Tag Archives: business

Is it Time to Say Goodbye to Your Fax Machine?

It seems like not that long ago, fax machines were essential pieces of business equipment. However, the reign of the fax machine as an office essential was short lived. Thanks to internet fax services and smartphone faxing apps, the fax machine appears to be going the way of the dinosaur. Why should home – based professionals consider getting rid of their fax machines? For one thing, fax machines require an additional telephone line. Lose the fax; lose the monthly fee for that line. In fact, if you live in a household where you do not want or need a landline … Continue reading →

Will 2013 be the Year That You Start a Home Based Business?

If you feel strongly that 2013 will be the year that you start a home – based business, good for you. You are in good company here on the home – based business blog, where we wholeheartedly encourage anyone and everyone to consider whether working from home will work for them. If you have all of the drive and desire to start your business but you are not sure what type of business to start, here are a few suggestions. Even if one of them does not appeal to you, this list may be enough to get you thinking about … Continue reading →

Home Based Business Annual Review – Law Office

The other day, I talked about the importance of evaluating the performance of your home – based business at least once a year. Today I am evaluating my solo law practice. I do not spend much time working at this business, yet each hour that I do spend produces a nice amount of income. It is an expensive business to maintain, though, between licensing fees, continuing legal education, and malpractice insurance. Since I am unable to devote much time to practicing law, I keep a very tiny case load of no more than two cases at a time. This is … Continue reading →

Sample Annual Review for a Home Based Business

Yesterday, I talked about the importance of evaluating your performance and the performance of your home – based business at least once a year. Since I have not evaluated my two home – based businesses yet this year, now is a good time for me to do so. Today I am evaluating my freelance writing business. It is the business that I spend the most time working at, and the business that is my primary source of income. Just so you know exactly what is being evaluated, my freelance writing business is a sole proprietorship. I work part time, between ten and … Continue reading →

Have You Done an Evaluation for Your Home Based Business?

At this time of year, many people think back on how their businesses have performed over the past year. If you own and operate your own business, this necessarily involves evaluating your own performance as well. Giving yourself and your business an evaluation may seem unappealing, but it is certainly something doing, at least on an annual basis if not more frequently. Evaluating yourself and your business does not have to be a complicated or time consuming exercise. After all, your time is valuable, and you still (hopefully) have plenty of work to do. The year is not over yet, so … Continue reading →

Long Term Clients are a Freelancer’s Best Friend

If you are considering starting a home – based business as a freelance writer or some other type of freelance professional but you are worried about constantly having to look for work, this post is for you. It is only natural to wonder whether you will have to spend a lot of time looking for work in order to keep your plate (and your bank account) full enough all the time. That said I am happy to tell you that you do not have to let that fear get in the way of pursuing your home – based dreams. When … Continue reading →

Holiday Parties and Christmas Bonuses

At this time of year, home – based professionals may be getting all nostalgic about two things that they remember from working outside of the home. Holiday parties and Christmas bonuses are things that used to be commonplace for many professionals who were employed outside of the home. In recent years bonuses and gifts have become a more modest, but many people do still get a little something from their employer. Most places of employment have some form of holiday party, too. Now that you work from home, are holiday bonuses and parties a thing of the past? They don’t … Continue reading →

Are You Emotionally Ready to Start Your Own Business?

 We all know that a business plan is essential for starting a home – based business. There are other things, though, that are just as essential to home based business success that get mentioned far less often. One of these things is emotional readiness. Starting a home – based business is a leap of faith, and whether you are employed at a job and planning to leave in order to start your own business or currently unemployed and about to invest what little savings you have into working from home, it can be scary to take the plunge. Fortunately, just … Continue reading →

Do You Want to D’Think?

One day during my internet “wanderings” I noticed an interesting advertisement at the top of a page I was reading. It had the Disney logo on it, but for something I’d never heard of, a branch of the company called “D’Think.” Curious, I clicked on the ad to find out more about it. And that’s how I learned about the Disney Institute. When I first saw the phrase “Disney Institute” my mind went to all sorts of wonderful, if obviously fictional, places. A Disney-themed school perhaps, studying my favorite subject of myth and modern media in a tree-surrounded, cobblestone-covered building … Continue reading →

Author Interview — Karin Abarbanel

Today we are joined by author Karin Abarbanel, who has just released a wonderful new how-to book. Karin, thank you for joining us. Your new book, “Birthing the Elephant,” is targeted to women who want to start their own businesses. I’m curious why you wrote a book specifically geared to women. What are the hurdles a woman will face as opposed to a man who wants to start his own business? Great question! Actually, some of the very positive reviews we’ve received for Birthing the Elephant are from men launchers who are finding it very helpful. I think this underscores … Continue reading →