Business Start-Up Fact Finder Manual

America is coming home to work. Home-based offices are becoming the wave of the future. Tens of thousands of workers are opting for this way of life, a life in which they can make their own hours, commute to work in seconds, make their own choices and become their own bosses.

For many the home office is becoming the location for a full-time job and the primary source of income. For others it is a part-time venture. Many start on a part-time basis and grow their business into a full-time operation.

Current figures available indicate that during the past 5 years the percentage of self-employed working from home jumped by almost 6% to approximately 12 million. While working at home has an almost irresistible appeal to many, and many have some big misconceptions of what it is like, here is some very useful information that can help you get started successfully.

Legalities of Working at Home

Zoning

Before setting up your new business it would be advisable to check on the legal status of your business. You need to check zoning laws for your community which may dictate if you can legally operate a business from home. We realize that many businesses never check on zoning for their home-based business and chances that they ever get into difficulties with the law are probably pretty slim. If there are no changes in structure and you do not have customers and or employees enter your home, regulations will tend to be far more easy. Laws and regulations change from community to community, but the following 5 factors will generally be regulated items:

1. Separate business and private entrances.

2. Square footage of the home which is taken up by commercial space.

3. Employees working in the home.

4. Certain occupations such as jewelry or clothing

5. Storage of commercial goods, especially any hazardous materials.

Here is an important suggestion: keep relations with your neighbors on a friendly basis. Your neighbors will soon become aware that you are working at home. Some may even be envious, and yes, unfortunately zoning authorities will general become aware of home office zoning infractions through a “friendly neighbor”.

Business License

Most cities or counties require businesses to be licensed. Some home-operated businesses, however, are not required to have a business license. Check with your local City or County Clerks Office to obtain regulations for your locality.

D.B.A. Registration

If you are using your own name as your business name it will not need to be registered, but if you use any other name, or even your abbreviated name, almost all localities require that you register the name. This is called a fictitious name registration or D.B.A. “Doing Business As” registration. If your name is:

Randy M Jones and you name your business Randy Jones or Randy M Jones Enterprise you will not have to register it, but if you call it: RMJ Enterprises you will generally have to register the name.

Most states have a name search bureau which is a part of the state government. You will generally be able to call this office to see if a given name has already been registered to someone else in the state. This is important to do, or it could be costly later. If you give your business a name which is already registered to another company, the other company may demand, and even take legal action to make sure you comply, that you cease to use the name.

Your Company as a Legal Entity

Businesses are most commonly set-up as one of the following entities:

The Sole Proprietorship
Incorporation
Partnership

Most new businesses choose the Sole Proprietorship. It is the least complicated. It requires no paperwork. The proprietor you, or you and your spouse as the owner, or owners, are taxed for all net profit from your business. You add the income of the business to other income, or deduct the business loss from other income. Your tax adviser can give you specific information.

The disadvantage of the Sole Proprietorship is that as the owner you can be held fully liable in a lawsuit. An incorporation, on the other hand, will give you some protection. In this case the “INC” rather than you is the legal business entity. If you are starting a business that tends to have liability exposure the corporation may be the way to go. In this and other legal questions, only your attorney can give you competent legal advice.

Partnerships are generally chosen when unrelated individuals own a business. A partnership should be set up by an attorney, or all kinds of problems can develop later.

Designing Your Work-space

First, you must determine how much space you need. Chances are what you may initially think is quite large may be crowed or not enough space. While many businesses are started from a corner of the bedroom or kitchen, if the space is available it would be far better idea to take a spare area of the house and convert it it into your office. There may be space in the basement, garage, or a spare bedroom. Having a separate space is more efficient and will make for maximum efficiency. It is also psychologically important. You do not want home activities to interfere with your business, or vice-versa.

Friends and family will need to be told politely firmly that business hours mean business and dropping in, or calling to chit chat is not acceptable. Psychologists suggest that you work “from” home not just in your home. There is a danger of becoming isolated. Inasmuch as time allows, participate in seminars and local business activities and organizations.

Financial Planning

It is said and also my own personal experience that owners of new businesses never have enough time or money. The majority of small businesses which do not succeed will fail because they are not properly financed. n your financial planning carefully review all required start-up expenses as well as on-going expenses before revenue will be generated. Estimate your profit margins and all fixed and controlled expenses. Almost all entrepreneurs will tend to be much more optimistic about their estimate of the financial performance of a business taken what is necessarily realistic. There are always unforseen expenses.

