------ Lenny Greenberg ------ Small Business Low Cost Tips

Home Business Low Cost New Year

2007-12-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

As we move into 2008, make a New Year's resolution to protect your data, your business and your sanity. The crash of a hard disk drive has ruined many a successful business, large and small. Take three simple steps:

Buy an external hard disk drive, preferrably a network attached drive. These drives plug directly into your home or small business router. This makes it possible for every machine on your network to easily schedule backups. Total cost, less than $200.
Buy good back up software. Most backup software backs up key files; a great step. I use Acronis True Image. This software makes an exact copy of everything on my hard drive. If I have a crash, I can buy a new drive and restore from the latest backup in under 2 hours. It has saved me many times over the last 5 years. Unlike some competitive products, it can backup while you are working.
Backup Weekly! I amazed how many people put critical data (or family pictures) at risk by not taking the time to backup. Computers are machines; machines break; it will happen to you.

In the mean time, take advantage of all the pre and post Chrismas sales to get great deals on the above. They are easy to setup and use.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday season. See you next year!

Come and Get 'Em... Free Office Apps

2007-11-27T18:26:00.000-08:00

Poor Microsoft... just when it appeared that there was no competition to Microsoft Office, then, BOOM, lots of free offerings appear. Of course, that is GOOD NEWS for home and small business owners. If you want to be a little experimental, you can create documents, spreadsheets and even presentations FOR FREE!

The grand-daddy of offerings, almost a year old, is Google Apps. The free web-based word processor and spreadsheet. If you haven't tried them, you should. Nothing to install and easy to learn. You can even save them to your local hard drive. Would you like ads with that spreadsheet?

The next offering comes from Microsoft's nemesis, IBM. In their latest sequel to "Kill Bill," the Lotus division is giving away a suite called Symphony, a version of Open Office. You may remember an old Lotus product by the same name. This is new, different and is about $795 less than the original; i.e. FREE!

Finally, a relative unknown is entering the arena with a Flash-based application. It's not quite released yet, so you have to wait. It's from a company called InstaColl with a product named Live Documents. (I am waiting for my invitation to come through, so that I can test it!) It adds collaboration. Looks like they will make money upselling other items to big companies.

So pick your poison, Web, Java or Flash. There is a free Office Suite for you. If you don't like them or they corrupt a document, just ask for a refund.

Low Cost Computer Tips for "Black Friday"

2007-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

If you have been considering buying a new computer for your home business, now is the time! Let's take a look:

Low cost computers - All the online (Dell, HP) and offline (Best Buy, OfficeMax) retailers are dying to get your business over the holiday season. Small Business Low Cost computers abound!
Low cost software - Basic business software, like Quickbooks, is on sale. This helps drive more computer sales.
Low cost extras - There are advertised specials for free battery backup power supplies and HUGE external disk drives for under $80. You MUST have these and the prices are AMAZING!

Quite simply, these are the "loss leaders" that retailers are tempting you with to get you into the store to buy more. Turn it to your advantage.

If you need some advice on buying a computer, start with my Small Business Low Cost Starter Kit. If you act soon, you can reduce the budget number by around $500.

Refrigerator Teaches Low Cost Business Lesson!

2007-11-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my refrigerator "crashed." What a pain. It's a little more than one year old; no longer on the manufacturer's warranty. I feared that my fridge would be "off-line" for a couple of weeks. (That's how long a minor repair took the last time.)

What would happen to my food "investment"? What would my kid's eat? Would we have to eat out or open canned food for a while? All the bad options swirled through my head. A "mission critical" piece of home equipment was on the blink.

Fortunately, I had purchased an extended warranty when I bought the refrigerator. The Best Buy repair team was out in a day. My fridge hadn't "crashed," it had "frozen." Ice had accumulated around the cooling fan. The repairman melted it quickly, cleaned up and all was well in under 2 hours.

What piece of equipment is the most critical to your home or small business? Can you repair it yourself if it breaks? Can you afford to be without it for a couple of weeks? Did you skimp on the extended warranty because it was "too expensive"? Do you have a backup plan?

Take a few moments. Answer these questions and see if your Home or Small Business is prepared to operate during this equipment failure. My refrigerator made me take a good hard look.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

2007-11-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

When was the last time that you heard that question? Your 5th Grade teacher must have made you write an essay about it. Your parent asked you that as you thought about college. Perhaps a friend jokingly teased you on your 30th birthday.

