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Low And No Budget Home Based Businesses Any Woman Can Start Part One
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| Guest post by: Teresa Bohannon |
Article Overview: In recent years, the number of layoffs, and the cost of living has dramatically increased. Once upon a time layoffs were not a huge concern but unfortunately that is not the case today. Due to the increased cost of doing business, the new business paradigm that makes outsourcing work to foreign countries cost effective, and technological innovations that make many former jobs obsolete, job security for many of the jobs traditionally held by women is a thing of the past. So what is a hard-working girl to do...start her own business from scratch—of course!
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Low And No Budget Home Based Businesses Any Woman Can Start Part One
The only sure way to never be fired or laid off is to become your own boss, and the only way to ever truly become your own boss it to start your own business. Sure, you can still fail, and there are no guarantees, but as long as you are willing to work hard and try whatever it takes to succeed your fate is going to be in your own hands.
If you are thinking that you cannot afford to start your own business—well think again. You can do so if you are willing to work, and I am going to share for you a lists of job ideas that anyone can start with almost no money at all.
Will you get rich overnight? Almost surely not; but with these virtually cost-free ideas, anyone, man or woman should be able to quickly and easily start their own business, become their own boss and support themselves and their family at least as well as you could on unemployment, welfare, or some minimum wage job that you were forced to take out of desperation. Beyond that point, it is your business and therefore any degree of success or failure will be entirely in your hands.
The only true catch to all of this is picking the right business for you. These business ideas are almost all based on a one-woman (or man) operation. That means there will generally not be any money available to pay help—at least not for quite some time. So you need to pick a business that you personally have the skills and abilities to do. The key to success with these businesses is finding something that interests you, or something you enjoy doing so that you will not give up, get discouraged or get in over your head.
So just exactly what businesses can you start with little or no money? Here are a few examples:
Service Businesses Are HOT! HOT! HOT!
The fact of the matter is, that many people today feel that service businesses are beneath them—which leaves a huge demand for people that will cheerfully provide services and do a good job at a fair price.
Home, Office and Business Cleaning (See Also Site Preparation for Realtors and Contractors)
This business requires almost no money to start. Basically you just need to know how to clean and the cleaning supplies necessary to do the job. Actually in some cases the home, office or business owner will have their own supplies. If you do need to supply your own, you can start with the ones you already have available in your own home, or spend $20.00 and buy some. Just remember to keep the receipts so you can take them off your taxes!
Once you have the supplies necessary, advertising your cleaning business is a simple. You can place an ad in the newspaper, or on a grocery store or office building bulletin board. You can print out a few business cards yourself or purchase a supply. You can then ask people to hand them out for you or put them on magnets and give them out as refrigerator magnets. Also be sure to check the Internet for local websites that offer free listings (in quotes like this “free classifieds mytown, mystate”). Be sure to list the area in which you are willing to work and offer free estimates. If you do not already have one invest in a cell phone and keep the receipts for that too!
Laundry Business
Like the Home, Office and Business cleaning business, this is one is also a great little or no budget business you can start and for the sames reasons. People that have jobs outside the home—especially young professionals—are often working hard to advance their careers and laundry is a low priority for them, so they will gladly pay someone else to do it for them. Offering a pick up and delivery laundry service simply means that you pick up someone’s clothes at their home (or office), wash and dry them, fold them, and then return the clothes to their house. The only thing you really need is the detergent and fabric softener and again most people will want to supply their own favorite products due to allergies and personal preferences.
Like the Home, Office and Business cleaning service, this business service is especially attractive to bachelors and young professionals so you will want tailor you advertising to attract their attention. Your local online classifieds and newspapers are good places to advertise, also local eateries and nightclubs may let you leave some business cards with them as well.
A good tip for businesses of this type is to purchase, or make some business cards and then purchase some thin business card size magnets at your local office supply store. Then, with the owner's permission, you can leave your magnetic business cards on the hand driers in the washrooms of professional office buildings, nightclubs, and restaurants.
Alteration Service
If you have good, basic sewing skills, then an alteration service might be perfect for you. Once again the young professional will be your most likely client. The most commonly requested alterations include hemming pants, skirts and dresses, and changing seams.
The only supplies you will need to start out with is various colors of thread, needles, and possibly a sewing machine if you are planning on taking on larger jobs.
Since you main focus will be clothing, you will want to advertise at local clothing shops or department stores. You may also want to consider talking with businesses that supply uniforms to employees. The business can then recommend that the employee to you if an alteration in their uniform is needed. Again though be sure to find your local free classifieds ads and post there.
Personal Shopping and Errand Services
Like the Home, Office and Business cleaning and laundry services, this is one is also a great little or no budget business you can start and for the sames reasons. People that have jobs outside the home—especially young professionals—are often working hard to advance their careers and running basic errands and basic needs shopping is often a low priority for them, so they will gladly pay someone else to do it for them. Offering a pick up and delivery errand service simply means that you run their errands or do their shopping for them from a list.
Like the Home, Office and Business cleaning and laundry services, this business service is especially attractive to bachelors and young professionals so you will want tailor you advertising to attract their attention. Your local online classifieds and newspapers are good places to advertise, also local eateries and nightclubs may let you leave some business cards with them as well.
A good tip for businesses of this type is to purchase, or make some business cards and then purchase some thin business card size magnets at your local office supply store. Then, with the owner's permission, you can leave your magnetic business cards on the hand driers in the washrooms of professional office buildings, nightclubs, restaurants, or leave them with upscale shop owners.
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It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity, to work unhampered, to
be generous, frank and independent.
– W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
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About the Author: Teresa Bohannon RSS for Teresa's articles - Visit Teresa's website Teresa Thomas Bohannon is a web designer, hosting & domain provider & internet marketing consultant. Teresa founded Spun Silk Web Design in December of 1995 as one of the first free standing female owned web design firms in the country. Teresa is also the founder the LadyWeb Family of Informational & Educational Websites, created to help women and men who dreamed of starting their own businesses find their way inexpensively through the available maze of website options, domain and hosting providers, and software solutions. In 2009, Teresa took a well deserved rest from working online, and began to explore the world of self and/or independent publishing. In 2010 Teresa dusted off, and self/independently published, a Regency Romance novel entitled A Very Merry Chase which she initially wrote more than 35 years ago. Next up, she plans to publish the horror novel that she began writing just after the birth of her second child in 1985, and then an updated (including new stories) anthology of her previously published short stories. Teresa holds an MA in history, and works by day as the Human Resource Administrator for a large non-profit agency. Teresa's personal cause is revitalizing literacy by reading "with" children. Click here to visit Teresa's website Residual Income Solving Problems Social Bookmarking Guide Selling Shovels How Search Engines Work |
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