 |
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
Looking Big; Starting Small Your Business Needs the Basics, Not Big Bucks The adage that it takes money to make money is only somewhat true. When you start a home-based business you may not have the big bucks to look big but you don’t need them unless you have special requirements for a unique business. Your home-based business can look big while starting small with come basic equipment and initial marketing tools. The Equipment A unique business product or service may require specialized equipment. If the large-chain electronic store is your holy-land you may have to list what you need (versus what you want), start with medium-quality or combined-function equipment, and stick to a strict budget. Consider the following items for your basic home-office set-up. Dedicate a telephone line for voice communication separate from the family phone. This phone is used solely for business. The family does not answer it (unless they use a business greeting) and you can let it transfer to your answering service when your business hours are over. Which leads to the second requirement…an answering machine or service. Clients expect something or someone to answer—usually within four rings—when they call a business. A portable digital telephone costs very little for the capabilities offered—the freedom to move around, good-quality sound, and typically answering machine, caller-id, speaker phone, and telephone headset functions. Your outgoing answering machine message should identify your business, availability, and the information your caller should leave. Provide a time frame in which the caller can expect to hear from you. Avoid cute messages with creative backgrounds. Most businesses have fax and photo copying capabilities. You should have a means for sending and receiving faxes either through a combined telephone/fax machine, a computer’s fax software, or a combination printer/fax/copier/scanner device. Buy a separate photocopier or use a combination device. Regardless of the type of business a computer of some sort is a necessity in this day and age. You will perform basic administrative functions (word processing, manage client contacts), communicate with e-mail, and track finances and budgets. You can, with the correct software program, send and receive faxes and set up an answering service. Unless your business has special computer needs a mid-range (price and speed) desktop or desktop-replacement notebook computer should be adequate. Client contact is largely through e-mail and the Internet in the early 21st century. A second telephone line is a requirement for a home office to separate your data transfer needs (computer and fax) from your voice (telephone and answering machine) functions. Register with an established, reliable Internet Service Provider (ISP) for e-mail and Internet access. Note that you often get what you pay for in this area. The Marketing Tools If you do nothing else for awhile, get—or make—business cards. Fast print, postal service, and office-supply businesses provide basic design templates you use to create your cards and print large quantities for a reasonable price. Distribute business cards everywhere and carry them with you at all times. Create a web presence whether your business is high technology, a cleaning service, or something in-between. Create, get help with, or have someone create at least a single web page for your business. Many ISPs offer free or low-cost web hosting. You do not need to start with fancy graphics and sounds. You just need a presence that advertises—simply, succinctly, and thoroughly—who you are and what you do. If you have a remote notion that your business will grow, reserve a web domain name now. Every day more names are taken and the one that best represents your business may not be available to you when you are ready to use it. Beyond the basics, move forward to market your home-based business through whatever channels you can afford or are “right” for your type of product or service. Marketing opportunities that make a small business look large abound on the Internet, through publications, on radio and television. The sky—and your finances—are the limits. (c) Sylvia Henderson and The Gazette Newspapers 2001 |
|||
