Business Opportunities - Start your Errand Service with this 8 point checklist

Errand service is a home based business which can be started up easily and inexpensively. This industry is becoming a fast growing multi million dollar business due to today’s busy lifestyles. More and more people now rely on errand service providers to help them carry out their errands which in turn would provide them free time to enjoy more important things in their life.



The following checklist outlines the basic guidelines required to start off your errand service venture with ease.



1. Required Skills and Qualifications


You should be an outgoing person with great people skills. You should also have great organizational skills, punctuality and efficiency. Since your tasks may differ day to day and you may need to travel about a lot, you should be adaptable and flexible in any given situation. Being computer literate would be advantageous since you may have to carry out internet researches, online bookings, etc. A special training is not required to carry out a basic errand service, but if your service includes complex tasks such as event planning, vacation planning, etc. it is recommended that you obtain some specialized training from an established errand service provider.



2. Essential Equipment and Supplies



Depending on the type of service you wish to offer the required resources would vary. But to get your business off to a flourishing start you would require these basic equipments and supplies: a dependable computer, a printer, an internet connection, software programs for accounts and contact management, a phone line with voice mail, a fax machine, a cellular phone, office supplies and stationary and if your services includes transportation a vehicle would also be required.



3. Target Market



The target market in this industry consists of three main groups. The first group contains the busy working people. Since they do not have time to carry out their errands, they prefer to pay someone else to perform it for them. Corporations would fall into the second group. They would either hire errand service providers to carry out mundane tasks on behalf of their business or would hire errand services on behalf of their employees as a benefit or an incentive for them. The third group consists of people who need help to carry out their errands due to sickness, disability, old age or the arrival of a new baby. You should select to which group/s you would cater your services to depending on the skills and resources you posses.



4. Type of Errands



As an errand service provider your errands can be categorized into two main groups. The first would be the simple errands. These types of errands do not require any special type of training. For example grocery shopping, utility bill payments, house sitting, laundry pick up/delivery, etc. The second group consists of more complex tasks which would require you to be computer literate. Furthermore you may even need to obtain some specialized training. Tasks such as meeting and event planning, travel and vacation planning, appointment and scheduling management, etc would fall under this group. Depending on the skills, experience, training, resources, time and effort you posses, you should decide on the type of errands which you would undertake on behalf of your clients.



5. Creation of the Business Plan



No matter how small your business is, it is always recommended that you create a business plan for your venture. This will enable you to always be focused on the services you are providing as well as manage the growth of your business. In this you should state details such as the description of your company and the ownership, the service you provide, information regarding the industry, target market, expected growth, financial plan, etc.



6. Legal Requirements and Insurance



The legal requirements in establishing your venture would vary from state to state. So it is advisable that you consult an attorney in order to understand the exact legal requirements involved. You may also need to visit the town clerks office and your states Department of Revenue to obtain assistance with the paper work and licenses which are required prior to setting up your business. Another important step would be to obtain business insurance for your venture. This is extremely valuable when running an errand service business because of the high amount of liability involved.



7. Fixing the Correct Price



As an errand service provider you would be charging your clients on an hourly basis or by the type of service provided. Generally errand service providers charge their clients around USD $25 to USD $125 per hour. If you are servicing regular customers who hire your services on a standard basis then you can even offer them a membership where they would pay you an annual fee for a certain number of requests for each month. Generally these annual fees might start at around USD $1,000 to USD $1,500. For corporations the membership fees could vary due to the size of the company, number of employees and how many requests each employee is allowed. It is always better to check out the competitive rates in the market before deciding on your price.



8. Marketing Your Service



It is vital that you market your services in order to attract clients. Networking is a cheap but effective way of promoting your business. The people you meet would be direct referrals to your business or even become your clients. You can also advertise on local papers, magazines and business journals or even get listed in the Yellow Pages. Another easy and cheaper way of spreading the word is by utilizing flyers, brochures, posters, emails and sales letters. Having your own website would be an added benefit since this would enable thousands of people to find out about the service you offer.

