© fotographix.ca


What's the difference between being your own boss and having a boss?

Well, actually there are a lot of differences. You probably let yourself sleep in or have snacks at your desk. Also, you don't have to ask yourself permission to go to lunch. However, there are certain boss stereotypes that might be worth copying.

Responsibility: You can't let your boss take the blame any more. If deadlines aren't met, if you don't perform like you should, that's your problem.

Communication: If you went from a corporate job to a work from home situation you might not have realized how much communication happens in a company. If you have employees now, or work directly with multiple clients you'll learn how important communication can be. If you're more apt to just talk to people when you need to, you might want to learn some basic updating skills so your customers or staff feel connected.

Structure: It doesn't matter how you schedule your day, but a boss creates structure. Be hard on yourself about focusing when you work and sticking to your goals. Since no one else is around to tell you what to do you need to stand up and do it for yourself.

Presence: Ever notice how you can spot management level people from across the room? Or when the boss walks in the room goes silent? That's presence. Some people have natural presence (its one of those difficult to explain traits, like charisma.) But you can learn to have presence too. It helps when working with clients, employees and even other business professionals. The easiest way is to feel confident about what you do. Make sure that comes across with whoever you're talking to.

What steps did you take to become your own boss?

© Annie Mole


Video creates a stronger connection with consumers than any other type of media. That's why, as we've discussed multiple other kinds of marketing, I choose multimedia, the most powerful for last. When you work from home you might not get to interact face to face with clients as much as you did before and so being able to connect with them via voice or video can give your business that extra personal touch.

Multimedia can be split into two main categories: traditional and online. Traditional multimedia consists of the two well known specializations, radio and television. Radio and television are great ways to get out information about your business but neither are cheap. Radio/Television advertisements can be cost effective with the right consultants; but, this kind of marketing is not very feasible for most new work from home businesses.

Online however you can inexpensively produce visual and aural multimedia. Blogs and podcasting give your audience a chance to "know" you. Video in particular can be a great way to market yourself. Video-blogging, creating your own online commercial or even viral concepts on YouTube can drive traffic to your website. It also can give a more personalized presence.

What are some ways to market a work from home business through multimedia?

© L. Marie


When it comes to designing printed materials for your company, you have plenty of options. Depending on your business you may do some things on paper and others electronically. But there should be a basic number of printed items you will need to get started.

Business Cards: These are a must have. You need something that has your name, your logo, your basic contact information and at least a hint of what you do on it. Basic cards are cheap to print and obtain but again, you look more "real" if you have nice card stock and sleek colors. Think about paying a little extra to get a really nice version of your card.

Letterhead: Letterhead is an old standby in printed materials. Nowadays it is easier to create a "virtual" letterhead that you can use when you print out company documents (cheaper and easy to use over and over again.) This is great to put at the top of proposals and invoices.

Informative Material: Informative material includes brochures, flip books, inserts and any other printed papers that do more than your business card. Not every business needs to spend the money on these kinds of printer materials. It's always nice to leave something in your client's hands but when you get started (specifically if you work from home) it's easy to do everything online.

Direct Mailers: Direct Mail is more than just printed material. It has to do with mailing, postage and even tracking down information about where to send that material. A direct mail piece can range from a post card to a full color newsletter. Do your research before investing in direct mail. Not all audiences respond well to theses kind of marketing.

Despite living in the digital age, there's still a place for printed marketing. Don't overlook it!

What do you print regularly for your business?

Casual and Business Shirt Supplier Home Based Business

Since the textile quotas for China has been lifted, most of the shirts you see today are probably made in some factory in China. Even brand name shirts have been outsourcing their production to China, and these are secrets that are unknown to many. We'll here's one supplier from China that supplies casual and business shirts. Company Name: Shanghai Lovage Textile Co., Ltd. Contact Person: Philip Address: Room 3002/3, Building C, No.1066 Jin Sha [...] Read More


BigTreeToys - toy supplier Home Based Business

Big Tree Toys Manufacture Co., LTD is a large-scale toy enterprise embracing production, designing and exportation. It is located in Chenghai District, Shantou City which owns the title of "China Toys & Gifts City" and one of the largest toy production base in the world. They manufacture a lot of RC toys, wire controlled toys, playsets, water guns and a lot more. Here are their latest contact details should you want [...] Read More


Model Plane Supplier Home Based Business

If you would like to get the best prices, go directly to the manufacturer. A lot of goods nowadays come from China because of cheap labor. It used to be that made is china is synonymous to low quality but now, a lot has improved. One supplier I found for model planes such as the one in the photo is NANLONG SHENZHOU MODELS. The above plane is a P-51 Mustang EP-I (model SZA005). Wing [...] Read More


Extending social responsibility to the whole value chain: Supplier ethics audit Supplychainer

It was a while since I last read a REALLY new thing in supply chain but today I read a piece in Supply and Demand Chain Executive which was quite interesting and like the new blood in my veins!! The article was covering a recent research by the consultancy firm Integrity Interactive about ethics management through the supply chain. The Integrity Interactive`s September 2007 survey of 75 Global 2000 companies found [...] Read More


Be romantic Busy with Style

There's nothing better than to show your feminine nature in the office with a stylish piece of clothing. You can do it with sexy shoes, great Hairstyle or makeup too, but if you're feeling really romantic, why not get a blouse like this one? Anna Sui Satin Stripe Chiffon Blouse is going to make you look romantic, sexy and cute - without showing even an inch of your cleavage! The shirt [...] Read More

© Danard Vincente


The world of online marketing has numerous facets and areas that you can invest time and money. This post will quickly run-down the areas you can focus in and what kind of emphasis works best for a work from home business.

Website: If you run a company from home, a website is a must. Without a storefront you have to have some kind of "location". Your website is that location. It is very much worth paying for well done site.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization is sort of part of your website. But it can also be enhanced by creating extra back-links. This is something you can do yourself if your budget is slim.

Web Advertising: Web advertising includes paid ads, google ads, facebook ads and even pay per click ads. Each time of advertising takes cash. This is the area you can skip over and still have a decent online presence. If you plan to create ads consider, a budget that you can live with first. Pay per click is not as handy as say a facebook ads.

Social Media: Social media is a great way to market yourself online if you don't have a lot of spare cash. Get on twitter, create a facebook fan page and get connected on linked. Take time to really nuture those relationships.

Blogging/Article Writing: Writing is another way to cheaply market yourself online. Write about what you know and make yourself an expert in your field. Writing can also direct more traffic to your website.

The point is most of online marketing (outside of ads and your website) involves time rather than money. Decide which you have the resources for and be sure to follow-through.

How do you market your company online?