HomeBizNotes.com
  Are You The Expert?
In a previous post, Do You Enlist the Assistance of Experts in Your Home Business?, I talked about inviting outside experts in your business area to provide programs, workshops, entertainment, etc. at your business. In other words, you’re working together for your mutual benefit.
However….you may be the expert…and can offer your expertise to aid other businesses while getting your name (and your business name) out there.
For instance, I’ve been involved in the blogging world for more than three years…here at b5media (Home Biz Notes, Quilting and Patchwork, Alzheimer’s Notes) and with my author and family history …read more

HomeBizNotes.com 
My husband and I travel frequently by plane so have to develop ways to get our luggage from place to place efficiently. Also, we’ve had to become adept with our carry-on bags. 
I’d begun to notice that many men and women use fanny packs. I realized if I use one, I don’t have to panic, “Where’s my purse?” Also, my hands are free to grab my roller suitcase and computer bag.
What did we do before the advent of the roller bags? They are so handy as we race through airports trying to catch a plane with tight connections. Jim uses a …read more

HomeBizNotes.com
   Odd Couple Project
Bob Turek, at ProjectManagement411, is partnering with me in a b5media Business Channel Odd Couple project. Our assignment is to consider:  At current rates, Social Security payouts will exceed payments made into the system within the next ten years. What should we do about Social Security?
He mentions possible solutions as he considers two extremes advocated by political candidates Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee in his post, Counting on Social Security? Your Next Project Better Be Your Retirement Plan.
Social Security and the Home Business Owner
My object is to consider this topic from the viewpoint of the home …read more

 HomeBizNotes.com
Valentine’s Day already!
Yes, businesses must be thinking about this occasion.  Actually we must do more than think….we must have the products and promotions in place.
Don’t wait till the week before to start letting people know you’re ready for them to do their Valentine’s Day shopping with you.
What have you been doing for Valentine’s Day with your business?
*Do you make products/gifts that relate to this holiday?
*Do you help businesses promote this holiday?  Then you should have had your act together with their promotion plans before this.
*Do you perform services and make deliveries connected with this day?
Why not share how you’re …read more

For home business owners and other small business owners, Christmas celebrations start early.
If you are a home business owner selling Christmas themed products, planning ahead is key. If you sell products, you probably attended trade fairs in July or earlier to order your Christmas stock.
Freelance writers who submit Christmas articles to magazines started sending their queries at least 6 to 8 months ago. Home business owners who offer services, will also be impacted by Christmas, in terms of scheduling, at least.
Pre Christmas Marketing Ideas
Products & Sales

Do you have enough stock?
What stock do you need to clear to …read more

    Do you have your entry finished for the “Jump Start Your Business” contest?  The deadline is Tuesday, September 25.  There will be a Grand Prize winner with two runner-ups. Prizes and consulting total more than $2,000.
This is a great way to get your small business off the ground or to give your new (within the past year) one momentum.  Check out the details here…..

We’ve mentioned here several times the need to check out zoning regulations pertaining to your home before you decide to set up a home business, particularly one that involves customers/clients coming to your home.   (However, online business might be affected, too, in some areas.)
 I just read a news item, License Denied for Existing Home Business, that concerned this topic.
The aldermen decided, according to the mayor’s statement ” they’re running a business in a residential area and we can’t approve that.”  He did say if the owners moved their lawn mower service business to a commercially zoned area, the license would be approved.
There …read more

  This time of year, throughout the month of August, the “back-to-school” idea is in many people’s minds….students who will be going back to school of some type, parents who will be involved in getting them ready, grandparents who may be helping raise grandkids, and businesses that provide products and services in some way connected with school.
Even if you don’t think you’re involved, you can’t help seeing all the back-to-school advertising and displays, even in the supermarkets.  (The one where I shop most frequently has a large display of school supplies along the wall as you enter the store.)
                                        
If …read more

David Krug makes a very interesting point a post on his b5media blog, Work Boxers. “Spend 30 minutes each day interacting with people you’d normally not interact with.” He mentions this as a way to expand your influence and to get your name [and your business name] out there.
Yes, this is something to consider. Within your niche, your circle of customers and friends, you may be well known. However, don’t you want to expand your “circle of influence” and become better known…have your products and/or services better known?
So…spend some extra time each day (David suggests …read more

“What’s in a name?”
When you consider a name for your home business, determine what you want to achieve, the customers you desire to serve, and the products/services you offer. Nowadays, choosing a name for the image or impression you wish to project also might be included in the idea of branding your business.
*A unique name will catch attention. However, if it’s too far out, it may have the adverse effect. If it’s mundane, it won’t capture your customer’s imagination.
*In addition to being unique, will your name adequately describe your business?
*Is someone else using that same name? …read more