Lily Snyder

Do you feel like you’ve hit a dead-end at your current job? You might be thinking about starting your own company in order to feel professionally fulfilled. It’s never been easier to launch a home-based business — you can market your products and services, find your first clients, and create your own office space at home. And with the resources published by Lily Snyder, you’ll find ways to take advantage of new technology to run your business efficiently. If you’re ready to branch out and start a home-based business, these tips will guide you through the process.

Is Consulting Right for You?

Are you trying to decide which business model you should commit to? If you’ve gained enough expertise in your industry while working 9-to-5 jobs, you could market yourself as a consultant. Consulting can be a lucrative and flexible business choice, but it does take a certain skillset to succeed as a consultant. If you’re interested in consulting, Fast Company states that you’ll need a thorough understanding of your industry’s jargon and technical terms, fantastic time management skills, and the ability to anticipate problems and opportunities for your clients.

Business Planning

Before you officially start looking for clients, you’ll want to spend some time thinking about your overall business plan and budget. Even if you think you’re ready to dive in, creating a business plan will encourage you to get clear on the details of your company. Your business plan should include an executive summary, descriptions of your products and services, a marketing plan, financial projections, and more. You can update this document several times per year if necessary.

Design Your Home Office

Trying to work in your dining room with your laptop might work for a little while, but having an organized home office is a better option. To run your home-based business effectively, you will definitely want a clean, quiet workspace. You can customize your home office to suit your needs — just outfit the space with a desk, a comfortable chair, and drawers or shelves for storage. In addition, you may want to invest in certain tools for your business. Dual monitors, a printer, an external webcam, and a new smartphone can all be useful.

Get Established Online

To make sure potential clients can find you, you’ll need to set up a website for your business. Fit Small Business recommends checking out a few examples of websites for other small businesses, making sure that your site design is mobile-friendly, and including several marketing elements, like call-to-action buttons, live chat, and value propositions. In addition, you can set up accounts for your business on multiple social media platforms. You can include links to these accounts on your website!

You can also add engaging video content to your website to draw in more clients. This will help your website stand out amongst countless other businesses online. Shooting and editing videos for your site can take a long time, so consider hiring a specialist. By seeking out video editing services on freelance job boards, you can free up room in your schedule and receive a polished final project.

Landing Your First Clients

When you’re trying to land your very first clients, marketing and networking will come in handy. In business, it’s all about who you know, and your professional circle can connect you to people who need your services. You may want to attend business networking events, socialize with other people in your industry on weeknights and weekends, and go to seminars or workshops where you can learn from experienced experts. Whenever you meet someone who expresses interest in your business, find a reason to follow up with them.

Keep Up Your Productivity

When you’re working from home, it can be hard to stay productive, day in and day out. Sometimes, it’s easy to get distracted when you’re not working side by side with your coworkers or reporting to a manager. Come up with an organizational system that will help you prioritize the most important tasks — you could use a planner or a scheduling app. In addition, you’ll want to take a few breaks during the day to stretch your legs and clear your mind. Deciding on a time each day when you’ll shut down your computer and stop working can help you establish a sense of work-life balance.

Today, technology makes it possible to run a successful business from your own home. By opening a home-based business, you can spend time working on projects that you truly believe in. While launching a home-based business comes with its own challenges, but soon, you’ll feel confident in your entrepreneurial skills.

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Amy Collet is the creator of Bizwell.org, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand.