New Business / Income Ideas: Business Idea Library Update
It’s been a little while since we gave you an update of what’s happening at Business Idea Library and here are some recently added business ideas:
Open You Own Boutique: This can be a traditional brick-and-mortar with an online component…or just run it online.
Open a Bookstore - another brick-and-mortar option that could be taken online (sell printed books or even ebooks and information products)
Art Gallery - Work with a clientele that has plenty of disposable income.
Become an Archaeologist - It’s contract work that won’t likely make you rich, but sure is thrilling for those interested in human history.
Open a Home Store - brick-and-mortar or try online…the choice is yours.
Sometimes great things just start with a simple idea. There are plenty of business ideas just waiting for you.
Virtual Assistant - Making Money When Everyone is Losing Their Jobs
The other day, I ran into a friend who was distraught because she had just been laid off. Her husband had recently taken a pay cut and was afraid of losing his job any day. They have mortgage payments to make, 3 children to raise… you know the rest of the story.
Now I knew that this lady had been working as an office assistant in a construction company. Her eyes lit up as I gently suggested that she explore working at home as an virtual assistant. Of course, she had a lot of questions and rightfully so. It’s no joke to venture into a home business after years of employment.
Since this situation is becoming more and more common with the current economic downturn, I thought I’d share the questions my friend asked and some quick answers to them:
What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant or VA is a self-employed, home-based entrepreneur who assists other businesses, often in administrative work. In other words, a VA is an office assistant who never has to step into her client’s office! In addition, most business owners have particular tasks that they will turn over to their virtual assistants, and these can go beyond basic office or business administration.
What skills do I need to become a VA?
The basic skills a VA needs are office and business administration skills. A VA also needs to be highly organized, communicate effectively and pay careful attention to detail. Some clients look for additional technical skills, such as writing, marketing, social media, blog or website maintenance, and multimedia production - even podcasting!
The skill set you’ll need as a VA depends on the type of clients you want to work with. Find out what they NEED and build your skills to respond effectively.
What kinds of work does a VA do?
VAs commonly do office-related stuff, such as:
- responding to emails
- making travel arrangements
- sending out faxes
- researching and compiling information
- business writing
- typing up notes or transcribing audios
In addition, VAs nowadays are often expected to be able to:
- write and publish or schedule blog posts
- work with autoresponders
- rewrite private label rights content
- optimize a website for search engines
- create a slideshow presentation
- update websites
- set up social networking profiles/pages
- create videos and publish them online
Is being a VA a good option for Women?
Oh yes! A lot of work at home moms and women I know are VAs and they make good incomes from the comfort of their home, without having to leave their children in the care of others. Virtual assistance is a home business, which means it’s flexible. You decide how many hours a day you want to work, on which days, what type of work you want to do, and even whom you will work with.
On the other hand, if you have small children, remember that occasionally you will need to be on the phone or webchat with a client, supplier or other associate. In this case you’ll need somebody else looking after your small children so you can have some quiet and be able to focus on the call or chat.
How much money can I make as a VA?
The hourly rate of VAs depends on several factors. These include their skills and experience, whether they specialize in certain services or a particular industry, and any certifications they may have (those who are certified by recognized institutions charge higher fees). VAs’ fees vary widely, ranging anywhere from around $15 to $70 per hour. So you can see, it’s entirely possible for a VA to make a full-time income working at home.
Ok, I’m interested. Where do I begin?
You can try and figure everything out yourself, of course. But better yet, get the guidance of experienced VAs who have successful virtual assistance businesses. Two such VAs are Jen and Nell ____ who have a combined experience of over 5 years in virtual assistance. They share their success stories and step-by-step tips in the Just Add Sweat Guide To Becoming A Virtual Assistant.
The guide includes:
- an audio course on everything from setting up your VA business, to marketing your services and finding and keeping clients
- a workbook to get you into action
- 5 videos teaching essential Internet skills
- and more.
This is the guide that will get your VA business up and running in no time. Who knows? Becoming a virtual assistant may be the next perfect “job” for you.
April 15, 2009
Selling Digital Photos?
Here’s a Free Report You’ll Want to Download
If you’ve got a knack for photography and want to earn money by selling your photos online, this is a very useful 20 page report you can download for free.
It will show you how you can make money, where to sell your photos and tips for taking photos that will sell well.
What Type of Services Should I Offer as a Virtual Assistant?
When the job market is scarce, that means more people will be coming up with their own ways to earn money…and many will want to offer their services as a Virtual Assistant.
If you’re looking to start your own virtual assistant business, but aren’t sure what types of services you should specialize in, here is a handy brainstorming sheet that includes 103 Virtual Assistant Service Ideas.
Now, of course you don’t have to provide all the services, but you may see some ideas you’ve never thought of.
Click here to download yours (zip folder with 2 PDF docs inside)
AND BONUS USE OF THESE IDEAS: If you’re a business owner wondering how you can use a VA, grab the zip folder too…you’ll see TONS of things you can take off your plate and give to your assistant.
Free Download: How Do I Fix My Business Finances?
