Work At Home Experiences, Resources and Opportunities

The Business of Business - Part 3

2007-05-16T06:26:00.000-04:00

Hello!

One of the most helpful resources I've encountered for good overall business information is http://www.businessknowhow.com/. While it's a bit difficult to navigate, it's packed with useful information that can help you either answer questions, or refer you to other sites that can more specifically address concerns. One of the areas I've used frequently is the Legal Forms section. While they offer forms for sale, they often show samples which can show you the components of a particular document, thereby allowing a person to feel assured that a certain document will work for a specific purpose prior to ordering.

This site is well worth the time a person might spend researching the generalities of a particular business aspect, and is deserving of being bookmarked for later reference.

Have a good day!

The Business of Business - Part 2

2007-04-27T06:43:00.000-04:00

Hello!

You have a business idea, have researched it's feasibility, and are ready to go the next step ... what happens next?

Perhaps the singlemost important thing you can do is to create a business plan. Not only can this help you find financing, but it is your roadmap of the steps it will take to keep your business on track. For the person starting a home or "micro" business, the costs are considerable enough that consideration needs to be given to the steps it will take to lay a groundword for success.

There are business plan programs available through your local software suppliers, but there are also some really excellent resources available on the internet for you to bypass this expense.

http://www.sba.gov/index.html
http://homebusiness.about.com/od/getstarted/a/bizplanBasics.htm
http://homebusiness.about.com/od/getstarted/a/bizplanBasics_2.htm

Both of thes sites give good general information about the business plan over all, but I am one of those people who like to see real samples, patterns that show me exactly what it is I need in my plan. There are several sites I've used for this express purpose. Yes, they are Canadian, but the basics are the same. They are:

http://sbinfocanada.about.com./cs/businessplans/a/bizplanoutline.htm
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/businessplans/Business_Plans.htm
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/businessplans/a/quickbizplan.htm

The U.S. Small Business Administration is worth its weight in gold to the small business entrepreneur, and should be reviewed closely for the information it offers. In addition to their information, they also have resources available to assist the budding entrepreneur on a one-on-one basis through their SCORE. The Service Corps of Retired Executives, commonly called SCORE, is a volunteer program administered by the SBA that also provides small business assistance. Retired and actively employed individuals from a variety of business backgrounds volunteer to help small business owners manage their businesses more profitably and compete more effectively. S.C.O.R.E. volunteers also provide start-up assistance to individuals considering opening a business. Once there, check out their business tools section.

http://www.score.org/

Have a good day!

The Business of Business - Part 1

2007-04-18T06:36:00.000-04:00

For many, starting a home business is preferred to working for someone else. I'm convinced that once the idea has formulated, there are two intimidating aspects: first is actually going through the mechanics of initiating the business; and then second, conscientiously keeping at it in a dedicated, organized, effective manner. For the next several posts, I'll address the aspect of the mechanics of starting a business.

Michael Haaren and Chris Durst have written a book which has become a classic for those who would work from home ... The 2-Second Commute. This book takes you through analyzing yourself in reality checks and self assessments, and then takes you step-by-step through the process of developing your idea. While the book is directed towards those who would become virtual assistants, the information can easily be adapted to a process enabling you to create your own business idea.

Another "must-read" is a book by Michael E. Gerber titled The E Myth Revisited. This book explains why starting and running a successful business, which achieves the goals one envisioned when they initially started the business, is a matter of developing a system which allows you to work smarter, instead of increasingly harder. And to do this most effectively, it is important to "start right" from the very beginning ... even before the first business form is completed. The E Myth concepts have developed into a number of resources available to assist businesses large and small.

Both can be ordered new or used from Amazon.com or Bookfinder.com.

But to address the thought that might occur to readers of this blog ... no, I don't make a penny from anything that I am endorsing. The point of these posts is to help others achieve their goals of being able to work from home, without it taking the years it's taken me. Good resources are few and far between, as anyone who has done a search on "work from home" jobs can tell you.

In my next post, I'll start to point you towards the actual websites that can provide you with vital start-up advice and information. While there will be costs in starting a home business, it is not always necessary to have to pay for information that is often available for free, if you know where to look!

Have a good day!

One of the Downsides

2007-04-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

I recently responded to an ad to "return phone calls from home". I was called (after submitting some basic information and phone number) and asked if I could use an extra bit of money ... with the answer being obvious. I was given a phone number and an access code for a phone meeting which revealed itself to be a "gifting" club.

