If you’re  emphasizing environmentally safe and friendly products, do you use packaging that follows this theme?  My niece ordered a recycled item, only to receive it packaged in plastic, which she felt wasn’t environmentally friendly.  She tried to be environmentally conscious, she said, but only ended up polluting.
Not everyone will feel as she did, but it made me realize that we must take a look at what we’re doing, especially if we’re promoting the “green” scene that’s so popular right now.  Are we acting in ways that contradict what we say we stand for in our business and our life?
Related posts:
Organizing …read more

After I wrote the post, Will the Harlequin Controversy Affect Your Self-Publishing Route? award winning, self-published author, Kristie Leigh Maguire, provided this informative guest post.  She presents self-publishing from the author and publisher’s viewpoint.
Now perhaps the Harlequin authors (as well as other traditionally published authors), because of the controversy surrounding Harlequin’s decision to offer a self-publishing imprint, will realize the discrimination we self-published authors have known for years.
I am glad that this discrimination against self-published (or published by means not traditonal) authors has come out of the closet and is getting press. No matter what the type, discrimination is just plain wrong!
Just because …read more

Several global trends are driving change in consumer selection and buying power, my husband and I learned at a recent business conference for one of our home businesses. 
These trends affect not only home businesses, but most any…large or small.  When you’re producing products or providing services, consider these as they will affect your business to some extent.

An aging population will determine what a majority of consumers are interested in.
Convenience to make the daily routine easier has become important to consumers of any age.  They even will pay more for something that saves them time.
Natural, organic or “green” are buzz words that play a large role …read more

Developing a blog to accompany your business may be time consuming, especially if you’re not a good typist.  (My husband finds it takes him so long because he has to hunt and peck when typing.)
You might want to consider looking into voice recognition programs that enable you to write your blogs, letters, manuscripts and other work by using your voice.  These programs apparently have become better than the first versions developed so are handy and save you time.
I haven’t tried any yet, but at ProBlogger, Darren Rowse features a guest article with video, Speech Recognition for Bloggers – the Ultimate Guide, by …read more

Blogging has become one of the techniques to draw people to your business, whether it’s an at home one mainly on the Internet or has a walk-in shop. 
 More and more people are becoming blog saavy and enjoy checking out interesting material.

Develop a blog that is entertaining as well as informative. 

Create one that doesn’t look like you’re only promoting your products or service.

As you write about your work, yourself, history of your product, information related to producing it, you will capture your customers’ attention and hopefully stimulate sales.

Create the idea that your customers need your product or service by letting them …read more

Google has developed a new service…a free listing for one’s business.  Here you can fill out the requested information and find yourself listed on the Google map and Google guide.
If you have a home business, where you might not want walk in customers or have mainly an online business, you might want to reconsider your listing.  It appears that you must fill in the information about address which automatically appears on the map.
However, if you do want to be listed and gain this free promotion, you could check into it.  Check out www.Google.com/LocalBusinessCenter

Once you’ve entered the blogging world, you’ve probably heard about those who make a living simply blogging or mainly from blogging.  This seems such an easy way to keep the dollars rolling in, you might think.
However, some of the realities present a different story.  Yes, it is possible, but very, very rarely do you achieve this immediately.  It requires working up to a substantial income, being diligent, productive, finding a popular topic and more.
A guest post, 5 Things to Know When Starting Your Blog, by Adrienne Carlson at Daily Blog Tips contains some great advice for bloggers who, wish to develop this …read more

The Internet has brought a new challenge to home businesses, in fact to any business.  Before the widespread application of the Internet, word-of-mouth or possibly a newspaper write-up could get the word out about your business, both positively and negatively.
An article at Like Chapaa, You Need to Know About Online Reputation Management, reinforces the idea of an Internet reputation and gives you “food for thought.”  You may not be able to control everything others write.  However, you can consider, before you write, what you are saying and keep it professional.  Your words, once written, whether on a blog, in a group, …read more

For years, author Janet Elaine Smith, has promoted her writing business from home due to her late husband’s illness.  Now her time is more flexible, yet she still does a marvelous job of promotion within about a 75-mile radius of her home in a northern Wisconsin small town. 
Janet does some book signings, teaches a few workshops, and gives talks.  Much  of the promotion of her many books consists of getting on her computer and phone.  She has become a well known name in her field of writing mysteries, historical novels, humor and books based on family research.
I was particularly intrigued by a description of one of …read more

I recently saw a blog headline that business owners should spend time reading other business blogs to keep on top of what’s going on.  This brings up questions:

How much time should you spend reading?
What blogs should you read?
Will it truly benefit you from reading other blogs?

Much of this will depend on what type of home business you operate and the knowledge and information you need to gain.

Writers often need to collect information about their topic and find out what others are thinking.
Product producers need to be knowledgeable about market trends.
Business start-ups should find out what the competition is and whether …read more