It is a good idea to only invest in absolutely necessary expenses. This applies to furnishings, supplies and all equipment. Computer equipment in recent years has become outdated within a short period of time. So, if what you acquire will serve you well for 2-3 years will be able to upgrade your equipment later on. Your emphasis should be on conserving capital. As your business develops, unexpected hurdles will come along and periods of low revenue. Your capital will make it possible to keep your business operating during these times.

Why Should You Have A Business Plan?

While writing a business plan can be made into a highly sophisticated undertaking especially by large corporations, its easy to do when done for a new or small owner operated-business. Essentially, you will be committing your plan to paper. As you do so your thought will become more formal and concrete and this will tremendously assist you in the development of your business. If you are considering to obtain financing for your new business either through a bank or the SBA, a formal business plan will be a necessity. Home-operated businesses will have a much more difficult time in obtaining financing.

Don’t Forget Uncle Sam

As in all undertakings of life from birth to death and beyond, the IRS will be there to watch over you. Almost all small, home-based businesses will start out as “Sole Proprietorship.” This legal status is best for ease of handling and for tax benefits. Your net business income or loss becomes an addition or deduction to other income declare at the end of the year. Careful record-keeping of all business revenue and expenses is a must. Keep a separate business checking amount for your business. Do not intermingle business and personal expenses. Other special tax benefits and regulations apply to home-operated businesses. You should obtain professional advise from your tax adviser.

Free Publications available:

“Record-Keeping For A Small Business” IRS publication 583. Call the IRS 1-800-829-3676.

“Business Use Of Your Home” can also be obtained free from the IRS.

“Tax Guide For Small Business” is an annual IRS publication #334. It is also free.

Insurance

One disadvantage of being self-employed is not having health and disability insurance. You may also need liability insurance. Your homeowners insurance covers your belongings in your home, but it may not cover all business inventory and equipment. Check with your insurance agent to make sure you have the right coverage.

Factors that will Determine Your Success

Do Your Homework

The more you know about your business, the better your chances of success. Attend seminars and join trade associations. Read books and trade publications. If you do not have a business background a business introductory class at a local college would be advisable.

Planning is Key to Your Success

You and your family’s future and livelihood is at stake. So your decision and planning to start a business are very serious matter. Establish a long range plan which encompasses your business and financial plans. You should obtain legal or financial advice from an attorney or accountant before committing to nay long range or major financial transactions. Agreements with suppliers or customers should be put into writing.

You Must Wear Many Hats

Small business owners over time can become experts on a variety of subjects. At the start the most important aspect is the mind-set. Your communication to the rest of the world through all available means will determine your success. here is an abbreviated marketing check list:

Telephone equipment
Promotional Material
Advertising (Don’t forge the Yellow Pages)
Stationery
Direct Mail
Membership in Organizations
Direct Sales

Invest in Good Equipment

The right equipment will make your work easier and your business more efficient. To conserve cash used equipment should also be considered.

So What Are Your Chances

The better you think they are the better they generally are, and don’t forget that among thousands of others:

Apple Computer, Domino’s Pizza, and Walt Disney all started as home-based businesses.

Resources/Associations

There is a great deal of expert advice and resource material available to you. Much of it is free of charge. A variety of literature is available, both excellent books on all business subjects and various magazines. Your local Chamber of Commerce often sponsors classes. Banks can give you advice, or can be used as a sounding board. Local schools offer a variety of classes of interest to business owners. Don’t forget the Public Library. Last, but not least, don’t forget the U.S. Government.

SBA (small Business Administration) offers a range of services such as loans, financial consulting, computer and technical consulting services and a variety of publications.

Check your local telephone pages, or contact:

Small Business Administration
1441 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20416
(202) 659-6000

United States Chamber of Commerce provides literature, telephone referrals and other services to small businesses. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or:

United States Chambers of Commerce
1615 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20062
(202) 659-6000

Internal Revenue Service offers a variety of services which includes workshops, films and publications to clarify tax matters for small businesses. Contact your local IRs office or:

Education Branch, Taxpayer Service Division
IRS, Department of the Treasury
1111 Constitution Ave.,NW
Washington, DC 20274
1-800-424-1040

Better Business Bureau (BBB) The BBB can be an important ally in checking on potential suppliers and other businesses. Check for telephone listing in the city where the company you are checking on is located.

