Part 2 ~Advantages & disadvantages of a home office!

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Two days ago, I wrote Part 1 of this article titled “Advantages & disadvantages of a home office”.

Today, I’d like to continue Part 2 of the “disadvantages” of a home office.

So now that you have the bright side (advantages) of a home office, let’s look at the other side. The majority of home-based businesses do not succeed because of a lack of discipline, self motivation and structure. Many people do not enjoy being stuck in a home-based business alone especially if they’ve come from the corporate environment. Some problems that many experience are:

Disadvantages
1. Isolation from consumers and the business world
2. Home chores can come in between of office work
3. Motivation is difficult to attain
4. Business isn’t taken seriously
5. Difficulty in keeping a set schedule and/or routine
6. Family members do not respect the home office
7. Good weather can tempt you to play and not work

1. Isolation from consumers and the business world
Isolation is one of the most hardest problems to overcome when working from home. Establishing yourself as a work at home person takes real effort. Marketing your home based business is an every day task. To stay in touch with the business world one must constantly network with potential clients and become involved in your community.

A great way to establish the connection is to join associations, blogs, forums, and social networks. Stay visible and showcase your expertise.

2. Home chores
It can be difficult to shut yourself off all the chores calling at you when you work from a home office. The attempt to load the laundry while you work can be a distraction. On a work day, abandon all thoughts of housework and focus on your business. After you’ve completed at least half off your to do list, then put that laundry load in.

Put a value on your time and learn to keep a schedule. Eventually everything else will fall into place and it will all become second nature. Self-discipline is key!

3. Motivation
Now that you are the boss, you have decisions to make on the future of your business. It is your job to care about the goals that are to be set make your business succeed. An organized and structured routine is essential to your business plan. Passion for your work and where you see your business leading are all motivational factors that should inspire you to move forward. More on page 540

S. Colon @ May 11, 2008

Part 1 ~ Advantages & disadvantages of a home office!

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What are your advantages & disadvantages of a home office?

Working from my home office is a blessing. I’ve had to outweigh the advantages and disadvantages of working from my home but the outcome for me far outweighs working in the corporate world. I have had the opportunity to encounter just about every possible positive and negative situation. I also had to evaluate whether a home-based office was the ideal situation. In my case, it was and I’m happy to say it has been the best decision for me.

A home office isn’t for everyone. Evaluate your circumstances and find the ideal solution to your needs. Most people think it will be a wonderful existence, until reality sets in and they experience isolation and home-office problems. Although, this article isn’t to stray you away from working at home, it is an article that will list the advantages and disadvantages to a home office.

Read on and decide for yourself whether you are cut out for a home office:

Advantages:
1. Low overhead
2. Home office-tax deductions
3. Flexibility of hours
4. Security, peace and quiet
5. Safety in inclement weather
6. Family time

1. Low overhead
Having a home-based office eliminates much of the overhead expense of a business and you can claim deductions come tax time.

2. Home-office tax deductions
Your home office will incur expensive operating costs just like any business. However, the beauty of a home-based office is that a portion of these costs can be claimed on your income taxes. You are paying these costs anyway so it’s a bonus to be able to claim them as a tax deduction. Remember, you can only claim a home-based office if it is the head office of your business. More on page 538

S. Colon @ May 9, 2008

Visual marketing strategies to help you rise above the crowd!

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In this post, David B. Coleman shares with us the “Visual marketing strategies to help you rise above the crowd”!

You have a message to communicate to your prospective customer. Unfortunately, they’re so overwhelmed by advertisements and other promotional information that the chances of your message getting across are slim to none. Indeed, studies show that the average consumer in this country is bombarded with nearly 3500 commercial messages a day.

So what can you do to make sure your target market takes notice? What can you do to make sure your organization is presented in the best possible light?

Speak Directly to Your Customer

Use delivery channels that allow for one-to-one communication. For example, it’s more difficult to target a prospect or client through a mass media vehicle like television, versus direct electronic mail where your audience volunteers to hear from you. Untargeted, mass-marketing efforts are often disruptive to a prospect (think of the commercials you’re thrown to when you hear the familiar, “right after these messages” from television game show hosts).

Media that allows you to communicate more directly to your audience, like variable-data printing (VDP), allow for the customization of text and imagery in print and electronic media. For example, with variable-data and digital printing, it’s possible to retrieve an individual’s area of interest from a database so that the photography and text in a brochure is tailored specifically to their needs. Always consider media channels that allow you to speak to your audience on their terms.

