Data Entry

Ever since the development of computer or even the invention of typewriters, the demand for data entry has hiked up. Data entry, according to most resources, is the process or act of transcribing a certain group of symbols or language in a certain form into another form, depending on its use. This is usually and predominantly seen in computer program development settings. This also includes transcribing documents that are handwritten, data from spreadsheets from another program, number series or sequences, letter patterns and symbols that are used to build programs and simple data such as names and contact information.

Anybody can do this job; however, it takes meticulous effort to be good at it. Speed and accuracy are two essential things considered when assessing skills. A single mistake can render a program useless or even take a whole lifetime's work down. That is why qualifications to be able to be accepted in big-time data entry would be expertise in ten-key typing among other things.

Those who are already in the path of the this type career are expected to be quick and accurate typists who are able to read both typewritten and longhand documents. This area needs a lot of focus and concentration. Also, even if we think that this type of work is not demanding on the body, some people experience occasional fatigue and back pains due to the sometimes lack of good posture, stretching and rest. So most therapists would require them to take breaks to preserve eyesight and prevent the carpal tunnel syndromes. Therapists usually instruct them on how to stretch and shake off muscle tension.

Opportunities of making money from this job are increased nowadays. This is even possible for those considered novice by trying out light or entry program jobs. Beginners are given the chance to improve themselves slowly, making the growth not exclusive only to skills but also to income.

The Internet also helps the industry by allowing aspiring data entry transcriptionists to work from home. Employers are many and you would probably know basic tools. Aside from the related software, having a time tracking application is also very useful for online workers. But caution is advised. Make sure that the people you are working for are not into scams, they might make a run with your hard work. Data entry has paved a new opportunity for people who have certain skills or people who would want to develop them. So, with caution and growth in mind, for sure anybody can succeed in this area.

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How to Survive a Bad Economy

You're out of work. Your husband (or wife or roommate) is about to become unemployed too. You are getting unemployment compensation, but that's not enough to pay the rent (or mortgage). You can't find a job and your friends can't help because they aren't any better off than you. Now what? How do you survive in a bad economy?

Sound familiar? It's going on throughout much of the world, not just in your neighborhood. What can you do? How can anyone, anywhere, survive in a bad economy? The government can't help. The government probably created the bad economy in the first place.

Well, in the United States, and in much of the rest of the world, it is still possible to be an entrepreneur. That's right; be an entrepreneur. You can start and run your own small business. Many people before you have been able to survive in a bad economy in exactly that way; not only survive, but also prosper.

Since my experience and knowledge is mostly about the U.S., this article refers mainly on the U.S. The U.S. has a very strong entrepreneurial tradition. However, I do know that most of this information can be used in many other countries as well. Canada, Great Britain, India, China Australia, Italy and Russia have entrepreneurs also.

One of the problems with becoming a small business person is that government education doesn't prepare you for it. No, in today's socialist thinking countries, government education leans toward preparing you to becoming government employees or welfare recipients. They want you to rely on the government to survive in a bad economy. Besides, they'll tell you that things aren't so bad. Just "vote for me; I'll take care of you."

So, if you don't have an entrepreneurial education, how do you learn to start your own small business? Besides, don't businesses cost money to start?

Let me answer the second question first. Not all small businesses cost a lot of money to start. In fact, you can start some small home-based businesses with resources you already have; maybe just some of your time; maybe just your sewing machine or kitchen; maybe just your computer.

Now, back to that first question; "How do I learn to start my own small business?" Okay, let me give you a few quick answers:

Find someone who is already doing it and learn from them. Flattery could be helpful here. "I see you are successfully running a business. Do you think you could teach me? I'd be willing to work for you (maybe for free) and I promise not to go into competition against you." That's just one thought about how to go about it.
Read about starting businesses in libraries or on the internet.
In most cases, there are great e-books and courses available for purchase that can save you months, or even years of trial and error experience. Many of these resources have been created for you by people who have already done what you are trying to do. The investment in your education is well worth it so you won't have to reinvent the wheel.
Get your own direct experience. Once you get some knowledge, make a plan and get out there and do it. In many cases, your first one or two attempts won't be real successful, but the experience of doing, win or lose, it will end up being your best education. I know of successful business people who have had a dozen or more "failures" before becoming wealthy and successful. Experience is a great teacher.
Make a plan - even a quick plan - and get started. The biggest secret is to GET STARTED. Too many people think themselves to death and never accomplish anything.

What can you do to get started? Start by making a list of things you can do. Make that list as long as you can. Somewhere on that list could be your new business. Think not? I know a guy who started a local car service by taking non-drivers to their doctor appointments and to and from the airport.

What can you do? Can you teach young mothers to sew new clothes for their children? Can you give music lessons? Can you run errands for home-bound seniors? Look around you and look at your own knowledge.

Still can't think of anything? I know one guy who drove his pickup truck out to cattle farms and found someone willing to let him take some cattle manure. Yep, he made a business out of manure, selling it as fertilizer to home owners in the city. Find something and start doing it, today. You can improve on it tomorrow.

by : Mel Weiss
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Seven Basic Business Requirements

Let me start by appreciating the fact that businesses tend to be ineffective and unprofitable when certain requirements are not satisfied. Not until these requirements are met, business tends to remain on a spot as far as progress is concerned generally. Hence, to make your business effective and to meet up your set up goals and objectives, certain basic requirements must be met. I want us to clear fully examine Seven Basic Business Requirements. Here we go!

1. Your Attention.
As a sole proprietor, your business demands your whole attention if you really want your business objectives and goals achieved. You have got to commit not only your equity (capital investment), but also your whole self. Attention basically comprises of three factors which include:

a. Skills and Expertise. All you have got in terms of intellectual capacity or property as some will say, is required by your business.
b. Time. All your time have to b allotted to your business if you want progress otherwise, little trends would be visible.
c. Resources. Apart from your initial capital, you have to commit more of your personal resources to your business as every business is resources demanding- please bear this in mind.

2. Management.
Quite a lot of people have defined management. But in this context,it is your ability to control, guide and direct all your resources in the right proportion. your business requires that you guide, control and direct all your resources to meet up your set up goals and objectives. This entails adequate human resources development and direction as well as a good resources distribution. Adequate resources leads to an effective business as well as a good profit base investment.

3. Finding The Right Market Place.
The environment in which your end products are finally consumed or bought for the end user is very vital in this sense. Like it was shared in the last article, where I talked about increasing your Stock Turn Over (S.T.O), your market base should be able to fit into your products. When your products do not meet the intent desire of the folks in your environment, that is your immediate market place,it inevitable that such business will suffer a defeat. But if adequate market place is provided, it is inevitable that there would be a traffic of customers at your disposal. Finding a suitable and fitting market place is a requirement to make your business effective.

4. Other People's Services.
Let me start from the fact as far as the global economy is concerned, no one nation or country is self sufficient. No one country or nation is independent economically. Put in other words, every nation or country is dependable on the economic services of other countries of the world. In fact, this is the basis of international trade. Just as international trade is inevitable, the services of others as regard to your business is also inevitable. No matter the potential capacity or how small your business is, employ the services of other people. Other people's services matter in your business. Their services could help you solve certain problems in your business which you would not have ordinarily solve.

5. A Good Awareness.
In this 21st Century, information is the order of the day. In fact, that is the basis for Technological Revolution. 90 per cent of people want information. So giving your clients or prospective buyers the needed information tends to pull a traffic of buyers and patronizers at your disposal. IF the need be, strengthen the force of your business awareness.

