At Home News: Home-Based Business Profile of Public Relations/Advertising

The August issue of At Home News profiles Suzy Ginsburg, who runs her own PR and advertising business from her home.

If you're not a subscriber, you can sign up for the free monthly e-newsletter by clicking on the Newsletter tab. I never sell or give out my subscriber list.

Until next time,

Sarah

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Menu Planner

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: A menu planner plans menus for individuals, parties, restaurants and other foodservice establishments.

Education: Background in cooking, including formal training at community colleges, technical schools, culinary arts schools and two-year or four-year institutions is a plus.

Skills: The ability to plan a variety of menus, including ones for special diets, such as gluten-free, kosher, vegan and vegetarian.

Job outlook: U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “employment of chefs and head cooks is projected to experience little or no change from 2010 to 2020. Although overall job opportunities are expected to be good, competition is expected to be high for jobs at upscale restaurants, hotels, and casinos, where the pay tends to be greater.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Contact local groups, such as Jewish centers (for kosher menus), to see about leads. Join area online clubs relating to your specialty to get your name out there.

Preparation: Become familiar with specific diets, such as kosher or vegan, by taking classes in food preparation for those diets.

Get your foot in the door: Consider contacting local charities that work with the poor or indigent about helping them plan menus for their soup kitchens or clients.

Until next time,

Sarah

The Ins and Outs of Kickstarter

If you're looking for funds for a project, Kickstarter might be for you. "Funding For a Small Project or Product with Kickstarter" from Small Business Trends provides an overview of how this online service works and why it might be good for you.

Here's how Kickstarter works: you basically pre-sell a product to real consumers before it's ready for the market. If your project has a clear goal and will eventually be completed, then you can use Kickstarter to raise funds. Starting a business, however, does not qualify as a project. Categories include art, comic, dance, design, fashion, film, food, games, music, photography, publishing, technology and theater.

Of the more than 26,000 project successfully funded, more than 18,000 raised between $1,000 and $9,999, which makes Kickstarter a good fit for small business projects.

Until next time,

Sarah

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Genealogy Researcher

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: A genealogy researcher helps people find their ancestors.

Education: None necessary, but a background in history is a plus.

Skills: The knowledge and ability to find records and other historical documents relating to personal heritage and genealogy.

Job outlook: U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “Employment of historians is expected to grow 18 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Check out the National Genealogical Society, the Association for Professional Genealogists and Genealogy Research Associates for leads. Consider starting your own consulting business or joining with other genealogists.

Preparation: Join the National Genealogical Society or the Association for Professional Genealogists. Take genealogy research courses from the above-mentioned organizations.

Get your foot in the door: Start with your family or friends and offer to do a family tree for a reduced price or as a gift to gain expertise and recommendations.

Testimony: Ashley offers genealogy research assistance through the website FIVERR. “I help people start their family trees going back four generations from their grandparents,” she says, adding that she has had more than 300 clients so far. “I have been a researcher for over 25 years now. … Most folks cannot afford the price for an Ancestry membership or to hire a professional genealogist. I offer the service for the working man and I love what I am doing.” She backs up her research through U.S. Census reports, military documents and other historical data.

“I don’t know if this will ever grow to a revenue that would support the household finances. However, the revenue I generate does supplement and make things easier at the end of the month,” says Ashley. “I encourage you to think outside the box, find your passion and market that passion. I love genealogy and I love the fact that I am able to help someone discover who they are and where they come from.”

Until next time,

Sarah

Getting Clients to Pay

Managing cash flow is essential to any small business, but getting customers or clients to pay in a timely fashion can be a tricky business. In "6 Simple Tricks to Avoid Late Paying Customers," Meredith Wood offers some good advice.

1. Check out clients in advance. Know who you're dealing with before you're left with a big invoice that goes unpaid for months. Just as your customers might ask for references before they sign with you, so you can ask clients for references before agreeing to take them on, especially for projects that will involve big payments.

2. Clearly state your invoice terms. Be upfront with how and when you expect to be paid. For example, I always ask for payment within 30 days of sending my invoice. Just having a payment due date can spur follow-through.

3. Mind your manners. Using "please" and "thank you" when sending invoices can go a long way to getting them paid quickly.

4. Make it easy to be paid. Have a PayPal or similar online option for easy of payment. For long-term relationships, you might see if the client will do direct deposit. One association I work with on a regular basis was more than happy to convert paper checks mailed to me to direct deposit into a checking account. I get paid quicker and they save money not on printing and mailing checks.

5. Be understanding. Sometimes, clients get into a tight spot. Be willing to be flexible or accept a payment plan.

6. Be gentle in reminders. Also be polite when following up--those handling your invoices can make honest mistakes, so it pays to be nice. As your grandmother might have said: You catch more bees with honey than vinegar, and the same holds true for getting your money.

By following these simple steps, you can make getting paid more painless.

Until next time,

Sarah