Читать книгу Start & Run a Real Home-Based Business - Dan Furman - Страница 5

To explain what I mean by a real home-based business, it might be easier to start out with what I don’t mean.

I’m not talking about a multilevel marketing “opportunity” where you sign up your friends to buy packets of green seaweed jelly cleverly marketed as health food (or as a hair product — I’ve seen it marketed both ways, which makes one wonder).

Nor am I talking about online “build a website and get rich quick” schemes, or anything you need to throw a party to sell. I’m also not talking about silly “work at home” schemes like stuffing envelopes, filling out surveys, or becoming a mystery shopper. The only people who generally make money on schemes like that are the companies offering them to you, and also “Dave from California” who is in all the advertising testimonials from these companies.

And finally, I’m not talking about fluff business ideas such as, “Gee, you can start a coupon clipping service, a shopping service, or a scrapbooking service.” Yeah, you can start such a service, but you’ll soon find out that there’s no money in coupons, and you’ll go broke.

What I’m talking about is running a legitimate, professional business that is based in your home. Here is a small sampling of the businesses for which this book will be helpful:

• Home computer/professional services for which the world is your customer, such as medical billing, writing, web design, computer programming, market consulting, niche-market accounting, sales training, etc.

• Any of the building trades where you serve the local market, such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, painting, roofing, general handiwork, etc.

• Local professional services such as computer repair/networking, local advertising sales/consulting, wedding photography, accounting, etc.

• A business where you will make a product and sell it, either locally or internationally. For example, making a special kind of jewelry or a particular type of birdhouse, specializing in a certain type of painting, or offering frame-ready prints to the world via the Internet.

• Outdoor services such as landscaping, lawn mowing, or tree pruning.

• Local services such as pet sitting, house/ office cleaning, home health care, home inspection, pest control, DJ services, kids entertainment at parties, etc.

• Services based in your home, like a home daycare, music lessons, hair styling, portrait photography, etc.

• Apart from these and many other businesses for which this book is relevant, many “semi-entrepreneurial” professionals like realtors and car salespeople will also find this book very useful. I refer to these occupations as semi-entrepreneurial because the people in these lines of work often rely somewhat on the companies they are affiliated with to provide many of their customers/ clients. However, they are also very entrepreneurial in the sense that the company may only provide a desk and some advertising, and the rest is up to them.

This book makes for a great companion to all the other Self-Counsel Press “Start & Run” books. If there’s one for your particular business, buy that book too. Your chances of making it will be that much better.