6. Others Opinion.
For the sake of improvement and business quality, you can demand or seek for the opinions of other people as regard to your business. Place importance on what other people would say when it comes to your business products and services. It is not necessary that you execute every opinion but that you evaluate and see if any suggested opinion fits the improvement and quality of your business. The choice is yours but the opinions are theirs. Let them give their thoughts about your business and its products but you make the choice.

7. Proper Incentives.
As your business grows, the need arises for the employment of other people services. As a form of increasing the profitability basis of your business, you have to introduce a proper incentive packages for the employed. Doing this creates their zeal towards productivity thereby creating an avenue for their exploits in your business.
by : Tam Emmy
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The Best Time to Start a Business

If you ask people the best time to start a business, some people will say you should never start a business when the economy is "bad." Chances are, these "experts" either have never started a business, or they have never been successful in any business of their own.

True, it is harder to start a business when the economy is bad, but the reason you start a business is to be successful. So, when is the best time to start a business? Think about it for a minute.

Let's look a two guys who have the same idea - open a pizza restaurant in a certain neighborhood. Guy "A," Andy, opens now, in a slow economy. He has trouble borrowing money, so he starts small, finds a place when rents are cheap, and works out creative deals with used equipment suppliers, or buys used equipment at auction sale of failed businesses.

Andy gets started, builds his business slowly and is careful with his money. As the economy improves, Andy's business has been growing; he has worked out the kinks in his menus, his service and his quality. He learned how to run a business on a small investment and with low overhead. Andy's Pizza Shop now has a sizeable, loyal following.

Guy "B," Bill, on the other hand, listens to someone who says a bad economy is not the best time to start a business. So, he waits two years for the economy to improve. Borrowed money is easy to find, so he finds a large, expensive location in the neighborhood, buys expensive equipment and opens Bill's Pizza Palace. At first, people flock there to see this new beautiful architectural wonder of a pizza shop.

When the new customers enter the "palace," they are met with high prices, poor quality and inexperienced management. Bill has too much money invested in his frills - fancy location and fancy, expensive equipment. He can't afford to be competitive with Andy because his overhead is too high.

Andy learned how to run the place when money was tight and there weren't many customers. When he made beginner's mistakes, it didn't cost much and not too many people knew about it. Andy has two years of experience and low overhead, while Bill has no experience and a lot of overhead. At this point, who would you bet on to still be in business a year from now? I'd bet on Andy.

Now, what do you think about the best time to start a new business?

By the way, I have seen this type of scenario play out several times, in several ways; fancy restaurants or pizza shops opening and going bust within six months or a year, while smaller shops grow slowly and stay around for years. In fact, I started a small food business in a bad economy. People told me I was making a mistake. By the time the economy improved, my business was so well established that no one was able to open up and successfully compete. Others tried, but failed.

The question still wasn't totally answered, though. When is the best time to start a business? It's now. Now is the best time to start a business. Actually, anytime can be a good time to start a business, provided you have planned it out completely and you don't waste a lot of money. Take your time and learn your business. Be aware that you will make some mistakes at the beginning, but if you can learn from your mistakes, you will be far ahead of anyone who waits for the perfect time or the perfect plan.
by : Meil Weiss
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Think Big to Become an Entrepreneur

Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Planning to start your very own business soon? Think first if you can really handle the "rocky path" you'll be experiencing. Business responsibilities aren't that easy. In fact, not many people are willing to step out of their shoes and venture in business. One can get green-eyed at successful entrepreneurs because of the money they can earn and the freedom they have. If you have been dreaming to become one and are willing to take the risk of venturing out, go ahead! Gear up with your passion, creativity and right attitude! If you possess these qualities, success will ring at your doorbell!

Advantages and Disadvantages of Entrepreneurs: Have Your Risks Calculated before Jumping In!

Advantages:

Entrepreneurs earn in direct proportion to their hard work - having excellent sales would mean lots and lots of moolah! Employees earn what has been set by their employers.
Independence. Need more elaboration? Entrepreneurs are their own bosses. They answer to themselves and they can't get fired. They set the rules and the structure in their company. Another is that they may have flexibility in their time to do other personal stuff due to the fact that they control work schedules. Also, Entrepreneurs can decide freely if they want the company to wear business suits or not.
Entrepreneurs can get to practice their creativity. Innovation is essential in the business world as people want new, fresh ideas or products all the time. Business owners are also surrounded by the Marketing staff to help them out.

Disadvantages:

Entrepreneurs don't get regular salaries. If the business is low or the economy is experiencing a recession, lower income will flow in the company. More so, if the target market is not responding to your advertised products.
Time. Yes, even though entrepreneurs have flexible time schedule, there will be days in which they tend to work longer or overtime. Stress and pressure will come to them as they plan on how to improve the company. Most employees work on the regular nine-to-five pace or even less.
Major decisions are made by entrepreneurs. It can be a disadvantage and a burden to them because every decision they make will greatly affect the business.

Qualities That are Needed to Become an Entrepreneur:

Creativity.
Stability
Risk - taker.
Passionate.
Honest.
Optimism.

You can insert some positive qualities there as well. Also an entrepreneur has to be observant when it comes to the company's environment. Now, these characteristics will help the business owner cope with daily tasks.

So then, what else is needed to become successful in the world of entrepreneurship?

Starting up a business requires ideas. You plan what product or service you will provide to people. Make sure that your product is in-demand or marketable, or else there will be no sale. Continue to innovate your desired product so that your customers will not get bored by looking or experiencing the same thing all over again. If you have plenty of innovative ideas, save some for the future! Be honest when it comes to pricing your products. A hundred dollars for a pillow will not work! This is also where you have to think how much money or capital you would like to invest in the business. Any ideas on how to finance your business? Alright, grab that piggy bank you have since 3rd grade!

After planning what product or service you will be selling, determine who are your target audience - Barbie Dolls won't work for boys, unless they're dads who wanted to buy dolls for their "princesses" or older brothers who wanted to give their little sister some Barbie Dolls. You do get the picture right?

Decide whether you want to have a business on a store or online. Business-in-stores may have few customers at first, but within time, by exerting a lot of effort, it will grow into a huge company. Having an online business may lessen the start-up costs. However, beware of false buyers, they will only waste your time. Moreover, try securing all your data before someone else will steal it! After, decide whether you can register your business with the government to make it official.

Now, in order to have some customers, advertise your product or service! Choose whatever media you will be using that may reach your target audience - television, radio, newspaper, posters or even the Internet. Teenagers might hear about your product on the Internet or the television.

If you need any help with your business call your friends or post an announcement. Staffing may be difficult, but if you know proper staffing, then your problems might be lessened.

Always remember to BUDGET the money. Don't overspend for further renovations or productions. Also, don't be overly stingy with money either.

Now you know what it takes to be an entrepreneur. If you still wish to continue, brace yourself and don't get discouraged. Think BIG. Endless possibilities will come in your way.
by : Luminada Jenkins

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Habits of successful entrepreneurs

Starting a new business is an exciting experience so it is all too easy to get carried away with the process and forget to make sure you are ready for the ride. One of the great ways to help prepare for becoming an entrepreneur is to take a look at some of the habits of other successful business owners. While there may not be a singular recipe for business success, those who make it tend to have a few things in common. The following is a short list of some of the habits that you can try to adopt to make your business a success as well.

Look at the Glass as Half Full

Instead of lamenting on what goes wrong, try to take a more positive outlook. One of the few guarantees all new entrepreneurs can expect to have is that things will not go according to plan, but your response to unexpected problems can help to define your path to success.


