From Home Everyday

My Home Busines Venture Has Taken Off

admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:18:30 +0000

My First Store

Its been a long time since I’ve updated this home business venture blog. I have been busy with work as well as setting up my very own online store - http://www.sportingmerchandise.com. I’ve written before on the importance of having good business names and I think Sporting Merchandise says it all - the store is stocked with loads of affordable sports memorabilia from the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL. There are Majestic MLB replica jerseys, mini NFL helmets and even awesome belt buckles. I’d like to think there’s something for everyone at the store.

Ecommerce Solutions Provider

As I’ve mentioned before, I have decided to utilize the services of Instantestore, a leading ecommerce solutions provider. One of the reasons I picked Instantestore was because they offered the biggest bang for buck. So far, everything has gone on smoothly and I’m quite happy with the investment I’ve made. The tech support are friendly, helpful, and most importantly, very patient with newbies. There are various tools on the site to help you get things done and they’re user friendly.

Dropshipper

The licensed merchandise on the store are sourced from Doba, a dropshipper and one of the few reliable internet suppliers which was again ranked as one of the fastest growing companies by the INC 500. They’ve got tons of products at their site and the best thing is, they’re integrated with Instantestore. This translates to less hassle and more time for yourself. In fact, I’m already thinking of starting another home business venture.

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Brad Keet is an entrepreneur and Internet junky. Brad invites you to journey with him as he dishes out home business startup tips and other home based small business information. For more of Brad’s take on things, log on to www.fromhomeeveryday.com

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Business Updates

Tags: Business Updates, good business names, good online suppliers, home business newbie, home business venture, reliable internet suppliers, reliable online suppliers

Early Retirement Planning Tips

admin — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:55:51 +0000

After just a few years in the rat race, many of us would start to dream of retiring early. For those among us with kids the main benefit of retiring early is the time it affords us with our families. The reason or early retirement incentive would vary depending on the individual. Of course the downside to early retirement is the lack of peers or people of the same age to hang out with since most of them would still be slogging at their day jobs.

The first step to achieving your early retirement goal is to have an early retirement plan. Plans are good as they keep you focused on your objectives. If your have a home business venture, you can work it into your business plan format.

4 Simple Early Retirement Planning Tips

Diversify Investments

There are no guarantees when it comes to investments so it is always good to diversify your investment portfolio. In other words, never put all your eggs into one basket. This is also known as risk hedging. As a rule, never place more than 10% of your savings into one single investment. This way, if you have 10 investments and one of them does not go according to plan, you would still have 90% of your investments to back you up.

High ROI

The higher your returns on investments, the faster it would take to reach your early retirement goal. But investments with higher returns usually have a higher risk factor associated with them. A diversified portfolio should therefore include steady blue chip investments and a fair share of higher yield investments. Therefore, in depth research has to be carried out before such investments can be made.

If you are a home business venture owner, you can opt to sell FMCGs (fast moving consumer goods) which has a ready market or larger sales volume but has a lower profit margin. Alternatively, you can choose to sell products to a niche market, which has a smaller sales volume but much higher profit margin. Your decision should be based on a myriad of factors which would include cost of sales, market potential, competition and product life cycle.

Increase Savings

Parents have been telling their kids to put away at least 10% of their salaries for ages. Sadly this good advice goes in one ear and out the other faster than it takes a person to swipe a credit card. People seem more interested in living in the moment and spending every penny they earn and more than to save for a rainy day.

The trick is, as soon as you cash your monthly check, put at least 10% away before you even think of buying that new blue ray DVD player. Just to make it that much more difficult, try investing part of that 10% in a savings investment link scheme. Sometimes having your cash tied up is a good thing.

Target Zero Debt

To have financial freedom is to be debt free. If you find that hard to achieve then at least be in good debt as opposed to bad debt. An example of a good debt is taking a loan to buy something you need or invest in something that has the potential to make you money such as investing in property or a business venture. You can justify taking a loan to invest in a business venture, for example, if the returns is higher than the interest on the loan.

Bad debt is taking a loan to buy something you do not need - like a sports car - which will begin depreciating the moment you sign the sales and purchase agreement.