As you got older the question became "Where do you see yourself in five years? ten years?" You must have practiced an answer to that for a job interview.

As small or home-business owners do you ask that question about your business? Are you so caught up in day-to-day activity that you don't take the long view? I heard a speaker recently who said only 5% of sole proprietors have a plan. If you are one of the 95%, then it's time to take stock.

I'm not talking about that formal business plan you wrote to get a small business loan. I'm talking about a simple 1-2 page road map that guides your activities. It's something brief that you can refer to for 5 minutes each day as a "gut check."

If you don't have a plan, then make an appointment with yourself. Go "off site" for a half day, brainstorm and write one out. It's for you; it doesn't need to be pretty, spelled correctly or have fancy bullet points.

Commit to a half day off-site every month to review and update your plan. Evaluate what works, what doesn't and adjust. Plans can change; but, no plan equals no progress. As a small business owner, you MUST plan for the sake of your business.

That little time investment puts you in charge of your business rather than the other way around; Low Cost Small Business Planning.

Marsha Egan's 12-Step Email Addiction Cure

2007-10-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, SBLC Fans, I seem to have hit a popular topic with the 5 Step Email Addiction Cure. In fact, after the original posting, I learned about a woman who is a real expert in helping people "cure" their bad email habits. Her name is Marsha Egan and she is an expert on email productivity. Click HERE for her Web Site. A featured guest on ABC Nightly News, FOX and Friends, and NBC, Marsha has motivated email "misusers" to change habits and make room for the important stuff in their lives!

Marsha goes far beyond the "rules of thumb" that I layed out in my post. She helps you identify if you are "hooked" to your Inbox. Her program includes assistance at all levels including a great book, "12 Steps to Curing Your Email E-ddiction." She makes is available in daily doses through an email format, as well.

But, that's not all, she has programs for individuals and corporations for turning email back into the useful tool that it is supposed to be. With these programs, you'll become more productive and efficient. If you look at the addiction signs on Marsh Egan's site and see yourself (or someone you know), you owe it to yourself to go to Marsha's site and get a complete program. It is Low Cost advice for businesses large and small.

Finally, after a string of posts on email, I promise to avoid the topic for a while. I am working on my email blog topic e-ddiction.

The High Cost of Free Email

2007-10-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

In Whip Up Wealth With a Web Identity, we explored the importance of getting your own Web Identity, i.e. a Domain Name. It makes your home or small business look big and more professional. An AOL or Hotmail address, screams "I work at home!" When you reserve a domain name, the Web Hosting company includes email accounts as part of the LOW COST package. (This is covered thoroughly in the "Small Business Low Cost Starter Kit.")

It is becoming more difficult to run a business on a free account. Why? SPAM! It's volume is forcing free services to assume incoming email is Junk/Bulk until proven otherwise. Some won't deliver certain email altogether. You might miss crucial email because Yahoo banned an entire group of servers from a smaller provider. These services are designed for consumers, not businesses. They are trying to protect you and your kids.

Unfortunately, a large number of real business emails are not getting through to Yahoo, AOL or Hotmail inboxes. When you have your own domain, you have more control of the screening. Legitimate letters from business partners, lawyers and customers won't get filtered out for including "free" or "$$$." You may have been frustrated when an important email that you sent to a free account was "lost" or went unseen.

Bottom line, get a LOW COST domain name and email account. Quit missing important correspondence.

Email Addiction - Part II

2007-10-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal reports on October 11 that email addiction is plaguing many companies. In "A Day Without Email...," Sue Shellenbarger details organizations that are trying to enforce "No email Fridays" to improve productivity and direct communication with customers.

Because of severe email addiction, this policy is proving hard to enforce. While my recent post was intended to be "tongue in cheek," this article reports that employees are acting "like recovering smokers in a nicotine fit." I guess my 5-Step cure is needed.

Employers are moving forward and enforcing these new "no email" policies in fun ways; imposing $1 fines or making violators wear a Scarlet "E" on their chests. However, the article points to a trend... big companies with wide spread addictions, reduced productivity and an avoidance of dealing directly with people and customers.

Big companies can make these mistakes. As Small Business Owners, we can't! In fact, we can take this knowledge and show our customers the value of our personalized "high touch" services.

