Home Based Businesses with Minimal or no Start-up Cost.

 

Starting a home-based business with absolutely no startup cost is challenging, but there are some options that require minimal or no initial investment. Here are a few ideas:

1. Freelancing: If you have skills in writing, graphic design, web development, social media management, or other areas, you can start freelancing from home. There are online platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer where you can offer your services to clients without any upfront costs.

2. Consulting: If you have expertise in a particular field, consider offering consulting services. You can start by networking with your existing contacts and building a client base gradually.

3. Affiliate Marketing: You can promote products or services from other companies through affiliate marketing programs. When someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link, you earn a commission. This doesn't require any investment, but it does require building a digital presence to promote products effectively.

4. Content Creation: If you enjoy making videos, writing, or creating other digital content, you can start a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast. These platforms can generate income through advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing over time.

5. Online Surveys and Market Research: While this won't provide a substantial income, you can participate in online surveys and market research studies to earn some extra money.

6. Dropshipping: While traditional dropshipping involves upfront costs, you can explore free dropshipping platforms that may have fewer product options but don't charge fees to access their services.

7. Handmade Crafts and Art: If you're crafty or artistic, you can sell your handmade items on platforms like Etsy. While there may be minimal listing fees, you can start with what you already have.

8. Online Reselling: You can start reselling items you no longer need, like clothing or electronics, through online platforms like eBay or Poshmark. This allows you to generate income without any initial investment.

9. Online Teaching or Tutoring: If you have expertise in a particular subject, you can offer online tutoring or teaching services through platforms like VIPKid or Teachable.

Keep in mind that while these business ideas have low or no startup costs, building a successful home-based business still requires time, effort, and dedication. You may also need to invest in improving your skills, marketing, or equipment as your business grows. It's important to research your chosen niche and market to understand how to make the most of these opportunities.

8 Ways to Make Money by Working From Home

Have you ever wondered how people can make money working from home? Have you ever felt like to sleep over in the morning because the bed is so comfortable and the weather is so nice that you don't feel like going to work? You are not the only one. Many people wish to have such career. In fact getting more people nowadays is earning a very decent income by working from home and having their own part time or internet businesses. For these people, gone are the days of waking up early, staying back late, rush over lunch hour, sneak out to pay bill, and stuck in traffic jam commuting to work place.

Making money by working from home is not something easily done overnight. It is certainly not a way to get rich fast! Common misperception is that running an internet business is easy and required zero start-up cost, but in fact it is not. It takes dedication, a little bit of upfront investment and hard works over a long period of time. Ones without the experience or know-how will probably encounter a steep learning curve in the process of acquiring the knowledge. One without patience and persistency will fail in long term too. However all the sacrifices will eventually be paid back if one has done enough right things.

Before starting out, there are a few things you need to consider.

It is important not to take a plunge from your permanent job by quitting, especially if you are starting out. Start slow, take your time in experiencing various stuff. Take time to think of what you can do. Some other question you should also be asking yourself like, what is my passion? What is my interest? What special skills do I have? Do you always feel like to do something during free time but just can't start doing it because you didn't have the determination? If you are serious in building a working at home business model you should seriously consider answering these questions.

Assuming you have found your interest and passion and you know what you feel like doing, the next thing is how to express the passion and interest of yours. Ask yourself, do you know where to start and how? Or do you know what to do to express your interest? If not, don't worry, there is numerous ways to make use of you passion, interest or skill set. These are some area you should be venturing:

Writing blog - A rich contented blog site can attract thousands of visitor per day thus generating tons of advertising income. If you are interested or passionate about something, share and blog about it, you might know something people want to know or interested to know. Kennysia.com earns 5 figures income every month by blogging about travelling, lifestyle, events and some times plainly talks about nonsense. There are many people out there who are curious and want to know more about others' lifestyle. Millionaireacts.com earns recurring advertising income because people want to know what it takes to become millionaires and the author is know-how expert in giving out good information on investing, building business and wealth. The author of paultan.org is passionate about car and automobiles thus his blog is so successful simply because there are many car enthusiasts out there also sharing the joy.

  

Sell your own intellectual properties such as eBook, audio, video. Thanks to the technology, you don't need to come out with your own publishing house, studio room or film factory to do that, all you need is the right software and equipments. For example if you are a French teacher, you can create your own French audio learning program in MP3 format. If you are a chef in one of those hip restaurants or reputable hotel, probably you can write an eBook on your secret recipe. Or if you are expert in using certain software tools (Microsoft excel, etc), you can create your own video tutorial about it. Good thing about selling electronic products is that you don't need warehouse storage, user can just download your product with a price.

