De toekomst voor kleine bedrijven. In de komende jaren zal blijken dat meer mensen een 'klein' bedrijf van thuis uit zullen opstarten. De meeste zullen starten als bijverdienste, maar sommigen zullen doorgroeien naar een internationaal bedrijf.
01-11-2008
4 Things to Remember as a Newbie
1. Differ wants from needs
Once you are in the business you will probably find that in the beginning you might be overwhelmed by lots of sources that will tell you to get this and that, and maybe to upgrade a myriad of things that feels totally strange to you. Most of these upgrades and purchases, if not all, will probably be necessary eventually down the road, and if you have the extra cash to spend on it, more power to you. However, if you are anything like me, you don't want to blow more money than you need to, and in the beginning there has to be some investments made. This is after all a business you are starting up. The investments could come at advisable times though, differentiate between things you want, and things you need. For example, if you start out with a Plug-in-Profit site which will include an ezine through an autoresponder, then make sure that autoresponder is not putting in any ads and the like, even if this means making an investment into making it to a registered version. In essence, what you want is to get the maximum Return on Investment (ROI) on your purchases, and you might not be getting that if for example you upgrade an affiliate program without anyone in your downline. Another example is buying services to submit your ezine to directories or announcement pages; is this something that can be done? Of course, but you can also do it yourself, given you have to spend a lot more time one it, but the results will probably be the same and you wouldnt have to spend a dime.
2. Backup all your work/information/stuff... A good habit to learn is to make consecutive backups of all your work to an external source such as disc, floppy, thumb drive....the choices are many. It is a fact that any storage device will eventually brake down and the information on it will be lost, and in knowing that we should determine the best cause of action to prevent that we loose our vital information. I recommend getting a USB thumb drive with enough space for all your work (homepages, articles...you name it..). Why a thumb drive you might ask, well, these small little devices can be inserted into any computer with a USB port (the name of a certain jack on the back of the computer which is incorporated into most computers today, although it is also installed at the front of the computer more and more) and be ready for use without any software being installed, similar to a floppy disc, but a lot more space to put stuff into. So all in all this will provide you with a guarantee that all your hard work wont disappear into thin air because of a computer failure.
3. Reinvest This step is to determine how to use the income wisely once you start receiving them. First I must congratulate you for getting as far as you have since you are reading this step, and if you are not there yet, dont worry, you can read this for future reference. The first thing that comes to mind when receiving your first check might be "lets go spend it!!!". This course of action, however enjoyable, might not be fully advisable. I suggest taking at least 50% of your income and reinvesting it into your online marketing campaign, even if one comes to a point where the business is self sustaining, it would still benefit from more power to increase its marketing efforts. In essence the more hay you give your cash cow the more milk it will produce, and thus it will be profitable and very advisable to follow this course of action.
4. Networking Once again it is time to emphasize on the power of networking and why you should continue to pursue it. Through networking, opportunities, ideas, tips and tricks about the business can be obtained, and down the road even well profitable joint ventures could be established which would benefit all parties involved in it. Networking involves everything which has to do with communicating with other parties, be it talking to a friend, a person in your downline, or just simply posting on a message board. The ways are many and the future opportunities are infinite, or to quote a friend I know; "your opportunities are all that you want them to be, if you want them bad enough".
Working at Home? Here's 10 Ways to Be More Productive
Ah, working at home... Visions of leisurely days, conference calls in comfy sweatpants, increased productivity with fewer interruptions. But the distinctions between work life and home life soon blur. You really should throw some laundry in the wash before you write that proposal. You have an hour before a meeting: Should you balance your books or clean the kitchen? And remember to call that client back right after you empty the cat box.
Welcome to the real world of working at home: unforeseen distractions, a lack of structured time, and sometimes a perceived loss of identity. But don't give up the dream just yet! By putting into place a few simple ideas, you can reap more of the rewards of working at home. Based on my experiences and those of my associates, here are 10 simple ways to help you stay on track.
1. Separate Your Space.
Keep a separate, distinct work area in your home. (This is especially difficult if you're living and working in a shoebox studio, like I was when I started my business in New York City!) If you don't have a separate room, at least define an area, and know that when you're in it, you're in "work mode."
2. Structure Your Time.
As your business and personal time mesh, it's more important than ever to structure your day. For example, if you regularly take a walk or go to the gym, try to do it every day at the same time. Value that personal appointment with yourself even when you're very busy. It will actually help you keep your business on track! I like to get up early and work until noon, then I take a few hours off to enjoy lunch, do some reading, and take my daily jog on the beach. Then I'm back at my desk at 4:00 until who knows when!
3. Outsource All You Can.
When I began my business, I made the mistake of acting as my own courier service. I soon learned how much time I was wasting by frequently visiting clients just to pick things up and drop them off. Whenever you start thinking, "Well I can just do that myself," STOP. Streamline your business, making everything as automatic as possible. Use outside services to stay focused on your *real work*. Get accounts with an overnight delivery service, messenger service, virtual assistant (VA), bookkeeper, etc. Save your energy for your brilliant ideas! : )
4. Use Technology to Your Advantage.
In-person meetings are very valuable when appropriate, but schedule them sparingly. Try to do most of your business via phone, fax, and e-mail using the best equipment you can afford. For most home-based entrepreneurs, when you're out of the office, you're NOT making money. So it's important that you can communicate flawlessly from where you are. And PLEASE do us all a favor and get separate lines/services for your phone, fax, and Internet! No one likes getting a busy signal.
(BONUS TIP: If your phone company offers voicemail, get it. Not only will your outgoing message sound more professional, but if you're on an important call and don't want to be disturbed, other callers can still leave you a message.)
5. Group Your Errands.
Try to group your meetings and errands together to minimize your out-of-office time. Make a list in the morning of all the outside tasks you need done for the day, and attempt to complete them in one fell swoop. Even better, do what I do and designate just one day a week as your "blitz" day for errands and meetings. Plus, then you only need to get dressed up one day a week! : )
6. Stay Focused.
Make your workspace off-limits to other roommates or family members when you're working. For you animal lovers, this may go for pets as well. (My cat Francine gets *very* jealous when I'm not giving her complete attention!) Keep all personal paperwork such as bills, magazines, and to-do lists out of sight, so they won't distract you from your projects.
7. Beware of Yappers.
Many of your friends and family will be immediately delighted when they learn that you're working at home. They picture you lounging on the couch, eating potato chips, and waiting for their calls. When they call you simply to chat, politely remind them that you're working, and ask them if you can call them back after your day is over. It may take them a while, but they'll eventually get the idea.
8. Work With Your Moods.
Keep track of your moods and productivity compared with the time of day. For example, if you find you're more alert in the morning, use this time to make important calls and do your creative work. Take advantage of your natural cycles. If you feel better after an afternoon nap, go for it! (I'm a BIG proponent of the catnap. In fact, I may start a support group.)
9. Suit Yourself.
To bring out your best work, make your environment perfect for YOU. How do you work best? With plenty of breaks, or with no interruptions? In silence, or with some light music in the background? On a cushy couch and coffee table, or at a business desk in an ergonomic chair? (My friends thought I was nuts when I spent $750 on my Herman Miller Aeron chair, but they quickly understood why once they sat in it! And my spine thanks me every day.)
Also, find some places you can do work when you need a change of scenery. How about the library, the park, or your neighborhood coffee shop? When I need to do serious reading, thinking, or editing, I take my work outside to the beach. The sea air, sunshine, and soothing waves help me think much more clearly.
10. Break for People.
Feeling sluggish, lonely, or moody? Arrange for at least one social break during the week. (I aim for two or three.) Schedule breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even just coffee with a client, vendor, or friend. Join a business networking group, or sign-up for social activities such as dance class or recreational sports league. Don't go into hermit mode it can be self-destructive!
