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The first time I actually decided to go into business for myself I got scared to death! I was making some crafts items and several friends wanted me to make some things for them. So they paid me for the materials and I made the items.

Of course, their friends saw them and wanted some too but I couldn't just keep working for nothing! So I sat down and figured out how much my materials cost and how long it took to make the items. Now I had it set up so I would make a little money for my time.

Pretty soon, others wanted dolls and things I was making and my phone started ringing with orders! I was thrilled! But, I needed to figure out how to make this work as a business. Boy, did I have questions!

I sent off for my tax ID number and received all the information back. Needless to say, I took one look at that stuff and got cold feet! Then I filed my business name at the county courthouse and received a letter saying I was being assessed Personal Property taxes! UGH! I promptly wrote a letter to the IRS and waved my white flag! LOL!

Several years later I decided to brave it again. I was armed with more information and had more determination to really make it work!

It's now been just over 3 years since I became an official Work At Home Mom! And I LOVE it!

I would like to put information in this newsletter for others like myself that really want to succeed and need the tools to do it!

Everyone asks me, "How did you really start your business?" And, I have to say, "Take one step at a time just like a baby does!"

It's true! You have to create a plan, find out what your state, county, city, or township requires, and then take one thing at a time. The first thing that I did was contact the Internal Revenue Office for what my state mandates. I then contacted the county courthouse and the township assessor as I live outside the city limits. My particular business is located in my home. If I had customers that came to my home or if I needed parking etc. I would need to have special zoning. All these things need to be considered when you finally decide on your business and location.

The next step was to open a P.O. Box at the post office because my business is primarily mail order and I didn't want to give out my home address on my website. I also visited my local bank and started a business checking account. My branch offers a small business account that only charges me $1.00 per month! What a great benefit! I have a debit card that I can use unlimited times but I can only write 6 checks per month. If I write more checks I'm charged additional monies. But I rarely go over that amount because I primarily use my debit card for everything. So definitely ask if your bank offers something similar.

OK, now you have everything in place and all you have to do is wait for the business to come to you, right? WRONG! Now you really have to start working! If you're not a self-motivator, you will really need to become one! The best thing that I did at the beginning, and even now when I can, is make notes of what I want accomplished for the week. Then proceed to mark off those items as they are completed. Make sure to always have plenty of business cards with you AT ALL TIMES! You never know when the need will come to hand over one of those cards to a prospective customer. Give out extras to friends and family to hand out too! There's no better advertising than word of mouth!

And, speaking of advertising, now that you are set up and ready to go, make sure to send out press releases to all the newspapers and radio stations! Get online and join groups that would be interested in what you're marketing! Put your business name in your signature when you send out emails. SPREAD THE WORD!!!

I can't stress enough the old saying that you have to be in business at least 5 years before you actually start seeing any money! If you need to make a significant salary to help put food on the table or pay urgent bills - you need a "REAL" 9 to 5 type job! The kind with a regular paycheck etc.

I'm not saying that your home business is not a "Real" job - you will work more than you ever have in your entire life if you plan on being a success but you won't see any money for quite some time. Being in business means reinvesting funds that you receive in other new products and supplies. You will do this for quite awhile. You also need to be a self starter and capable of setting goals, deadlines etc. You can't just say "I'm a Work At Home Mom" and go shopping all day or sit watching TV hoping someone will contact you.

When I first started my business at home I had to take out a small business loan to get the initial items I needed. And, they weren't cheap at all. I had to purchase two laser printers (and they had to be straight feed ones at that!), licenses, office supplies, new computer items, inventory, etc. Of course, I ran out of that money quickly and had to dip into savings and personal money to continue.

The good news is that, after 3 years, I no longer have to dip into personal funds and the business is showing signs of profit in the future, plus I am totally running the business on it's own revenue. Whew!

April 2004 - It's Great! It's Not So Great!

Sometimes I'm so excited about having my own business, I'm just bursting at the seams! And, then, there are days when I wonder how I got myself in this situation! We all go through these feelings and it's perfectly normal. So don't throw in the towel when you experience it! 

The first thing you need to have is a support group. Whether it's family, close friends, or acquaintances you've met online. You need to be able to vent, rant, and rave when you're down. And, you also need to be able to "brag" a little bit when you are having those great and wonderful periods! When you do have those great periods - be proud of yourself! If it's a down time - don't be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes and tomorrow is another day.

As we begin the springtime season, you will want to spend some time outdoors and doing things with your family. DO IT!!! You deserve to allocate time to do something besides work, work and more work! Don't feel guilty. Sometimes those breaks make us more capable of handling our work periods. We need to get rest, we need to have some "me" time, and we need to be able to just plain - stop and smell the flowers!

But, we also need to make sure that we allow time to get our work done. Don't put things off so much that you just "can't possibly" meet deadlines or keep your customers happy. They are your lifeline to being able to work from home. They are what makes you a success!