  

Don't have your own product? If you can't think of producing one, you can sell other people product. Nowadays many e-commerce web sites have their own affiliate network. What you can do is to promote their products and services through the affiliate network. Amazon.com is one of the examples, you can sell various products you love from Amazon.com and earn a commission. There are also e-commerce web site provide plainly the medium for seller to sell the product and advertiser to advertise the seller's product for a commission. Clickbank.com is one of the examples.

 Find freelance online - Even getting a freelance job is much easier with nowadays Internet technology. Check out getacoder.com, rentacoder.com, elance.com and getafreelancer.com. You can conveniently get some jobs and start earning money working from home, provided that you have specific set of skill. Job skills ranging from technical skill to soft skill, and from building a complete application or web site to writing business letters and entering data are all available.

  

Build your own million dollar web site. If you have innovative idea, something likes Facebook, Google or Yahoo. It is likely your web site will attract millions of traffic thus generating great amount of advertising income, given it is a whole new idea and it serves purposes that are not provided by existing web sites. Facebook didn't invent the idea of social networking web site. Facebook become so popular because it contains tons of applications for user to plays around with and integration platforms so it can work with other web site or application. This was not provided by friendster.com initially which sees his users slowly walking away.

  

EBay trading. Buy low and sell high. By taking time in scavenging for great deals and hidden gems, you also can make considerable amount of profit. If you love electronic gadgets and know the price, demand and specification for many types of electronics, you can look for bargains to acquire and resell with a higher price.

  

Drop shipping. Selling other company's product as if it is your own brand from your own warehouse, this type of Internet business doesn't need intensive amount of startup and no physical warehouse space is required. The good thing about it is; it looks professional from buyer point of view because it seems you have your own range of products from your own warehouse. Just type in "dropship" into Google search, you can find a lot of information. But be warned that there are many fake drop shippers, you may go to http://www.worldwidebrands.com where you can get directories of hundreds of the most reliable drop shippers world wide.

  

Headhunting services. If you are a people person and have a good size of network, you can leverage on it by providing headhunting service for companies and corporate. Usually this type of service requires a laptop, a phone and wide knowledge of available job skills in the market in brief, understanding of people's skill set and company's employment requirements. You can work from home or anywhere you want.

Before closing this topic, I would like to reiterate. As I have mentioned before, having an internet business is not easy and certainly not a way to make money quick and get rich fast. It takes a lot of perseverance and hard works like brick and mortar business as well. But of course, when comparing with traditional brick and mortar business world, the entry barrier for internet business is still much lower. Needless to say, if the start up cost is low then cost of failure is low as well. So what are you waiting for? Start your own internet business now so very soon you can also enjoy the comfort of working from home!

Written By Zen Foo, The author of Future Money - blog about achieving financial freedom.

Web Site: Future Money [http://www.zenfoosheeseng.com/futuremoney/]

Old site: http://super-tanker-money.blogspot.com

Article Source:http://Ezinearticles.com/expert/Zen_Foo

7 Great Ways to Make Money From Home

In the modern world, you no longer have to tolerate doing a job you hate or working for people you can't tolerate. A lot of people have discovered new ways of making money that don't require you to even leave your home. The following are some of the best ways to make money at home;

Work From Home Business

1. Start a blog

Blogs are a great way to share your stories, opinions, and other information with random people on the internet and if you are consistent and grow your audience, your blog can become a good source of income. If you have lots of visitors on your blog, you can make money through advertising or selling merchandise to your audience.

2. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is where you get paid from product sellers or manufacturers for directing buyers to their website or business. You can advertise the products using any means at your disposal, such as adverts on blogs, social media posts, direct messages, among others. All you need is potential buyers to click your affiliate link that directs them to the seller's website (such as Amazon). If the buyer makes the purchase, you get a commission.

3. Starting a YouTube channel

YouTube is one of the world's most popular websites with billions of monthly users. There are videos of almost anything you can think of and anyone is allowed to post a video. You can become a YouTube content creator and post any videos you feel people will be interested in such as funny videos, travel videos, cooking videos, explainer videos, reaction videos, or just record yourself speaking about various topics. You get paid depending on the number of views your videos get and the number of subscribers your channel has.

4. Sell your photos

If you are skilled with cameras, you can easily turn your photos into easy cash by selling them to stock image websites such as Shutterstock.com. With modern high-performance smartphones, you don't even need to have a professional camera to take awesome pictures. If your photos are accepted, they can be downloaded by Shutterstock.com's subscribers and you can make money for every download.

5. Take online surveys

Online surveys can be a quick way to earn some cash at home. There are plenty of reputable online survey sites that you can sign up and do regular surveys for cash.

6. Forex trading

You don't need much to become a successful Forex trader; just a computer and internet connection is all you need to run a Forex trading empire. You can easily set up your Forex trading account and start trading as soon as you deposit funds. You can use the computer or your smartphone to access streaming charts, live price feeds, and news and trade at home 24-hours a day.

