Friday, September 12, 2014

What Everyone Should Know About Running A Home Business

By Clark Ashton Smith


You can look to magazines, online articles and other news venues for information on how to successfully run your own business. Don't just buy everything that's out there. Be well informed about home businesses by getting the facts from this article.

If you are running a business out of your home, it is vital that you keep excellent records and documentation of all of your business expenses. Keeping a good record of everything you spend on your business will provide you with the proof you need should you home business be audited by the IRS.

Running your home based business is a challenge, it is important to reward yourself so you will stay motivated. For instance, for every work related task that you complete from your list, you could reward yourself with fifteen minutes of non work activities. This will help to keep you focused and motivated.

Arrange to have a toll free 800 number associated with your home business. Taking this step allows you to keep your personal information private. If your business is successful, having an 800 number also leaves your home number free to take calls from your friends and family, who might have difficulty getting through otherwise.

Keep your workspace clean and clutter-free. Working from home can be less stressful if your work area is clean and well-organized. Keep only work-related items in your home office. Leaving recipe cards and laundry where you can see them will only remind you of more work!

Keep careful track of travel expenses, both on long trips (cost of tickets/gas and food) or for shorter, day-to-day driving. If you keep all of your receipts and deducting whatever you are entitled to write off, your savings will add up; careful record keeping will allow you to make these deductions without opening yourself up to legal trouble.

Decide on the selling price for your merchandise. If you make your own merchandise, add up your material costs, labor costs, shipping and anything other expenses to figure out what you pay. Standard pricing is usually two times the costs that are associated with the merchandise. This should give you the price you need to charge wholesale buyers. Multiply your costs by three to get a starting point for your retail price.

Buy a web site that has ecommerce capability. Before you buy, decide whether you want to hire someone else to build your site or do it yourself. Many services offer a web site domain and hosting package, with tools to help you build your own site and load a catalog of products to sell.

If you are a bit artistic, look to starting a graphic design business that can offer services to other local companies. Often local businesses prefer working with self-employed designers as they are usually more flexible and provide more personal service than do larger companies. This gives you the advantage over the bigger guy.

Upon starting your home business, send out a mass email to friends and family members, letting them know about your business. You can sweeten the advertisement with a discount for them, especially for helping out so early on in your business. It builds confidence and exposure while increasing networking potential.

You should try contacting a local radio station and making a deal with them to barter products for a small bit of airtime. They can use your products for prizes in contests or free giveaways and in turn, they can mention your business as the place where they got these products.

Businesses are opening all over the world and home businesses can be just as successful as ones based in an office. Doing your end of the research can prove to be of great help in aiding you to figure out what works for you and your business and what does not. Apply the tips from the article above for a foolproof way to run a successful home based business.




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