The Christmas Story

The idea of celebrating Jesus’ birth was done to counteract pagan holidays celebrated in Rome during the Winter Solstice. Church leaders thought Christmas celebrations were more likely to be popular if they coincided with the traditional festivals and merrymaking during the Winter Solstice. Although some Christmas celebrations are secular, the religious aspect of Christmas remains central to celebrations. This is evident in church services such as Midnight Mass and primarily in the many forms of the Nativity, or Christmas Story, presented wherever people celebrate Christmas. That story started in Nazareth in Galilee about two thousand years ago. Mary, a young woman, was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. An angel appeared to her one day and told her she was with child. She couldn’t understand how that could happen because due to her circumspect nature, she had not laid in bed with Joseph. The angel explained however, that the child would be special as he would be the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus. Mary and Joseph then got married soon after the angel’s appearance.. But about the time when Mary was to have the baby, the couple had to travel far away to Bethlehem, Joseph’s birthplace, to pay a special tax. It was difficult for them to find a place to stay because many other people were in Bethlehem to pay their taxes. After many rejections, one innkeeper offered a room in his stable where they could spend the night. That’s where Jesus, the Holy Child and Son of God was born and then wrapped in bundles of cloth and placed in a manger for a cradle. In the same hours that Mary was giving birth, shepherds who were in a field that overlooked Bethlehem saw an extremely bright star over the sky in Bethlehem. They had never seen anything like it and had feelings of curiosity and scariness. An angel appeared and told them the ‘good news’ that the Son of God had been born in Bethlehem. The shepherds left their flocks to go to Bethlehem to find the baby. When they reached the stable, they were filled with immense joy at seeing Jesus. They fell to their knees and worshipped Him. They also told Mary and Joseph about the bright star and the angel appearing to say Jesus would be the Savior of the world. The bright star was also seen by Wise Men in the east. The Wise Men, who studied the stars, learned that a new and great ruler would appear whenever an extraordinarily bright star appeared in the sky. Three of them therefore set out
to find the new ruler. They first visited King Herod in Jerusalem because they thought the child would be born in the palace. But when they asked to see the child who would be the new ruler, King Herod was very worried as he thought he would be removed from the throne. King Herod told the Wise Men that when they found the baby, they should return and tell him so that he could also worship the baby. The Wise Men used the star as a guide to go to Bethlehem where they found Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus who they worshipped and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Wise Men are celebrated in some Christmas celebrations on Jan. 6, known as the Epiphany to mark the date when they found Jesus. Later in the night the three Wise Men had a dream in which an angel told them that King Herod wanted to kill Baby Jesus. They left Bethlehem to return to the East but didn’t return to Jerusalem to tell King Herod where they had found the child. Joseph also had a dream soon after the Wise Men left in which an angel appeared and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because Herod had ordered that Jesus be killed. In an effort to kill Jesus after the Wise Men did not return to inform him of the baby’s whereabouts, Herod later ordered that allbaby boys in Bethlehem should be killed. But by then Mary and Joseph had left with Baby Jesus.

