Worldwide, parents have thousands of options in terms of what type and what style of camp they can choose to send their children to. However, due to the fact that there are thousands of choices, most parents will only learn about a very small percentage of these camps, thus potentially missing out on an opportunity to send their children to a camp that would be beneficial in terms of development. Herein lies the business opportunity. Create a website that operates as a directory for children's camps located around the globe. The site could be indexed by the style of camp and geographic area. This would enable parents or kids to locate camps that are of interest to them within close proximity to their community. You could literally employ sales consultants in every state, or even country for that matter, to contact camps in their area and solicit the camps to become members featured on the website. Given the fact that there are thousands of various camps worldwide it would only require that a small percentage of these camps pay a minimal yearly listing fee to be featured on the site for this online venture to become profitable.
1/31/2011
E-Bargains - Online Businesses
Simply put, you compile an e-mail address list of people that would like to receive your weekly e-bargains newsletter that features discounts on a wide variety of consumer products and services. There are no membership fees or costs associated with receiving the newsletter. It's absolutely free of charge. Income and profits are earned by selling a very limited number of advertising spaces to online merchants and service providers that want access to your newsletter subscribers. In addition to paying the advertising fee, merchants and service providers must also agree that the products and service that are advertised in the e-bargain newsletter will be at least 10 percent less than the normal retail price. You can also spice up the newsletter by including trivia questions, games, jokes or any other interesting content. Be sure to comply with anti-spam regulations remove anyone from your e-mail list that requests so. Securing just five advertisers per week each paying $50 will create a yearly income in excess of $10,000, and best of all this can be accomplished with a part-time effort of less than 10 hours of work each week.
Good Business Ideas for 2011
*Elderly relocation services : The aging American population means that business is booming for companies that cater to the elderly. One of the latest successful business models to emerge from the senior sector is elderly relocation, or services that help seniors transition out of their homes to new living arrangements.
*Academic enrichment businesses : Tutoring and academic enrichment is back in the spotlight as school services have been slashed to compensate for state budget woes. Focus on specific grades or subjects, and spread the word through teachers, parents, and other channels. You may also want to offer enrichment services for SAT prep.
*Environmental business consulting : The move toward greener business practices is still in full swing, but the down economy has made it more important than ever for green initiatives to make good financial sense. B2B companies that help businesses save both money and the environment have a rosy outlook for 2011 and for years to come.
*Gourmet food delivery : Americans of all ages find themselves working more and cooking less. But at the same time, they don't want to sacrifice the occasional gourmet dinner – and that makes startups that deliver gourmet-quality food a big hit. Street-side, gourmet food carts are also gaining market share in today's dining-on-the-go marketplace.
*Cupcakeries : The cupcake craze will continue unabated in 2011. Successful cupcakeries cater to restaurants, consumers, or both. The benefit of focusing on cupcakes is that they're cheap to produce and have extremely high profit margins compared to other food products.
A Beginner's Guide to eBay
More and more people are turning to the income opportunities that eBay has to offer. What are the advantages of starting an eBay business as opposed to any other conventional business? So, how can you get started with business on eBay?
Why start an eBay business? The first and obvious advantage is that you can start an eBay business with minimal capital, unlike other businesses which require a lot of capital.
Secondly, the level of risk is very low with an eBay business. Thirdly, you can get started in your spare time, without necessarily having to quit your 'day job'. This enables you to test the waters before taking the plunge. Many people find eBay to be a fun and profitable hobby or sideline. You will need to decide if you want a business or a hobby.
If you decide to make it a business, then you will need to consider maintaining professional records and paying taxes. You can do business whenever it suits you. You can put up your auctions at 3am if you wish, and people will still look at what you are offering. Unlike conventional business, your market place is unlimited. You can sell your product to anyone in the world, with a potential market place of millions of buyers.
Go to eBay and take a look around; eBay offers helpful informative tours and resources for the uninitiated. Observe some auctions in progress and see how people display and list their products. You could even bid for something that you might like. Look around your house for unwanted items and conduct some auctions of your own. It is fun and there's nothing to lose but your junk. This is a great way of testing the auction waters.
Once you decide to develop a serious eBay business, you should take these steps:
Select your product
Everything from luxury homes to baseball cards is for sale on eBay. Conduct research on possible product options by observing your competition. If you have expertise in a certain area, or a passion, select your product appropriately. There are many research tools online which can help you check how many times a particular phrase or word has been searched for online. If few people are looking for what you want sell, it is unlikely to do well on eBay. However if your product is often searched for, you are likely to succeed.
