Article Contributed by Melanie Cartwell

I’ve had a few friends ask me whether I thought their home-based businesses would benefit from a virtual assistant or live answering service, so I thought it would be worthwhile to write a post that covers my rationale for saying yes or no.

A virtual assistant or answering service can provide the professional phone presence that some small businesses lack, giving them the customer service capabilities that are normally reserved for larger competitors. On the flip side, integrating a service like this into your operation could prove redundant or unnecessary, bogging you down with organizational problems that small businesses should be able to escape.

You have to remember that the goal is to improve your business, not to embarrass the business owner down the street who uses his cell phone as a business line and answers with “Jim speaking.” I know it’s tempting, but business decisions need made with business in mind.

Okay, so how to decide? I would say a virtual assistant is a good fit if:

1. You’re too busy to answer all of your calls, or if talking on the phone eats up a lot of your time

If you’re going through the same processes over and over again, such as scheduling appointments or gathering contact information, these are things that virtual assistants are perfect for. Having someone field your calls will free you up to focus on other aspects of your business.

2. You currently don’t provide a business telephone number or, if you do, all callers automatically reach voicemail

The web enables a lot of businesses to operate without ever talking on the phone, which is nice to an extent, but a lot of people still want to speak with the people they’re doing business with. Furthermore, having a business line and having a real person answer it speaks to the legitimacy of your operation. So if you haven’t set up a business line yet or avoid talking to everyone by sending them to voicemail, a virtual assistant can help you out.

3. If your competitors provide exceptionally good or exceptionally poor customer service experiences

If it’s impossible to reach your direct competitor by phone, having your line answered professionally every time will help you stand out. Conversely, if they have an awesome customer service team that’s available by phone 24-7, then you need to step your game up.

There are certainly other things that could be considered before deciding to go with a virtual receptionist, but these three items are a good starting point. If nothing applies, then you may not find a service beneficial. If you’re questioning whether or not the way you’re doing things is the best, then it may need further exploration.

Do you have something that needs added to this list? A good or bad experience with a virtual assistant? Please share.

About the author:

Melanie Cartwell is an online entrepreneur and blogger. For more information about virtual answering services, check out http://www.continentalmessage.com.

Article Contributed by Anna Miller

As with any aspect in life, there are both pros and cons to working from home. On the plus side is the fact that you don’t have to commute to and from work every day; you don’t have to deal with careless drivers, frayed tempers and traffic snarls; you get to keep your own hours; and you can work without someone peering over your shoulder. But on the downside, you tend to get distracted more easily, people don’t often consider what you do as a real “job” because you’re at home the whole day, and your social skills start to take a backseat because you don’t get to interact with coworkers and colleagues. In general, working from home is an attractive option if you’re ready to learn three important lessons and avoid the following traps:

The “easy” trap

It may be run out of your home, but that does not mean that this business is going to be easy. When you start to believe that it’s going to be a breeze to manage your home business, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You don’t put in the necessary hard work to grow your business and make a success of it. And you begin to find excuses for everything that goes wrong because of your laziness and laidback attitude. Lesson number one – a home business takes much more dedication and effort than a regular business.

The “money” trap

If you’re working on the web, you’re going to be swamped with offers that promise to make you filthy rich in no time and with no effort. They make making money very easy and simple. All you need to do is send in some money, and you’re definitely going to rake in much more than you’ve dreamed of in a few short months, according to the spiels that bombard you through email and website promotional offers. If you want to work from home on the Internet and make a success of it, never ever pay money in exchange for job opportunities. Instead, visit legitimate sites that allow you to sell your services and which regulate payment through escrow accounts so that you have unbiased arbiters to deal with any conflict of interest. Lesson number two – you will make money working from home, but it will take a fair amount of time for you to establish yourself and make enough to quit your regular job.

The “time” trap

And finally, you may wake up every morning thinking you have the whole day ahead to get your work done. But if you don’t set designated hours for work and stick to them, you’re going to find that the day has gone by and you’ve not even done 10 percent of what was scheduled for the day. It’s very easy to get distracted when working from home, what with the television, the Internet, and family distracting you and demanding your time. Lesson number three – unless you set schedules and keep to them, you’re bound to fall behind on your work and miss deadlines when working from home.

About the Author
This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees. She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com

Article Contributed by Tami Stodghill

If you think about it, there are “ideal prospects” out there everywhere. And they are ideal, for one, because they are used to commission-based sales and have learned to live and budget based on that. They are people who are open, usually, to alternative sources of income as they probably have had to be. Those ideal prospects I’m talking about are realtors and people who work at car dealerships and small business owners.

