Thousands of people have lost their jobs due to the global economic meltdown. Can you imagine the kind of financial pressures that they are going through after losing their jobs? You might ever be one of these unfortunate individuals. If so, then you can understand why this has made many people start searching Google and Yahoo looking to reverse their misfortunes by seeking relief through home based business opportunities.A home based business can only be advantageous and profitable when you put your mind, heart and soul into it. It is very important to identify your own skills so that you can do full justice to the business that you are going to start. Find something that you love doing and that fits your skill level and create a business around those attributes. Doing so can create the magic necessary to yield profitable results. You will need to fully research your proposed business to make sure that there is a potential market for your service or product that you plan to sell. Only then can you really begin to make plans for your new business.What makes a home based business advantageous? Here are a few of the best reasons.1. Freedom – You do not have to report to a boss and you can choose to work in convenient home surrounding. You get to work the way you want, avoiding traffic and daily commuting etc.2. You can make more money – With home based business opportunities, you get the liberty to keep all the money that you earn, with the exception of paying for expenses and taxes. However, keep in mind that as a business owner, you can deduct your business expenses from your taxes. This is not the case with conventional jobs where you will need to wait for your next raise as a result of performance appraisal or salary hike and not every thing associated with your job is tax deductible.3. Low startup costs – Hard work will generally always give good results as long as it is couple with working smart. Hence if you work hard and stay focused, there is no reason for you not to succeed in your business. The capital investment in a home business office is much less than that compared to the costs of setting up a conventional office. With proper planning, you can get started and pursue your dreams for very little startup cash expenditures.4. Unlimited opportunities – When you run a business on your own, you can add additional profit centers to increase your profits, however, remember to conduct a thorough research analysis of each profit center before adding it into your business. Your success will not be hindered by what a normal job supervisor might think, therefore, you will be free to pursue any business opportunity that you want.5. New learning opportunities – When you run a business, you will need to keep updating your knowledge in order to be successful. Your life will never be monotonous like it used to be with your daily work routines in your previous job.6. Tax advantage – Having a home based business will give you an opportunity to save on taxes. You can use a part of your house as your office and claim it as a deduction on your taxes. Plus, as noted above, you can now deduct all of your business expenses from your taxes. However, you will be wise to consult with an Accountant about these issues.7. Creativity – You can let your creativity flow freely without anybody discouraging you. Furthermore, nobody can take the credit for your hard work, like in a normal job.8. Time with family and friends – You get to spend a lot more quality time with your family and friends if you have a home based business.9. You become a leader – When your business grows, you will need to form a team or hire employees. They will look up to you for your expert guidance, supervision and support.10. Professional growth – You get to learn new concepts and business management skills everyday in your business as you take on new responsibilities which you might not have had to do in your previous job.This list of home business ownership benefits is not all inclusive. There are many other benefits that are to numerous to mention in this short article. However, from just the few benefits mentioned above, we can clearly see some of the basic benefits of home based business opportunities.
8 Ways the Government Can Help Your Small Business
The government may seem indifferent to the needs of small businesses, as it rolls along spending like there’s no tomorrow while small banks and businesses struggle to just keep up. There are some ways that the government can help, however, and here are a few of the top sites to look for guidance on everything from business plans to building plans.
1) The granddaddy of them all, the Small Business Association, offers general advice about starting a business, along with counseling, mentoring, SCORE teams, and how to apply for loans, government contracts, and disaster assistance. Go to sba(dot)gov for a long list of articles aimed at answering questions for new or aspiring entrepreneurs.
2) From the Department of the Treasury, to the United States Department of Agriculture, just about every agency has a program embracing small business. Many have the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization link, along with other service provisions, but pick an agency, and find out what they have to offer small business. The Department of the Treasury offers information on things like State Small Business Credit Initiative information and Small Business Lending Fund.
3) The Federal Business Opportunities site at fbo(dot)gov claims over 25,800 listings of opportunities to do business with the federal government. No matter what business you are in, it is likely that the government spends money in that sector.
4) If you have product to sell, and want to try to sell it overseas, check out the export dot gov site, where export related information such as trade leads and export counseling can help you open up a whole new market.
