guest post | 4 Time-Tested (but Trendy) Business Ideas

today we have a guest post from Anita Campbell of BizSugar, which is a fantastic place to find and share small business news and tips. whether you are just getting started with your little biz, or you want to find ways to stand out in your niche, these time-tested ideas will definitely help you out!

Ever wonder why some businesses stand the test of time while others fizzle away in the night? If you’ve ever started your own business or even pondered it, I’m guessing the answer is yes.  As always-aspiring entrepreneurs, we want to be in the habit of creating business that are going to last. We want to build brands that will resonate, be relatable, and that are just trendy enough to garner attention without being written off as a fad.

But how do you do that? How do you build something that’s time-tested, but audience-approved?

Below are four trustworthy techniques to consider when marketing your next business idea.  They’re four small things that have proven to work time after time after time.

Idea 1: The Time Saver

We’re all busy. And you know what? That’s not changing. With more things grabbing at our attention, we have even less time today than we did a year ago.  Focusing your business idea around being a “time saver” for your customers is going to help you stand out from the masses.  We all want more time – time that we can spend with our families, having a life, etc.

How can you take advantage of this customer want?

If you’re a local market, maybe it means you begin offering a delivery service so that busy moms and dads can have their groceries delivered to their door. If you’re a local florist, maybe you can promise a faster turnaround time than your competitors. Or you allow customers to schedule a year’s worth of flower deliveries in one shot online. “Never miss a holiday again!”

Figuring out how your product can save someone time is a great way to ensure your name is one they never forget.

Idea 2: The Easy Button

There’s a reason Staples clings so tightly so it’s “that was easy” slogan.  Because we’re so busy and pressed for time, we’re looking for more streamlined, more efficient ways of accomplishing our everyday tasks. Sure, fancy features may be nice to look at, but they’re not what we’re really after. What we want is more things done quicker and with less effort. 

Life is hectic enough, base your product around solving an everyday frustration that your customers face.

The good news is as a small business owner, this is where you have a huge leg up over your larger competition because they don’t understand this concept. They’re always trying to be bigger, badder and more confusing.  How many times has your favorite Web site been “redesigned” to be more complicated than ever before?  How many times have you switched away from your once-favorite product because it became harder to use? Too many.

For your product to win fans for the long term, look for ways to streamline an existing process or to simplify an everyday task that your audience faces.  They’ll love you for it.

Idea 3: The Do It Yourselfer

We live in a world of consultants and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. Spend a few minutes searching the Web and you’ll find yourself running across communities passionate about finance, trendy business ideas, getting married or virtually anything else you’d dare to search for.  

And they’re not looking to hire someone to help them with these areas; they want to learn how to do it for themselves. Embrace it.

You may not want to base your entire business on helping others learn what you do for themselves, but find ways to incorporate it into your business model.  Maybe you offer a training class. Or you start a blog. Or you participate in webinars where you talk to people and help solve their issues. 

However it is that you decide to help people learn, you’re giving them added value to keep coming back to your business and your Web site.  We like organizations that help us to accomplish our goals and to allow us to feel smarter while doing it.  It’s not something we forget.

Idea 4: The Do-Gooder

Make it easy for your customers to feel good about doing business with you by doing good for others. 

If you’re a local screen printing shop, let people know that you only use recycled inks and paper.  If you own a retail outlet, maybe you donate 10 percent of your yearly earnings to a charity that is important to your customers.  If you’re a local animal hospital, maybe you volunteer your services at different animal shelters throughout the year.

These are things your customers are looking for. They want to know that you care about things outside of yourself and that you’re a good citizen.  Doing so makes them feel good about doing business with you and it makes them feel better about themselves, simply by supporting you.

Making people feel good about giving you money? What’s a better way to stand the test of time than that?

Above are just four ways to help aspiring small businesses create time-tested, but also trendy, business ideas using proven themes. By incorporating these elements into the products you offer, your mission statements, your ad campaigns and even the technologies that you use, you can position your company in new and more-lasting ways.

Anita Campbell is the Founder of the Small Business Trends website and CEO of BizSugar, an online community of small business owners.

some recommended awesomeness

i have so many awesome things to tell you about that i decided that it would be easier to put them all in one spot for you rather than just posting them to facebook or twitter…  

i might need to make it a regular thing, now that so many of my biz friends are doing such amazing things that i am proud to tell you about!

profit with purpose

janine and jo from love your small business are holding a free webinar on Feb 22^nd called profit with purpose.

“Leaving your day job and striking out as an entrepreneur isn't always about making lots of money. It's about contributing to the lives of your loved ones, doing what you are passionate about AND having the peace of mind that comes from being in control of your own destiny. Imagine if you could use your unique gifts and talents, generate the income you desire, and let go of all the usual stresses that go along with making money.” 

i think this sounds right up my alley, and is actually something i could use some help with right about now. what about you? join me there?

the webinar marks the launch of a new ecourse from these ladies (which i am an affiliate for) so if the idea of profit with purpose sounds right for you, do check out the webinar. it will be a great way to see if the course will be a good investment, and you know how i feel about investing in you and your biz: you gotta do it! just pick the right people/products for you. webinars are awesome for that!

click here to see all of the details and register for the free webinar.

human powered awesome

natalie sisson from the suitcase entrepreneur is doing an amazing 6445 km bike ride across africa to raise money for WomenWin.org. click here to see what she is doing and why, and while you are see if there is a way you can help out by spreading the word, donating, sponsoring or making a purchase. now, excuse me for a sec while i go buy a ‘human powered awesome’ tshirt. they are, well, awesome! so clearly, i need one!

