So you've decided to make the giant leap and start a home business, slowly at first - for God's sake don't quit your job - and then work on the goal of making it a full time income replacer. Through various hmp members I've seen that choosing a business to start and doing the day-to-day is often the easy part. You may have the sweetest product in the world but if no-one knows about it you're going to fail, period. With cash in short supply there are still some great methods of promoting a home business but they do need work and lots of it. Take a look at the options below and look out for my new course launching for free in the members area soon - a full idiots guide to building a website you have complete control over and how to drive targeted (very important) traffic to it.
The first thing that you will want to do when you are promoting your home business is to write up a plan, this is sometimes referred to as a marketing plan. In this plan you will want to outline everything you intend to do as far as promotion is concerned. By doing this before you even get started, you will ensure yourself of having a guide to help you through the different stages of marketing. Many people overlook this step because they think that they can simply promote as they go along. This is true, but by having a promotional plan in place you will be much more successful.
One of the best ways of promoting your home business is through the use of a website. By having a website, you will be able to promote your business to people from all over the world. There was a time when this option was not available, but those days have come and gone. If you want your home business to be successful, you will need to have a top notch website that you can rely on.
In addition to promoting your home business with a website, there are other ways that you can do this online as well. Placing ads in ezines has been proven as a successful promotion method. The main advantage of doing this is that you can reach a target audience that is interested in what you have to offer. This is much better than simply placing an ad in a publication that does not even correspond with your company. Of course the hot topic at the moment is social marketing with the likes of facebook or twitter, but so many people (99%+) just don't get it. Again, look out for the free course in the members area soon.
Of course, promoting your home business can also be done in more traditional ways as well. Many people feel that direct mail is still a great way to promote their business. This can be done by obtaining a mailing list, and then sending out some materials that will intrigue people to contact you. Even though this method is a bit outdated, and can still be very successful if done correctly.
Promoting your home business is the only way that you are going to be able to grow. By starting out with a plan you will be able to ensure yourself of guidance along the way. Remember, there are hundreds of promotional tactics available. Find a couple that work for you and stick with them. You will be seeing results in no time at all!
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An important element to creating a long-lasting profitable business is finding good wholesalers willing to work with you.
This is an eye-opening piece about how connectivity and broadband will shape the future of not just work practices but the population flow - 
How many times have you picked up a magazine while waiting for an appointment and flipped through the hundreds of pages of articles? How long did it take you to decide whether or not to turn the page? Studies show that most people make this decision in less than 5 seconds.
I've found a great story from Rosalind Mays on how to 
When you spend the majority of your time sat in front of a computer building your home business then anything that can save you time isn't just useful - it shows on your bottom line. If you can save time on doing the day to day tasks you'll have more time concentrating on the revenue creating tasks - such as marketing and customer support.
4. 
No matter what business you are in it always helps to be seen as an expert. If you were calling someone to fix a drain or sell your house you would approach the person you saw as most credible and reputable in that area of expertise. To become an expert takes hard work and experience. It can involve study or the honing of practical skills. It demands high standards of work. But after all this effort will you be perceived as an expert? If you feel you've earned the mantle of expert but are not recognized as one, here are nine ways to start establishing your reputation.
It's been revealed that although working fathers in the UK want to spend more time with their children, many are fearful of a potential backlash from their employers when asking for flexible hours. According to a study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 40% of fathers say they spend too little time with their children. The report also shows that 45% of men fail to take two weeks' paternity leave, while two in five say that asking for flexible working arrangements would result in their commitment to their job being questioned and would hinder their chances of a promotion. Andrea Murray, acting group director strategy from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, says: "It is clear that today's families require a modern approach to balancing work and childcare commitments. Fathers are telling us they are not spending enough time with their families and want to take a more active role in shaping the lives of their children. "Two-thirds of fathers see flexible working as an important benefit when looking for a new job. This highlights an opportunity for British businesses to use flexible working as an incentive for attracting and retaining the most talented of employees. Some companies which have adopted forward thinking policies towards families are reporting increased productivity, reduction in staff turnover, reduced training costs and an ability to respond better to customer requirements."
If you're looking for flexible work that can fit around your hectic life then bypass the millions (literally) of junk ads, scams, conventional jobsites and too-good-to-be-true business opportunities and take a look at hiremyparents.com By allowing only flexible jobs and projects, from legitimate companies, to be posted on our site you start your job search with only relevant positions and projects. These jobs are pre-screened by hand and then categorised by the flexibility they offer, the industry they are in and the type of position offered, from freelance to full-time. Oh...and it's free. If you want to post a position, it's free. If you want to apply for a position, it's free. OK?
To get funding for your initiative, you’ll need to convince the reader that your effort will be worthwhile and worthy of funding, and at the same time you’ll need to format and craft your grant proposal in the way organisations expect. The success or failure of your search for funding often rests on the quality of the grant proposal itself. A skilled provider can effectively communicate your mission, your goals, your short- and long-range plans, and how your project will make a real impact.
Here we go again. A UK survey of more than 12,500 five-year-olds found those with working mothers less active and more likely to eat unhealthy food.
So you know you need to get flexible with your work, you want to spend more time at home, so what do you look for? Well as usual between the planet's governments and the HR industry they've come up with a bewildering number of terms to describe every conceivable kind of flexible work. I'm afraid I don't have the power to shorten that list but I have come up with the no-frills guide to the definition of flexible working. Flexible Working 'Flexible Working' is a phrase that describes any working pattern adapted to suit other's needs Flexi Time People start and end the day at different times matched to business requirements by arriving earlier or working longer days. An example of this is that by accruing time each day outside your regular hours you could then use flexi time accrual for family care, school holidays and other personal reasons. Job Sharing Job sharing is an arrangement where two or more people share one full-time job, each working part-time on a regular basis. Job-sharing offers flexibility because it is tailored to suit the needs of the organisation, the job sharers and the nature of the job. School Hours School time is generally from 9.00am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday but varies from school to school. Working part time within school hours will allow you to care for your children before and after school. Home Based Working People spend the majority of their time working from a home based office. There are a number of arrangements for this type of works. Examples are you may be a sales agent or representative or you may have an employer without an office near you so you manage their local operations from a home office, you work for an employer telecommuting but from your own home, or you could be self employed and or work as a contractor or a freelancer. Occasional Home Based Working People spend some time working from home and the rest of the week at the office. Compressed Time People work the same total hours, but over fewer days thus freeing up days to spend on other things. Sometimes they work a combination of long and short days, which fit around other commitments in their lives. An example, instead of working 8.30am to 5.00pm over five days, you may work from 8.00am to 6.00pm over a four day period. Annualised Hours People work varying hours within an annual total. These hours are agreed either weekly or monthly to suit varying circumstances. For example you will get paid the same amount every month even though you don’t work in January. Staggered Hours Staggered hours working has flexible start and finish times. It is not intended to reduce the number of working hours from normal full time hours and does not accrue "extra" hours. The contracted hours and employee benefits remain unchanged. Accrual Of Hours Or Time Banking People work longer hours at some times so that they can accrue time off to use at other times. An example of this would be to work a 10 hour day to enable you to take time off during the school holidays. Volunteer A Volunteer is a person who works without any payment for your skills and time, although you may be reimbursed for expenses. People also volunteer to gain skills. Full Time A person is employed by the Employer between 38-40 hours per week as determined by the Employer. Such work may occur either at the usual place of business, a location to which the business of the Employer requires the employee to travel, from a home office or a combination. Part Time A part time employee works less than full time ordinary hours and has reasonably predictable hours of work. They receive the same employment entitlements (on a pro rata basis) associated with permanent employment, such as personal and annual leave. Casual People are employed on an irregular basis with no set roster or routine as to when they work. Furthermore, there is no guarantee of ongoing employment. Casuals, unlike permanent employees, are employed on an 'as needs' basis, often to meet a changing workload within the workplace. Temporary/Contract A temporary job is one which has all the same conditions and entitlements as a permanent job but has a fixed start and end date and it can be flexible with hours and locations Freelance Is a self-employed person who pursues a profession without a long term commitment to any particular employer. Freelancers sell or contract their work to a client rather than being employed by a business. Self Employment Is where a person works for themselves rather than someone else or an employer that they do not own. To be self-employed, an individual is normally highly skilled in a trade or service for their local community. Self-employed people can also be referred to as a person who works for himself/herself instead of an employer but drawing income from a trade or business they operate personally. Business Opportunity Legal definitions vary. In simple terms, a business opportunity is a packaged business investment that allows the buyer to begin a business. Business opportunities are difficult to define because the term means different things to different people.
