January 11th, 2008
HomeBizNotes.com
Valentine’s Day already!
Yes, businesses must be thinking about this occasion. Actually we must do more than think….we must have the products and promotions in place.
Don’t wait till the week before to start letting people know you’re ready for them to do their Valentine’s Day shopping with you.
What have you been doing for Valentine’s Day with your business?
*Do you make products/gifts that relate to this holiday?
*Do you help businesses promote this holiday? Then you should have had your act together with their promotion plans before this.
*Do you perform services and make deliveries connected with this day?
Why not share how you’re getting ready to make this a big day with your business?
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
Tags:home+based+business Home+business home+business+planning home+business+promotion Valentines+Day
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 0 comments
January 10th, 2008
HomeBizNotes.com
I was thrilled when I saw Home Biz Notes and my name listed as one of the Women Bloggers of 2008 at Virtual Women’s Day Celebrations. This included a list of 25 women’s blogs and bloggers for January.
Biz Chicks Rule , another b5media Business Channel blog, also was one of those named. Congratulations Kristen and Bridget!
According to Heidi,
Women are blogging in record numbers these days - so may blogs, so much content and so little time to check them all out. Each month during 2008, I will be highlighting dozens of blogs written by women, on a variety of topics, genres and locations around the globe.
How exciting to be included among them! Apparently Yvonne Russell and I are doing something right to provide meaningful and interesting information for our readers here at Home Biz Notes, as are Kristen King and Bridget Wright at Biz Chicks Rule.
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
Tags:Biz+Chicks+Rule home+based+business Home+biz+notes Home+business home+business+success home business
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 0 comments
January 8th, 2008
HomeBizNotes.com
The tendency to become distracted by other tasks and people when we work at home challenges many of us. We find it difficult to block off specific amounts of time and tasks free of interference from family, friends, and other work facing us.
There’s an interesting article, with informative tips at CareerJournal.com, Running a Home Business Like a Big-Company Office by Kelly K. Spors.
Running a business from home isn’t always as liberating as it sounds. With all the distractions of home, like young kids, errands and dirty dishes, competing for attention, many home-based entrepreneurs find managing their time and concentrating on work particularly daunting.
However, Kelly then gives several very helpful suggestions for maintaining a professional atmosphere and better management of your time. Check these out.
What has worked for you? How about sharing your tips with us!
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
Tags:business+planning home+based+business Home+business home+business+advantages home+business+disadvantages home+business+poll Tammy+Powley time+management
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 2 comments
December 30th, 2007
HomeBizNotes.com
With the end of the year in sight, our minds will be turning to taxes…at least for individuals and business owners in the United States. What can we still deduct, purchase, invest?
Kelly Phillips Erb at Taxgirl has some answers to tax questions in Ask the Taxgirl: Blogging Reviews . As blogging reviewers, product testers, book reviewers, and such…what are one’s tax obligations and deductions? What do you have to claim as income and what is a business expense? What if you purchase something to review? Can you deduct it if you do use it?
These and other similar questions may come to mind as you begin gathering your material together for tax time and to discuss with your accountant or tax preparer. Check out Taxgirl to see if you can find answers there.
(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen
Tags:home+based+business Home+business home+business+taxes Kelly+Phillips+Erb taxes Taxgirl
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 0 comments
December 28th, 2007
HomeBizNotes.com
Are you so dependent on the Internet that your business comes to a standstill when electronic problems occur? Does your business cease when your computer fails, your server has problems, or there are Internet challenges? What happens when electricity goes out in your area?
If you have a walk-in shop in your home, you probably can tally the sales on a calculator and make any computer entries later. If you operate a mail order (or online ordering) business, you can package and ship orders you’ve already received.
However, if your business is solely on the Internet, whether involving sales, writing, consulting, teaching, etc. you’re probably at a standstill. How will this affect your business and income for the day…or longer if the problem persists?
So…..do you have any back-up plans? You may want to consider formulating some.
*Do you have a second computer if one gives out?
*Can you go to the local library or similar facility if your server is down? Providing their server is a different one.
*Can you reach your customers by telephone?
*Are you able to continue production?
Have you needed to solve problems like these? What have you done?
Do share in the comments!
(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen
Tags:home+based+business Home+business home+business+challenges home+business+disadvantages Internet Internet+based+business internet+shopping
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 0 comments
December 13th, 2007
So often your customers are rushed and stressed this time of year as they finish their shopping, attend school holiday programs, do extra baking, wrap up year-end reports at work and often deal with stormy weather.
How can you make them smile and feel less stressed when they shop with you or visit your online store?
1. Smile of course. Often a smile will bring one in return.
2. Put smiley faces or cheery design on e-mail correspondence with them.
3. Tuck little cards, no larger than a business card, into their packages with an uplifting saying. This works for online shipping and items at a walk-in store.
4. Gift wrap packages for little or no extra charge.
5. Have a coffee or tea pot ready with a refreshing drink. (As long as this meets with health codes in your area.)
6. Have a bowl where customers can place their name or business card for a drawing…weekly or daily until Christmas…for some small item.
7. Feature a drawing on your blog, if you have one for your business, where you pull names for cheery comments left.
8. Play background music in your shop. It might be soft or lively, interspersed with Christmas music. Or, depending on your beliefs and those of your customers, you might play simply relaxing music.