May 2004 - Get in the Swing...

It's heading into summertime and the year is on the downward swing now. It's time to prepare for the holidays in the business world! Yep - I know that if you're like me, the holidays are not what you want to think about but it's a given fact that if you're going to make your share of profit during the holidays you will be needing to prepare now. 

Also, on the agenda, are open houses, shows, home parties etc. No matter what your business is - you need to grab your market and get where you want to be. If you are a crafter, make sure to start those Halloween projects now. In about 6 weeks you will need to be in full swing with your Christmas projects. This will prepare you for the time when everyone else is marketing those items. 

Planning is the biggest key to being prepared. Sit down and write out what you want to have accomplished for each day, week and month. You may not get it all done but it will give you a great game plan. And, it will be in front of you with complete instructions of what you need to do and when. This will not only make your job easier but also give you incentive and the ability to be a success.

Make sure that you only set out what can be feasibly accomplished in an 8 hour work day. Don't try and do it all and burn yourself out. This is the reason for planning ahead. Make sure to include some "me" time and "family" time too.

June 2004 - Just when you thought it was safe...

It's amazing how fast a home business can totally take over your home! What started for me as a very small amount of inventory, desk and some computer equipment has grown into a full-fledged office, shipping/packaging area, lots of cabinets and shelves for inventory and an 8x10 walk-in closet for storage.  

I'm moving into my brand new office that my husband built for me this weekend and it's going to be so great to have room to move around in again!  

But what do you do when you don't have room or funds to "create" the perfect working area? That's so difficult and frustrating to say the least! I know many entrepreneurs that are now large businesses with many employees that started their business working at their kitchen table. Don't let "space" limit you from fulfilling your dreams!

As we move into June and the coming summer months, make sure to promote, promote, PROMOTE! There are festivals going on, shows coming up, and more. Make flyers and plenty of business cards - then make sure to ALWAYS have them handy. Keep your cards with you at all times because you never know when the opportunity will arise to give one to someone, and their small - so give them 2!

July 2004 - Scams, What would you do?

I'm happy to say that most scams are pretty obvious! Right? - NOT ALWAYS!!!! Don't let yourself be fooled into thinking that. There are scams for everything and they are smart, deceiving, and play on your vulnerabilities! So what do you do to avoid them? And what do you do if you realize you're a victim?  

Unfortunately, I was a victim of a scam this past month. My vulnerable spot was that I try to please customers and treat them with respect and fairness. That's a tough one because all businesses should have that as a vulnerability. This scam preyed on my sensitivity to a customer that was out of the country and didn't understand my shopping cart or how to order online.   

First of all - DO NOT EVER sway from the way you accept orders without a very good reason. So what would be a good reason? If the customer is someone you know, a referral from another good customer, etc. If they really want to order, they will respect the way you require orders to be processed. If you have a bad feeling about the order - trust your judgement!

NEVER TAKE A CREDIT CARD THAT COMES THROUGH EMAIL! If you do have a customer that sends their credit card number and information through an email you should be very wary. Honest people keep their personal credit cards secure as much as possible. If someone sends it through an email then you should contact your credit card processor immediately to find out if this is a stolen card. They will be able to help you with the steps you need to take. Proceed with great caution!

Shipping out of the country is a risky business. If you do ship internationally be aware of the problems that could arise. Once a package leaves the United States, or whatever country you are a resident of, there is little that you can do to get it back. Make sure that the payment has been validated and is fine prior to shipping.   

I prefer to almost always ship through the United States Postal Service. I found this a very good idea as USPS was instrumental in getting back my package that was paid for by a customer of credit card fraud.

If you find that you're a victim the best thing to do is get on it as soon as possible. Fill out the forms with your credit card processing company and also if there are any forms through your shipping company. Also, I always get delivery confirmation on my packages for tracking purposes.

Networking with others will also assist in finding out the latest scams going around. If you're not sure about something - ASK others! Chances are if it's a scam they may be able to give you some advice.

The ultimate best thing to do, if you find an order that appears to be doubtful, would be to refuse the order. It's your business and you have every right to deny shipping to someone that you feel is not using the legitimate process of ordering. 

Be very wary of shipping to an address that is NOT the address on the credit card. This is a tough one because a lot of people like to have orders shipped as gifts etc. Again, use your own judgment. If  you feel uncomfortable - don't do it! Anytime you ship to a different address, you are at risk of a charge back. Even delivery confirmation is not proof of delivery because it's not to the right address. Keep this in mind when you ship. 

Something that I wasn't aware of was that if you process a credit card they have up to 1 full year to refuse paying the charge. That means you may get a charge back on your account for that long AFTER you ship an item. Make sure that the customer knows how the charge will appear on their statement so that when they receive the bill they know what it's for. If your charges appear as an email address or website URL - they need to know that. I add that in my shopping cart and also in the verification of order email. 