Spreading Goodwill at Christmas

The real meaning of Christmas, the season of good cheer, is about giving especially to provide some assistance to those who need help for their daily survival and who therefore don’t have the material resources to enjoy the Christmas season. The importance of giving to those in need during Christmas is embodied in the story of Jesus’ birth, which is the reason Christmas is celebrated.
For Christians, Jesus was born to save mankind from sin by giving everlasting Salvation to all who believe in the Word of God and chose to follow the principles for living in the Bible. Jesus therefore gave in the ultimate way – he offered himself as a sacrifice for every living person. Christians therefore believe that Christmas should be about following the example of Jesus by giving of oneself to others, especially to those who are in need. The Christmas season should therefore be about spreading goodwill and good cheer. This purpose of Christmas is very significant because research by social service organizations has shown that Christmas happens to be a high time for depression among the have-nots, among people with problems and others who just don’t have the means and resources to enjoy the merriment of the holidays. The hundreds of Santa letters written by children are often a sad testament to the many unmet needs of families and individuals during the festive
Christmas and holiday times. Just about every child is told the story of Santa Claus, or hears about him because his presence is everywhere at Christmas. And up to the age of 7 to 8 years, most children believe the story about Santa Claus bringing toys and other gifts. That’s the reason why so many young children often write letters to Santa at Christmas time in which the innocently plead for toys and other gifts because they their parents or other relatives will not be able to give them those Christmas toys or Christmas gifts that they want. Thankfully there are many volunteer and charitable efforts carried out by groups and corporations that seek to fulfill the needs of children and also of adults during the Christmas season. One of the most notable organizations that do such charitable work is the Salvation Army, which has a history of giving service to those in need.
According to The Salvation Army’s website, the organization as known today was started in 1865 by a Methodist minister, William Booth and his wife Catherine. They formed a group that preached, provided food and shelter to the homeless, the hungry and to alcoholics in need of recovery services. The services were provided in London’s East End. Booth and his followers, first known as ‘The Christian Mission,’ started to use The Salvation Army name in 1878.
The Salvation Army is now uniquely associated with the Christmas season through its many representatives who dress up as Santa Claus and stand outside retail establishments ringing their bells while they kindly seek donations from shoppers to help the poor at Christmas.
Individuals also play Santa Claus at Christmas time and help out those in need by donating toys and gifts through their companies, other business enterprises such as banks or through their local municipality. These groups usually all have a box or an area where new toys or clothing can be dropped off and the items are then donated to families in need or to social service providers for distribution to the needy during the Christmas season. Along with much charitable giving at Christmas time, other public interest
groups also work hard to inform and educate consumers about avoiding the after Christmas blues. This is often experienced in January when the bills and debts are due as a result of all the spending, much of it on credit, that is done for the holidays. These groups try to spread goodwill and cheer in a different way. They try to provide educational information on spending responsibly during the Christmas season with the hope that the happiness and good feeling enjoyed during the season can also carry over after Christmas and not be spoiled by the burden of
having huge bills to pay.

Significance of Christmas Eve

As we close in on Christmas Eve I wanted to talk about the day before Christmas and mixture of anxiety and anticipation that is felt that day. There’s anxiety at putting all the final plans and finishing decoration touches in place and getting all the necessary shopping done. There’s also much anticipation about all the merriment and excitement of Christmas day. Children are usually hardly able to control themselves as they think about the Christmas gifts they hope to get the next day. They may try to stay up through the night to catch Santa Claus, or they may just be too excited to sleep. Christmas Eve is also important for the simple reason that in ancient custom, and among some cultures today, a holiday or other celebrated day really starts from sundown of the day before the actual day that is celebrated. Therefore, festivities and observances for Christmas Day would really begin on Christmas Eve.  One of the most significant aspects of Christmas Eve however, is related to religion. Attending Midnight Mass or earlier church services is mandatory for many people whose religion is Christianity. This is so even for people who aren’t regular churchgoers during the year. Evidence of the importance of these church services can be seen in the overflow of congregations at the churches. Many churches will also have an added service earlier in the evening to accommodate the above normal attendance, and also for individuals like the elderly who would prefer a service that is earlier than Midnight Mass.Another important aspect of Christmas Eve celebrations is related to retail operations. On the day before Christmas, stores make a last ditch effort to push sales of Christmas and other merchandise. There often are special promotions last-minute advertised to capitalize on late, desperate Christmas shoppers and other impulse buyers. This last effort is also aimed at increasing sales for the Christmas period. Some stores will remain open late, even up to midnight or just before midnight. Macy’s department store in New York City, which bills that particular store branch as the world’s largest, stayed open until midnight on Christmas Eve of 1867 for the first time. Christmas Eve culminates the single biggest shopping season, which started the day after Thanksgiving, for retailers. Christmas Eve is also important for the traditions associated with it.  The idea of Santa Claus coming descending chimneys on Christmas Eve to leave gifts for good boys and girls was made popular by a poem, attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. In that poem titled ‘An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, ‘which Moore wrote in 1822 and which is now popularly known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ Moore described Santa Claus as ‘a right jolly old elf’ who went from house to house with his sleigh pulled by reindeers flying through the air to deliver Christmas presents to all the girls and boys who had been well behaved. Food plays a big role in making Christmas Day special and much of its preparation often begins on christmas Eve. Poultry and other meats are often prepared by letting them stand in a mixture of various herbs and spices, puddings and pies are baked on Christmas Eve, as well as a fresh batch of gingerbread and other cookies and treats. The scents and flurry of activity related to all these preparations also help to make Christmas Eve a memorable day on its own.

Where did Rudolph come from?

