[amayausers.com] Re: have question about home business

  • From: webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: amayausers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 23:35:29 UT

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Hi there, There is a lot to doing a home business.  This is a terrific list but 
I don't know where to tell you to look - search messages for marketing, 
business start up etc I would think.  

There is another Amaya list -  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmayaEMB/  and you 
are certainly welcome to join us there, too.  We have had some long and 
detailed posting on new business start up and marketing.  Search old messages 
there too.

I don't usually give out a lot of advice as I don't have bunches of time but 
overall, you do need a business plan - you can see a format on how to write one 
on sba.org I believe which should be the small business administration website. 
 Make your plan and work it.

You then next tho need to make sure you can be a business where you are located 
- at home?  We are at home in a large shop behind our house.. but we live in 
the boonies and only have to have a sales tax license to conduct biz in our 
county.  Whatever the requirements, best meet them as sometimes fines are 
pricey.

Then you need to figure out some kind of accounting system - we use QuickBooks 
Pro and we started out by buying the book Quickbooks for Dummies lol.  Our 
accountant though has been a hugh help, too.  You will never really know if you 
are making money or not until you keep careful track of all costs and 
expenditures vs. income.  

Then you need to figure out a niche.  Is there something you 'know' about?  
Something you have a lot of contacts in?  We are 'old car nuts' and have shown 
dogs, horses and purebred cats plus have 5 kids and 14 grandchildren to market 
for us lol - which we furnish many decorated garments for them to wear with a 
pocketful of business cards!  

So we have a lot of contacts in all of the above and we do fairly well..  So 
you don't have to have just ONE niche..  :) 

We know people that I digitize for that do coffin shrouds (little curtain in 
the top part of the coffin, dogs -coats, leashes towels etc, horse 
equipment-like stable blankets, fly sheets, halters, leads etc.  Others that do 
some straight sewing and adorn it with embroidery..

You need to figure out pricing - what it costs your material and time-wise to 
do things.  There is more to this than meets the eye - with the cost of your 
machine and utilities, shop space, etc etc  You can -if you are going to do 
local selling- call other embroidery biz in your area and see what they charge. 
 Most will share info with you..  well maybe at least, some will.  Ask on the 
list though it might not be accurate as if you are in a small town with no 
great economy or on the other hand in a big city that is doing well..  it could 
change pricing quite a bit.

Whenever I am Not busy - I work on marketing.  It is something that will pay 
over time and keep on paying the more you do it.  It is hard sometimes to get 
motivated to do it when you first start out and are not making very much -if 
anything.  You just have to keep on, keeping on though or you Won't make it.

There are a ton of other details but have no time for more.  There are 
excellent books in the library too that are abt small business start up and 
marketing.  

Good luck to you!
 :)  Jill

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