9. Perhaps you’ll have music on your web site.
10. Provide a box of toys for children to play with while Mom shops.
11. Smile when answering the phone and use a cheery voice. The smile comes across as you talk, I’ve been told.
12. Wear clothes that make you feel cheery when you’re greeting customers…and when you’re conducting your online business.
13, Again….keep a SMILE on your face, in your voice…and in your fingers while tapping on your computer keyboard.
(c)Mary Emma Allen
Tags:home+based+business Home+business home+business+advice home+business+questions home+business+success+tips home + business + Christmas online+business thursday + thirteen
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 6 comments
December 10th, 2007
Throughout the year, our readers have visited and added their comments to the various topics we’ve presented. It’s always enjoyable to learn what you’re thinking and have you share with us.
So we’re “wrapping up” with some comments here at Home Biz Notes.
1. Celebrate Universal Children’s Day in Your Business
Bridget Wright at Biz Chicks Rule shared with us
For Children’s Universal Day, I’ll be going to my son’s school on Monday and sharing the meaning of Thanksgiving with them. Showing them how other cultures celebrate, what they do, the different foods they eat and what the holiday means to their culture. I’m hoping that there will be an awareness raised about other cultures and being sensitive to the say they do things and how they celebrate holidays.
2. Home Biz Owners - Join the Carnival
Darlene McDaniel urges bloggers to join carnivals.
One of the ways I have gotten Interview Chatter in the mix on the blogosphere was to participate in carnivals. I would get very creative if the theme was not in my niche. There are creative ways to work a blog post so that you can submit to almost any carnival out there!!
(Incidentally Darlene hosted a carnival earlier this month, The December Career & Job Advice Blog Carnival.)
3. Add Your Vote - What Difference Would A Million Dollars Make To Your Home Business? We had a number of comments for this poll.
Anne Wayman of The Golden Pencil said
I picked “I’m outta here…” but that’s not exactly true… I certainly wouldn’t hire staff unless it was virtual… no storefront for me, nor buying out competition… I’d focus more on my own writing and product development and less on writing for clients.
Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online
I chose ‘expand my home business’ but in fact, what I would do is work on my own projects and cherry pick the client projects I wanted. Good question - and one I was discussing just a day ago. :)
Violette Severin of Hand Quilting
I would expand my business, buying a top of the line long arm quilting machine. I would also move to another home so that I could have 1 or 2 rooms dedicated to the business.
Sean D’Souza of Psycho Tactics recommends
It depends how you get the million dollars.If you built it up step by step, year by year, you won’t notice you have a million dollars (in fact you’ll see it as ‘just a million dollars.’)
The key isn’t whether you get a million dollars or not, but the method to get there. Because if you indeed were able to make a million, then ten million is just a step away.
I actually think ‘getting a million’ dollars would be a disadvantage in many ways. Edging yourself up steadily is probably a better way to go about it.
4. Working Successfully As A Home Business Team was another post that received comments.
Laura Spencer at Work from Home Momma says:
Great post on teamwork and home businesses. I think most people think that when they start a home business they must do it alone. Your post shows that is not the case.
As I go through the comments in our blog, I realize our readers have great insights to contribute, whether they agree with us or not. Sometimes we use these comments as springboards for additional posts. However, I think it’s fun to do a round-up of these occasionally.
Who knows, you may find your post here sometime!
(We’re thinking of making Readers’ Comments a regular feature.)
Tags:b5media+Business+Channel home+based+business Home+business theme+day
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 9 comments
December 8th, 2007
Family businesses operated from home take on many aspects. This is a fun story about the Christiansen family in Utah, who have developed a web site with instructions on how to tie a tie along with ties you can purchase.
This story, at PowerHomeBiz.com, A Real Family Home Business: Utah Family With Knot Problems Creates a Website All about Neckties and How to Tie Them. The Christiansens, with five boys who needed to know how to tie their ties, developed this business to help instruct others with the same challenge. From there, the business evolved.
This goes along with the old saying, “Find a need and fill it.”
Perhaps you can find your own niche, something you had a need to learn, and develop a business instructing others. Creativity leads to invention and invention to business to income!
Tags:home+based+business Home+business home+business+marketing home+business+news home+business+success+stories
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 3 comments
December 7th, 2007
“What should I charge,” long has been a quandry for home business owners concerning their products and services.
Laura Spencer at Work From Home Momma provides some interesting information to consider about the question, “Should You Set Your Initial Price Low to Get Clients?”
Many business owners often think this way because:
*They aren’t confident of their abilities and quality of their product.
*They want some money…even if it’s a little money.
* They have other income and don’t have to depend on this income for a living.
*They can always go up on their price.
Check out what Laura Spencer’ post and her readers’ comments for ideas. She also has some additional related posts at other blogs to consider.
Tags:home+based+business Home+business Laura+Spencer parades wahm Work+From+Home+Momma
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By Mary Emma Allen -- 1 comment
December 7th, 2007
HomeBizNotes.com
A classy gift bow on your product can make it look special - perfect for the upcoming Christmas season.
Gather together some products and gift box them or make a gift basket. Add a classy gift bow. This is a good way of value adding, jazzing up existing products or as thank you gifts.
This video by Shirley Frazier shows your how to make gift bows. It’s easy and it’s fun.
Tags:gift+basket+business gift+giving home+based+business home + business + value + adding
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By Yvonne Russell -- 2 comments
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