The 2nd of 5 Christmas posts will focus on the red nosed reindeer we all love “Rudolph” We will also talk about those other reindeers as well. Maybe it’s the undeniable alliterative appeal of Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer
that makes him the most known or popular of all Santa’s nine flying reindeers. It certainly doesn’t seem as easy to come up with a similar catchy description for the others – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and
Blitzen – as named in the song. The story of Rudolph whose glowing red nose made him a standout, first appeared
in 1939 when Montgomery Ward department stores distributed about 2.4 million booklets with the poem in the form of a story about “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It was written by Robert L. May, who worked in the store’s
advertisement or marketing department, to be used to attract more people into the store. When the booklet was reissued in 1939, sales soared to more than 3.5 million copies. But it wasn’t until a decade later, in 1949, that the story really gained immense popularity when Gene Autry sang a musical version of the fable. As a Christmas song, it is second only in popularity to ‘White Christmas.’ Rudolph, the ninth reindeer whose lighted nose guides Santa’s sleigh through the night, is now known worldwide as the song has been translated into more than 20 different languages and an animated television movie has also been based on the
story. Rudolph and his noticeable nose have also become the subject of jokes and sparked more interest in reindeers which has led to much research into Santa and the flying reindeers who pull his sleigh through the sky. Along with the catchy rhythm of the lyrics, Rudolph’s story is also appealing because of the moral lessons it contains. As the story goes, Rudolph was ostracized by the other reindeers, which laughed and teased him about his shiny red nose. But on a foggy night, when Santa must have been concerned that he may not be able to deliver his Christmas gifts around the world, Santa spotted him and kindly asked if he would step to the front as the leader to ‘guide my sleigh
tonight.’ His shiny red nose would after all be very useful in lighting the way, Santa thought. From then on ‘all of the other reindeers loved him,” and rightly predicted that he ‘would go down in history.’ Among the moral lessons the story can impart is that an attribute that is perceived as negative or as a liability can be used for a positive purpose, or, become an asset. It also makes the point that an individual should not let the negative behavior of others define him or her and limit expectations of what can
be achieved. And it also illustrates how quickly opinions and attitudes about a person can change. The question still lingers however of where Rudolph came from. He is commonly regarded as the son of Donner (or Donder), one of the original eight reindeers. But the Snopes.com site rejects this however, saying that he dwelled in a
reindeer village elsewhere and it was there that he was seen by Santa who had already started on his Christmas Eve journey to deliver gifts. And in a more modern evolution of the story according to Wikipedia.com, an animation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) introduced a son, named Robbie, of Rudolph. That son has now become the tenth reindeer.It’s also interesting to note that the idea of Santa’s sleigh being pulled by reindeers was originated in the poem, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.’ That
poem tells the story of St. Nicholas, who is Santa, calling his eight tiny reindeers by their names, as previously mentioned, just before he came down the chimney of a house to start filling the stockings from a sack full of toys he carried on his back. What ever your belief is of how Rudolph came about from a marketing stand point you cant argue that had sticking power and still lives strong today! Hope you enjoyed the blog! still 3 more Christmas blogs to come over the next 2 weeks! Happy Holidays!