7. Turn your hobbies into cash

If you have a talent or are good at a hobby especially in the creative arts, you can easily turn it into a moneymaking venture if you do it right. For instance, if you love painting, you can make portraits and sell them for thousands of dollars or even millions if they are good enough.

Do you want to learn more about work from home opportunities? If so, you can download  my product that teaches you how to succeed working online [http://getquick-cashonline.live/blog].

Article Source:http://Ezinearticles.com/expert/Micheal_A_Taylor

Starting Your Catering Business

The Catering Business is Very Profitable

The catering business is a more profitable proposition than opening a restaurant business due to a number of reasons. Food of the same type can be prepared in bulk and moreover that what is ordered need only be made ready. This eliminates the need to make say 100 individual plates of an assorted variety. The advantage of economies of scale can be gained here. Moreover, since the food is served in a buffet, the number of waiters needed is less and hence the labor cost is less in this context. Initially, the caterer can start on a small scale and then move on to big business.

Experience

Having experience in the catering business is vital before you think of starting on your own. It is advisable for you to work as an apprentice under an established caterer as that will give you invaluable knowledge about the business. Working as a personal chef will also help as that way you can increase your network through word of mouth publicity. Getting a first-hand experience in the field enables you to gain insight into the finer details of the business.

Catering Concept & Cuisine

The budding caterer has to decide what type of menu he will specialize in like whether you would want to go into gourmet catering, wedding catering, lunch and snack catering or comfort foods. The next significant aspect of the catering business is the food. First start out with food in which you are an expert and can guarantee its deliciousness. Moreover, the food has to remain so in spite of sitting for hours together in a food carrier or on a chafing dish.

Personnel

Personnel form the core of any business and getting an efficient set of employees who can deal with the stress and fast pace of the catering business is an utmost essential. Among these, the first person to be hired is another good chef as being the owner of the catering business; you cannot confine yourself to the kitchen all the time. Bringing in another person as a chef into your business helps to expand your business and take it to the next level.

Catering Equipment

A caterer has to have a good stock of the catering equipment so that his party event is undertaken in as smooth a manner as possible. Some of the equipment needed by him includes food carriers, beverage dispensers, dinnerware, serving dishes, display items and so on. Several restaurant equipment manufacturers keep a comprehensive stock of such items and the caterer can start by shopping for the essential items in the beginning. It is however, necessary for him to research on the commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers before he makes his buying decision.

Besides the above, marketing skills, event planning skills have an equally vital role to play in getting your catering business to a flying start.

Ambica Sales & Services is a multi-dimensional team of experts catering to the most celebrated names in the industry. Our primary objective is to offer value-added consultancy services for various food outlets and commercial kitchens like Commercial kitchen equipment's manufacturers, Restaurant Equipment's Manufacturers. 

Website: http://ambicasales.com/

Article Source:http://Ezinearticles.com/expert/Varun_Shah

Facebook Business Page Setup... The Quickest Way to Fuel Your Business Growth!

According to Facebook there are over 2.5 billion monthly users. Facebook is the largest social media network in the WORLD! In fact, 85% of consumers trust reviews that are posted online as much as personal recommendations according to Bright Local. And that it takes seven read reviews before a customer trusts a business.

Additionally, a 2017 study, it was found that 57% of consumers say that social media influences their shopping decisions. Out of that 57%, 44% said that Facebook of all social media platforms was most influential.

Keep reading as we walk you though a step- by- step easy to follow Facebook setup guide. You can have your Facebook business page up and running in 15 minutes- 30 minutes top!

Step#1. 

Log-in to Facebook.com/business this will take you to "Create a Page" viewed at the top. You'll be greeted with several business type options including local business or place, brand or product, and cause or community. Select the type of Facebook business description idea you're making the business page for. (which is your category) Click on get started

Step #2.

 After choosing your category, you should see the page below. Just fill in your information based on the choices you made. Input your business page name and category. As you start typing suggestions will populate. Choose the closest related business description. Type in your business profile information.

Step #3:
Add your Business Logo or a personal photo for your Facebook cover page. If you are branding yourself, as I am, then a personal photo of your choice will suffice. However, once you click "upload photo" it will ask if you want to set up your business page for appointment booking. It will look like the page below. If you click on "not now" it continues to upload your image. (The example photo is the next photo)

Step#4.

 Click on "upload photo" there you should see the image you uploaded. Next, Facebook will direct you to optimize your page.

In the little box, Facebook is requesting that you send a request to your friends to like your page. You can also click on the view all button and it will populate all the likes from your personal Facebook page.

Inviting your personal likes to your business page will give you a jumpstart on promoting your page. Moreover, it's the gateway to the Facebook vanity URL vault. This hidden advantage becomes accessible when you reach 25 business page likes.

Step#5.