If you are having problems in this area follow my simple 5-Step Cure. (You can read the WSJ article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119205641656255234.html. A subscription may be required.)

Small Business Low Cost Software

2007-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

The way we buy software is going through a transformation. Software companies want you to begin using business applications on the Internet rather than installing it on your desktop. Email, the mother of all Internet applications, is a perfect example. If you haven't experienced Yahoo, Google, Hotmail or AOL mail directly from the Web, you should. There programs look almost like Outlook and work pretty much the same way.

Google is pioneering other applications that run through the web. Google docs and spreadsheet (http://docs.google.com) are trimmed down versions of Word and Excel that are FREE. You don't have to install any software. When Google makes improvements, you get them automatically. They plan to release other "Office"-like applications.

What are the trade-offs? First, you must be online to use them. You can't do your work without a high-speed Internet connection. Second, they don't have all the features of a full blown application. A lot of people say "So what? I most of them anyway." But, if it is the one feature you need (like Mail Merge), then you are out of luck.

This is a trend to watch to reduce your costs in the future. Take a peek now, since it's FREE. You may find you can get the job done at a very LOW COST.

Small Business Low Cost Outsourcing - Part II

2007-09-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

In my previous post Small Business Low Cost Outsourcing, I discussed using online resources such as eLance and RentACoder to outsource one-time jobs at a low cost. The article generated a couple of interesting responses. The initial post came from someone who warned against using the "staff" of RentACoder. Very interesting, you don't hire employees of any of these sites. You are, however, accessing a world wide market of freelancers.

Think of it as a huge bazaar of expertise. As in any bazaar, you will find a wide range of price ranges and quality. Depending on the assignment you post, you may get dozens of bids from all over the world. I received 20 bids ranging in price from $150 to $1000 for editing and formatting my eBook. The majority of prices were between $300-$450. So, I knew that was the market price.

I demanded sample work and references. That is something especially important in this online market where contact is done via message boards and EMAIL. I also asked a lot of questions; the answers let me evaluate responsiveness and language skills. To my surprise, I was also able to get a sense of individual vendor personalities. That was a bonus.

Finally, I used a site that I knew would act as an honest intermediary and has some built in safeguards. I used one that had an open listing of vendors complete with feedback from prior customers. eLance provided that with its vendor directory, private message boards and escrow account.

Undoubtedly, people can have bad experiences with this arrangement. This can happen under the best of circumstances. (The big boys have had plenty of their own outsourcing headaches.) But, with proper due diligence, you can minimize your small business low cost outsourcing risk.

The 5-Step Email Addiction Cure

2007-09-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Email has transformed from a business tool into an addiction. The seducing “ding” of our email programs and "crackberries" demand our attention and distracts us. This 5-step program will guide you down the road to recovery.

1. Turn off the sounds – Every email doesn’t need immediate attention. Like a ringing phone, the sound is a distracter.

2. Schedule your email – Schedule this as you would any task or appointment. Prioritize appropriately.

3. Filter heavily – Use your email programs ability to automatically file incoming email into appropriate folders. For example, only keep emails sent to you and you alone in your Inbox. If you are cc:’d or bcc:’d file it in a different folder. Instant Prioritization!

4. Kill Spam immediately – Spam filters do a decent job, but a lot gets through. Just hit the “X” without opening it. You’ll reduce your chance for viruses, too!

5. “Three and Out” – Don’t get in an email discussion of more than two replies. If it takes three, Pick Up The Phone.

Taking these simple steps is the low cost way to buy the most valuable asset a Small Business person has: TIME!

Small Business Low Cost Outsourcing

2007-08-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

As a former software executive, outsourcing is not new to me. Large companies have been able to fill temporary needs with LOW COST help for years. Home and Small Businesses on a tight budget haven't been able to take advantage of this in the past. However, with the global reach of the Internet, no job is too small to outsource.

Recently, I posted a programming proposal on behalf of one of my clients. Offers came in from India, China, Russia, UK, Israel and even the US. I could pick from over a half dozen experts that were hard to find locally. (Specialized programming talent in Silicon Valley is in high demand and hard to find.) The prices were amazing.