diving in

cas mccullough from support a wahp has written a fabulous ebook called diving in. i think this book is perfect for someone who wants to start a little biz but is not sure where to start. she covers everything from figuring out what kind of business to start, to planning, branding, marketing and even facebook for biz. practical, hands-on tips you can use if you want to build yourself a kickass biz! (and if you already have a biz maybe you know of someone who wants one too! pass it on =) )

click here to have a look.

how to be a work-at-home mom

prerna malik from the mom writes and social media direct has written her first ebook: The Happily Ever After Guide to Leading the WAHM Life. it includes brainstorming ideas for your own bits, tips on pitching, free promotional strategies, time management and productivity, creating a budget, plus heaps more. she also includes interviews with four mums in biz (including me, and i am in such great company, i tell you!) for added tips and inspiration. click here to have a look.

have you got something awesome on offer? let me know! if it is the right fit for build a little biz i might include it in a future recommended awesomeness post. i am only an affiliate for people and products i love, and i only recommend things that i believe in. =)

creative biz | the basics you must consider before starting your biz

meagan visser of MeaganVisser.com has a fantistic five part series for us this week on running a successful creative or handmade business. this is part 3... (part 2, part 1)

In my last post I told you a bit about my first Etsy shop...mainly about how I filled it with random things I'd created & not choosing one medium or being consistent with it. I shared about the problems that resulted in for me & my shop & I gave you 3 questions to ask yourself about what it is you have to offer.

Today I'm going to tell you a bit more about my story...

When I decided I was going to give Etsy a try it was because a friend of mine had a shop that was doing well. She was making decent money & she knew that I was into crafting so she encouraged me to start my own shop. She told me how easy it was & what she did with her shop. So excitedly, I had her help me get going.

We came up with a catchy name that wasn't already being used, created some quick shop graphics using a free online photo that we stuck my shop name on, wrote up some makeshift policies & a brief profile. Now all I needed to do was put my products into my shop when I got home & the sales would start coming in, right?

Wrong...again.

I started my shop on a whim. I didn't do any research or learning about selling online. I didn't know anything about legalities. All I wanted to do was sell some stuff & make some money. Now I'm definitely not one of those people that thinks you need to have a degree in business or marketing to make a creative biz work. So many people have proved that theory wrong.

All it takes is a vision, a willingness to learn & correct your mistakes, a great product & some marketing skills. So today I'm going to cover some very basic things you need to keep in mind when thinking about starting an online handmade business. This isn't all inclusive, but I'm going to link you to some great resources at the bottom of the post!

Name

This is usually the first thing you think about after you've decided what you're going to sell. My suggestion is to brainstorm 5-6 shop names that you like & ask friends & family what their favorites are. Keep these things in mind though when you're brainstorming!

• your name should reflect your products, market, & branding {big idea}
• your name should be short & easy to spell
• check to see if your name is available on social media sites, as a website domain, on Etsy or wherever you choose to sell from, & that it's not trademarked

Legal Basics

This will vary by country and region (state/province etc.), so it's definitely something you'll want to check into before getting in too deep. Besides checking for a trademarked name, you'll want to look into these areas that will affect your business in a legal way.

• Hobby vs business
• Business entity (eg sole proprieto/sole trader, LLC/Pty, corporation, company, partnership etc. dependent on your country)
• Registering your business name & applying for a tax number
• Taxes & record keeping

I'm sure there are more legal things to consider. You best bet it to search Google for this info based on your state/country. You can always ask other business owners what they do & where they get their info as well.

Branding, Dreams & Goals

What does this business mean to you? Why are you doing it? Where do you want it to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years? What are you going to do to get it there? What goals will you set for your business? It's important to think of these things when you're starting out because your answers will determine everything about your business from how serious you are about it, to the legal aspects, to your marketing, & beyond.

Graphics

When you have a business your logo will be one of the main things people remember you by. You think of McDonald's when you see that big yellow M, you think of Target when you see that red bulls eye, & you think of Apple when you see the apple with the bite out of it. That is graphic branding & you need to think about what you want your graphics to reflect.

What do you want them to say to your customers? What feel do you want reflected? You'll use these graphics in a lot of different places including your shop, website or blog, social media sites, ads, business cards, shipping & packaging material or any other marketing materials you may end up wanting. So like I said earlier, these are some basic areas to think about when it comes to starting up a handmade business.

Below are Amazon links to two of my favorite books all about handmade/craft businesses. You can get them on Amazon, ebay, book trading sites, discount book stores, or at your local library. They are a wealth of information & I'd recommend them to anyone considering starting a creative business. The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco Also check out this review on Business Basics from the above book - Craft Inc. It covers a lot of the above topics a bit more in depth if you're interested!

Share with me in the comment section...

What business basics have you been putting off learning & why? 

further reading:

• registering business names, trademarks, domains & more
• 5 reasons building a brand will help you build your biz

Meagan Visser is a wife, mother, & creative entrepreneur living in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee. She inspires moms to pursue their creative business dreams on her coaching website MeaganVisser.com & she offers fashionable & eco-friendly products for babies & toddlers in her Etsy shop, Baby Swank. Connect with her on Twitter & Facebook!

ask the expert | can i build a little biz on a shoestring budget?

today our ask the expert post comes from our administration & organization expert partner, Kelly Evans from Virtual Mary Poppins. 

Can I build a little biz on a shoestring budget?

This question is asked at a lot of forums, and also on Facebook. The answer of course varies according to the industry you are in. If your business requires the purchase of expensive assets, such as machinery or qualifications to be licensed, this may blow your shoestring budget.

So instead let’s focus on what you can do for little cost/free! Here are 20 tips to help you build your little biz on a shoestring budget. 

1. Register your business for tax purposes (Free)

Check with the tax requirements for your business - generally the tax office of your country will have helpful information online for small businesses. You may also want to consider whether your business will be considered a hobby.

(In Australia you need an Australian Business Number (ABN) and (optionally) Goods and Services Tax (GST). You will need your Tax File Number (TFN) so if you don’t have one, you will also need to apply for that.)

2. Register your business name ($$)

Sorry but this one isn’t free, unless you are trading under your own name (Jack Jones) in which case you don’t have to register at all. Keep in mind before you decide on a business name to check that no one else has that name first! 

Again, you will need to check in your country/state for registration requirements. If you plan to sell your item in more than one country/state you may need to register your name in all places. 

3. See if you qualify for any small business programs (Free)

Check with your government listings to see if they offer any programs for people starting a small buisiness from home. For instance, Australia has the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS)  If you are eligible, they can help you start your own small business and you can still receive income support while you do. 

4. Develop a business and a marketing plan (Free)

If you can afford it, you could hire someone to do THIS for you, but if things are tight you can do a search online for free templates. (there are some here)

5. Setup a Facebook page for your business (Free)

It’s relatively simple to start a Facebook page - click on ‘Create Page’ and away you go (just make sure you choose ‘business page’)! You can always add flashy things like welcome pages later.

6. Buy a website domain name and webhosting ($)

It’s relatively cheap these days to have a web site, and it’s getting easier to build your own. With .com and .net domain names from $7 a year  and webhosting from $7.15US a month (less if you pay a year in advance) you can get your business online asap (as long as you are capable of building a basic website from a template yourself)!

7. Set up your email account and signature block (Free)

That way every email you send is reminding people about your business (and hopefully driving traffic to your website)! Gmail/google apps offers yourname@yourbusinessname email addresses for free and wisestamp is a great signature app.

8. Analyse your website/Facebook traffic (Free)

Use Google Analytics, and Facebook insights to give you the scoop on who is visiting your website, when and more… Make sure your website is designed with plenty of the right keywords so that search engines like Google can find you easily (this is called Search Engine Optimisation).

9. Start Tweeting (Free)

Sign up for Twitter and start tweeting lyrical about your new biz (remember to tweet interesting info too not just sell, sell, sell)!

10. Google + (Free)

Sign up for Google + and discover a whole new world of social networking. Business pages are now available as well!

11. Set up a mailing list (Free/limited)

Mailchimp is a great free newsletter service (currently free up to 2000 subscribers). It has some fantastic features that make it really easy to use. You can import your subscriber list from an excel spreadsheet, and use a free template to create your first newsletter! It also has some great integration with other applications such as a Subscribe tab for your Facebook page, a QR code for your brochures (to allow people to sign up to your mailing list on the go). 

12. Learn tax business basics (Free)

 Check online to see if your country's tax office offers any assistance for small business such as record keeping, tax basics, one-on-one assitance and more!

(The Australia Tax Office has free Tax Basics Seminars, Record Keeping workshops, and free and confidential on-site visits to discuss your business.)

13. Get (free) Training

 Government organizations offer training or voucher schemes from time to time, so it pays to keep in touch with your local business centre and to check online what is avaliable in your region.

(For instance in Australia we have Business Enterprise Centre (BEC)

14. Manage your (online) reputation (free)

 Set up a Google alert for your business name/your name. Keep an eye on when you appear on web sites across the net. Social Mention will altert you to mentions in social media sites like facebook and twitter. 

15. Promote your business (Free)

 There are many pages on Facebook where you can promote your business for free. Find groups and forums where you can jump in and answer questions that are within your area of expertise. You can also author articles on topics within your expertise and have them published on blogs or in print. Find websites and directories in your niche that offer free promotion. Look for PR apportunities from SourceBottle and HARO.

16. Join industry associations ($$)

The industry association for you will depend on the business you are in – but everyone can join in local Chamber of Commerce events and get to know their local small business people. It’s a great opportunity for perfecting your ‘about me’ pitch and meeting a potential client or two.

17. Set up a Dropbox account (Free)

Dropbox allows you to store up to 10gb of stuff in the cloud (you get 2gb initially, but if you refer your business partners to join you can earn an additional 8gb). Perfect for backing up your website, storing your photos, or your business manual and procedures. Just be aware that folders shared with others count towards your limit!

18. See if you are eligible for a grant (Free)

Check in your state/province and country for available grants that you can apply for. (Grantslink is a list of available grants from the Australian government.)

19. Check your insurance policies ($$)

If you work from home, or use your car for your business, check that your insurance policy and your car registration lists ‘business use’. If not, and you don’t upgrade, you may find you are not covered if something goes wrong whilst you are driving, or running your business from home.

20. Business cards ($$)

Get some good quality ones and hand them out to everyone you know. There are many designers (especially on Facebook) that specialise in doing business card design for WAHP’s and you can get 1000 for under $100 (including design and delivery). If you get a logo designed – don’t forget to ask for it in a large format (you can always resize it smaller yourself, but you can’t make it bigger!). Also if your logo incorporates writing ask for the font and RGB colours – you may want additional design done later in the same font and colour scheme. Moo.com is a great place to get high quality, inexpensive cards.

Kelly Evans is a virtual Mary Poppins. A qualified trainer, assessor and book keeper, with over 10 years experience in administration in both the private and public sectors. Her mission is to provide small businesses with quality administrative assistance. Visit www.virtualmarypoppins.com.au

ask the expert | Business Plans: Stress Less, Make More

Today we have a fantastic post from our planning & strategy expert partner: Megan Gallagher from Method & Madness.

Ah, the business plan.  Do you get nervous just thinking about it?

