10 Things You Need to Start a Business at Home
The formalization is an essential item for successful home business.
Are the ten things you need (apart from clients) to get your business on the right foot:
1- First, a market for their products and services. If you have not worried about that, do not go ahead. "This is a critical first step and it is amazing how many people ride without having a business market for it," says Jane Applegate, author and columnist who writes about small business. Even conversations can help answer many questions, she says. "If you want to decorate cakes at home, talk to 50 people you know and see if they would buy with you. Talk to people in the places you frequent. Make sure that there are those who want to buy what you have to sell. "
2- A separate space for your office. Yes, the fourth part would be good. It is not mandatory. But you need an area that is unmistakably their workplace and that can be locked and isolated from the rest of the house by dividers, curtains or even a shower curtain, it's all you have. "You need some kind of border," Applegate advises, "so that, on one hand you say 'this is my job' and on the other, 'this is my house.'" Do not use the dining table as a desk, advises Jeff Berner, author and consultant who works from home for over 35 years. "You'll never get it back for meals." Ah, but if you almost never use the dining table to eat, you can go ahead, argues Lisa Kanarek, home office expert and guru of the organization. "I turned my dining room, I took the chandelier and put doors to make it my office," she says.
3- A good workstation to use the computer and the laptop. If you were Azriela Jaffe, famous author who writes about home offices, spend almost as much money in a comfortable chair or on a computer. "Years sitting in the wrong chair can leave you with physical problems and bad posture," she says. "I think valid investment in a chair." She thinks the same about the mouse. "You need a mouse that does not overload your wrist. A cheap and basic no use. "Desktop Computer or Laptop? As you wish. Currently, many of the laptops have the same features of a computer, but with more mobility. You will be subject to a smaller keyboard and, in many cases, no mouse. However, if you're traveling or away from the office is too long, a laptop may be the right choice. If you can, it may be helpful to have the laptop and the desktop.
4- A telephone line (or two) apart and a good connection. Your customers will appreciate having the calls answered by you, your assistant or a professional message, not his son, the dog barking in the background. A separate phone line for your business is crucial. Get a system voice message also, instead of an answering machine, Applegate says, because the recordings are better quality and the system is more reliable. You need a fast connection to the internet? Surely answer most of the professionals who work at home. "It depends on how much your time is worth," says Kanarek. "If you spend all day on the internet, it may be worth investing in a good connection."
5- A separate bank account. This is important because it is not good to mix business money with personal money. Having a bank account in the name of your company is the right thing to do, says Applegate. She also recommends a program of finance to monitor the company's finances.
6- Formalizing the company. Many companies will want to see your registry before closing business with you, warns Applegate.
7- A website and an e-mail with your company name. Yes, you need a website for business and advertising. And you need an internet address that matches the name of your company, not a jumble of letters and symbols that no one remembers. The same happens with e-mail, an account of an internet server. You do not just want to look professional, but want to promote your brand. Definitely, your website helps your business. You receive e-mails from around the world. It is probably the best marketing tool that you can adopt.
8- Business cards, stationery, and perhaps a fax. Fax machines are a thing of the past? "They are becoming" ponders Applegate, "but some appeal to send fax is still necessary." She prefers fax programs to send faxes from your computer. Jeff Berner prefer a standard fax machine, no need to scan documents to your computer. The two find a good idea to buy a multifunctional device with copy and fax capabilities.
9- Health insurance and against any third party. If you quit your job to take care of the company, will be alone. Will not receive the salary fixed for days. Not have paid vacation. And be responsible for finding coverage insurance. Health insurance is probably the biggest thorn for small business owners. It's expensive and sometimes difficult to achieve. One of the best ways to get health insurance is through trade organizations. You also need to think about insurance for the company.
10- hours of regular work and a life outside the office. For many people, starting a business means a mixture in each of the professional life with the staff. Home business owners with experience say which defined regular work schedules and maintain. When not at work, they close the doors of the office and out. Likewise, do not allow children to play inside the office when they are trying to work. You're kidding yourself if you think you can solve your issues with a baby in her lap. "You need to be disciplined," said Applegate. "You need to tell your family that only interrupt if the house is on fire." Meanwhile, business owners may exaggerate at home and isolate themselves from the rest of the world. "Do not hide in a cocoon," says Berner. Keep your network of friends and find ways to make new friends, he advises. "Look for other professionals working with something for guidance. Get out to lunch with other people whenever possible. "Isolate yourself in your office not only destroys your social life, but it's bad for business.
Post a Comment