The economy has changed the game for these people. High-priced items such as homes and vehicles have fallen prey to the financial situation that so many people are affected by. Which means that with slower sales, their commissions suffer. And that means that your opportunity could offer them a great backup tool for generating income.

These potential prospects are located in every neighborhood, every city, and all around the globe. And if presented right, your opportunity could not only solve the issues they are facing, but grow your business in the process. We have found that by contacting these professions, they are generally open to new sources of revenue and are not as hesitant to try a business that could allow them to replace or supplement their income. They understand direct sales and commission structures and therefore, the need to explain exactly how those things work is unnecessary.

If your opportunity is thriving in this recession, then you can greatly benefit from targeting this type of customer. What will be most important in your approach, is that you present your opportunity with accurate and complete information as to what will be necessary for them to be successful. By presenting your product or service in a way which demonstrates how it is still a necessity or benefit in this economy, you will automatically show them that it is a viable source for them to run with. In our case, we learned everything we could about the real estate market and its current condition, researched specific areas and then targeted realtors and car dealer reps in those areas. We also know our product line inside and out, which assists us in better presenting all the benefits that the products offer, even in this economy. If you can spin your product as useful and with potential, it will help you sell your opportunity to these professions.

We also have talked more with small store owners. Our local printer/copy shop owner asked all about our business when we had some additional business cards printed. With small business owners suffering the effects of the economy (especially in storefronts) , many are looking for additional ways to generate income themselves. They still have their overheads such as lease, utilities, materials, etc, and with business down, they are wanting to find a way to “ride out” the slow business period by bringing in outside income. These businesses can be restaurants, salons, any type of small store/retail, auto body and detail shops, convenience stores owned by private owners, coffee shops, etc. All of them are being affected right now and have seen decreases in sales, so if you can present your opportunity in a way that will allow them to research the potential and reap all the information they can, you will find they will definitely consider your option.

We make it a point to stay friendly with every business we frequent. In maintaining a positive, outgoing and congenial attitude when you shop or visit a business, you will portray the benefits that your opportunity has afforded you. People will sense that the freedom and financial security that your business provides you is a viable option. And I can’t tell you how many times our simple, pleasant demeanors have started a conversation that has led to others wanting to know about what we do.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with your local businesses personally, or even those types of businesses via the internet. Your ideal prospect exists in many areas and you can actually utilize the economic situation to your advantage.

About the Author

Tami Stodghill was the Press-Relations manager, for a world-wide extensible-technology distributor based in London and the US for 20 years. She was also a freelance writer for several industry publications and is now a home-based business owner with WMI. She makes her home in Page-Lake Powell, Arizona, in the summers and Palm Harbor, Florida in the winters where she enjoys boating and reading, camping, hiking and meeting new people. She runs a blog site exclusively to offer tips for success for any small or home-based business.

Article Contributed by Lloyd Burrell

The Small Business Boom

With all the funding available these days for starting your own business, it is no wonder so many people are choosing to do so. And with so many new businesses around, it is important to ensure that you have the edge it takes to draw a profit in your market if you are starting your own business. The best way to do this by spending as much time as you can afford planning and making smart investments.

Your principal, whether it consists of loans or your own saved cash, is the fuel that will get your business off the ground. The more you invest initially, the longer it will take for you to start turning out profits, but the more properly equipped for success you will be (assuming you plan well).
Most home office set-up investments are used to purchase a few basic things:

• A personal computer
• An office desk
• Peripherals (printers, scanners, extra speakers, fax machines, etc.)
• Other job-specific necessities (computer programs, envelopes, etc.)

Of these, the most consistently needed are the first two: a computer and a desk. With the speed at which technology is constantly changing and developing, it is hard to offer consistent advice about what to look for in a computer. Office desks, on the other hand, serve a more basic, less complex function, and it is therefore easier to offer solid advice about this essential purchase.

When Shopping For an Office Desk

Keep in mind every aspect of your business throughout the process of shopping for your desk. You should know how much business you expect to be doing, what the realistic requirements of that business would be, how much time you intend to spend at your desk each day and doing what tasks, and what your relationships with your customers and associates will be like.

A Desk That Speaks Success

Ultimately, the customer is the most important element in the success of any business. The more personable your business appears to your customers, the more likely they will be to choose your product or service. So of course having an attractive office desk is important if you ever plan on meeting customers in person.

Some businesses, however, are run entirely online, and simply having a tidy working area to post a picture of is probably sufficient if this is your case. You can save a lot of money by buying a more plain-looking desk, but you should not risk appearing unprofessional to your customers in doing so. Know what the standard in your industry looks like and try to meet it without exceeding it by too much. Bush Furniture retailers typically offer a range of products that cover all bases.

