Cisco Systems Inc., formerly known as Pure Networks

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Home Business Ideas - How to Earn Money With an Online Business by John Benjamin

One of the most frequently asked questions by people is how to earn money with an online business. While there are numerous home business ideas that you can pursue, sadly there is a high rate of failure. By approaching your online business squarely, you can earn money even within the midst of large entrepreneurs.

The number one thing you need to carry out is a survey. Whether you are a complete newbie or have been around the block a time or two, you can never know everything. With the ever changing internet, keeping up to date is vital to succeeding with a home business.

The secret to earning money online quickly is researching and finding a niche that has demand but is not too competitive. Note, just about anything you get involve with will have some level of competition, but there are some niches that are highly hard to break into. Take the time to visit the forums, search the search engines and read home business ideas blogs to find the most suitable online business for you.

Sometimes the best option to earn money online is to begin with an affiliate program. There are hundreds of thousands of affiliate business programs on the internet, take your time to pick something you are actually interested in. As a result, you will discover it's much easier to be successful in something you actually have an interest for.

Another option to earn money quick is to setup a home business ideas blog. More and more entrepreneurs are beginning to know the importance of having a home business blog as it enables you to interact with prospects on a daily basis while showing them who you truly are. It is worthwhile to gain the respect and trust you need to reel in purchasers.

The last option to earn money with online business is to write articles or reviews about the niche or product you are promoting. By doing so, you can show people how knowledgeable you are within your niche. You have the opportunity to develop fresh and captivating content that will appeal to your target market. You can then proceed to post the articles in forums, article directories, online classifieds as well as RSS feeds.

There is no query that earning money online requires an amazing deal of time and effort. The positive thing is following the considerations listed in this article can help you speed up the process to earn money quick with a numerous home business ideas and opportunities.

John Benjamin is the webmaster of Home Business Ideas. Want to find out how I earn a monthly income that exceeds five figures, then visit the Plug-In Profit Site at Profitable Home Business where you can get a money making site setup FREE within the next 24hrs!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Benjamin

Thursday, November 12, 2009

How to Successfully Work At Home With Your Own Home Business

To own your home business and to work at home are the two most often spoken phrases when an employee is asked what they would like to do instead of their every day job. Perhaps it is the sense of achievement that goes along with owning a home business, or maybe it is the joy of working at home in familiar surroundings while still being able to earn a check. Whatever the case may be, successfully working at home with your own home business is not something that happens by chance but instead something that needs to be planned.

Here are some tips on working at home with yourbusiness:

Set up a home office.

Working at home has many perks, but if you do not have a dedicated work space, you will not be able to enjoy them very much. After all, your business credibility will suffer if prospective customers hear the TV or stereo in the background. Set apart some space that will allow you to close the door and be undisturbed by whatever goes on in the rest of the house.
Set some office hours and stick to them.

It is tempting to devote every waking hour to your new business, but keep in mind that doing so will not only lead to a quick burnout, but it will also counteract any positive experiences you could have while working at home, such as spending more time with your family, and actually cooking them a nutritious breakfast, or being home and available when the school bus drops off the kids. It is not fair to your family to work during off hours!

Lean to say NO.

For reasons that may invite endless speculation, when friends and family hear that you are now working from home, many will take this as an open invitation to drop by and visit, request that you watch their kids, or run some errands. It is important to gently but firmly say NO, when these requests fall during your business hours. Remember, you took this step so you could be home with your family! If you begin playing with your business hours to help out everyone who asks, you will find yourself compromising the time you have scheduled to be with your family!

Be innovative.

Think outside the box, and do not be afraid to try something new. This is true especially when it comes to marketing your new business! If, for example, you run a pet grooming business and if you own a dog, go ahead and dress the little canine up in a cute costume and then hand out flyers at the local park.

As you can see, running a successful home business depends on your ability to work at home undisturbed and with all the discipline that you had when working for a previous employer.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Home Office Design Ideas For a Comfortable Work Environment by Michelle Reynold

Although you are primarily creating a workroom or home office, it's important that you do not neglect to provide for some relaxation when formulating your home office design ideas. Without the natural punctuations of a day in a busy city office, time can seem to drag. When these moments arrive, it is often better to switch off completely for a short period and then return to your work refreshed. An easy chair, music, hot/cold drinks, reading matter - these will all help to provide a contrast to the main activity.

