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Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………….. Page 4

Lawn Care and Landscaping Services…………………………….. Page 5

Child Care Services……………………………………………………. Page 7

Pest Control Services…………………………………………………. Page 9

Beauty and Barber Shop……………………………………………. Page 11

Home Inspection Services…………………………………………. Page 14

Wedding Planner……………………………………………………... Page 16

Vending Services……………………………………………………... Page 19

Home Cleaning Services……………………………………………. Page 21

Car Detailing Services………………………………………………. Page 24

Custom Jewelry Creation…………………………………………… Page 26

Construction and Remodeling…………………………………….. Page 29

Personal Fitness Trainer………………………………………….... Page 31

Computer Repair……………………………………………………… Page 33

Cosmetics…………………………………………………………….... Page 35

Photography…………………………………………………………… Page 38

Pet Grooming………………………………………………………….. Page 41

Medical Transcriptionist……………………………………………. Page 44

Travel Agent…………………………………………………………… Page 47

Gift Basket Seller…………………………………………………….. Page 50

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Tutoring………………………………………………………………… Page 53

Carpet Cleaning Service……………………………………………. Page 56

Interior Decorating………………………………………………….. Page 59

Personal Assistant……………………………………………………. Page 62

Caterer………………………………………………………………….. Page 65

Senior Care Services………………………………………………… Page 68

Conclusion……………………………………………………………… Page 71

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Introduction

Many people dream of having the luxury of not having to clock in and out every day at some boring 9-5 job and listen to their boss bark around orders, breathing down their neck each and every day. This is why starting up your own home based business has become very popular through the years. The benefit alone from working from home sells the idea to a lot of people. Just think... waking up in the comforts of your own home, starting the day when you want it to, creating your own schedule, being able to balance family life and events with business, and most of all being your OWN boss. Sounds pretty good huh? Starting up your own home based business is not far-fetched. As a matter of fact with the right skills, business plan, and goals set, a home based business can become a major success. Many people find themselves thinking about what type of home based business they would like to start up and if it would be enough of a steady income to drop their present job. Look no further! In this goldmine you will find out everything you need to know to start a successful and lucrative home based business. I have done extensive research and found for you the top 25 home based businesses... and they are all offline! So no more techy stuff when it comes to this home based business. However, you can gain resources such as skills, pointers or tips from online that can benefit your business as well as make it grow! The home based businesses within this book not only give you detailed information on the key things you need to know to start up your business but also gives you a perspective on what to expect with each career path. There are many people that have tried creating their own home based business and it end up in shambles by the end of it all. More than 85% of businesses fail due to their lack of knowledge of what it takes to run a home based business. With the right information and a carefully created business plan however, you can find your home based business soaring high above the rest. Keep in mind that in this book I will be letting you know what you will need and special steps to take when first starting to build your home based business. It is up to you to follow through with the steps I am telling you in order for you home based business to be a success! Staying focused and keeping your business organized will also help to the success of your home based business. Here are 25 of the most popular home based business ideas that have been proven to be successful home base businesses for many if you follow these simple steps. So what are we waiting for? Let's get started finding the right home based business idea for you!

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Lawn Care and Landscaping Services

Lawn care services are one of the most needed and in demand services in our busy world today. If you enjoy working in the yard, landscaping, and you take pride in a nicely cut lawn then you may consider starting your own lawn care and landscaping business.

Starting this type of home based business is not difficult and start- up cost is low. However, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind. You are going to need a business plan that would cover what you need as far as any expenses such as equipment, legal licensing, and insurance. I would also suggest in this business plan that you include short term and long term goals you want to meet as the business owner.

Equipment

One of the most important steps you can take in insuring that you have a successful business is to have good equipment. You are going to need commercial grade equipment in order for not only a great and professional look, but also to be able to up hold the wear and tear your equipment is going to endure.

For starters you will need a good push mower and riding lawn mower. If it is in your budget a zero-turn radius turn riding lawn mower would be appropriate and save you on time. You will also need a good weed eater, electric hedge clippers, and blowers. As stated earlier you will want to go with good name brands such as Husqvarna, John Deere, Exmark, or Cub Cadet.

All the way down to even shovels, I would suggest purchasing ones with fiberglass handles. Not only are they lighter but they will last longer than wooden handles and are more durable. You will also want to purchase at a minimum an 8 foot trailer. I would suggest a 12-16 foot trailer for necessary tool boxes, locations for gas cans, shovels, rakes, etc., along with your push or riding mowers and tillers.

Licenses and Insurance

You will need to go to your local city hall and apply for a business license. Usually these types of licenses are around $100 fee and a $50 annual renewal fee. If you plan on soliciting your business door-to-door, you may also want to check with your local authorities to see if you are required to have a solicitor’s license. These types of licenses typically run around $75.

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You will also want to get insurance for your business. Not only will this give a great professional look to your business and insure people that they can trust you, but more importantly it will protect you as a business owner.

Marketing and Advertising

There are many ways to go about advertising your services. You could start by running ads in your local newspapers. Another great way is to get business cards made up that you could hand out at local convenient stores. You could also give some to friends and family to hand out as well. This is a great way to get your name out quick!

You can also make fliers very easily and hang them at many different areas where they are sure to be seen. One of the best ways of getting your business out in the open is by going door-to-door introducing yourself and business to potential clients. Craigslist is another great way to advertise your services locally and to get a quick response. Before you know it you will have to hire a helper to help keep up with all of your customers. It would also be wise to start a portfolio of before and after pictures to show your work. This is a great way to entice new customers to your database. Also you will want to start a list of reputable references. This is another great way to help seal a deal and gain the respect as a reliable lawn care service.

Pricing

In today’s lawn care services it is common to see charges of around $1 per minute. This would give you a $60 an hour average on pay. Depending on where you live and the rates of your competitor’s this price may average from $0.50 to $1.25 an hour. Never tell your customers that you charge by the hour. If you leave after being on the job for only 35 minutes customers will start to complain for a 50% cut in pay rate. Make sure to do a quick but professional job and always show initiative in your work and you will not only profit but keep your customers happy at the same time.

Even if it takes five extra minutes out of your day to stake and tie back a small tree that is leaning in one of your customers’ yards, it is well worth the time to invest for a great relationship with your customers and keeping them feeling that they are getting what they pay for.

Key to Success

Go into each job with the best of your ability and always keep your word to your customers. Your reputation and integrity means everything to the business. Work hard and keep a positive attitude and you will have a lucrative lawn care and landscaping business! Start yours today!

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Child Care Services

Child daycare services are a huge business that is in very high demand in today’s day and time. For every parent that works and has a under school aged child, they will need someone to take care of them while at work. This can prove to be a great way to earn a great income all at the convenience of being in your own home. However, taking care of children is a very big task and can be very stressful at times. You will want to make sure that this is the type of business that you would like to partake in. You will most definitely have to like children and have the patience to take care of them all at the same time. A child daycare business is a low cost home-based business that would be great for anyone to start up that is interested in the care of children. There are however, a few factors that you may want to look at when deciding to start up your own child day care business.

Licensing Requirements & Start-Up Costs

With any type of business, you will first need to obtain a business license for your child daycare service. This can be obtained at your local city hall. You will want to make sure of all of your licenses that are required by your state as well as the fees that will be involved in those particular licenses. You will also be required to carry insurance. You will probably have to purchase a separate insurance policy for this because most homeowner policies will not cover this type of business unless you add a rider to your policy to include your new business. Insurance will protect both you and the child or children.

You will also be required to have a first aid and CPR course along with an issued license before you will be able to open your home- based child daycare service. Most states do offer free courses for first aid, as well as CPR. This is to ensure that you have the proper training if you so happen to need to use any of the procedures with the children that you will be watching. Most states also require that you have a recent tuberculosis test as well as fingerprints on record for your state also. There may be additional licensing that is required by your state. To find out your full requirements you will need to call or visit your local city hall to go over all the proper licensing you will need.

When starting your home-based child daycare service you will need to carefully write out your business plan as well as your costs that will be involved when starting your business. In most states, child daycare services require a license even if they’re located within a residence. So that will be your first cost when starting up. Then you will also have your insurance costs. Most commonly you will not have to factor in your utilities

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because like any other person no matter what you will have to pay your own bills. Since this is a home-based business you can either factor the costs for utilities, rent, or house payment or leave these costs out. You will however need to factor in the cost for cleaning agents, food and drinks (if this will be something you are providing the children), and child toys. You can save on costs for toys by going to yard sales or buying toys cheaply online. On average a child daycare business will cost anywhere from $500-$2000 to start up from your home, depending on your needs and supplies. You will also need to think about hiring another person to help if you end up with more children then you expected. This also should be factored into your business cost.

Advertising and Marketing Your Business

Like any other business you will need to get your business’ name out to the public. You could start by placing an ad in your local newspapers or shopper’s guides. Another great way to get your business out to the public is by placing fliers in convenient areas where commonly people will see. Places such as super markets, convenient stores, schools, and other local businesses. The best form of advertising is word of mouth, so for every new client you may potentially find more just by your customers telling their family and friends. Placing an ad in the phone book and listing it under other child daycare services will also gain a lot of new clients. Most commonly this is the first place parents will look when looking for a child daycare service.

What Do I Charge?

The best approach to finding out how much to charge a parent per child for daycare services is by calling around to your competitor’s and seeing what they charge. It is always best to charge a little under what an ordinary child daycare service charges. This will ensure more customers. Normally a daycare service will charge anywhere between $60-$125 per week and per child. For parents with more than one child attending the daycare, most commonly a daycare service will charge them $25 extra dollars for each additional child. You will need to decide whether or not the child will be bringing their own food from home each day or if the child is a baby, if they will need diapers, formula, and wipes from home and factor this into your price as well.

Keys to Success

A child daycare service is a great business to start up all at the convenience of your home and can prove to be very fulfilling for individuals who like the presence of children and taking care of them. This can be a very profitable and awarding home-based business to look into! So what are you waiting for??

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Pest Control Services

If you like working outside and with people, then you may find that starting a pest control business may be right up your alley. Many people don’t realize that starting a pest control home based business is simple and only requires a few, but vital steps to starting it and making it successful.

Licenses & Equipment

The first thing you will have to do is get all the necessary paper work out of the way. You will need a business license to perform work in your area and you will also need to contact the D.O.A.(Department of Agriculture) for all needed license such as a charter number, applicators license, and solicitors license. You will have to take a test to get these licenses, but the test is fairly simple and you will have a great study guide with the booklet you receive for the test. You will also need some type of liability insurance. You may also check to make sure of any other requirements needed in your local area.

Once you have all of that out of the way now you need the proper equipment to get started. First and foremost you need a truck. You will also need tools such as a small hand held spray rig. Many companies use a B&G sprayer. You will also need a big spray rig for the back of your truck to spray for termites, ants, mold, and other certain types of insect treatments. I recommend a 50 gallon spray rig which consists of a 100-150 foot hose and a 5-6 hp motor. Also you need bait stations for doing pest control inside of the homes or businesses you are servicing. Other tools such as respirators, chemical gloves, hammer drills, safety goggles, extension cords, and halogen lights will also be needed.

Marketing

The third thing I would suggest you do is to sit down and write on paper one or two marketing strategies for you pest control business. You will want to use those first until you have a steady stream of income. You don’t want to venture into too much at once. This could hurt you more than anything.

Figure out exactly what services you will offer first. You may not want to get into several different types of treatment at first. You may want to keep it simple and only offer one or two services such as inside pest control and rodent control.

I would also advise sticking to home owners only at start up until things are running smoothly and under control. While getting into spraying businesses and hotels may

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seem like a good and profitable thing, this may become overwhelming and too much for you. This could also hurt your reputation as a business owner and hurt you in the long run. Remember, word of mouth travels fast. It can be a double edged sword.

What do I charge?

Today depending on where you live and what your competitors are charging prices for inside pest control on common size houses range from $45-$75 with monthly and quarterly services available. Many companies charge per linear foot or by the square foot for termite, and mold treatments. This can range anywhere between .55-.90 cent per square foot. You may want to offer a lower price than your competitors to bring in business quickly and build a good reputation fast. You will be able to do this easy being that you do not have much overhead in your business at first. You can also offer one time treatments or yearly services so each year you can go back and do a re-inspection in hopes to find more work needed to be performed.

Key to Success

When you first get started you may be asking yourself what should you do to really get noticed…or what’s the trick? Well to be frank and honest with you, there is no trick. The best way for you to get your business out there is to get some business cards made up. Getting business cards made can be done easily. It is very simple, but effective way to have people remember you without spending a fortune.

You should get 2 magnetic signs for your truck to give yourself a professional and memorable look. Another thing you need is a uniform. You don’t have to be fancy. Just a couple of polo shirts and a couple of pairs of blue jeans or Dickie’s work pants. Take your shirts to your local print shops and have you and your company’s name sewn on the shirts.

Now that you have all everything you need it’s time to start getting customers. The best way is to go out to neighborhoods and start knocking and going door to door. Telling them you are in the area today doing free inspections. Always smile, don’t act bashful! Be very friendly and thorough and if someone has you doing work for them always keep your word and do a good job. Like I said word of mouth travels fast so if you start doing bad business you won’t be around long.

Pest control companies have been around a long time and are continuing to grow daily. It is a service that will always be needed for home and business owners. So now that you know what you got to do don’t just sit there, get out there and get the ball rolling and start your home based pest control business today!

