How to Avoid the Pitfalls of a Home Business

You hear a lot these days about the advantages of operating a home business. What you don't hear so much about are the disadvantages. That's what we'll be addressing.

But don't get the wrong idea! The purpose of this writing is NOT to discourage you from starting a home business. On the contrary! Whatever the drawbacks of operating a business from home, they are far outweighed by the advantages.

Our purpose here is to alert you to some of the potential problems you'll encounter when running a home-based business, so that you'll be prepared to address them and nullify (or at least minimize) their effects.


DEMANDS ON YOUR TIME

Unless you're a hermit living alone on a secluded island, chances are there will be others in your life who depend on you for help and support.

You may find yourself in a situation where your spouse has a daytime job while your children are away at school. In fact, members of your extended family (parents, aunts and uncles, etc.) are likely to by away from home during the daytime as well.

The problem? It may be difficult for those who have "regular jobs" to understand that working from home is also a "job" in the sense that you have commitments to keep, tasks to perform, and deadlines to meet just like anyone else!

And because the obligatory hours required by a "regular" job sometimes make it difficult to perform certain necessary tasks that can only be done during business hours (such as banking, shopping, taking the car to a mechanic, picking up the dry cleaning, and other necessary errands) it will often be expected of you to perform them.


SETTING REGULAR HOURS

While there's no perfect solution to this problem, it helps to establish regular "business hours" of your own. But unlike the rest of your family, you will probably have more flexibility as to just what those hours will be.

To begin with, choose your "working hours" carefully so that you'll be free at some time during the day when other businesses are open. In other words, leave yourself the flexibility to run errands during the day if those errands are absolutely necessary.

Let's take a hypothetical example.

You might choose to begin working at 8:00 AM every day and take an extended "lunch break" from Noon to 1:30 PM, when you can run errands. Try and consolidate your errands and any appointments so that you can take care of several during this time. Then you can return home and continue working from 1:30 until 5:30 PM (or whatever time frame works for you.)

Once you've decided on your hours, let everyone know what they are. Then insist that any errands you're asked to attend to not be done during you "business hours" except in case of a legitimate emergency. You will also have to insist that others take care of their personal errands whenever it's possible for them to do so.

You may have to exercise some firmness in this regard. It's unfortunate but often true that others won't see your home business as a "real" job. You'll have to explain to them that the responsibilities of running your business are not unlike those of fulfilling their employment duties.

There will be situations when you REALLY ARE the only family member who can take care of certain errands .. or at least when the hardship for others would be much greater than for you. But other times, people will try to take advantage of you, assuming "it's easier for you to do it because you're home all day!" You simply can't run a business if you let this happen.

But there are other reasons for establishing regular hours as well. A very important reason is discipline!

Self-discipline is essential if you hope to be successful in a home business. If you're working for an employer, putting off your work is just not an option. For better or for worse, the external discipline imposed by a "boss" will ensure that your job gets done ... at least it will if you expect to keep your job.

But when you work for yourself, that discipline must come from YOU. Unless you're disciplined enough to begin your workday at a regular, predetermined time, it's just way too easy to put off necessary tasks. The result is that you'll get very little, if anything, done.

So set regular business hours for yourself and have the self-discipline to adhere to them. This is an essential step if you hope to succeed.


YOUNG CHILDREN

If you have pre-school children in your home, you have to take some measures to make sure they don't create such a distraction that you're unable to work.

Older children might not pose too much of a problem in this regard, but younger children can require so much of your attention that you'll have no time for your business.

In this case it's essential to hire a babysitter. A good solution might be to hire a local stay-at-home Mom to watch your children while you're working. You will have to pay for her services, but you might offer to give her a break by watching her children on weekends in return for a reduced fee.


TELEPHONE

The biggest time waster of all is often the telephone! You have to find some way of dealing with telemarketers and with people who call all hours of the day just to "chat."

First of all, it's important that you separate your "business" calls from your "personal" calls. Whatever you do, DO NOT use your home phone as your business phone. The last thing you want is for strangers to be calling you all hours of the day and night, interrupting your private life.

Ideally, you should have a separate phone line and an 800 number for business calls. But if that's a bit costly for your budget, a good alternative is to use your cell phone as your "business phone."

Your cell phone will allow you to record a message for callers to hear when your phone is turned off. When recording your message, state the name of your business, the hours you're "open" (don't forget to state which time zone you're in) and that callers can leave a message and expect a timely response. Make sure you DO return all your calls.

Next, make sure your cell phone is turned "on" during your business hours. The rest of the time, you can leave it off if you like. If you're out of the house and want to make an outgoing call, you can turn it on temporarily. Of course, you'll have to leave it on if you're expecting a personal call.

Now let's discuss your home phone and how to deal with calls during your working hours.

First of all, don't let telemarketers take up your time. Tell them politely but firmly that you're not interested in their offer, that you're running a home business, and that you "have to get back to work now." If they persist, just hang up!

However much you may harbor an aversion to being "rude" never forget that it's the telemarketer who is intruding on YOUR time. Remember ... time is money, and your time is just as valuable as his!

A stickier problem is friends and family who call during the day and want to chat. Make sure everyone understands that you're running a business. tell them that you're "working at the moment" and offer to call back later in the day. Give them a time that you'll call, and then remember to do so. Most people will be much more understanding and inclined to cooperate if they don't feel like they're being "put off."

However, there may be a few people who will just ignore your request and continue to interrupt your work anyway. If this happens to you, your only solution may be to stop answering your phone altogether during your working hours.

If you find it necessary to go to this extreme, get an answering machine and record a message to the effect of "I'm working now and can't take personal calls. Please call back today after (give a time). If this is an emergency, please leave a message."


OTHER INTERRUPTIONS

Occasionally solicitors will show up at your door. Deal with them the same as with telemarketers. Explain that you're working and politely decline. Then just close the door and go back to your work.


PLANNING

Each day after you've finished working, take stock of what you've accomplished that day and draw up a "to do" list for tomorrow.

The important thing is to prioritize. There will be days when you don't get nearly the work done you had planned on. While this can be discouraging, it's all the more reason to make sure you put the most pressing tasks at the top of your list.

Keep a list of all those tasks you want to accomplish, and add to the list whenever the situation demands. Next, go through the list and number each task in order of importance. Then rearrange your list in the order of your numbering.

Now starting at the top of your list, pick as many tasks as you think you can reasonably accomplish the next day. Then tomorrow, start at the top of your list and do them in order.


IN SUMMARY

Generally speaking, it all boils down to developing a few essential attitudes.

Self-discipline ...

Treat your business like a job. You no doubt always wanted to "be your own boss." Now your ARE! So make sure you're a GOOD boss! Be demanding of your own efforts while at the same time setting reasonable expectations.

Self-respect ...

Respect yourself enough to not allow other people to "jerk you around" and waste your valuable time with unfair demands and endless intrusions. If you were employed, you wouldn't allow others to intrude on your time while at work. So remember, you ARE "at work" even thought you're home. Act accordingly, and you'll stand a far better chance of success!

================
About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Easy-to-learn and inexpensive to start, credit repair is one of the more realistic home Home Business Opportunities. Visit www.CreditRepairBiz.com for a free eBook and mini-course.

How To Advertise Your Home-Based Business

by Nadine Langlois

As the business world evolves, we are seeing the rapid rise of individuals who want to work at home. Some have been affected by corporate downsizing, while the economy and natural disasters have affected others. As a result, more and more people are looking to start their own home-based business.

There probably has never been a better set of circumstances to start a home-based business than right now. With the Internet giving access to the world, the prospects are nearly endless. A brick and mortar building is no longer needed, unless you are dealing with a large quantity of inventory. And because it is in your home, thousands of dollars can be saved each year.

Every business will supply one of two different things to a potential customer. It will either be a product, or a service. But both must have advertising in order for the customer to know what you offering. Your home-based business will succeed or fail based on this one aspect. This article will delve into some of the most effective methods to advertise your business utilizing the Internet.


Google Adwords

This is probably one of your best promotional tools for every dollar that is spent. This will require some study in selecting the right keywords to use in the google program. There is a cost per click - every time someone clicks on your ad, you pay a few cents, which is predetermined by you. Although effective, it will take a lot of watching to be able to get it right, and to keep it there.


Submit To Search Engines

Various websites will submit your website information, with your keywords, to multiple search engines. Some sites will submit your information to over 75 search engines - for free. For a rather small fee, this number can be multiplied many times. These will get the word out to the most popular engines, including google and yahoo. A number of search engines will take more than three weeks to list your site.


Create A Newsletter

This one will allow you to "get your list" of potential customers. Before you send out any illegal spam, however, it is important to get their approval for you to send them something. This is one way to be able to weekly email your customers - and in most cases, you can do it for free.


Write Free Articles

Write an article on your niche subject (the theme of your web page), and submit it to websites that distribute free web content. If written well, these will be picked up by other marketers and displayed on their site. Of course, you require that your name and website address must remain attached at the bottom. This is free advertising, and it is possible to be posted around the internet.


If you look around the Internet, you will see there are many ways to promote your business. Add new methods regularly and see what works best for you.

Nadine Langlois is the founder of the Turbo-Dollars Top Home Businesses for 2006 web directory. If you are interested in a home-based business, visit http://www.turbo-dollars.com

99% of All Business Websites Don’t Work

By Brian Johnson

Despite the estimated hundreds of millions of websites on the Internet and the enormous sums of money paid to develop them the unfortunate fact is that most small business web sites simply do not work. By do not work I mean that they do not deliver on what is expected or promised. There are many reasons why websites don’t meet the expectations of business owners and even more reasons why the promises of the Internet don’t ring true but in general there are some very common mistakes that companies make when deciding to build or redesign a website.

This article will discuss some of the very basic errors that small businesses make and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of website development (see www.nikosoftware.com for more information). Most small to medium sized business (SMB) owners intuitively know that using the Internet as a marketing tool for their business will pay large dividends.

Unfortunately, most SMB owners don’t know how the web works or principles of e-marketing so they will make their first in a series of big mistakes by looking through the yellow pages and picking one of the many web developers listed.

This decision is usually based on the fact that they have a desire to work with a local "web developer" on Main Street, USA not knowing that this limits their own ability to have access to much more qualified professionals who may be located elsewhere. The SMB owner will generally meet up with one of these web developers who will get their head spinning with technical terms like HTML, C++, Java, databases, MS SQL and so on.

Developers tell the business owner what is needed and extract their payment. However, web developers seldom have any idea of how Internet marketing works or how to drive profits to your business using the web.

This is the single biggest reason why most small business web sites fail.
The local web developer will almost never explain to the business owner that their web site should be self-sustaining. This means that your website should be making you money not costing you money. Web sites should be listed on your balance sheet, not simply as an expense item.

Web developers also never really explain how to achieve measurable results from your web site. The reason comes less from the fact that they are withholding information or just not concerned with the level of their work, but rather that most web development companies, due to the very nature of their focus, simply don’t know how to do these things. Their job, as they see it, is to build or rebuild your website from scratch with the focus on coding only.

Rarely do they take advantage of dynamic modular development, which provides scalability and integrated functionality that reflects the individual business needs and goals of their SMB client. This would mean that the business owner, based on their changing business needs, would be able to quickly and easily create interactive functionality on their own, without having to re-engage the web development company. Unfortunately, web development companies want you to have to come to them every time you need to change something on the web or add functionality, like a simple form or a video clip or even e-commerce.

The business owner must rely on the web development company for every small task that must take place or hire an expensive staff member who is trained to do these functions. This is usually someone who used to work for a web development company. The cycle continues and the business owner is never able to break free of the constant costs associated with a web site that wasn’t built properly in the first place. Frustration sets in and eventually the site goes stale and the business owner will begin to focus their attention elsewhere until another web development company approaches with a whole new set of promises and the cycle begins all over again.

Sometimes a business may have a great site with great functionality but are mislead by another promise of web development firms, who will claim that they need to have a number one position on search engines in order to reap the benefits of the Internet.

Holding the number one position on in the search engines doesn’t matter!

Everyone has heard the story before… "I will get your company listed on the top of the search engines." But, as you might guess, everyone cannot be at the top of the list and true professionals in the business know that. Search engines have very strict rules and complex algorithms, which change often. Actually, being in the third or fourth position is often more desirable and can generate greater profits for a progressive company.

The goal should not be to be number one on the search engines but rather to generate high visitor levels on all of your web pages not just the home page. This means that your web site must have functionality or the ability to interact with your visitors. Web site functionality is what delivers the much-desired result not fist place ranking on the search engines. So
what that everyone visits your website, but if you are unable to convert those visitors into customers what good does it really do? You are spending money and not making money.

If your site has been unattended for awhile it is generally because most web developers are just that, developers. Once they have finished a site they are off to the next development project. What small businesses need is a software company or an Internet consultant with a focus on web development. Having functional software on your website to attract and convert visitors into customers is of supreme importance. Software allows the non-technical business owner to manage or easily delegate the management of their web site to other non-technical personnel. This eliminates the need to have to continually go to web development companies for content and content changes.

For example, most businesses measure sales activity and distribution channels on a monthly basis. The business website is one of these sales channels. Having the ability to monitor the number of visitors and not just "hits" is crucial. What search engine did the visitor come from, what pages did the visitor enter on or exit on? This is key information that will allow a business to measure their progress against their competition. The bottom line is to think of your web site as a key part of your business and in so doing looking for a company that can provide a complete solution not just a web development company with a techie name.

