Posts Tagged ‘home business advice’

Most home businesses rely on a website for generating income which makes it a number one priority. The site’s attractiveness and ease of use is quite important to potential customers and clients. Unfortunately, there are some techniques being used today on the internet that are actually more likely to drive customers away from your site rather than draw them in. Here are a few:

Pop Ups – Many home business owners seem to think that pop ups are great and that filling their site with them is a good idea. For many people though pop ups are nothing but a nuisance and a turn off (after all why are there so many pop up blockers available?) Some appear before the user has even had a chance to view the first page of a site, others before the average person can get half way through reading the first few paragraphs. It’s a little like that old fashioned door to door salesman who wouldn’t take his foot out of the door, annoying and counterproductive.

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Many home business owners rely upon their computer for almost everything and without the business would cease to exist. This is why investing in a good computer is quite important. However no matter the price tag, a once blazing fast computer will eventually start to run slower leaving you quite frustrated.

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Tax season is right around the corner and I’m sure you’ve already started to see the commercials for companies such as H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. For those of us who either have a home business or do freelance work, taxes involve a bit more work (and money) than others.

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Taking the leap and starting your own at home business takes fortitude, strength and determination. However, all of things can be bolstered with a mentor to guide you along the way. A mentor is an individual who serves as an advisor, an example, a sometime sound board and possibly a friend.

Finding someone who has already walked the path you intend to tread can prove invaluable, both from a business and a personal standpoint. Finding such a person may take a little while but making the effort to do so will pay off big dividends for the newbie home business owner.

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Many home business owners use email as one of their primary forms of communication with their customers and clients. On one hand this is great: it cuts down on phone time, your customers can easily send a request at any time of the day and, emails are much “greener” than traditional faxes.

However, there is a downside. If you overlook one email from a regular client or customer the relationship could suffer. Therefore organizing your email inbox is as essential as organizing your desk, if not more so.  Here are a few ways you can manage your emails more efficiently:

Set up regular times to check your inbox: Checking your inbox twice an hour wastes precious time that could be spent far more productively. Set a schedule for checking emails and it’s not a bad idea to let others know what it is, so they know when to expect a reply.

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