Have a Plan, But Be Flexible

A business plan is one of the basic necessities of starting out on a new venture. A documented plan acts as the road map, and can save you lots of time, energy and money by illuminating what is likely to work and what seems to be the best way forward. However, just because you wrote it down, does not mean it will happen exactly according to plan. A successful entrepreneur is able to take challenges and turn them into opportunities.

Know When to Delegate

Although one of the trademarks of an entrepreneur is the ability to do fill in the blanks in the business, there comes a time when it is better to acknowledge when someone else is better suited to the task. Don’t get carried away in the drive to do it all yourself that you avoid seeing that help is available and affordable. You may be able to save money by contracting certain tasks out because it means you are able to divert your attention to other tasks.

Do What You Enjoy and Enjoy What You Do

Finally, successful entrepreneurs are not just in it for the money. This might be a bit of a paradox, but passion cannot be bought. When you are excited by what you do everyday you are more likely to do your best and to succeed at what you do. Naturally, one of the objectives of your business will be to make a profit, but you may find that the more you focus on making your customers and clients happy and really getting fulfillment from your business, the money will follow.
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Put Action Behind Your Decision

Making a major decision in your life is a big deal. Many times, it will come after long hours wrestling with options and quieting yourself to hear the voice of the Spirit and where It is guiding you.

Now, when you do make your decision...make it 100%. Do not hold onto any doubts or think about what could have been if you had chosen another path. You will find peace and serenity from committing yourself fully to the decision you have made for your life, your business, your family - whatever it is.

I have found in my personal life that when I say "YES" absolutely to the decision the Universe has confirmed for me, I am blessed with greater abundance than I could have ever imagined on my own.

So, how do you commit to your decision with all of your being? Here are 4 steps to take you to this point:

Make your decision a definite one. There is no room for maybes here. Do not allow yourself even a 1% stake in another decision path, because you need to focus everything on this one decision that you have made.

Know that your decision will impact all areas of your life. You need to be ready to acknowledge the influence your decision will have on your whole life.

Say you make a big decision regarding your business, and you have committed yourself to starting a new venture. There may be things in your current life that will hold you back from dedicating yourself fully to this new life. It may be a relationship, a location, or even a material possession that will just remind you too much of your previous life before you made this big step forward.

Let it go.

Don't let anything hold you back from this new decision that you devoted yourself to now. It will likely be very difficult to let go, but if it's holding you back in repetitive patterns from your past... just release it.

Leave yourself no alternative. If you tell yourself, "Well, just in case, let me do this or plan for that..." - you are setting yourself up for failure. You are allowing your fear to contradict what you have already decided is right for you. Don't let this happen.

Build a new life around your decision. Your new path will likely bring many changes your way. Make sure that you welcome this and create a new lifestyle that pleases you and supports your decision.

It is important to maintain a positive environment during this time of change. Part of this will be fun - create a happy space for your new business, and fill it only with things that you TRULY like and enjoy. Part of this will be extremely tough - like moving out of state or leaving a relationship, if need be.

But, you are on a new path now, and the rewards of committing yourself fully to your decision will surprise you immensely.

by David Neagle.

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Why We Don't Have Time to Think, Dream, and Strategize?

4-Reasons Why We Don't Have Alone Time

Alone time, quiet time, creative time, time to breath, margin, or whatever you call it, most people would say they do not have enough of it.

The list of excuses for why we don't have QUIET TIME to reflect, meditate, think life through, and dream would take way too long to list out and would require much stronger listening attentively skills than I possess.

Here are the four core reasons we do not put time aside to focus on the really important things in life:

1. We do not have boundaries. We have no fences for allowing people into our lives. Most of us let other people set our priorities, wreck our calendar, and basically walk with muddy shoes through the LIVING ROOM of our life.

The simple solution is to put up fences with NO TRESPASSING signs on them, enforced with a pit bull or a shot gun. And, this fence must have some gates so that, once you have let people in, you can let them leave so that you can be alone for a time.

2. We do not put value on QUIET TIME. We find time to do what we value. That we find time to eat and sleep every day is no great wonder. That we find time to play games on Facebook, watch Classic Sports, and do busy work proves that our values are messed up. IF we put value on QT we would have QT.

One solution is to begin to shift your values and to place QT at the top of that list. Read those people who encourage creativity. Believe that you will begin to actualize your dream (begin to live your life) when you can be quiet enough to clarify what it is to truly be wealthy.

3. We are addicted to distraction. We are being distracted to death. Our addiction to information, entertainment, and really, really IMPORTANT NEWS is draining the life right out of us. It is a slow death, a sort of decay, but the signs are all there. We get more excited about Twilight than an election. We get more excited about Weiner Gate than we do about the budget crisis. We pay top dollar for concerts, tequila, and the latest electronics but cannot find it in our budget or in our calendar to attend a Parenting Class, a Marriage Retreat, or find a time of simple reflection.

One solution is to recognize it is an addiction, to confess it as an addiction, to seek help from someone, to seek the help of Someone Higher, and to take steps to walk out of the addiction.

4. We are afraid. What will we hear when it is silent? Will we even like ourselves when we hear ourselves without the constant interference of someone else? How will we know if we are successful without our bosses telling us we are (or the car we drive, the house we live in, the paycheck we cash)? How will we know what we want without the TV shouting at us, the internet pitching to us, and the latest greatest, to be forgotten tunes blaring in our ears?

The solution to being afraid of being quiet, of being alone, is to be quiet, to be alone. To quietly yet resolutely face the space that is quiet in front of you.

Stop fighting the excuses. They are superficial. Look for the root of the WHY you refuse to be alone, quiet and living with plenty of margin on the page.

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What Niche Do You Want For Your Home Business?

It is important that before you undergo any business, ample time is made for research and feasibility. Nothing beats being ready for your endeavor. Do not make the mistake of just starting something without learning the ropes, the ins and outs.

That's where niche comes in. One of the surefire ways to earn money online is to create a niche business - something that will set you apart from all the others.

A niche is described as a specialized target segment of a particular market. It is what's going to increase your chances of success as a home business entrepreneur.

For example, if you are adept in writing articles, then you might consider offering copywriting services or virtual assistance. Not everyone has the talent to write, hence, your writing skills can set you apart from all the others. Also, if you are good in website design then you might want to consider offering your services to small and medium enterprises. Couple your talent along with reasonable rates; you will certainly attain a lot of customers.

So how do you come up with your niche?

Start looking for your niche by discovering your passions, strengths, and desires.

Here is a handy tip: take a piece of paper and pen and then write down all of your skills and talents. Figure out which ones sound unique or extraordinary. From all the things on your list, decide which one can be your niche. Do you think selling purely native bags can make you stand out as an entrepreneur? Or do you think offering garage pads in your area will fare better? Always remember that the niche should be something that is not everyone can easily offer.

Do not stop at listing down your greatest skills, though. The search engines are your next pit stops. Do your research. Just type in the keyword or keyword phrase into the search engine. Enclose the keyword or keyword phrase with quotes. This limits the search results that feature the keywords. Then, examine the results and check each of them out. If you keyed in "copywriter," for instance, see if there's a huge demand for them. Also, while you're at it, check the going rates. This can help so that you won't end up charging more than what a lot do.

The third thing you can do is read news clippings about the industry that you want to join. Check the stock markets and browse related websites. See if the niche that you want to promote is in demand or has all the makings of a steady industry. If you want to enter the world of content writing, for instance, check if there are a lot of opportunities for writers like you - examples of these opportunities are new websites that would need content, companies that would need marketing collaterals and individuals who would need ghostbloggers.
by : Sean R. Mize Next...

