Thousands of home-based businesses are started every year and in 25 years, it is estimated that over 75% of all businesses will be home-based businesses. Unlike working at home for an employer and receiving a salary, a home-based business allows people to make a living while working for themselves. The success rate for home-based businesses are higher for all other businesses because of their low overhead and start-up expenses. Most home-based businesses are staffed by less than 5 people and are very easy to get off the ground. The requirements listed in this article are critical to starting, developing and maintaining a successful work-at-home business.
Selecting the Right Business
Choosing which business to start at home is the easiest and the hardest part of starting a business. Although most proprietors know exactly what they want to do, there are others that have multiple options and they want to make sure the one they choose will be the best one for success. It is recommended that people who start a home-based business, select one where they possess years of experience and can offer clients a wide range of skills and abilities that can help a potential customer. For example, if an employee worked in an doctor’s office as a medical coder for over 8 years, they can use this experience and the skills they acquired on the job in a multitude of home business ideas such as medical claims processing, medical transcription or virtual assistant.
Getting the Licenses and Permits
The next item that most business owners need to have are licenses and permits to legalize their business. Most business license departments have different requirements for businesses in the home or people who are self-employed. Before getting a license, obtaining a separate location for accepting mail and correspondence such as a post office box is recommended so customers do not come to your home or neighborhood as this may cause a commotion or inconvenience to your neighbors. Aside from filing fees, no other funds are usually required to get your license or permit.
Creating a Productive Home Office
Finding a location in your home to set-up an office can be troublesome if you do not have a spare room. A garage can be used if any products need to be stored for use or shipment. For people who mainly use a computer for their business, all you have to do is find a table or desk and get to work so finding space to use will not be as difficult.
Purchasing Software and Equipment
Purchasing a fast high speed Internet service is highly recommended for those whose business is performed mostly online. Aside from a computer, it may be necessary to purchase an all-one-printer, tablet and a smartphone so customers and clients can get in touch with you. Customer service is a core part of any business and the ease and ability of customers to be able to contact your company is vital. MS Office contains almost every software required for most businesses today, therefore possessing a copy of this software is a necessary expense. Always have a computer with the latest operating system available and buy the most widely used software that relates to the business you are running such as MediSoft for medical claims processing or QuickBooks for accounting. If you mail a lot of products, investing in a postage mailing system for fast and easy shipments is suggested.
Finding Customers and Clients
Getting customers or finding clients is the hardest part of running a business. All businesses need money to operate and knowing the best places to find clients is extremely important. Advertise your business in places where you will receive the most for your money like pay-per-click search engines such as Google or Bing. For an online presence, choosing an SEO can be very helpful. Search Engine Optimization can get your site on the first pages of search engines so customers can find you first. And the best method is considered old fashion, but still works better that most advertising options available today. Business owners should contact local and national businesses using flyers or brochures to solicit their services because this gets you in direct contact with the client and provides a better response especially if your prices are competitive and fair.
We provide hundreds of legitimate home based business opportunities for customers to choose from. Our business packages include everything needed to get started including guidebooks, textbooks, business start-up manuals, legal forms, contracts and software, says Marie Surles (CEO and President of HEA-Employment.com, one of the most popular online job sources for legitimate work at home job openings.)
Another important requirement is record keeping books or software to keep track of your bills and expenses to report your income at the end of the year for taxes. Tax software today make it a lot easier for business owners to complete your taxes. More forms need to be completed and more time needs to be dedicated to filing taxes when running a business. If you prefer to do your own taxes instead of hiring an accountant, it is best to use an online tax service to make the tax preparation process easier and less time consuming.
Author Bio: Marie Surles is the President of HEA-Employment.com. The company was started in 1997 to provide assistance to job seekers and telecommuters who want to work remotely in their own homes by offering legitimate work-at-home job listings, professional resume services and telecommuting resources for virtual assistants.