Best Businesses and Where to Launch Them
Posted on December 23, 2009
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2010 is a great year to start thinking about launching a new business. Here’s a look at some of the top new businesses to consider getting into and where the best spots are to start them:
- Green construction business in Southern Arizona. A lot of people in this part of the world are interested in affordable green construction. Commercial real estate offices are affordable enough for you.
- Search engine optimization Tampa companies. All online marketing companies are taking off right now but Tampa SEO businesses seem to be the most profitable of the bunch so far.
- Handmade designs in San Francisco. It’s tough to afford an actual retail space in San Francisco. However there are a lot of craft fairs and indie marts where you can set up a booth to sell handmade clothing, paper goods and art products.
- Art galleries in the Midwest. Smaller towns throughout the Midwestern United States are seeing an emerging interest in cultural spots like art galleries and jewelry making shops. If you’re artsy then this could be a good place for you to make a move.
Starting a new business is tough. However it’s well worth the rewards. Choose the right business and the right place to open your doors!
Green Web Hosting Services and More
Posted on November 19, 2009
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Your business can be greener than it is. It doesn’t matter how eco-friendly you already are, there is always something more that you can do to get a little greener. For example, did you know that you can hire a green web site hosting company?
What exactly is a green web host? This is a company that provides web hosting services in a way that is as earth-friendly as possible. For example, a green web host might obtain the power necessary to run its company from renewable energy resources such as wind power or solar power.
Notably, going green in this way isn’t always the cheapest option. Usually when you make green changes to your business, you cut back on your waste and save money. However green web hosts aren’t necessarily the most affordable web hosting companies out there. Buying green services sometimes hits you in the pocketbook.
If you can’t afford to make changes like hiring new service providers then you can always look at other ways to go green for now. Offering telecommuting to your employees, investing in energy-saving computer and lighting systems and reducing your business travel are all ways to go green while also cutting costs in your company.
Catering to Niche Software Markets
Posted on October 27, 2009
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One of the principles that I define my life by is that it is okay to be different. In fact, from my experience, being different when it comes to business usually results in increased profits which is something no business owner would have a problem with.
So, it should come as no surprise when I tell you the secret to my computer store’s success: being different. Now, I am not talking about being weird or anything, but instead we cater to smaller niche software markets that might have a small customer base, but are still chalk full of rabid buyers.
After the success of our foray into landscaping simulation software, we decided that we would tackle a few other markets this fall. Specifically we have started to carry some software to simplify the task of homeowners association management and the sales so far have been more than we have expected.
We still haven’t seen a lot of sales of the scouting software that we have started to carry, but that is our fault. You see, we haven’t sent out the direct mailings to the scouting groups in our region yet, but that will be done before the end of the month and I know that sales will do well.
Thankfully there is a never-ending supply of markets where no one is selling any related software in our region which has allowed us to become one of the biggest computer stores in town. Hopefully our customer centered approach will work wonders over the course of the next year and by next Christmas we will be the largest store in town.
Starting a Home Jewelry Business
Posted on October 22, 2009
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It’s tough to think about starting a new home-based business right now. Most of us are just happy to have a job if we have one (and looking full-time for one if we don’t). But a home-based business is something that can start small and grow into a great source of income for you. If you’ve ever thought that you might want to sell jewelry from home then you shouldn’t put off the opportunity just because the recession has you more worried than before about cash.
The great thing about starting a home based business is that you can start as small as you’d like. You don’t have to invest a lot of money in ecommerce software, stocking up on jewelry or other major expenses. You can dabble. You can buy a piece here and sell it there and use the profits to keep on going. You can play around with ideas.
Of course, you should have a plan in place that you’re following even when you start slowly. You should know if you want to sell gold, silver or beaded jewelry. You should have some benchmark goals for how much you’d like to earn in one month, one year and five years. But you can set these goals as small as you’d like just to feel comfortable enough to get started. Get over the fear of failing that the recession has caused so many of us to have! Leap and the net will appear!
The Importance of Employee Health Care
Posted on September 23, 2009
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As a business owner, it is important that you provide your employees with good benefits, especially health insurance.
Some people might advise you to pinch your pennies in this regard, to save money by making employees pay most of the cost of the policies themselves, or to only provide health care for full-time employees. However, I think it is important to consider how benefits help you retain employees. Will the money you save on health care be worth having to frequently hire and train new employees? It’s a well-known fact that good benefits can increase employee retention and loyalty.
Health care also helps by encouraging employees to take care of themselves, which means better job performance. An employee that can go to the doctor when they need it will be well again and back to work sooner than an employee that doesn’t have health insurance, and cannot afford to go to the doctor or buy prescriptions. Likewise, an aging employee who has good health insurance can go to a hearing clinic to prevent their job performance from suffering due to hearing loss.
So do your business a favor, and be sure not to skimp on employee health benefits. Although it may cost you money to do the right thing by your employees, you will find that in the long run, you will benefit from your benefits, too.
