Running a Christian home based business means incorporating Christian values into normal business operations. When people work with you as a Christian home based business owner, they expect that you will be living up to higher expectations. Yet, just because you are a Christian home based business owner, you should not let people walk all over you. Understanding that there are Christian values in setting limits and running a successful business will help you build a strong Christian home based business.Sit down and think about what your Christian values are and how you want to incorporate them into your Christian home based business. It is okay to want to make a profit, as long as money does not rule what you do. If you looking at customer service in your home based business, you want to promote a Christian ethic of treating customers how you would like to be treated. Remember, consumers are looking for you to exhibit the best Christian values in your Christian home based business.Once you have your values listed, you also want to set your goals. Do you want to use your business just to make a living, or do you have a higher purpose? Is your Christian home based business going to be a witnessing tool or is being a Christian home based business more of a reflection on upstanding standards? What kind of profit do you want to make in your Christian home based business and how do you want to get there? Make both short term and long term goals and be sure to have a way to assess how you meet those goals.As your Christian home based business grows, you will want to find ways to manage your money effectively. Stewardship is a very important value for a Christian home based business owner to have. Make sure you have a budget that can grow with your company and you plan ahead for both the lean and surplus times in your Christian home based business. If accounting is not your strength, find a computer program or obtain professional help to make sure you are managing your finances well.Also, finding balance between your personal and business life is important. God did not mean for any person to work all the time, after all He created the Sabbath day for us to rest from work. If God created time to rest, then as a Christian home based business owner, you should find some time to live your personal life, too. Not only will it make you happier, but it will make your work seem more exciting and fresh rather than a chore.
Important Considerations for Home Based Business Startups
Starting up a home based business can be not only exciting, but perhaps even a little confusing as well. Some factors come into play with a home based business startup. Determining where to start is the first step in the process.The first thing that should be done is to establish what the local regulations are regarding a home based business startup. These regulations can come in the form of county, state or federal and it is a good idea to make sure that these rules are clearly understood.Once this step has been completed, it is recommended that a non-residential address be used for the business, such as a post office mailbox, as well as a separate business phone line. Even though the business will be run out of the home, so are the residents’ personal lives. Using a non-residential mailing address and a separate phone line will help ensure privacy during closed business hours.Deciding on what type of business model to use for a home based business is the next step. It is likely that at this point the type of product or service that will be provided has already been decided; however, how to sell the products and what structure to use may be more uncertain. Some research can help clarify which model can be the most effective for what the home based business offers as well as its needs.There are different business models that can be used when starting a home business that can fit both the business and the owner’s needs. The business can be either internet based, such as using auction sites, or be a brick and mortar retailer, which allows customers to interact personally with the business. Internet auction sites provide flexibility in schedule and can be run full or part time, often times at any time of day or night. Business interactions can be done in the comfort of one’s own home, whereas a brick and mortar business may require daily attendance. Using an e-commerce model utilizes a website that promotes the business and offers sales of products or services to the consumer.Another model is called affiliate marketing. This is where others provide advertising links for a business and for each customer that visits the business’ website through the third party a commission is paid. The third party is rewarded for advertising with this commission and the business receives increased website visits. Affiliate marketing can be a very effective method of advertising and could prove to be a very useful way to increase customer exposure and sales.Home based business startup does not have to be confusing and most of the information that one would need to begin can be found through some thorough research on the internet. There are many companies that offer website development and even those that offer help in developing the business model that is desired. Knowing what product or service the business will offer will help determine which business model will be most successful.
Your Home Based Business – What About eBay?
My wife has been operating her eBay business now for about 3 years. I have watched her progress with great interest; the jubilation and sometimes her utter frustration. Her original intention was (and to an extent, still is) to build a successful business to add to her other business interests. Whilst personally, becoming a member of the eBay community has never really set my pulse racing, I have no doubt that for some, the business can prove lucrative and sometimes, fun.As with any new business you are proposing to get into, it is important to have a plan. Yes, the plan can be modified with the benefit of experience, but it really helps to determine in your own mind, what you want to achieve from the business at the outset and how you are going to achieve your goals. This is as important with eBaying as it is with any other start up home based business.It seems to me there are predominantly three types of eBayer profiles:First we have the “dabblers”. These are people who enjoy the experience of selling the odd item here and there. The items they list are usually sourced from a clear-out of the attic, children’s bedroom and garage etc. Expectations in terms of earnings are usually very modest and if they end up getting a few dollars for unwanted items and at the same time de-clutter the house, well the exercise is worthwhile and satisfying. The dabbler usually has no ambition to take the business any further. In essence, eBaying from time to time, is a hobby.Next we have the person with slightly more ambition; someone who wants or needs to make a part-time income from the business. This could be a work at home mom or someone who is already working for an employer part-time and wants to continue to earn the same level of income, but working for themselves at home. For such people, the need is to sell items on a daily or regular basis; therefore, the challenge is to find a product or products which are in demand. For example, my wife is very smart at making girl’s dresses and she also knits really nice sweaters. She also sources kid’s necklaces and bracelets. These product lines form the basis of a nice little income. I think the point about the products you sell is that you don’t necessarily have to sell manufactured items. If you have a talent for making or creating things, why not put those talents to good use.Lastly, we have the Powerseller or wannabe Powerseller. These are people or organisations that are deadly serious about making as much money as they can from their eBay business. A new level of sophistication comes into play; bulk purchasing of products, storage facilities, often a fully customised e-commerce website and a finely tuned marketing strategy. Given the number of sales the powerseller makes, some prefer to use the services of a drop-shipper i.e. they outsource the order fulfillment side of the business to concentrate on marketing their products. They have also developed their own product niche and of course, made sure their pricing strategy is highly competitive. The professional powerseller is always mindful of his reputation and therefore has to maintain a high feedback rating (as near to 100% as possible). Yes, make no mistake, some powersellers make a very good living indeed, but the demands of being in the top echelon of eBay, in terms of time, commitment and energy are not going to be for everyone, even if they do have sufficient business acumen.So, if you have been contemplating becoming an eBay seller, which category do you think you might fit into?