Saturday, September 12, 2015

Your Home Business: Mi Casa Es Su Casa!

By Emma Tobin


Think back to the time when you started your home-based business. You probably soaked up as much relevant information as you could. Time has moved on from then, and you may now need a little refresher! Use the tips from this piece to get that excitement back.

You must figure in cost, in order to know profit when you are selling items which you have made. Traditionally, a wholesale mark-up from cost is approximately twice the base cost. A standard price increase for retail would be the wholesale price multiplied by two. Carefully determine your product price so that it is reasonable for both you and your clients.

Don't try to over-extend your home business. Pick a focus that has a sizable customer based, but don't try to cover everything in that focus. For example, if you run a tutoring business, don't try to offer grade school, high school, college, and business skills tutoring. Pick just one area that you care about and focus on that.

Ensure the success of your business by registering a domain name and running a website. The site does not have to be fancy, but it should be easy to navigate. If you cannot create one yourself, hire someone else to. The expense is worth the extra business and advertising that a website provides. Make it easy for clients to get a hold of you by providing an email link on every page.

If your home business entails ingredients or supplies, try to purchase them in bulk from a wholesaler. Buying your supplies at wholesale prices will reduce your overhead, which should increase your profit. When you buy wholesale you may even be able to lower your prices for promotional sales, while still making a nice profit.

Think of every request for product information as a potential sale, and respond quickly. Customers will appreciate your prompt reply and keep coming back. If you have a website, this is a perfect place to refer people for information, assuming you have added all of the information to the site. Develop a flyer with information and pictures of your best-selling products and have it on hand to mail or hand out.

Assemble a profile of your typical customer. How much money do they make? Where do they live and work, and what are their needs? How old are they and do they have children? Identify them, figure out where they shop, then get your products into those locations. If your market is parents, try organizing a fundraiser program with local schools, allowing the school or organization to keep a portion of the sales.

Ensure success of your business in its earliest stages by working to keep overhead costs as low as possible, especially if you are working with limited funds. Look for ways to minimize costs up front; one easy way to do this is to focus more on the tools needed to get the job done rather than splurging on expensive new office furniture and fancy desktop gadgets.

Take the time to network and advertise. Just because you are working at home doesn't mean you don't need business contacts. Schedule meetings outside of your home to get away, and meet others in your field. Using networking and marketing events is a great way to build up your network.

As stated before, many people are creating home businesses. These businesses allow people to sell goods and services from the comfort of their own home while being in direct control of every level of the business. Before starting a home business, there are many things to know, and with the information from this article, you can have a successful home business.




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