Don't quit your day job just yet.If you are a baby boomer looking to start a home business, there are 5 essentials things you must do first.
Leaving the security of a job with an established 401(k) plan, health insurance or other benefits can create a real tug of war for baby boomers who want to pursue their dreams of owning their own business.
Analyze Your Exit Strategy
At the time of this writing, the youngest of the baby boomers are turning 42 and the oldest are turning 60. No matter where you fall into this group, analyzing and preparing your exit strategy from your job will be crucial to your long-term success as a home business entrepreneur. Do you have adequate savings? If you're married, will you be able to participate in your spouse's health insurance?
Create a Financial Plan
How much is your salary now? What are your fixed, variable and frivilous expenses? Creating a solid plan so that you and your family will know exactly what the financial picture will be until your business gets off the ground and starts generating revenue.
Choosing a Business Model and Legal Entity
There are several business models to choose from; home party plans, consulting, and affiliate marketing to name a few. You have to make the decision based on your personality and what you are best-suited for. Choosing a legal entity for your business should be discussed with a tax accountant or your attorney. Options are sole proprietor, LLC or Subchapter S- Corp.
Set Business Benchmarks
You wouldn't travel across the country without a road map, your business is the same. Setting financial and business-building benchmarks will help you to create a focused plan that will help you to reach your success.
Get a Physical
What does getting a physical have to do with your business? Once you leave your job, most likely your health insurance will change and as unfair as it may be, trying to get new health insurance when in your 40's, 50's or 60's can be difficult. While pursuing your dreams of a home business is something you are probably very passionate about, if you do not have good health to enjoy the rewards of your efforts, then not much else is important.
The baby boomer generation is like no other before it or after it. Technically, we are considered middle-aged, but we are anything but middle-aged in mind, body and spirit. We know there is more meaning to life than a commute to an unrewarding 9-5 job, but there are also important steps we must take first. Planning and preparing for your home business now will lead to less headache's later on.
Great Opportunity!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Best Businesses from Home
In finding the best home based business for someone who dreams of being an entrepreneur, there is no hard and fast list of “bests.” One entrepreneur’s best home based business idea is another entrepreneur’s worst. So much depends on what that business owner-hopeful enjoys doing, knows how to do, and has some of the resources already in place for. Other considerations in determining the best home based business are what the desired market will bear – what the competition is, and how saturated the market is.
The best way for someone who wants a home based business to start is to determine what she or he loves – what she looks forward to doing, what makes the time fly by for him, what she would gladly spend many hours of every day accomplishing. The next step is for the owner-to-be to assess his or her training, skills and knowledge of various industries. Putting the dream list with the skills list should indicate some crossover. Those things that end up on both lists are great indicators of the best home based business type for this business owner to-be. If, for example, a veterinarian’s assistant is tired of making very little money working for someone else, braving the 30 minute crawl along the highway commute, but really loves those horses that her employer cares for. She might well be a great candidate for a riding school proprietorship, a horse farm, or a grooming facility.
Once the industry and anything more specific in the way of products or services has been determined for the best home based business idea, the work is not done. The business owner has to determine that the business will make money. Questions the entrepreneur has to ask himself are “Who will be my customers? Why will they choose my service? How often will they need my services – what will make them repeat customers? Who is the competition? How can I vary my services from the competition – i.e., what might be my niche? And, what should I charge for my services (based on what others are charging in the market area)?
Part of determining what to charge is determining expenses that must be paid to stay in business. Once the entrepreneur determines the price that will be competitive she or he must find out if that asking price will bring in a profit. If the price that must be placed on the product to make a profit after expenses is too high to be competitive in the market the choices are to change the market or change the product. If it doesn’t make the company money, it’s not the best home based business.
PS: This is the ultimate advice at the end of my articles: seeking residual income is the best way to start a work from home business.
The best way for someone who wants a home based business to start is to determine what she or he loves – what she looks forward to doing, what makes the time fly by for him, what she would gladly spend many hours of every day accomplishing. The next step is for the owner-to-be to assess his or her training, skills and knowledge of various industries. Putting the dream list with the skills list should indicate some crossover. Those things that end up on both lists are great indicators of the best home based business type for this business owner to-be. If, for example, a veterinarian’s assistant is tired of making very little money working for someone else, braving the 30 minute crawl along the highway commute, but really loves those horses that her employer cares for. She might well be a great candidate for a riding school proprietorship, a horse farm, or a grooming facility.
Once the industry and anything more specific in the way of products or services has been determined for the best home based business idea, the work is not done. The business owner has to determine that the business will make money. Questions the entrepreneur has to ask himself are “Who will be my customers? Why will they choose my service? How often will they need my services – what will make them repeat customers? Who is the competition? How can I vary my services from the competition – i.e., what might be my niche? And, what should I charge for my services (based on what others are charging in the market area)?
Part of determining what to charge is determining expenses that must be paid to stay in business. Once the entrepreneur determines the price that will be competitive she or he must find out if that asking price will bring in a profit. If the price that must be placed on the product to make a profit after expenses is too high to be competitive in the market the choices are to change the market or change the product. If it doesn’t make the company money, it’s not the best home based business.
PS: This is the ultimate advice at the end of my articles: seeking residual income is the best way to start a work from home business.
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