One of the great advantages of a home office workroom is that you can tailor it exactly to your own requirements, and, in doing so, can express your own personal style. This style need not necessarily be too businesslike, but may reflect in some way the activity you are involved with or simply your personal preferences. Attention too can be given to such pleasurable aspects as how your room is scented and to background sounds. Think of a beautifully decorated space, smelling perhaps of hyacinths. Beyond the window daffodils are billowing in the breeze and in the background can be heard a string quartet. Who needs a city office now?!

When planning a home office or workroom, it is tempting to plunge in straight away with wonderful ideas for businesslike color schemes and so on, but there are many more fundamental things to consider first.

Here is a checklist of questions to prompt your ideas:


Do you need to be in close contact with any particular rooms in your home or is a remote location preferable?
Is separate access desirable?
What activities are going to take place within the space?
What equipment will these activities require?
What services (for example, telephone, running water, heating, ventilation) are needed?
How will you illuminate the various activities (using both natural and artificial light)?
What are the storage requirements?

Other points to consider are:


facilities for guests (seating, cloakroom, car parking and so on);
soundproofing (either to exclude or contain noise);
space and equipment for guest workers (for example, book keepers, temporary secretaries);
security (locks, safes, alarms and so on);
safety (for instance, non-slip floors, fire prevention).

Decorations

The style you adopt for your workroom will very much depend upon the dimensions of the space and your personal preferences. Whatever these might be, your activity is likely to entail the need for a certain amount of equipment, a good expanse of work or floor surface and lots of storage, so it is recommended that your room has a certain sparseness about it to enable all these things to be accommodated without creating a cluttered feeling. If the room is to be used for professional purposes, try to avoid creating too domestic a style or you may find that your work is not taken seriously.

Storage

Try to plan storage right from the start rather than let it evolve haphazardly. By all means reuse existing furniture, but wherever possible custom-make and build in for a more streamlined, organized, efficient appearance.

Lighting

Although sited in a workspace, lighting does not have to be utilitarian so long as it fulfils its purpose. Concentrate on providing a good overall level of illumination and ensuring that specific tasks are in good glare-free light coming from the correct direction.

House Interior Design Tips To Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Michelle has been running her home and living room designs business since early 2000, and has been publishing bedroom and bathroom design ideas and tips since 2005.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Reynold

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Home Business Connections

Working from home is the wave of the future. So many individuals are taking it upon themselves to quit their stagnant jobs working 9 to 5 in large corporate offices and start a business in their own homes. The entrepreneurial nature of society is encouraging individuals to open up home businesses. These businesses may be small and include only one individual who is involved in the business or large and involve a number of people. For these individuals, they often wish to share their experiences with others who are in the same boat as them and wish to create a home business connection with other business owners.

Here Are Some Few Ideas To Guide You.

Online Avenues

If one wishes to chat with other individuals regarding the topic of owning a home based business, there are many avenues to pursue it online in order to make this possible. The best way in which one can find others who are home business owners is to perform a general search looking for forums or chat rooms which focus around self employed individuals with home business ideas. This will help one to establish a home business connection with other individuals by using the Internet.

Friends and Family Members

One who is looking to establish a home business connection with others should also look towards their friends and family members. Frequently one will already know someone who runs their own business from home and can lend support to their home business endeavors. If family members and current friends do not have their own businesses, then perhaps they know of someone who works from home and can provide you with their name and number so that contact can be established.

Reasons To Share A Home Business Ideads with Others

There are a few reasons why one would wish to share a home business idea with others. First, by conversing with others with regard to home business, the individual can share their endeavors with someone who understands their job position. Secondly, one who owns a home business and wishes to establish a business connection with others can acquire some business tips which they may not have acquired otherwise. Lastly, by establishing a business connection with others who have home businesses as well, an individual may be able to acquire a working relationship with the other individual and expand their business options.

Conclusion

Establishing a home business connection with other individuals who have businesses as well is a valuable option for self employed individuals who operate out of the home to consider. It can possibly open up many work related doors for the home business owner and provides an outlet for them to discuss factors relating to their employment with others who truly understand what it is like to operate a business from home.


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Thursday, November 5, 2009

You Need Cold Calling In Your Life

This article might even offend some - because mentioning cold calling is like talking about something evil. And I think you might know why.
If you've ever had a negative experience during a cold call; or are just scared to pick up the phone, then you are going to like this.