This week, I submitted a project to do the final editing of my upcoming eBook, "Small Business Low Cost Starter Kit," and received 16 proposals from the US and Canada. The prices were so affordable. I was able to clarify questions, review samples, negotiate terms and pick a vendor right from my HOME OFFICE.

In both cases, I used Elance, a site used by freelancers for a variety of services. From simple Web Sites, to writing, all the way to complex programming http://www.elance.com/ has access to reasonably priced professionals all around the world. Guru.com has similar services. There are other sites as well that are more specifics. RentACoder and Scriptlance are for programming talent. Sites with freelance writers for even the smallest jobs abound.

One way to look BIG is to off-load some tedious work at a LOW COST. Why struggle over ad copy when you can get a writer for $25. Think BIG, value your time and outsource.

Acer buys Gateway... You buy HP.

2007-08-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

The most common questions that I am asked is "Which brand of computer should I buy?" To be honest, the insides of a computer a pretty much all the same. The "brains" are from Intel or AMD. The "majors" (HP, Gateway, Dell, Acer, Lenovo) buy the cheapest memory from a small group of sources. Disk drives, monitors, etc. are pretty much equivalent.

Bottom line, when it comes to buying a computer, it is very much a commodity. So when you plunk down your $2000, whom should you buy from? The one that gives you the best service!

Right now, that is HP. Here's why:

If you have followed the ups and downs of the "majors" over the years, know that #1 in sales has shifted around a lot. Dell up, HP down. Gateway up, IBM down. But the latest clear winner has emerged and it is HP. (That is for you folks who are buying a Windows computer, which I recommend for businesses.)

Dell has not yet recovered from its quality issues, even though Michael Dell recently returned to run the business he founded.
Lenovo (the former #3), hasn't caught on since IBM sold its franchise to this Chinese company.
Gateway (which includes eMachines) was my old favorite; I was hoping for a comeback. It didn't happen.

In this commodity market, the majors are computer assemblers that all buy parts from the same places. Only the biggest companies can negotiate the best prices and make a truly LOW COST SMALL BUSINESS computer that is worthy. That is why Acer bought Gateway; to get to the size so that they can keep the pricing low. But, for the next year (or two) there will be internal organizational confusion. Not good for you, the customer.

So, I declare the current winner and it is HP.

Don't Open That Electronic Greeting Card

2007-08-11T10:07:00.001-07:00

Don't fall prey to the latest SPAM scheme that is finding its way to every Inbox. It is another attempt to infect your Home or Small Business computer or, even worse, steal your identity.

The scheme reached such a high level that last month the FBI issued a warning against this new cyber-threat. http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/emailscams071707.htm.

It starts with an unexpected Greeting Card from some non-specific name like an "admirer," "colleague," "classmate" or "family member." If you open the EMAIL, the link points you to a Internet address that starts with numbers rather than a ".com" name. Something like http://59.8.172.64/. (Those are randomly chosen number.)

DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK! It could automatically take you to a Web page that will corrupt your computer. That could begin one of the many bad things that spammers use to fool you. For example, it may ask you to do the following before you see the card:

Download special software

Provide personal information

Take credit card information

Even better, DELETE the EMAIL without opening it. This is a good practice whenever you get an unexpected EMAIL, especially if there is an unexpected attachment.

The last thing you want to do is to slow down your Home Business computer with spyware or virus that will slow your computer down or steal private information. Learn and practice safe computing.

Whip Up Wealth with a Web Identity

2007-07-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, you learned about Promoting Your Small Business with Blogging. Today, we'll take the next step and Whip Up a Web Identity. If your business card has your personal EMAIL address or you use megahomecorp@aol.com (or yahoo or msn), this is for you.

Your small business deserves its own Web Identity; like megahomecorp.com. Reserving a ".com" is simple and inexpensive; less than $10 a year. You can then be john@megahomecorp.com rather than johnboy2345@aol.com. That looks more professional, doesn't it. It also reserves a space for you when you are ready to have your own web site, http://www.megahomecorp.com. Until then, you can "point" your Web Address to your blog. For example, I reserved my own name as a ".com" and pointed it here.

All you need to do is go to a Web Hosting company like 1and1. Pick a name, see if it's available and pay $5.99. You now have your own small business Web Identity. No one will know if you are big or small. But, they will know you are serious.

