Showing posts with label business start up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business start up. Show all posts

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Awareness Can Lead To The Success Of Your Home Business

Awareness Can Lead To The Success Of Your Home Business

By John Fortner

We would like to think that our home businesses belong to us and that we have total control over our enterprises. For the most part, this is an accurate statement. The reality is that our work from home ventures are directed by the rules and regulations that are designed by the government. We create and develop our home based businesses under the guidelines established by Uncle Sam.



We want to believe that in a democratic economy our home businesses are unrestricted in the execution of daily operations. In addition, we desire to think that we have complete control over the cost that is placed on the goods and services that we offer. However, the reality is that the government still exercises some regulation over the prices that are acceptable and the prices that are not acceptable. This brings the concept of price control into home businesses and brick and mortar stores.



Government uses different policies to control the prices of goods and services in our economy. Two of these programs include the price floor and the price ceiling. Basically, the price floor is defined as the legal minimum price that products or services can be sold. Conversely, the price ceiling is described as the legal maximum price that goods or services can be purchased. These strategies are established for a reason. A better understanding of how these methods affect our economy might help improve the formula for your work at home business success.



The minimum wage is a good example of the reasoning behind the idea for price control. The minimum wage can be described as a price floor because this is the least salary per hour that employers can pay for the services of their employees. Consider for a moment the possibility that there is no price floor for worker’s wages. This might create a business environment that is marked by disorder. The first area that would suffer is production. The employee might experience dissatisfaction with their employer over the salary being paid for the amount of work that has to be delivered. A minimum wage provides a limit where security and stability for the worker, the company and our economy can develop.



A good example of a price ceiling would be the rental fee. In some cities, the government uses rent control to limit the maximum fee that landlords can charge their tenants. This enables the cost of the real estate properties in that area to maintain a sort of stability in price. An opportunity is provided for the middle-class and the poor to raise their standard of living. There are many advantages to rent control for the economy but there are also some hindrances. Price ceiling might prevent cities from reaching their potential development because investment could be limited as well.



There are several mechanisms in government that enable the business environment to function smoothly without many interruptions. It is also important to realize that these systems influence our home businesses directly and indirectly. Our responsibility is to be aware of the laws that impact the opportunity to make money online, develop a home based business or create a brick and mortar store.



Do price floor and price ceiling have that much of an impact on your home based business? Probably not. But a deeper understanding of economy and the rules and regulations of our government can help you make informed decisions concerning your work from home venture. The goal that each one of us strives for is success. The accomplishments of our home businesses will come sooner if we stay informed about every aspect of the business economy.



“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.”



About the Author: John Fortner lives in Oregon and works from his home through his online pursuits. He is the owner of Best-Income Opportunities which offers free information and proven opportunities for creating work at home businesses. To learn more about this topic please visit his website at: http://www.best-incomeopportunities.com/ To receive free information for starting a home business please go to: http://www.Best-IncomeOpportunities.com/optin.html



Source: http://www.isnare.com/

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=219351&ca=Business

Monday, July 16, 2007

Think Like An Entrepreneur!

Think Like an Entrepreneur!
By Gary Ryan Blair




There was a time when being the biggest, most experienced corporate
kid on the block guaranteed success and dominance. However, in the
new economy, organizations that lack the commitment and capacity
for leveraging size and experience strategically will see these
attributes as vices instead of virtues.



The new economy will require an entrepreneurial mindset. Competition
will come from anywhere at anytime. Technology will empower smaller, nimbler competitors dramatically.



The days of sitting back, waiting, and depending on corporate size and reputation to attract business are effectively over.



To be clear—the relationship between size and entrepreneurial
behavior doesn't have to be an inverse one. People like Bill Gates
have already demonstrated convincingly that huge companies like
Microsoft can be as proactive and aggressive as the most
entrepreneurial start-up. In fact, entrepreneurial behavior can no
longer be the exclusive preserve of just the young start-up.



Everybody has to get in on the act!



Entrepreneurship is a bit like dieting: Everybody's in favor of it in
principle, but only a few have the intestinal fortitude to do what it
takes to reap the rewards.



In my view, the major source of the problem is cultural and is rooted in our fear of failure.