If a business chooses a software company that integrates a complete and scalable solution with all of the business goals within the managing, design and hosting of your site, then the goals will be met. If not, the web site will not work.

To receive a free report on how to begin development of your company web site visit the resource pages at www.nikosoftware.com

About the Author
Brian Johnson is Vice President of Niko Software Corp. and has consulted with over 300 companies on maximizing web tools to increase profits and web exposure. www.nikosoftware.com

Are You Covered? Health Insurance For Small Businesses

By Lisa Ip


If you are a sole proprietor or small business owner and require health insurance for you or your employees, there are many options available that will provide coverage for a reasonable premium. You will, however, be required to carry out a good amount of research before finding an insurance company that will suit your needs, as there are a lot of choices out there. In addition, you have to ensure that the company you choose for your health insurance coverage provides the kind of plan that will be most beneficial in times of greatest need.

Individual Health Insurance

Individual health insurance is coverage intended for one person. If you are self-employed or run your own business, you don¡¯t have access to a group health insurance plan through an employer, and must purchase your own coverage from one of the many health insurance providers located in your state.

There are some pitfalls to obtaining your health insurance from the private sector. For instance, limitations exist that might make it difficult to derive guaranteed benefits from a private insurance policy as an individual. Private companies have a right to ask you for information regarding your current and past health, and are also allowed to reject you for insurance purposes based on your health status, or impose limitations on your coverage.

Blue Cross Blue Shield, on the other hand, is required by law to sell individual health insurance to any resident regardless of health status. This is referred to as guaranteed issue. They must also refrain from charging you more due to any current or preexisting conditions ¨C this is called community rating. HMOs are also required to sell health insurance to any individual during the 30-day open enrolment period that occurs each year.

Individual health insurance policies can vary depending on the company. There are no laws that force private companies to offer the same health insurance products so coverage plans from different providers can offer quite different coverage. But certain benefits for health insurance must be provided in the coverage, including mammograms and diabetes care.

Group Health Insurance

For small employers (2-50 employees) group health insurance plans are a good idea if you want to provide adequate coverage for yourself and your small group of employees.
According to guaranteed issue, insurance companies must sell small employers small group insurance under most circumstances. If you and your group fall within the participation requirements you cannot be turned down. An employee is considered insurable if he/she works for you a minimum of 24 hours a week on a regular basis ¨C this includes household workers.

Usually a group health insurance plan requires that a certain percentage of your employees participate in the plan and you might have to contribute a minimum percentage of their premiums. Luckily, guaranteed renewability makes it so that you cannot have your coverage cancelled if one of your workers becomes ill. This is definitely a plus so you always have access to continuous group coverage and are never left by the wayside without the proper insurance.

HMOs and Blue Cross Blue Shield, again, are prohibited by law from charging more due to the health status of one or more employees. At the same time, private companies are allowed to charge higher rates if they deem it necessary.

In addition, someone who is self-employed with no other workers may be able to purchase small group health plan coverage from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Specifically, sole proprietors are given the option of buying ¡°group-of-one¡± policies from this organization. Other insurers also offer this type of coverage but are not required to offer it. You are a sole proprietor if you: are a resident of your state, work at least 30 hours a week and gain at least 50% of your taxable income from your business.

In addition, self-employed individuals can have 100% of their health insurance premiums deducted from their federal income tax. If you are a member of a professional or trade association you might be able to receive group coverage under the organization¡¯s insurance umbrella.


About the Author:
Lisa Ip is president of Uniforce Insurance Service, which she founded in 1994, in Madison Heights, Michigan. For more information regarding health insurance in Michigan, visit http://www.uniforceinsurance.com or call 888-302-RATE

The Benefits Of A Home Based Business

By Alex Bailey

There are a great many benefits to operating your own home-based business. Of course, there are the monetary benefits, but that's only part of the story! It is not always money that motivates people to start a home-based business. Sometimes the intangible benefits are more important factors.

For many people, the lifestyle benefits are at least as important. But whether lifestyle or monetary, the benefits can be greater by far than the benefits you receive working for an employer.

Now if you're already working in your own home based business, or even if you're just thinking about doing so, be sure to evaluate your options and consider the value of the benefits you will receive. You'll have to make wise decisions if you want your home-based business opportunities to provide you the financial freedom you desire.

Let's consider the potential benefits one by one.

SENSE OF FREEDOM

Nothing can give you the sense of freedom you'll get from working at home, setting your own hours, and being your own boss! But along with that freedom, you have to exercise some discipline! It's way too easy to sleep late, put off matters you KNOW need to be taken care of, and generally "slack off."