Now you can purchase any of Bizymom’s 10 Home Business Career Kits for one low price! Website and Hosting Included! CLICK HERE!

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!

Business Opportunities - How To Successfully Market A Home-Based Tutoring Business

By Liz Folger, Work-at-Home Expert

So you like the idea of starting your own tutoring business. Great! Now how do you go about finding students? Since hiring a tutor is becoming more popular all the time, there are plenty of potential students waiting for you to help them, and willing to write you a nice check after each session.

Word Of Mouth Is FREE And Your #1 Marketing Tool

One thing you’re going to learn very quickly is that tutoring is a word of mouth type of business. Once you get one parent who is thrilled with you because their child is getting better grades, you’re going to find that parent praising your name. After that, it won’t be long before you start having other parents pounding on your door begging you to help their kids.

Contact Schools

But you’re still right where we started just a few sentences ago. You still need that first student. Let’s say you want to tutor middle school math. I would try to contact middle school math teachers, counselors, and principles and tell them about your tutoring business. Talk to them about your background and show them your resume. Explain why you are such a great tutor, and can really help students who are struggling with math or whatever subjects you want to tutor.

There’s a chance you have children and already have a relationship with the teachers you would like to contact about your tutoring business. This is always better, because the teacher already knows and trusts you and is more apt to send you future students.

Spread the word of your new tutoring business among all your friends, neighbors, and family members. These people are key. They know you already! Just like teachers you might already know. They are more apt to recommend you to someone because they like and trust you.

Advertise Your Business Using The Written Word

You might think you need to hurry and pay for an ad somewhere to get that first student. Use that as your last resort. Don’t be afraid to make up some flyers and post them in the area where your future students or their parents might be. Check out local parenting publications and see if you could write an article for them outlining what to look for when hiring a tutor. There won’t be any mention of your business in the article, but there will be the opportunity to include a byline that says you’re a tutor. As the writer of that article, you are seen as an expert tutor and can easily get business this way.

Here is a list of possible places and groups you could contact to market your business:

Parents

Home school Groups

Schools

Students needing to learn a second language

Aftercare Programs

Day Cares

Boys and Girls Club

YMCA

Marketing Material

Before you even think of trying to find one student, make sure you have business cards made. You’re going to need something to leave with people so they remember you and can contact you later. Business cards are a must! If you can create a brochure about your service, what you offer, your background etc, that would be nice to give away too.

You can also take it one step further and create an online brochure by having a website. This way people can check out your business whenever it’s convenient for them. This is a great way for parents to contact you, ask questions, find out what you charge, and to make appointments with you. Once you start to have more and more students, ask for testimonials to place on your website and include in brochures. Testimonials are a great marketing tool. If someone is saying good things about your business, your future customers should hear about it.

Believe In Yourself

One marketing tool that works above all others is to believe that you are a great tutor. Don’t be afraid to talk about your credentials and background. Include this information on your website, resume, and any letters that you might send to school counselors, teachers, and principles. The more information you include, the more credibility you’ll have.

---

If you'd like more information about starting your own Home-Based Tutoring Business CLICK HERE!

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!

Business Opportunities - Make Money With Your Knowledge And Skills – Start Your Own Tutoring Business

Make Money With Your Knowledge And Skills – Start Your Own Tutoring Business

By Liz Folger, Work-at-Home Expert

Do you enjoy teaching others? Are you looking for the flexibility of owning your own business? Would you like to make on an average $25 or more an hour? Then the tutoring business might be the perfect home business for you to start.

Tutors Wanted!

The good news is that there is a growing demand for tutors. Being a tutor isn’t just about academics either. It can be sports, music, and the arts. And it’s just not the kids who are looking for tutors. With so many adults going back to school, adults are actively seeking tutors and coaches to better themselves.

Those who make great tutors are teachers, teacher’s aids, dads, moms, coaches, those who home school, and entrepreneurs. Anyone that has the desire and enjoys teaching will find this a great field to get into.