(c) 1999-2002 Alexandria K. Brown
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/
Home Based Business Opportunities Abound On The Internet
Looking for a home business opportunity on the internet these days is a pretty involved process. That is, if you dont know how to eliminate 90% of the junk thats out there and pick among the home business opportunities that actually have merit and track records. What works?
Information sales, auctions, hard goods that can be shipped, books, reports, network marketing, you name it!
There are just certain types of home business opportunities that you want to stay away from. Those are things where someone you dont know from Adam is making guarantees that are way too good to be true. Anyone who makes it sound like money is dripping from the internet for you to simply catch in a bucket is a liar and a thief.
You will never have success with home business opportunities that promise you that you will never have to work, or make things sound too easy. Take it from a professional, working online or offline with a home business opportunity is work.
But home business opportunities have perks that are better than any job you could ever imagine.
You work for yourself and answer to no one but your customers You can make as much or as little as you want You can work as much or as little as you want You can take time off whenever you want You can make your schedule totally flexible You can work on the internet and work from anywhere in the world You can save money on clothes you had to buy for jobs You can save money on gas, car maintenance and insurance You can get great tax breaks owning your own business Travel and other expenses can be tax deductible
The list of great things I can think of about a home business goes on and on. Here are some of the things that can be a drain on you with a home business opportunity:
You cant leave your business at certain critical times of growth Your family will sometimes become a distraction when you are working at home Your bed is in the same place as your work Theres no boss to keep you honest about your hours Theres no boss to keep you on your focus to complete critical tasks No one will do the work for you Customers can be a pain sometimes The money in the beginning can come in sporadically (people who cannot handle any kind of financial stress should definitely keep their jobs until their home business opportunity starts paying the bills regularly).
No pain no gain. No risk, no profit. No investment, no return. A home business opportunity is like any other business. Dont let anyone tell you differently!
But for those of us that thrive on making our own way in the world, who love that there is no limit to what we can make, and no one but our spouses to tell us what to do, there is nothing under the sun better than a home business!
Becoming Financially Independent in 3 Years Working From Home -
You may be thinking yeah right, getting out of debt and being financially independent in three years? There's no way!
It may be pretty obvious that the fastest way to get out of debt is to earn more money, but how are you suppose to earn more money?
Are you one of those people who have been at their jobs for forever and do not see yourself out of debt by the time you retire, that is if you can retire.
It is time to consider some other options. I am not talking about going to find another part-time job either.
If one job is not paying the bills, what makes you think two jobs will do any better? Why spend your whole day getting bossed around?
There are people who have been getting bossed around their whole life and it has not gotten them anything but being depressed and angry.
Make the decision today to become your own boss.
I am not saying you have to go out and quit your job today. What I am saying is that by making the decision to be your own boss three to four hours a day, you can build up your own online business pretty fast, if you know what you are doing.
If you do not know what you are doing that's fine. There are a lot of legitimate home based businesses out there.
They will all be willing to share their information with you because they have made so much money with their systems in the past five years it does not really matter to them anymore.
Just make sure that you are paying off your debts and not making more debts just because you are making more money.
It is really time to start considering other options. So many people are now realizing that working for someone all of their life just does not seem to work anymore.
People throw the term business opportunity around pretty loosely these days. Before the internet took off, a business opportunity was a franchise like McDonalds or Wendys. Or maybe a vending machine route or insurance sales position in your local area.
Mainly what people considered business opportunities was that you had to be an entrepreneur with investment capital to take advantage of an opportunity. So a business opportunity was something only someone with money to invest could take advantage of. You had to have money to make money.
Nowadays, people by the thousands make money on Ebay and through millions of websites selling everything from wigs, to toys, to cars, houses, and electronics. A business opportunity exists for every man woman and child on the planet who has the drive to learn how the internet works and just how many different ways there are to make money.