Well, no more.  Here’s what we’re going to do.  First, we’re going to talk about what a business plan is, and what it’s not.  Then, we’re going to break down 4 simple elements of a working business plan.  Finally, we’re going to talk about refining and evolving your plan as you move forward.  Remember, nothing in your business plan is set in stone.  It should be consistently re-evaluated as you grow.  Let’s also take a second to chat about what your plan should not be:

• It doesn’t have to be a 100 page novel.  In fact, less is more. 
• It does not require a MBA nor does it require you to hire outside consultants. ( you should use the appropriate professionals for legal/financial concerns)
• Just because you’re putting it down on paper doesn’t mean you can’t change it.

Your plan should be your road map to a creating a thriving, profitable business.  You can’t get anywhere when you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, right? 

In my last post for build a little biz, we started talking about tracking your results & identifying your business drivers as solid groundwork for building a business plan.  You’ve acquired a knowledge base that you can use to help you set goals, know where your opportunities are, and know where/how your money is being made.  If you haven’t done any tracking, don’t sweat it.  You can do it while you’re building your plan & tweak the numbers as you see fit.

So let’s break down the four steps to building a business plan. 

1. Map—I find mapping to be an essential tool for every creative entrepreneur. 

We don’t always think in the linear, in-the-box terms most planning tools offer; we tend to think in terms of connection and let our ideas flow.  This is great step to go through before you start working on your actual business plan to get all of your ideas down on paper and start working with a clear mind—plus it’s a great resource to use as you build your official plan. Read more about mind-mapping here; I have a starter map available on my website in Twenty/20, and there are great software tools available. 

2. Mission— What are you doing? and Why are you doing it?

The answers to these questions should result in a mission statement for your business, as well as 2-3 major goals for the year.  These elements should be the starting point for every action you take; if it doesn’t fall in line with your mission or goals, it may be time to re-evaluate. 

Example:  Suzy’s Studio is a photography studio that specializes in destination weddings.  From tropical beaches to snowy mountaintops, Suzy will travel anywhere to capture the most special day of your life. 

Suzy’s goals for 2011:

• have 2 destination weddings/month booked.
• increase hourly rate +10%.
• increase prospective couple through referrals and business-to-business relationships

3. Metrics – How are you going to do it?

Set quantifiable sub-goals in each category that push you towards the ones you set in section 2.   

People—since most of you are solo businesses, I’m going to speak in terms of self.  What training/events/improvements/etc. do you need to push your business forward?  What challenges may affect your making the goals you set?

Sales—the easiest way to break this down is on a blank calendar. Start with a yearly goal, and then break it in to quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals.  Don’t just put the same dollar amount in each week; take note of holidays, seasonal shifts, and the seasonality of your industry.  If you notice that a lot of income is built into 1 quarter of the year, how can you generate more throughout the other three? Remember that these goals are not set in stone—they should give you a gauge to work from.  Additionally, make sure you take note of new product launches, marketing campaigns, etc. that will impact your sales. Plan accordingly.  Also, make sure your expenses are factored into your yearly goal. 

Product/Service—will your product create the income you listed above?  Are you launching new products or improving current ones? Do you have any side projects or collaborations on the horizon? 

Marketing—you all know that a good marketing plan is essential to your business growth.  The important thing is to continually grow your market & do what works for you.  Some businesses thrive on Facebook, others on a blog, and still more with Twitter.  There’s no exact formula that works for every business model—do what’s manageable for you, but try to work in multiple channels.  Try different approaches with different product launches—maybe you try a flash sale on Twitter for one launch, and a special discount for your email subscribers on another.  Track your results and keep refining it.

Going back to our example:

People—Suzy wants to enhance her skill set so she can increase her hourly rate.  She decides to take a few Photoshop and lighting classes during slower months.  She also needs to get more involved with wedding vendors to gain their referral business—this is challenging because most of them are abroad.  Suzy also knows that she needs to outsource some of her administrative work so that she can focus on bringing in new business.  To quantify the goals:

• Take 2-4 classes during down months (January and April).
• Identify 50 potential new vendor/partners.  Create fun, innovative direct mail piece and follow-up email & social media campaign.  Have initial piece ready to mail by March 1.
• Hire 1 virtual assistant by February 28 to manage email, inquiries, and bookkeeping. 

Sales—Suzy wants to make $50,000 this year.  Her expenses range at about $25,000, so her total gross goal is $75000.  She has 3 packages for her wedding bookings:  $5000, $7500, and $10000.  Last year she took home $35,000.  Suzy is usually booked solid from May-October, with a lull between November and January.  In January, she starts to pick up again, with a couple weddings booked in the first quarter of the year.  To quantify Suzy’s goals:

• Book 8 ($5000) weddings, 2 ($7500) weddings, and 2 ($10000) weddings.  Long-term goal is to book less of the first package and more in #2/#3. 
• Between November & January, teach a beginner’s photography course to offset income.
• Explore ways to cut expenses.

Products—Suzy wants to sell more of packages #2 and #3 so that she can create the income with less workload.  She also wants to create some additional income to offset her wedding bookings.  To quantify her goal, Suzy will:

• Redesign #2/#3 wedding packages to be more appealing and give more value to potential clients. Complete redesign by Feb. 28, and re-launch with marketing campaign for mid-March.
• Design an e-course and live class in beginner’s photography to teach online and live in studio, as well as a downloadable format. Teach one class in February to outline course and format content.  Create all content and have all 3 formats ready to go live by June 1^st.

Marketing—Suzy needs to increase her social media presence as a “destination wedding photographer” and build relationships with potential partners around the world.  She also needs to reach potential bookings through her past clients; the wedding industry relies heavily on word-of-mouth referrals so Suzy wants to maximize this opportunity.  To quantify:

• Increase Facebook  page followers to 2000; Twitter to 5000 by mid-year through active engagement and promotions. 
• Create an innovative, never-before-seen marketing piece to direct mail to potential vendor contacts world-wide.  Follow up with email campaign and social media connects. Phase 1 of campaign should be ready for March 1 mailing.
• Create a referral promotion to increase word-of-mouth:  offer a special anniversary session for any referral, or partner with vendor to sponsor a trip giveaway/promotion for referral bookings.   Have promotion in place for mid-year launch.

