also has to be lucrative financially because you need to have a profitable business. You want it to be a stable source of recurring revenue.

Remember, all small businesses are not created equal. Your job is not to be the Mother Teresa of PC support. You are not starting a computer consulting business as a charitable organization.

The Bottom Line about the Computer Consulting Business

Of course, you want to have empathy for the people you support and you want to do a great job for them. At the same time, you have to look out for your own interests to make sure you’re going to be there for them six months to a year down the road.

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Find A Business Opportunity Right For You!

There a plenty of great reasons to go into business for yourself. Maybe you’re intrigued by the challenge of entrepreneurship. You’re ready to step out of the day-to-day routine of working for someone else, which will lead to success on completely different levels and the opportunity to realize your fullest potential. Nonetheless, the key to running a lucrative company is finding the business opportunity that’s right for you. In today’s competitive marketplace, many ventures fail, which makes the prospect of starting a business rather intimidating. Fortunately, business franchises provide great opportunities for everyone, even beginners with little or no experience. Most importantly, the failure rates for franchises are significantly lower. This is true because franchising offers benefits such as brand name recognition, marketing plans, training, on-going support and lower start-up costs.

Grow Your Business and by Improving Theirs with Business to Business Franchises

Some companies supply products and services to customers. Rather that meeting the needs of individuals, these franchise opportunities offer business aides to other companies and organizations. These services can be fairly simple, with industries like shipping, telecommunications and accounting. Meanwhile, you may be interested in something more strategic, which may draw you to a franchise opportunity like Business for Breakfast, a marketing system centered on word-of-mouth advertising. It’s been proven time and time again that this form of advertising is the most beneficial of all, which means that your services will be in huge demand.

Furthermore, if you would like to take advantage of the staggering growth of online businesses, you should consider a franchise with Orca, a company devoted to making the Internet work for businesses. The World Wide Web is definitely the new frontier of profitable businesses; thus, small and medium-sized companies now realize they are missing out, making your services increasingly valuable. Also, if you’re searching for a low cost business, you should consider franchises like these. After all, they do not require stock, employees or a great deal of start-up capital. Of course, not all business to business franchises are strategic in nature. In fact, some of the most important services are the ones you rarely think about. Most importantly, they’re also some of the most worthwhile investments you can make.

As a Laser Tech franchisee, for example, you will sell print cartridges and other office supplies. Every office uses paper goods and most other supplies and nearly all of them need print cartridges. Obviously, the demand for your products is there. The same is true for accounting franchises. All businesses need accountants, whether in-house or outsourced. TaxAssist Accounting, for example, allows you to venture into this industry by appealing to self-employed professionals and small business owners. Many of these practitioners have found that traditional accountants charge a lot more for the same services. TaxAssist is devoted to doing the paperwork, allowing the small business owners to take care of their companies and make money. And yet, not all financial businesses are focused on taxes. Franchises like Epi International specialize in helping businesses spend money efficiently. Thus, you help companies and public organizations maximize profits by re-engineering the way they do business.

For many new franchisees, everyday services like these become extraordinary business prospects. If you’re still having trouble narrowing your options, there are other factors to consider. Start by examining your previous experience and education. Most franchises don’t require experience or previous education because they provide all the training you need; but, if you have experience in a particular area, it can only add to your chances for success. Another issue to keep in mind is how much flexibility you want. At a glance, it would seem that everyone wants more flexibility in their business, especially since many entrepreneurs find success with a home business. Franchising with companies like Rapid Results Business Marketing, Billboard Connection and Laser Tech gives you the change to enjoy all the benefits of working from home. These include low overhead costs, the ability to make your own schedule and more time with your family (less time commuting to and from work).

However, some franchisees find that too much flexibility is a hindrance. This is the case for people who have a difficult time separating chores of the home from responsibilities of work. Perhaps you’re already concerned that this is a problem you may face. If so, you shouldn’t become discouraged. Many people need the structure a business setting can offer. Businesses like TaxAssist Accounting, New Opportunities (telecommunications) and Sign-A-Rama have actual locations and employees. This means that you have the advantages of an orderly business in addition to the profitability of a franchise.

Business to Consumer Franchises can be Equally Rewarding

Have you ever wondered if your favourite hobby could become a money-making business opportunity? Maybe you love to clean, sew, throw parties, repair things around the house or play football. All of these hobbies can translate to lucrative opportunities because there are so many different franchises in the market today.

Some of the most popular businesses are children’s franchises. These include Little Angels Children’s Photography, Baby Prints, Go Kart Party and Brazilian Soccer Schools. To begin with, Little Angels is a great prospect for photographers. This home-based business allows photographers to work with pre-school groups and nurseries, which gives them steady clientele. Photography is highly competitive and it’s usually difficult to build a name in the beginning. One rewarding thing about a franchise like Little Angels is that you only work part time. This makes it easy to do different projects (weddings and other special events) on your own time. Otherwise, a business like this can work around the needs of your family. Mums find Little Angels especially attractive because they can take their children to and from school everyday without any interference from work.

Moreover, not all memories are captured on film. No one knows this better than Baby Prints franchisees. Stay at home mums and dads who decide to go into business for themselves have found that casts of sweet little baby feet and hands are turning a sweet little profit they can not ignore. As a Baby Prints owner, your job is to capture every precious little wrinkle and dimple on baby’s fingers and toes, creating a cherished keepsake. Like Little Angels, Baby Prints is a work from home business with modest start-up costs. Additionally, this is one business for sale that offers exclusive sales territory.