Some business opportunities on the net require an investment of thousands of dollars. Others require only that you have a website and hosting for it. $24 a month can set you up with an affiliate business opportunity right now. I even have a free website I give people, loaded with products and customized so that you get commissions for every sale made on your site.
You dont have to know HTML. You dont have to know how to get a merchant account. And most of all, to get started, you dont even have to have your own products. By far the most people making money online are doing it as affiliates who refer people to products, services, and information for commissions.
This is what I do, and I love it! I dont have to take care of customers, stock products, do any shipping, or anything else that comes with owning your own products. Yet I make great money at it.
Now thats a business opportunity! Gone are the days when you had to have a lot of money to invest in starting a business. You still can, if you want to. But to me its crazy that people spend tens of thousands of dollars on their local business, hiring staff, managing them, keeping stock and inventory, dealing with rude customers. I dont mess with ANY of that stuff and make more money than most people who DO!
A business opportunity is worthless if it is not taken. Most people just keep their jobs because they dont trust that they have any other choices. People who take action on a great business opportunity are people who are self-motivated and action-oriented.
You should be able to work long hours in the beginning and you should be willing to do what it takes to learn what business is all about on the web.
If you do, you can become self-employed and even extremely rich. Its not for everyone, but from now on you know that business opportunities abound on the internet and one is even just a click away from you right this moment!
Have you ever thought of setting up your own home business, yet you were discouraged because you have next to nothing to use for capital? Do not worry; there are millions of people like you out there. However, you could be one of the few who makes a decision to do something about it today, now.
Further, you could be among those few who make it to the top with a successful story of earning a five figure income in less than one year. It is okay if you have little or no money and, no, you do not need to take out a loan to kick start your business. You can become a smart e-entrepreneur with no investment worth mentioning.
The best way to start a small business when you have no money is by finding yourself a great affiliate program and signing up for it. This is an excellent opportunity to start a small business online, without any of the formalities that are usually tied up with the launching of a "brick and mortar" small business, such as looking for bank loans, store front/premises, stocking of product, etc. The internet is an excellent platform for any individual who wants to make it big, but has no capital to pour into setting up a profitable portfolio anywhere else.
When you become the partner of a large affiliate program, you literally get spoon-fed the tools for success. These affiliates have already worked for a few decades and have developed a huge amount of business resources, plans and marketing solutions. They gladly train each new partner and offer them all the tools and resources they need to launch their home business for free. You could add Google Adsense to it and earn a growing residual income from the ads placed on your blog. The best news is that through your blog you could get excellent opt-in lists, which are priceless for any business.
You could start you own home business today in this manner and you would not need to take out a bank loan. Make use of the tools the mother affiliate program offers you and you can become a successful entrepreneur almost overnight. Set up a blog to use for marketing to compensate for the lack of initial cash. For any advice or help to do such a thing you should be able to completely rely upon your affiliate program. Your your success equates to their success.
Mike Selvon portal offers free articles on small business. Find out more about a home business, and leave a comment at the small business advice blog.
"I stand corrected on Herbalife" Jim Cramer told viewers of his "Mad Money" TV show Tuesday. "It is a buy."
Cramer said he had been negative on the stock because he assumed it was just another nutrition-supplement player and multilevel marketer, no better than Usana Health Sciences. "But I was wrong," he said.
In fact, Herbalife "does not belong at the bottom of the barrel" and deserves to trade higher, not lower, Cramer said. The company not only had better-than-expected earnings in its most recent quarter, but it also won approval in China to sell its products directly in two provinces, he said.
Herbalife has "a high-margin business model" and generates a lot of free cash flow, Cramer added. Plus, the company is buying back stock, has a 2% dividend and is even benefiting from the weak dollar because of its exposure outside the U.S.
Even after all those positives, Herbalife is selling more cheaply than its peers, Cramer said. But he doesn't believe that should last. This stock is inexpensive and it's not going to stay a market secret forever, he said.
Michael Johnson, Herbalife's chief executive, has turned the company around and now people can get in "artificially low," said Cramer.