This is a simplified example, but hopefully it gets you thinking about how you can break down your business goals and make it happen!

4. Put it into action.

The most important element of your business plan comes after it’s already done.  It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t put anything into action.  The business plan is an active document; it doesn’t get finished and left on a hard drive until the following year. Starting now, start planning out on a calendar (I use Google Calendar) the next 3 months of business activity—set target dates to hold yourself accountable to your set goals and completion dates.  Also, make sure you track things like guest posts, blog mentions, and what marketing elements you used for individual launches.  It’s all great info you can use to continually refine and hone what you’re doing to drive your business.

Finally...

I want you to know that unless you’re going to seek out venture capital or a bank loan, the format of your business plan is up to you.  It should be something that you feel comfortable with—honestly, I wrote half of mine in a Moleskine notebook and the other half on my Google calendar.  As long as it gives you the map you need to get your business moving forward, it’s an excellent business plan. 

Here are a few additional resources to check out:

• Bplans.com
• SBA.gov (US)
• Entrepreneur.com

Megan Gallagher is small-business strategist working with creative indiepreneurs over at Method & Madness.  She’s currently working on The Down & Dirty Project, a contest where one lucky indiepreneur’s business becomes a real-life community coaching lab. She works with a diverse creative clientele through one-on-one strategy sessions, small group workshops, and the DIY guides now available on her website.  You can also see Megan’s work at Meylah and Create Hype. Megan lives in Philadelphia, PA where she is an avid runner & foodie, and works with a number of non-profit and volunteer projects. 

guest post | How To Find A Good Job Working From Home

a guest post from our build a little biz partner & 'work at home expert'. Leah Gibbs is the Business Manager and Founder of Work At Home Mums and the Lifestyle Careers Job Board. She runs her businesses from home and as a work at home mum (WAHM). 

If you have been trying to find a job working from home, you may already know of the fool’s gold and thousands of scams out there. Work from home jobs are prevalent on the internet; but many of them are not genuine and full of hot air (e.g. “make $10,000 per month with just 15 hours per week!”). Yeah right, as if….pull the other one.

That is why you have to be really careful about where you look for a work from home job and what type of job you are looking for. Remember that if they do not say what you will be doing, then it is more than likely a MLM (multi-level marketing) or pyramid scheme.

Don’t part with your money if buying into a home based business opportunity.  Ensure that you have done your due diligence and sought at least one unbiased review from a friend, family member or an Accountant. Make an informed choice and make sure you do your research first. Don’t be swept away in the belief that you can earn thousands for minimal hours. Keep up to date with the latest scams; visit Scamwatch, the ACCC and Fido. Remember there are no get-rich-quick schemes and beware of job offers that require you to pay an upfront fee. Beware of products or schemes that claim to guarantee income or winnings.  

Lifestyle Careers is a great place to start looking for a work from home job because there is a real person checking the listings and ensuring they are genuine. All jobs are carefully screened to ensure that we are providing our Job Seekers with elements of flexibility and professionalism.

The type of jobs you might seek and find depend on your skill-base and they could include;   

• Contract for a small business (in admin/marketing/telesales) that allows work from home
• A freelancer (designer/PR professional/writer/developer) or consultant to businesses, and seek your own client projects
• A virtual personal assistant, who does all their work remotely
• A home-based mini-business, like party plan/direct sales consultant

Of the “work from home” positions recently advertised for employees, some were for recruitment consultants (commission based), many firms want home workers to make sales calls (if they have fast internet with VOIP), and others offer big rewards for a sales agent with a territory. Just type “work from home” in the job search box on the major job search sites and you will find there are training and systems for all types of businesses including:  assisting people to lose weight, life coaching, personal development products, etc.

Types of Work to Do At Home

Not all types of jobs are suited to a working from home environment but with the world seeming smaller and smaller thanks to improving technologies, working from home is easier and more achievable than ever.

Here are the most popular jobs that are very achievable from a home environment:

1)     Graphic and Web Design

If you’re a skilled graphic or web designer tired of completing work under some body else’s name, working for home can be a fantastic option. Because you don’t have to pay for an office space, receptionist and staff expenses, you can give your clients personalised services at a cheaper rate than a major firm.

If you don’t want to work for yourself, there are numerous freelance designing opportunities, so you can have the safety of working for a company without ever having to step foot in an office.

2)     Writing

Writing is one of the most common ways of working from home. Whether it’s writing for one company or freelancing for a range of companies, writing is a great way to earn income from home.

The Internet has created more writing jobs than ever with blogs, eBooks, websites and newsletters needing to be written on a huge range of topics. Freelancing allows you great flexibility so you can choose whom you want to work for and find variety in various opportunities.

3)     Sales

Telemarketing, Internet sales and online stores have created a variety of ways you can use your sales skills from home to earn an income.

There are many online stores who use blogs and social networking to get their name out there and run a shop from home on their own or with minimal assistance.

You can also find sales positions that work on a freelance basis. They occasionally require you to visit stores but, other than that, you can do everything from the comfort of your own home.

4)     Teaching and Tutoring

Everything from tutoring high school students to teaching piano to second language tutoring can be run from home through a company or by having your students come to your home.

With advancements online, the option of tutoring from home to someone in a remote location is very plausible and something which is sure to become more and more common in time.

5)     Transcription

Medical, legal and other transcription jobs require you to listen to audio files of medical files, court cases, meetings, seminars, lectures and interviews and record them as text.

This sort of work is often on a freelance basis but, if you get a good reputation, there is plenty of work out there.

