Ladies, Starting a Home-Based Service Business? Heed These 5 Important Tips

So you’ve been thinking of starting a business from home. You’ve got some skills, don’t have a lot of space for inventory, so you figure it might be a good idea to start a service business. In fact, it’s a GREAT idea – you just have to be prepared to get your business off the ground and balance all the work/life responsibilities that are on your plate.

This article is going to provide you with easy-to-follow tips to do just that, but first, if you still don’t know what type of service business to start, here are a few popular suggestions:

Ghostwriting for the Internet: Write articles, reports and other information for online business owners.

Transcription Business: Create written records of audio recordings, meetings and more.

Virtual Assistant Business: Provide administrative support, secretarial services and more for other companies.

It doesn’t matter what type of service business you start, there will be some challenges along the way. Here are some tips help you as you go along:

1. First and foremost, set your working hours and ensure everyone in your household is aware of them and respects them. If you happen to be a mother or have other interruptions during the day, there’s nothing wrong with setting aside smaller chunks of time where you’ll be working. This isn’t the “real world” work setting anymore – it’s better. You work at home and you can decide when you work.

2. As a service business, you have two very important roles. One of those roles is to provide service for your clients. The other is to FIND those clients and the time involved in this is something many service-providers don’t take into account. Ensure you have enough time for providing services and the marketing tasks for your business – or hire some help to make the most efficient use of your time.

3. Charge a fair and rewarding rate. Even if you charge your clients for each hour you work for them, there are many tasks (administrative, marketing, etc.) that you don’t get paid for. To set a rate that is worthwhile to you, you need to decide what type of overall income you desire and figure out how many hours total (all business activities) you want to be working. If you find you can’t charge a rate that is worthwhile, consider another business idea or target a specific type clientele that is willing to pay the rates you charge.

4. Be choosy about your clients. It can be tempting to simply take on any clients because you may need the cash. Unfortunately, bad clients can drain your time, suck up your energy and end up being more work than they’re worth. Resist the temptation to just take any clients because your business will be more fruitful in the long run if you work with easy-to-manage, low-maintenance clients.

5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you find yourself taking on more clients than you can handle to earn more money, revisit tip #3 above. You may be concerned about giving your clients a good deal, but they actually suffer when you can’t provide the quality service they deserve. Instead aim for fewer clients, charge more and give them stellar service.

If you keep these things in mind, your transition to a work-at-home service provider will go much more smoothly. It’s not always easy and when you’re first starting out, it can be tough to find that balance and a schedule that you can work with. But stick with it and keep refining your process and you’ll find yourself owning a very rewarding business that you absolutely love.

Recommended

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Are You A Mom? What Do You Buy?

Are you a mom? What do you spend your money on? The big impact on the consumer market, is the buying power of moms, and this cannot be denied. Keep reading and see if we get it right, there is something you might learn about the way mothers are buying.

Moms with Young Children

When you have children the buying habits change. Even though moms secretly love to shop and get the cute clothing and gadgets for their babies, most of the buying is necessary. In fact, according to an Online Behavior and Demographics survey by Jupiter Media Metrix, over 40 percent of moms will buy items online that are on sale. These same items probably wouldn’t have been purchased in the store.

Adding children to the mix becomes a whole new arena of buying to think about. New moms are buying diapers, bottles, breast pumps and onesies, instead of buying fashionable shoes and clothing (which you can still squeeze in if you are a savvy shopper). Fashion has come to the small and sweet-smelling and moms are all for it. Why shouldn’t your baby be the best dressed on the playground in Old Navy and OshKosh B’Gosh?

Moms with babies and young children are new to the scene, they are curious to find out about new products before buying them. They get recommendations from other moms, or veteran moms, online or off line that influencing the buying power of moms with babies and young children.

Moms with Older Kids

This is where the buying habits gets interesting. Ten years ago the one thing moms knew that technology cost quite a bit of money and they made sure their money was well spent. They didn’t know how to shop for an iPod, a PDA or an Xbox.