Be Unique

Make sure your visual marketing is as distinct and individual as your organization. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see (or hear) a commercial for an automobile dealership? There seems to be an unwritten rule that they must all be loud and overbearing. You know which spots we’re talking about: 20 font styles with 20 different colors; flashing, flying and spinning video and graphics; and an extremely loud voice over. Does the similarity of these commercials help one dealership stand out from the others?

The same holds true for visual communication efforts that use templates, clip art, or overused formats. You deserve a visual presence that is as unique as your organization. Don’t follow the crowd–rise above it! More on page 536

S. Colon @ May 7, 2008

How to promote your business on a shoe string budget!

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How do you promote your home based business on a shoestring budget?

I get asked this question many times and hope that the following information will help you with promoting your home based business without breaking the bank so to speak.

First, you want to know which advertising method are the most effective for your business at the minimum cost. Set up an advertising budget and do not spend more than what is indicated on your budget. You may want to consider the following advertising methods for your business:

• Fliers

Fliers are a great way to solicit your business. Although the return of people actually seeing your advertising is lower then other advertising avenues, this is a cost effective method. You should advertise in fliers around seasonal peaks and ebbs. Choosing the right time to place an ad on fliers is important if you want to get a higher exposure rate. Flyers can be designed on your computer or at a printer location. Distribute them to specific areas which you’ve identified as potential business. Remember to monitor the response rate of flier distribution.

• Newspaper advertising

Consider placing an ad in the local community paper and don’t forget the classified section. Rates are cheaper for as long as you run the advertisement. Many papers are now hip to home based businesses and have advertising displays which are quite cheap. Check your local community paper for details.

• Brochures

Brochures that are professionally prepared are invaluable for trade shows, networking events, mailings, promotions and seminars. It should give enough information, but peek the curiosity of obtaining a call from a potential client. Take the time to prepare an informative brochure that is professional and shows you as an expert in your field. Remember to also include your website/blog in all your brochures.

• Thank you cards

When you receive business from clients, be sure to knowledge them by sending a “thank you” card. Offer a discount fee if they recommend you to friends and neighbors and remember to send those referrals a “thank you” card as well. Your efforts will be remembered. More on page 532

S. Colon @ May 5, 2008

Keyword and meta description tags!

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In this post, Tim Koen talks about “Keyword and meta description tags!”

Keyword and description meta tags optimization tutorial for better search engine rankings. Have you ever wondered why some web pages get higher search engine rankings than others? Of course you have, if you are a web developer. You may have read or heard of a hundred ways to improve your page ranking and tried them all. Only to see dismal results and wonder what the heck went wrong.

Been there and done that. So I thought I would let you in on the secrets I use to get my pages to rank high in the search engines. Once you read these tricks you might think that is so obvious I should have thought of it.

Here are the 10 rules I use to search engine optimize a page for keywords and description meta tags.

1. First let’s assume that you already know what the page is about and have already created it. This is not a tutorial on how to write web pages. Rather guidelines for search engine optimization using your meta keywords and description tags.

Depending on the type of page you are creating determines how many keywords you should use. For instance a sales letter is typically 2000 or more words. In that type of page you need to describe all the advantages of your product and why it is the right solution. You will want to get testimonials and place them in appropriate places. You may even want to tell a story relating to how well the product has performed. Don’t over do the page or you will lose your prospect to boredom.

The product page (different from the sales letter) should be between 500 and 750 words. All you are trying to do here is sell a product. Visitors that make it to these pages probably already know what they are looking for and are only looking for specific information. Your job is to convince them that your product is the right one. Beyond that and there is more opportunity for your visitors to disagree with your pitch and move on.

The article page should be at least 1000 words and not more than 5000 words. Okay some might say that 5000 is too long and others have said that isn’t 1000 words aren’t enough words to describe what they have to say. Too long - some say that 500 words is good for an article page. So lets look at this: a person who can read 10 words a second will be through your page in 50 seconds. Not enough time for them to soak up your message. A person reading 3 words a second will take about 2-1/2 minutes. Plenty of time for your message to sink in.

The average reader can read somewhere around 6 words per second. Which would take them 83 seconds to read your 500 word article. Barely enough time to get your visitors comfortable. At 1000 words the average reader will read your page in roughly 3 minutes. At 6 words a second your reader needs around 3 minutes to read a 1000 word article. This plenty of time for the reader to make a decision to click on your most wanted response.

At over 2000 words the average reader will need 5-1/2 minutes to get through it. This is stretching the limit of time most visitors will spend reading one web page. At 5000 words the average reader takes over 13 minutes to read your page. This is well past the amount of time a visitor will need to decide to click on your most wanted response. If your article is really good most people will read all the way through it. If not they are off to the next website in a flash. If you have more than 2000 words you may want to consider breaking the article into 2 pages. More on page 530

S. Colon @ May 2, 2008