6)     Virtual Assistant

This is a relatively new phenomenon in home working. The Virtual Assistant provides administrative, secretarial and clerical support to their clients. The virtual assistants’ low overhead and low cost of service has made them a very popular choice.

If you are seeking a home office position, a suggestion to you would be to set yourself up with “Work At Home” in “Any Location” job email alerts to be delivered to your inbox to receive on a daily basis or weekly on a Thursday. If you find a job of interest you just need to register your job seeker details and then you are able to apply for any of the jobs that you see.

Please remember that work at home roles are highly competitive and sought after. They are often filled very quickly.  A very important point to remember is to have a professional cover letter prepared and your Resume ready to include with your application to the Employer. 

As a number of us who start up home-based businesses find, the more motivated you are to working from home, the more likely you will be to make a go of it and really get stuck into your new mission. Just ‘dipping your toe in the water’ doesn’t work, as any work-from-home business requires a lot of motivation and perseverance.

do you have a question about business? is there something that one of our partners can answer? send us an email!

further reading:

• a brainstorm for starting your own little biz: what is your thing?
• what is your thing? part 2 of the little biz brainstorm

registering business names, trademarks, domains and more...

one of the hardest parts of starting a little biz is sorting out the legal requirements and getting all of the ‘official’ documentation in place. i am sure we all would rather just get down to making and selling our thing. here is a compilation of some of the requirements you have to consider when starting out.

note: the information in this post is based on australia. for readers outside of australia please check for your country requirements. if you have information to add (both in and out of australia) please let me know and I will add it to this post.

determine if your activity is a business or a hobby

• from the ATO find info here and here
• from build a little biz find info here

figure out your tax requirements

• get an ABN
• what are my taxation obligations?

determine your business structure

• business structures in australia

register your business name

• you register your business name in your state, and in any state that you want to operate your business in – register for each state
• you must be certain your business name is not being used in your state (or any state you register it in) – search the names index and search for trademarks
• if you set up your business as a company you have the advantage of having exclusive rights to that name in Australia, without having to register in each state – register your company
• if you run your business under your own name you don’t have to register it as a business name – examples
• if you are running your biz as a hobby, be careful! down the road when you go to register your biz name, trademark it, purchase domain names etc. your name may no longer be available!

trademark your name

• even though you may have registered your business name that does not necessarily protect it. the only way to do that is to register a trademark.
• A trademark is a word, name, symbol or device which is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others – trademark vs copyright vs patent
• you can pay a trademark lawyer to do this for you (thousands of dollars) or you can do it yourself (hundreds of dollars) – apply online for your trademark (and i am told if you ring IP Australia they are incredibly helpful)
• a trademark is class based and is also phonetically based. so if you want to register a trademark for “smilies” baby blankets, and there is already a “smileeze” textile product, then it’s a no go. but if there is only a “smilies” baby food, then that is a different class, so you’re good.
• your trademark only protects you in the country you have registered it in. so while your biz name or product name may be protected in Australia, it can still be used in other countries. if you wish to do biz overseas and protect your name overseas you need to register your biz and trademark it in those countries as well.
• the onus is on you to keep up with the terms of registration of your trademark, so be sure you are clear what you need to do to maintain yoru trademark rights.

register your domain

• even if you do not wish to start a website right away, purchase your domain names now. this is another way of protecting your biz name.
• it is advisable to purchase all the available domain names for your biz name, and any unique product names you have as well. eg: .com, .com.au, .info, .net etc. 
• you can point these URLs to your main site and you prevent other businesses (in other states or countries) from using the same name as you and perhaps causing confusion to clients.
• if you wish to have a .com.au domain then you need to have an ABN – register a .com.au domain

other obligations

• understand copyright – what is copyright & 10 myths about copyright explained
• understand privacy rules – privacy act & regulations & laws on marketing in australia
• find out if you need a biz licence – business licence information service & SA gov licensing

do you know of similar posts with information for other countries? please share, i would love to pass it on to my readers…

5 reasons why building a brand will help you as you build your biz

are you just getting started with your little biz? or maybe you are ready to turn your hobby into a business? i would bet you have a giant list of all the things you need to do, plan, figure out, and research the answers to. i want you to go check that list right now. where on your list have you placed ‘build a brand’?

let me guess, it’s not on the list. you might have ‘pick a name’. check. ‘design a logo’. check. but a brand is so much more than these two things. your brand is the message you are sending the world about your biz. and it exists in so much more than your logo – it is there in every aspect of your biz and in every interaction customers have with your biz.

think about it this way. would you like this for your little biz?

1. would you like to look professional and make a strong first impression?

even if you are just starting out, maybe even only on facebook, taking the time now to define and build your brand will make your business look and feel professional. if you take your business seriously, then others will too!

2. would you like your customers to trust that you can deliver on your promise?

the key to building trust is to be consistent with your brand message, and to follow through with the promise you make every time you send that message. your customers should know they are in the right place to find exactly what they need, and get it when they ask for it!

3. would you like your little biz to stand out amongst the competition?

there are a lot of little, mum-run businesses starting up every day. how are you going to stand out? having a strong brand message that appeals to your customers, building a brand that is both unique and memorable, and building brand recognition. that’s how!

4. would you like to successfully sell your thing?

part of your brand is your product. the thing you sell! (you do want to sell something, right?). by building a strong brand you will be defining the strengths of your product, your benefits, your unique selling point. this will help you set your prices, package your products, and sell them your people!

