With another recession on the horizon, it seems as though our country is in an economic depression. Joblessness is up and businesses are closing their doors nationwide. Things might look dire, but you can make things better. This post will help you make the most of your home based business.
Keep your gas receipts and keep track of mileage for work related trips for your home based business. While you may only be going to the store to buy supplies, you can write off your mileage and gas 100%. You’ll have to be able to prove that it was necessary to drive for the business to thrive.
Boil your business’ mission down to a sound bite. You will have an easier time impressing potential clients if you can describe your business without being too wordy. This will also help you stay focused on the mission for your business, helping you to keep your eye on the ball.
Keep the customers you already have satisfied. It takes much less effort to produce sales from happy repeat customers than it does to convince a new one to buy for the first time. Happy customers will keep coming back for more.
Your business and your home should have separate phone lines. A business that wants to be known as professional and established always has a message specific to it, not to mention you are taking a risk of a child or someone else in the home answering the phone in a less than professional manner.
If you are drawing a blank when trying to figure out what to sell, think about whether there is a need in your life that is going unfilled. The first step in any business is finding a need that you can fill. If there is a product that would solve a problem in your life, it would probably be helpful to others as well.
Do appropriate background checks on potential employees. Likewise, verify their employment references. Make sure that the people you are trusting are reliable, and can do the job very well, or you could lose everything you have been working so hard for.
Be sure to keep your website up to date on which products are available and which, if any, are out of stock. Customers do not like to wait, and you will seriously upset them if the items they ordered won’t be arriving for several days. Give your clients the option to chose other products and let them know when a product is on back-order.
It is advisable to have a PO box as a mailing address for your home based business. Don’t put your real address on the Internet under any circumstances. This way, you protect yourself and your family.
Join forums about work from home business-related topics. Not only is this a great way to network with like-minded professionals, but it is another way to get your name and product out there to others. There could be someone out there waiting for what you have to offer.
When working at home, office space is essential. It doesn’t have to be big, but it should be comfortable. It should be somewhere you will be productive and efficient. Size should be less of a concern, as space can be optimized.
As mentioned, times are tough. You might be concerned about your family’s survival. Hopefully these tips will help you deal with this new Great Depression.