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Beauty and Barber Shop

Whether you are choosing to open a home based beauty or barber shop, this can prove to be a very profitable home based business. Start- up costs however, can be a bit more expensive when it comes to this type of home based business. You will first want to make sure that you have a secure business plan and everything that you will need to operate your business and keep it flowing steady. To make this a true home based business you will want to make sure that you have a building on your property or near your property with active plumbing and electricity. You will want to make sure with your local authorities that the building has all the proper licensing and paperwork to be a working business. Make sure your building meets all building standards. If not you will want to make sure you choose a building that is near your home making it convenient for you and for potential customers and consists of all the requirements needed for a business establishment. Licensing, Business Name, & Equipment Needed You will have to have a cosmetology license to be able to practice in this type of home based business. The education needed is very easy to acquire and can be obtained in little time and at convenient hours for those who also work. After you have obtained your cosmetology license you are ready for business. You will also want to check with your local offices to see exactly what licenses and business insurance you will need to get your business up and going. There may also be particular zoning requirements that are in your community. Make sure that you are in the proper zone for you to hold a business from your home. You will also want to make sure that you have an accountant or excel in your own accounting for your business by making sure your taxes and all legal forms are in check and up to par for the location of your salon or barbershop. First you will want to come up with a creative name for your business. You can usually find some neat and unique names online. Make sure you have a business name that pops and stands out above your other competitors. Names like “Tangles and Tans” or “The Perfect Cut.” The more unique your name is the more memorable you'll be to other potential customers. You will also want to list all of your expenses that you will be out starting up your home based beauty or barber shop business. You will need various materials such as

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hairdryers, curling irons, mirrors, brushes, combs, shampoos, towels, beautician chair, hair color kits, and many other materials that go with the business as far as hair products and equipment used for hair care. You will also want to make sure that you make a list with the prices for each item to help keep up with what you are spending each month on products and other hair care equipment. Employees, Pricing, and Extra Benefits If you will be running your salon from home in your own building, you will want to decide whether you will be the only hairstylist or barber or if you will hire in other workers for your business. If you choose to hire other stylists and barbers you will have to make sure that they have an active hairdressing booth. You will also have to determine what you will charge your workers for rent for their booth. Not sure what to charge? Check around at your local salons and barbershops to see what they charge to rent out a booth to a hairstylist and then decide what you yourself will charge your workers for rent. This can prove to be very good residual income. You will also want to keep in mind your monthly bills for your salon, such as your utilities and any kind of maintenance that the building may need. This will be an every month expense, making this a very important step to making sure that your monthly expenses are factored into this equation of profit. You will also want to look into benefits that will help your business and improve the flow of clients. These could be benefits such as providing tanning options, nails, and eye brow waxing etc. The more options you have for beauty the more your salon will be used by the public. Think about it this way, customers would rather get all of their hair care and beauty needs in just one shop rather than going to several different shops. This makes it very convenient for customers and can prove to generate you with a steady flow of residual customers. If you do choose to offer these benefits to your salon, you will want to factor in your costs for another cosmetologist that specializes in nails if you will not be doing this yourself or if you don’t have the proper license to perform nail care. If you choose to offer the tanning option, you will want to make sure that you have active and working tanning beds. If your tanning bed is not up to par your customers will let you know! So make sure before any customers are using your tanning beds that they are all working properly. Keep in mind, that I would not advice to start up your home based business with these

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types of benefits. Grow your business and make sure you can afford the extra benefits. If you are going to start-up a barbershop business then a good benefit to add to your growing business would be a shoe shinning booth and you could also have a shaving booth. A lot of men can’t find services like this nowadays and they have become almost obsolete. So with your barbershop home based business offering benefits like these, your business will not only stand out above the rest, but also gain you a lengthier client base with these newly added benefits! These are very costly benefits and should be looked at after you have established a steady income with just your hair care services. As you grow... grow your benefits. Then of course your income will grow. Marketing and Advertising You will also want to think about what forms of advertising you will use to solicit your new home based business. The best free forms of traffic are placing fliers around your community and local businesses, getting your name and business out to potential customers and letting others do your other advertising simply by word of mouth. You will also want to place an ad in your telephone directory. This is the main place people will go to find services. They will categorize your business so that you are listed with other beauty and barber shops. Also listing your business and placing an ad in local newspapers. This can be one of your strongest forms of advertisement and will get your business out in a hurry and will have customers swarming in by the dozens. A beauty shop or barber shop can be quite expensive when it comes to start- up costs, however the income you will receive in the end will more than pay for itself. You will find that this can be a very profitable and very rewarding home based business. So if fixing hair interests you or just plain cutting it, then this would be a great home business to start-up. This is a home based business that not only women can do, but men also! Get your spouse involved and you can incorporate both services for men and women. The sky is the limit when it comes to this home based business! So why not take advantage now and get started creating your beauty and barbershop home based business today!

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Home Inspection Services

If you are into construction and have a good eye for spotting a problem and suggesting a solution, then starting a home based home inspection service may be a great path for you to go. For the last several years millions of home inspections are done each year for people buying or selling a home, or for banks and realtors and insurance companies.

As a home inspector you will examine a home or structure from the roof to the foundation. You will be investigating for many things such as leaks in roofs, cracks in foundations, mold in attics and crawlspaces, and safety hazards. You will be checking ventilation, and making sure electrical wiring is up to code and poses no threats.

An important place to pay close attention to is the crawlspace if there is one. This is the foundation and what holds the structure after all. Check closely on the floor joist and foundation walls and piers for any signs of termite tunnels or damage. Pay close attention to look out for any leaks as this will increase the possibility of termites and mold. Look for cracks or broken floor supports as well and any pipes they may have leaks.

There are many, many things a home inspector must have an eye for. You should find the problems that are issues, but more importantly you want to come up with a solution to solve the problem.

Once you fill out your inspection report this becomes a vital document to both the seller and buyer. There will be times when the seller goes ahead and has the repairs done before the selling of the home. Many times buyers will want an independent inspection done to estimate the costs of repairs as well. You will also get a lot of business through realtors, banks, and warranty companies so there will be no shortage when it comes to finding work when doing home inspections

Qualifications

When it comes to preparing to become a home inspector you will need to do a course with the Nation Association of Home Inspectors or the American Society of Home Inspectors. You could also do a training program with a franchiser which could be easier for you.

It will also be beneficial if you could go with a home inspector to watch exactly how he or she carries out their duties and what you can expect. If you have a good

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background in building and remodeling you should pick up very quick and be ready on your own in no time.

You should keep in mind that when you are doing home inspections you will want to dress well and carry a thin pair of coveralls to keep your clothing from becoming dirty while in attics and crawlspaces. Your appearance is important and will make a difference in what others think of you and your services. Most importantly you must be a great observer and find the problems so you become a person that people put their trust into to make a good inspection.

How much will I invest and how much can I potentially make?

To become a home inspector there is very little investment. Other than the course you will have to take, you will also need a type of insurance called “errors-and-omissions” insurance to cover you in the event that someone files a claim against you. This will protect you in case you have overlooked something or if you have made a mistake.

The home inspection business is booming with the number of homes being built and also with the ones being bought and sold. Getting started at first can be a little difficult for the first year become of the lack of contracts. However, once you get on your feet and get yourself established with some contracts you can expect to earn annually anywhere between $45,000 to $95,000 per year depending on where you live and the demand for home inspectors. This is a great income and opportunity for you considering you are working from home and doing something you love.

Marketing your business

One of the first things you will want to do is become a member of the Association of Realtors and the National Association as well. While this won’t necessarily bring you income and contracts, it will help with the respect you get and credibility.

It would do no harm at all to pass out flyers now and then and also to get your services listed in the yellow pages and online as well. Most importantly you will want to go in person to all the realtors in your area and present them with your business card and your services. They will be the ones that give you the biggest part to your business.

Try going around to all your local banks and talking with bank managers dealing with home loans and leave a business card with them also. Over a period of time you will grow to know some of these people and you will develop great business and personal relationships that will help you grow to become very successful. So if starting a home based home inspection business is something that interest you then get started today and make a difference for yourself tomorrow!

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Wedding Planner

If you love organization and coordinating events then you will love this home based business as a professional wedding planner. You would be surprised to know the staggering numbers of couples each and every year that tie the knot and all with the help of a wedding planner. Many couples do not have the extra time to plan and create such an event so a lot of couples are opting to have a wedding planner to help with all of the many things there is to do when preparing to plan this blissful event! Equipment & Organization This would be a great home business that can easily be set up in a spare room of your home or a dedicated office space available in your home. This will become your main branch for all of your wedding planner duties. In this room you will need to have a desk, filing cabinet for organization, a couple handy computer programs such as Microsoft Word or QuickBooks to keep up with all of your tasks and to divide one wedding event away from the next, a separate business line for your office, fax machine, and other various office supplies etc. You may already have these necessary office supplies, which will make it less expensive for the remainder of the supplies you will need as a wedding planner. The key thing to remember when you are thinking about becoming a professional wedding planner is you will always need to remain organized. This places a big role in this home based business. You will have a lot of duties and responsibilities to keep up with each different wedding event. The best way to keep organized and on a timely schedule is by using a planner. You will want to keep a tight schedule and your planner will become your best friend for helping you keep with things as well as any meetings that you will have with the respected bride and groom. Keeping Contacts & Duties of a Wedding Planner There are many things involved when you start planning a wedding. You will have to get in contact and become business partners with many different florists, caterers, photographers, bridal shops, as well as dress and tuxedo shops. The more business you push towards these particular businesses the better deals you will receive from each of the specialists. When you think about what all will have to be

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done to organize the wedding you will have to keep in mind that you will need wedding invitations for guests. You will need florists for your flower arrangements, table center pieces, and bouquets. You will need caterers for the bride and groom's cakes, and food for the after wedding reception. You will need to find out from the bride and groom what colors they will want to use for their wedding, groom's tuxedos, brides maids dresses, and the flower girl's dress. You may also have to help the bride and groom with their vows and any speeches that will be given out during the ceremony. It is your duty to organize any dress rehearsals before the event. You will plan everything from A-Z on the wedding... of course with as much help as you possibly can get from the bride and groom. You will also have to be the sole person that keeps it together through the whole celebration. This includes keeping the bride and groom's emotions at bay as well as any other family members. Although a wedding is a blissful event it can also be a nerve raking event and this is where you shine as a wedding planner. You are almost like a personal assistant to the bride and the groom and they depend solely on you and your expertise in the field of wedding planning. Marketing, Advertising, & Portfolios You will need to advertise your wedding planning business by placing ads in newspapers as well as in telephone directories. You can also place fliers out at the florists, caterers, and dress shops in your area. These are great places to get prospective customers. You could also place fliers in many of the public places also like gas stations, super centers, or restaurants. The best form of advertising is word of mouth so make sure you get references from all of your clients and keep up with them because this can play a big role in future customers. You will also want to keep a portfolio of all of the weddings you plan. You will want to build up your portfolio so that your prospective clients can have something to look at and encourage their agreement for the planning of their wedding. It is always a good idea to also get an agreement signed by both the bride and groom stating everything that will be handled by the wedding planner. Also when you are filing all of your documents for each wedding make sure that each and every event is kept in a separate file folder in your filing cabinet. Make sure, like in

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any other home based business that you need to keep up with any important documents that you may need for your taxes. Pricing & Key Tips to Live By Wedding planners can make a steady and lucrative income because as we all know wedding can get very expensive. You can expect a normal wedding to be anywhere from $10,000 to even $50,000. Wedding planners normally charge around 15-20% of whatever the ending total for the whole wedding is… making this a hefty profit for you and your pocket book. It would be a good idea to check your competitor’s prices also. You will do most of your work via your home office. Nowadays wedding planners have found it more convenient to make all of their orders for their necessary wedding supplies online. This makes it very easy for a wedding planner to do almost all of their work from their very own home office. Most of your business communication can also be handled via email and fax. Know that taking on a wedding planner’s duties does require a lot of time and dedication. You want to give your clients a great experience and with ease for them. Keep in mind this is a very personal and memorable event for both the bride and groom and is a major milestone for many in their life, and the best part is you have a part in it. If you find this to be a business that you would like to partake in then you can also receive additional training from many different organizations, such as the wedding planner association. Here you can get courses on various different things regarding your business and courses that help with your skills.

So if you like planning special events and have a knack for keeping things well organized and everything in order then the wedding planner home based business much just being a winning career path with those lucrative profits sailing to your bank account! Best of all you are doing something that you like as well as doing it on your own schedule! What could be better?

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Vending Services

Vending services have been around for over 100 years and for the good reason that they simply work and are a great way to make a wonderful profit and be successful. While the traditional vending business has taking a fall in the sales it see’s, the vending machines for healthy foods is on the rise and booming.

The world is on a health kick so why not hop on and ride it to profit-land. Studies show that vending machines packed with energy bars, healthy trail mixes, and energy drinks are making much more profits than the traditional vending machines filled with fatty candy bars and sugary drinks and greasy chips.

If you are interested in starting your own vending service there are a lot of questions you need answered so you get things started on the right foot. Going out and purchasing a bunch of vending machines and stocking them is not all it’s about.

While vending services is simple and easy, there is much more to it than that if you want to get the most out of your machines and business. Here are some of the things you need to start considering.

Partnering with a Franchise

If you plan into operating your vending business all own your own then expect to hit every bump and pot-hole along the way when it comes to figuring out what works and what doesn’t. You might want to take into account partnering with a franchise. They have a proven method that works and they show you how at the same time. Franchises have tons of perks when it comes to partnering with them.

Not only do you get caught the correct way of running your business, but you are also helped with every little part along the way. When starting a vending business it’s nice to know you can rest assure that your business has that strong backbone it needs to survive and partnering with a franchise does just that. Here are just some of the benefits you get when joining with a franchise.

Location, Location, Location

Finding out the right location for your vending machines to go is vital to the success of your business. Case studies show that you need at least 150 people to come by your vending machine every day. The perk with a franchise comes in because they can investigate to find the best spot for your machines that would best find your products

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and guarantee at least 250 people strolling past it a day. Keep in mind there are a lot of services out there to locate a spot for your machines, many of them just want the fee they charge you for it.

Make sure you find a franchise that offers this locating service as part of the package plan and then you can have peace of mind knowing that you have joined a great franchise that can almost guarantee profits.