If you receive a certified check or bank transfer be aware that just because it clears in the bank within days - you could still be a victim and receive a negative balance in your bank account if the check was fraudulent. 

Most orders that I process are not of the "big ticket" range but some businesses have been "taken" for thousands of dollars! Here is a link for the Internet Fraud Complaint Center: http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

August 2004 - Do you network?

What do you think about when someone tells you that you need to network? Maybe you pass out your business cards and information each week...Maybe you print out flyers and send them out...Maybe you advertise in a variety of places.  

All of that is networking but what else does it mean? Networking can be a wide variety of things. It can be participating on a message board, going to social events, visiting with family and friends, and more! And, -NO- It does NOT mean you PUSH your business on others. It just means that you mention your business within the scope of normal conversation. That person remembers what you do and when someone else is looking for something similar they will mention your business and hopefully, offer your contact information to them. It's a roundabout way of saying "Word of Mouth Advertising". There is nothing better than a recommendation from someone you've done business with or that knows you personally. A person that networks well is one that gives without expecting something in return and takes time to listen to others. 

Check to see if there is a local Chamber of Commerce in your area. You may not be able to pay the fees yet for joining but go talk with them and get information from them. They KNOW other people in business and can offer suggestions and connections for you.

Never underestimate the power of a coupon either! Everyone loves a deal! When you hand out your business card offer a coupon along with it but MAKE sure to include an 30 day expiration date. If they haven't ordered within that time frame they may forget about you and what they wanted. Give them the encouragement that they need to get that order in ASAP! And when they do - give them another coupon! 

Newsletters are also great ways of keeping in contact with your clients! Make sure you keep records of their addresses and email addresses for sending them future information. If they have ordered from you then they are interested in your business and products!  

Another great way to network is to offer a contest! Everyone wants to win something! And what better way to let people know how great your product is! Once someone has won - contact them a few days later and ask them what they thought about the item. Then use that information to share with others. Remember your newsletter? Post what the winner said there! And then let people sign up for your next contest!

Try not to get discouraged! I know how it feels when you just get back from this great afternoon from networking! Everyone was excited and several people were going to call you with an order. And then you wait..... and wait..... and wait! What happened? Don't worry - things happen like that all the time. They probably had great intentions of ordering and then they returned home to all the challenges of life and put it off. Then it goes out of mind all together. Once you've done the basic work, wait a few days and then follow up! Maybe a phone call or a mailer. Whatever works for you and your business.

Just remember that it takes time to build a business. I'm sure you've heard the old saying that it takes at least 5 years of being in business before you start seeing any profit. This is very true! It can be a little more or, if you're lucky, a little less. But it takes time! Don't feel bad if you're not generating a lot of money within a shorter period of time and don't let others make you feel guilty either.

And most of all - Have a great time with your business! Enjoy what you're doing! After all, that's why you decided to start a business, isn't it? If you LOVE what you're doing, others will pick up on your excitement and want to know more!

September 2004 - What's makes you click?

Several people have asked me recently what I think makes a good website design, what attracts others, and what types of things are the best when trying to do business online.  

I don't claim to be an expert but I have done quite a bit of research in this area and I can let you know what attracts ME to a site and what I've heard from other's. Here are my top 5 suggestions:

1. What makes you SPECIAL? It's the specialty of the product or the owner that will at first send me to the site. If I'm on a message board or a Top Sites List, the first thing that jumps out at me to "CLICK" is that specialty that grabs my interest. If you have something that makes you special - put it on your banner or text link so others know. 

2. What's HERE? Ok, I've clicked onto your site and now what will make me look around? You have 3 seconds tops to grab my interest and keep me on your site! So your homepage should tell me why I should be there. Try not to put other's banners etc. as the first thing that I see or I will be going off to their site instead of looking at your site first. If you have other's banners - tell me first what I can find on your site! Put the banners on the bottom of your page. Search engines will also pick up what's on the top of your page and you certainly don't want to send the search engines right away. Let me know what you make or do that will make me want to click inside. If you design your own patterns, create custom graphics, or whatever your specialty is - TELL ME ABOUT IT! Keep it short and to the point. And make them text links so I can just click on them right away and see what I'm looking for. Don't make me search all over to find what I want to know more about.

3. Make it easy to order! I've found what I want and there is nothing there to order it from! That's so distressing... Sorry but I'm in a hurry and I don't want to email you and find out all the information etc. Unless it's something so personalized or custom designed that I would prefer to talk with you about it first - make ordering easy! Have an order form, make it calculate my shipping so I know what I'll be paying (if you can't do this then make the shipping included in the product charge), make it as easy as possible because if I have to think too hard - I may decide I don't really need this product right now. We all know how easy "impulse buying" is! So make it as easy as possible for me to buy it right now.