Now, for those of you who are not aware of "gifting" clubs, this is a variation of a pyramid scheme. It's very clever in addressing all the concerns (ie, legality, etc.). Anyway I listened and then returned the call to my "sponsor" who referred me to a website. Being both the eternal optimist and eternal skeptic (yes, it is possible to be both), I highlighted and copied the words that specifically pointed to the tax law that "supports" this. Imagine my surprise when I Googled that term and found out the real deal! Maybe it is "technically" legal, but the bottom line is that there is an "expectation of return" and therefore, it is illegal! While I could initially "gift" an amount as low as $500 to "qualify," I think about how some who can't afford something like this, do it anyway with the hopes of making a bundle. No, I didn't buy into this!

I work from home, and have done so for a number of years. However, it is still a struggle to find not only the legit stuff, but things to do that are truly interesting. I'm too "well-seasoned" in life to be comfortable with any situation that makes money at the cost of the possibility of someone else's pain. Because of this attitude, I abhor the term "it's just business" when it's used as an excuse to perpetrate harm or potential of harm to others. Maybe it puts me into a minority, but I can look at and face myself every day!

As a result of this experience, I now look at sites like the ones I have on my "Work at Home Favorites" to check out prospective "opportunities." Also, I frequent sites, like those to which I've referred in earlier posts, that offer a network of people who might be able offer thoughts from their own experiences.

Buyer Beware!

Have a good day everyone!

Legit Websites for Work From Home Information! - Part Two

2007-04-10T07:49:00.000-04:00

Hello Again!

In part two, I'm going to get into "specifics" ... actual sites that discuss or list specific opportunities. The first two sites are totally free, but require a registration.

www.workplacelikehome.com - This site is similar to some of my part one sites, but allows you to explore specific companies, and what agents/independent contractors have to say about them. I like this because sometimes changes within a company either increase or decrease the quality of that work environment, and these things are very good to know. But additionally, there are many beneficial categories that make this a valuable resource. Again, this is also a place where "opportunities" can be determined to be either legitimate or risky.
www.genuinejobs.com - This is a free listing of specific work-at-home job opportunities - requires free registration. This is the location where I received my first legitimate work-at-home opportunity.
www.elance.com - Opportunities for free-lancers, but requires a subscription in order to bid on projects
www.guru.com - Opportunities for free-lancers, and requires a subscription, but the basic level is free and will notify you of projects in your field on which you can bid without incurring expense. This is a good starting point for those interested in freelance opportunities.

Next time, I'll share some of the things I've encountered that I'd consider to be the "downside" of many work-from-home positions.

Have a good day!

Legit Websites for Work From Home Information! - Part One

2007-04-08T07:52:00.000-04:00

Hello All!

Today I'm going to share with you some legitimate websites that offer good information whether you would like to start and run your own home business, or would like some extra income. These sites are few and far between, as anyone who has done a search on "work from home" knows. These sites have either been used by me, or have been on my resource list for sometimes a good many years.

www.2secondcommute.com - a good "how-to" site for home business
www.ratracerebellion.com - a website updated often with good information as well as current opportunities, by the people from The 2-Second Commute
www.wahm.com - not just for "moms", this site gives a lot of good information and opportunities as well as provides a network of those who work from home. This site is free to register and use.
www.freelancemom.com - similar to wahm.com and is also free to register and use.

You should not have to pay to find good opportunities and ideas. The sites that charge often are sites that end up saying "open a site and charge others for the advice to 'open a site and charge others'." I'm sure that there are some legitimate sites that charge, but I'm not going to pay to find them. And if I was to even Consider paying for information, it would be because I was given good, free, legitimate information up front.

By belonging to networks, many of these types of scams, as well as other types, can be avoided by simply asking your network for advice and/or feedback.

Please return to read Part Two!

Have a good day!

Working from Home Experiences

2007-04-02T08:27:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Today, I'm starting something new for me ... a blog. I'm doing this because I am passionate about this topic, and am seeing "work from home" as not only becoming even more huge, but is being used as a "cop out" by companies who no longer want to give benefits to "employees." I'm doing this is because there are increasing numbers of people who want to work from home and are only finding junk sites out there instead of real information. With this blog I hope to share my experiences and the information I've gained, to assist others find opportunities that work for them. I'll also share concerns I have about working from home, and some of the things I'm seeing "out there." These are simply my opinions. Take what is good for your own use! :)

Have a good day!