The nice thing about becoming a tutor is that all you need to say is, “I’m a tutor.” There is no state licensing or certifications, and you don’t need a college degree. While it’s a great selling point if you do have some qualifications, it’s not necessary. Just the fact that you’ve helped your own kids with their homework for many years can establish you as a tutor.

Here are just a few areas that you can choose to tutor:

• All subjects taught in school


• A foreign language, or English as a second language


• Any type of Sport


• Any type of musical instrument


• Voice lessons


• Reading (Children and Adults)


• College Entrance Exams


• Computers (The senior citizen market is a great area to tap into)


• All types of art

This is just a partial list. There are so many areas that could require a tutor.

The Joy Of Owning Your Own Tutor Business

Think about the areas you would like to teach. Don’t be afraid to niche yourself. While at first it might seem like a good idea to tutor all subjects, you’ll find that being considered an expert in one area is the way to go. If down the road you’re tutoring someone in Math who needs additional help in English, and this is something you feel comfortable with, go for it, but finding your niche is always a good thing.

As the owner of your own tutoring business, you can decide the client base with which you’d like to work. If you want to work with kids, you can decide if they will be elementary, middle school, high school, junior college or college. If you find you get along better with middle aged children, then work with them. You no longer have to make money working with people you really don’t enjoy or jive with. That’s the beauty if self-employment.

What Makes You The Expert?

Whether you’re tutoring biology, flute, or soccer; what are your qualifications? Are you a teacher? Do you have a degree in music? Have you been working as a biologist for many years? Now’s the time to toot your horn. Even if you’re a mom or dad who loves a certain subject and has helped your own kids, you can easily say you’ve had this many years helping children in that particular area.

Where And When To Teach

The cost of starting your own tutor business really isn’t that much when compared to other businesses. Most of the time you’ll be teaching in your own home at your kitchen table. You don’t really need any books; your students will bring their own. Anything you need to buy like flyers and business cards, is a tax write off.

When school is in session you’ll find your busiest times will be Monday through Friday from 2:30 PM To 9:00 PM. You can decide the exact hours you want to offer, and if you want to teach on the weekends. You can decide if you want to work in the summer, since sometimes kids need to go to Summer school, or parents simply want their kids to have a jump-start on the next grade.

How much can you really make?

Depending on how much you tutor, in what part of the country you tutor, how in demand you are, and how many students you have all depends on what you’re going to make and what you can charge. Below is a chart based on making $25 an hour, which is about average for a tutor. However, it’s not unheard of for tutors to make as much as $60 an hour!

You Charge $25 An Hour…

Your Work 5 Hours A Week $500/month

…………. 10 Hours A Week $1000/month

…………. 20 Hours A Week $2000/month

…………. 40 Hours A Week $4000/month

Creating your own tutoring business can be fun, challenging, rewarding, and very profitable financially. Find an area you love, an age group you get along with and enjoy teaching, and the sky is the limit.

Liz Folger is the founder of http://www.bizymoms.com. Bizymoms.com is the leading online resource for work-from-home ideas. The site offers home-based business start-up kits, online classes, e-books, chats and enthusiastic support for moms who want to have it all - a family and a career.

CLICK HERE! to get more information about starting your own tutoring business.

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!

Business Opportunities - New Families Moving To Your Community Need Your Expertise: Get Paid To Share It!

It’s estimated that 40 million Americans will be making a move in 2006. Military families, those who have a job transfer, California residents who are tired of the high cost of living, students attending colleges and universities, families moving due to health reasons, they all have something in common. They’re moving to an area they know nothing about and they need your help.

Think back to the last time you moved to a new town. Do you remember how lost you felt? Where were the best schools for your kids? Who were the good doctors? What market had the hard to find items? Where were your daughters going to take dance? Having more questions than answers can be so frustrating and you could spend months learning everything you need to know.

Thanks to a new business career kit targeted at women who want to own a home-based business, new movers don’t have to feel so lost and uninformed in their new town.