Training in Sales

Before you can just go out and throw your machines out you must first propose and seal a deal with the locations owners. This means you need to know something about sales and the proper methods to figures on sales and commissions. This is where another great benefit to being partnered with a franchise comes in. Not only will a franchise help, they will teach you everything you need to know about negotiating deals with locations and keeping track of all your contracts and sales even down to the little things that can assure your success.

Top franchises may even come to assist you in sealing your contracts in person to ensure your success. This is by far a great reason to join because you are getting it done right in front. Now not only do you know exactly what you should do your next go-around, but most importantly, how.

Installation Training & Customer Support

With a franchise you will receive “hand on” one-on-one training from everything from set up and stocking, to servicing your machines as well. While the best machines work very well and hardly ever need to be service, now you will have the knowledge to fix these problems if and when they occur. This helps your business in the long run because you don’t have to pay someone else to fix it.

A great franchise company is accompanied by great customer support. No matter if you are just getting started, or you been in the business for years, they will always be there to assist you with any questions you ever have and for any problems that may arise. After all, they do what to see you succeed because this means they do as well.

So if you have been considering starting your own home based vending business I think the choice in what direction you should go is simple. You will have tons of services and benefits when partnering with a franchise and leave you better focused on making your business a successful one. So what are you waiting for? Go out and find that big franchise and get started today with your own home based vending service now.

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Home Cleaning Services

A great home based business that has a low start-up cost is the cleaning service business. This can prove to be a very lucrative business and can be a very steady income also. Many people nowadays seem to not be able to find the time or are so exhausted from life duties, that they would rather pay someone to clean their home than finding the time to clean it themselves. There are also two different ways you can set up this home based business. You can choose to clean both residential and commercial businesses, however keep in mind that commercial businesses do require a more detailed cleaning and also different cleaning procedures than a normal residential home would require. You will then need to make out a business plan listing everything that you will need to start up your business and a list of expenses that you will be out each month for your cleaning business. You will also need to decide how you are going to advertise your business to get your services out to the public, as well as decide what you will charge for your cleaning services. Here are a few key tips that you will want to look at and take into consideration when starting up your home based cleaning service business. Naming Your Business, Equipment Needed, & Benefits You will want to decide on a unique and appropriate name for your business. A good place to look for some ideas for a name for your business is online. Here you can find a lot of different ideas on what to name your business. It is however, better to use a name like “Miracle Maid” rather than “Smith's Cleaning Services,” because most people commonly name their business using their last night. You however, will be using the more unique business name making your business stand out in the crowd, which means more potential clients heading your way. Another factor you will want to look into is the materials that you will need for your cleaning business, as well as the expenses on cleaning materials that you will be out per month. You will need materials such as a high powered vacuum, mops, sponges, buckets, dusting clothes, cleaning agents, bleach, and carpet cleaning equipment, etc. You will want to write a list of each item and list their prices beside the item. This will give you an idea of how much you will be spending per month on cleaning

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products and equipment that you will be using for your business. However, in some cases, homeowners particularly, prefer for you to use their own cleaning supplies. This will also have to be factored in to the price of the job that you will be doing for those particular clients. A big key benefit that could really help your business is using the going green tactic when advertising your business. This is a very big benefit for your business because in the world we live in today more people are opting to “going green” to help protect and save the environment. With your cleaning service offering “going green” cleaning supplies you would be surprised as to how many more clients you produce! Transportation is also a key thing that you will want to look into when writing out your business plan. Obviously, if you have your own transportation this is a lot easier to factor in by determining how far you will have to travel to the job and various jobs that follow. Gather up your costs in gas and how much you will be driving per day and factor this into your expense list. Marketing, Advertising, and Services Next you will want to look at your advertising options. There are many free ways to advertise. The best and most popular form of advertising in any business is word of mouth. You can increase this method of advertising by placing brochures and fliers at various different businesses that will allow your business to become vitally known to the public. You could also place an ad in your local newspaper as well as your surrounding areas' newspapers. You will also want to look into placing your business listing and advertisement into your telephone directory. These are all great ways to advertise your business and to get potential clients ringing your phone off the hook! In your business plan you will also what to specify exactly what types of things you will offer to your potential clients. This meaning that you will provide services such as mopping, vacuuming carpets, dusting, cleaning walls, making beds, and so on. You will also want to make a list of different types of services that you won't offer such as laundry. You can also decide if you want to offer specialty services with your business such as detailed carpet cleaning or cleaning suspended ceilings. This is important so that both you and your client are on the same page as to what is expected to be done during the job.

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Pricing & Licensing You will also want to include pricing for your services in your business plan. The best way to find out what you should be charging for your services is by checking with your competition. You could go through your phone book and call other cleaning services acting like an inquiring potential customer and find out what they charge for their services. Do this with a couple of other cleaning services and then decide what you will charge through your business. It is always best to offer a lower rate because more people will be prone to picking your services rather than a more expensive cleaning service that offers the same thing as you do at your lower price. Another key factor that you will want to look into is what types of licensing and insurance that you will need for your business. You will also need to check with your local city clerk’s office to find out your zoning laws and regulations. Keep in mind that you are solely doing this to find out if there are any zoning regulations that prohibit you from having a business in your community. Aside from this you will also want to make sure that you are crossing your “t's” and dotting your “i's” when it comes to paying in taxes on your business and managing your businesses revenue. This is a very important part for any business and especially for home based businesses and something that a lot of people don't factor in when deciding to open their home based business. Happy customers are buying customers and for you this means a steady income all based from the luxury of your home with you becoming your very own boss!

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Car Detailing Service

In today’s busy world we live in millions of people are using car detailing services more and more. For many people they either don’t have the time in their schedule to clean their own automobiles or don’t want the bother of having to take on the daunting task.

For some people they love to detail their cars and enjoy the satisfaction of restoring a car to a show room shine. If you are one of those people then you might consider starting your own detailing service.

The auto detailing service can be a very lucrative business. There is little set up cost and a great way to make hand over fist money. If you’re fresh out of high school, a salesman, or a job site foreman, car detailing can be a great way for you to provide yourself with a part-time or even a full-time income.

Equipment

Since you are going to be using your equipment on a daily basis you are going to need to upgrade everything to commercial grade. This will save you time and money in the long run. You will need to purchase a gas or electric power pressure washer with a maximum 2,000 psi. You may also want to purchase a duel head polisher for compounding, waxing, and polishing the automobiles.

I would also suggest you buy strong, durable buckets, mitts and scrub brushes for cleaning. Although the price may be a little more expensive the longer your equipment last and the more jobs you complete with it without replacement, the more you will profit in the long run. So don’t be afraid to go all out on your equipment, after all you get to work only when it does!

Another thing you will want to start researching is stain removal. Many customers complaints are related to stains ranging from food stains, ink stains, grease stains and dirt stains just to name a few. The internet is a great source for knowledge on finding what works and what doesn’t. Get a stubborn stain out of a client’s car and you just received a happy and faithful customer!

Many other common problems being have is pet hair and/or odors. You can get a dock rock to aid in removing pet hair from upholstery. With a little practice you will be whizzing through vehicles removing pet hair at the speed of lightening. The key to removing odors such as tobacco and pet odors is to first use the proper chemical to

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eliminate the odor, not to just cover it up. Once again the internet can be a very useful tool when it comes to finding the right stuff for the job.

Mobile, Express, or Fixed

Next you need to decide on what type of auto detailing business you will have. The first one and least start up cost type would be a mobile business. This is where you drive to the customer’s house or job and do the detailing there. You would need a truck with a big 100 gallon water tank with a pump if there is no water source. The mobile type is highly used simply because of its convenience.

The express type gives you several options you can go with. You could work along with car dealerships, auto repair shops, RV dealerships, rent-a-car dealerships, hotels, gas stations, and the list goes on and on. This could be set up on contracts ensuring you a income you can count on.

Fixed is simply where you rent or buy a shop or building or have one built and you solely operate your business out of it. You need to be careful and make sure you choose a great and easy to access location for your business. This is very important. Another thing to consider is you are going to be out more money with having your own shop such as rent, water, electricity, and phone. You would want to make sure you have a steady stream of customers to take care of all of your overhead and costs you are out monthly.

Marketing the Business

When it comes to getting your name out there and getting you noticed there are several ways you can do this. Getting flyers put out at relative spots and business is a great and easy way to market your business. Having business cards made up and giving several to your customers to give out to friends and family members can prove to be a viral way to market yourself as well.

Another effective method you could induce is to put local ads on Craigslist. Many small businesses are growing and turning huge numbers with Craigslist and other directories such as Yahoo and Goggle. You could also build a small site people could visit and have portfolios of your work and customer testimonials.

You may want to get a couple of shirts made so you look professional giving your customers confidence before you even get started. If you like working outside and enjoy cleaning cars and take pride in your work you could be making a great living having your very own car detailing service and doing what you always wanted to and that’s working from home for yourself and loving every minute of it. Get started today!

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Custom Jewelry Creation

If you liked creating homemade bracelets, necklaces, and earrings as a child and still love it now... why not turn your hobby into your very own home based business! Custom jewelry creation is a great home business to start with a low cost in start- up. With custom jewelry creation you can now express your own creativity to the extreme. Nowadays many people are finding that homemade jewelry is the new trend, making this an excellent business to dive in to for mega amounts of cash! Tools & Supplies The low start- up costs for this business is the best benefit for most. You can find all of the supplies need at local craft or hobby shops and can be bought at low prices with a major quantity. Think about it this way... normally you can get a box of 300-500 different styles and colored beads for as little as $3.00, necklace and bracelet wire for as little as $2.00 and can make around 20 necklaces or 40 bracelets, and bracelet and necklace connectors for around $2.00 if you choose to use these. You can virtually create 20 necklaces or 40 bracelets for the low cost of $7.00! The real mind blowing part is that you can now sell each necklace and bracelet for $7.00 a piece! Talk about profit! You will also need to make sure that you have the proper tools and supplies that you will need for your business. Remember that once you buy your tools that you will need, these are only one time bought tools unless they break. Your tools will cost you anywhere around $5-$10. A great investment to such a high profit! The main materials you will need when starting up your custom jewelry business is various gems, different color and style beads, different color threads and wires, earring making supplies, and jewelry tools etc. You will want to make a list of all of the items that you will need to purchase monthly to see what your business will cost you per month to run. You will find that there is however a very low cost when setting up your business and the profits that you will see from it.

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Marketing, Advertising, and Keeping Your Business Unique When it comes to advertising your business... the sky is the limit! You can advertise alongside other jewelers or specialty shops and gain local customers. You can also place fliers in jewelry shops or craft or hobby shops, malls, mini stores, or gas stations. Another great idea to advertise your custom jewelry creation business is by hooking it up to the web! This is a great marketing tactic that can score you some mega cash! Think of your customer range now... you’re not just reaching out to a specific community of people in one to two towns but the whole world. The best part about this marketing tactic is that you can also run this from your own home office also! This can majorly increase your sales and make you a steady flow of monthly income to your household! One of the key elements you will want to take into consideration is keeping your homemade jewelry unique and up to date! You will have to learn the term of “stepping out of the box!” When you are creating jewelry you will now not be able to create it as the way you like it but how others would like it also. You can do a lot of research on different trends and start being creative in your own way. Pricing & Expanding Your Business When it comes to pricing your jewelry you might want to check with your local competitors. You will find that customers also find it very convenient to purchase their jewelry in sets such as an all matching necklace, bracelet and earring sets. You can also host jewelry events held right in the comfort of your own home office. Having a jewelry party is also a great option to getting your business out to the public. As any women know, this is a great hit and will usually have a guest list full of potential customers for your product. You could also expand your custom jewelry creation business by adding homemade handbags. Just think of the world today that we live in and the types of bags that women of all ages love. Women love hand crafted bags. Why not give them what they want! In this business expansion you will need a couple plain jane different colored woven cotton bags that you can pick up at your local craft or hobby shop. You will also need different styles and colors of ribbon, different colors of fabric paint if you choose to use, a hot glue gun, beads, gems, sequences, etc., and if you are really crafty with a sewing machine, different colors of spools of thread for embroidery! This can prove to be a big benefit to your business with profits soaring high each and

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every day with the popularity of hand crafted hand bags with a low cost start-up! Brand Yourself! The most important thing to remember is that your creativity needs to always be original and unique! Brand yourself and your custom jewelry! You have to always be willing to step out on a limb and have fun with it also! If this has been a long term hobby for you why not make it a small home based business with huge profits! There is no additional education needed for this type of business and you will however need to treat this like another small home based business, keeping up with various taxes, payments, and paperwork. You will also have to manage your business keeping up with your inventory and how much you are spending each month compared to the profit you make each month. You will also need check with your local city government office to make sure you have all of your license requirements for your home based business. With the popularity of custom jewelry creation at an all-time high why not take advantage of it by doing what you have always loved to do! With the great impact hand crafted accessories have made on people in this day and time, the more it makes this home based business one of the top businesses to get involved in. With a fairly low competition range, you can find your business growing day by day and making an income doing your favorite hobby... custom jewelry creation!

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Construction/Remodeling Business

With the number of homes being built today, construction companies are booming with business. And there is no shortage on work when it comes to remodeling as well being that many home owners today as prefer renovating their homes instead of buying a new one due to the fact of great location and/or sentimental value.

If you have thought about starting a construction or remodeling business it is best to start on small scale jobs and work your way up rather than going after the big jobs that could potentially ruin you and crash your business before you even get started. Once you get several small scale jobs completed and have achieved a turnkey system, then you can start taking on the bigger ones. Performing jobs such as building decks, remodeling a bathroom, painting the exterior and/or interior of homes, installing doors and windows, or even a small addition would be considered small jobs compared to building an entire home.

Requirements & Equipment

In order to perform construction work you will need a contractor’s license. You can contract the Board or Licensing Contractors to get all the necessary paper work you need and a study guide for your state’s test. You will also need a business license to operate in your area. It would be best to check your local, county, and state laws to see what license and permits you need to obtain in order to operate legally, as each state may have different rules and regulations.

