Right starting of a home business (Part II)

START A BUSINESS WITH START UP MONEY Most home businesses do not involve extensive startup costs, so you most probably will be able to "bootstrap" your fledgling operation using your own money, but if you can't, use... Credit cards. Be clever in this, try to limit charges to items that will pay for themselves, generating income as quickly as possible. Personal loans. If you or a spouse have a good credit record, and an existing job, banks will usually give you a personal Home equity loans. If you own your home, see if you can refinance it, and this will give you a startup capital. Microloans. If you need an amount smaller than $ 25,000 the US Small Business Administration and a variety of private foundations offer microloan programs, that are not based on your personal assets but rather on good character and proven management ability. THE IRS If you meet the basic criteria established by the IRS to start a business like a home office, you can deduct the cost of operating and maintaining that part of your residence used for business. So you can claim your deductions, whether you live and work in a house, apartment or condominium In order to be able to start a business and claim your deductions, the portion of your home you wish to claim as a tax write-off, must be used exclusively and regularly for business. And that portion of your home where you start a business, must be either your principal place of business or a location where you meet with customers or clients in the normal course of business activities. If you qualify to start a business with a home-office deduction, there are many expenses that you can deduct Mortgage payments and capital improvements, pro rated for the portion of your residence used as an office. The cost of operating your car Dues you pay to professional and trade associations. Note: You must be sure the IRS considers you a self-employed individual or independent contractor rather than an employee. This rules can be tricky, so it's wise to consult your accountant for clarification before you start a business. START A BUSINESS AVOIDING UNNECESSARY RISKS Get Needed Insurance Your homeowner's or apartment dweller's insurance may not protect you against the following contingencies: Business property: You must consider purchasing business property insurance to start a business and cover your computer and other office equipment and furnishings. Liability for accidents or injuries to customers or business visitors. Consider to start a business purchasing a rider to your policy to cover anyone who comes to your home on business. Damaged or stolen business property. Even your car will not be covered if you use it for business, if you don't indicate that on your policy and start a business paying the additional amount required. Malpractice or errors or omissions This kind of insurance s will cover you against claims that your product or service harmed someone or caused a business loss. Disability insurance can cover you against loss of income should you become disabled. Partnership insurance will protect you against suits arising from the actions of any partners you have when you start a business. START A BUSINESS ASSURING YOUR PAYMENTS You will avoid many problems with customers and clients, if you start a business with a good contract. You can obtain pro forma contracts on computer software A written contract is always better that a verbal one If you start a business with a contract, that will make your customers take you more seriously When you start a business with a contract, spell out specifics such as... What product or service will you provide When will you provide it How you will do it What it will cost When and how, customers or clients are obliged to pay you Consult an attorney or colleagues about the kind of contract you should use, to start a business. You can as your professional or trade association for information START A BUSINESS PROMOTING IT Utilize on line promotion resources Utilize off line promotion resources Utilize word of mouth use face-to-face contact to establish relationships that can generate leads. Talk with people about what you do and listening carefully to find out how you might serve them. Get referrals from satisfied customers. DON'T START A BUSINESS LIKE A WORKAHOLIC Don't be fanatic! Take a break every few hours, and that will increase your productivity and your creativity. When you start a business, make time for your private life Start a business with a firm schedule, but establish and respect a fixed stopping point every day Start a business making sure clients know your work hours. Because you live there, your are not supposed to receive them at any time. You must learn to say "I will look at it tomorrow" or "We can talk about it on Monday"... Hey, you are your own boss, working from your own home! So start a business with plans about taking some time for doing something you enjoy, such as gardening, playing with a pet, or sitting in the sun. Remember that relaxing on a regular basis, has therapeutic effects START A BUSINESS USING TECHNOLOGY Use as much as the following as you can: For standardized documents, your can use the templates that come with your word processor The spell checker, grammar checker, and electronic thesaurus features that come with the software Special preprinted stationary A computer Letter -opening machines E-mail and Internet Programmable telephones Bubble jet or laser printers Electric staplers Letter folders and dictation equipment. And accept payments with credit cards using ClickBank. To learn how to do it, click over the following link: http://newsletter.easy-home-business.com/hts/clickbank.html THERE'S NO NEED FOR ISOLATION Don't Become Isolated and Lonely: Keep in Contact To avoid feeling isolated, when you start a business working from home, you should take the initiative and become involved in the world around you. Here are seven ways to start a business keeping in contact with peers and colleagues: You can join professional, technical or trade associations, and community organizations. Read specialty newsletters, journals and magazines to keep you informed about what's happening in your field. Go to courses, workshops and relevant seminars Try to maintain contacts with peers with regular breakfast, lunch or dinner meetings Join forums or networking group that meets on a regular basis. Don't neglect the importance of personal and professional friendships. If you have more to lose through the lack of knowledge than the cost of an expertise, it's time to hire one. If the time you spend on repetitive matters exceeds its benefit, hire an employee, so you can take on an extra project. One of the best things about self-employment is that you can tailor your work to fit your own values, priorities and lifestyle. Start a business finding a match between the life you would like to live and what the world needs and will pay for Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi