Archive for the ‘Small Business’ Category

Although it is perfectly possible to start a home based business with very little money as you (hopefully) begin to expand your company an injection of cash may be the extra boost you need to take it to the next level.

Obtaining financing for a home business is never the easiest thing in the world. Many banks will indeed turn your application down, but there are programs now offered by the SBA (Small Business Association) that make it far easier for a home business owner to obtain the financing that they need.

The SBA offers three different loan programs for small business loans, but only two of them are really within the reach of the average home business owner.  Which one suits you depends very much upon the size and nature of your company but there are consultants that will help you decide which product is better suited to your business needs before you begin an application.

SBA Loan Products at a glance:

Read the rest of this entry »

Whatever line of business you are pursuing at home there are software products available that can make every aspect of running your concern a little bit easier and far more efficient. Here are a few that you should definitely consider purchasing;

Microsoft Office: Almost an essential for any home based business. If you do not own it yet, or are considering an upgrade Office 2007 is well worth the investment. In addition to the standard offerings of the 2003 version – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook – the 2007 version adds Publisher, which is an incredible desk top and web page publishing tool and Access, a powerful database application.

Read the rest of this entry »

Google Local Business Center is the one place that many at home business owners just do not make enough use of, which is a shame since it is a very effective way of promoting your business or service within your local area. Best of all it is completely free to list your company and it takes just a few minutes to set up.

Read the rest of this entry »

Promotion is the key to the success or failure of any business, but it is especially important for those who run a business from home.

1. 1. Invest in business cards and then give them out to everyone you encounter. Make sure your business cards represent your brand well and include your name, phone numbers, e-mail address and, website if you have one. For those on a very limited start up budget, sites like Vista Print and BizCard offer 250 free business cards, only charging a very small shipping to first time customers.
2. Ask people you meet if you can have an email address to mail them updates and information about your products or services. People are often more comfortable giving out an email address rather than a telephone number and an email campaign is quite easy to implement. Make your emails informative and interesting and never be tempted to spam prospects with useless information as that only undermines your credibility.
3. If you market a physical product carry samples with you – you never know when you might run into a potential great new customer.
4. Start a blog that links discretely to your product or service. Focus on making it interesting and readable while still promoting your brand.
5. Talk about your business, and be prepared with the answers to any possible question that might come up in those conversations. Being passionate and knowledgeable about what you do can only serve to impress.