“If a woman loves to talk and make new people feel welcome, then this type of home business is perfect for them.” Explains Liz Folger, founder of Bizymoms.com. The Welcome Service career kit is a unique opportunity that allows women who don’t have a business, marketing, or web design background to start their own successful welcome service business in just a matter of weeks.

So many women want to start a home business, but they just have no idea what business to start. Many of them feel frustrated because they don’t feel they have the skills needed to start any type of business. The great thing about a welcome service business is that just knowing about your town, and what it has to offer is really all you need to be successful.

“The career kit includes everything women have been asking for.” Explains Liz Folger. “Often times stay-at-home moms are stopped from starting their own home business because of tax and marketing concerns that turn into fears. This kit dispels the myths and shows them how they can become a home business owner one step at a time.”

The website that is included in the kit is revolutionary. Not only will associates have their own web site, but they can also add information to personalize the site as often as they like. They can send out newsletters to their database, and sponsors and newcomers can order directly from the site.

New residents to the area will appreciate the service, and local businesses will love this approach to advertising. Long time residents turned associates will enjoy recommending their favorite businesses and organizations. A personal recommendation is priceless when it comes to marketing a business.

Here’s how this business works exactly. An associate will work with other businesses in the area. Businesses will love the idea of someone giving their products and or services a personal recommendation. They may even want to include a coupon or a gift certificate for the new comer. The associates can either print the coupon themselves, or work with a local printer.

Associates will then personally deliver welcome packets to new families in the neighborhood. Each packet will contain coupons, maps, gift certificates and other goodies that will help inform new comers of what their new town has to offer. The business will pay a certain amount for each packet that is delivered.

Making sure the new comers use those coupons is important. You want your advertisers to see those coupons coming back to the store. With the database software that you will receive with your website you can simply send an email reminding your new comer to use the coupons. Your email can also include any additional tips or suggestions you feel may help them. You might talk about an upcoming event in the area that they may be interested in knowing about.

Finding families new to your area isn’t going to be hard either, just work with your local Realtors. They will love this “free” service that they can offer to their new buyers. And the new buyers will appreciate the additional help you can give them.

And you don’t have to stop there; new comer packets can be just the beginning. With your website you can offer up to five different packets. New babies packets, new pet packets, and holiday gift packets are just a few of the services you can offer. You can really tailor your particular packets to the area you live in.

The best part of this type of business is that you’re the owner. You can decide if you want to work full or part time. You can work around your kid’s schedule. You can decide how much or how little you want to make. It’s all about being in control of the lifestyle you want for yourself and your family.

For more information about starting your own local welcome service CLICK HERE!

---

Liz Folger is the founder of Bizymoms.com. The #1 Goal of Bizymoms.com is to help women find a business they are proud to own, and then help them, step-by-step, make their home business dream a reality. Bizymoms.com has been helping moms become business owners since 1997. The site offers many resources from online chats to e-books and online classes. Just recently they’ve added home business career kits that are proving to be quite popular and much needed.

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!

Business Opportunities - 10 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Candy Wrapping Business

By Liz Folger, Work-at-home Mom Expert

The business of candy wrapping (and it’s far more than just wrapping chocolate bars) is getting more and more popular. Personalized gifts and favors are always well received. Once your personalized gifts are seen at a wedding or being sold at a fundraiser, you’re going to start to get calls from other people and companies who will want to put in their order. Your candy/favor wrapping business just needs a little marketing so your business can get moving. Below you’ll find 10 ways to market your candy wrapping business. Use one, five, or all the ideas that you need. One thing I do recommend is that you have a fun and use the marketing ideas that you enjoy the most. Because the more marketing ideas that sound like fun to you, the more you’ll work at it and the more business you will find.

1. Business Cards With any business you have it’s key to have some type of business card. Making your business card unique is also a great way to get a future customer’s attention. With a Candy wrapping business you can do this very easily. Take a small chocolate bar or a Lifesaver roll and print your business card on a wrapper to fit the candy. This is sure to make a tasty impression.