Different Types of Christmas Trees

Inspired by the snow yesterday morning and the Christmas season, I bring to you the different types of Christmas trees. The tradition of Christmas trees in America came from German immigrants who had settled in Pennsylvania. It is believed that the tradition of Christmas trees started in Germany from as early as 700 A.D and was practiced by many Germans in the 1800s. It’s also since that period that Christmas trees have also been available for sale in
the United States. While artificial Christmas trees are popular, many people like to have a fresh Christmas tree in their homes, or outside on their lawns. And similar to all other trees, Christmas trees also have different shapes and qualities that make some types more popular than others.
Along with other decorative Christmas items such as wreaths and garlands, having a Christmas tree in your home is very essential in creating a special atmosphere for the season. It is believed that Christmas trees have been available for sale in America since the 1800s, which is about the same time that the former Woolworth’s department store started selling ready-made ornaments for Christmas
trees. Choosing the right type of Christmas tree is important because Christmas trees are often a focal point for many family activities and traditions. Given the many types of Christmas trees that are available, it is important to think about how the tree will be used. While a tall tree may look very elegant, it may not be suitable if there aren’t many adults around who can reach the tree’s heights. And a very short tree may be dwarfed by other furniture in the room. It’s therefore very important to carefully consider and get a tree that has a suitable height and also one that has sturdy branches to hold heavy ornaments. Artificial and real Christmas trees can often be bought from the same retail stores these days as local businesses and retail chain
stores often sell both types of trees. The best place to get a real and fresh Christmas tree, and also to see a wide variety, is likely a Christmas tree farm however. Using modern technology, both types of trees can also be obtained through online transactions, via telephone
as well as by mail-order through catalogs. Among Christmas trees there are certain types that are always favorites and which are bestsellers. These include: Douglas, Fraser, Noble and Balsam firs, and Scotch, Virginia and white pine
trees. These evergreen trees all have all have one or more excellent features related to shape, color or sheen and fragrance, which makes them favorites for Christmas trees. The most favorite Christmas trees basically have a pyramid or cone shape. A pyramid-shaped tree is likely taller and has somewhat of an elegant look. Douglas Fir, which ranks first among Christmas tree favorites, is an example of a pyramid-shaped tree. Other examples are Fraser, Balsam and Noble firs. A cone shape tree tends to be short with dense branches, which makes them excellent for holding many ornaments and other decorations. Families that have a strong tradition of making their own ornaments, or putting mementos on Christmas trees may consider a cone-shaped tree. Virginia and Scotch Pines, Norway Spruce and the Eastern White Pine all have cone shapes. Another feature that makes Christmas trees appealing is their color. While all trees have a green appearance, a closer look at their needles will reveal differences such as a bright or dark-green, blue-green or yellowish-green hue. The needles may also emit a silvery sheen with the right lighting. Fraser and Noble firs both have needles with a silvery sheen, and the branches of both trees are also used for garlands and wreaths. I will be posting several more blogs themed around Christmas so stay tuned and Happy Holidays!
Most people choose a fresh Christmas tree for its fragrance,
which can be fairly strong or just subtle, giving off just enough of a
whiff of scent. Douglas Fir, which is the most popular Christmas tree
in homes and public places, is a very fragrant tree. The Balsam fir is
also fairly fragrant. The Eastern White Pine is however, a tree that
doesn’t have much fragrance.
Whether you have a favorite type of Christmas tree or will choose
one from its appearance, there are many choices to satisfy the desire
to have a fragrant and well-decorated tree for Christmas.

MAKE MONEY WORKING FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!

How many times have you heard that phrase, pitch, advertisement, or

whatever?  Lots, I’m sure. It is used so much because marketers know that

staying home and making money is the fondest dream of millions of people.

 

And why not?  Did you know that the majority of fatal heart attacks happen

at 9 a.m. Monday morning?  It’s true.  It seems a lot of people would

rather die than get back to the old grind after a weekend of freedom.

 

So when someone offers an opportunity or plan for you to take your job and

shove it, yet still make enough money to live and pay all your bills, it

sounds blissfully irresistible.

 

Of course, bliss and reality are always two different things.   Is it

really possible to run a business from your own home that is more than a

hobby or source of part-time income?  Can you get rich working out of your

own home?  Can you really trade your cubical and necktie for blue jeans and

the comfort of your own den?

 

Well, for your information, home-based businesses are one of the fastest

growing kinds of enterprises in America today.  As this is being written,

some 40 million Americans are doing at least some form of work out of their

homes, and the numbers are rising rapidly.  According to the U.S.

Department of Labor, as many as 70 million people will be working out of

their homes by the year 2010.  Government studies have indicated that as

much as 75% of all work done in this country could eventually be moved

home. With the crazy unemployment numbers I see it as the opportunity

one needs to think and grow outside of the corporate mindset and environment. Please

don’t wait for President Obama to fix the problem! He has a lot on his plate at the moment!

Focus on you and your family and what you can do!

 

The overwhelming majority of home workers, however, are not exactly getting

rich.  The average work-at-home American earns less than $15,000 per year.

That may not be bad as a supplement to a spouse’s full-time income, but

let’s face it, fifteen grand in and of itself is not much better than poverty.

 

In this report, we are going to outline and discuss five key rules on how

to work at home and make big bucks, no matter where you live.  After these

five rules, we’ll talk about the most important aspect of any business,

whether it be home-based or a giant factory — cash flow.  Starting your

own business out of your home is all about attitude and inspiration, but

all the attitude in the world won’t help you without money!

 

1. It Takes Commitment

 

Is it any secret in America that most people detest their jobs?  Study

after study proves that most people simply dread going to work Monday

morning, and they live for the freedom of the weekend.  But even that

freedom is not pure because we know that it is only temporary.  It’s hard

to enjoy a Sunday evening when the Monday morning alarm clock is just a few

hours away.