You will also need to contact an insurance company to get commercial insurance for your business. You must have liability insurance and auto insurance in the event of any and all accidents. They will give you the advice and proper information you need in order to find out which type best suits you and your business

For many you thinking about starting a construction business, the chances are good that you probably already have the basic tools you need to perform work.

These basic tools would include: Tool belt, hammer, tape measure, squares, levels, chalk line, a circular saw, an 18volt power drill, sanders, step and extension ladders, trowels, and a wheelbarrow.

After completing a few jobs it would be wise to purchase more tools such as: Job site table saws, a reciprocating saw, a saber saw, a compound miter radial arm saw, table routers, and a dremel. I would advise to always buy commercial grade equipment for

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the wear and tear the tools will experience during everyday use. It will cost more, but it will definitely pay off in the long run. Working with good equipment always makes for better and faster work.

Marketing Your Business

When you first get started you should not invest a ton of money in advertising. Running a few ads in your local paper and putting your listing in the yellow pages will be sufficient. You will also want to get some business cards made up and a couple of magnetic signs for your truck. Five work shirts with the company’s name on it always help’s add a professional look as well. At first word of mouth and the work you do for family, friends, and your first customers will get your name around before you know it and soon your phone will be ringing like crazy.

When performing work knock on the doors of your customer’s neighbors and ask them if you can do an inspection on the home for any needed repairs and tell them a little about yourself and your company. Carry a portfolio of your work such as before and after pictures to show off your great work. This will aid in convincing people you are the person for the job.

Once you are doing well and profits are soaring you may check into doing other marketing tactics, but these simple marketing methods should be enough to get you going nice and steady.

Managing your company

As the owner of the company you have an obligation to everything involved with your business. If any problems occur you must act swiftly and professionally to correct any and all problems. You should always be particular on who you hire to ensure that your workers are dependable and honest employees. If you tell someone you are going to complete a job by a certain date and you don’t because of workers not showing up to work, and in turn slowing down the job process, now you haven’t kept your word and this could turn out to be costly. It is very important to keep your word with people as integrity goes a long way in this type of business.

Make sure you bid your jobs correctly and your figures are right and always keep records of all work you perform. As long as you keep these things organized things will go much smoother so you can focus on the task at hand.

Now you know what you have to do to start your very own construction/remodeling business, so what are you waiting for? Go out and make your dreams a reality with the building skills you have and get your company up and running today!

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Personal Fitness Trainer

Starting up a personal training business can be a fun and rewarding career path if staying fit and into shape is important to you. Many people today are choosing personal trainers to help them in their quest to a healthier life simply because of the convenience and the “one-on-one” training they receive. The first thing you would want to do is get a couple of certifications in fitness through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, (NASM). Another great source is the American Council on Exercise, (ACE). By being certified this will ensure customers that you know your stuff and that you are the “real deal”. You will gain their trust and respect much more quickly. Of course you would want to get any necessary business license and permits required in your local area, and check with an insurance company to see if you need any certain type of coverage. As a personal trainer you would meet with clients at their homes or at the local gym. A personal trainer should always be in positive attitude and ready to take on action. You should be a great cheerleader for your clients to gain their trust, but most importantly you need to be into shape too. No one’s going to take you serious, or believe you can get them into shape if you appear to be having trouble keeping yourself in shape.

Services You Can Offer and What Type Of Equipment Is Needed?

You could offer many different types of services to your clients. The more you offer the better chance of attracting more customers and possibly getting them to agree to more than one of your services. Personal trainers cover a wide area of exercises and workouts now days. You could offer services such as Pilates, yoga, power lifting, cardio, and weigh loss. These different fields give you a much more targeted crowd and let’s people know they have many options with you, and you’re not just somebody helping them workout.

There are a few things you may want to purchase for your session with your clients. While the gym and your clients homes have all the big equipment you will be needing, there are other items you may want to consider add to your workout sessions such as resistance bands, small dumbbells, back support belts, medicine balls, jump ropes, etc.

Licensing & Advertising Your Business

After you have your certifications and licensing and permits, now you’re ready to get started. Once you have purchased your necessary equipment now the only expense you will really be out is the gas from your vehicle. This is why this is such a profitable

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business, if you can obtain a number of faithful clients. There is very little cost to running this type of business. Once you start to get your name out, you will start to see your numbers increase, so don’t give up if at first you don’t see huge earnings. This type of business will take time to grow and develop so rushing things or going out and getting yourself in debt with buying or renting a building and getting loans on thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Start slow and before you know it you will have the means of your own facility in the future if you desire. First things first, you’ve got to get your name out. Getting business cards made up would be a good idea. You could give these out at your local gyms to potential customers. You could also have fliers made up that you post in various locations in your area. Focus on your crowd when doing this. Many young mothers and the elderly are looking to get into shape. You could post these fliers at grocery stores, parks, local cafes, and community centers. You could even run ads in the newspaper as well if it’s in your budget. And above all else as I have already mentioned, you need to be in shape and physically fit! That in itself is by far the best marketing strategy you can have.

Organization and Dedication

It is important as a personal trainer to always be dependable and never cancel on a client’s appointment unless it is and emergency and is absolutely necessary. There are many personal trainers around and before long you will be without clients and finding trouble gaining new ones. You must be dedicated to your practice and what you are teaching them or you simply can’t expect them to be. You must set a standard and uphold it and if you are consistent with it you will see how it really helps the success you get. It would also be a good idea to keep a file on each and every one of your clients. You should keep records and charts of their progress and what type of training they are receiving. Also, you may want to keep certain notes on what type of frame of mind they were in and their mood. You may want to jot down even what things you lasted talked about to refresh your next meeting, helping your customers open up to you and build a strong relationship and friendship as well. Keep in mind that with many of your customers you are going to be getting scheduled for early morning sessions and also late afternoon sessions being that the majority of them work during the day. Many people are hesitant when thinking of becoming a personal trainer simply because of the hours they will expect to work. This could be to your advantage if you are willing to step up to the job. Working around their schedule is very important if you want to be successful and stand out above the crowd.

If staying in shape and keeping your body in top notch ship is something you have a desire for and you have a passion for helping others achieve their fitness goals then becoming a personal trainer may be what you need to get into. So why not start now!

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Computer Repair Business

With the amount of businesses closing up shop and calling it quits and the staggering number of people on unemployment, more and more people are opening their own business from home. If you have a knack and a love for tinkering with computers or troubleshooting software problems then starting your own computer repair service may be something you need to look into. For many of us we don’t have the first clue of where to get started. I will cover the things you need to know when considering opening your computer repair business.

Naming Your Business & Licensing

The first thing to do is get all the legal stuff out of the way. I would recommend coming up with a business name. A business name seems way more professional than just using your name. After coming up with a name for your company you will need to get registered for a D.B.A., which stands for (doing business as). This will make you legal in your business name and also prevent anyone from using that name. It is very inexpensive and doesn’t take long at all to get. Once you have done that check to see what license and permits you need to operate if any. You will want to have some type of certification for computer repair and software troubleshooting. These can be obtained from several places on the internet and from vocational schools. This will not only give you more knowledge on top of what you already know, but also this will attract customers if they believe you are a professional and serious about your work you perform. They will trust in the jobs you perform and the word of mouth will get around very quickly.

Advertising & Services

When advertising for your business there are a few things you must do if you want to get off to a good start and get the ball rolling. I would suggest running ads in the local papers and making sure the ad run constantly to get the ad noticed over and over. You also should put ads on Craigslist. Many small businesses are getting tons of leads everyday using Craigslist for their small businesses. Putting out fliers would not hurt matter; just make sure you are placing your ad in relevant places to attract the right customers. Get business cards made and hand them out every given chance. Put them at stores if allowed and on bulletin boards in places like grocery stores and gas stations. When it comes to what tools you will need to perform the task you will be facing there are a number of things you will want to keep in mind. Forms for keeping record of customers and logs for the work you have preformed along with receipts is a must for

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organization. You will also need to purchase a tool kit used to assemble and disassemble hardware and other various things on computers. These kits vary depending on what all types of services you intend on offering and can be found fairly cheap online typically for around $50. You will also want to have a disk with any software you should need when going to a job. Whatever you do don’t go unprepared. This is a big no-no, and a huge turn off to the customer. Make sure to have any anti-virus, anti-spyware, windows service packs, registry cleaners, system utilities, and drivers all on one disk so everything is organized and easy to find and use. You will want to invest in an external hard drive also to transfer files from one computer to another. For most jobs 1TB should be sufficient. And last but not least you need a laptop to keep up with all your business and for downloading freeware for your business needs and other purposes.

Pricing, Staying Focused, and Staying Organized

Once you’re ready for operation you should check around to see how your competitors are running their business and this will give you an idea of what you need to be doing. Find out what their rates are and services and check to see what type of policies they offer to their customers. If you want to survive and exist you are going to have to beat their rates, and provide your customers with a better experience when dealing with you and your business. Always remember to treat your customers well. Be friendly and helpful. If you have a deadline to be done and you realize you aren’t going to meet it, don’t dodge and avoid them. Your customers would much rather you contact them ahead of time and let them know, this will help far more than the alternative. At least they will know and have the confidence in you and your work and be much more likely to use you again in the future for any other needs they may have

Always remember to stay organized and treat it like you were running a large business. The more serious you take your business the better results are going to produce. Be responsive to your customers and always take your time to answer any and all questions they might have. It always helpful for the customer to get a well explained answer, rather than just a blown off response that’s over their head, and that doesn’t make sense. Customers appreciate when a professional takes the time to make sure they understand as well. This in turn will also help you with future business with your clients. If you are a whiz when it comes to computers whether it be setting up PC’s, installing hardware and software, or troubleshooting problems then the computer repair business is calling your name. So, now you know all the steps needed to start your own computer repair business. Take the information given to you here and apply it to become the next computer repair service business in your area!

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Cosmetics

One of the top home based businesses to start up today is the cosmetics home based business. Through the years many people have found great fortune and at their own schedule and hours. Although primarily this home based business is more dominant in the female aspect males can also host a cosmetics home based business or perhaps a husband and wife team. The main two cosmetics industries that make this a successfully ran home based business is Mary Kay and Avon. These two industries have been around for decades and are very popular when it comes to cosmetics. Some women just find it more convenient to have the beauty counter brought to them where they are able to test the product rather than having to go out to a store and purchase their cosmetics. This makes for a great benefit when it comes to this home based business. Equipment Needed The best part about the two industries is that everything you will need it provided by them for a small fee. This makes this home based business a low cost start up and takes the pressure off of yourself having to calculate your monthly expenses for your cosmetics business. Each industry however are a little different as far as pricing and what materials you receive. With Mary Kay (www.MaryKay.com), you pay $100 and you receive over $300 worth of cosmetics and a cosmetics bag that you can use to sell the products, as well as many bonuses for signing up with them. They also give you a free subscription to their catalogs and extras for marketing and advertising to the public also. They also provide you with brochures to leave with customers as well as other information to help sell the products. With Avon (www.Avon.com), you will pay a $20 start up fee which includes your training and kits that you will need to learn how to sell Avon from your home. In these kits you will receive your brochures and books as well as the bags needed to leave on door knobs. You can also purchase additional brochures and books by the bulk. For example you can purchase a rack of 50 for $13.00 or a rack of 100 for $19.00. These are great marketing tools also, but will be help you decide on how much you will be spending per month for your cosmetics business. Licensing As far as licensing goes for this type of home based business, both Mary Kay and Avon handle everything when it comes to letting you what you need for your finances. Think of it this way... both Mary Kay and Avon will send you the check for all for all of the products that you sell, therefore you will receive all of your necessary income documents from them. This makes this home business a much easier business to run from you home without the hassle of keeping up with your finances to the extreme.

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Both Mary Kay and Avon alleviate all of this worry for you. Advertising & Marketing Your Business When it comes to advertising your home based cosmetics business both Mary Kay and Avon provide you with all the necessary tools you will need for your business. Both industries provide you with brochures and catalogs with all of their products that are available. You can simply drop both the brochures and catalogs in many places where women would find interest in your cosmetics sales. Places such as make up and beauty shops, hair salons, doctor's office waiting rooms, etc. On every brochure and catalog there will be a place where you write your name and phone number to be contacted if they are interested in purchasing products from you. You can also host beauty parties for your family, friends, and neighbors. This is a great source to grab sales. What better way to gain clients then hosting a beauty party where everyone their can test out the products and be able to instantly place their orders on the products that they are interested in. This is a great advertising technique to use and can be very beneficial when it comes to building your client base. You could also place fliers around local shops and convenient stores giving women the opportunity to host a beauty party at their home. Women love these types of parties and they have become a very popular event that all women enjoy. This is great news for you if you are thinking about starting your own home based cosmetics business. How much will I make? As far as what you can earn with Mary Kay and Avon... it's quite simply put that the sky is the limit! You determine, as with any other home based business, your paycheck. The more time and effort that you put in promoting and selling your product, the more money you will see flying your way. May Kay works off of a 50% commission. This means that you will receive half of whatever products you sell. As for Avon, you receive 40% commission. Both Mary Kay and Avon offer free shipping to your home for all of the products that you sell. It is your responsibility to provide the customer with the product. Some women find it easier to have the products on hand, this is a big benefit for this type of home based business when it comes to making your customer happy. Think of it this way... when you go to Wal-Mart you expect to go there and get what you came to buy that day... not 5-7 days from the time they order it. However, sometimes it is easier and wiser to simply order products as they are purchased. This lessens the needlessly spent money on non-purchased products in your stash. Some women find it easier to test products and what products they most commonly sell. For example, you may sell more luscious red lipstick than you sell pretty in pink lipstick. This can make it easier for someone who wants to buy bulk to have the product readily available to returning customers.