The new economy calls for a far more entrepreneurial corporate
culture, one where experimentation, risk taking, and even failure are
not only tolerated, but also actually celebrated. After all the only
real alternative to experimentation and risk is decay and decline.
The essence of risk is the possibility of failure.



Honor your errors. To advance requires a new frame. But the process
of going outside the conventional method is indistinguishable from
error.



Evolution can be thought of as systematic error management.



Scratch a successful entrepreneur and what you'll find is someone who failed a time or two or... get the idea?



The emerging rigors of the new economy leave us little choice. We
must experiment, and experimentation carries with it the near
certainty of at least occasional failure. In a truly entrepreneurial
culture, failure tends to be regarded as a learning opportunity, a
necessary pre-condition to eventual success. The status quo is simply
not a viable option any longer. You can stand still if you like, but
your competition certainly won't.



One other critical point about entrepreneurs. They are above all men
and women of action! Entrepreneurs instinctively understand the
importance of real-world experimentation, trial and error, and speed.
Experimentation, feedback, failure, learning, adjustment,
action—that's what successful entrepreneurship is all about.



Entrepreneurship, like innovation, is a profoundly relative concept.
At its core, it implies a willingness to risk challenging
conventional wisdom and prevailing approaches.



A company may employ you, but you work for yourself! Two defining
qualities of an entrepreneur are an appetite for risk and a strong
bias towards action. For many years, business conditions operated
strongly against the entrepreneur.



Size, stability, and industry experience were the only commodities recognized as having value in the business world; without them you could forget about making an impact. That's changing.



The business landscape of the new economy will be more hospitable to the entrepreneur than any we've seen before. The volatility and unpredictability of global competition have completely devalued most existing corporate currencies and virtues.



What good is size if your organization is too slow and muscle bound
to capitalize on new, fast-moving opportunities? What use is lengthy
industry experience if your most ferocious competitor is likely to
come at you from out of an entirely different sector? What's the
point of conducting exhaustive market surveys if the market changes
so fast they're obsolete before you've analyzed them?



Under these kinds of conditions, what counts is the willingness and
ability to take risks, get real-life feedback and react quickly. In
short, the ability to be entrepreneurial.



As a genuine entrepreneur, either inside an organization or
independent of one, you should prove to be ideally adapted to the
evolving imperatives of the new competitive environment.



Emboldened by its competitive dynamics and liberated by new
technologies, entrepreneurs will build not only bridges to the new economy but castles on the other shore!



Everything Counts!




Gary Ryan Blair is President of The GoalsGuy. A visionary and gifted conceptual thinker, Gary is highly regarded as a speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to leading companies throughout the globe.



He helps business owners, corporate executives and sales professionals manage their time, set their priorities, and stay focused so they can achieve their goals, grow their business, and sustain a lasting competitive advantage. Learn more at http://www.personalstrategicplan.com



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Ryan_Blair
http://EzineArticles.com/?Think-Like-an-Entrepreneur!&id=641378

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Chosing The Right Name for your Business

Choosing a Company Name



When forming a limited company the name of the company can be an important decision. Some people may choose the first name that they think of and others may select a ready made company for speed or because they like a particular name. However, many businesses may prefer to select a company name that either clearly distinguishes itself from its competitors or contains something unique or personal. Company names can be chosen for different reasons.



One of the most common ways of selecting a company name is to use something personal. A quick look through your local newspaper will probably introduce you to many personalised business names. Johnson Consulting Limited, T Smith & Son Limited, Stephens & Barley Limited are some fictional examples of what may be found. This may instantly make a company recognisable locally, it can be deemed as more personal by its customers, and often works well within geographical areas. However, it does little to tell new customers what your company does.



A popular choice for a small business is to choose a name that is 'descriptive'. This tells prospective clients exactly what your company does. Examples of this may be to call your business The Window Company Limited, City IT Consultants Limited or The Advertising Agency Limited. Whilst this does serve to reinforce your primary business it offers little differentiation and may easily be adapted by competitors.



A less personal option is to use a company name that is 'associative'. This type of company name helps to create an image or connection to your business activity. It is less direct than using a descriptive name but helps to position your company's name within the market through peoples understanding of what words mean. For example a flick through the Yellow Pages will offer plenty of examples of this. A hairdresser called Classic Cuts or a printer called Selectaprint Limited are examples of what may be found. These names offer some differentiation but may not ultimately set your company aside from its competitors.