Happy Independence Day, Small Business Owners

2007-07-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

Small Business Owners should declare a double celebration on the Fourth of July, the country's independence and your personal independence. The Founding Fathers risked everything to establish a country and government that promotes self-reliance. You are free to persue your own path of individual liberty and happiness.

In the early 1920's, my grandparents came to this country to escape terrible poverty, hunger and persecution. The US, though in the midst of the Great Depression, offered them hope and opportunity. They stated a small business from their home which grew into a thriving retail business. I am fortunate to have two generations of small business entrepreneurs as my model.

I am also fortunate to live in the center of entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs with a dream come from all over the world to start their own small business. (Of course, they want them to become HUGE quickly, like Google.) The ecosystem of funding, support and encouragement is something to behold. The sheer number of companies innovating in medical, environmental, telephone and computer technology is mind boggling. Around here, business failure is a regular event. But, the entrepreneurs "pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again." The number of "low tech" small businesses providing services to start-up technology companies is a natural byproduct. There is plenty of opportunity for all.

On July 4th, 2007, the US and its entrepreneur culture is alive and thriving. Celebrate being a part of this great movement. Celebrate the home or small business that gives you your dream of Independence and Freedom. You've worked hard to get where you are. Take this July 4th to celebrate your acheivment and the dream of our founders that put the power in your hands.

"Mind of a Small Business Owner" on iPhone Friday

2007-06-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

My office is within walking distance of Apple computer. The neighborhood will soon be filled with iPhones. (Apple is giving them to every employee.) My inner "gadget freak" wants to run out, get in line and be part of the "in" crowd. But, my "Small Business Owner Mind" holds me back; it analyzes first. So, should yours.

First, gather all the costs. The iPhone is more than just a one time $640 purchase. It has recurring costs:

Voice Plan - $60/mo minimum
Data Plan - $40/mo (the unlimited plan, otherwise why have an iPhone ?)
Add'l Fees - $8/mo
Music and Movie Downloads -- ???

That's at least a $1936 investment for the first year!
(Kudos to CenterWorks for doing this math.)

Your "Small Business Owner Mind" must then identify real (not imagined) benefits. (That means MONEY coming in.. not out.) For example, "I will double my sales because I will be more responsive to my customers." Phones with EMAIL, contact names and calendars can certainly help you do that. But, the iPhone has no business track record. It's competitors, the Treo and Blackberry, do. (At a lower cost!)

Your "Small Business Owner Mind" must then ask: "If I am going to spend that money, is there something else that brings me more benefits?" For example:

Laptop computer (mobility alternative)
Marketing campaign
Trade show presence
Personal development

Make a list of investments, along with their benefits, that the business will make when it can afford them. Those benefits will help you prioritize the list. Where does the iPhone fall in that list?

So, when the next hot item comes up, don't run out and buy. Use your "Small Business Owner Mind" to gather the costs, calculate the benefits, and set a priority.

Promote Your Home Business with Blogging!

2007-06-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

I never thought that I would have a blog. Blogs were for keeping up with news, opinion and following the lives of faraway friends. I loved reading them.

As I was doing research for my upcoming Home Business eBooks, I found myself on other people's blogs. The people behind the products and service I use keep their customers up to date with blogs. And not just technology related topics either! Local chefs discuss their menus; Museums preview exhibits; Clergy blog their sermons... and now every 2008 candidate has a blog.

Blogs are replacing Web Sites as a way to get the latest news to customers and prospects. Web sites used to do that, but we have turned over control to the professionals. Sites seem more structured and harder to change. Up to the minute, that's what blogs are about...

For us Home Business entrepreneurs, a blog can be our secret weapon. A Web presence even if we don't have a formal Web site. We can be personal, up to date and establish our Web Identity through our blogs. We can look as big and as professional as the largest companies.

And setting up a blog here on Blogger and other popular sites is a Low Cost Home Business dream... it's FREE! So, follow my lead, start with a blog... then worry about the Web site.

Your Business, Your Rules

2007-06-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have been on the front lines of too many "computer wars" throughout my professional life. I remember the IBM vs. Amdahl (Big Computers), DEC vs. Data General (Medium Computers) and IBM PC vs. Compaq (Small Computers) conflicts. I fought the DOS vs. CP/M (OS War I), WordStar vs. EasyWriter (Word Processing) and VisiCalc vs 1-2-3 (Spreadsheet) campaigns. When the modern User Interface came out, I was a partisan in the OS/2 vs. Windows vs. Mac jihads (OS War III).