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Additional Education & Tips There are also classes set up around your local area provided by both industries that you can easily find out and join and learn new techniques for selling their products as well as tips for you and your home based business. These classes are usually provided for you free of charge and the dates and times for these particular classes can be found online at either one of the two industries. This can prove to be a great business tool for you. As with any home based business... knowledge is power. The more information you gain on your business and ways to make it better is a win-win situation every time. Benefits Another great benefit that you gain when signing up with either one of the cosmetics industries is how well known both Mary Kay and Avon are to the public. It's not like you are trying to sell Charlene's powdered concealer... you are selling products that have been known by many women for decades. This is a major advantage to you because people know the name brand. Women have been selling both May Kay and Avon as long as the two industries have been around. They are great products and a lot of women trust that they are receiving great quality products that have been bought by their own mother's or grandmother's. Because the two brand names are so well know, this will make it easier on you finding clients and producing a client base. You will want to keep up with all of your clients and develop a list that you can look back on. You will want to make sure that all of your clients keep updated catalogs and are “checked on” very frequently. Most women find a make-up brand that they like and they stick with it. Therefore, you will find many clients will become recurrent clients. Meaning that these clients will come back each month to purchase all of their make-up products and beauty needs. This is a big advantage to you because you can rely on a steady income from these clients and what better income than a steady flow of devoted clients. With health and beauty products at an all-time high and these two industries backing you... the home based cosmetics business can prove to be a very popular business to start up for next to nothing. Many people have found great fortune and the fortune could be yours. So if you’re interested in selling cosmetics, making your own schedule, and being your own boss this just might be the best home based business for you. For more information you can check out MaryKay.com and Avon.com to find out everything you need to know to get started on your cosmetics home based business today and start making tons of money all in the hands of beauty!

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Photography

If you are the type of person that enjoys taking pictures then the photography home based business might be right up your alley. This can turn into a very profitable business and a very fulfilling one also. Although with this type of business you will need to put forth the necessary money to ensure that you have the proper, high quality equipment. Your main goal when starting your photography home based business is to set a business plan for you and your business. You can either make this plan up yourself or there are also services that can write a business plan up for you for a little charge if you are not sure where to start when it comes to making out a business plan. The main things that you will want to focus on when you are setting up your business plan is your goal for your home based business, the supplies and equipment, and what type of photography services you will be offering (such as weddings or special events photography, portraits for fashion or family, scenery photos, stock photos, etc.) that you will need to start your photography business. Naming Your Business & Equipment Needed You will want to first pick a name for your business and decide what equipment you will need for your photography business. Make a list of the supplies and equipment that you will need such as cameras, lenses, tripods, film, computer, printer, an internet connection, lights, backgrounds and props, and other small office supplies, etc. However, if you are running low on funds you can simply use the basic equipment that will be needed such as a computer, camera, printer, and an internet connection. You will want to make sure that you are purchasing high quality equipment so that you will produce a high quality product for you client. This does make a difference whether or not you will stand out above your other competitors, which is everything for your business. Keep in mind that the majority of your expensive items will only have to be purchased one time. As for the monthly expenses this will only consist of your small office supplies such as computer paper, ink, pens, folders, photo paper, etc., and film for your camera. However, I do suggest getting a high quality digital camera, where film will not be needed only high gloss, high quality photo paper. This can be a major upgrade to your business and your pocket book.

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Licensing & Maintaining Organization As far as the licensing you will need for you photography home based business you will need to check with your local city licensing department and find out what licensing is required for your area. You will also need insurance for your business as with any other home based business. If you choose to go outside and use other areas around your community for scenery purposes you will want to make sure that you don't need a permit to perform photography there. A photography license is not needed however there may be classes in your area or at your local community colleges that hold classes to advance your skills and update you on the newest trends in photography available. This can prove to-be big a big advantage for you and your business when it comes to making your business stand out above the crowd. With any business you will want to maintain your organization. This is the key to making any business strive and prosper the right way. You will want to invest in a planner, this will help keep you organized and on time when it comes to having appointments set up with your clients. This is a very important tool that every photographer needs. You will also want to make sure you organize your documents and important paperwork for your business. I find it much more organized when you use a small filing cabinet to keep all of your necessary paperwork neat and in order. This makes it easier with keeping up with your finances also for your business. Some home based business owners find it easier to have a personal accountant that handles all of their finances, however you will still need to keep up with your business expenses and payments for your accountant to properly file your businesses taxes each year. This is a very important key to all home based businesses and something many people do not take into consideration when starting up or running a home based business... it can cost you if this is not done properly. Marketing, Advertising, and Tips For Your Photography Business You will also want to advertise and market your business. For every home based business the only way for your business to survive is by getting your business name and service out to the public. You will want to list your business in your local phone directory as well as placing small advertisements for your business in your local newspapers or magazines. Another great way for the public to get to know your business is by placing fliers or leaving business cards at your local gas stations and convenient stores. The more people that know about your business, the more clients you will produce for your home based photography business. Keep in mind that if you are doing scenery photography or glamor shots that you have a great selection of props to make your photos stand out and almost brand your photos

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separate from any other photographer. Make sure that you keep a portfolio from your work. This can be a great thing to be able to show other potential clients to get them interested and ready to get a photography session set up with you. The more unique and creative you are with your photos the more your photography will be noticed. Everyone wants to save their cherished moments whether it be with weddings, sporting events, family get together, or other special events, etc. and most commonly people turn to professional photographers to catch these special moments. This type of home based business has grown and has become a very profitable and highly demanded business. You can also go to reality companies and car dealerships and offer to do their photography for their brochures and score a steady income as well as points on your portfolio. Pricing As far as determining prices for individual photos as well as packaged portraits you will look no further than the competition around you. Simply call other photographers pretending to be a potential client and ask them what their rates for individual portraits, packages, and special events photography, etc. Then you can determine exactly how much you will charge for your different areas of photography. Note that most photographers charge per sitting. This means per pose. So you will want to take this into consideration when it comes to special offers that you may present to your existing clients. For example, you could offer them one-free sitting and each additional pose only x-amount, making this a package deal, and many people prefer package deals rather than individual photography. The photography home based business might just be the right business for you and many people that enjoy and do photography as a hobby don't find this to be work at all but enjoyment with dollar signs.

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Pet Grooming

Do you like working with animals? If so, then the pet grooming home based business might be just the right business for you and your furry friends. Most pet owners spoil their pets and even treat their pets as if they were a child and will go to any links or costs to make sure that their pet is taken well care of. With the pet grooming home based business at an all-time high this could prove to be a very prosperous and fulfilling business for you to cash in on. However, there are a few things that you will need to consider when starting up your pet grooming business. Naming Your Business & Equipment Needed When you first start preparing your business plan for your pet grooming business you will need to think of a name for your business and what equipment that you will need for your business. Make a list of items that you will have to purchase to start your pet grooming business. These items include a grooming table, a big bathing tub, brushes, combs, dryers, nail care items such as nail clippers, scissors, etc., ear care items such as drops or ointments, eye care items such as drops, dental care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc., shampoo, conditioner, shedding treatments, and flea treatments. Pet grooming equipment can be quite expensive and not all items are needed right off the bat and can be bought as your business grows or by taking out a small business loan. Always keep in mind though that added equipment does mean more benefits for your home based business. Licensing Next you will need to check with your local county clerk’s office to find out what zoning laws and other licensing permits will be needed for your home business, if any apply. You will also need to purchase insurance for your business. Make sure that you are keeping up with all of your necessary paperwork that has to do with your business. You will also need to take in consideration of how you are going to run your business from home. There are two different types, a pet grooming business ran directly from your home or a mobile pet grooming home based business. If you decide to go with mobile pet grooming you will need to look into a mobile unit for your business. Services to Offer You will also want to look at what services your pet grooming business will offer. The common services that are offered usually include, bathing, clipping of the toenails, brushing, cleaning ear, brushing teeth, trimming up their coat as well as styling the

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pet's hair. There are many classes that are offered for pet grooming. You can find many classes offered online as well as at your local and community colleges, however keep in mind that the hands on classes are usually very hard to find and can be quite expensive. The key to making your business stand out above the rest is by learning different techniques to cutting and styling a pet's hair. You certainly don't want your competition to know more styling techniques than you so be sure to check into the less expensive online classes that you can find easily. You will learn everything from the different styling techniques to also small business management when it comes to a home based pet grooming business. These types of classes are given by a professional in this type of business and you also receive a certificate after the completion of the course. Marketing & Advertising Now that you have all of your ducks in a row and have your basics for your home based pet grooming business, you will want to look at the advertising of your business to gain new prospective clients. You can start by advertising your services at your local pet stores or grocery stores. Place fliers in these specific locations and make sure you use a lot of color on your advertisements making them more noticeable to people passing by. List the services that your business will be offering and you could even include photos of previous pets you have groomed. This will be giving your potential client a virtual portfolio and they will be more inclined to calling you for your services. You can also give these fliers to your family and friends to pass out to their friends, this will get your business out fast. Word of mouth is your strongest tool when it comes to advertising your business and making you know to the public. You can also place ads in your local newspapers and your phone directory. Place your business cards in all of your public area businesses so that your potential customers can place you in their Rolodex. Keep in mind that this business is in very high demand and the more that people know about your business the more income you will see and advertising is in the center of it all, so make sure you are going to any links you have to to get your business known by the public. Pricing You will also need to determine what you will charge for your services. Note that when determining your prices that you will need to charge by the size of the dog. Pet grooming for a small dog can be as high as $75 and large dogs as high as $200. You will want to make sure that you are charging dramatically lower than your competitors making people more prone to getting your services versus your competitor's.

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Call and check around with your local competitors to see what they are charging for their services and bump your price down a notch. Find out what services your competitor's offer, but keep in mind that some businesses have more staff to work on each dog, therefore giving them a leverage to do more services than just one person. You will want to also keep in mind that when you are dealing with animals that they will all have different temperaments. You will need to think about this when offering services. Some pet grooming businesses even offer facials for pets, although you have to keep in mind there are a lot of pets that will not let you do a whole lot around their faces and in the end leads into nipping or biting at the pet groomer. This may prove to be a daunting task for just one person. Benefits That Can Add To Your Business Another type of service you can offer that will make your pet grooming business pop above your competitors is pet boarding. You would be surprised at how many people use these services monthly, weekly, and even daily. A lot of people find it easier placing their pet in pet boarding while they are on vacation rather than dragging their pets along with them. A lot of pet grooming businesses offer this benefit, so you will want to check to see what your competitors are charging for this service. If you decide to go with pet boarding services make sure that you have a large area to do this and proper housing or cages for the animals. You will also want to check with your local county clerk to make sure you have the proper permitting for these types of services. You may also want to consider building a sound barrier around the area where the animals would be kept to eliminate angry neighbors. This can ruin a business in some cases so make sure that if you decide to incorporate pet boarding in your business that you have all the necessary materials and licensing to make it possible. A pet grooming home based business is a great business to look into when deciding on starting your own home based business. With the industry at an all-time high this just might be the home based business you’re looking for.

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Types of reports include history and

Types of reports include history and

Medical Transcriptionist

Are you familiar with computers and have a fast typing rate? If so, then starting up a medical transcriptionist home based business might be just what you are looking for. This particular home based business does however require a little training before you can dive into the profits and luxury of having your own home based business. However, this shouldn't steer you from your hopes and dreams of acquiring your own medical transcriptionist business because the training and know how can easily be found and obtained... we will go over this shortly. Equipment Needed A home based medical transcriptionist business can be very simple and inexpensive with your materials for start-up being materials that you probably already have at home. The tools that you will need to start your medical transcriptionist business is a computer, a word processor, a printer, headphones, a wave player program or audio program, a foot pedal, a transcriber or special type of phone to call in dictations, and many various types of reference books. These types of books include a medical dictionary, medical terminology book, lab word book, drug index, as well as specialty reference books such as books in cardiology, pathology, pediatrics, geriatrics, podiatry, medical and surgery equipment, etc. Reference books will become very handy in this line of work because you will be using a lot of medical terminology when you are writing out your reports for doctors or other medical facilities. Licensing When it comes to licensing that will be needed for your medical transcriptionist business you will need a few things. First and foremost you will want to check with your local government office to see exactly what licenses or permits are needed in your area to start up your small home based business. They can also tell you if your area has particular zoning laws or any other legalities that are required for making your home based business a legitimate one. You will also need an errors and omissions insurance that most employers require in this line of home based work. You will also need a professional liability insurance and both insurances will be placed at the end of your business name with the letters LLC showing that you have all the necessary insurance required for your particular business.