2. Get Your Yummy Business Cards Into The Right Hands Now that you have your cards created, think about who you’d like to market your business to. You could start with event and wedding planners and specialty gift shop owners.

3. Wedding Trade Shows Throughout the year there are several wedding trade shows. Think about booking a table at one of these shows to display your wedding favor ideas.

4. Fundraising Organizations Your children’s school might be the perfect place to start. What’s great about this business is you can create some wonderful samples to show your potential client. Other groups might be daycares, sporting teams, and hospitals.

5. Local Shops Is there something special about your town? Do you get a lot of tourists? What attracts them? Create a special wrapper for your particular area. For more options offer seasonal themes like Halloween, Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July.

6. Press Releases Get the word out on your business by writing a press release for your local newspapers and local TV news stations. To help them remember you even more, create a special candy bar with the reporters name on it.

Online Marketing Ideas

1. Website Have a website so your customers can check out your work 7 days a week 24 hours a day. Include that website URL on all your marketing materials like your business cards.

2. eNewsletter Get the email address of all your customers. This way you can send them a monthly or quarterly enewsletter that tells them about your specials and new products or ideas that you have. Include some freebie ideas like new party trends and ideas. Make the enewsletter something your customers are going to want to receive.

3. Network Network with those who have similar businesses. With the Internet you can do business with a wedding planner in another state. You no longer have to do business just with the people who are in your local town. This is especially good news for those who live in very small towns.

4. Post On Message Boards and Mailing Lists. Find wedding and fundraising idea sites. The key here is not to promote your business blatantly. Just answer questions, be helpful, and then include a nice signature line that includes your name, name of business, URL and email address.

For more information on starting this business visit: Bizymoms.com!

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!

Business Opportunities - How To Start A Candy Wrapping Business

What woman doesn’t love chocolate? Combine that with all the emails I get from moms who want to find a business where they are able to make money with their home computer and boy, have I got an idea for you! Chocolate + your computer = your new home business!

If you haven’t heard about the business of candy wrapping then let me give you a quick explanation. This is where you take a candy bar and you design and print your own wrapper to put over the candy bar’s original wrapper. Now you might be wondering why would someone want to do this? Well these favors make wonderful birthday and wedding favors. They are great for special events and get-togethers like family reunions and retirement parties, and can be used in fundraising events.

And it isn’t just chocolate bars that candy wrappers are finding to wrap. They’re also wrapping lifesavers, gum, tic tacs, mint, and even popcorn bags. Some wrappers are even wrapping non-food items like bubbles and matchbooks.

More Ideas Of People and Groups Who Might Want Your Service:



· Bridal shops

· Wedding planners

· Event planners

· Baby shops

· Obstetrician offices

· Florists

· Gift shops

· Specialty toy stores

· Trade shows

· Professional fundraising groups (try the school your kids go to)

Skills Needed:

The skills you will need for this business might be something you already posses. But it helps to be creative and have some knowledge of graphics software. However, there are lots of programs and free ready-made wrappers available on the Internet. Customer service skills are important too. You’ll need to market your business and there are so many great ways to get your business name out there. A chocolate bar with your business card wrapped around it would be a great way to get people’s attention.

Supplies:

Equipment that you might already have is a computer, color printer, some type of graphics software, paper for your wrappers, and in some cases you might need candy bars (sometimes clients will provide the candy bars and you just need to sell them the wrappers). When just starting out, scissors work great for cutting your wrappers, but as your business grows you’ll want to look into a nice paper cutter. You’ll also need something to stick your wrappers together. Glue sticks or tape works great. Make sure whatever you choose is acid free and photo safe.

Once you’re business gets rolling a little more, you might want to invest in a scanner and/or Digital camera if you don’t already have one. These are useful if you want to add personal photos to your wrapper designs.

When looking for paper, candy bars, ink etc. Try to buy in bulk. You’ll usually get a better deal and be able to keep more of your profits if you shop wisely.

For more information on how to get started visit: Bizymoms.com!