 Click on Settings, then General, next Publish this Page... Finish! That's all to it. You built your Facebook page for your small business, a major step toward building your brand hence growing your business!

Now the real work begins!!!

Your Facebook page is up,it's time to share your page with friends and family. Likened this to opening up a brick and mortar. Plan your grand opening so that your target market know that you're open for business.

Furthermore keep in mind there are a few other tactics you'll have to learn. Optimization, promotion, and content creation is among the first. If you think about your page as an extension of your business you'll do just fine.

Lastly, like with any new strategy, there is always a learning curve. Keeping that in mind be sure to read the other Facebook marketing post at our website.

Deborah Pretty (A.K.A) P.Y. is a 40 years business owner.

She created https:// PYTalkbiz.com to help other small business
owners avoided the many costly mistakes and oversights
she made while growing her businesses.

You can check out her helpful resources by clicking on the link.
Helpful Resources.



Article Source:http://Ezinearticles.com/expert/Deborah_pretty

How to Realistically Work From Home With a New Baby

When you’re pregnant and planning to work from home when the baby is born, you might have an idea in your mind of how great the arrangement will be. Once the baby comes, and you’re actually in the thick of it, you might view the situation a little differently.

We tend to think working from home is easier than at an office or outside of the home, but that’s not always the case, especially when you also have a newborn.

Working at home with a new baby requires some planning, learning a few tricks and tips, and some patience as you get into the new routine. The following are a few things to help you get started.

Get the Right Gear

When you’re setting up your home office or work area in preparation for your baby’s arrival, having the right gear is essential.

For example, make sure you use a swing for babies in your office. A swing can be a lifesaver. You might want to get two so that you don’t have to move it from room-to-room and you have one that can specifically be your office swing.

You might also want to consider a rocking seat that you can put on the floor by your desk, and you can move with your foot.

Have everything you need for the baby in your office, like bottles, diapers, and wipes. That way, you’re wasting less time getting up and down and searching for things all over the house.

Set a Schedule and Stick with It

When you bring a new baby home, a schedule is important whether you’re working or not. If you are, however, it’s even more important.

If you need to, write your schedule down, and include things like your baby’s nap and feeding times, as well as your work schedule.

Be Clear with Your Boss and Coworkers

Part of working from home with a newborn successfully relies on managing expectations. When everyone knows what to expect as far as your schedule and availability, there will be less confusion and fewer breakdowns in communication.

If you have certain hours while the baby naps, for example, that work best for you to do phone calls and video chats let your coworkers know.

You also need to make sure, for your own sanity, that you have very defined distinctions between your work and home life. Those blurred lines are one of the biggest downsides of working from home. Let everyone know when you sign off for the night, and leave it at that.

If you have the space available, that’s one of the many reasons a dedicated office is so important. It allows you to sign off and then leave your workspace in the evening.

Finally, remember that no one can do it all. The more pressure you put on yourself to get everything perfect, the less happy you’ll be. Do what you can, and adapt to your new life as a working mom.

The Top 56 Best Small Business Ideas to Start Making Money Today!

Starting a small business -  needs a bit of inspiration .It all starts with an idea that has room to grow over time. Remember, that when deciding upon which small business venture to go into, you will need to keep in mind which best fits your interests, strengths and the available capital. The more you enjoy your business, the better your productivity will be. You will need to know how to market your goods or services and attract customers and also how to stand out above  competitors.

56 great business ideas that can help you find success in 2023 and beyond.

Virtual Assisting:  You could become a virtual secretary by answering phone calls, replying to and writing emails for virtual clients, just  by doing all the regular tasks of a traditional office secretary from your home through the internet, phone or fax.

Open a Cafe Store: Coffee is also one of the favourite system-booster of many students and workers. Thus, more and more entrepreneurs are venturing in the trade trying their luck in the caffeine-indulging endeavour.

Buy a Franchise: A franchise offers the advantage of operating under the banner of an already established business, When you decide to buy a franchise, you're giving your business a major head start in so many ways.


EBay : You can use this sites to buy and sell items and make a good part-time income.

Freelance Writing: If you enjoy writing, you can start your own writing service where people hire you to write articles and promote their websites, products or services.
Handyman Service -  Starting a handyman service can be very profitable, houses require constant maintenance- because at any given time at least one thing needs to be fixed,maintained or changed. There are so many people out there who need a hand doing some of the little things around their homes.

Online Business: .This is probably your best bet if you are looking for both low start-up costs and high potential for significant income!  this may include article writing/blogging, virtual assistant, translator, copy writer or bookkeeper, data entry, etc.

Forex trading - You don't need much to become a successful Forex trader; just a computer and internet connection is all you need to run a Forex trading empire

Make-up artist - Providing  makeup artist services is another interesting small business idea. Makeup artists are in great demand in the fashion and entertainment industry. If you have the required makeup skills and talent, you can start your own company and do the makeup for television and movie stars.