Being debt free at the cost of using up all your financial reserves is not a good idea either. If you are in debt, ensure your total monthly long-term debt payments, does not exceed 36 percent of your gross monthly income. Come up with a plan to pay up the debt and stick to it. Be sure to watch your credit card debt as it usually entails the highest interest rates.

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Getting started, Interviews and insights

Tags: benefit of early retirement, business plan format, early retirement incentive, early retirement plan, Early Retirement Planning, Getting started, home business venture, Interviews and insights, the down side to early retirement

Business Exit Strategy Points To Ponder

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:42:09 +0000

Business exit plans or business exit strategies are methods of cashing out investments. When a business is derived, the home business plan stipulates or charts the way for a home business venture to perpetuate and possibly grow, thus adding value to itself. An exit strategy is usually included and defined in the business plan format which are available online as part of the business strategy.

This is essential because at some point home business venture owners, entrepreneurs or venture capitalists would like to part ways with a company in order to harvest their investments. Some investors may decide to exit a company to pursue other interests. Some may opt to retire. And others could be forced to part with a company due to illness or some other tragic circumstances. In any case a clear exit strategy will help reduce the problems which might hinder a successful exit.

3 Common Types of Exit Plans

Succession

This option is popular with business owners who have kids and would like to hand over the business to them in 30 years or so. However, there is no guarantee that the offspring would be interested in the business when the time comes. Business owners with this exit strategy should try to get their children interested in the business from an early age through involvement to increase the probability of them being interested in taking over the business later on.

Liquidation

Business owners or sole proprietors usually decide to close their doors for the last time when:

For some reason, a business owner has to retire and all other options are found to be not viable.
A business is too dependent on a certain skill the owner posses rendering it unfeasible to handover the reigns to a family member or buyer.
No one is interested in taking over or buying over the business.

Please note that before a business is legally allowed to close it must first meet all the legal requirements. Such requirements would include paying off all outstanding liabilities and meeting all other obligations. Sometimes, after settling all outstanding amounts and selling all assets, the sole trader is not left with mush.

In addition, liquidation will destroy the value of the business reputation, business links and client lists which the business has built up over the years.

Acquisition

This can happen either through management or employee buyout or via a sale to another business. Before a sale can be made, the business must first seem to be an attractive investment. Most businesses are bought up because they possess a particular strategic advantage that would give the buyer a synergistic value when acquired.

A business will seem more attractive if:

- The business is seen to be continuously making a profit

- The business has money making products or services

- The business has solid customer base due to its ecommerce affiliate programs

- All business assets are in good condition

***

Tags

Getting started, Tools of the trade

Tags: busines plan format, business exit strategies, Business Exit Strategy, examples of exit strategies, exit strategies for organizations, Getting started, home business plan, home business venture, money making products, Tools of the trade

Ecommerce Affiliate Programs - How Do Affiliate Programs Work?

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:34:39 +0000

How Do Affiliate Programs Work?

Ecommerce affiliate programs are popular online marketing programs in which online sales people or affiliates receive commission for sales, referrals and registrations from online merchants. There are many online merchants to select from affiliate program directories or affiliate networks on the web.

Benefits of Ecommerce Affiliate Programs

Ecommerce affiliate programs’ main benefit is that it allows the affiliate to work from home with minimal effort and flexible hours to boot. It is a low risk, low investment small home based business opportunity which is would be ideal for those looking to earn extra income from a part time business from home.

The downside to ecommerce affiliate programs is the rather small percentage in commission. To remedy this, it is suggested that the affiliate broaden the range of products and services offered.

Unfortunately that is not the only downside. Some merchants advertise high commissions to attract affiliates but reduce the figures after the affiliate has signed on. There are also some online merchants who are unscrupulous and may close down sites without paying out due commission to affiliates after a certain amount of sales has been made. Affiliates’ links may fall prey to link hijackers who hijack links to reap the commission. Affiliates may end up running foul of the law because of unlicensed use to trademarks, trade names and logos via merchant links posted on affiliates’ pages.