Set yourself a schedule and stick to it! In fact, at the end of each day, you should set your schedule for the following day. Make a list of what needs to be done, then PRIORITIZE!

But don't forget to allow time for family obligations and leisure activities. Parents with children in school often consider how a home-based business can make a very positive difference regarding their busy schedule. Teacher conferences, after school activities and the ability to be home when the children are out of school are strong motivators in making the decision to start a home business. Working from home gives you the benefit of flexible hours and the freedom to adjust your schedule according to the needs of your family.


STRESS REDUCTION

Stress reduction is another major benefit of operating a home-based business. That's not to say that working from home will eliminate all stress from your life. Any business will likely produce its own kind of stress, including a home business. But compared to employment...well, there just IS no comparison!

First of all, you have no one to answer to except yourself. Anyone who's ever worked for an abusive employer knows the damage stress can cause in his/her life. If you plan properly and budget your time wisely, being your own boss can reduce the stress you feel due to constant demands and co-worker interruptions.

But there are other stress-reducing benefits as well.

You will have no daily commute, so you can say "good-bye" to snarled traffic and discourteous drivers. You'll also save money on gas and automobile expenses, and you will have the extra time in the morning and evening to relax and interact with your family instead of spending that time getting to and from work.


HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Some jobs offer the opportunity for advancement...but some don't. But even with those that do, there are limits to just how far you can advance, as well as to how much income you can earn, even after years and years with the same company.

With a home business, there's really no limit to how far you can go. It's all in your hands. You may reach a point where you feel you've taken your business as far as you want to. That is, when you've achieved what you feel is the proper balance between the time spent running and growing your business, and time spent for family and recreation.

But the point is, the decision is YOURS and no one else's. The limits are only reached when YOU decide they are. You can keep growing your business and you income to whatever point you choose.


In conclusion, your own home business offers you benefits that just aren't attainable through working for an employer.
There are numerous home-based business opportunities available to you. You do have to do your "home work" however. Some so-called "home business opportunities" make claims that are overstated, or just aren't realistic (See the article "Home Business - How to Find One That Works").

Research each potential opportunity carefully, ask questions, and consider several before making a decision. And if you try one opportunity and it just doesn't "work out" the way you had hoped, that's no reason to give up! There ARE realistic opportunities out there. You just need to find one that's right for YOU.

And make sure you are willing to put forth the effort that will be required in order to succeed. Yes, it WILL take effort. But when you consider the alternative, isn't it worth it!

To your success!

================
About the Author

Alex Bailey writes on matters pertaining to the small business entrepreneur.

This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.

Money Problems? Consider A Viable Home Business

Lots of folks find themselves trapped in what might be called a "Time and Money Bind." That is, they work day after day at their dead-end job, making barely enough to pay their bills. All the while they dream of having their own business, working for themselves, and having the hope of a better life.

But the "Bind" they're in is, they desperately need their jobs to pay the bills, and their jobs just don't allow them the free time necessary to get a business going.

Quitting their current job would be "financial suicide" because there's no possible way they can start a new business that will be profitable from the very beginning..Countless folks suffer from the problem of what might be called a "Time/Money Trap." That is, they're trapped in a job that demands nearly all of their time and energy, but that barely pays the bills (if that). They long for a chance to break out of the trap and start their own business.

But it takes time and energy to start a business ... time and energy they just don't have, precisely because their dead-end job demands too much. But quitting that job just isn't an option because without it, the bills won't get paid.

It's a dilemma for which there appears no way out!


The answer is to find a business opportunity that meets the following criteria:

* A business that can be started in one's spare time and carried out at his own pace

* One that requires a minimum of start-up capital

* One that can begin showing a profit relatively quickly

* Above all else, one that allow the person to maintain his present employment until he's financially secure enough to resign

In brief, a business opportunity that allows the entrepreneur to start small, and keep his job for the time being until he's earning as much or more money as his current job pays. When his new business in bringing in enough income to pay his bills, he can then quit his job and devote full time to his new venture.


While there are doubtless a number of opportunities that meet these criteria, at this time we'll be discussing one possible path to the goal.

One of the very best choices in this regard is the business of Credit Repair, and for good reason! To begin with, it can be a very lucrative business. In fact, there are credit repair agencies that charge from around $795 up to $2,000 or more for their services. Some attorneys will even charge as much as $5,000.

So, as you can see, there's the potential here to make a very good living indeed!

But even though agencies and attorneys charge a great deal of money, there's nothing they do that you can't do yourself. Best of all, you can start with very little money and do it part time while maintaining your current job.