If you are worried about your business finances, have troubles paying your bills each month and barely have anything left for a paycheck of your own, here is a free guide to help you begin your own “Small Business Turnaround”.
A Small Business Turnaround is the process of reorganizing your business so it’s profitable, you’re able to pay bills when they are due and you can also earn a decent living for yourself.
This starter guide Small Business Turnaround: A Roadmap for Owners (PDF) includes practical guidance to help you start turning things around right away. The guide was put together by Van Lanier, a veteran Turnaround specialist whose been helping businesses become profitable again since 1977.
Download yours: Click here.
(If you’re interested in sharing the report with others, republishing information is inside)
Is It Really Easy to Build a Website with the Easy Website Builder?
Q: I’ve heard about your easy website builder and wondered if it really is as easy as you say.
A: It definitely is surprisingly easy. It also comes with a free 10-day trial, so you can try it out and we’ve also loaded up a quick start guide for you. It’s a 5 step guide that shows you the basics of getting started with the builder.
It covers:
1. How do I add pages?
2. How do I edit a page?
3. How do I add and upload images?
4. How do I set up a domain name for the website?
5. How do I set up email?
Click here to download your Quick Start Guide (PDF)
If you can use Microsoft Word or any other word processing software, you can make a website with the site builder. It’s the same type of copy-and-paste stuff.
Where Should I Sell My Santa Letters?
You’ve got your kit, ink, stationery and some little goodies for the envelopes (If you don’t have all this ready, grab your guide to get started here).
You’re ready to start processing orders. But, before you settle down and rest, you still have some marketing to do. Even though there is a huge demand for Santa Letters this time of year, you still have to make it easy for people to find you and get a buzz about your service.
You have three basic options for selling your letters:
Sell them on auction sites like eBay
Why not? This time of year everyone is shopping at eBay. Not only that, but they are searching for keywords like “Santa” and “Christmas” so your letter service stands a good chance of getting exposure. Of course, you’ll want to position yourself to get as many visitors as possible to your auction. You’ll also want to encourage referrals to increase sales.
Create a website where you can sell your letters year-round
This is, of course, another option for selling your Santa Letters. If this is too intimidating to you, there are easy site builder options that you can utilize that make creating a website as easy as creating a Word Document.
Sell the Letters offline via Order Forms
This a great alternative to creating a website. Create order forms and deliver them to local preschools and daycares. If you’re business-savvy you may even consider running your offer as a fundraiser to encourage the preschools to recommend the Santa Letters even more.
Each of these methods has benefits, and they don’t have to be mutually exclusive. You can do all three set up an online store, sell on eBay, and do a fundraiser at your child’s school by sending home order forms! Why not? Have a wonderful, and profitable Holiday Season!
Author Resource - Nicole Dean is the Publisher of several e-guides online, including the Santa Letter Kit. Grab yours to learn how you can start a Santa Letter Business and make extra money this holiday season.
(Want to republish this article? Join the affiliate program.)
How Do I Start a Santa Letter Business?
Article by: JustAddSweat.com’s “Start a Santa Letter Guide”
With the uncertainty surrounding the economy these days, many people are trying to think of ideas to make money from home. You don’t want to fall for a scam but you do want something that is easy to do and still have time for your families. Starting a Santa letter business may be the answer you’re looking for.
What Exactly is a Santa Letter Business?
Each year thousands of children write letters to Santa Claus and never get a response, but your Santa letter business can change all that. By owning your own Santa letter business, you can give children something to cherish for years to come. A parent pays for a “letter from Santa” for their child and you write a personalized letter in response.
What Type of Equipment and Supplies are Needed?
There aren’t a lot of equipment needs for this business. In fact, you can get started with nothing more than a computer, Christmas stationery, a printer, and a way for parents to contact you. You may want to consider getting a post office box for your business so you won’t have people sending letters to your personal address.
What Skills and Attributes Will You Need?
A good command of the English language and the ability to type are all the skills you’ll really need. If you love children and can relate to them, you’ll do well in this business.
How Do You Decide What to Charge?
Parents want their children to be happy and to encourage the magic of Christmas as long as they can. It’s not unusual for Santa letter businesses to charge as much as $10 per letter. Of course, you may be able to find them cheaper online, but the quality of the letter leaves much to be desired. Deliver great quality and command a better price.
Think about what you would be willing to spend to have a personalized letter sent to your child from “Santa” and that will give you a good starting point for the price. Factor in your costs stationary, postage, and printer ink then add a little to the price of the letter to help pay for those items.
Use Creative Marketing Ideas.
Don’t wait too long to start advertising your new business. In fact, if you haven’t started by the first weeks of November, you may have waited too late. Sell letters from Santa on auction sites. You can also create order forms that can be given to schools and preschools to send home to parents. Consider creating a website and advertise there, send out postcards to people in your hometown, or put up fliers in local businesses. Set up your computer in a booth at a Christmas craft show and have letters made on the spot for parents and grandparents to take with them.
To Learn More:
Setting up a Santa letter business is a fun and lucrative business to start with a minimum of money and equipment. Get step-by-step help, download letter templates and more, by grabbing your “Just Add Sweat Guide to Start a Santa Letter Business”