Cleaning services - One of the best benefits of starting a cleaning business is that you can work during hours when no one else does - after office hours. Focusing on retail business that need cleaning is a good start. Pharmacies, doctors offices, print shops and retail stores are some of the business establishments always in need of cleaning. Hence, a cleaning service can be a steady source of income, Cleaning services can operate round the clock since residential apartments are generally cleaned during the day while commercial buildings are cleaned after office-hours.


Baby sitting - Starting and operating a baby sitting business can be a very challenging, profitable and rewarding career. To be successful, you need to be dedicated and patient. You need to be able to work well with children. There is a high demand for child care services as more and more women entering the work force are giving up their traditional role of full-time homemaker and mother

Adult Caregivers: A fter the age of 60, the immunity system of a body starts deteriorating. Bones become weak and muscles grow loose. As a result, aged adults face many problems and their bodies do not allow them to handle everything alone. This is where caregivers step in, and aid these aged adults in their daily activities such as driving, delivery, catering and cleaning services for seniors who want to stay in their homes. You can certainly develop your own business providing care for seniors.

Event planner - Party/Event planner can also be a good option for a small business idea. An event planner structures an event, coordinate all of the moving parts, and makes sure everyone has a good time. They do everything involved in making sure these events go smoothly .This job requires creativity, patience and ability to get work done for people on time.

Pet related services such as dog walking, pet cleaning and dog grooming services - Most people love pet especially dogs and feeding, caring for them and pampering their pooches a spending priority. Kennels, doggie daycare, dog treat bakeries and dog resorts are few of the things that you may want to venture in.
and discussions. If you need access to investors and funding providers, please do check our website.

Start a blog - Blogs are a great way to share your stories, opinions, and other information with random people on the internet and if you are consistent and grow your audience, your blog can become a good source of income

Fitness online teaching - If you have a passion for teaching people who want to lose weight, stay fit and get into a good physical shape, then you can start a fitness online teaching business. Today, a good number of people are looking for personal trainers to get them in shape

Tax preparation service - Every individual or business that earns income in any country must prepare their taxes. It does not matter whether the economy is busting or booming, every person should prepare his or her taxes. This means tax preparation service is a great business opportunity

Online teaching - If you are a graduate, you can start an online teaching job from your home.There are several online colleges and universities looking for online teachers.

Personal Grocery Shopper - you thrive on helping others. Personal grocery shoppers do just that - buy and deliver groceries for other people, like seniors and the homebound, who are unable to shop for themselves.

Sheep Farming - A sheep farm is a place that use to sell wool and meat

Fish Farming - Small businesses can cultivate fishes using  cheap technology, artificial ponds could be expensive for a beginners: but using other methods like the Geepee tanks could help to minimize cost. Geepee tanks are less capital-intensive; they are movable and easy to maintain: they do not require too much work to set up or to clean them up. Several of them could be set up to care for the various sizes of fish.

Barber Shop - A good barbershop experience doesn't end with the haircut. Many men these days are looking for the authentic barbershop treatment. That means that after their haircut, you should treat them to a good neck shave and shoulder massage.

Catering Business -  If cooking and the culinary arts is your passion, then you should pursue catering as a business. You will be able to earn some money while doing what you love best.

Flower Shop Business - This business idea is centered on selecting, cutting, designing and arranging flowers for a variety of purposes and occasions. Their beauty and color allows us to convey our messages perfectly,  get-well soon for our sick friends and family, congratulatory messages to a newly promoted colleague, condolences to a grieving family, and to express our love to another person. Every occasion is celebrated with flowers


Interior Decorator -  If you are the one who everyone comes to when they need help figuring out what color to paint or how to design their bedroom or kitchen then going into this line on business won't be a bad idea at all!


Wood Working Business - As we all know financial times are tough in many parts of the world, their seems to be no stability working for various companies. Even if you are employed the income you receive is poor. Consider starting a home based wood working business that will create products that you can sell with very little effort. This home based business will be fun and easy to start.

Pick-Up and Delivery Service -  This is a great concierge service which you are able to easily and inexpensively conduct from the comfort of your own home. As a pick-up and delivery service you would be paid to perform tasks such as drop-off and collection of laundry, grocery pickup, pick-up and delivery of documents or parcels, etc. by individuals and businesses.

Photography Business - If you have even a small talent with taking pictures, photography is an excellent career, and is an excellent choice for a small business idea.

Convenience Store -  A convenience store is usually a small store or shop that sells items such as: sweets, ice-cream, soft drinks, liquor products, snack foods, lottery tickets, cigarette, tobacco products, newspapers, magazines and some groceries.  Often toiletries and other hygiene products are stocked. 