Some Steps to Creating a Simple Business Plan

Your business plan is like a road map to long-term success.
Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't have a map
to find your destination and got lost wasting precious time and
money? Well, the same can happen to your business if you
don't plan out your business strategies.

Why you need a business plan.

It gives you a clear direction where your business is heading.
Many business owners just jump into creating a business
without researching and making a concrete plan.
Inevitably, they soon find that they are out of money and
have no time or clear strategies how to market their business.

Here are some simple steps to creating your own business plan
(this is by no means a comprehensive plan but a primer to get you
started):

1. Name of your business - create a name or reevaluate the name
of your business. Does it integrate well with what you are
selling? Is it easy to spell and remember? Is it a name that can
be well branded over time?

2. Vision - what will your business look like 5 years from now?
Think of how you may want to expand it to include other branches
or extra employees.

3. Mission statement - this defines what your business really
does, what activities it performs and what is unique about it
that stands out from your competitors.

4. Goals and objectives - clearly define what you want to
achieve with your business. Make sure they are quantifiable and
set to specific time lines. Set specific goals for each of your
products or services.

5. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) - by
analyzing these characteristics in your business, you will get a
clearer idea of what it will take for you to not only to survive
but also prosper.

This could include such factors as:

- your companies own changing industry
- the marketplace which may change due to social and economic conditions.
- competition which may create new threats and/or opportunities.
- new technologies which may cause you to change products or the process
in how you do things.

Evaluating your SWOT will help you to:

- build on your strengths
- resolve your weaknesses
- exploit opportunities
- avoid threats

Doing this analysis will help you create a more realistic
strategic action plan.
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6. Strategic action plan - this is the most critical step of
your business plan, because without it, your business will not
get off the ground. This should include your sales and marketing
strategies.

Rread How to create your web site marketing plan

7. Financial plan - a business can operate without budgets, but
it is clearly good business practice to include it. With budgets, you will be
more likely to achieve your business objectives, you will make
more-reasoned decisions and you will have better control of your
cash flow.

For any period, a cash flow statement would include:
- The cash and credit sales (or accounts receivable) expected to be
received during the period.
- The anticipated cash payments (for example, expenses for purchases,
salaries, utility charges, taxes, office expenses etc.)
- A description of other incoming and outgoing cash, with a calculation
of the overall cash balance.

This will assess how much money is on hand to meet your
financial obligations - what cash has been received and what has
been paid out. Knowledge of this cash flow cycle will help you
predict when you will receive funds and when you will be
required to make a payment.

8. Measuring and evaluation - you wrote your business plan and
set the goals with the intent of achieving them. So now break
them down into measurable pieces and monitor the results
regularly. A plan that cannot be measured is almost always
destined for failure. Celebrate your wins and recharge yourself
to accomplish your next goal.

Decide beforehand what constitutes a real serious loss and what
loss will be acceptable.

If you find your goals are unrealistic and unattainable, adjust
them, but realize that it takes hard work to achieve them, so
don't give up easily.

Conclusion:
Now that you have a business plan, make it a part of
you by knowing and understanding it clearly. Build upon it
continuously and refer to it often, so you remain on track to
building a profitable business.
resource :
http://www.isitebuild.com/

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Using Niche Marketing For Your Online Work At Home Business

Many online entrepreneurs get started using affiliate marketing and the most successful still employ this method. Affiliate marketing has recently been taken to the next level by those who are making money with niche affiliate marketing. Niche affiliate marketing can turn a huge profit for those who understand the principals but in order to use this method you must understand what affiliate marketing is and how to integrate the niche marketing strategy into your system. To be successful you must also understand how to choose and promote a product and it is the goal of the article to discuss these items.


Affiliate Marketing is a simple strategy where somebody promotes another companies products and services and receives a commission for their efforts. There are thousands of companies offering affiliate programs that you can sign up for and the amount of money you can make depends on the commissions offered and the sales to click ratio of the company's sales page. Promotion can be done using numerous methods including building your own promotional website, pay per click advertising, email marketing, and other methods. Affiliate marketing has gotten to be a huge enterprise on the Internet and therein comes the problem. Often times the most successful affiliate companies are saturated with affiliates and you may well be competing with thousands or even millions of others trying to promote the same service or product that you are. This is where the beauty of affiliate niche marketing comes in.

Niche marketing is the latest craze among Internet marketers today because this method concentrates on very small and specific areas of products. Because niche marketing involves finding small profitable segments of a much larger market, it involves a lot more work but if you are willing to put forth the effort, it can me a very profitable system. Niche marketing is designed to meet the unique needs of a targeted audience and helping real people solve real problems that they live with every single day. Niche marketing is the ideal choice for new Internet marketers who don't have a lot of money to get started but it does take some hard work and effort and finding the right product can make or break a new niche affiliate marketer.

Market niches can be geographic areas, a specialty industry, ethnic or age groups, or any other particular group of people. Niche products need to be chosen carefully so they appeal to the specific market you are selling to. Your product should be optimized for a highly targeted audience and should stand out from the crowd who is selling a broad range product. You would want to find a product with a large number of monthly searches but a low amount of competition. For example if somebody was to promote shoes on the Internet, there would be millions of competitors. But if you chose to promote Brand X athletic shoes then the competition would be much less. Once you have decided on a product then it is time to build a promotional website and to take steps to get traffic to your site.

No matter how great a product you choose to promote, you will not get any sales without getting some type of traffic to your website. Obviously you can choose to promote the product through alternate methods such as PPC advertising but this can be expensive and uncertain. Building your own promotion site is the most effective and least expensive route to take and getting traffic can be easy if you optimize the site correctly. Internet marketers that have been around for any time at all understand the need for and the effectiveness of article writing for traffic building. If you want traffic to your website then article writing and submission to the main article directories is not only recommended but is also a necessity. Writing keyword rich articles and posting them to high traffic web sites is a great way to make sure that you get maximum exposure within your niche market and there are many article directories that allow you to submit your articles for free.

Affiliate marketing can be a great way for an Internet marketer to make money but if you are just starting out then it is unlikely that you can beat the massive amount of competition online. If you want to be successful online with affiliate marketing then using niche marketing can be one of the best ways to do it. This method is definitely a lot harder to employ but the results can be spectacular if you are willing to invest the time and resources to find a profitable niche.
by : Rick Churchill

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Business is about people

Products and services enhance the well-being and stature of consumers. Thus, if you didn't figured it out yet; haven't anyone notice that business is all about people.

In all areas of business whether it be selling, management or marketing, people even those who are internally related to the business play an integral part in the decision making process. More so, despite the fact that business firms are run for profit, they work on achieving one noble mission - to make the customers feel that they have done the right thing in terms of their buying decision.

Ultimately, business firms will give much concern on people whether it be employees, customers and other people within the company's network. The essence of every kind of business endeavor is motivation; motivating your employees to work harder, motivating consumers to buy from you and motivating investors and creditors to do what you want them to.

Nevertheless, a great amount of focus should be put upon motivating people, creating goodwill and maintaining healthy business relations.

Motivating People

In business or perhaps in all aspects of life in general, the best weapon we can wish for is knowing where to get at anyone. Each man has his own thumbscrew and all men are idolators. Thus, business firms should be critical at knowing the people's likes and dislikes. It isn't a coincidence that product innovations are done with regards to the specification of consumers.

