Minimize Your Office And Equipment Start-Up Costs

Written by Maria Stefanova


When you set up your office area you have to consider clients, suppliers, family, neighbors and yourself. The balance is easy to achieve when you keep in mindrepparttar double function your home has from now on: a home and an office. Below I outlinerepparttar 117909 baby-steps that will help you to achieve this balance. Define your work area

This isrepparttar 117910 first step on your path to success. If you don't have a defined work area, a place that says to you "While You Are Here, You Are At Work!", then you will probably stumble in a lot of distractions and byrepparttar 117911 end ofrepparttar 117912 day you will be surprised with how little you have done. You should not limit your idea of work area to space only. Consider time dimensions, too. Your coach could be your office, if your family knows that you are working and not sleeping, pettingrepparttar 117913 cat or watching TV.

You should always keep in mind your cost. If defining your area means drywall, purchasing that awesome coach and a new carpet, then you'd better reconsider. Your business will be pretty slow forrepparttar 117914 first few months, so you'd better save that money for promotion and to secure your basic expenses.

Equip it

Equipment is always a two-sided issue—you have to keep your costs at a minimum and atrepparttar 117915 same time you have to be professional and not to look "cheap".

The first place to start cutting your costs is furniture. Think classic, think second-hand, and think professional use! Don't fall for that brand-new filling cabinet for "home use"—it is likely to become outdated very soon and fall apart just when you need it. You will be better off with a comfortable second-hand chair, table and filling cabinet that were actually used and proved to be sturdy enough.

Now, let's look atrepparttar 117916 "tools". In most ofrepparttar 117917 cases they constitute of your computer, keyboard, mouse, printer and your website. It is my personal observation thatrepparttar 117918 most sensitive pieces of equipment arerepparttar 117919 mouse andrepparttar 117920 keyboard, so I would recommend that you considerrepparttar 117921 best quality for these two. Your monitor is also very important, but I've found that you don't need Sony in order to feel comfortable and keep your eyes healthy. A good alternative is CTX.

Is A Web Design Business For You?

Written by Liz Folger


If someone was going to really pressure me to recommend a hot home-based business for now andrepparttar future, there's one I'd have to list. That's web design! It seems everyone wants/needs to get a website up. For those who have started creating sites for yourself, family, and friends and become intrigued withrepparttar 117908 idea of actually making money doing something you really enjoy, web design might berepparttar 117909 perfect home business for you.

Jennifer Czawlytko, author ofrepparttar 117910 eBook, "A Bizy's Guide To Creating Success In Web Design" took time out of her busy schedule to talk about her business of web designing.

Jennifer has been my web designer for several years. I first met her in an online chat that I used to host on AOL several years ago. A couple of years into designing my site myself, I was in desperate need of finding a designer. Because Jennifer wasn't shy aboutrepparttar 117911 business she ran, I knew exactly who I was going to ask to take this job.

I know you'll learn so much from Jennifer's past experience andrepparttar 117912 tips she has to offer.

Liz: Jen, what makes web designrepparttar 117913 right business for you?

Jen: I have always had a creative side that I primarily saved for my off time (doing crafts, helpingrepparttar 117914 PTA, etc.). I never really knew how to use my creativity to succeed in my work life until I started working onrepparttar 117915 computers at my children's schools. As I explain in my eBook, I started with desktop publishing and eventually discovered web design. Here was a business where I could be creative on a daily basis and make money. It is important to note though, while I can make a good income with this business,repparttar 117916 benefits of running this business go far beyond financial. I am a naturally shy person, but web designing has allowed me to do something that I love, something that can make a difference for so many people, and most importantly, something that has allowed me to believe in myself. As a Mom I have always told my children that they have to believe in themselves. Now I can teach them by example. For me, that makes thisrepparttar 117917 right business.

Liz: Forrepparttar 117918 Moms thinking about starting a web design business, would this be a good business for them to start from home? And why?

Jen: Definitely, if they have creative talents and can project a solid business image, this is an ideal business to run from home. In my eBook I cover not onlyrepparttar 117919 skills you need for this business, but also talk about personalities. It is important forrepparttar 117920 budding entrepreneur to know that this type of business is not for everyone. For example, you won't make money overnight and you won't haverepparttar 117921 benefit of someone else's product to sell. Web design is a business where you are selling your skills, your only "product samples" are things that YOU create. That may sound scary, but rememberrepparttar 117922 benefits ... YOU create your own success, YOU manage your own schedule and workload, and YOU reap allrepparttar 117923 benefits. I love being able to attend all my boys' school events, being able to work at 1 AM if one of my boys isn't feeling well duringrepparttar 117924 day, deciding when I want to take a vacation, etc.

Liz: Has this business always been easy? Did you ever think about giving up?

Jen: Has anyone ever actually answered yes to that first question and no torepparttar 117925 second one? LOL I truly believe any business you start is going to have its tough times and there will be times you feel like giving up. So no, it hasn't always been easy, and yes, I have considered giving up, many times. But it isn't important if you have times like that; what is important is how you handle them and grow from them. The first "problem" that arises will always berepparttar 117926 toughest one because you are more vulnerable inrepparttar 117927 beginning. But if you learn from each bad experience, you will prevent future mistakes and you will be stronger for it. In my eBook, I present some ofrepparttar 117928 problems I have faced so that others can learn from my experiences as well as their own.

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