An alternative is to choose a company name that is 'freestanding'. These names are completely abstract and not related to the companies business activities. A fictional example may be to call your catering company Zedoc Limited. There are many popular brand names that illustrate this point. Consider, Kodak, Gillette, or Mars, these names will probably be instantly recognisable to you and conjure up a particular product or business. This is a good way of setting your company aside from the competition but it is important to consider the market that you operate in. Will your prospective clients know what your business is offering?



Choosing a company name may be a simple process, but it is not uncommon for people to deliberate over names for quite some time. Whilst company names can, and often are, changed during the life of the company most people like to choose a name that they like from the outset. Therefore consider your market, how much you want to differentiate from your competitors and what your company name should say about your organisation. Once the decision is made focus on the important business of making your company a success.


Author Bio

Michael Harris is a university graduate who has worked within the company formation and business advice industry for many years. Simple Formations is part of the SFS Group of Companies providing Company Formation the same day with your own company name.


Article Source: http://www.articlegeek.com


Thursday, May 3, 2007

Starting Your Own Business

Tips to get your Entrepreneurship off and running


By: Michael Johnson


One of the best of the small business associations is the University of Central Arkansas Small Business Advancement National Center (SBANC.)



While the ideal way of starting a small business would be to free yourself up from every other venture, problem, time consuming effort and obligation and throw yourself into starting a small business every waking moment, this isn't an ideal world. Few of us can afford the luxury of setting everything else aside to devote all our time and efforts, as well as capital - to starting a small business.



Some of us have the itch to become an entrepreneur but have to "keep our day jobs" while we give this starting a small business idea a go. It may well be, in fact, that starting a small business part time is the most common entrepreneurial process.



Part of succeeding at starting a small business if you have to do so part time is to know your schedule and your time limitations and choose a business concept that you enjoy, have some training or expertise in and can be accomplished around your work schedule. The other alternative is to change your work schedule either with your current employer or choose an alternative employer. Starting a small business takes effort and focus as well as time.



It may be that your current job is not only time consuming but also the type of work that requires a great deal of energy, a great deal of concentration, a very regimented schedule and perhaps the responsibility that tends to have you taking your work home with you either actually or mentally. This sort of work style doesn't lend itself well to starting a small business part time.



Let's look at an example of a journalist who has a successful writing and editing business from her home office. When she decided she was interested in starting a small business she had been working for many years in newspaper management. Her executive responsibilities required 70 and 80 hour workweeks and even then she took work home.



After many years of this she began to think more and more about her dream of starting a small writing business. It called to her more and more urgently. But how was she to even think of starting a small business when she had little time, energy or focus left in her busy work week? Besides, she had to work to keep the roof over her head.



What she did to determine if starting a small business was even possible, was to sit down and write out a budget, deciding where she could eliminate some non-essential expenses in her life, and what she absolutely had to have to live on. She then looked for, and found, a job that not only brought in enough money to live on but freed up a lot of her daytime work week hours as well as her mental focus. She took a customer service job in a call center.



Starting a small business was going to be possible with this job where it had not been with her newspaper career for a number of reasons. It required considerably less mental acumen, it didn't require that she take her work home with her, it was easy, the hours were flexible (she worked 3pm-midnight Thursday through Sunday) and the dress code was highly casual. She could work all day starting her small business and then don her jeans and go into the call center in the evening. Now she's quit that call center job and her dream of starting a small business has been fulfilled. Her business is thriving and she works at it full time.



You will find links to other small business associations from the SBANC site. These small business associations include the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offering one on one counseling in person or online, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its Small Business Development Centers which provide a ton of small business assistance including mentoring, training, publications, tapes, workshops and financing, Allied Academies - a worldwide research and training group, the Small Business Institute which provides entrepreneurial teaching and training, and the Federation of Business Disciplines, a group of educators devoted to small business teaching conferences.


Author Bio

About the Author:
M. Johnsona operates a variety of small business websites and newsletters. Visit the website for many business start up ideas. www.smallbiztipscenter.com


Article Source: http://www.articlegeek.com