Likewise, employees who are treated fairly would, as a sign of gratitude, work harder to impress the management - eventually, those kinds of attitudes will result into back and forth love-giving, creating not just a company but a family.

Creating Goodwill

Goodwill perhaps is the most underrated factor in a business' success. Goodwill is defined as some kind of a prudent value, an intangible asset which can be worth millions. Hence, it's so important to create goodwill among customers and employees. Needless to say, business relation doesn't end after the sale has been made or the payroll has been released.

In order to generate much needed goodwill, customers must be treated fairly regardless of their race or social class. Complaints must be treated promptly and of course; the paying customer is always right with regards to employees, making them feel special and making them feel that they are part of the company's success by giving awards and bonuses will work wonders.

Maintaining Healthy Business Relations

Building business relations is hard but entrepreneurs should understand that it's harder to maintain such healthy business relationships. Inevitably conflict will arise that may or may not ruin business relations and the task of damage control is up to the manager or owner to execute.

Management should know how to compromise and deal with problems voiced out by long-time customers. Customers are friends and losing a long-time friend will hurt everyone of us, one way or another. One thing that should also be given consideration in maintaining healthy business relations is socializing with customers, employees or networks.

It could be done through trade shows, fairs, office parties, meetings or simple seminars - it's like hitting two birds with one stone; first checking on your network and second, opening opportunities for the growth of your network. Next...

Tips on choosing a good brand name for your company

With China and India both gaining traction in the ever growing global economy, a brand name can make or brake a company. However, while the economy has become more agile than it was 50 years ago, the process of choosing a brand name is largely unchanged. It is hard to blame business owners for this, because most of them are not aware the endless uses the Internet provides as a resource. That said, the beginning steps in choosing a good brand name for your company are still applicable.

Step 1: Brainstorm 1- What is the company's product/service?; What sets this company apart from its competitors? What is the company's attitude?

Step 2: Brainstorm 2- Find the words that fit the answers from Step 1. The more choices, the better the brand name will turn out. Many people stop this process too early, and fail to find the best brand name available to them.

Step 3: Construct Brand Names- With the words that you now have, pick brand names. These should only be one to two words long, and they should represent your company well. Come up with as many combination as you can.

Step 4: Rank the choices

This is where the similarities with the old way of choosing brand names stops. Previously, companies might hire focus groups to listen to the proposed brand names and pick which one they liked best, or the CEO might have just picked the one that he liked best. However, marketers must now contend with the Internet and domain names, better known as web addresses.

New Step 5: Try registering for the domain name of your possible brand names- If the brand name is, "Company A", attempt to secure http://www.companya.com. This will make the company much easier to find on the Internet.

New Step 6: If there are multiple available domain names check to see how many searches were done for each word. This should help narrow down the choices, and increase the opportunities potential customers have to stumble upon the company website

Step 7: Hire a focus group to work through the final choices.

Step 8: Celebrate a new brand name- This is usually best done with a victory lap around the office, but any amount of excitement will do.

Step 9: Immediately register the domain name.

In the end, always remember the goal. A brand name that represents the company, and a brand name that customers will remember.

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Why to Find a Niche for Your Small Business

Today, everyone is talking about niche marketing niche businesses and niche websites, but not many people know how or even why to find a niche for themselves. Specifically, you don't know how or why to find a niche for your business. Many people aren't even sure what a niche is.

Before you start a business of any kind, you need to find your niche. For your business to be successful, you need to find a niche that works for you; but why?

First, if you aren't sure, let's discuss what a niche is. After all, how can you find a niche if you aren't sure what it is?

For our purposes, a niche is a market segment, or a small part of a large market. Look at the world as a large marketplace, kind of like a huge shopping mall. A niche is like one kind of store, like a shoe store. If you look closer, you'll see one or two stores that specialize only in casual women's shoes. That would be a niche. When you want to see casual women's shoes, you would go there. If you are looking to buy fresh coffee beans or bananas, you wouldn't go there.

Now if you are starting an internet business, you might think that you want to try to sell to everyone on the whole internet. Why would I want to find a niche and limit myself to a smaller number of people? Wouldn't I make more money selling to everyone? Not really. Here's why.

When people come to the mall, they aren't looking to spend time or money on everything in the world. They want to buy a pair of shoes or a suit or a birthday gift for a friend. They are not going to go into every store looking to buy something. They are going to look at the mall directory for stores that offer what they want.

If you want to start a home business, you want to start as simply as possible. You might want to have a lot of customers, but you only want those who want what you are offering. If you buy advertising, you only want to pay to reach those people who need or want your service or product, not for everyone in the world.

The internet is just like the mall. People come for information; information about nutrition for their child, or first aid for their dog. They might want to know how to fix a leaky pipe or how to pick the best digital camera for under $50. They want specific information or products. On the internet, there is a "mall directory" - it's called a search engine. There are a number of search engines on the internet. Three of the biggest are Google, Yahoo and Bing, but there are many more.

In order for enough people to find you, you need for the search engines to show them where to find you. People go the search engines to find one thing at a time; they are trying to find a niche that has what they are looking for. That's why you need to find a niche for yourself. After all, if you are selling cigars, it won't help you to have little Tommy Teenager come to your site looking for pimple cream.

Here are a few benefits of choosing a small niche when you are about to start your small business, especially to start a home business:

Advertising efforts are easier because you have a target market.
You don't have to spend your valuable time explaining your service or product to people who are not true prospects.
Because your own mind is clear about your target market, you can learn that market better and serve that market better.
Because your efforts are concentrated in one niche, you can easily become the "expert" in your market.

That, my friend, is why you want to find a niche that works for you.

Before you start a business, find your own niche. You can't be everything to all people and you can't please all the people all the time. The smart entrepreneur knows how to concentrate his efforts.
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Assessing the future of e-commerce

Given the rise in power and convenience of the Internet, e-commerce is an absolute necessity for companies to reach full income potential. Of course it is possible to survive without having a website, but having a website, if your business is popular, will increase the amount of sales that you make. Additionally, should your physical store location not be doing as well as you may like, the Internet may add the additional revenue boost that you need in order to produce a better marketing campaign or to improve the product that you are selling. Also, because word of mouth advertising can work for you on the Internet as well, your business market will no longer be confined to the area in which your physical store is located.

As long as the Internet is as popular as it is and as long as it continues to grow, e-commerce will always be an important part for many businesses. Obviously, there will be some kinds of businesses that will not be able to sell anything online. However, this does not mean that such companies cannot benefit from the Internet. Even though such businesses will not be able to sell anything over the Internet, such businesses can still advertise on the Internet. As such, even though revenue will not come from Internet sales, revenue can come as a result of your advertisements on the Internet.

Another appeal of e-commerce is that is can be cheaper than regular retail. For example, if you are selling an e-book that can be downloaded from your website, you only have to produce one copy. As such, unlike a physical store, you do not need to have any inventory. Additionally, a website and hosting is far cheaper than rent and utilities. Therefore, the appeal of e-commerce is great. Additionally, with products such as Paypal and other online bank accounts, everything can be automated and therefore, you only have to periodically make sure that your website is running smoothly. This is far better and far cheaper than having to manage a physical store on a daily basis.

E-commerce will become critical when people fully embrace the Internet. There still exists generations that do not fully utilize the Internet. As such, when the generation that grew up with the Internet is old enough to engage in e-commerce, there will most likely be an explosion in the same. Therefore, it is the in the best Interest of entrepreneurs to utilize the Internet.

The bottom line is that not only is e-commerce here to stay but it will continue to expand as time passes. Therefore, it behooves all business owners and entrepreneurs to utilize the Internet as a way to create a stream of income. Next...