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!

Business Opportunities - 10 Reasons Why You Should Become A Virtual Assistant This Year

First of all, what is a virtual assistant (VA)?

I like to explain it as a word processor gone wild. A VA is someone who works with clients, providing them with top quality support services without having to be physically present at a clients office. VA services are becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s technology such as email, the Internet, online instant messaging, fax, phone, and overnight delivery.

Gone are the days of offices needing their support staff in the same building.

If you have a secretarial background or other support staff expertise and a love for computers and all the technology it offers, then here are ten very good reasons why you should start your own VA business this year.

1. Make An Income You Can Live On

It was reported by virtual assistant trade organizations that the average full-time VA working in the US would gross about $39,452 annually. Now that isn’t a bad income!

That is the type of money you can live on, even if you are a single mom.

2. The Need For VA’s Is Only Going To Get Greater

According to the George Washington University forecast of emerging technology, Virtual Assisting will become a $130 Billion Industry by 2008. Thanks to our growing technology, and the fact that it’s easier to just source out work to a VA due to the fact that a business doesn’t have to pay for any benefits when they out-source, this type of service will only get bigger and more in demand.

3. Are you feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unmotivated? Is your current corporate job beginning to feel like a real drag?

Are you dreading getting dressed up, driving your commute to work, and working with a boss who is ungrateful and unappreciative? Do you love some parts of your job and despise other parts and wish you could do the parts you love more? Then becoming a VA might be something you need to look into.

4. Want to continue your professional working life without having to leave home?

Want the flexibility to work from home and have a better balance between work and life?

Maybe you’re thinking of having kids, or have had your first baby. You so want to continue your career, but you also want to spend more time with your children. Take a good hard look at the world of a VA. This type of home business will continue to give you the satisfaction of a career, while also offering you the ability to be there for your kids doctor appointments, their first step, school field trips, and running them around to after school events.

5. Gain the ability to work with people you want to work with.

Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with.

6. The ability to do more than just one thing.

Looking for a little variety in your business? Don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again? Here is a list of just some of the things you can do as a VA.

• Administration


• Writing services (technical or creative)


• Business/employee communications


• Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)


• Word-processing


• Spreadsheets


• Data entry


• Database management


• Message management


• Scheduling


• Bill paying


• Simple website design


• Newsletter distribution


• Bulk mailing


• Reminder services


• Event planning


• Special projects


• Concierge services


• Secretarial services


• Research


• Data processing/data management


• Desktop publishing


• Transcription services


• Mail and email services


• Telephone/fax services


• Internet services


• Bookkeeping


• Purchasing services


• Writing/editing services


• Marketing services


• Personal services


• Santa letters


• Proposal Writer

7. The ability to Niche yourself.

Choose just a few of the ideas above and take it one step further. Niche yourself. You might already possess knowledge in a certain area. You can contact those businesses you are already familiar with and work with them. Maybe in the past you had worked as support staff for a marketing company. If marketing is your thing, you can let businesses know that you can not only be their VA and take care of all their typing and database applications, but that you can also use your expertise to help them market their business.

8. Use the equipment you already have.

If you’re reading this article, then there’s a good chance you already have a computer, a printer, and fax capabilities. Why not start putting that equipment to good use and make some money?

9. The choice between working full-time or part-time.

Maybe you don’t want to work full time, but you need to do something to call your own. That’s great! You’ll be your own boss; you can decide how much or how little you want to work.

10. Being able to say you love the way you make money.

If just the thought of working with your computer and current technology makes you giddy, why not make money doing something you love? Grab hold of the opportunity to make as much money as you’d like and the ability to work from your home. You have the opportunity to decide who you want to work with, the type of work you want to do or not do, and your niche area. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you visit *** to learn more about starting your own Virtual Assistant Business.

For More information on this business visit: Bizymoms.com

Visit
Stay At Home Moms Unite for free advice, coupons, freebies,
articles and legitimate work from home opportunities.

Stay At Home Moms Unite!