Lawn Care Service - Lawn care service is an evergreen—no pun intended—industry which will always have its place in the economy. From consumers who are physically unable to tend to their yards to those who are too busy to maintain intricate landscaping, there are plenty of clients for any lawn care business

Reducing Operating Costs for Your Startup Is Essential for Longevity

Cash flow management is already a challenge for startups, but COVID-19 is not making matters better. With unemployment rising and people spending less money on certain goods or services, startups are likely to suffer during this time. However, reducing operating expenses can help a startup stay afloat until operations are back to normal.

Reducing overall operating costs can certainly impact your bottom line, especially as the impact of COVID-19 is felt. Also, reevaluating the budget and allocating funds to different operations can keep essential parts of your business going. Keep reading to learn more about how to reduce the operating expenses for your startup while staying productive during COVID-19.



Review your budget with a new lens

When you created your budget for the year, the coronavirus was not likely to be on your mind. And, with updates and changes happening so fast over the last several months, 2020 can feel like one big game of catchup. Now that shelter-in-place ordinances are lifting and people are venturing back out into the world, it is a good time to reevaluate your operating budget.

Revenue projections are likely in need of an update, and your outlook for 2021 is different now than it was a few months ago. From lower sales numbers to higher churn rates, the priorities of your budget need to be evaluated. However, it is important to avoid simply slashing your budget. Wisely evaluating the numbers may indicate that some areas of your business are actually improving during this time.

Renegotiate contracts

The impact of COVID-19 is being felt across the country. If your business has shifted, it is likely that others connected to you have done the same. You may be able to renegotiate terms or contracts during this time to give yourself some breathing room. From reducing office costs to eliminating subscriptions, there are some measures you can take to prevent waste.

Office Space

If your company has shifted to remote work, you are likely paying for empty office space. Your landlord may be willing to negotiate your terms due to the unprecedented circumstances. In some cases, shelter-in-place orders may prohibit you from working in the office altogether. Review your contract to see if there are any provisions for a situation when the office space is not usable.

Subscriptions

Your startup likely has multiple active subscriptions. Whether you rely on monthly professional services, like IT support, or SaaS licenses to run your business, there might be some room for cuts. Try negotiating with your partners or vendors to reduce subscription costs. You may have licenses that you are no longer using or termination fees that can be renegotiated.

Deferred Payments

In cases where you cannot reduce operating costs in numbers, ask for deferred payments. Lengthening the payment cycle can improve your cash flow temporarily and get you through a rough patch.

Eliminate nonessential tools

When you reevaluate your budget, you may find that it is skewed in one area. Go line by line to review the various tools and services used by your business, determine which are essential and which items can be cut. Reviewing financial statements is a great way to visualize where your budget is going, instead of assuming. You may have duplicate tools, tools that are no longer in use, or items that can be replaced with a less expensive alternative.

Cut Unnecessary Licenses

Reviewing all the tools and services used by your team could also highlight which services have too many licenses. Are all licenses being used, or can some be eliminated? Also, you may be paying for additional functions that you could go without, at least for the time being. Dropping your subscription tier or reducing the number of licenses could help lower operating costs.

Cut Out Paper

While it may seem small, going paperless can help your bottom line. Businesses spend quite a bit on paper, printers, and ink every year. If your team is working remote, there is even less reason to use paper. When you return to the office, you can continue the habits formed during quarantine to reduce the overall paper usage of your business.

Stay flexible

Things are likely to continue changing as we learn more about COVID-19 and its overall impact. There may be unlikely opportunities to reduce your operating expenses over time. The unpredictability of COVID-19 combined with the changing nature of startups makes it important to stay on your toes. You may find yourself considering new or innovative ideas that you would not have previously thought of.

Evaluate More Frequently

Periodically evaluating your budget and outlook can help you stay more agile and flexible. As your startup changes and evolves, your operating costs need to follow. Set up more frequent evaluations to stay on top of your operating costs and adjust as needed.

Pause large investments or projects

For many startups, cash flow is limited. COVID-19 is putting major purchases and projects on hold until businesses can stabilize. Instead of considering these pauses as losses, pay attention to the money you are saving and the cash you are making available.

New Equipment

Were you planning to upgrade everyone's laptops this year or purchase a new phone system? COVID-19 may not be the right time to make major investments like purchasing new equipment. Instead, stick to only buying what is necessary. Look for refurbished or second-hand items when possible to save on operating costs.


Marketing Initiatives

Unless your marketing initiatives are seeing a positive ROI, it may be time to pause big projects. Instead of rolling out previously scheduled campaigns, reevaluate your marketing calendar to determine what will move the needle for your business. If your customers are pushing off on buying decisions, now might not be the time to invest in sales and marketing.