Cold calling has probably done the two following things in your past:

1. It frightened you to death 2. It made the person on the other line very.... very.... angry....

And although I often ponder why things are this way (yes I really do ponder about things like this), I think I may have finally figured it out. Here's what I found out.

You most likely dislike cold calling because of the rejection. No surprise here. And the majority of people out there simply don't like to be sold. No surprise there either.

But here's the thing...

I've pretty much found a way to eliminate the fear of calling cold that's so simple that you're going to kick yourself.

There is a really simple way to turn those cold calls into great conversations. Just make sure you have the following 5 things in place. Think of these as your cold call grocery list...

1. Sort - don't sell. It's just not your job to be selling your business opportunity. Your marketing materials will do that for you. Just sort and move on.

2. Act confident even if you are not. People can sniff out fear from a mile away; and they pounce on it. Have confidence in the way you speak. If it helps; just get up and walk around. Movement creates emotion.

3. Offer some value to the person you are calling. Be sure that the person on the other line feels the value you have to offer.

4. Be knowledgeable on what you are talking about. Do some quick internet research and jot down any highlights about this person you are calling. If you leave this part out - it's more likely that the person won't even here you out.

5. Have lots of energy. Most people who work for a living are not all that energetic about what they do. And if you bring more energy than they are use to - they're more likely to hear you out.

With this check list is tact - a cold call should usually work out one way or another.

I really think that in all the noise of the internet; we've forgotten about one of the gems of our industry. Cold calling can be an amazing way to meet interested prospects and it really works if you do it right.

But just like there are failures in network marketing who dump on our industry (think of all those nasty blogs) - I simply believe there are a bunch of people who just aren't all that great at cold calling that give this awesome method a bad rap as well.

Cold calling is awesome, effective, and fun in my opinion - if done the right way.

What do you think?

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Many Pleasures of Working at Home Online by Jamieson Alexander

No matter what you've heard about people who stay at home to work, you really have no idea what goes on until you've tried it yourself. As the creation of the Internet opened up more work at home opportunities, more and more people are opting for this method of employment because the pleasures of working at home online are many.

One of the first things you will need to become accustomed to in working at home online is the fact that you are the boss. No one is going to tell you it's time to get to work. You will no longer have anyone watching your every move, in hopes to catch you doing something wrong. Instead, you can relax a little bit. Just make sure that you are self-disciplined, as the only way to earn a paycheck is to get the work done.

The pleasure you will get when completing a job for your own client is like no other. First of all, when you complete the assignment, there is a big sigh of relief. Your proud of yourself, but you anxiously await any feedback from your client. When it comes, you carefully evaluate it. You take the good and the bad and use it to further your skills. You take every opportunity to learn more about how you can serve your client. You may not have a boss,but your clients or customers write your paycheck.

At the end of the week, you tally the amount of hours you worked that week and then figure out the money that you earned. Regardless of whether it is less than you expected or more than you hoped for, you are thrilled that it is all yours. How many times have you worked a job, did all the work, and the company kept most of the profits? For most, that is how it goes. But now that you are working at home online, you get to keep all profits.

No one can ever know the pleasures that working from the home can bring. Flexible hours and more quality time with your family are just a few of the benefits. But, nothing can ever compare to that feeling of satisfaction that you get when you produce quality work for a client and get paid for what you are worth. With that brings a huge sense of accomplishment, and that my friend is what the entrepreneurial spirit is all about.

Jamison Alexander reviews the best ways to make money online. You can read his blog for great online business ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamison_Alexander

Monday, November 2, 2009

Small Business Loans are a Big Deal - It Will Make the Difference

Getting a small business loan is a big deal to a small business. It can mean the difference between being able to continue operations or have to shut down, or it can provide the necessary funding for a successful small business to grow or expand to the next level. A small business loan can also help a business overcome temporary market conditions and help it weather the storm until calmer conditions come back again.

A few important things that every small business owner should know about a small business loan. First of all it is not normally possible to get a small business loan from a bank or credit union in the first two years of operation. That's because the failure rate for small businesses is greatest during this period and unless a business can provide security guarantees in the form of cash or property a small business loan may not be the best place to seek financing for the blossoming enterprise.

Secondly the bank or lending institution is much more vigilant about granting a small business loan than it is with other forms of credit like car loans or mortgages. That's because they have little to seize if there is a default on a small business loan since almost all of its capital resources have already been allocated to make the business survive. They have a double set of criteria that a small business must meet in order to get a small loan, the ability to pay or repay and the creditworthiness of the business itself.