Depending on which state you live in, you may need a license and may be required to be bonded. But you DON'T need to be an attorney, nor do you need any prior experience. Credit repair is easy to learn and easy to do, and with nearly 1 out of every 3 Americans having some kind of credit problems, you'll likely have no trouble finding clients, so you can begin making money in a relatively short time.


A full explanation of the credit repair process would require several pages. But a brief overview is adequate to explain the basic steps involved in the process.

1. Your client gets a copy of his credit report from http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Actually, he'll get 3 reports ... one from each of the major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian).

2. After going over the credit reports with your client, you'll identify information in his reports that is current hurting his credit score.

3. You'll dispute that information by writing letters to each of the 3 bureaus. Under the "Fair Credit Reporting Act" passed by Congress to protect consumers, the bureaus have 30 days to either verify or remove disputed information.

4. In about 30 days or so, your client will receive a reply and updated credit report from each of the bureaus. Then you just keep repeating the process until all negative information has been either verified or corrected.

So as you can see, just about anyone can do this. You don't need to be a lawyer or have an expensive college degree to make a very lucrative living repairing credit.


To get started you'll need to do the following:

First get a good book on credit repair and learn it thoroughly. Don't worry, it's not that complicated, but you do want to be well prepared when you start recruiting clients.

Secondly, find a copy of the "Credit Repair Organizations Act" and familiarize yourself with the laws governing the service you'll be performing.

And while you're doing all this, don't forget ... you can learn at your own pace while you continue with your present job. And when you're ready to start recruiting clients, take on only as many as your spare time allows, until you're making enough money to quit your job.

When you've reached that point, the sky's the limit!

You can grow this business as much as you want to. You might be content making enough for a comfortable living while allowing yourself more leisure time than you previously had (before quitting your job). Or you might want to work full time and earn more.

Finally, if you're really ambitious, you might at some point have more clients than you can handle on your own, and have to hire outside help. While hiring employees presents its own set of problems, it enables you to grow your business beyond what you could working by yourself. And eventually, you could delegate all the "leg work" to others, and spend only as much time as you need to manage your employees.

But however far you grow your business, one thing is for sure. You'll never miss working for someone else while in a low paying, dead-end job!



================
About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Credit Repair is a realistic and easy-to-learn business well suited to the Entrepreneur. To learn how to earn money in a Credit Repair Business visit CreditRepairBiz.com and sign up for a free mini-course.

(c) 2006 This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.

A Home Business That’s Both Realistic And Very Lucrative

The problem with most every home business is it’s either too expensive to set up, takes too long to begin showing a profit, or the “learning curve” is just too difficult or too time consuming for the average person.

Even worse, a lot of offers related to home business that you find in magazines, your mail, and on the Internet are outright rip-offs. That’s not to say they take your money and don’t deliver the product. They deliver the product all right; it’s the product that doesn’t deliver. Why? Because the home business “program” was designed to make money for the vendor, NOT the purchaser.

But there are ways to make money in a home business that are realistic, don’t cost an arm and a leg, and can be quickly learned with just a little time and effort. The business of Credit Repair is one such business.

Now the very name “Credit Repair” may sound intimidating to some, probably because there are high priced agencies and attorneys who practice it and charge thousands of dollars for their services. But that doesn’t mean they do anything the average person can’t do himself, given the proper knowledge. Nor does it mean credit repair can’t be done as a home business, rather than from an office with dozens of employees.

Before we continue, some explanation is in order. To start with, there are 3 major agencies in the United States who keep records of the credit histories of hundreds of thousands of Americans. These agencies are called “Credit Bureaus” and their names are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. They’re private agencies, have no connection with the US (or any) government, and are a billion dollar a year industry.

Do you want to take out a mortgage? Your lender will be checking your credit history with one or more of the credit bureaus. And once you get your loan, he’ll be reporting your payment history to the agency as well. And based on the information in the credit bureaus’ records, you’ll be assigned a “credit score” that lenders look at to determine your credit worthiness.

The business of credit repair involves contacting the bureaus in an attempt to improve a client’s (or your own) credit score. The process really isn’t that difficult, and involves a few simple steps.

1. Have the client get a copy of his credit report from each of the 3 bureaus. This can easily be done online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com

2. Write letters to each of the 3 bureaus and dispute negative information on the credit reports.

By law, the bureaus then have 30 days to verify the disputed information with the original creditor, or they must delete it. They must then report their findings to the consumer, and also send a copy of the revised credit report.

3. When the credit bureaus respond, examine the revised reports and continue to dispute additional negative items.

You may be thinking “So is that it?” Well, while this explanation may be a bit oversimplified, generally speaking, the answer is “Yes, that’s it!”

