Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Preventing Burnout When Running Your Work From Home Business

By Curd Patricia


Perhaps you are starting a home business enterprise offering professional services. Whether you are an electrician or a proofreader, your biggest question is: "How do I make my business known?" Here are some tips from others who have faced this question. They can help you build a thriving business--right from your home.

If you run a business out of your home, consider employing members of your family. Having more employees on the books allows you to deduct the cost of their insurance premiums from your taxes. You must be able to account for the actual work they do, and provide a reasonable wage in order to avoid scrutiny from the IRS, however.

If you are thinking of starting a home based business, pick a product to sell that is not similar to others. By trying to sell the same product that another company sells, your chances of making real money are slim because customers are going to stick with the company they already know.

If you are going to start a work from home business you should only sell items you have an interest in. If you don't like or believe in what you are selling then you won't convince your customers to buy it either. If you don't like the product then don't sell it.

Keep a mileage log for your business driving. With a work from home business, you might find yourself driving to meet clients or suppliers, delivering orders or traveling to boutiques and trade shows. The IRS allows a write-off for business mileage, at about 34 cents per mile. That adds up! Check IRS.gov for the current year mileage allowance.

When running a home based business, it is very important to have a strong online presence. The great thing about the popularity of the internet, in relation to home businesses, is that you are not limited to selling in your immediate area. Intelligent use of the internet will allow your business to reach consumers all over the world.

Make sure your work from home business web site looks professional and is designed with the user in mind. While there are numerous options to build your own site for little or no cost, often investing a little in a clean and professional design pays off quickly. Visitors are more likely to return again or recommend your site if it is easy to use and appealing.

Research current market prices for any product or service you are selling. Make sure to know the full range from high to low. Looking through other websites in your industry will serve as a great barometer for pricing, and often enables you to choose a competitive price. Do not talk negatively about others to garner business, just focus on playing up your good qualities.

You should make it easy for customers to get in contact with you. Your business website should have an email link available on every single sub-page. This keeps communication front and center, and makes it look like you really take care to communicate with customers. It is a simple way to build trust with customers.

Establish a budget and stick to it. Use your income to pay for advertisement: come up with a smart marketing campaign to get the best out of your money. Do not spend more than you can afford on advertisement or other aspects of your business. Keep track of everything you spend and look for ways to cut expenses.

These tips have given you a lot of sound advice. You are probably planning your Linked-In entry and your Facebook page right now. The internet is a big help. But as these tips have shown, there are also other ways to make your business known. Diligent effort can bring you a thriving business and an important place in your community.




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