 

It makes sense that people hate their jobs.  Everyday, there is a lot of

managing up that needs to be done. (AKA: butt kissing)  There are endless

 meetings which usually accomplish nothing.  There are pointless interruptions, a lot of

drifting this way and that, and incompetent supervisors who do nothing but

waste time and then dog you for not accomplishing your share of work.

There are co-workers you hate, and who would stab you in the back in a

minute if it meant a raise or recognition for them instead of you.

 

When you work for someone else, you live a regimented life.  Your body may

not want to get up at 7 a.m., but you have to be at work by 8 a.m. so you

lurch out of bed with a head full of sleep.

 

People who choose to work at home are doing more than just escaping the

yoke of their master; they have made a deep, firm, life-altering decision

which says that health, happiness and prosperity depend vitally on the

freedom to work for ourselves, and in doing so in the comfort of the home.

 

We want to really emphasize that fact that to be successful in a

work-at-home situation, you have to be nothing less than a fanatic; a

zealot, who is utterly committed to making work-at-home not only a

successful venture, but a profound commitment for life.  You must be

convinced that a return to an outside office job would be the equivalent of

a spiritual death sentence.

 

Many people hate their office jobs, but they have made an inner compromise

with themselves.  They have convinced themselves that their job is “not so

bad,” pays the bills, and that they can stick out because they have to.

 

If you want to be truly successful at quitting your day job, there cannot

be any room for such compromises in your soul.  You have to take the

attitude that to work any longer at your hateful job is akin to fouling

your inner being with a spiritual cancer the will sicken and kill you.

 

2. Eliminating the Home-Office Mentality

 

To move our work home, however, does not mean we eliminate every single

thing about the traditional American office.  Rather, we should select what

is useful and what is not.

 

It’s a mistake to quit your job and go home with a “home-office” mentality.

By this we mean thinking small, and believing that you will automatically

sacrifice a decent income in exchange for your freedom.  Please!  Do not

think small!

 

Too many home-based practitioners fail to understand the benefits

that accrue because of the professional style they have selected. 

They focus on the “home” part of the business rather than the “business”

 portion, and as a result are doomed to small incomes.”

 

Working at home provides many benefits.  We can save a lot of time because

we don’t need to commute and we have more control over our schedule.  We

can save a lot of costs because we don’t have the overhead requirements of

larger businesses.  We can cut our stress — and so have more energy –

because we avoid many of the characteristic problems of life in the late

20th-Century office.  We must work these advantages to our profit.

 

3.  Your International Headquarters

 

A famous philosopher once said that if you sit at home alone at

your empty kitchen table, eventually, the “whole world will come to you.”

 

Well, today you don’t need the great mind of a philosopher to make the

entire world come into your living room.  What you need is a phone jack or a WiFi connection.

 

We live in a unique time in history.  DSL, Satellites, fiber optics, the

integrated circuit and other communications miracles means that you can be

just about anywhere in the developed world and establish communication with

anyone anywhere.

 

The telephone, the fax machine, the computer, the modem — all of these are

not only affordable by any middle-class citizen; they are the key to

eliminating your need to drive a hectic freeway everyday to get to a place

of business outside your home.

 

With these devices at our disposal, we should allow ourselves to “think

globally.”  Too often, home-based businesses focus on the narrowest market,

the neighborhood, the county, the city or state.  This is fine if you are

providing a local service and are content with a certain moderate level of

income.  But if you want the big bucks, you should not think small.  Also,

you should not believe that, just because you are home-based, you cannot

compete with the big guys. The big guys fear you! The reason is simple, networkability!

You can network and build relationships, they cant!

 

The purpose of any business is to seek assess and seek out every possible

market for its products and services, to ascertain whether these markets

have the ability to buy these products/services, to determine whether there

is sufficient profit in these markets to warrant approaching them, and,

once positive assessment has been made, to launch a sustained marketing

campaign that gets a significant percentage of this market to purchase the

product or service in question.

 

Your home telecommunications machines will not only enable you to do this,

but they can also help you overwhelm larger, more cumbersome traditional

businesses that are your competition.

 

As a home-based entrepreneur, you will not have all of the disadvantages of

your more traditional competitors:  no office rent, equipment or expense;

no employees to pay salaries and fringe benefits for; no time wasted on

meetings, employee problems, paid sick leave, etc.