5. would you like to find the ideal customer who would love to buy your thing?

another part of your brand is your target market. the person you are selling to! clearly defining your ideal client and your niche, along with the ways in which your product is the dream solution for those people will help you with your plans for marketing, promoting, advertising, publicity and more!

building a brand does not have to be a daunting thing. in fact it does not even have to be another item on your to do list. all you have to do is keep your brand in mind AS you work on those other items on your list. your branding and the rest of your biz building tasks should go hand in hand.

if you need help with you brand, have a look at the "new and improved" build a brand blueprint - this is a step by step workbook for creating a stand out brand message. you can read more about this blueprint here.

the build a brand blueprint will also help you even if you already have a logo, a biz name, a tagline you love and also if you need to do some rebranding

do you have a question about building a brand or about brand messages and how they help your biz?

guest post | how to get started with your own crafty little biz

the following is a guest post from the lovely Joanne Dewberry. she has her own little biz and loves to help other mums who are trying to make a success of their little biz ideas.

When I started Charlie Moo's in 2008 I never really set out to be a 'crafter' and to be honest I don't really craft myself as such now.  I can sew some fabric party bags and really that's where my craft talent ends.  My real talent, which has been the driving force of Charlie Moo's, has to lie in PR and marketing.  Along my journey, I have met some incredibly gifted artists and crafters; women from all manor of genres.  It has become pretty apparent to me that many mums in business (mumpreneurs) start life as crafters. 

There is such a wide variety of handmade items entering the marketplace and I am a fan of the unique and individual myself.  So what skills do you need to get started with a craft business?

What to charge?

Price in any business can be a hard thing to decide.  You don't want to pitch yourself to low and be working for nothing but at the same time you don't want to go too high and price yourself out of the market.  When I posed this question “How do you decide on price/ monetise your business?” to a variety of different crafters the response was varied. 

Ally Pinney recently set up her sock monkey business said “This is very hard to do!  I have taken a look at what others sell their sock monkeys for but with the time I spend making them, feel I am seriously undervaluing myself.”

Michelle Williams suggests:

“take into account all of the costs, not only the costs of the materials, but also make sure you factor in your time accordingly too! Remember, when people are buying hand-crafted goods, they are paying for your time.  Many hand-made goods take a considerable amount of time to make, not to mention skill and dedication! Many people sell their craft products at a price that is too low when you actually analyse the amount of time that has gone into making the goods. Always, also check out your competitors, to see what their pricing strategy is and position against them appropriately. Naturally your pricing strategy must be appropriate to your target market too, depending upon how you are aiming to position yourself/your products,i.e. exclusive/upmarket etc.”

However in comparison Catherine L Owen 'the raggy rat' tries to keep it more 'real'.

“I often think ‘what would I pay for this?’ given that I usually make what I like! My prices have changed over the years, I can now get more for my work because I have built up a reputation and of course my skills keep improving. I do believe though that crafters cannot charge for the time or effort that goes into their lovely things, and so we at best accept a reasonable donation, and I am happy with that.”

My advice is to set yourself a formula working from time, cost of materials and what others are charging and ultimately what you would like to get paid at the end.  I think this is the fairest way to develop a pricing scheme that suits yourself and your target market.

Where to sell?

Craft is a funny thing as online craft selling sites, such as Esty, Folksy and MISI (and madeit in Australia) offer you an affordable outlet to sell but having your own website allows you to develop more of an independent brand.  Viv Smith suggests that her own website drained too much of her time. 

“In the end I decided to use my blog as a website (blogger and wordpress are great for this) and use Etsy, Folksy and Kiddiebase for selling.  Etsy is very big and it can be hard to be noticed – you need to work hard at keywords in your listings, promoting your shop in a variety of ways and networking with other Etsy sellers.  Folksy is UK based, but it can still be hard to be noticed and, again, self-promotion is absolute key.  I was lucky enough to get in with Kiddiebase from the start and for such a new website was pleased with the interest and sales I had for Christmas.”

The real beauty of craft product is that there is a huge variety of places to sell, enabling you to tailor to your needs as a business mum.  Some mums won't have the time to venture to markets to sell, especially if they make is very time consuming.  Whereas some will relish in the joy of markets where customers can touch, smell, taste their wares. 

How to Grow Your Business?

My business blog details very much my love of the wonderful FREE PR and Marketing source we call … Social Networking.  It really can be a make or break situation for any small business.  So it was no surprise that the crafters I spoke to all also use social media to develop a client/fan base. 

Viv Smith uses Facebook, twitter and her own blog.

“I’ve run one competition on my blog and am about to launch another. I am also getting active in the teams on Etsy and am setting up the social media for the British Sellers on Etsy team (@BritishEtsyTeam) With two young children it’s been hard to do promotion other than online and leaving business cards in various local venues.”

Ally Pinney states that “All mine is done via Facebook and local villagers at the moment and have not needed to do any paid advertising at all.”  

Social Networking is FREE so you are a fool not to utilise it in some way shape or form, here are a few tips to get you started.

• Ensure you limit your usage everyday.  Make a clear distinction between 'working' on Facebook/Twitter and 'socialising'.
• If you’re using a blog to promote your business/services or products plan your blog posts for the month and then write and schedule as many in as possible.  This will also free up time which you can use more effectively in other areas of your business to make MONEY.
• Make sure you’re following local magazines, radio stations and newspapers they will all be on Twitter and Facebook looking for local scoops. 
• Also find out if National Magazines are online many baby related ones use twitter to find items for stories they have coming up. 
• Search hashtags on twitter – for instance #journorequest (I've had some success with this) and if you do contact a journalist this way make sure you save their email into your database.

Cristalee Brinkworth makes keepsake blankies using baby’s receiving blankets. Her business, Receiving Cuddles, is less than a year old and agrees that

“Facebook has been the most successful way of getting my name out there.  Also, attending the right trade shows got my name out there too.  The best way (takes time) is word of mouth.”

Mumprenuers and crafters go hand in hand. 