5) At business.usa(dot)gov you will find a broad range of business topics under one umbrella, from starting, financing, and growing a business, to learning about taxes and credits, beginning or expanding exports, and learning about veterans opportunities or health care changes.
6) At the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer site, you will find resources for applicants, investors, and agencies, connecting small businesses that wish to do research and development work for the government with products that have commercial value. Go to sbir.gov/about/about-sbir to learn which agencies are participating, and how to engage in the three-phase program. Statistics on the site point to over 15,000 firms receiving $21 billion for research and development projects, awarded seven patents each day through the work of 400,000 scientists and engineers.
7) What to do with all of that excess stuff. With its own garage and attic full of things they do not want or need, this site is the gBay of the United States, offering government goods at auction. If your business needs equipment, you just might find it here, and might get a good deal on it as well. govsales.gov/html/about-us.html features different items at any given time, but often has computers, boats, cars, office equipment, jewelry, homes, and land listed on its auction site.
Multi-Level Marketing As A Home-Based Business – A Lucrative Way To Make Money If You Know How
There are a lot of MLM companies advertising themselves as good home-based businesses on the web nowadays, and most of the reviews that are written rave about a certain company and its promises of wealth beyond your wildest dreams! The sites create the illusion that you are going to amass this great wealth as soon as you join up. Because I am not affiliated with ANY of these companies, I write unbiased, informative reviews on MLM home-based business companies using on as much information as I can find. I read the negative reviews as well as the positive and I try to figure out what’s going on with the negative reviews. I look beyond the buzz and the upbeat music to give you a substantial review that is designed to assist you in your quest for a legitimate company.Review or misconception?There seems to be a key thread with the negative reviews. The writer of the review is frustrated or angry because none of the “claims” about wealth came true instantly. I get the feeling that these reviewers are forgetting to look beyond the glitz and glamour hype that these companies are putting out there. Most companies have extremely upbeat, dynamic, colorful websites with fabulous testimonials about the company’s product and wealth potential. They are trying to get you excited about their company as your home-based business and it tends to work! Even the most cynical consumer out there can be taken in by some of these claims. The fact is, if you do not understand the world of Multi-level marketing, you are not going to understand how they work and whether or not you will be able to make money. I am reading negative reviews about companies, when in actual fact, the reviewer simply didn’t understand the process of creating a “downline” or team of sales people.But Can It Work?Is it possible to make money with an MLM as your home-based business? Of course it is. However, it requires an extreme effort and some market savvy. The success of your product or company will depend solely on your ability to market yourself and the product you are selling. You will need to have the ability to reach thousands (probably more) of potential new prospects. You absolutely,without fail,must have the ability to create a huge “downline” for MLM sales to be lucrative. Can you do this selling to your friends and neighbors and co-workers and family? Nope, you honestly can not. I think this is the over-looked aspect with MLM sales. It is so difficult to earn a living at MLM sales if you don’t know the tricks of the trade. You have to know going into it that the massive downline is how you will make a lucrative income. Unfortunately, if you are not at the top of a multi-level marketing company, you probably aren’t going to be the guy on the website with the Lamborghini, the mansion, the pool and the supermodel. But, you might be able to make a lucrative income with this type of home-based business, if you know how to market yourself and your product.Do Your Homework!Before you make any decisions about joining any MLM company, please be sure you understand the terms and conditions of sales, and develop a game plan for your own home-based business so that you will be a success story. Thoroughly investigate the company before you commit. Read all the reviews, good and bad. Try to get a feel about the reviewers. See if you can determine whether you might have a legitimately a bad business venture or if the reviewer simply didn’t understand that firm’s terms, conditions, compensation plan pay outs, etc, and has decided the company is a “scam.” Always be sure to understand the compensation plan. Familiarize yourself with any terminology you are unfamiliar with. It’s your money, know what you are getting into and know what you can expect back! I can not stress enough to anyone, a home-based business in MLM sales can be quite lucrative, but it is a highly competitive field, fraught with more failures than successes. Will you have what it takes to be successful and beat out your competition?