Don't sell products of poor quality
EBay has a great feedback system, which is used to rate traders. This feedback can be accessed by both sellers and buyers. If you get negative feedback, your eBay reputation can be permanently jeopardized.
Start small
Unless you are extremely confident in your product and very secure financially, start off on a small scale and spend more only when you start making some income.
Test
Try various products and product combinations to find out what works best. Always display photos, because many people only buy what they can see.
Offer exceptional service
Treat others well and you will earn a reputation as a trader who can be trusted, and from whom one can buy with confidence.
by Charles Mburugu
How to be a Virtual Assistant - Brenda Stokes
Knowing that many are finding a doorway into this career doesn't mean it is time to tell your boss that you are leaving for good.
The job of the virtual assistant is not something that just anyone can do. It does take a certain type of person. There have been many individuals who wished to work at home and failed because they lack the discipline needed for such a job. During the startup phase, it is not uncommon for a virtual assistant to work 14 to 18 hours per day. Weekends and holidays may have to be worked as well and days off may be far and in between.
What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
Virtual assistants are entrepreneurs that work independently and remotely. Because of the Internet, these individuals can service clients all over the world. All they need is a computer, an Internet connection, and a telephone. Amazingly, the telephone may not be needed at all at times.
The services that are offered by virtual assistants are secretarial tasks. Clients hire these individuals to help them save time and money. By outsourcing secretarial tasks, clients are able to focus on what makes their business profitable. The clients give their virtual assistants their assignments via email, instant message, fax, or telephone.
The jobs that are assigned include typing, making telephone calls, sending emails, processing documents, taking on marketing tasks, and so much more. Virtually anything a client may need assistance with they assign to their virtual assistant.
How to Become a Virtual Assistant
When you want to become a virtual assistant, there is a path that you need to follow:
*Choose the services you want to provide. This means searching your past work background to see what you can offer. Try to offer at least two to three services. You may even want to search the industry to see what virtual assistants are being hired for.
*You will need to take a look at your personal income and see how long you can "float" until you start bringing in a steady income. This will tell you whether or not it is time for you to tell your boss that you are going out on your own.
*You will need to create a business plan for yourself. An effective business plan will help you manage your goals.
*Market your services often. You will need to frequent job sites, classifieds, and you will need to build yourself a website. A website will highlight what it is you can do for clients and give them a means to contact you so that they can utilize your services.
*You do want to be competitive on your rates. Make sure you charge a rate that you can live with. You don't want to work slave wages. Although working from home can be a relief, you will find that it can be daunting if you don't charge enough money.
When working at home as a virtual assistant, don't be surprised if you have to juggle your family and your work at the same time. It can be difficult to separate home from work when working at home, but it also has its rewards.
Five Businesses You Can Start for Under 20 Bucks - Rayzelle Forrest Young
Starting a business can put a serious financial strain on your pocketbook. If you've been thinking about becoming an entrepreneur but feel you just don't have the money to do so, there are a few businesses that you can start for as little as $20! Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Consultant
The qualifications for being a consultant are relatively easy. All you have to do is be better at doing something than the average person is. You will be surprised at what people will pay for when it comes to receiving helpful advice. All you have to do to break into this business is spread the word about your new profession and let everyone know the area you specialize in. Some simple business cards with your name, number and your field of expertise is enough to get you going in this line of work. The key to your success as a consultant will be networking, not money.
Webpreneur
Becoming a webpreneur or selling goods and services by way of a website can be done by just about anyone. Although this line of work requires a lot of time and website promotion, it's a fairly inexpensive business to start. The easiest thing to do if you don't have any goods or services of your own is to sign up for affiliate programs. These programs provide the products for you to sell and in turn, you split the profits with the providing company. You can set up a website with several affiliate programs on them in order to maximize your sales potential. The key to success with this business is to promote, promote, promote. There are tons of free ways to advertise your website. Make use of classified ads, social networking sites, banner ads, etc.
Tutoring
If you're good in a particular subject and feel comfortable with helping others, then a tutoring business could very well become a part of your future. The dire state of today's educational system has sparked the need for more tutors than ever. A good way to get started as a tutor is to approach private schools and home schooling organizations. You will obtain more than enough clients using this free marketing method.