Craft businesses generally incur small start up costs and you will also find that lots of people buy the equipment and don't use it, so it’s worth a trip round some charity shops.  Crafting is also therapeutic and relaxing: sitting in front of the telly with a cuppa tea and your knitting! You can see why it would appeal to mums.  Also as the products are unique, one of a kind there's no need for hoards of stock and people are buying each item rather than making to order or having to check stock levels of items.

Crafting has a lot of pros but also entails a lot of hard work to promote as a business.  Hope these tips and suggestions by fellow mummy crafters help you to take that plunge.

Joanne Dewberry

Dorset Business Mum of the Year

• Highly Commended PR Comp mumsclub.co.uk 2009
• Future 100 Young Entrepreneurs 2009
• TGF Best Rated Awards 2009
• Langtry Manor Best Green Business Finalist 2010
• Nominated MADS Blog Awards 2010
• Short Listed Make your Mark in the Markets 2010
• Short Listed mumsandworking Awards Best Parent 2010

www.charliemoos.co.uk, www.networkingmummies.com and www.joannedewberry.co.uk

do you have a question about starting a handmade or craft business? please add a comment, we would love to hear from you?

do you have a business or a hobby?

the lovely heather allard from the mogul mom posted this question on facebook a number of weeks ago and i haven’t forgotten it, it has been there festering in the back of my mind. it is such a good question. but do you know the honest answer? do you really know and understand the characteristics of running a business?

to find the answer i have used some information from the australian tax office (i am sure your country’s tax site would have similar information, but i thought this was a pretty good start!) as well as some examples and ideas of my own. do you have more characteristics to add? i’d love to hear from you in the comments.

is the money earned assessable?

• in australia you can earn up to your personal limit of $6000 with your hobby without having to file an income tax claim. so that is a pretty good guide – if you are earning less than the personal threshold amount in your country/state/whatever then you are probably either doing just a bit of work or charging just a small amount for your services, or both. sounds like a hobby to me.

do you have the purpose of profit AND the prospect of profit?

• yes, you might say you have the purpose of profit. but have you really looked at your pricing and finances? have you figured out your true cost of doing business? do you value your work enough to charge what you are worth? are you really serious about making a decent living doing this work?

consider the size, scale and permanency of your activity. is it consistent with other businesses in your industry? will it allow you to make a sustainable profit?

• obviously if you are just starting out your size & scale may not be there. but what are your true intentions here? have you looked at your monthly and yearly profit goals? are they achievable at the prices you have set? can you do the work required, in the time you have available, at the prices you have set to meet your financial goals? can you do this activity long-term?

is there repetition and regularity to your activity?

• do you have consistent work to do each day, week, month, and year? is your work schedule regular, predictable and reliable? or are you doing bits and pieces here or there, whenever you have extra time or when work comes your way?

is the way you operate your biz consistent with industry norms or similar businesses?

• i will give you an example in photography. if you are charging peanuts for your session fee & giving clients the digital files, that is NOT consistent with industry norms. this might be fine for those practicing or portfolio building, but that is a hobby. not a biz. so have a real, honest look at what other similar businesses are doing. if you are undercutting prices to get clients, and undervaluing the products and services offered in the industry, then the answer here is no.

is your activity carried on in a business-like manner? 

this is indicated by business records, books of accounting, separate bank account, licences, qualifications, registered business names.

• this is pretty self explanatory. if you do not have a registered business name, a formal accounting service, a separate bank account for your biz, or the licences and qualifications standard in your industry, you are running a hobby.

i am going to add a few other items to the ‘business-like manner’

do you have a professional brand?

• if you have a self-designed or clip art logo, an email address that is not dedicated to your biz, a name that you have not registered or purchased a domain for, a business card that looks like you printed it yourself while the ink was running out, or an otherwise overall ‘look’ that screams ‘homemade’, ‘amature’ or ‘inconsistent’ then the brand you have already started creating for yourself is not professional; it does not say ‘yes, i am a real business.’

do you have a place to do business?

• do you have a brick & mortar storefront? a website with your biz domain name? are you selling your stuff consistently at markets or in shops? do you have an ecommerce store on a site such as etsy, madeit or ebay? if your only spot for doing biz is on facebook, that still screams hobby. but if you have a link on that page to show that you have a ‘shop’ at some other location then people will take you more seriously as a biz.

do you undertake regular business promoting activities such as marketing, advertising, PR?

• does your biz exists solely on word of mouth? have you undertaken specific actions (paid for or otherwise) to promote your biz widely, beyond your group of family or friends? do you have a plan for marketing, promoting or advertising your biz?

please note: this is not a judgement or a criticism of your biz. for 2 years i purposely ran my ‘biz’ as a hobby. i did NOT want to make more than my personal limit for taxes. i wanted room to learn my craft and figure out the industry. i also did not know if i would like doing my work as a business; i had no idea if it was going to pan out or not. and i have no regrets about doing things as a hobby first.

but i did get to the point where i was ready to have a real business. 2010 was my year for building a business out of the hobby that i honed and developed. and if you are serious about having a business then i want 2011 to be the year i help you build your little biz. a real biz, based on the characteristics above.

so be really honest with yourself here. are you running a hobby or a business? if the answer is hobby and you are comfortable with that, then all the power to you. (but please don’t get pissy if i disagree with your comments or remind you that my advice about biz doesn’t necessarily apply to you. my posts here are for people who want to build a business. that might be you one day!)

but if you are serious about building a business then have a closer look at that list. which of those areas do you need to work on to really run a business? what is one action you can do this week that will take you one step out of your hobby comfort-zone and into the realm of doing business?

add your planned action to the comments below, i will help you be accountable for taking that step!

do you know someone who can benefit from this list of characteristics of a business? please retweet, share this post on facebook or forward it by email.