Utilize Free Trial Periods

If you absolutely must purchase a new service or equipment, take advantage of free trial periods. Ensure the vendor is the right partner for you by testing their product or service ahead of time. In some cases, vendors will negotiate on the trial period if you are serious about buying.

Reduce payroll

Finally, reducing payroll can help lower operating costs. Many startups see this as a last resort because it greatly impacts your operational capacity as well as the individual lives of employees. However, in some cases, it is a necessary measure.

Implement a Hiring Freeze

You can make steps towards reducing operational costs by implementing a hiring freeze. Avoid filling positions unless necessary. Your team may be stretched thin, but you can avoid eliminating current positions this way.

Contract Out

Instead of hiring for new positions, contract out when possible. For example, you may need financial guidance during COVID-19. You can contract with a freelance CFO to work part-time at a lower cost than hiring an executive-level position. Firms like    [https://www.k38consulting.com/]K-38 Consulting provide services from top-notch financial advisors, and you only pay for services when you need them.

Dallas L Alford IV, CPA is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of North Carolina and owner of K-38 Consulting, a consulting firm that provides part-time and interim controller services, CFO services, SOX audit services, SOX compliance services and general accounting services. To learn more about K-38 Consulting, you may visit their website at    https://k38consulting.com or contact Dallas L Alford IV, CPA 910 262-4412.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dallas_Alford

Best Strategies for Saving on Flights and Hotels

As a business owner, you always look for ways to save money when running a business. Amongst all areas business travel is one key area where you can find savings on flights and hotels. By following the best booking strategies and utilizing affordable options, travelers can reduce the cost of their business trip.

Here are a few ways to save on hotels and flights:

Saving on Hotels

Book hotels and flights together

Online travel booking sites offer price breaks for purchasing a flight and hotel together. Combined packages are mostly used by vacationers but also offer great value to business travelers with flexible preferences.

Surf online, book over phone

To get the best deals, browse through various online booking channels and figure out your preferred option. Get in touch with the hotel and ask them to reduce the rate further. This works as many hotels will go lower to avoid paying third-party booking fees.

Advance fees

If you are sure about your travel plans, nonrefundable hotel reservations offer the best price. Paying advance can save up to 20% on bookings made directly with hotels.

Take advantage of refundable bookings

Alternatively, you can make a refundable booking by looking for the best prices online. Hotels usually don't have any cancellation fees like airlines.

Use corporate discounts

Businesses often negotiate with preferred hotel vendors and get discounts up to 40%. So, using corporate booking tools can give you the lowest possible fare when booking.

Last-minute travel

If you are booking in last-minute, you can find deals on unused rooms. Talk to your preferred hotels to know about possible cancellations. Also, searching last-minute booking sites such as Hotel Tonight can help you get other options.

Say no to cookies

Travel sites maintain cookies to identify customers with strong intention to buy. Clearing your browser history might give you more favorable prices.



Flight Saving Strategies

Travel during off-peak hours

Flights are cheapest between 5 am to 7 am and after 8 pm. Businesses can save an average of $116 per flight by flying at peak times.

Fly on specific days

Reports from recent studies revealed that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the low cost days to fly. Flying on these days can save you money.

Take connecting flights

Direct flights are convenient, but flights with layovers will cost you less. Taking connecting flights is one of the strategies that can help you save money.

Check out from less expensive airports

When you search for flights, check the box "include nearby airports". You can choose alternative airports that cost you less than others and not necessarily farther away.

Make early bookings

Tickets booked fewer than seven days before departure will cost you an average of 44% more than if they had been booked 15 or more days in advance.

Book on the right time

Airfares fluctuate throughout the week. Studies revealed that the best time to book air travel is Tuesday at 3 PM ET, the time when airlines will release their discounted seat inventory.

Leverage refund rules

Bookings made at least 7 days in advance can be canceled within 24 hours. This creates a grace period in which you can cancel your bookings if your travel plans are not final.

These strategies can help you save money while booking flights and hotels.

Need more information about    [https://www.sutitravel.com/business-travel/]SutiTravel - Online Business Travel? Talk to our experts today.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/James_Maron

What Is a Biblical Entrepreneur?

Psalm 127:1

" {A Song of degrees for Solomon.} Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.".

Commentary

They labor in vain that build it - literally, "In vain toil its builders in it." The idea is, that they are entirely dependent on God. No matter what their skill, their strength, their industry may be - all will be in vain unless God shall assist them. They are dependent on Him for life, for health, for strength, for practical wisdom, for a disposition to continue their work, and for success in it.