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Additional Education Other than business licensing you will also need some training in the field of medical transcriptionist. This skill can be easily obtained within 6-8 months and courses can be easily found online as well as at your local community colleges or vocational schools. Courses are usually very affordable and most courses you can choose to work at your own pace. Although you will need to keep in mind the more time you take in obtaining your skills the longer it will take to start up your business. After you have completed one of the many training courses that are offered you will receive a certificate of completion. This will be a handy tool to have when you go to present your business to doctor's offices or other medical facilities and should be listed on your resume as well as on your business cards also so that your potential clients will know that you have had training in medical transcription. Keep in mind that the training is only a small amount of time to obtain compared to what you will make in the long run when you start your home based business. Transcriptionist Duties You will need to take in consideration that you will be typing out many reports, reports such as x-ray reports, clinical notes, laboratory and pathology reports, history and physicals, discharge summaries, psychiatric evaluations, consultations, and emergency room documentations. All of these reports will be placed in a patient’s medical record. These are very important documents and have no room for error. You will write these reports from recordings or dictations from various physicians. Transcriptionists can receive their dictations many different ways. Sometimes a physician will use a call-in digital system and the transcriptionist can call in using a special phone, such as a c-phone, to retrieve the dictations to be transcribed. Sometimes a tape will be used and can be played back by using a transcriber machine with a foot pedal, which will both fast forward and rewind a dictation. A physician may also use voice files through a digital recorder and the transcriptionist can receive the voice files and then transcribe the report or medical documentation needed. This is where your medical terminology will be needed. So keep your reference books handy. Advertising & Marketing As for marketing and advertising your business you can go about this a couple different ways. You could first go from doctor's office to doctor's office giving your business card and offering your services. You can also do this with other medical facilities as well as hospitals. These are the quickest and easiest ways to getting your foot in the door as a medical transcriptionist. Another useful way you can advertise your home base business is by creating fliers,

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business cards, brochures, or small advertisements is your local newspapers, classified ads, and shopper's guides. This will get your services out to the public and to potential employers. In your advertisements you will want to mention what services you will be providing as well as your previous work experience and training that you have received. This will give an employer more of a benefit to hiring you for your services. Before long your business will be out in the open and you will have medical facilities ringing your phone off the hook begging for your services. Realize that this is very highly demanded in the medical field. Every physician has to have their reports transcribed, which makes you and your business playing a very important role in the medical field. Pricing So how much should you charge for your medical transcriptionist services? Generally a medical transcriptionist will base their fee per line. Normally a transcriptionist will charge 12 cents per line. A good transcriptionist should be able to easily manage up to 1000 lines per day giving them a daily income of up to $120 a day. This is where fast typing skills will play a big role in success for your transcriptionist home based business. Keep in mind that the more lines that you transcribe the more profit you will see shooting towards your bank account. On average a transcriptionist can make anywhere from $30,000 to even $50,000 a year, all from the comforts of their home. This however does depend on the rates that you turn work as well as productivity. Some transcriptionists can make profits of even $100,000 a year. So the sky is the limit and is up to you on how much you want your business to revenue. Realize that commonly reports will have to be turned with a 12-24 hour window to transcribe the report and send it back to the physician. So, remember to stay focused and work diligently. A medical transcriptionist home based business is a great business to start and can lead to a steady full time income all from the comforts of home. Follow these steps and you will be on your way to having a successful and profitable medical transcriptionist home based business! What are you waiting for? Get started now!

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Travel Agent

Do you enjoy researching and finding out different things about different places to travel in the world? Are you organized and a real go getter? Then maybe starting your own home based travel agency is the right career path for you. Millions of people a year go on at least 1-2 vacations, some of which don't have the time nor the energy to do themselves. Or maybe they are confused or stumped on where to take their family for vacation this year and needs the helpful notions from a qualified travel agent on the best places to go on vacation. This makes you and your business a powerful and useful asset when it comes to creating a vacation for them. Travel Agent’s Duties You will virtually plan your client’s full vacation, from hotels, to food accommodations, travel expenses or airfare, and even places that they can go and tour. A travel agency deals solely with finding their clients the best packaged deals for vacations. This is where your job can get tricky. It is your job to find the best deal for your clients. You will have to do a lot of research when it comes to booking their vacation and everything that goes with it. You will also have to do a substantial amount of research to find new resorts or places of interest to vacation at. If you find interest in finding out new places then this could prove to be almost like a hobby that you are getting paid for. Keep in mind that travel agents get extra incentive when it comes to discounts for their own vacations. A great plus for you, if you enjoy vacationing also! Equipment Needed There are many things to consider when deciding to start up a travel agency home based business. A business plan will help you keep a uniform and structured business. As far as equipment that you will need for this business, items should include a computer, a printer, fax machine, separate phone line, a word processor, and financial management software. A lot of your business will be ran from your phone and fax. You will need your computer to use to create brochures for your potential clients as well as to keep up with your finances surrounding your business. You will find that you will use a computer a lot in this type of business because a lot of the times all the documentations will have to be completed by you and what better and more professional way to do so then with your own computer and printer. Keep up with your important documents also by keeping a filing cabinet.

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Licensing You will need the proper licensing required for a home based business as well as becoming licensed, bonded, and insured. It would also be a good idea to look into becoming a part of the Better Business Bureau. Businesses that are listed with the Better Business Bureau seem to have a lot more credibility then businesses that don't. The more trusted you are the more business you will see coming towards your pocket. Check with your local area government office to check the specifics on exactly what licensing and legalities your business needs to be up and running and ready to go! Advertising Advertising you travel agency business can be a very easy task. First start off by placing your advertisement for your business in your local phone directory as well as your newspapers, magazines, and shopper's guides. There are also travel guides available that offer advertisement spots in their catalog where you can advertise your business. Talk about having a “targeted” audience of potential clients. With the millions of people each year looking for new vacation resorts this type of business can be sought out by many people. You would be surprised to know how many vacationers rely solely on a travel agent to prepare their vacation for them. Set out fliers to your community letting them know that you will take care of everything for them from A-Z. Hand out fliers to local area businesses and paste them to every gas station, grocery store, or convenient store you can find! Hotels are also a great place to find potential customers and a lot of the times will bring you “targeted” clients that book vacations more than normal. The more your business name is out to the public the noticed you will become to potential clients. Make sure you keep your business cards handy and that you set them in locations that generate a lot of people that will see it. Be sure to get your family, friends, or neighbors involved. Word of mouth travels fast and can get your business out to the public quicker than any advertising or marketing method. Another advertising strategy is to set brochures with pictures and informative and detailed information on different locations that people would like to travel to for vacation and give brochures to businesses such as doctor's offices, banks, or reality companies that have magazine racks or tables set out. This way people that come into those particular businesses and see your brochures could potentially pick it up and then getting you to set up their next vacation. There are many, many ways for you to advertise and market your traveling agency business. Just keep in mind that if you are

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not advertising your business will go nowhere. The only way to truly make the profits that you want to see is by letting people know about your services and that they are available. What Services Will You Provide? You will also need to decide what travel services you will be providing to your potential clients. Will you be offering vacations that have to do with cruises, safaris, amusement park packages, etc.? Or will you cover all types of vacations to all types of areas of the world? Check with your competitors to see what types of packages and areas they are offering and go from there. Make sure that you are a step ahead of your competitors. There are also programs available for travel agencies that choose to work from home through other travel agencies. This elevates a lot of your advertising techniques. However, you will be given a group of prospective clients and then you will be paid a percentage for each vacation you set up. Some travel agency home based businesses find this any easier method to making some mega cash with the travel agency giving you all the resources you need to make it works. Pricing When it comes to deciding what you will charge for your services through your travel agency business you can first take a look at what your competitors are charging to set up luxury vacations for their clients. Normally a travel agency will base their fees on the percentage of the total package of the vacation for the client. The normal percentage that a travel agent will charge ranges anywhere between 10%-20%. A home based travel agency can make anywhere between $30,000 to even $100,000 a year. Vacations are a very hot topic amongst people and this makes this a hot trendy business to get your hands on! So why not jump on the band wagon and start reaping the benefits from this profitable home based business. You'll be glad you did!

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Gift Basket Seller

Are you creative and crafty? Then the gift basket seller home business might be something you want to take a look at. Gift basket sells are rising more and more each day and has become a multimillion dollar business in a very short time. Most people simply started their gift basket home based business by creating gift baskets for their loved ones or friends. Now more and more people are finding that they can make what they love doing into a steady income and fulfilling business step. Equipment Needed The equipment that you will need to start up your home based gift basket business is a large room or garage area to setup your business workplace, a large dry area of cabinets or shelves to store your completed gift baskets, a computer to keep up with your expenses and income, a long table to create your gift baskets on, a filing cabinet to keep up with your finances, invoices, and important paperwork, different types of wired and satin ribbons, rolls of cello, scissors, gift basket filler, and of course the items that will placed into the different gift baskets. You will want to make sure that when you are purchasing items to go into a gift basket that you are picking specific event items also such as wedding items for wedding gift baskets, baby items for baby shower gift baskets, or spa items for spa gift baskets. Licensing You will need to also check in with your local county clerk’s office to check the zoning laws and other legalities that are required for your home based business. You will need to check out the insurance that you will need for your home based business also. You may also have to register your home based business so you will need to already have your business name. Make sure your business name is a creative and unique name. You want something catchy and memorable but a name that people know what type of product you offer. Here is where you start deciding what types of gift baskets you will offer. Maybe you just want to specialize in special occasion gift baskets such as weddings, baby showers, graduations, etc. Maybe you want to specialize in fruit or health and beauty gift baskets. Or maybe you’re the type of gift basket business that offers all of the above. However, you do need to take in consideration that with more gift baskets the more expense you will run into.

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Pricing The type of gift basket and the pricing of that particular gift basket is solely up to you. The pricing also depends on how much you put into the gift basket versus what you will be making a profit off of it. Many gift baskets are offered anywhere between $20 to even $100. Gift basket items can be a bit pricy so the best option to save on some expense is by purchasing your gift basket items through wholesale. If you are making 10 different baskets and went to a store and bought all of the items for each basket at retail price you are going to be looking at a higher price then if you found the same items and could by them at wholesale price and receive more quantity of the item. When pricing your gift basket you wouldn't want to sell your gift basket for $21 if it took $20 to make the basket. Check with your competitors and see what items they are including in their gift baskets and what they are selling them for and base your price from theirs. Go lower of course so that customers are more prone to come to you rather than your competitors. Marketing & Advertising Advertising plays a big role in how much your business will profit also. Without consumers knowing about your business means no sales for you. You will want to take pictures of your gift baskets that you have created. You could make 10 demo gift baskets for advertising purposes. You can also use the same items for different baskets. For example, say you have a small basket composed of fruit, you could take those same fruit and put them into a larger basket and add other gourmet items to make a larger basket. Now you have not one but two photos for your portfolio. You can create fliers to hang up around your area advertising your gift basket business. Place photos of your gift baskets that you have created and gift baskets that you offer. You can also get your family and friends involved in getting your business out to the public. You can place advertisements in your local newspaper as well as your phone directory. As I have said before there are many different types of gift baskets that can be made and sold to potential customers. Gift Basket Ideas Here are a few popular gift basket ideas that you can incorporate into your gift basket home based business. Spa Gift Basket – A spa gift basket is a very popular basket among women. In these baskets you would include: a neck or head rest, massaging or scrubbing brush, bath salts and bubble baths, different types of soothing lotions, wine or champagne, candles,

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aroma therapy items, flowers, etc. These types of gift baskets are a hit and are huge among people wanting to get gifts for others or for family or friends. Brides Maids Gift Baskets – This is a very popular gift basket for bride's seeking to show their appreciation to their bride's maids. In these gift baskets you could include: personalized items such as small purses or handbags, different scented lotions, hair care products, nail care products, candles, flowers, custom creation jewelry, bathing and bath oils and crystals, foot care products, scrubs and sponges. You can also personalize your bride's maid gift baskets by making them specifically for the bride's maid. Leave this to the bride because every bride knows what their bride's maids would like. Baby Gift Baskets – These are great gift baskets for baby showers and have become very popular gift for expecting mothers. These gift baskets should include items such as: baby blankets, clothing, bottle, rattles, bathing supplies, burp clothes, pacifiers, bibs, small baby toys, etc. You can also personalize the gift baskets for a boy, girl, or even twins. If someone purchases this item from you, you could also give the option of embroidery making the basket really personal. Don't go overboard though, when it comes to your expenses, try to make it as simple and less expensive as possible when you are first starting out. This could be a benefit that could be added as your business grows. Fruit Gift Baskets – Everyone loves fruit! What better way to give people what they want than through gift baskets. Many people choose these types of gift baskets for gifts for others. These types of gift baskets include: oranges, grapefruits, nectarines, plums, pineapples, kiwi, bananas, apples, grapes, cantaloupe, lemons, limes, etc. You can practically go wild with these gift baskets. Fruit gift baskets can also be the least expensive to make through buying fruit through wholesale. You can by a major bulk of fruit and create many gift baskets at a very low cost. So why not get started with your gift basket home based business today! What are you waiting for? Get started now with this lucrative and growing home based business!

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Tutoring

Do you love working with children and have the patience and know how to help a child with their schoolwork? Then the tutoring home based business could be just the business you are looking for. Starting up a home based tutoring business is not hard at all and is rather inexpensive. This would be a wonderful business model for stay at home moms or a retired teacher. The tutoring home based business is a business that is in very high demand and can become a steady full time income. Here are a few things you will need to consider when first starting up your tutoring home based business. Business Plan & Equipment Needed First and foremost you will want to create and write out a business plan. In this business plan you will want to list everything that you will need for your business as far as supplies, what services you will offer, how you will advertise and market your business to the public, as well as your goals for your business. Make sure that your business plan lists everything that you plan to do and stick with it. In your business plan you will need to include what supplies will be needed for your tutoring home based business. Some supplies that you will need are pencils, paper, rulers, crayons, markers, folders, a filing cabinet and files, a computer, a printer, and books on various subjects such as math, science, etc. These are your common materials that will be needed to help you in your tutoring home business. Some of the items listed above can be bought later on after your income of your business grows. However, you will need the basics just starting off such as pencils, papers, and a few books covering the basic subjects in school. You will not necessarily be using the books with every child that you tutor because most students that need tutoring in a particular subject will bring along their own books that their teacher has assigned to them. However, there will be cases of students needing summer tutoring and these books will come in very handy as a reference for your study plan as well as activities and assignments for your the child. Marketing & Advertising You will need to think about how you are going to advertise and market your tutoring home based business. The best places to advertise your business is of course in educational environments such as schools, colleges, or institutions. You can also leave fliers around parks, gas stations, and convenient stores.