By now, you may think that children’s franchise businesses are mostly for mums. However, this is not so. Case in point: Brazilian Soccer Schools is a fantastic business for football fans, many of whom are men. Even if you do not know a great deal about coaching, this company will provide training in both business and coaching. Better yet, Brazilian Soccer Schools can be operated in addition to your existing job during the first year. This makes the transition from traditional employment to entrepreneurship much smoother.

Certainly, owning a business will enrich your life as well as the lives of those around you. You’ve probably make this determination on your own by now. What you may not have considered, on the other hand, is that some businesses can impact your life in a completely unexpected way. For instance, Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs, the largest fitness group in the UK, will do just that. Not only will you have a chance to be your own boss and earn revenue doing so, you can also achieve a healthier lifestyle. Imagine the positive outcome this kind of business will have for you and your family. Most of all, you’ll have the unsurpassable satisfaction of helping others live better.

There’s a Brand New Career Path Just for You!

You’ve learned about a few of the franchise business opportunities available to aspiring businesspersons like you. Yes, these are only a small sampling, which may be overwhelming. The important thing to remember is that there is a franchise that’s perfect just for you. Once you have taken the time to analyze your experience, education, talents and personal goals, you will find it much easier to narrow down and then choose your business. After that, all it takes is an investment of your resources, time and discipline. Such effort will inevitably lead you to the right business opportunity and all the benefits that come with it.

Five Reasons Podcasting Might Be Right For Your Home-based Business

Podcasting has been called the wave of the future. The truth, however, is that podcasting is the here-and-now and is rapidly gaining momentum across the world. There are podcasts available for just about any topic you can think of from cooking to video games to religion. As of February 2006, a Google search for the term “podcast” returns over 205,000,000 results. The amazing reality of this is that it is still, in effect, an untapped market that will continue its growth in the years to come.

Podcasting can have many uses for the home-based business owner. It can be useful not only advertise, but to also communicate your business message. Below are 5 tips on how to use podcasts to benefit your business:

1. Reach your niche market – Depending on your product, podcasting can be the perfect way to reach new groups of people in your market. Believe it or not, there are people out there looking for the product you provide and this enables them to easily find them.

Podcasts are quickly becoming a new advertising venue as well. A podcast that is listed in podcasting directories such as iTunes can reach thousands, even millions of listeners. This can be a very inexpensive method for advertisers on a budget.

The popularity of podcasts is a steadily growing trend. Many people who are just beginning to learn about podcasts will search for topics of there interest. This is a great way to reach customers that you would not have been able to reach before the advent of podcasting.


2. Share your passion – Podcasting is a great way to share what you love. If you are excited about a topic or product, chances are that others out there are, too. A podcast on the topic you are passionate about is a great way to connect with others who also share that same passion.

People can hear your excitement over the “airwaves.” I always enjoy listening to a program when the speaker is obviously energized about whatever it is he’s speaking on. So, when recording your podcast, keep a smile on your face and allow your excitement to show.


3. Share information – Many home-based businesses have begun because they are filling a need. A podcast can help this information reach the people that it will benefit. For example, CWAHM.com was created to help women be at home with their children while still contributing to their families financially. Many of the sites’ visitors are buys moms who may not have the time to scour the hundreds of pages the site contains. Our podcast, Christian Work at Home Moment, airs once a week and is 24 minutes long. It’s an easy way for moms to learn more about working from home without spending hours on their computer.

Make it a point to research your topic and find all of the interesting and little known facets of passion. Keep your listeners interested and they will want to hear more!

4. Become an “Expert” in your field – Creating a podcast can help to establish you as an “expert” in the area your broadcast covers. You must be willing to take the time, do the research and share information that is valuable and useful to your listeners.

Just as authors become experts by researching and writing on specific topics, podcasters become experts by sharing the information they find with their listening audience. There is a big market for podcasts in a multitude of areas – the next expert could be YOU!

5. It’s easy - A podcast can be started with virtually no cost or investment. In most cases, there is no need to be “tech savvy” to be a podcast creator. It can be as simple as using a phone to record your podcast through a service like Odeo.com. There are, of course, more complicated set-ups, but to begin you truly just need a topic, a phone and a quiet spot to record.

Podcasting is easy for listeners as well. A podcast can be listened to directly from a website or downloaded from iTunes and put directly on an MP3 device.

There are many reasons that a podcast can benefit small and home-based businesses. This growing market is an entirely new way to communicate information to the world. When it comes to podcasting, the sky’s the limit. So take your business to new levels and start podcasting today.

Find The Right Merchant Account Provider For Your Business!

Finding the right merchant account provider for your retail business can be a tricky process. There are thousands of merchant account providers to choose from with all sorts of rates and fees associated with them. So how can you possibly save your time and money making the right decisions for your business?

Well the first typical move for a business owner would be to jump onto a popular search engine, type in "merchant account" and start searching through each merchant account providers website right? Well the thing is that when you type in those keywords you'll be matched with over 75 million merchant account websites!!! Now tell me, who has the time to find a legitimate, merchant account website that won’t charge them thousands of dollars a year in hidden fees claiming they have the lowest rates on the internet? That's exactly the problem with finding a legitimate merchant account processor over the internet.

You need a company that you can trust to compare multiple merchant account quotes with while saving your time and money. Stop stressing yourself out from searching through the millions of merchant account websites that are out there to charge you tons of hidden fees. The solution is here and it's PayOne Solutions, Inc. They take your current processing statement, and make the banks compete for your business guaranteeing you get the lowest processing rates and on top of that they throw in up to $1000.00 of Free POS Equipment, which means you never have to pay for your equipment ever again. The choice is simple; you want the lowest rate with absolutely no hidden fees with no equipment costs for your retail business?

Then visit http://www.payonesolutions.com/ or call 1-877-876-4456 for your free merchant account quote and let the banks compete for your business, not the other way around!