Your Own Home Business - Dream or Reality?Written by Craig Binkley
This is a question many people have asked themselves, sometimes over and over. Is it possible for average person to start and run a successful home business? I’m here to say that answer is a resounding YES!With that said, there are some specific questions you should answer before starting your business. This list is by no means a complete, comprehensive all-encompassing checklist, but it will give you a good starting place. What type of business to start? 1) Do I have any knowledge in this area? 2) What skill do I have to run this business? 3) Is this something that I will enjoy doing? 4) How much will it cost to start? 5) Do I have money this would require? 6) Is there a market for this product/service? 7) How will I promote my business? 8) Am I willing to put in effort to make it work? 9) Am I dedicated enough to “stick with it”? 10) How much income will this business have to create? 11) How big do I want this business to become? 12) What are tax implications of owning a business? 13) Are there any regulations (federal/state/local) that I need to be aware of? 14) Am I capable of doing bookkeeping required or do I need to hire out? 15) What type of insurance will be required?
| | Customer Service - A Lost Art?Written by Craig Binkley
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that question, take a moment and think about last few times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now that you have really thought about it, is your answer any different?Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent customer service that it makes such an impression on us that we usually choose to go back? Why - because occurrences are so few and far between!!! As a home business owner, it is imperative to my business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority. Remember saying: “If you don’t take care of your customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have read or heard it somewhere before.....and how true it is. Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your business: 1) SMILE - Sounds too simple, right? As a customer, would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a scowl that would befit a guard dog? 2) LISTEN - Always be slow to speak and quick to listen. Let customers express themselves without you trying to do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted. 3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY - Yeah, I know - bottom line is sales, right? There is a fine line between suggesting products/services and pushing them down a customer’s throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.
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