I am battle weary... but, what I learned is that the world will always have two computer "superpowers" competing for our hearts and minds. Today's Windows vs. Mac "war" seems as silly to me as the Yooks vs. Zooks in Dr. Seuss's "Butter Battle Book." (Fortunately, this war is waged with humerous ads.)

For Home and Small Office Businesses, place your BUSINESS needs above your computer "beliefs." Pick the side that works for YOU and YOUR business. Let's face it, our home and small businesses are probably running through your Browser, Microsoft Office and Quicken or QuickBooks. These are all available on Windows and the Mac. The only thing that might tip the scales is whether a particular program you need for YOUR BUSINESS only runs on Windows or on the Mac. But, let's get the "religion" out of this.

My experience tells me to favor Windows for business applications, because when you get BIG, you will outgrow your Mac. Also, very specialized business applications are usually Windows only, because software companies target the biggest number of customers.

The only exception would be if your business is in Web Design, Graphic Design, Photography or Movies; you'll be Mac based (except for your Accounting Department).

At the end of the day, they both will cost you about the same. They both will break, need repair, require patches and updates, technical support, so on and so forth.

So , save your BUSINESS energy for the battles that matter....

....AND invest in a separate business computer. Don't fight for computer time with others.

The 2010 Economy

2007-06-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I discussed that we Home and Small Business owners need to start thinking in BUSINESS terms. As owners, one of our jobs is to continue to learn how to compete and grow our businesses in an ever changing world. We need to look ahead.

Today, I sat in on a conference call led by someone who is definitely a forward thinker. His name is Mike Litman and he spoke about what he is calling the “2010 Economy.”

In the “2010 Economy”, Litman sees that a business’s biggest assets will be its brand and its customer list. Players in the global online “always on” economy will network with those who can maximize those two assets. Mike urges us to start thinking about how we can have our businesses working for us 168 hours per week using these assets, technology and new thinking to leverage ourselves. He advocates making a big part of our business educating our customers. No matter what our business is, this follow-up will INCREASE OUR SALES.

The GREAT NEWS for home and small businesses is that technology and the Internet has leveled the playing field in how we reach prospects and customers. We no longer have to be HUGE to promote and educate globally. In fact, as small businesses, we can be nimbler using new techniques to beat those plodding elephants! All using low cost technology! Isn’t that what drives us entrepreneurs?

Litman urges us all to take ACTION and EDUCATE ourselves for the 2010 Economy. Part of my day is taking 30 minutes before things become hectic to learn the latest from forward thinkers like Mike Litman. Start becoming a part of the 2010 Economy TODAY!

These calls are free. So, definitely check Mike and his site out.. www.mikelitman.com.

The Mind of a Small Business Owner

2007-06-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

"The essence of a successful business is really quite simple. It is your ability to offer a product or service that people will pay for at a price sufficiently above your costs, ideally three or four or five times your cost, thereby giving you a profit that enables you to buy and to offer more products and services." -- Brian Tracy

The key to being a successful small or home business owner is the word BUSINESS. A business is a separate entity from you, the owner. It may be the result of your dreams, your passions, your fiscal realities or whatever. You may be the only employee. But, it is not you, it is THE BUSINESS. The more you think about it that way, the more sucessful you will be. As we talk about the essentials of a small and home business, low cost strategies and ways to make you look huge, we will talk about you, the business.

What's a business? It's a PROFIT making persuit. Your goals may be about financial freedom, independence or creating a legacy. To accompish that your BUSINESS thoughts need to focus on one big questions: Are you making money? Hopefully, you are comfortable with that statement. If you're not, you are not going to be successful in business. If you think MAXIMIZING PROFIT (legally, of course) is wrong or making money is something ot be ashamed of, then you really need to rethink having a business of your own: home business, small business, store front, etc. Preferrably, you'll think about changing your mindset about MONEY and PROFITS. (Reading "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind," by T. Harv Eker is a great start.)