How to get paid for advertising on your website

Whenever we build a website, it is almost always the case that we wish to attract as much traffic to it as possible and make as much money from said traffic as we possibly can. There are a great many ways in which we can do this, of course. We can include a lot of relevant outbound links and attempt to attract as many inbound ones as possible in order to increase our standing in the eyes of the search engine spiders. We can add lots of fresh content in order to achieve the same effect. We can sell affiliate marketing products to the visitors we in this way attract in order to make cash but we can also sell advertising space on our site to generate income from visitors and potential visitors to our site.

The most obvious way in which people think to use advertising space on their website is by signing up for Google AdSense. This is of course a fantastic idea and is a very simple and effective way of monetising our site. We simply sign up to the programme, Google populates our site automatically with relevant ads and when visitors to our site click on said ads, we earn a few cents in revenue. This means that apart from the original sign-up process, Google do all the work for us in this respect and we can focus on simply keeping our site fresh, relevant and up to date.

The problem with Google AdSense is that it is a very uncertain way of earning advertising revenue. We do not simply get paid for hosting the adverts on our site but are entirely dependant upon third parties clicking on same in order to earn. There are no doubt some who are thinking at this stage, "I can simply click on the ads myself;" but you should be warned that Google will pick up on this practise very quickly and close your account, with all outstanding revenue being forfeited.

The most lucrative way in which we can get paid for advertising on our website is therefore to attract said advertising direct. The best way to do this is simply to place a panel advert on our site advertising the fact that advertising space is available and that prospective advertisers should contact you for further details. Your chances of success in this respect depend very much upon the nature of your website, of course, and the quality of traffic it attracts.

It is also possible to contact companies and ask them whether they would be interested in advertising on your site. This is an extremely good idea where you may have such as a website on your home town. Approaching businesses within the town - assuming you have a high Google page ranking - could be an extremely lucrative method of gaining advertising revenue, particularly when we consider the exorbitant rates local newspapers are charging in modern times.

These are just some ways in which you can get paid for advertising on your website and there will be a great many more dependant upon the nature of the site. It is therefore worthwhile spending some brainstorming time in this respect and coming up with new and hopefully lucrative opportunities to try out for yourself. Next...

100 IDEAS FOR BUSINESS AS AN ENTERPRENEUR THE BENEFIT THAT COME WITH OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS

1. Going into business for yourself is not as difficult as is often supposed "Sacrifices", while you must be prepared to make them, are not always, in the fact, made and may turn to be easier than feared. Enormous talent is necessary; and as a matter of fact, may sometimes turn out to be a liability.

You will find that engineering, sales, and business experts" usually can be employed when needed. There is enough professional help available, on both a part-time and full-time basis, when you need it.

2. At no time in the economic history of Nigeria as an example have the conditions been so right for starting a new business. Imported goods and services and so many country today are too costly because the money has fallen very low in value. Practically everything in the market is very expensive, mainly because they are imported as finished goods, or the raw materials with ambition can find at least a product or service he can find the money and time to produce.

3. There are companies and individuals all over the country with great skills that will design, manufacture, and package your product, to your specializations. You don't need to invest fortunes in capital equipment or personnel to get started.

4. Dealers, distributors and retailers abound in the market to help you market and sell your products. In fact there are many people working in other companies who have experience and who in other companies who have experience and who are dissatisfied with their current ranks and positions, or with their pay or conditions of service, and who will therefore gladly jump ship to assist you in your new exciting venture, once you make a pitch to them.

5. The federal and state government are instituting a lot of programs to help small business this happens in soon many countries.

6. The personal and professional risks of a new enterprise are rather less than normally imagined or talked about. And besides, if you are unemployed you probably have little or nothing to lose.

7. Starting a business doesn't require as much experience as you might think. Naturally, business experience and contacts are usually important assets. However, the person who goes to work for a large company to get 10 or 15 years of solid experience before starting out on his own is just fooling himself. With a few notable exceptions , most big companies find themselves working upward through a functional specialty, such as manufacturing, accounting, research, or sales, gaining experience that is negotiable only in that or a similar company Enthusiasm, vigor, energy and the skin of a crocodile are for more valuable than the " many years of experience" which are all often the same year repeated several times over.

8. Finally, consider this: starting a new business is more fun than almost anything else. Of course, you're going to have to work long hours. Nights, weekends, holidays. The big difference is this: instead of immersing yourself in someone else's organization and struggling with its problems and making its owners rich, in new venture, you create your own organization (With its own problems) and run it as you think it should be run.
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Four steps to building a home business

Building a business in the home is achievable if the business owner treats the home business as a real business, has a sustainable idea, knowledge about the business, and a plan. Building a business is difficult and building a business in the home is more difficult because of the distractions the home environment provides. Therefore, anyone who has a business in the home needs a solid foundation upon which to build to minimize the risk of failure.

Develop a business mind-set

One of the first prerequisites of a successful home business is the development of a professional approach to doing business. The first decision an aspiring business owner need to make is whether this is a real business or a hobby. This is important because real business strives to make a profit and those who pursue a hobby are happy just to have something to do. This involves getting business cards, professional looking stationary, and a space to work in totally set aside for doing business.

A key ingredient to home business success is good management or leadership. As a manager, the home business owner must keep the books, pay the bills, market the products or service, do the inventory, and perform all the other mundane tasks of owning and operating a business. This means setting business hours, dressing for business, and seeking new projects for the business.

Develop a sustainable idea

Home businesses, like any other business, begin with an idea or dream regarding the business by the owner. Many attempts at starting a home business fail because some people do not know what they want to do. The romance or idea of being in business is more attractive than actually running a business. Therefore, the individual building a home business must decide what type of business to enter. Research is necessary to decide what industry is best match the owner’s personal interest. The best advice to follow when deciding what business to enter, involves doing things the owner love doing in a field he or she is knowledgeable.

Develop knowledge about the business

Research supports that the knowledge of the owner directly correlates to the success of a small business (Pansiri & Temtime, 2010) therefore, home business owner can improve his or her chance of success exponentially with the more knowledge he or she gain about the business. The use of knowledge the home business owner gains is the variable that fuels business growth. Recognizing that the right mind-set, the sustainable idea, business knowledge are important are three of the most powerful lessons a home business owner must learn but, the most indispensible lesson of all that becomes the glue that holds everything together is writing and adhering to a plan of action.

Develop a business plan

This plan of action is a business plan. Taking the time to write a business plan for a home business helps the business owner to put down on paper all he or she has in his or her mind. The business plan is a blueprint for building the home business systematically. Having a business plan helps the home business owner to maintain focus as he or she goes about building the business. The business owner who develops a clear action plan for building an effective home business is planning for long-term success.

References

Pansiri, J., and Temtime, Z. (2010). Linking firm and managers’ characteristics to perceived

Critical success factors for innovative entrepreneurial support. Journal of Small business and

Enterprise Development, 17(1), 45-59. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.
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Why small businesses need websites

There are a great many reasons why small businesses need websites, perhaps even to a greater extent than large businesses do. The Internet in modern times has become the Goliath of information sourcing and the small business without a website is therefore likely to be consequently cut off from a large number of their potential customers.

In times now gone by, people looking to find a provider of a particular product or service had a limited number of ways in which they could do so. They could have perhaps scoured the local or national press classified ads. They may have watched TV commercials for details or listened out for a radio ad. They may have consulted the phone book, asked a friend, or even taken a walk down their local High Street or through the local mall. These were the established ways of finding required goods and services for many years and although still apply to some extent, they are now verging upon being the exception rather than the norm.