 

All the money your competitors spend on heating the office and buying

furniture could better be spent on the actual marketing itself.

 

As a home-based business, you will be already positioned where the

traditional business is currently struggling to move: toward the lowest

possible overhead and the greatest possible concentration of dollars on

products/service development and product/service marketing.

 

So, a home-based business takes full advantage of three major goals of

modern business success:

 

(1) Vastly reduced overhead

(2) Easy access to a global market

(3) Full advantage of telecommunications.

 

Not having the basic telecommunications such as a computer, modem, fax, and

telephones will make it very hard to succeed.  Still, even in this day and age, many of

people strongly resist the one element that is undoubtedly the heart and

brain of any successful home business — the computer.  The computer is so

important in fact, we have made it a category all itself.

 

And remember, learning to use a modern computer is easier than learning to

drive a car, so you have no excuse not to plunge forward.

 

4. The Computer

 

You should pay close attention to what computers can do for you in your

plans to escape your job and make your work-at-home dreams come true.

 

People who want to run a home business usually have a very small staff — in

fact, a staff of one — yourself!  The rest of your needs are handled by

independent contractors, depending on the kind of business you are in and

the services you need.

 

To run a serious, truly global home business, a computer is as necessary as

oxygen is to life on earth.  Those who try to fool themselves into thinking

they will ever make a serious go of their home-based business without a

computer are sadly mistaken.

 

Computers give you two primary advantages:

 

(1) They enable you to store large amounts of data and to sort by data

field so that you can easily get the information you need.

 

(2) They enable you to develop a pattern document for every situation

you’ll ever be in your business.  To run a home-based business

successfully, you must anticipate just what situation will emerge and

prepare accordingly.

 

A business is based on a characteristic series of situations and a

characteristic set of things that happen — or that do not happen.  You

must be prepared with the proper document for each situation.  Once you

have established all the protocols, and have experienced all the situations

associated with your kind of business, the time will come when running your

business is, in large part, a repetition of certain key tasks.  Computers

are all about handling repetition swiftly and efficiently.

 

But the computer is much more.  Today, by connecting a computer to the

phone line with a modem, your machine becomes more than a data storage

system and repetitive task handler. It becomes a multi-task, multi-level

communications processing center that connects you to the globe.

 

Such things as e-mail, on-line services, the Internet, the Web and more

can’t help but revolutionize the way business is done.  If you do not

become a part of it today, you certainly are going to suffer for it greatly

in the near future.

 

If there is an effective way to market products on the Internet or any

other on-line venue, no one has truly discovered it yet.  The only people

making money on Internet marketing are the people who are selling the

concept of doing it.  If you have a product or a service and expect to

reach millions of buyers through computer screens, you are sadly mistaken.

 

The Internet is definitely where a lot of innovative things are happening.

It’s a great place to exchange ideas, find out what hot, what’s not, and

stay on the cutting edge whatever your particular business is.

 

5.  Your Business Hours

 

If you’ve been paying attention to the first four points, you’re well on

your way to becoming a successful home-based business owner.  Now we don’t

want you to blow it by thinking you can keep banker’s hours.

 

The global market is a 24-hour per day market, and a 365-day per year

market.  Let the others sleep late on Saturdays and take Sundays off.

Those times could be your day to move and corner loads of customers that

the others miss.

 

You should get up earlier and quit work later.  You should be open for

business on holidays and be available 24-hours a day either personally or

through your answering service.

 

“But wait a minute!” you might be thinking at this point!  “I thought that

working at home was all about freedom and an end to drudgery.  This sounds

like nothing but  endless work!”

 

Well, here’s the thing.  For most of you who quit your regular jobs to go

to work for yourself, you’ll discover something magical.  You’ll discover

that when you are working for yourself, when you are building your own

business, a lot of what you does not seem like work at all.

 

Running your own business is all about being inspired 24-hours-a-day.  When

you stop selling your body and soul to some company or corporation and

start giving your energy to yourself, work has a way of turning into

inspiration and play.

 

The perfect work for you is that which you don’t think of as work, yet

doing it makes money and provides you with the bread and shelter of life.

You’ll see what it’s like if you make a true commitment to being self

employed, put all your energy into it, and stick with it for the long run.

 

If you would like more info on business read other postings on my blog or visit my website at www.paumarmax.com

 

 

As always,

 

Here’s to your successes!

 

-Paul