Now the moms of older children are leaning the lingo. The moms are becoming knowledgeable about iPods, gaming systems, netbooks and other gadgets, they are shopping and purchasing now. Moms have found that using technology is just as fun as purchasing it for their kids.

Baby Boomer Moms

Life has come full circle for these moms. They are now taking care of aging parents. New issues take precedence in their life such as senior healthcare, coping with illness, reverse mortgages, assisted living and managing more than one household.

No more diaper or bicycle buying for these moms. They are now searching for specialized items to fit the needs of their parents while adjusting to life as empty nesters. Moms 45 and over are downsizing their homes and shopping for items related to their favorite hobbies, buying vacationing packages.

The buying habits of moms change and grow as their responsibilities do the same. If you a mom in any of these phases, we have tried to present an accurate picture of you. For young moms, you now know what is ahead of you.

Mom Quit Running Yourself Ragged...

As women and mothers, we play many different roles and most of us don't take the time off that we deserve. Everyone deserves some quiet time away from the family and our everyday responsibilities. Isn't it time that you invest in yourself? Do you know that you are worth it, right?

Just think about the course of your day: you play doctor, cook, chauffeur, teacher, lawyer, and the occasional referee as well.

Why is it you can remember the last time you did a load of laundry, the last time your children fought, and the last time your little ones did some artwork on the wall (smile) but you CAN’T remember the last time you took time out for yourself to concentrate on adding more joy into your life?

Are you tired of being superwoman and caring for everyone else but yourself? Click Here!

A Mother's Work is Never Done and That's Just Fine with Her A Mother’s Work is Never Done and That’s Just Fine with Her Ask any mom how becoming a m

A Mother’s Work is Never Done
and That’s Just Fine with Her Ask any mom how becoming a mother feels
and she’ll tell you it is the greatest experience of her life. Nothing
can top motherhood! Ask her again after a few months of little to no
sleep, when her 2 year old has ransacked the entire house or her
teenager has just started driving. She may give you an overwhelmed look
and let out a heavy sigh, but her reply will remain the same. She
wouldn’t trade the title Mom for the world, even on her child’s worst
day. Just take a look at some of these real-life examples to see what
we mean.

One mom of two, ages 4 and 5, had this to say when asked what she finds
the hardest, yet most rewarding part of being a mom.
“I find disciplining them really hard. Sometimes you just want to give
in and make peace, but when you hold out, they really start to get it
and become better people.

I also love answering their questions, but find them challenging at
times. They ask me what certain words mean or why something is a
certain way. Often, they're asking about things no 4 or 5 year old
should be concerned with. Not that they're taboo things or anything,
just complex things that are tough to explain.”

Here’s what another mom of 2, ages 9 and 1, feels makes it all
worthwhile. “The other day my 21 month old was testing every thing with
Mom. Getting into things he knew he shouldn't be, throwing tantrums and
refusing to take his nap. You name it he was trying his hardest to see
how far he could get with me. Needless to say, no work got done that
day, the house was a disaster and this mama needed a break! I was
almost ready to give up and say "Oh go ahead and tear all the DVDs off
the shelf and have fun! Then, he came running up to me with the biggest
smile on his face and his arms outstretched and gave me a big hug,
patted my back and puckered his lips for a kiss! My heart melted, I
smiled back, gave him a kiss and told him I loved him while all the
stress and built up frustration of the day melted away!”

Being a mother is the toughest job any woman will ever have, but it
also takes top honors as the most satisfying. There is nothing else in
life that can make a woman ready to pull her hair out and scream, while
evoking an extreme feeling of love at the exact same moment in time.
Moms invest so much in their children, most of which goes unnoticed
until they are older. She gets tired, but never gives up because she
knows the rewards for her perseverance will be awesome.

A mother’s work is never complete. Even when her children are grown and
have children of their own she wouldn’t want it any other way. Find
family friendly product reviews, information and support from a variety
of different moms from all walks of life at www.momstalknews.com. Join us, it’s Free!