Pet Sitter
In recent years, the pet sitting business has experienced a surge. This is largely due to the fact that people are on the go more than ever before and need somewhere for their pets to go when they are away. This is particularly true when pet owners go on vacation. Rather than leaving their cats and dogs at a kennel, pet lovers are beginning to look for pet sitting services that serve as a sort of pet vacation even. An easy way to start this business is right in your own neighborhood. The cost of putting out flyers and talking to your neighbors will keep you well under the $20 mark.
Desktop Publishing
If you're good at designing flyers, business cards, postcards, etc. and you have a computer and decent laser printer, you can easily and inexpensively start a desktop publishing business. To get this business started, develop a design portfolio that you can showcase on and offline. You could go door to door and offer your services to businesses to get started. You could also upload your portfolio to a website and direct traffic to your site and generate new clients in this way. Both of these methods are inexpensive and will keep you within a $20 budget.
Home Bakery
If cooking baked goods is a passion of yours, you can start a flourishing business right out of the comfort of your own home. Starting a bakery out of your home will dramatically cut your operating costs and give your business a better chance at being successful. Before you officially start your business, there are a few preliminary steps you will need to take in order to get your home bakery business off the ground.
Decide What To Sell
Decide what your home bakery business will sell. Are you going to sell cakes, cookies, pies or a variety of baked goods. If you have a small kitchen you may want to start with just one product. Since you are working with limited space you don't want to take on more than you can handle. Taking on more than one type of baked good will mean that you need more space for more ingredients.
Get Licensing
Your attorney general's office will have information on the type of licensing you will need to run your home bakery. Take care of this part of the business before you start selling any goods. You don't want to run the risk of being shut down by state inspectors before you even get the business up and fully running.
Name Your Business
Think of a catchy name for your business that will distinguish you from others that are in the same line of work. You will need to register your business name with the county recorder as well as obtain a business license with your city offices. Registering your business name will allow you to acquire a business bank account and run your company under your business name.
Get Customers
After you have taken care of all licensing and registering matters, you are now officially ready for business. This means it's time to get customers. Obtain your customers by giving free samples to business offices, restaurants, hotels and community organizations that hold meetings. These are the type of clients that will give your bakery repeat business and significantly increase your profits.
Keep Good Records
If you want to stay in business you will need to keep good records. Carefully record your profits and the amount of money you are spending on supplies and anything else needed to run the business. You will need these records in order to accurately claim deductions when you file your taxes.
Starting a home bakery is a great business if you have a passion for baking goods. Take care of all the preliminary paperwork in order to ensure your business is legitimate before you officially open. In addition, take good records of incoming and outgoing monies for accurate tax filing.
Newsletter Business - Rayzelle Forrest Young
There are several things that you need to consider and make decisions on before you put your newsletter business into full swing. You definitely have to enjoy writing or have contacts with writers that will help you with content for your newsletter. If you don't at least have this part of starting the business together then you may want to wait until you do. If so, here are the other steps that you need to take to get your newsletter business up and running.
Decide On A Niche
The most successful newsletters are catered to a specific group of people or category. This is called having a niche. You need to decide what niche you are going to write about in your newsletter. For instance, you may want to start a newsletter for business owners but this topic is too general. You could narrow it down to business owners who run a daycare. This is a more specific topic and will give you a definite audience.
Decide Your Rates
Make a decision on what your newsletter rates will be. Take into account the amount of time you will put into development as well as publishing costs. Another thing you need to do is figure in the amount of profit you want to make when deciding your rates. Don't forget that you are running a business and one of its purposes is to make you money.
Determine Newsletter Type
Determine whether you are going to publish a traditional newsletter that comes in the mail and are displayed on newsstands, or are you going to have an internet based newsletter. Newsletters on the internet, or ezines as they are commonly referred to, have become extremely popular over the years but there is still a sufficient market for traditional newsletters.
Determine Frequency
Determine how often you will release publications of your newsletter. This should coincide with how often you can have content ready, whether it's from you writing it yourself or from contributing writers. Your frequency could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Just make sure it is enough time for you to produce new and interesting content. This is what will keep your readers wanting more.
Decide On Marketing
Marketing your newsletter is one of the most important steps you will take for your business. A good thing to do is take on a marketing mixture method. Don't just use one approach to promoting your newsletter. Use a combination of social networking both online and in your community, email marketing, direct mail marketing and promotion through other forms of print advertising. If you are on a tight budget in the beginning, it is suggested that you start out with maybe just two promotional methods. Don't try to spread yourself too thin otherwise you'll get frustrated.