Sourcing Legitimate Affiliate Business Opportunities

In order to reduce the risk of being conned by dishonest merchants, carry out background checks on merchants when sourcing merchants with reputable affiliate programs. Use third party sources to verify merchant details. Also, it is also important that the affiliates own site and links are secured and safe from hackers and link hijackers.

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Getting started, Tools of the trade

Tags: affiliate networks on the web, affiliate program directories, business opportunity home based work from, Ecommerce Affiliate Programs, Getting started, home business venture, How Do Affiliate Programs Work, reputable affiliate programs, small home based business opportunity, Tools of the trade

Website Graphic Design Tips For A Home Business Venture

admin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:40:46 +0000

A quick glance at internet shopping survey results and one would see why many businesses have taken to the internet or have included expansion to the internet in their business plan format. An online home business venture relies heavily on traffic. But traffic is of no use if a page repels potential customers. So the aims of designing a website is to convert that traffic to customers. First impressions are very important. How a page looks, feels and works will greatly affect how long a visitor stays.

Here are a few simple and useful website graphic design tips with functional elements of designing a website.

Text

Visitors get information from a website mainly from reading. Therefore, text should be legible and properly formatted. This means choice of font size, font type and font color should be appropriate and suit the overall page aesthetics. Text should be in contrast with the background but avoid using garish colors for that purpose. Columns of text should be narrow enough to facilitate easy screen reading. A page should not appear cramped with text. Use pull quotes and graphics to break the monotony if the text is too long.

Graphics and Animation

A good page design can capture the interest of visitor. Photos and pictures are always popular but be careful not to overdo it as it might affect the time it takes to download a page. Photos should be clear enough to be viewed but should not be to big in file size. Background design should not be too busy that it makes reading difficult. Animated graphics can be interesting but also irritating. Hence, it is important to ensure that such graphics do not overwhelm the page. They should be short(auto off) or can be easily switched off. Page design should be somewhat standard through all the pages so it would appear that they belong to the same site.

Links - Text and Buttons

Links to other pages or other sites should be clearly visible to the visitor. Broken links can be very frustrating to visitors so ensure that they are always updated.

Site Navigation

Most sites have more than one page. A site map would let a visitor know how many pages there are on the site and there should also be a clear visual indication as to which page the visitor is currently on. Site navigation buttons should be standardized throughout the site to breed familiarity.

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Brad Keet is an entrepreneur and Internet junky. Brad invites you to journey with him as he dishes out home business startup tips and other small home based business opportunity information. For more of Brad’s take on things, log on to www.fromhomeeveryday.com

Tags

Getting started, Tools of the trade

Tags: business plan format, functional elements of designing a website, Getting started, home business startup advice, home business startup tips, home business venture, how to design a good website, internet shopping survey results, the aims of designing a website, Tools of the trade, Website Graphic Design Tips

How To Create A Business Plan For A Home Business Venture

admin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:05:38 +0000

A business plan is such an important aspect of a business yet it is most often overlooked especially by home business newbies. Many disregard its importance when considering taking up a small home based business opportunity with the impression that it is a tool for larger businesses.

What is a Business Plan

A business plan is a tool that outlines a business’ economic viability. The content of a the business plan is not fixed but is instead determined by the goals and audience. A business plan usually contains a marketing plan outline as well as business exit strategies.

What is the use of a Business Plan

A good business plan can be used to focus objectives and uncover flaws in the planning process. A business plan can be used to ’sell’ a company’s potential to investors such as banks and venture capitalists.

How to Create a Business Plan

A basic business plan format is simple and to the point.Here are the basic steps for developing a business plan.

Begin by stating the business concept or executive summary. This would be a summary of the full business plan. It should give the reader a clear understanding of the business.
Define and describe your intended business and exactly how you plan to go about it via the company profile. This would include determining strategies and preparing a resume of the workforce.
Asses the market environment. Quote research data that will justify the business idea. Figures should be convincing enough to point to a high likelihood of success for the business in the marketplace.
Explain how the company’s products and services are to be promoted via the marketing plan.
Evaluate business risks and suggest appropriate counter measures.

Other Business Plan Tips

When stating projections, do not be too optimistic. Projections in the business plan should be realistic and reflect current market trends as closely as possible. Objectives should be short term and adjustable to accommodate any changes to the market.

Business plans can also be used to get feedback from other more experienced entrepreneurs. Tweaking a business plan in such a way can help in avoiding unnecessary issues and save time and money.

Lastly, there are many business plan example available on the internet. Do a search for business plan samples to get a better idea of a business plan format and note the points which are presented.

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Tags

Getting started, Tools of the trade

Tags: business exit strategies, business plan, business plan examples, business plan format, business plan samples, free business plan example, Getting started, home based small business, home business newbie, home business startup advice, home business startup tips, home business venture, how to create a business plan, marketing plan outline, small home based business opportunity, steps for developing a business plan, steps to write a business plan, Tools of the trade

Good Business Names

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:43:38 +0000

Good business names are as important as the products companies produce. Therefore, it is imperative that some time is spent on choosing a business name. However, the jury is still out on what makes good business names.

“I’ve always liked the name Virgin Oil.” - Richard Branson

Some would argue that unique business names are the way to go in getting people to remember a company. But naming a company with an uncommon term or word might negate the purpose. Others recommend choosing more common names which are easier to remember. This can, however, sound too generic and confuse a company with competitors of a similar name.

A play on words could also help a brand remain in the minds of consumers. For example, naming a t-shirt company Funny Casual T’s. The name conveys the type of business it is in as well as the specific product it produces, while the humor will help differentiate it from its competitors.

Also important is how a name or brand can be identified graphically either by logo type or by font type. A good logo will help the viewer identify both the company name as well as what it does at just a glance.

If you look at established company names or brands, you would have noticed that those companies have spent a lot of money over the years building their brand names while creating awareness through elaborate marketing campaigns to communicate the companies’ core business and strengths to the masses. To put it succinctly, good business names should convey what a company would like to be known for. Good business names should also not be too narrow that it only appeals to a particular niche market. This can be restrictive to future growth plans.

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Getting started

Tags: business opportunity home based work from, choosing a business name, creating a business name, free help choosing a business name, Getting started, good business names, home business newbie, home business startup advice, home business startup tips, home business venture, small home based business opportunity, unique business names

Positive Attitudes In Business

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:20:40 +0000

Attitude can be the difference between success and failure of a home business venture.

Positive attitudes in business is essential in getting a business owner through the startup period and other challenging times but maintaining it is even more important. It is one of the most important home business startup tips anyone can give.

Most people have the ability and the know how to seize small home based business opportunity. But they lack the attitude to convert that ability into success. In order to help maintain the positives attitudes in business, one has to surround oneself with positive minded individuals who constantly encourage each other.

It is important to stay focused on the objectives - the reasons for starting a home business venture in the first place. Convert all negative thoughts and situations into positive ideas and solutions.

Running a business requires a lot of energy - positive mental energy - to be precise. There will bound to be a lot of hiccups along the way . If the business is run by just a single individual, the initial work load might seem overwhelming. Internet jargon, software issues and customer related issues will surely add to the challenge. But this is all part and parcel of running a business. Many mistakes will be made along the way but many lessons will be learned as well.

So do not be disheartened. Take all criticisms with a pinch of salt and an open mind. In time those obstacles will just be something to tell the grand kids about.

***

Tags

Getting started, Interviews and insights, Issues and obstacles

Tags: business opportunity home based work from, Getting started, home based small business, home business newbie, home business startup advice, home business startup tips, home business venture, Interviews and insights, Issues and obstacles, positive attitudes in business, small home based business opportunity

Delicious Fruit Smoothie Recipe

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:04:29 +0000

A home business venture can take a lot out of you especially during the start up period. Try this delicious fruit smoothie recipe to start your day.

It’s rather simple to conjure and I can spell the names of nearly all the fruits I use. I vary the ingredients according to what’s in the fridge so it’s not always the same ol’ same ol’.

Here’s what you would need.

Delicious Fruit Smoothie Recipe

One cup of lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice or apple juice.
One cup of sliced peach, kiwi, mangoes, pineapple, plums or grapes
Half a cup of frozen fruit such as raspberries, blueberries or strawberries.
Two bananas
A table spoon of honey
Half a cup of yogurt, soy milk or just plain milk
Some unsweetened protein powder (proportion according to serving advice)
Some ice, if you want. (I like mine sans the ice)

Blend until smooth and enjoy your delicious fruit smoothie.

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Staying Alive (keeping in shape)

Tags: delicious fruit smoothie, delicious fruit smoothie recipe, fruit smoothie recipe, home business venture, small home based business opportunity, Staying Alive (keeping in shape)

Ideas For A Home Based Business - Products & Niches

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:29:17 +0000

Many people have the desire to start a business from home but have no idea what to sell. This is a common home business startup problem. I’ve given a few ideas for a home based business in an earlier post but I think some people are thinking too hard and it is preventing them from seeing the obvious. Remember, sometimes the best home business ideas are the simplest.

So today I’ll be giving a few examples with in-depth breakdowns to aid you in your own products and hopefully inspire more work from home ideas. I’ll will be referring to a few athletes from the Beijing Olympics as examples. Some of you might think that one athlete will do just fine but I want show you how to look at similar subjects from different angles.

Michael Phelps - Show off!

Take a good look at Michael Phelps. Do a rough bio breakdown. He is a 23 year old, 6′4″ male swimmer with an 80 inch wing span. Now lets take a look at his equipment. (That last sentence did not sound the way I meant it). He uses caps, goggles and tiny trunks. So if you are going to market equipment for swimmers, those would be some of the items on your sales list. It would be good if you also knew the brands he endorses. But that would be the obvious way to go about things.

Now, look at his body (don’t have to tell the women that). How do you think he gets in shape? I’m sure he goes through a regimented diet and training program. But it is possible for everyday people - like the majority of us - to have a body like that. He isn’t overly built so many men would consider it achievable.

I look at him and I’m thinking blenders and recipes because he probably starts his day with some blended power smoothies.

Yoga mats also come to mind as swimmers have long, loose and toned muscles. Might as well throw in some yoga and pilates videos as well. Speaking of pilates, there are specific equipment for pilates exercises. So there’s another line of related products to consider for your work from home product ideas.

- Michael Phelps is still not used to winning -

Athletes cross train to condition different muscle groups, reduce burnout and maintain a high level of overall fitness.

Swimmers cycle, runners cycle too and cyclists run.

Just like that, with a little bit of research, you can have an edge over your competitors. Who would think of selling bicycles to swimmers. But if you explain the rationale and site examples then you are good to go.

Now lets look at Yao Ming. He is very tall, to say the least. If we take his sport out of the equation then we are just left with height. And that, my friends, is where the niche lies.

Yao Ming - a very tall order

Just look at his shoes. Those are size 15’s. I’ve been in boats smaller than that. And its not just apparels you can market. There’s over sized beds, chairs, toilets, higher ironing boards, longer stroller handles and even broader towels.

Sadly, there are many tall people around the world who are not as mobile as they would like to be. And they do not have access to walking aids and other support equipment they would need. Alas, another niche presents itself.

I’ve read somewhere that women are more concerned about the way they look then men. Hence the multitude of beauty products and slimming centers geared towards the fairer sex.

I’ve spoken to a few women about Leryn Franco. Only one knew she is a javelin thrower. Most were more concerned about how Ms Franco’s unbelievably toned torso and tanned epidermis. One even wondered how the model cum javelin thrower could maintain such healthy looking coiffure with all the sweat and humidity.

Leryn Franco - Toned and tanned

In other words, listening to people can also give you an indication of what money making products the general public wants or would be interested in.

So remember, don’t think too hard and always keep an open mind when it comes to looking for the next money making products for your home business venture.

***

Tags

Biz ideas, Getting started, Good ideas, Interviews and insights

Tags: best home business ideas, Biz ideas, business opportunity home based work from, Getting started, Good ideas, great home business ideas, home based small business, home business startup tips, home business venture, ideas for a home based business, Interviews and insights, money making products, small home based business opportunity, work from home ideas

From Home Everyday

My Home Busines Venture Has Taken Off

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