If you perform credit repair for pay, there are some legal matters you need to deal with to avoid running afoul of the law. For instance, some states require you to be bonded or licensed. You’re also required to inform clients of their legal rights, and to give them 3 days to rescind their decision should they decide to accept your services.

But these steps aren’t anything you can’t do as a home business entrepreneur. They’re intended to protect the consumer, and in general, are good practices that any ethical business person should be following anyway.

So if it’s that simple, why do agencies charge thousands of dollars for their services? Very simply, because they can get away with it! Most people just aren’t aware of how uncomplicated the process is, or would ever believe they can do it themselves.

Now if you’re looking to start a home business that will make you rich overnight without any effort, then credit repair isn’t for you. But then, neither is anything else. You’d do better to embrace more realistic expectation, or you’ll be forever wasting your money on the home business “programs” we mentioned earlier.

But if you’re willing to invest some time and effort in a realistic home business, you might want to take a closer look at credit repair. Compared to just about every other home business it has all the advantages. It’s one of the easiest to learn, least expensive and quickest to start up, there’s a huge demand (nearly 1 of every 3 Americans have some credit problems), and you can make some very, very good money. You can also choose to do it part time or full time. The choice is entirely yours.

To get started, you’ll need to do two things.

1. Get a good book on the process of credit repair and spend a little time familiarizing yourself with the process.

2. Do some research into the laws pertaining to credit reporting and credit repair companies, specifically, the “Fair Credit Reporting Act” and the “Credit Repair Organizations Act.”

Both can be researched online.

Finally, once you’ve launched your home business and begun repairing people’s credit, you’ll have the good feeling of knowing you’re helping people in need. And you can charge them way less than the big agencies and STILL make an extraordinarily good living. That’s a win-win situation for everyone … EXCEPT the credit bureaus and overpriced repair agencies.

Gives you a good feeling, doesn’t it?


================
About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Credit Repair is a realistic and
easy-to-learn business well suited to the Small Business Entrepreneur. Visit CreditRepairBiz.com and sign up for a free mini-course.

(c) 2006 This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.

Home Business -- How to Find One That Works

If you’ve done any inquiring about a viable home business, you’ve no doubt found your mailbox and email inbox overflowing with various offers. The numbers seem literally endless. A search for “home business” on Google alone will turn up about 2.44 billion (that’s “billion” with a “B”) hits!

If you’ve spent any significant time trying out different offers, you’ve also discovered that nearly all of them, for one reason or another, just aren’t viable options. Many are outright scams. Envelope stuffing schemes are a prime example. Others are legitimate (sort of), but their claims are always overblown. They’re never as fast, as easy, or as profitable as you’re told they are.

Many just plain don’t work! For example, you’re offered one or more “free” websites and told you can drive traffic using free online classifieds. Ever tried this one? Place all the free classifieds you want, but you won’t get a single order. You WILL however, get loads of spam. And the “free” websites costs you monthly hosting fees paid to (you guessed it!) the vendor from whom you bought the program.

So who’s really making money here? You’ve probably figured it out by now. In almost every case, the only people who really make any money are those making the “work at home” offers. You’re left discouraged, frustrated, and poorer than when you started.

But while the search can be very disheartening, it’s not hopeless. There ARE some legitimate home business opportunities, and there ARE ways to make money, even very good money, working from home.

Now whatever you do, don’t just give up on your search. But you do need to develop a sense for what’s obviously over-hyped and what’s worthy of further investigation.

Continue your search while keeping the following guidelines in mind.


1. The “We do all the work for you!” deception.


Anytime you see an offer that promises instant riches with no effort on your part, you’d be well advised to run the other way! You need to realize up front that absolutely nothing is going to make money for you unless you’re willing to put forth some effort.

You’ve probably seen statements like “Everything is done for you” or “The lazy man’s way to becoming a millionaire.” So ask yourself “What do they need ME for anyway?” Would anybody set up a business and do all the hard work himself just to send his profits to a total stranger? Get real!


2. The “Start making BIG money immediately” deception.

In some cases it’s possible to start making SOME money in a relatively short time span. You shouldn’t necessarily dismiss a business idea that promises quick startup. But “immediate riches” is just not realistic.

You need to realize that growing any business to its full potential isn’t going to happen overnight. This is especially true if your financial situation is such that you’re forced to depend on your present job to pay the bills.

Find a home business that you can start part time and grow, until your business produces enough income that you can get by without your current salary. At that point, you can quit your job and devote full time to your home business.


3. The “Make $50,475.00 (or some other unbelievable sum) the very first month!” deception.

You need to have realistic expectations regarding just how much money you’re going to make.