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You will want to also list your business in phone directories as well as your local newspapers or advertising brochures. The best form of advertising however is going to be from word of mouth. This can be from your family, friends, or previous clients. You can also make business cards by your computer and place them throughout your community. Once you have your business out in the open and the public knows about your services, you will see your business grow more and more each day. Tutor Services So what services will your tutoring home based business include. This could include tutoring available in the subjects of math, science, English, or spelling. Or you could list your services as helping students with a report, essays, homework, or help with test taking skills. Keep in mind that when you list these particular services that you will need to make sure that you yourself are also familiar in tutoring a child in those specific areas. You can also call around to other tutoring services to get an idea of what types of services their business is offering. This can help you determine where the strengths of your tutoring business has versus your competitors. The more services that you offer the more prone potential clients will be inclined to choose your tutoring services rather than your competitors. Pricing You will also want to decide what you will be charging for your tutoring services. You can easily check with your competitors to see what they are charging for their services and then determine your price for your services. You will always want to charge a lower price for services than your competitor because in the end price wins over everything to your clients. Averagely a tutor will charge anywhere from $15-$40 per hour. However you can also give your clients package deals if the child needs tutoring weekly. Some parents may opt to have their children tutored for 3 days a week and you can give them a $10 or $15 discount rather than making them pay per hour. Coming up with package deals like this can also increase your client base. Realize that with any business the more benefits you give to your clients the more they will choose you over your competitors... every time. A tutor can make anywhere between $10,000 to even $40,000 a year just working 20 hours a week. Just think if you were to offer your services full time what kind of income you would be bringing in extra monthly and even yearly.

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Licensing & References As far as licensing for your home based business you will need to check with your local county clerk’s office to see what licensing you will need for your business. Different areas have different zoning laws and other legalities so make sure that you know what your area requires to be an active and legit business. In all cases, no matter what business you are in you will need business insurance. You can check around online as well as locally to find the cheapest rates for your home based business. When it comes to managing your own business you will need to make sure that you keep up with all important documents and licenses. This can make or break your business ultimately. Although a teaching license is not required in a tutoring home based business, you might however want to check into additional courses that help with your education and skills in the tutoring business. You can find various classes that are offered online, as well as at your local community colleges and institutes. It is also a good idea to keep references from previous satisfied clients so that you can use them for future clients. You can also keep a profile that shows the clients that you have tutored and a list of the progressions that have made due to your services. For example, John Doe when he first started tutoring with you he had a D in math. Now that John Doe has been tutoring for the past 8 weeks with your tutoring services he now has a A in math. This can be the most powerful way for you to gain new clients. When clients see that your services helped other children in their studies they will of course be more prone to having you give their child your tutoring services. Keep in mind that this is a very powerful and resourceful business. Education has always been number one in our countries eyes and in many parents’ eyes as well. I know many can think back to when they were children attending school and who might have struggled in specific areas that might have made better grades in those subjects if they would have had the proper help or tutoring to get them back on track. The best part about this home based business is the reward you get by knowing that you helped a child understand the subject they were having trouble with and now you see them excelling like never before, or maybe it was a child that was on the verge of failing a grade and you prevented it by devoting your time and effort to help that child one and one and they end up passing. With this home based business you can't go wrong. With the startup costs so inexpensive, the demand on high in the society that we live in today, and the rewarding feeling of helping a child understand what they are being taught, makes this business proud to call your own.

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Carpet Cleaning Services

With the way the economy and finances are for many nowadays, many people find themselves looking for a profitable home based business. Carpet cleaning services has since become a very big business that many people find themselves starting up and making money right off the bat. Although a carpet cleaning service can start out being a little on the expensive side, due to the equipment that will have to bought, the carpet cleaning service business is one of the top home based businesses to start up and create a long term income, and the best part is you are your own boss. What could be better? Business Plan & Equipment Needed As with any home based business you will want to make sure that you create a business plan and that you list all of the components needed to start up your business. While writing your business plan out you will want to keep in mind the materials and equipment you will need to start up your business, the services that you will be offering, how much you will charge and how prices will be determined, how you will advertise your home based business, what licensing you will need for your home based business to be legit, and of course any goals or benefits that you wish to have for your carpet cleaning services. So what equipment do you need to start your carpet cleaning services? Of course you will need the basics which consist of a heavy duty vacuum cleaner, a heavy duty and high quality carpet cleaner or steam cleaner is preferred, carpet cleaning solutions, brushes, carpet fragrances, etc. When you are deciding on what types of equipment to get for your carpet cleaning services you will want to make sure that you choose equipment that is suitable for both residential and commercial carpets. You will find that most of your carpet cleaning services will come from commercial businesses so you will want to make sure that the equipment that you are purchasing for your business has the power to clean huge areas of carpet. Types of Services When deciding on what equipment will be bought for your carpet cleaning services, you will also need to decide what type of carpet cleaning service you will be providing. There are three main types of carpet cleaning services that are normally offered by carpet cleaning services.

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These three main types are liquid extraction carpet cleaning, dry foam carpet cleaning, and hybrid liquid extraction carpet cleaning. Of the three main types the most used and most cost effective type is the liquid extraction carpet cleaning. Here are the differences between the three main types. Look over the differences and then decide what type you will be using for your carpet cleaning home based business. Along with deciding what type of carpet cleaning services you will be offering you will also need to decide what type of carpet cleaner unit you will be using. There are three different types of carpet cleaner units that you can purchase, portable carpet extractors, carpet spotters, and truck mount carpet extractors. Types of Cleaning Units A portable carpet extractor is more than likely what you will want to start out with when you are first starting up your carpet cleaning business. There are two different types of portable carpet extractors that you can choose from: a wand carpet cleaner or a tank carpet cleaner. However, the tank carpet cleaners are the best form of a carpet cleaner especially if you are going to be doing large areas of carpet cleaning. A portable carpet cleaner can cost you anywhere from $1000 to even $6500. A carpet spotter can be used for cleaning smaller areas of carpet. If you are going to be cleaning a lot of residential homes this may be just the carpet cleaner for you. Carpet spotters are primarily used for areas that do not have a flat surface, such as stairs or furniture. Carpet spotters are excellent for small spills or stains. You could also use a carpet spotter as a benefit to your home based business. This meaning that you could now with the help of your carpet spotter also add car detailing to your list of carpet cleaning services. A truck mount carpet extractor is going to be the most expensive out of the three different types. Truck mount carpet extractors can cost you anywhere between $8,000 and even $50,000. These types of carpet cleaning extractors mount to your vehicle, normally a truck or a van and are powered solely by your vehicle. The tanks for the carpet cleaning liquid as well as the waste tank are also based in the vehicle. These type of carpet cleaners have very high powered motors and also give the luxury of giving the carpet cleaning solutions heat which we all know draws up almost any stain. You can however sometimes find a used truck mounting carpet cleaner and van that already has everything needed to have a truck mount carpet extractor. Licensing You will need to check with your local county clerk’s office to acquire all of the necessary licensing that you will need for your business. You will also need to check the zoning laws in your area as well as any other legal requirements that your business will need to actively operate. You will of course need business insurance as well. Shop around and find the best deal for your business, however make sure it covers

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everything that you will need to cover both you and your business. Marketing & Advertising The best form of advertising for this type of home based business is placing advertisements in your phone directories as well shopper's guides and newspapers. Many businesses as well as individuals find their services that they use strictly from an advertisement that they have seen. You can also go around to all the local businesses and present them with a brief description of the services that you provide as well as a business card so that they can easily find your name and number to contact you for your services. This will also be a very powerful advertising tactic used for your business. You will be surprised to know how much business you can pick up by going from door to door to each business offering your carpet cleaning services. Primarily commercial businesses have professional services to clean their carpets, so this makes you look like an opportunity walking through the door. Pricing You will also need to determine what you will be charging for your carpet cleaning services. The best way to decide what you need to charge for carpet cleaning services is by calling around and asking other carpet cleaning businesses. Normally a carpet cleaning business will either charge a job by the square foot of carpet that they will be cleaning or they will charge by the room. However, keep in mind that in some cases the room will be large and you will need to specify a maximum square footage per room. For example, let’s say you normally charge $50 per room with a maximum of 200 square foot. Well now you have a client that has a room with 300 square foot. You will then have to factor in how much you will charge for any additional square footage that exceeds the maximum 200 square foot limit. The carpet cleaning home based business can be a great business to get your hands on and with the demand for commercial carpet cleaning at an all-time high what better time than to get started now!

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Interior Decorating

Do you find yourself having a knack when it comes to home decorating? Do you enjoy coming up with your own new and creative interior designs? Then the interior decorating home based business might be a business that you want to look into starting. The best part about starting up this particular home based business is that you don't have to have any type of degree to be a legitimate interior decorating business. Just your own personal experience is enough to get you started with this increasingly profitable home based business. Equipment and Materials Needed When it comes to deciding what materials you will need to start up your business this will be based solely on the home owners or business owner’s likings. You will however want to get the most cost effective materials so that you will be able to save your customers money as well as make you a profit for both you and your business. Most interior decorating businesses find it easier to find what they need for each project through wholesale stores. Here interior decorators can find everything they need from paint to furniture, as well as light fixtures and window treatments. The best part is that you get a discounted price giving your customer a better rate for material costs. Many wholesale dealers will have special programs for interior decorators where they can get discount packages if you find yourself buying more of one particular item than another. Keep in mind you are the management of your business and making good business sense when it comes to purchasing your supplies and materials means everything in the profit of your business. You will however need to invest in the common small home business materials such as a computer, printer, fax machine, a word processor, filing cabinets, etc. You will need to maintain organization as well as structure to your business. A lot of the times business owners will keep all of their important documentations whether it be their business revenue or licensing documentations in a computer. This is a great idea just make sure that you also have a back-up hard drive to save your important files in case of a computer failure. You might want to invest in a planner also to keep your appointments with clients organized and to help keep you on a timed schedule. These are all great ways to help keep you focused, managed, and organized, something that ultimately any and every business needs.

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Marketing & Advertising You will want to also think about how you will advertise your interior decorating services to potential clients. Keep a portfolio of your projects that you complete. Take before and after pictures and testimonials from previous clients regarding the work you did for them. This is a big marketing highlight for your business. This gives your potential clients an insight of what they can expect when choosing you for their interior decorating needs. Doing interior decorating for your family and friends for a small fee can also help you in the long run. This can not only help your skills in interior decorating but also score you some new photos for your portfolio. Your friends and family can also advertise to their friends helping get your business known. You can also present this portfolio to various organizations, businesses, and industries in your community as well as your surrounding communities. A lot of businesses and big time organizations have resorted to gaining the help from interior decorators to make their business more of a home and a comfortable atmosphere. This is a wonderful door opener for people seeking to start up an interior decorating business. Sending a colorful and informative fax to businesses about your interior decorating services and your grand opening of your business can also help you get a client base started. You can also advertise your business in your local phone directory as well as newspapers, classified ads, and by placing fliers in various public places related to your business such as the wholesale companies that you purchase your wholesale items from, reality companies, home decorating stores or hobby stores, and hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's. These are all great ways to advertise your business and can easily get your business up in going in no time at all. Additional Education Like I said before there are no educational requirements for the interior decorating home business, however there is nothing wrong with attending classes that are offered to advance your skills and creativity. This can be a major benefit to your business and keeps you on top of your game when it comes to your competition. Interior decorators should always be looking for the most updated designs and new ideas in interior design. You can find many of these classes online as well as in your local community colleges. You can also do a little research yourself in your spare time. There are always new and creative ideas that you can find in interior decorating online. Whether it be the new and upcoming window treatment idea, or a full room design you can learn virtually everything there is to know about all aspects of interior decorating.

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Licensing You will need to check with your local government office to see exactly what business license is needed for your particular area. There are also zoning laws as well as permits that you may have to have also in your area. But no need to fear your government office can tell you everything that you need to know to start up your home based business the right and legal way. You will also need your business insurance as with any business. You will want to make sure that you keep with all of this important documentation because you never know when you will be presented with someone needing to see this documentation. Pricing So what should you charge for your interior decorating services? There are several different ways that an interior decorator can price their interior decorating services. They can choose to use a percentage fee, a flat fee, a per square footage fee, retail cost, a hourly fee, or a cost plus fee. Most interior decorators find themselves choosing the cost plus fee. The cost plus fee works like this: the interior decorator purchases all of necessary items needed to complete the project from paint to furniture, you then charge your customer for what you paid for the items plus twenty percent. This can be a major profit for you and all at the hands of doing something you enjoy doing. Whats better than getting paid to do what you love and making a good paycheck at that. Interior decorators can expect to make anywhere between $20,000 to even $50,000 a year working part time hours. Full time interior decorators can expect to make anywhere from $40,000 to even $100,000 a year. As I have said before this is a rising and high demanded business nowadays with people just no longer having the time or energy to decorate their own home and would much rather pay someone to do their interior decorating for them. So why not start making your hobby into a bank of profits? With no education required and the low start-up costs why not get started today with your new and highly profitable interior decorator home based business.

