The very first step towards a successful home based business is some self introspection. What are your skills and talents? You may possess good communication skills in which promotion and sales of consumer products would be god for you. Writing or mathematical skills all serve as a good base for being a self employed professional. Chalk out all your skills and make a list of the possibilities when starting a home based business.Various business possibilities to start from home
Free lance chartered accountancy
Home based cosmetic and consumer sales and consultancy
Tax consultancy
Web Content specialist
Business organization and training
Cookery classes and catering
Interior designing
Computer hardware or software specialist
Factors and pitfalls that influence home businessOnce you have your list narrowed down to the best possibilities you should work out the infrastructure and financial aspects necessary that will support the possibility of the business. Working out the business logistics that comply with your home is a matter of great importance. The factors that are going to determine your business are,Location: you cannot start a bakery in a crowded domestic neighborhood waking people in early hours of the morning. Avoid running a business in a crowded domestic neighborhoodSpace: you will need a certain amount of space dedicated to the running and functioning of your office. Space would include a storage area depending on the product. Cluttering your home space with supplies and goods will lead to chaos. Always take your available home space into account.Finance: one must consider the amount of finance required for various businesses. Starting something that requires exorbitant amount of money like franchise fees may not be feasible. Avoid getting into debts which will incur a loss rather than a profit. Make out a projected statement of accounts to see how much of a loan can be incorporated within the business income.Documentation. Every Home based business requires minimum government documentation like a trade license. For documentation required to start a business you can visit your local authorities for further information. Do not start a business that requires complex documentation and verification.Once the main aspects to be considered are done you should start on working out the number of employees you may require for assistance. Starting a home based business may require just a couple of senior level employees. An office and secretarial assistant and in the case of consumer products, one or two delivery men. Where accountancy and tax consultation services are concerned these may require a maximum of two assistants and a clerk to help with all the documentation and clerical work.Once you have got around to starting a home based business, you need to motivate yourself in order to keep it running efficiently and grow as well. Structure a good working routine which will not allow you to be distracted. Working from home may lead to certain distractions which could hamper the business. Therefore learn to incorporate family time within or after business hours to ensure a smooth operation of the same. Hire a babysitter if necessary if you have a young child at home.Promotion and advertising are important factors that determine the success of your business. Self promotion through word of mouth is a good way to help your business gain popularity. Advertising costs are expensive, the best possible way is to be as efficient as possible so that recommendations keep coming your way. Follow these important guidelines to assure a successful home based business
Planning Helps a Home Based Business to Be Efficient and Successful
Real Estate Investment in Israel
In this day and age, many people are wary of investing in the unstable stock market which requires a lot of time and expertise. Unfortunately, leaving excess money in the bank is hardly an attractive option given the current rock bottom interest rates. One avenue of investment which hasn’t lost its charm is real estate.
Real estate investments in Israel create both a passive and active income for the investor. If the investor chooses to rent out his or her property, they may collect rent money, as well as reap the benefits of the steadily rising value of their property. Given the nature of the real estate market in Israel, this kind of investment provides both stability and relatively high capital gains.
Many people fear making an investment while the market is down, but low prices shouldn’t deter. The right investment will be profitable at any time. Of course, an economic crisis holds greater risks, but it also holds greater opportunities for profit than other times. In Israel, recent years have brought about many changes: new railways, roads, infrastructure, schools and many military headquarters moving to the southern part of the country mean many great opportunities for wise investors. A small property in the periphery of Israel will usually mean higher yields from rent, while at the same time, investment in real estate in one of the major cities is still a good, reliable and more secure option.
So how does one choose where to invest? In what? And whether to do so in Israel or some other country altogether? The most important advice is to research and thoroughly check all the options. Independently investing in real estate requires knowledge, understanding and information. Many people opt out of investing in this field although they have the required capital, just because they lack the necessary knowledge; they know they are missing out on golden opportunities. This article aims to highlight a few of the important things one must consider regarding real estate investments in Israel.
Before beginning the search for the perfect investment, it’s important to plan and define the details of the investment, including the following subjects:
- The purpose of the investment: if you are aiming for maximum returns, you might consider investing in housing units in the Tel Aviv central bus station area, where the rent potential from the foreign workers who inhabit the area will probably be higher than other alternatives. However, you should ask yourself whether you are prepared to deal with the inevitable day to day maintenance that accompany such a choice: collecting rent on a weekly basis, working with different populations. You should also take into account future needs: will you want to live in the apartment or to make it available for family at some point? In that case the character of the neighborhood, and vicinity to the center should also be taken into consideration.
- Partners: Will you be investing alone or with a partner? A partner may be a family member, friend or business acquaintance. There are many advantages to investing with a partner: risk dispersing (for instance, you could invest in two halves of two apartments in different locations), shared planning and research etc. But shared investments are not for everyone, and come with the dangers any joint venture naturally encapsulates.
