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A Home-Based Business Online
Practical home business ideas, strategies
and resources for the work-from-home
entrepreneur
Issue 101 : September 24, 2001
Sent to 10,146 Opt-In Subscribers
Editor: Elena Fawkner
Publisher: Fawkner Publishing
http://www.ahbbo.com
Contact By Email
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome and Update from Elena
2. Home-Based Business Idea of the Week - Reunion Organizer
3. Feature Article - Creating a Professional Image For Your
Home-Based Business
4. Computing Tips from The Newbie Club
5. Motivational Tip for the Day by Jan Tincher
6. Subscription Management
7. Caveat Emptor
8. Contact Information
1. Welcome and Update from Elena
Hello again and a warm welcome to all the new subscribers who
have joined us since the last issue.
This week's article is all about creating a professional image
for your home-based business even if it IS being run out of
your spare bedroom.
Although it's back to business as usual for AHBBO with effect
from this issue, I do want to draw your attention to an excellent
article by j.l. Scott which is something of a "call to arms" for all
online business owners and what we can do, in practical terms,
to support and strengthen the economy during the upcoming
months of anticipated uncertainty. I urge you to check it out at
http://www.i-Cop.org/United_We_Stand.htm .
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this week's
issue.
Remember, this ezine is for YOU! If you have comments or
suggestions for topics you would like to see addressed, or would
just like to share your experiences with other subscribers, I want
to hear from you. Please send comments, questions and stories
to Contact By Email .
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2. Home-Based Business Idea of the Week - Reunion Organizer
Ever tried to organize a class reunion? If you have, then you know
what a headache it is to track everybody down, issue invitations,
process responses, organize the function room, catering and
entertainment. Who has the time, right?
Here's where you can come in. If you're a born organizer and enjoy
dealing with people, why not set up shop as a reunion organizer?
As a reunion organizer, you can do much more than just organize
class reunions. How about family reunions, company reunions and
wartime reunions?
The process is pretty much the same in all cases. Obviously you
need to be given a list of prospective attendees by your client and
as much information as they have about their whereabouts as
possible but from thereon in, you can take the ball and run with it.
The greatest challenge, of course, will be in tracking everyone
down so you need to be part detective to do well in this business.
Because some reunions will be easier to organize than others
(there may be fewer attendees, or you may be given a reasonably
complete, up to date list of attendees' addresses) you may want
to charge for your services on an hourly basis. If you do decide to
charge a set fee for your time, though, do so based on ranges, for
example, $500 for up to 20 attendees, $1,000 for 20 - 40, $1,500
for 40-60 and so on. Then add on your expenses such as
telephone calls, postage, faxes etc.. Payments for caterers,
entertainment and venue should be paid directly by the client.
Charge more or less depending on the services that you provide.
For example, if you will also be arranging travel and accommodation
for out of town attendees, factor that time into your costs as well.
To generate custom, target alumni associations (for class reunions),
genealogy associations (for family reunions), returned service
personnel organizations (for wartime reunions) etc. and advertise in
publications that reach these groups.
-----
There are many more ideas like this at the AHBBO Home Business
Ideas page at http://www.ahbbo.com/ideas.html with more being
added all the time.
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3. Feature Article: Creating a Professional Image For Your
Home-Based Business
© 2001 Elena Fawkner
Like it or not, there is still a segment of the population who
will erroneously conclude that you and your business are
less than professional and competent just because you run
your business out of your home.
Dumb? Obviously. Narrow-minded? Yes. Wrong? Absolutely.
Unfair? No question. Want their business? Well ... yes. OK,
then you're going to have to play the game and beat them at it.
Here's how to do it. It's a little sneaky, but hey, all's fair in love
and home-based business.
HARMLESS FICTIONS
The name of the game is creating the right image ... employing
a few harmless fictions, in other words. First off, incorporate
or register a fictitious business name. Nothing screams
"PROFESSIONAL!" to Potential Client as an honest-to-
goodness corporate or business name on your letterhead and
business cards. Never mind that anyone can spend ten bucks
and register a DBA, it at least *looks* professional, and that's
what counts.
OFFICE ADDRESS
The next problem you have with Potential Client is that
you don't want your home address to give you away.
What do you think looks more professional in Potential
Client's eyes: 123 Cherryblossom Way, Apt. 103, Suburbia
or 123 Major Blvd, Level 37, Big City?
The answer is a serviced office. These don't have to cost a lot
of money if you use them pretty much as a post office but they
CAN give your business all the big-city prestige your potential
client is looking for. You can also use a post office box for
this purpose but many a Potential Client will be on to you in a
flash. They didn't just fall off the turnip truck, you know. (Right.)
An additional advantage is that you can use your serviced
office to meet with Potential Client. After all, the last thing
you want is to have him coming to your REAL office. Heaven
forbid! Most serviced offices will make meeting rooms available
for a flat fee.