Stair lifts make it into home renovations
Posted on August 16, 2009
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During our most recent conversations regarding the renovation of our home, my wife and I talked about a number of items that caught me off guard. While neither of us are getting any younger, I was immediately curious when she mentioned the concept of installing stair lifts on our two staircases.
You know the systems I’m referring to, right? Like in old film noir movies like “Whatever happened to Baby Jane?” I had all sorts of unnatural thoughts going through my head!
It wasn’t until my wife started discussing some lift recliners that she had been pricing that I really began to understand where she was going with all the discussion. She wasn’t really planning for us to need these assistive devices, but instead she was being wise.
She knew that both her father and my mother, may at some point within a few years might have need to move in and live out their remaining years with us. In their advanced years, it was not inconceivable to imagine they might have need to be helped up or down the stairs.
And in the living room, with the assistance of lift chairs, they would be able to continue with a modicum of independence for much longer periods of time. Ah my wife; she is a smart one!
Small Business Rule #1: Keep Good Records!
Posted on August 13, 2009
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Good recordkeeping is one of the most important rules of running a small business, if not THE most important rule. Good records mean everything to you: They help you to track your income (good for getting loans and dealing with the IRS), retain customer information (good for marketing promotions), and countless other things.
But how to keep all the information safely? I personally like to scan my documents and have everything in digital form, even if I keep the paper documents too. Then I’ve got the ability to store electronic copies at a different location, just in case something happens to destroy my records at the office.
If you don’t want to take the time to scan the documents yourself, or if you lack the equipment to do so, you might benefit from a document imaging service. Also, for offsite backup I recommend checking out online data storage solutions – I’ve used remote backup before and really liked it for backing up my important business-related data.
There are a lot of things to think about in order to get a good recordkeeping system in place for your business, but this should at least get you started. Don’t forget, though, that your records are essentially the lifeblood of your business — treat them with the utmost care!
Rewarding Our College Graduates
Posted on August 12, 2009
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One of the things that we value in our organization is the caliber of our employees. We have been trying to go above and beyond when it comes to taking care of them and getting them the education they deserve. In fact, a large number of our employees started out working for us during an internship, and in most cases, we keep them on as permanent while they are finishing their schooling.
We also make it a point to have a big party to celebrate when they graduate. If they work hard and get good grades (we have yet to have someone who hasn’t), then we throw them a big party and give each one of them university diploma frames to commemorate their accomplishments in school.
We also make sure to take pictures of them, so that we can stick a picture of them in a graduation picture frame on our wall of honor. It is one of the first things that any of our clients see, and it reminds them that we have worked hard to become the company that we are today.
It is nice to see that our employees value the efforts we make to recognize them as well, since in the end, we wouldn’t have a company without them.
Startup Costs for Opening a Home Daycare Business
Posted on July 25, 2009
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The home daycare business is not an uncommon phenomenon. In some neighborhoods, especially those near schools, you will find one of these on almost every street corner. I actually went to a home daycare for a while as a kid, and found it much better than the typical commercial daycares — and since many parents feel the same way, there are plenty of opportunities in today’s society for home daycare businesses to thrive.
In order to open a home daycare business, though, you will need to front some money — or get a small business loan — for startup costs. Here are a few examples of the startup costs you can expect when starting a home daycare business.
- Toys - You will need to be sure that you have plenty of toys for the kids to play with. This includes educational toys, dolls, blocks, jigsaw puzzles, board games, outdoor toys, and so on.
- Kids furniture - It’s expected for daycares to have special furniture for the kids, to make them feel at home. These days most kids furniture is scaled down to make them feel more comfortable using it.
- Diaper changing station, toddler potties, mats, etc. - There are also the practical things you will need – a diaper changing station that can easily be wiped down and disinfected, a potty chair for the little ones, naptime mats that can also easily be disinfected between uses, sheets for the mats, kids’ dishes, etc.
- Inspection costs - Finally, you will need to have your home inspected and licensed for providing child care before you open your doors to children. The inspector will look at things such as whether there are enough exits to enable you to get all the kids out safely in an emergency, and how many kids you will be allowed to care for in the square footage your home offers.
These are just a few of the most important startup costs you will face if you open your own home daycare business. The costs can add up, but small business loans are often available to help you get on your feet.
A Business Degree Can Go A Long Way
Posted on July 25, 2009
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My sister has been involved in several endeavors in her life considering she has a simple degree in business. It took awhile and two different colleges before she went from an associate’s to a bachelor’s degree. She got her master’s from University of Phoenix, which may or may not be honored by some companies, but all the same it is amazing how many different directions a business degree will stretch.
She’s worked for major corporations, DeVry, a college specifically designed to train future golf course managers, and internet companies, and she has connections to marketing services in London, sales, working from home, and even mystery shopping to snag a few free dinners and free hotel rooms-I mean, she’s done it all.
And she’s kept in touch with so many of her connections that she was basically recession-proof. True that she’s been laid off a few times, and she really hated travelling when she was in sales, but she always manages to scratch her way back into some job. What’s more, she gets herself into management. So I guess what I’m saying is that it’s not only a pretty good idea to get a business background, but then also to make connections in a variety of directions.
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