Whenever anyone is looking for a particular product or service today, they are most likely to perform a search for same online. They will input some key words and perhaps the name of their town in to a search engine and scour the results. This means that the small business which does not have a website will not have a chance of securing the custom and will lose out to a competitor who does have a website.

One reason why small businesses think they do not need websites is due to the perceived cost of obtaining a website. Very often, Web professionals will charge a great deal of money for this service, making small business owners balk at the quote provided. In these days of Web 2.0, however, it is possible for any small business owner to create a website for their small business themselves, free of charge. This could be in the form of a blog, a miniature website on the likes of Hub Pages or Squidoo, or even presences on a social networking site such as MySpace. These Web presences - while not conventional sites - can actually be even more prominent in search engine results than the traditional form of website.

Small businesses also need websites to be able to communicate with their existing customers in the most efficient fashion. This could be regarding the latest products or deals they have on offer, an upcoming event, or even details of how the business is changing, expanding or moving premises. Providing information to customers in this way not only makes it much easier and quicker for the customer to access, it saves the small business such as postage from being required to send out letters.

Small businesses need websites to raise the profile of the business and give it a chance of competing with what may very well be household name competitors. Life is difficult enough for small business owners without the added complication of essentially depriving their small business of the most effective marketing tool of all: the Internet.
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10 environmentally friendly business tips

Every business is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint to offset the steady increase of global warming. There is a common perception that environmentally friendly business practices will cost money. The truth is that a whole range of environmentally friendly measures will save you money as well as helping to preserve the world for future generations.

These ten environmentally friendly business tips should help to improve your bottom line.

Lighting

Many offices and production environments are enclosed in buildings where there is little access to daylight. The result is that the lights are left burning all by themselves all day long. In some cases, the lights carry-on burn all night long as well as well as all day. There are a number of solutions to this that will not only help the business to become more environmentally friendly, but will save money.

The simplest solution is easy to implement with available technology. That is to install sensors to which the lighting system is connected. A very simple infra-red sensor will do the trick. When a person is detected in the area, the lights automatically switch on. The lights remain burning until the person leaves. Almost every office building is full of offices, meeting rooms and board rooms. This simple system ensures that lights are not left burning when the rooms are empty.

The same principle should apply to lobbies, stairways and parking areas. Lights are only necessary when there is someone there.

An investment like this will pay for itself within months, perhaps even weeks when the power savings make themselves felt.

Computers

Almost everyone has a computer on their desk in many offices. It is not unusual for the computers to remain on using full power even after the people have gone home. Huge savings can be achieved by enforcing a rule to shut down all workstation when leaving the office in the evening. In the case of a nine-to-five employee, the computer sits idle for 16 hours every week night and for 64 hours over the weekend. Very few computers need to be turned on all the time. Put an end to it.

Of the eight hours when the workstation is required, there are probably at least two hours every day that the computer is not being used. Change the settings on all workstations to go into sleep mode after five or ten minutes of standing idle.

In almost every business, Information Technology is one of the major consumers of electricity. Involve the IT department in a process of finding ways to implement green IT. A number of methods are already in use such as using virtual servers (sharing resources), using energy efficient equipment and so on.

Disposing of computer waste is a major problem in business today. Fortunately, most computer manufacturers are aware of this problem and have reduced the toxic content of the equipment supplied. Some research before purchasing new equipment should answer any questions that you have on disposal. A number of companies will pay you to remove and reprocess old computer equipment.

Transform the environment into a green building

This is generally only an option if you are considering re-vamping the premises or are buying or developing new premises. A green building is one that makes maximum use of day-light, natural heating and natural cooling. Much of the lighting, heating and cooling systems can be eliminated or at least reduced. Instead of the expensive to run boiler, consider solar heating to provide hot water.

Create smaller house -like environments

When the environment is more like a home, there are windows that open and close and natural ventilation. Not only is this healthier for your employees, it helps to create a more productive environment. Why should you need artificial lights when the sun comes streaming in?

Use energy efficient equipment

Wherever possible, replace appliances and lights that are big energy consumers. Look for the energy rating on your computer equipment and use the energy efficient lights. The higher capital cost will be repaid very quickly in energy savings.

Transport

Many staff travel to work and back every day in a single car. Provide incentives for employees to set-up lift clubs or similar schemes. The business will not benefit directly, but it could help to generate stronger relationships amongst the staff as well as helping the environment.

Encouraging work-from-home practices will help to reduce not only the environmental impact of the daily journey, but will help you save on office expenses including heating and lighting.

Replace air-conditioners with fresh air

Even when it is not possible to transform the entire business into a green environment, it may be possible to reduce the dependence on the air-conditioners to provide fresh air. There are times when air-conditioning is a life saver, but often the solution is simply to have windows that open!

Illuminate the individual work area rather than the entire office

How often do we see a huge office area capable of seating
100 or more people? Even when there is only one person in the area, the entire office has to be illuminated. Using a sensor system, it is possible to change that dramatically. The employee that is present at his of her workstation only needs the immediate surroundings to be illuminated. It is necessary to provide some soft lighting for the remainder of the office, but turn the lights on full only where it is needed, when it is needed.

Printing

Employees often print reports and documents that they fail to collect from the printer. When this happens, it is a sign that it wasn't necessary to print in the first place. Most printing uses only one side of the paper. A one hundred page document uses a hundred pieces of paper. Set the defaults for all printers to print double sided. Better still, encourage the printing of two pages on each side. That reduces the paper required for a hundred page document to twenty-five. The potential savings are massive.

Involve employees in the environmental changes

Employees are often simply the recipients of directives. Simply being on the receiving end of instructions to reduce energy waste will not result in a flood of cooperation. Treat the employees like adults and ask them to help provide solutions. The results could be amazing! This is what is required to encourage employees to adapt an environmentally friendly attitude not only at work but at home.

Being environmentally friendly does not necessarily involve more cost. In some cases there is an initial investment, but over-all it will actually save the business money - even in the short-term. Next...

10 Businesses You Can Start for $500 or Less!

Long time statistics have shown that 9 out of 10 new businesses fail in their first year. Lack of planning and financial ruin is one of the most common causes. Starting small is a way to insure minimal risk in new business. The founder of Dell computers was a college dropout on a shoe-string budget who started his business out of his garage. One in three computers sold today is a Dell.

The following is a list of just some of the businesses you can start for $500 or less.

1. Housekeeping – Requirements/ household cleaners, mop, broom, vacuum, towels, bucket, business cards – approximate cost $150. Molly Maids is a multi-million dollar business started with a broom, a mop, and quality and reliable service. I can guarantee you that the CEO of Molly Maids doesn’t clean houses any longer.

2. Gardening or landscaping – Requirements/ mower, edger, blower, rake, shovel, clippers, business cards – approximate cost $450. Some education won’t hurt you here, but even without it, how much money did you make mowing the neighbors yard when you were young?
3. Internet sales – Requirements/ computer – approximate cost $500. It’s likely you already have a computer at home so this just might be the cheapest and easiest business to start. It has been estimated that by the year 2020, nearly all retail purchases will be done over the World Wide Web. Getting on the bandwagon now may set you up for a prosperous internet business in the near future. Look into working with “drop ship” companies to avoid up front expense and storage fees.