4. Customer Service! You and I know how important great customer service is. "Word of mouth" advertising is the best advertising you can get for your business. If you treat all your customers the very best - they will tell others! If you treat them badly or rudely - they will tell EVERYONE they've ever met or that will listen! You can count on it!

5. Follow UP! It's always great to follow up with your customers so they don't forget about you. Try to offer a newsletter or a place for them to sign up to receive updates, specials etc. DON'T send so many emails that they accuse you of Spam. Try to send updates monthly and only when absolutely necessary should you do it more often than that. If you send too many emails they will opt out and you can risk getting in trouble with your web provider.

October 2004 - It's Time For A PLAN!

Business Planning and Marketing Planning are essentials to creating a good business. Success is difficult to manage if you don't have something to use as a comparison and keeping good records is important for a variety of aspects. You can find out what products were successful and ones that weren't; you can plan on introducing new products or services for the following year that you think would work well; and you can track your business growth.

1. Use a database software to keep your records up to date. There are several software programs on the market today that you can use to accomplish this. I use QuickBooks for my record keeping. It tracks my products and I can see numerous reports including a comparison of the previous year to measure growth.

2. What is a Marketing Plan? Simply put - this is the plan that you use for to calculate where you want to go in your business during the next year. You need to figure out who your market is and keep them in mind while trying to design your plan, find out where your greatest percentage of sales come from and decide how you would like to proceed in the future to increase these sales, decide on a budget amount to utilize for advertising, supplies, etc. and try to stick to it during the next year, figure out your goals and how you would like to achieve them. 

3. I've been in business for awhile and haven't written a plan yet! Yes - you can run a business without a plan. You can also go on a trip without directions or a map but will you end up where you want to be when you need to get there?  By sitting down and really thinking about you want from your business, how much money you have to invest, how much money it will cost to start and run - you will know what you're getting yourself into and what the possibility will be to make a profit from the company. You also need to decide who will be your customers and how you will let them know that you're available for business. You need to decide whether or not you want to grow rapidly or more slowly. And, if you want to expand to the point of hiring others or just run it totally yourself.

4. Do I really need that? I'm just going to have a small website! Do you really think that having a website makes that large of a difference? You are selling a product or service to people, right? You are planning on making money that the IRS will be interested in, right? The only difference between having "just a website" and having a "brick and mortar" store is that you will have less overhead expenses. 

5. Seasonal Promotions! It's a good idea to decide the year before what promotions you'd like to run. If you had a particular slow month this year then maybe that would be a good time to offer something really spectacular to increase sales for that month next year. Budget into your expenses how much you would like to spend on promotions. Then you can look for bargains to help towards that goal so you may offer something new and exciting during that month.

November/December 2004 - Are You Ready? Here come the Holidays!

I can't believe how quickly this year has passed! Here it is November already! Do you have all your shows in process? Do you have your holiday specials ready? Hopefully you already have the preparations in process but you may get a few ideas from this to help you understand what customers want and expect. Have a wonderful November and December!

1. The number one item to keep your business prospering is CUSTOMER SERVICE! Treat each and every customer like they are the only one you have! Don't make them feel that you are "too busy" to have contact with them and don't make excuses for poor service. If you give a customer poor service and then make a customer feel that they are the one being difficult - do you really think that they will be coming back for more? And, always remember that good service will be spread quickly by word of mouth but poor service will be spread even more quickly and will be even better remembered!

2. Packaging of products should always be professional and look exciting. Have you ever shopped at a great store with a wonderful atmosphere and then your purchases are wrapped with tender loving care with tissue paper? Don't you just adore shopping there? Treat all your customers with that step above the rest! They will remember it! Cellophane, hang tags, tissue paper, and curling ribbon can make all the difference between you and the next merchant.

3. If your business is online only, make sure that your customers can figure out what your product or service is. What is it that makes your products better than someone else's? Let them know what's inside your shop, what it's made of, how you handle customer problems and shipping procedures, and what your guarantee is. They want to know more about you also! So make sure to include a Frequently Asked Questions page; an About You page; a Contact page that includes your mailing address, phone number and email address; and a Testimonial page that tells them what others are saying about your products.

4. Make your site and business interesting! Make it load quickly for your customers and make them want to come in and check out your products and services!

5. Above all else, make your customers feel welcome and that you'd like them to come back again! Whether it's an automated response or a personal response directly from you - let them know when their order will arrive and that you appreciate that they shopped with you! Don't make them email you a week or so later inquiring about their order. Don't tell them you receive so many orders that you couldn't possibly contact them and that their order will be shipped sometime soon. They really don't care that you are so busy - they only care about what they paid you for. Customers are not trying to be cruel or mean to you - they are your customers and they really want their products that they ordered and paid for just as you would!