- Level of risk: How “risk averse” are you? Someone who is “risk averse” will prefer a solid investment in an established location such as central Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, whilst a “risk taker” may prefer to invest in less “conventional” areas with less predictable prices but more potential for profit, such as Sderot, Ariel and more peripheral areas of Israel.
- Correct financial planning of the investment:
- Is your investment based on private equity? Or will you be taking on a mortgage? The level of equity you have will impact the amount of leveraging and the quality of the loan you get. These factors should be considered before searching for the right property, as they will determine the optimal amount for your investment.
- Risk management: what are the potential risks associated with the investment, and how would you deal with them should they be realized? Although Israel has enjoyed financial stability compared to other countries across the globe, and has escaped the last global economic crisis more or less unscathed, there are inherent risks to investing in any market. A few examples include sudden inflation, an abrupt change in the dollar-shekel exchange rates, a deceleration of the renting market. You should leave a margin of equity that will enable you to return any debts and loans you have taken on, bearing in mind such scenarios and others.
- Defining the nature of the property: this is one of the most challenging aspects of the investment process. For maximum gains, this stage must be carried out with due care and thought. Some of the most important aspects influencing the potential revenue from a property are:
- Location of the property (central areas are the most popular, but are also the most expensive. A small property on the outskirts of a major city may yield higher returns)
- Size of property (most renters live alone or with a partner. 1-2 bedroom apartments are popular amongst renters, while larger apartments usually incur bigger utility costs and municipal taxes)
- Accessibility (vicinity to public transport routes, availability of parking etc.)
- Price
Apart from these issues to consider, it is important not to fall into the following “traps”. What NOT to do:
- Investing in a property in your “comfort zone”: Israel holds many opportunities for the wise investor. But it is important not to choose an investment based on your fondness for a certain “comfort area”, be it because it is a favorite holiday location, close to family members, a job etc. One should choose an area to invest based on cold hard and objective returns potential, unless the investment will be a place of residence.
- Full reliance on personal capital: It is better to consider leveraging your investment, even if you could afford it on your own. This decreases the risk and allows you to make further investments.
- Not leaving an emergency “cushion”: Do not acquire a property for a total cost that leaves no room for unexpected payments and costs. Take into account additional costs such as purchase tax, payments to a realtor, an attorney, renovation funds etc, as well as additional unforeseen costs.
Once you have properly outlined the nature of your investment, its purpose and scope, you are ready to invest. But there are still many more questions to consider: whether to buy a new apartment from a contractor, or an existing apartment (and what to look out for in each type of deal), the crucial tax implications of investing in different kinds of properties (which may affect the entire profitability of the investment), and once you have decided upon a property – what are the necessary legal precautions you should be taking. In order to protect your interests at all times whilst making the best investment, it is always recommended to consult an attorney who specializes in the field.
Effective Marketing Strategies in Product Creation
Marketing includes matters such as pricing and packaging of the product and creation of demand by advertising and sales campaigns. There are other options, of course, like product creation, resale rights marketing, joint ventures and the likes, but they are merely secondary to the above.
If you take the freelance route, it is important to ensure that all rights to profit from the final product, or any materials produced in its making, remain yours. Bookkeeping, physical product creation or delivery of goods can be done better with specialized help. Determining the purpose of the product is vital in niche product creation.
Implementation of Methodology – The choice of implementation of Six Sigma methodology depends on whether development is required on existing processes (DMAIC) or on new process/product design creation (DMADV). Determining what you really want to sell, something that you can be relaxed selling is the first step at the creation of a niche product. With the technological advancements in the hosting industry, from automated control panels and scripts that simplify creation of accounts; to complete turnkey solutions, there is no excessive need to worry about spending time on the actual product sold to the customer.
For instance, you should be prepared to either perform yourself or to subcontract the completion of the following tasks:- Product idea research (are there any existing products or patents already existing for this idea)- Product specification document training (what it will do, how it will look, how will it be powered, and how the user will interface with it)- Marketing study (what it will be named, who would buy this, how much would they pay, how will we get customers to purchase the product)- Schematic or electronic circuit design process- Creation of a bill of material or BOM and an approved vendor’s list or AVL for each component in the design, preferably with multiple sources identified, with a BOM and AVL for each assembly level in the product- Printed circuit board layout design process (single sided board, double sided board, or multilayer board; size of the PCB; board material)- Mechanical packaging design with user interfaces (displays, buttons, switches, key. This removes all product creation costs from your budget as a marketer.
No other database of affiliate programs offers such a possibility for profit on either the affiliate side or the product creation site. Your chosen niche should allow for the creation of more than one product or service.
There are several marketing strategies that are necessary in the creation of a successful e-commerce web site – Email marketing (broadcasting) of prospects/customers – Effective use of auto responders (generate automatic email messages) – Online Newsletter – Online Form / Survey to capture your prospect’s email address – Electronic Product Delivery (if you sold a digital product) – Advertisement (Ad) Tracking – Back End Sales – Affiliate program etc.