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Personal Assistant

With the busy world that we live in today more and more people are finding themselves having to hire a personal assistant. This could mean a big business opportunity for you. Starting a personal assistant home based business is a great and growing business. If you are great at organizing your own life then you are already one step ahead of being qualified to becoming someone's personal assistant. Duties of A Personal Assistant A personal assistant works for either an individual or a family and helps them with tasks such as finances, appointments, research, correspondence, reservations, etc. You may also find yourself performing duties such as accompanying a client to appointments, the hiring and firing of household staff, or other arrangements. In some cases a personal assistant may also be asked to handle running small errands, grocery shopping, preparing food, or cleaning. However, avoid tasks such as childcare, coaching, or tutoring if at all possible. These are normally not duties that a personal assistant does. Keep in mind that any service that you provide should be factored in what you charge you client. The more tasks needing to be performed the more you should charge. This should be something that should be discussed and agreed upon by both you and your client. For legal purposes you will always want signed agreements for your documentation as well as your clients’ documentation and you should each have a copy of the agreement. In this agreement you will state exactly what tasks or duties you will perform and what days and hours you will be working for your client. Make sure that all parties involved know the specifics of the duties to be performed so that this will eliminate any confusion as far as what is expected from your services. Materials Needed As far as any materials that you will need for your personal assistant home based business your materials list will be very short and shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. You will need a computer to keep with your finances for your own business (preferably a laptop since you will be on the move a lot), a planner to keep up with your events as well as your clients, professional attire, and other small home business office materials. Organization is the key to a personal assistant business. You have to keep in mind that not only are you managing your own life and business but now your clients also. Keeping well organized will help you to make sure that none of your appointments or events that you have scheduled in your own life interact with your clients events and appointments. As far as any other materials that will be needed

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will be solely up to your client. Most commonly a personal assistant is not out many expenses which exactly what makes this a very profitable business to start up. Licensing Licensing requirements for a personal assistant home based business is the licensing required by your local government office. Make sure that you are licensed, bonded, and insured. This protects both you and the homeowner. This is a big benefit when trying to gain new clients to take on your services. You will need business insurance because you will be working in a client’s home and you will also want to have health insurance also. There are no licensing requirements to be a personal assistant however it is always a good thing to have references available for your potential clients. The only way that you will be able to prove to your potential client that you are the right person for the job is by giving them recommendations from your previous happy customers. The more recommendations you have the reliable and credible you become to your potential client. Marketing & Advertising When it comes to the advertising and marketing part of your business there are many ways that you can go about doing this. You can place fliers out to many different business and big time corporations where you can find many people that are in need of a personal assistant. You can place these fliers in wide spread public areas such as convenient stores, gas stations, or a grocery store bulletin board. You can also place an ad in your local newspapers or shopper's guides to get your business out to your community. Placing business cards around where it gives potential clients an easy access to contact you for your services. Placing your advertisement in a high end magazine might also be an option that you want to partake in, although when you do this method of advertising there could be a substantial amount of travel involved because you are reaching out to such a wide area of clients. Word of mouth from your previous clients is the best and most efficient way to generate you a new client. However, you will want to take in effect that if you incorporate another client into the mix that you will now be managing not only your own life and your current clients, but now another clients life and duties. The main goal is to get your business known by as many people as possible to where you can pick up a steady flow of clients wanting your services. Pricing When it comes to what you will charge for your personal assistant services you first want to check with any of your competitors in your area. Find out what they are

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charging for their services and what services are included in this price. A lot of the times a personal assistant will not charge by the hour however. This is because some of the tasks that you will will be asked to perform for your client might not take as long as another task. Normally a personal assistant will charge a client an annual salary or a base salary. This makes it easier for both your client and you. Generally a personal assistant will charge anywhere from $20,000 to even $50,000 a year. A lot of the times this is only working 3-5 days out of the week also. This is quite a hefty salary for some of the tasks that you will need to perform in your personal assistant duties. Once you have figured out your clients schedule and how to manage it, you can now think about adding another client, which will only double your above salary. All of this is doable and if you have the right organization skills and the time and effort. Who knew that such a simple business model could make such a chunk of cash? A personal assistant home based business is a very easy business to get into and once you find the right clients and that steady flow of income you are looking for you will be glad that you gave the time and effort towards such a lucrative home based business.

With the low start-up costs for this business and the no need for additional training, makes this business one of the top businesses nowadays to start up. Make sure that you set goals for both you and your business and set goals for yourself that can be met easily. So what are you waiting for? Start your home based personal assistant business today!

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Caterer

Do you enjoy cooking and coming up with your own various different recipes? If you do then opening a catering or personal chef home based business might be just the ticket to scoring you some cash along with the enjoyment of what you like doing. The catering business has become a business that has become very popular with event planners. For many people if they have an important event planned they would rather spend their time on the details of the events rather than on cooking and preparing the food also needed for the events. This makes your home business a big asset to people who would rather higher a caterer to cover that step of the event. Business Plan & Equipment Needed You will first want to set out your business plan and decide what you will need to start up your catering business and what types of catering services you will be offering. You can choose to specialize in particular areas of catering or you can specialize in specific events. You will also need to decide if you will be using your own equipment, portable equipment, or if you will need all new equipment. First and foremost you will need to think about what materials you will need to provide your catering services. Items should include a high powered oven, refrigerator for storage as well as a freezer, various food items, decorating items for specific dishes, dessert items or bakery items such as icing and cake baking items, etc. Your food items will be determined by what types of catering services that you will be offering. For example, if you specialize in cake baking and deserts then you will need all the ingredients for a cake, cupcakes, icings, and decorative objects or items to make your creations pop. If you specialize in gourmet foods then you would need the proper ingredients for dishes such as Italian theme based dishes, Chinese themed based dishes, or fancy finger foods. Marketing & Advertising You can easily advertise your business by passing out fliers in your local area such as restaurants, convenient stores, bridal stores or consignments, etc. You can also let other local bakeries and gourmet shops that you offer catering and sometimes these type of shops will offer to give you clients if you provide the catering services for their business. This can also be a steady income with no work on your part but doing what you love. This can alleviate a lot of time advertising although it might be a good idea to do both

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unless the shop has a clause in you agreement stating that you can’t provide your services separately. You can also hand out business cards as well as brochures and portfolios of your work to potential clients. You can also advertise to corporate businesses... this is a big benefit to your catering business. Just sit back and think about all the businesses that order a lunch sitting for all of their employees. This can score some mega cash for you. You will want to offer in your advertisements what services you offer, a menu of dishes you can prepare and create for them, and how long in advance you will need to know before their event. You will also want to advertise your business in the phones directories under catering as well as in your local newspapers or classifieds. Before you know it everyone will be knowing about and using your catering services. All from the luxury of your home and doing something you love. Licensing You will need to check with your local county clerk’s office to see what proper licenses as well as permits are needed for your home based business. You will also need insurance for your business as with any type of business. Make sure that you have all of your legal mumbo jumbo taken care off because this can make or break your business. So many businesses fall short because they forgot some type of legal aspect when it came to starting up their business with all the right legalities to be running and operating. You can also check online to see if there are any specific requirements or permits for the preparation of food. You can easily find out everything that you need by simply finding out from your local government office and they will have you up and running legally in no time at all. Pricing You will need to decide what you will be charging for your catering services. Normally a caterer charges per event and depends on what all is being expected to be taken care of on the caterers part. Some caterers base their rate on the percentage of how much the event cost in the end totally. Some caterers charge 15-20% of whatever the event cost to put together. A lot of the times caterers and wedding planners work hand in hand to make an event run smoothly. You can also check around with your local competitors to see what they are charging for their services. A lot of the times caterers also charge depending on what food is having to be prepared, the time for creation, and basically how many mouths they will be feeding.

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This plays a big role in whether you will make the profit you are looking for. So make sure when you are deciding on prices that you factor in every aspect per event or per job. Although a culinary license is a plus it is however not required. You can however take culinary classes to update your creations as well as your knowledge on what's hot and what's not in the world of catering. You normally receive certificates after the completion of the course. This helps your portfolio out in so many ways! Portfolios The more you know the more you will have to offer your potential clients. You can also look at it as you are ahead of your competition the more new and updated creations you learn. You can also take classes to advance your knowledge in other extras for your home based business such as business management or an advanced skill in the catering area such as unique and new ways to decorating wedding cakes. Just keep in mind that you can never learn to much and there are new recipes for new and exciting dishes each day and you will want to be the first in your area digging in. Pictures, pictures, pictures! You can never have to many photos when it comes to events that you have catered. With pictures you can show all of your creations and slowly create you a dynamic and colorful portfolio which will in the end help you gain potential clients using your catering services. Try keeping a portfolio that shows the many events that you can caterer and have catered in the past such as weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, graduations, or birthday celebrations. You would be surprised how many people would choose your catering services rather than someone else just because you had a handy portfolio with your work compiled in it. Plus it’s a creative way to show off your work to your family and friends. So if you have a knack in preparing and creating food and love organizing events then the catering home based business might be the ticket to your business success.... all at your own schedule.

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Senior Care Services

Do you like caring for others? Do you find enjoyment in taking care of the elderly or just helping them with their day to day activities? Then why not check into starting your own senior care services. This type of home based business has become very popular! Many people have elderly parents and they just simply don't have the time during their busy life to take care of their parents and are forced to send them to a nursing home or a home care facility. Many people find it easier to find an individual that is willing to care for their elderly parents than to send them to a place that is unfamiliar to them and that doesn't give their parent the one on one care that they would like. Another benefit to finding someone outside of a nursing to home to care for their parents is the cost that is involved. Nursing homes cost a lot of money to send your loved one there for care. This can mean an arm and a leg for most. This makes this home based business a unique and highly profitable one that is in the utmost high demand in this day in time. Senior Care Services Duties & Needed Materials For most senior care services home based businesses you almost find yourself being a personal assistant to your client. Not all of your clients that you take care of will be sole dependent on your care. Some just need help with their everyday needs such as bathing, dressing, preparation of food, or to be taken to the grocery store or to a doctor's appointment. As far as any materials that will be needed for your home based business, it might come in handy to have a computer that you can keep your client information on. Other than a computer it is necessary that you have a reliable form of transportation. For a big portion of the time, you will be using your own transportation to help with the care of your client. You will however want to make sure that you maintain an organized business. Keep up with all agreements and any other legal documents that you will need to keep handy. I find it easier to keep these items in a business filing cabinet. Licensing As far as licensing for your home based business you will need the common business license offered by your local government clerk’s office. You will also have to carry business insurance. Most senior care services businesses carry a licensed, bonded, and insured policy. Although you don't have to have a license for senior care it would be really great to get a certification for CPR and First Aid.

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This is a perk when it comes to a client hiring you for your services. Plus these are good certifications to have in case something did happen to your client, you would have the proper training to be able help your client in any way possible. Most commonly a client will want to look at your resume so putting that you are certified with CPR and First Aid is a must. Marketing & Advertising As for marketing and advertising your senior care services you can easily put out fliers around your community in places such as gas stations, convenient stores, grocery stores, and many different shops. You could also place an ad in your local area newspaper as well as your phone directory. By getting your business name out to the public you will have more luck at drawing clients toward your services. You can also hand out business cards to various businesses or you could also go door to door telling people about your services that you are offering. The best form of advertising is word of mouth so you will find this tactic very useful in your marketing and advertising strategies. Tell everyone you know like family, friends, and neighbors. The more people that know about your services the more your business and services can be passed from person to person. With more and more people looking for senior care services rather than paying outrageous nursing home fees or senior housing fees, getting your business name out there will draw tons of potential clients your way. Pricing When it comes to how much you should charge for your senior care services you could simply call other individuals that provide the same services and see what services they offer and at what prices. Normally a senior care business will base their prices on how many days you will be needed and for how many hours. Most senior care services businesses find it easier to create a salary based payment system. On average a senior care business will charge anywhere from $300 to even a $500 salary depending on the services and the hours involved. A senior care service business can expect to make anywhere from $30,000 to even $50,000 a year. If you incorporate and schedule in more than one client this can increase your profits of course and is what most senior care services do. You can also check online to see what other senior care services businesses are charging... just keep in mind that different geographical areas will charge different prices than maybe your geographical area.

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Services That Can Be Offered The types of services that a senior care service business could offer is helping a senior with their day by day activities such as bathing, dressing, food preparation, and taking them to wherever they may be needing to go. These types of services could also involve keeping up with a seniors medication as well as keeping up with appointments or financial assistance such as keeping up with when bills are due, etc. A lot of the times your services may just involve taking them outside in the fresh air and conversing or going to a park. Whatever services are provided you will need to make sure that there is an agreement signed between you and your client or your clients power of attorney making sure that both parties are aware of what services will be being performed, what days, and at what times the shifts will be for these various services. Make sure that both you and your client have copies of this agreement. I can not stress how important it really is to make sure that you cross your “t's” and dot your “i's” with any business you decide to start up. This can ultimately make or break any type of business. Here are some helpful tips to help you along the way when deciding to start up a senior care service home based business: A good idea to help with organization would be getting a planner to help you keep with your own personal life as well as your clients. This can help you keep you and your business on track. You will want to keep a list of important phone numbers that are emergency contacts of your client in an area of your client's house such as the refrigerator for handy access. Always keep references from previous clients. This helps build your portfolio and a background in this type of business. This can help you in gaining new clients and lets them know that you are someone that can be trusted to take care of their loved one. Make sure that you always have a positive and cheerful attitude. Remain professional at all times. Don't bring things that are happening in your personal life to your clients house. The senior care services home based business is definitely a great home based business to look into starting. You will not only gain a profit for your wallet but also a rewarding feeling of helping others that are in your need. What more could you ask for?

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Conclusion

So did you find something that interests you? So many of the home based businesses listed could even be looked at as hobbies turned profit! With whatever home based business idea you choose make sure that you are interested in it! Who wants to do work if you aren't even interested in what you are doing? The best home based businesses are businesses with bosses that love what they are doing! So whether it be a home cleaning service, a caterer, a photographer , a travel agent, a personal assistant, a pet groomer, etc. you will want to make sure that you find out as much information as you can to make your home business a success! I hope this book has been an informative one and gives you the keys and tips needed to start your very own home based business. There are many other types of home based businesses that you can start up and with a little research and dedication to finding the right business model for you... you can't go wrong! Stay Focused! Many home based businesses fail to do this and there business slowly starts to dwindle to the end. As long as you have the right mind frame and the willingness to never say “it's not possible” you will find that you have a more structured and well organized home business. Another key thing to remember is to keep up with any and all documentation when it comes to your business. This means finances, revenue, and management of your business. If you struggle with these tasks there are classes available specifically for the management of your business. They will be sure to get you on the right track to knowing everything there is to know about managing your business. Another key thing to remember is that advertising and marketing your business is what lets consumers know about your business. Without the proper advertising and marketing techniques instilled in your business, no one will know about your business and you certainly won't be picking up any new clients! This is your lively hood and how your business makes money for you and your family. If you don't apply any effort in marketing or advertising your business your business is just not going to make it! Follow the tips and strategies that I have given you with each of the home business ideas and follow through with your plan and you will find success in any one of the 25 home based businesses mentioned. So what are you waiting for? Get started now and head your way to a life of luxury and all at the convenience and comforts of your very own home! What could be better?