Starting a newsletter business can be rewarding. This is particularly true if you enjoy writing. With a good niche and proper planning and marketing, your newsletter business should be well on its way to being a success.
1/30/2011
Opening A Junk Removal Business
The junk removal business
is unique because of the nature of the service being provided, but is fairly easy to get into.
is unique because of the nature of the service being provided, but is fairly easy to get into.With commitment and dedication, anyone can make a profit from other people’s waste.
Before starting up, it is important to check the waste disposal rules and regulations in the area which your business will be operating, as this can save you from a lot of complications further down the road.
You should also become familiar with your local rules and regulations concerning salvage, junk storage, and junk handling.
It is important that you and your staff are certified to work with hazardous materials even if you do not plan to work with these. Junk will often contain unusual or unexpected waste products, and it is important that you and your staff understand how these can be handled and disposed.
How To Start A Junk Removal Business
Once you have become familiar with the rules, regulations, licenses and training you and your employees will require, you must get the correct equipment. There are a number of companies which specialize in products for this industry such as dumpsters, junk hauling vehicles, and other heavy equipment.
It is also important not to overlook small but essential pieces of safety equipment like heavy-duty boots, gloves, and safety glasses.
You should look to purchase high-quality machines which can handle heavy-duty work and abuse, and find reliable professionals who can repair and maintain them regularly. Nothing will hurt your business more than an inability to remove a customer’s junk due to defective equipment.
Be sure to keep your equipment and staff neat and presentable to let your customers know that you are clean people even if your business is a messy one.
What Does Your Area Need?
Look into what sort of needs exist in your area and tailor your junk removal business to meet these. If you live in an area with a lot of construction, public events, or other situations in which large amounts of trash can accumulate quickly, for example, you may want to look into offering services such as dumpster rental.
If you are more likely to be removing large objects such as furniture or appliances, you may want to look into purchasing the items you take for refurbishment and resale. You should also look into local recycling services which can convert any recyclable waste, as in some cases you can make additional money – especially if you are dealing with items such as boats and cars.
It is important to determine what you and your staff will be doing in terms of junk removal, and then ensure that you have the equipment and resources to handle this. It is also important to let your potential customers know when you will be available and what your rates are.
This industry tends to be fickle and seasonal, and you may go through extended periods with little or no business. This makes it vital for anyone in the junk removal business to always be on the lookout for ways to optimize and maximize their profit-making opportunities.
Medical Transcription At Home
Providing medical transcription at home has been a work-at-home industry leader for years, and provides a great means of income for dedicated people with good typing skills and basic knowledge of medical terminology.
To get started in this really interesting career, you will need to take a medical transcription course.
You will learn about medical coding for insurance and report purposes as well as many of the day to day business aspects you will need.
Every aspect of running a successful medical transcription service is covered in most of these courses – things like billing and accounting will be as much a part of your daily work as the actual pages you transcribe.
You will need a very good working knowledge of the technical side of the English language. This includes knowing why commas go in one place and not another as well as the proper use of hyphens, colons, and verb agreement. Excellent spelling is an absolute must.
Even if you are not an English Major, though, it is still possible to become a medical transcription worker as most word processing programs will help you with the basic grammar. This can then be supplemented by your transcription course.
You will often need to correct grammar and sentence structures. Some word processors can help to a degree with this task, but this is an area where you need to feel comfortable as well. Many medical office personnel and doctors do not speak fluent English, so you will need to be able to understand and decipher their recordings as well as put their thoughts accurately into proper English.
You will need a reliable source of transportation in order to do the medical billing and other reports, because you will have to pick up and drop off your work from and to the various doctors’ offices. Being able to stay on schedule and keep appointments will be an important factor in your success as a medical transcription specialist.
Once you graduate from your medical transcription course it may take you a few months to build up a consistent flow of work. Many schools will help you to find jobs in medical transcription, however, so you will soon build a reputation as you accomplish assignments. Word of mouth from doctors’ offices will give you further leads to help you build up your list of clients.
Legalities Of Medical Transcription At Home
As a medical transcription specialist you will have access to many patients’ sensitive medical information and personal and financial information. It is your duty to keep all of these records private and confidential.
You will often be filling out insurance forms and other important documents, so it is also necessary to be well-organized so that all of the appropriate forms are filed at the appropriate times. Missing deadlines can cause major problems for doctors, hospitals and patients.
Having a job in the medical field is a rewarding experience, which is why doing medical transcription at home is now the career of choice for many people.
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