TELEPHONES
This is probably the trickiest part of all. How do you know
it's safe to answer the phone in your home office even though
the sounds of your young children playing just outside your
office door will be heard by the caller? You simply don't.
There is a simple way of dealing with this. Only give your
home office number to existing clients. They already know
you are professional and competent and should therefore
have no issue with the fact that you work from home.
For anyone else, give out the number of an answering service
that will answer the call in your business name and can tell
callers that you're in a meeting with another client and take
a message. Your serviced office will offer this service as well.
You can then return the call at a time when you know
tell-tale background noise won't give you away.
In fact, a trick some people who work from home use when
returning calls is to run a tape of office background noise.
This both gives the impression you are working in a large
office AND it masks any slight tell-tale household noises that
may, despite your best efforts, give you away.
Once Potential Client becomes an actual client and you've
proved to his satisfaction that you are professional and
competent, you can tell him that you've decided to start
working out of your home to reduce unnecessary overheads
and give him your direct phone number.
No matter how enlightened your client-base is as a general
rule, it is imperative that the telephone be answered in
a businesslike manner. I don't care how sympathetic,
supportive and admiring your clients are of your decision to
balance your work and family commitments by running a
successful business from home, there is nothing cute
about a five year old answering your business line. It's
unprofessional, not to mention downright annoying.
So have a separate phone line for your business and
lay down the law to your household that no-one, NO-ONE,
is to answer it but you (unless, of course, you're employing
your teenage children in your business in which case they
should be instructed on how to answer the telephone in a
professional manner). If you're away from your office,
divert your calls to your answering service.
Something else to think about is the image of your email
address. Which is Potential Client to consider more
corporate/professional: maryann@isp.com or
m.entrepreneur@mycompanyllc.com?
It's worth spending $35 a year on your own domain name
just for the professional email address, even if you never
intend to create a website. Mind you if you're going to have
your own domain why NOT create your own website? But
that's another article ...
STATIONERY AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
It goes without saying that your stationery, business cards
and other promotional materials should reflect a professional
image. If you have incorporated your business or registered
a fictitious business name as recommended earlier, this is
a good start. A company or business name on letterhead and
business cards can't fail to convey a professional image
provided they are professionally printed on quality stationery
stock.
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
There's no point having quality stationery if you're going
to use a cheap and cheerful inkjet printer for your
correspondence. Invest in a medium quality laser printer
instead. They don't cost a lot of money these days and
you can get a unit that triples as a fax machine and
photocopier for only a few hundred dollars.
So, what do you think? You may be thinking "I wonder
whether it's really worth the effort to try and please just a small
number of potential clients". Is it worth it? Well, look at it this
way. Are these suggestions really anything more than basic,
common sense, professional business practices? Regardless
of what your potential and existing clients may think about
the concept of businesses run out of their owners' homes,
first impressions DO count.
------
** Reprinting of this article is welcome! **
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------
Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ...
practical home business ideas for the work-from-home
entrepreneur.
http://www.ahbbo.com/mmp/sub.cgi?AHBBO=!FLM
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subject.
4. Computing Tips From The Newbie Club
Icons can be swapped out for a different look. Tired of the
same old happy face staring joyfully at you? Zap it and
replace it with a frowny face! Or whatever you want. This
applies to program icons you've installed... not to the
icons that are a part of your Windows operating system,
such as My Computer, Recycle Bin, and Network
Neighborhood.
Here's how to change the other guys:
1. Right click the icon you want to modify, and choose
'Properties' from the context menu.
2. On the Shortcut tab, click 'Change Icon'.
3. Click the 'Browse' button and locate your icon files.
They end with .ico. If you need to find your icon files,
just search for *.ico using Windows' Find Files and
Folders feature.
4. Once you've located the icon you want to use, click
Open, OK, and OK again and you're done. You'll see the
new icon appear in place of the old one in a flash.
-----
Tips brought to you by Tom Glander and Joe Reinbold of
the Newbie Club. Get to know your computer without all
the techie geek-speak ... http://newbieclub.com/?start_here
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5. Motivational Tip For The Day by Jan Tincher
Do you know that if you stop the circulation of money by holding
on to it and hoarding it, that particular action -- or nonaction --
will stop its circulation back into your life?
Never has it been more true. The more you give, the more you
get. If you give freely and without hesitation in all things, you
cause a continuous flow. If you stop the flow, you stop receiving.
If your flow has stopped, find someone to give something to.
Even if it's only your love and appreciation. Start generating
that flow and keep it going. Feel how good it feels.
------
Learn unique strategies and techniques for personal success
from Jan Tincher online at http://www.TameYourBrain.com
While you're there, sign up for her free e-zine *Tame Your Brain!*
6. Subscription Management
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7. Caveat Emptor
Although all of the information presented in AHBBO is
published in good faith, neither the publisher nor the
editor accept any responsibility as to the accuracy or
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8. Contact Information
Elena Fawkner, Editor
A Home-Based Business Online
Contact By Email
http://www.ahbbo.com
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