4. Mobile food service – Requirements/ business cards – approximate cost $30. With a half hour lunch break, employees at many companies have little time to leave work and order lunch. Providing a morning menu for lunchtime delivery can be helpful to these people and provide a good source of income for you. Your job? Call in the order, pick it up, and deliver it; for a fee of course. Delivering 15 lunches to one company at $3 to $5 profit apiece can add up quick. Or how about a hot dog cart at special events?

5. Pool service – Requirements/ pool cleaning supplies, start-up chemicals, brush, net, hose, business cards – Approximate cost $400. States with warmer climates have many homes with swimming pools needing weekly care. Service to numerous homes in the same area can net you a small fortune. Business cards on the door or mailbox lets the homeowner know you are available. It may take some time to get a solid clientele, but be patient; established pool service routes can be very valuable if and when you decide to call it quits.

6. Consulting service – Requirements/ know-how, business cards – Approximate cost $30. What do you know that might be of monetary value to others? Sell your smarts!

7. Delivery service – Requirements/ the car, scooter, or bicycle you may already have/ business cards – Approximate cost $30. A great business within large city limits. Corporations, small businesses, restaurants, etc. may be in need of delivery services. Whether it is paper documents, payrolls, food, or other items, delivery services can be a steady and profitable business.

8. Painter – Requirements/ brushes, rollers, edger’s, towels, tarps, business cards – Approximate cost $200. Visit local hardware stores to let them know you are available for work and will purchase paint through their stores. Their referrals may keep you busy for months at a time.

9. Handyman – Requirements/ basic tools, business cards – Approximate cost $500. Depending on they type of jobs you acquire in this business, a contractors license may eventually be required. Check with your local and state government offices to determine at what point you will need one.

10. Daycare – Requirements/ toys, educational materials, bedding, a safe and clean home, love – Approximate cost $300. This business requires patience and child care experience. If you care for more than three children at one time, it’s likely you will be required to be licensed. Check with your local and state government offices for restrictions and requirements.

Most of these business start-up ideas will require an additional two items you likely already have; an automobile and a telephone. But otherwise, they are super simple and easy to start new businesses suitable for nearly anyone wanting to become self-employed.

The key to having a successful business is to do what you would enjoy doing anyway. Make a list of the things you like to do and follow that with an extended list of ways to make money in a related business. Be creative with your business idea, there are many more options available for you than you probably realize!
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Drawing Up A Successful Business Planning

In the world they live in today, distractions appear to be in all places they look. Hop in your motorcar and drive to the local shopping centre, and you are likely to see over a few companies marketing their goods and services as you go along. These may be by means of billboards, or fundamentally even a automobile that drives past you with the company knowledge and logo dotted all over it. All of these are created with thing in mind - aim to complete. They are created to grip your interest.

In all seriousness, these days when I turn on my PC in the morning, I usually have a difficult experience doing exactly that which I was six times planning on doing. Why? Well, there is Facebook, emails and all kinds of other potential distractions, all of them screaming for your consideration. You need to be disciplined in whatever you pick to do, may it be walking a business, beginning a business, or even when you go shopping. There is potential distractions all over, all created to either sell you something, or to gain you as a permanent prospect. That is why ought to be persevering when beginning a business, and be positive to include concise business planning within the business setup procedure. time you have managed to construct a clear-cut business plan, you need to continue to keep referring back to it often to make positive that you follow the original plan, because it is simple to get sidetracked. However, ought to be cautious not to be so adamant that you do not permit for flexibility as your business grows.
When you start to disentangle the nuts & bolts of how your business would function, that is effectively when a business plan is established. One time you understand the idea of the actual minute that a transaction occurs between you as well as a client, then the remainder of your business planning becomes simpler than you think. Walking a business is for the most part not as challenging as what they frequently make it. You fundamentally need particular things. The potential to reason, & the knack to think things through in logical terms.

When planning your business, you will need to select what makes your business succeed. You need to fully understand the actual nuts & bolts of it, & there's important things no business can survive without, the first of which is, yes, earnings. I am referring here to the inflow of money. Ask yourself & give it some thought for a moment what needs to happen for your business to take delivery of money? Try to think about that instant when a transaction may happen between your business as well as a client, & then take in to consideration the events immediately prior to the transaction. What needs to happen in order for your business to conclude a transaction with a buyer? You will find that when you start to think in those terms, the steps you need to take become clearer. & so a business plan is created to help you start a business.

When you start to disentangle the nuts and bolts of how your business would function, that is effectively when a business plan is established. Two times you understand the idea of the actual minute that a transaction occurs between you as well as a client, then the remainder of your business planning becomes simpler than you think. Walking a business is for the most part not as challenging as what they frequently make it. You fundamentally need particular things. The potential to reason, and the knack to think things through in logical terms.

There may be times when you might need to apply for financing, whether it be before you start your business, or whether it is two times you are up and walking. In these cases you would need a professional business plan to present to who ever you need to approach for the loan, or even an investor, what your work of action includes. The lovely news is, several of these services are also obtainable online, and you need only to have a fast look on the net to find such a service. Sometimes you may only get a single opportunity at impressing a feasible investor or loan officer, so it is always lovely to do a lovely job of it, even if it means making use of a business planning service.

An effective business plan is always a lovely suggestion before launching one's own business. Beginning a business may appear like a daunting task these days, but it need not be. Basically visit our website to see the steps that need to be taken to start a business. Next...

Some Resources for Business Start-Up

Nowadays, business start-up costs can finish up being very expensive. It is a lovely thing that the net has tools that are available to help start-up a business. There is lots of different online resources that you can use to help you together along with your setup & guide you all the way through to the promotion technique. Here are 9 online start-up business resources & each resource is free, which is more of a reason for potential entrepreneurs to try it out.

Business Planner Templates
In case you are not positive if your business idea is a lovely suggestion financially, there is online resources that provide free downloadable templates for business planning. These templates will help you effectively format your designs so that you can get your business plan prepared for financial applications.

Beginning Costs Estimator
There is also sites that provide online calculators to help you work out your business start-up costs. By entering the preliminary expenses, capital, start-up stock, short-term assets & long-term assets, the business beginning costs calculator could show you an estimate of how much you might need for your business plan.

Business Link
You could also check out links provided by government sources for business support & information about the rules & regulations that your business will be operating under. You can also access government services & case studies that are related to the same business idea as the in your business plan.

Domain Checker
There is various online tools to check the availability of a domain name such as Domain Checker. They can help you to check if your potential domain name is available or not. All you need to do is enter the net site name in to the search box & hit enter to start the search. The device would automatically give you information about the availability of the domain name, whether it is available with .co.uk, .com or .net.

Survey Monkey
To give your business start-up the edge that it needs, you could conduct surveys with online resources that can provide you such services. With this device, you can effortlessly conduct surveys for market research & decision-making.

Namechk
In case you already have a business name picked out, you can see if it is available in social networks & social bookmarking sites by using a social network name checking program. Within seconds, you can fundamentally get information about which URL & nickname is available as well as other choices that are related to it.

Hootsuite
The net has several different social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter & MySpace. Managing all of these profiles individually can turn out to be impossible. This net site has a free service where you could set up a professional profile with up to social networking logins so that you can fundamentally promote your business.

DropBox
If your business communicates through the net, this online resource can help you to share files & documents together along with your co-workers no matter where they are in the world.

LinkedIn
Network online with LinkedIn. You can generate your own profile & accumulate contacts through this business networking site. It is a great way of accessing knowledge, opportunities & insights

Bird & Co can provide further assistance with business start-up. With a wealth of experience in promotion, brand identity & business web design, they can help you make the right impression within your chosen field. Next...

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