Thirdly, the bank wants to not only know that the business is or can be successful before they hand over a small business loan. They also examine the personal financial situation of the principals or owners of the enterprise to ensure that their credit record is both established and free from any unfortunate circumstances like previous bankruptcies or defaults on previous loans, personal or professional.

Once theses hurdles have been overcome, the banks, credit unions and other financial institutions are more than happy to offer assistance to their small business neighbors in the form of a small business loan or business line of credit. They also realize that successful businesses generate revenues and they want to ensure that the small business continue to take advantage of their services as their businesses grow and prosper.

Applying for a small business loan can be a nerve racking experience for even the best small business owner, but if you do your homework and make a solid business case then there's nothing really to be afraid of. You simply do your best and follow the process and then like a hundred of other aspects of small business life you wait and hope for a positive solution to just another small business problem. by bizavings

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Guides To A Successful Home Business

Operating a business from home can be a rewarding opportunity and it provides you the freedom to work when you want, how long you want and with whom you want. Finding the right home business for you to succeed is only part of the formula for making it a success. One of the first things you will require if you are going to work at home, is the discipline and understanding that while you are home, you are working.

The second thing you will need is the understanding of family and friends that while you are home, you are working. What business you are in or what type of work you are doing will make no difference in the discipline required to be successful in your home business. Producing a product for another person or company, requires an obligation and a responsibility to insure that product is completed when you said it would be is tantamount to your success.

A basic tenet in running your own business may be to say what you are going to do and do what you say. Interruptions are common when operating a home business and many times, especially in the beginning, family and friends may forget that you are working. You are not ignoring them because you do not like them. You are at work. You have to treat the area of your home in which you operate your business as an outside work zone.

When you were working for someone else at their place of business, family and friends could not stop by and chat at any time they chose and working from home should be no different. Your livelihood is going to depend on you getting the work completed on time. Self discipline will also have to be at a higher level than working for someone else.

When you take a break from your home business, it should be with the same frequency and for the same length as it did when you worked for someone else. Would a previous boss have let you take time out to get laundry started or to wash the dishes? As your own boss, you should not allow that either. It is very easy to get caught up in the whole, working from home and you are the boss type of thinking that will prevent you from being productive and consequently successful.

If you have a home office in your house, shut the door when you are working. If you have a second telephone line for your business that is the only phone you should be answering during your business hours. If you were working you could not answer your personal line, do not do it when working from home. A total separation of work and home must be evident in order for your home business to succeed.
by biggso

Saturday, October 31, 2009

You Really Can Have Success Working At Home

Do you want to start a home based business? Is it your dream to run your own show so that you never again have to listen to your boss? If this sounds like you, you are in a group of thousands of other people. It is safe to say that in some point in everyones life they dream of running their own business. The benefits and advantages of having a home based business are many. If you are lucky enough to ever have this chance you should really revel in it. Remember, not everybody can be so lucky.

But you are probably asking yourself if you can really have success with a home business. The answer to this question is simple, yes. If you know what you are doing and take your time, you can have success running a home business. Unfortunately, it is not always as easy as it may seem. You are going to run into problems from the very beginning, and there are going to be times when you think about giving up.

The first thing that you need to do when setting up a home business is to make a decision on what you want to concentrate on. In other words, what is your business going to do? This is a question that can sometimes be hard to answer. The majority of people want to do something that they like, but at the same time they do not know how to get started. You need to remember that in order for your home business to be a success you have to like what you are doing. If you do not like your home business idea, why move forward in the process? You will simply end up in the same situation that you are in with your current job.

Also, a successful home business needs time to grow. You should never think that you are going to take off within a couple days of opening up shop. It is going to take you a bit of time to get your bearings and take off. For this reason, patience is very important to the success of your home business. With patience you will be able to wait out the rough times that are bound to show up time and time again. No home business starts making big time money in the first day. But if you take your time you will get to where you want to be.

Overall, you can have a lot of success with a home business. It may not be easy at first, but as time goes by you will become comfortable with what you are doing. Sooner or later you will be making profits on your own.Source: Free Articles by awilliamson

Friday, October 30, 2009

Home Based Work - Are You Making Costly Mistakes?

I made so many mistakes in the beginning-not sure what I was thinking when I first attempted home based work. I had a cleaning company that flopped and I always got involved with the quick rich scams that are so prominent online today. Was I trying to avoid stress when I decided to leave my full time position? Many people working from home would look at this and laugh at the notion. When I decided to transition from a corporate job to working from home-I was thinking about all the luxuries that came along with working for yourself; earning a huge income, making my own schedule and getting up as late as I wanted. I am embarrassed to say that was my line of thinking. I had all these misconceptions about working from home, and could have steered clear from them right from the beginning.

Commit to Research

Once you begin to load your mind with knowledge, you may find out that your perception of working for yourself was misguided. Do not set yourself up in this way. You need to dedicate time in exploring all your possibilities, as there are 1000s of businesses you can start. Do not let money be your ultimate concern in the beginning, as your earnings will always increase over time through doing the proper research, patience, and dedication to your work.

Create a Plan You can Execute

You have learned a multitude of information through your research and now you feel that you are ready to start up your business. You have learned that a quick profit scheme will always lead into disappointment. You will have also learned that stress will ALWAYS be a part of a home business (and probably much more than a traditional workplace job). Now that you are on the right path-you want to give it all you have.

Over 90% of people who start home based work end up quitting within the first 6 months. Do not let your fears persuade you do this! Now that your expectations have been straightened out through the proper research-you should have no problem when your income fluctuates.

Being your own boss requires much commitment and determination in order to receive big earnings. Do not let this dishearten you because as you look back and remember this article-you will be glad that you did not give up on your goals. Become a part of the top 5%. I wish you much success in your endeavor! 

I have made some foolish mistakes when it came to trying to make money online. Save yourself some time, money and your hair from being pulled out by visiting my work from home blog for advice, home business reviews, and the one thing you must never do when working for yourself!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Loren_Jaslyn

 

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Internet Home Based Business - Equipment That You Need to Start and Run One

Internet has become one of the major sources to reach out to a large spectrum of people with your business ideas. Any business requires equipment .Once you have decided to start an internet home based business, you'll need to make sure that your equipment that you have will serve you well for the business.

Computer with internet access:

Most obvious equipment for starting an internet home based business is a computer. You should choose a computer that helps you in all your business needs. It should have enough memory to download the needed software and other programs.

When you are planning to do carry out an online business you will need a reliable internet connection. It's wise to invest in a faster connection. Slow connections not only slow down your computer. It will also slow down your productivity.

A product Or Service:

This is the most important thing in internet home based business. When there is no product or service to sell there is no business. Basically, you will need to identify what kind of business you would want to run and then do the necessary groundwork to materialize it.

A quiet space and a desk to suit your necessity:

One thing that everyone forgets is a quiet place where you can work without any disturbance. This space should have a desk to keep your computer and maybe some cabinets to store your files.

Printer and scanner:

It is very important to have a printer and a scanner to print out documents or to scan documents so that you have an electronic copy of them. You cannot afford to lose time searching for one when the need arises.

Credit card processing equipment:

This equipment could come handy if your internet home based business involves collecting payment in your local area.

Credit card gateway:

It is very important for you to allow the people to make the purchases on your website online. It will save a lot of time and the transactions will be faster. There are many payment processing companies which will give you this option for free. You might want to look up the search engines for more information.

Phone:

Since you will need to call your clients to discuss about your products and services, you will need to sign up for an unlimited calling plan with your phone service provider.

Website:

You will need a website where your users can get information of your business. It is like an online shop.

Digital camera:

A digital camera helps to take photographs and use them online.

Sound/audio card and microphone:

Check if your computer has a microphone and a sound card before you rush to buy them. Audio card helps in audio recording your talks with your customers.

Fax machine:

Sending and receiving faxes is an important part of any business. Online fax is a new way of sending and receiving faxes through your internet, computer and emails. There are many companies on the web offering faxing services.

Insurance:

Since the nature of business involves risk, any type of business needs protection of insurance. Common insurance policies include property insurance, worker's compensation insurance, liability insurance, malpractice insurance and prepaid legal insurance.

Blog, sales pages, auto responders:

You will need all of these to collect contact information from your customers.

Your equipment should be ready before starting an internet home based business .There is nothing worse than starting a business without having the right equipment to help you succeed in your new venture.

Jason Tinsley is part of an expert internet home based business team that helps people to achieve their goal of owning and running their own a Home Based Business.

Find out how our system eliminates the two biggest challenges every internet home based business faces and how it is truly different and can help you succeed where most people fail

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Tinsley
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