your business site

It is very common these days to have a web site if you work from home. Do you have a web site, or are you considering creating a site for your biz? If you answered yes, there are a few things that you want to keep in mind:

• Is your site user-friendly? Nothing is more annoying than visiting a web site and not being able to locate the information that you need (especially when you know it is there.....somewhere...buried). How many links would a user have to go through to find information? Consider all of the elements of your site. Now count the links that a user would have to go through to get to each element.
• Make sure your text is easy and large enough to read.
• Make certain that links are easily located.
• Display your contact information, especially if you are selling products or accepting payments. I understand not wanting to post a physical address if you are working from home. (You don't want a weirdo showing up at your door.) In this case, a post office box is perfectly suitable. (After all, you have to be careful these days.)
• Is your site visually appealing? Do your colors go well together? Make sure they are not too flashy or overwhelming.
• Does your page load easily? Some people do still connect via phone lines, and they will not wait for hours for your page to load. They will simply go somewhere else. In my opinion, a simple web site is best. Flashy is not necessary. People usually just want to find the information they are searching for, and they want to do it as quickly as possible.

Friends are great for assistance in checking your site. Sometimes they will think of things that you did not. Have them help you with your site evaluation, and ask them to be honest. (Yes, you have to listen to them.) That is the only way it will work.

work from home - be creative

Do you ever have an idea that you think is a little out there, but you just can't get it out of your head? Why not give it a shot? Be creative.

Some of the most "out there" ideas are the ones that really succeed, because of their uniqueness. No one is looking for the same ol' same ol'. Take a chance.

If you have a talent or skill that you can develop in some way to begin making money as a business, maybe that is something you should consider. Why not make money by doing something that you love?

For example, today while doing a little research, I a came across a site that I thought I would check out, and I am so glad that I did. The site is called Entrepreneur's PhiloSophie's: A weekly comic for women entrepreneurs. It is very unique and creative. I love it. It is a wonderful idea that would not cross most people minds. It made me think how much more creative we should be.

working as a private investigator

In a previous blog, I mentioned private investigations as a work-from-home job idea. After going through my files, I found an article that I had published in the PI Magazine a couple of years ago that I wanted to share. It discusses some of the difficulties of conducting surveillance in rural areas. I think that it is something that anyone considering private investigations as a work-from-home job might want to read and consider:

Rural surveillance can be very tricky. Most would agree that it is more
difficult than conducting surveillance in the city.

When you conduct surveillance in a heavy populated area, it is easy to park your surveillance vehicle on side streets or in business parking lots. You can also utilize vehicles that are parked on the subject's street for cover, in order to establish a surveillance position in proximity to the subject's residence. In a rural setting, people will notice an unusual vehicle parked near their residence. You could make up a good reason for being there, but this rarely works. Subjects of investigations are often of a suspicious nature.

In rural surveillance, you may be able to park your vehicle on the subject's route of departure, but this is not always an option. In areas that are sparsely populated, subjects are often aware of unusual vehicles on the side of the road.

In rural areas the subject often lives near surveillance even more difficult. Even if the subject may not be aware that an investigator is there, someone closely associated with the subject will. This also makes it difficult when canvassing a neighborhood to gather information about the subject.

Sometimes when conducting rural surveillance, you may be able to get
a good viewpoint from a wooded area near the subject's residence. However, if you are trespassing on the subject's or someone else's property, any evidence that you obtain may be inadmissible in court. At the extreme end, you could be arrested for trespassing. If you do decide it will be possible to conduct surveillance in the woods, make sure you wear camouflage and use your natural surroundings to hide. Make certain that your vehicle isn't left in a suspicious area. Plan your way out before you go into the woods.

Rural surveillance is different. If you haven't tried it before, get some advice from an experienced investigator, and make sure that you think things through thoroughly. If you are hiring an investigator to conduct surveillance in a rural area, make sure that you ask about his or her experience in rural settings.

customer service

No matter if you are working from home (Yay!)or from an office (Oh well, it pays.), you want your business to be a success, right? Well, in my opinion, one of the major components of making your business a success is EXCELLENT customer service.

As I said before, one of the main avenues for gaining new business is through word-of-mouth. If a customer has a bad experience with your business, you will not have that benefit of word-of-mouth, at least not good word-of-mouth. So, do your best to keep your customers happy.

There are a few ways to do this. Most of these tactics are based on customer service.

• If you have a customer complaint, do your very best to resolve it. You may not always agree with the customer, but sometimes it is best to agree anyway and resolve the situation. Take a loss of you must. Hopefully, it will save you some trouble in the future.
• Ship out products or perform services as quickly as possible. It has been my experience that the sooner a customer receives a product, the better. If they recieve it earlier than expected, you make them very happy. If they have to start searching for their product, they begin to get aggrevated.
• Take returns if necessary and possible. It will save a lot of hassle in the longrun. Besides, you can hopefully resell the item. If not, you may be able to donate it or auction it for a small profit.
• Make it easy for returns. Have return labels if possible. The less hassle, the better.
• Let customers know by email when you have received their order, when products have been shipped, and let them know how to contact you if they do not receive it.
• Always respond to emails/questions (nicely). I do not understand businesses that have email, but they never respond to it. This is a huge annoyance. It also shows that I probably don't want to conduct business with you.

A good rule of thumb is to always consider how you like to be treated when you are the customer. Try to see things from the customer's point of view. If you still don't agree with the customer, try to save yourself a lot of hassle, and try to make the customer happy.

never eat dinner alone (unless you're in a bad mood)

One of the biggest challenges when starting a new business is always getting enough business to keep you up and running. It is very difficult to get customers in the beginning, but one of the most enjoyable ways is often overlooked.

I am referring to socializing (also referred to as networking). I have found in my business ventures that that most of my customers have come via word-of-mouth. It is almost unbelievable to me. I did previously know that word-of -mouth was important, but I had no idea how important it actually is. If you think about it, it really makes a lot of sense. How often do you rely on the opinion of your friends, coworkers, or other professionals? If you need a product or service, are you more likely to use that of a company that you know nothing about or a company that your friend loved?

So, the first step, of course, is becoming that company that people love. Make sure you do things the right way. Deliver the best product or service possible. Be kind to your customers, and provide excellent customer service.

Next, NEVER (unless you're in a bad mood) eat dinner alone! In other words, be sociable. You need to make as many friends and associates as possible. You need to let them know about your business and what you are doing, but don't be too pushy. You don't want to come across as a salesperson or as if you are trying to sell them anything at all. Just be sociable, super-friendly, and let them know about your business.

If you do this and do it right, I am certain that your company will benefit from it. Good luck!

count me in

I found a great new site today that I want to pass along. It is count me in for women's economic independence.

I found the site this morning after seeing a story on my local news about more and more women working from home.

The site is basically a site for women entrepreneurs. It has some great information for women who are considering starting or even those who have already started their own business. According to count me in for women's economic independence, they can help women in the following ways:

• All woman business owners can join our online community and attend our live events throughout the country for access to education, networking and inspiration.
• Woman-owned business at least two years old and at $250,000 dollars in annual revenue can apply for the Make Mine a Million $ Business award-- up to $50,000 in financing, plus coaching, marketing, mentoring, technology and more.
• Woman-owned businesses under two years old and/or under $250,000 in annual revenue can apply for the Micro to Millions award-- up to $10,000 dollars in financing, plus coaching, marketing, mentoring and more.

The site is somewhat incomplete in a few areas. It looks to be a work in progress, but that definitely does not negate the wonderful information that is there. It is going to be an awesome site when it is complete, and it is a wonderful idea. I applaud Nell Merlino, Co-Founder/President & CEO 0f count me in, and the entire organiztion for putting assistance out there for women entrepreneurs.

work-from-home ideas

Are you thinking of working from home, but you just can't think of that "perfect fit?" Don't be discouraged. You are not alone. (I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.) This is tough for everyone, but it is not impossible.

You will find the right business. Just do your research and brainstorm. Get a piece of paper and make notes of your different ideas. Write down areas in which you excel or have a little more knowledge about than most people. Then write down your strengths and weakness in those areas. After you narrow it down a little, write down the different possibilities for each different idea.

If all else fails, ask friends and family which areas they think you excel. Below are a few ideas that I like. Hopefully, they will inspire you.

1) Consultant.
If you found an area in which you are more knowledgeable than most, maybe you can share that knowledge with others. You can be a consultant in that area. You can offer private consultations with businesses/individuals. You can hold seminars or offer training. You may even want to hold your seminars over the Internet.Webinars are becoming increasingly popular.

2)Party Planner.
Party planning is a growing field. A lot of people don't have the time that is necessary to throw that perfect party. Besides, sometimes it is a big hassle, and people would rather have someone else deal with it anyway. You could also consider selling products that your clients might be able to use for their parties. It is a great way to save time and money for your client, while making a little extra money for yourself.

3) Wedding Planner
Weddings are a very important part of people's lives. Therfore, they are willing to spend as much money as possible. If you think you have the knowledge or the ability to learn about wedding planning, you may want to give it a try. Start out by offering your services to friends (at cost or for a small profit) in order to start building your portfolio. Talk with other wedding professionals (florists, photographers, etc) about possibly cross-promoting with them. Again, you may even want to sell some of the products that your clients may need or want. This could save a lot of hassle and make you a little more money. You ight even want to go that direction alone and sell or rent wedding accessories.

4) Private Investigator
Private investigators are used now more than ever in several areas. A few of them are as follows: insurance fraud, domestic situations (cheating spouses), accident reconstruction, background checks, people locates, and much much more. It is not an easy job. I would not go into it without a little training first, but it can be a profitable business if you do things the right way. I would reccomend that you first work for another company for a little while until you learn the business.

5) Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are becoming really popular. Afterall, it is the age of the Internet. Almost everything can be done from a remote location. There are people out there who may not be able to afford or do not need a full time assistant, or they may need an expert for certain temporary projects. That is where a virtual assistant may be utilized. A few of the services that you could offer (depending on your skills) include the following: report writing, invoicing, web design, bookkeeping, project managing, and basic secretarial services.

Remember during your business search, do your research. Consider your budget, and don't underestimate your knowledge and skills. The right business is out there for you. Be patient and you will find it.