Are you expecting to become a millionaire in a home business? While it’s not impossible, don’t fall into the trap of jumping at an offer based on wishful thinking. You’d do well to give more serious consideration to those home business offers that make more realistic sounding claims.

That’s not to say you can’t start and grow a business that COULD eventually make you wealthy. But again, it won’t happen tomorrow, next week, or even next month. At the risk of being redundant, it bears repeating that you should focus on offers that don’t promise immediate wealth with no effort.


4. The “This is completely FREE” deception.

While it’s possible and not at all unusual to get free information online that’s both valuable and useful, don’t expect to launch a home business without spending any money. There will always be some startup costs.

If you’re offered a free eBook, newsletter, course, software product, or whatever, go ahead and accept it if it interests you. Most such offers are legitimate, and are a great way to get some ideas and do some research into a home business.

Just make sure you read all the fine print. If you subscribe for information and give your email address, look for a notice that reads something like “We will not share your name” and “You can unsubscribe at anytime.” Just about every legitimate marketer (and every smart one) will promise this, and faithfully adhere to his promise.


5. The deceptive “Money Back Guarantee”

Almost every offer comes with a “money back guarantee” and most of them are legitimate. Every reputable business person knows that failure to honor his or her promise regarding a guarantee (or anything else for that matter) will inevitably result in failure of his business.

Nevertheless, there are a few who engage in deceptive practices regarding their guarantee. Always take a close look at the wording. Is the guarantee conditional? For instance, does it read something to the effect of “Follow the instructions in our program for 3 full months, and if it doesn’t live up to our promises, just return it for a full refund!”

The catch is that “Follow the instructions in our program” could well involve some kind of purchase or investment. For example, you might purchase a mail order program that instructs you to buy a minimum of 3 mailing lists and send 3 mailings. Let’s say that you give it a try and find out after the first mailing that your profits (if any) fall far short of your expenses and you’ve lost money, maybe even a LOT of money.

But when you attempt to return the program for a refund, you’re told that you’re ineligible because “You didn’t follow the instructions in our program" which would have meant 2 additional mailings and the loss of even more money, maybe more than you paid for the program to begin with!

Another sneaky and extremely unethical trick you may run across is a guarantee in which the “conditions” are never mentioned up front, but only revealed AFTER you’ve make a purchase. If you come across this type of scam, contact the vendor and remind him that you purchased his program expecting him to honor the guarantee as it was stated in the offer.

Tell him you’re going to file a complaint with his local Better Business Bureau, another with the US Postal Service (if your program was sent by mail) or take other appropriate legal action. Give him a reasonable time frame to refund your purchase. Then if he still refuses TAKE ACTION and make good on your threats! You’ll be doing a favor not only for yourself, but for other consumers AND for all the honest business people everywhere.

In summary, make sure there IS a guarantee, that it’s unconditional, and don’t let the vendor get away with adding “conditions” after the fact.


6. Follow your passion.

You’d be making a huge mistake selecting a home business that doesn’t take into account your personal interests. No matter how realistic, how profitable, how easy, or how quickly you can start it up, you’re unlikely to be successful in any home business if you’re doing something you just don’t enjoy.

The reason? As stated above, success will demand both your time and effort. But to a large extent, how MUCH time and how MUCH effort you’re putting forth is a matter of perception.

Everyone knows how quickly time passes when you’re having fun, and how slowly when you’re doing something you consider drudgery. The same is true of effort. Work just doesn’t seem as much like work when you’re task is something you like doing.

If your home business is something that doesn’t really interest you, the demands on your time and energy will sooner or later seem unbearable. Your enthusiasm will falter, and with it, your productivity. Even if you encounter some short term success, your waning eagerness will eventually spell doom for your business.


It’s the nature of us humans to tend to believe those who tell us what we most want to hear, whether they be politicians, marketers, or whoever. Anytime you’re presented with an attractive offer, ask yourself “Is this really believable based on the offer itself?” To put it another way, try and imagine you were someone else who had no interest in starting your own home business. Would you find the offer believable enough to suggest it to someone who did?

In conclusion, when determining whether to pursue any home business offer, examine critically not only the offer itself, but your own emotional involvement as well! Try to look at it dispassionately and ask yourself “Does it really sound realistic, or do I just want it to?”

And remember that you have literally billions of offers from which to pick, so you can well afford to pass on any that don’t fit your interest, or that make outrageous claims that are most certainly unrealistic!

About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Easy-to-learn and inexpensive to start, credit repair is one of the more realistic home Business Opportunities. Visit CreditRepairBiz.com and sign up for a free mini-course.

(c) 2006 This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.