The Right Tools for the Job

Once you have gotten an idea of what you are looking for concerning the first thing you notice about a desk—its appearance—the next step is to come up with a general idea of the range of functions you need your desk to serve. There is an enormous range of available desks tailored to every imaginable function; in order to know what desk is right for you, you have to make a lot of decisions about what exactly your business is going to do. How extensive will your customer relations be? Will you correspond via email, telephone, fax, conventional mail, or all of these? Will you be shipping packages regularly? How much storage space will you be needing?

Each of these decisions has implications concerning what you will need in a desk, and under-planning by overlooking any of these details can be a very costly mistake. Used office desks are not easy to sell, and new ones are not cheap to buy. Make sure you know what equipment besides a personal computer your desk will have to accommodate. Typically any place you can buy Bush Furniture is a good place to find the desk that best meets your needs.

You Know What Is Best for You

While all of these factors are important, it is also important not to overlook the way you feel about the desk you are thinking of purchasing. Starting your own businesses is one of the hardest things you can do, and if you are serious about doing it without getting burnt out, it is important that you are satisfied with your work environment. Having the right office desk improves your attitude toward your business, increasing your chances for success.

Finally, because of the long hours required of entrepreneurs, it is important that you find a desk that fits your body type. Injuries related to computer use and other tasks that involve repetitive motions of the hands are no joke. The last thing you need is constant pain holding you back from accomplishing all you are capable of in your market. Take your time and find the right desk for you.

About the Author

Lloyd Burrell is an expert in office desks furniture and other office-related subjects. He is the publisher of OfficeDeskReviews.com. He is British, but currently lives on the West Coast of France with his wife and two children. His hobbies include traveling, enjoying French cuisine and culture, and keeping fit. Lloyd is an experienced badminton player and is learning to play the guitar.

What do you need to Start a Gift Basket Home Business?

You need to have some creative or design ability to put together attractive gift baskets and to come up with novel ideas and themes. You should also have good interpersonal skills in order to market and sell your gift baskets successfully. Organizational skills are required to manage your time properly and to schedule your work to meet deadlines and fill orders. It is easy to learn how to make gift baskets and equipment requirements are minimal.

Gift Basket Business Start Up Costs

This home income opportunity has relatively low start up costs. Initial inventory when starting a gift basket business can run from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars depending on what inventory items you buy and how much stock you want to carry. Your inventory will depend on the kind of gift baskets you decide to make and sell. Your gift basket choices will be determined by your particular target market. It is important to clearly define your target market so that you focus on those people who are most likely to purchase your gift baskets and become your customers. Concentrating your sales and marketing efforts on the correct niche market will result in success rather than wasted time and effort. You will also know the best type of gift baskets to create and sell to this target market.

Establish your Choice of Gift Baskets

The standard gift baskets you offer will be the core of your gift basket business. When starting your gift basket business it is not cost effective to carry inventory for too many different gift baskets – rather focus on a smaller number of versatile gift baskets. Once you have decided who your target market is you will be able to accurately select the range of gift baskets you are going to initially make and sell. Choose gift basket ideas that can be used for different occasions – a chocolate gift basket is just right for Easter as well as Mother’s Day and ongoing birthdays, anniversaries.

Making Gift Baskets

Gift baskets can be created in as little as 20 minutes and you can create a beautiful gift basket without any craft experience. Once you have decided on your theme and have sourced the inventory it is really quick and easy to put the gift basket together. The more gift baskets you make the easier and quicker it becomes!

Marketing and Selling the Gift Baskets

Proper marketing of your gift baskets will ensure that home income opportunities like this are successful. However don’t be intimidated by marketing- see it as a creative project where you can put your entrepreneurial spirit to good use! From visiting potential customers with samples of your gift baskets to advertising your gift basket business in local papers and magazines there are a wide variety of ways to sell you gift baskets. The most important aspect of your marketing strategy will be customer satisfaction. If you provide a quality product you will keep getting those orders.

What Sort of Income can you Expect to Earn?

Home income opportunities in the gift basket business are very good but it depends on how hard you work and how well you market and sell your gift baskets. Most gift basket businesses expect to net between 20 to 30 percent of their selling price. This is usually achieved by applying a 90 to 100 percent mark up on the cost of the items in the gift basket. The potential for making money is high – it is really up to you how much.
About the Author:

Julia Derby has many years experience working in small business development. She left formal employment to be a work at home mom and has successfully started and developed a number of home businesses.  Her free website http://www.my-home-business-ideas.com provides good ideas and practical advice for entrepreneurs who want to start a home based business and enjoy all the benefits of making money at home.