MODULAR 1: What is a Biblical Entrepreneur?
Whether you are an inspiring entrepreneur or a CEO of a major corporation, the Bible
is the ultimate source for valuable, pertinent advice and guidance; it provides you with the keys to your future successes. Jesus used scriptures by quoting passages as He taught. He used Isaiah's prophecies to bring to disruption the Pharisees' false piety (Mark 7:6-13). In Luke 24:25-27 he explained that the things concerning Himself had been written by Moses and the prophets. Most notability, when being tempted by the devil, Jesus used scriptures, (Matthew 4:4 - KJV), "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". Also, read Matthew 4:7 and Matthew 4:10.

So, what is a Biblical Entrepreneur, (also in some circles the term Christian Entrepreneur is used. To fully understanding the meaning (and heart) of a Biblical Entrepreneur, you must understand how the world God views business and entrepreneurship.

In college I studied business on several levels, both undergrad and graduate programs. Both taught (by definition) that an entrepreneur's main concern is the generation and accumulation of wealth for shareholders and stakeholders. The success of the business is determined by that end goal. Everything about the business from the customer to the employees, finances, product, marketing, and management team worked to reach the goal to accumulate wealth (grow the business).

Although, making money is a key objective for all business ( no profit, no business), the focus of a "Biblical Entrepreneur" (by definition) is someone (a Christian) who uses their talents, treasures, and time to operate a business, in which God has place them as a steward, in a manner that will bring Him glory, as well as be a blessing to his or her community, nation, and world.

Why is this distension important? As a Biblical Entrepreneur you will have many ups and downs. Knowing the "why" you are in business will give you the strength, courage, and tanistry to face the hard times. Knowing the "why" is the start of building a successful business based on the Kingdom Principles.

Foundational Question(s).
1. Do you pray (daily) for God to guide you in every part of being a "Biblical Entrepreneur"?

2. Do you invite God to your Board Room Meetings? (Even if you are the only person in the Board Room)?

3. How will your business glorify God? (More on this in later chapters).

Vocabulary

Biblical Entrepreneur: Someone (a Christian) who uses their talents, treasures, and time to operate a business, in which God has place them as a steward, in a manner that will bring Him glory, as well as be a blessing to his or her community, nation, and world.
  A Playbook provides a clear and measurable "audit path" for accountability.

Business Plan: A document setting out a business's future objectives and strategies for achieving  .

Kingdom Business Plan: A kingdom business is an enterprise directed by the Holy Spirit and managed by a godly leader that uses its time, talent, and money to meet the spiritual and/or physical needs of the community around them to advance God's purpose.

Shareholders: A person who owns shares in a company. Someone who owns stock in Apple is an example of a shareholder.

Stakeholders: A person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization. Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives and policies. Some examples of key stakeholders are creditors, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions, and the community from which the business draws its resources.

Welcome! http://www.faith-business.com

Faith Business Institute is a Christian organization committed to helping entrepreneurs develop and grow their business endeavors based on Kingdom Business Principles.

We coach Biblical Entrepreneurs how to get their work into the world, so they can serve God's other children.


Article Source http://EzineArticles.com//expert/Markus_Makari

Starting a Small Business

Starting a small business is not for the faint in heart. You will need to work smarter and harder than you ever have before. You have to be sure you prepare thoroughly before starting your business. You have to conduct an in-depth research on your field. Starting a business requires so much work , no idea becomes a reality without any effort.

It can be quite a challenge starting a small business  successfully. Starting a business requires time patience and start up capital. When you decided to start your own business, you have entered one of the most exciting career opportunities you'll ever have- becoming your own boss!  There are lots of different small business ideas floating around-

First, there are many legal issues to consider, Getting the help of a corporate lawyer would be of considerable benefits as you decide which of the many legal forms is available for your business.

Below are steps to take to get your business running -:

Planning -:You need to have a business plan to make your business idea a reality. A business plan is a necessity, it helps you to figure out how much you will need to kick start your business; that is what needs to be done.                                                                       

Location -:Your business location is so big a deal, whether you are going into business for the first time, or you are relocating; choosing a small business location is not to be taking lightly. Your choice can impact your business positively or negatively, your business location sets the tone of your business.

There are various factors to keep in mind such as deciding on your target market, properly prices, safety of the area, accessibility for customers,suppliers e.t.c. Start with the above pointers to guide you in the right direction

Financing -:Starting a business requires money, the amount depends on the type of business you intend to start, you have to determine how to cover the cost. Do you have the amount needed to fund your start-up or will you borrow the money? It is always best to find out how much your overall start-up will be.

Register Your Business -:This is an important part of starting your business, if you don't register your business u could miss out on legal benefits, personal liability protection and tax benefit.

Licence and Permit - :The task of any new business is to obtain licences and permits. You have to contact your town's business license department to find out how to get a business licence.
Some licenses and permits are local, some are state while some are federal,  you need to know which type will apply to your type of business.

Promoting -: Many businesses come out with very great business ideas but fail to market properly or successfully. You have to spread the word about your products and services to the right people. There are so many advertising platforms available to choose from.