The easiest way to begin is by clearly separating the business financially; open a separate bank account for your small business. Make this your very first action when you seriously intend to move forward. (You can always change the name and address on the checks.) When you have a separate small business account where money flows in and out, you will clearly see that separate financial being that is THE BUSINESS. If you have to add money into the account to pay bills, you know you are funding the business. If the account grows, you are probably making a PROFIT. Watching the flow of cash in and out of that separate account will begin to give you that knowledge. If you run your home business out of your regular checking account; the flow of the business and the flow of you, the individual or the family, will be too intertwined to understand and analyze.

Think about some of the major milestones you'll reach when you have that separate account:

The day you open the account
The first check you deposit into the account
The first month you pay bills without adding money from your pocket
The first month you can afford to pay yourself back for some of those start-up expenses

Take some time to change or add to this list based on your personal vision and ambition. Then take the next step, start putting target dates next to your milestones. Lo and behold, you have the beginnings of a personal small business plan.

This might seem odd for those of you who are starting to evolve a hobby into a passion into a home business. Perhaps you are a good cook and are always helping out friends for parties. They may have told you that you should open up a catering business and you charge them a little to cover your costs. You might already be enjoying cooking every week for some friends or their associates. You may be pocketing a little cash on the side. But are you really making a profit (business) or are you just having some fun and you don't care (hobby)? If you keep all the costs (and food items) separately, you'll know the answer!

Here are some other questions a business person would ask themselves:

How much should I charge to pay myself for the time I've spent?
Is this the level of salary I'd expect as a CEO or even an employee of my business?
How much business will I need before you can hire an employee?

These are BUSINESS questions, things you will eventually face as you, the home or small business, begin to grow. They may seem scary or may seem to take away from the fun or are a diversion. But, if you want to have the mind of a business person, these have to become a part of your ongong thinking.

People who don't think about their home business this way really have a hobby. What's a hobby? It's a pursuit that gives you joy. You are willing to spend money with the only return being personal satisfaction. There's nothing wrong with that; we all need our joys. Sure, collecting stamps or Pez dispensers could end up being a great investment. Maybe, you sell a few on occasion on eBay or at a swap meet and get some cash to buy some more. But, that still isn't a business. Those "investments" definitely don't bring in a steady income. Us entrepreneurs sometime get confused because running and growing a business is also our joy.

So, having the Mind of a Small and Home Business owner means developing a business mentality. It is a mind of revenue, expenses, profits and investments. As a small business it is all about the flow of cash in and out of the business. The goal is to do what needs to be done to make cash in bigger than cash out. So, as you are dreaming and growing, remember that a low cost way to learn everything you need to know about your business is to open up a separate bank account, the financial representation of you, THE HOME BUSINESS.

2007-05-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Small Businesses Look Huge after a Marketing Makeover

Today large and small businesses all have Web Sites. For once, small businesses have the advantage using Internet marketing techniques taught by a small group of professionals. (Why the big guys aren't doing this is beyond me.) I spent over 300 hours researching the best: Derek Gehl, Ted Ciuba, Brent McFall and others. Fortunately, I discovered Tracy Repchuck, the Marketing Makeover Maestro. Her book, "31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles," is available on Amazon for $17.95 and has all the information contained in courses that cost 100's of dollars. When I decided to accelerate my path, I hired Tracy as my coach. This choice saved me 1000's of dollars. I was able to work directly with Tracy; not someone who was trained by a person trained by the expert. Krepchuk's "Entrepreneur in Overdrive" program is also saving me at least 2 YEARS in learning curve on such critical skills as writing a great sales letter, maximizing the effectiveness of a blog and capturing customers with a squeeze page. One Autoresponder configuration tip alone will save me at least $10,000 in lost opportunity costs.

So. if you want your Home or Small Business to look REALLY big, use the latest Internet Marketing practices. If you are starting from a low budget, plunk down $17.95 for "31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles." When you are ready to invest, hire Tracy Krepchuk as your mentor and become an "Entrepreneur in Overdrive." You won't just look like a big company, you'll be well on your way becoming one.

2007-05-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome! I am your host, Lenny Greenberg, a home and small office expert. If you are just starting a home office and don't have much money to spend, you'll discover how to cover your essential needs at a low cost. If you're growing and want to put up a big front and look like a multi-million dollar business to the outside world, you'll learn about that too. In other words, no matter the budget, I'll work through suggestions that work for you.

But, that's not all. I'll also tell you about home business items you must have; the small business essentials that will keep your office up and running. Join me in this journey. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.