Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Job Description: A color consultant assists clients in selecting the right colors for their homes, including paints and fabrics for curtains, wall hangings and upholstery.
Education: None necessary, but a background in art and art history is helpful.
Skills: The ability to work with clients in their homes and to choose colors that compliment the homeowner and the space.
Job outlook: People are turning to professionals more and more for help in creating a warm and inviting home. I see this as a growing home-based business, especially in more urban and populated areas.
Possible employers: Many color consultants work out of local paint stores, such as Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams.
Preparation: Brush up on what’s new in home décor and color theory by taking a class at a local college or paint store. Read recent articles from home décor magazines on the topic. Invest in color swatches.
Get your foot in the door: Visit your local paint shop and talk to the owner about consulting for the store. Offer an initial discount to the first few clients and build your customer base from there.
Testimony: “I think color is a way that I can actually help people create homes, not just houses. It’s so important to create a welcoming, warm and personal feel to a home—in order to really embrace our calling to hospitality,” says Rebecca, a mother of three who has worked as a color consultant for three years from Fairfax, Va. Her favorite part of the job is helping clients discover the perfect color for their homes. “I love to see their eyes light up when we find the right color, and I love to help them feel more at home with their house,” she says.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Don't Forget to Take Time Off
With summer right around the corner, it's a good time to remind ourselves that even if we work from home, we still need to build in some rest and relaxation time in our schedules. Whether it's a leave-home-for-another-place vacation or a stayaction, whether it's for a week or a few days, making sure we have time to rejuvenate is very important.
Americans are pitful when it comes to actually taking a vacation. Most Europeans have 6 paid weeks off--and they take those weeks. By contrast, working Americans generally have 2 to 3 paid weeks off--and don't even take those.
Throw in being self-employed or having a home-based business, and you can see how taking a vacation would seem insurmountable given the work load, etc.
However, I would greatly encourage you to plan that vacation, even if you never leave your house. If taking an entire week off simply would not work, try taking a day off each week. Turn off your cell phone, keep your computer off and find things to do around the neighborhood or area. Most localities have wonderful free or close-to-free things to do for adults and children alike.
Make sure you pencil in your vacation plans early and stick with them. You'll find yourself refreshed and ready to work even harder if you can unplug and unwind.
Until next time,
Sarah
Americans are pitful when it comes to actually taking a vacation. Most Europeans have 6 paid weeks off--and they take those weeks. By contrast, working Americans generally have 2 to 3 paid weeks off--and don't even take those.
Throw in being self-employed or having a home-based business, and you can see how taking a vacation would seem insurmountable given the work load, etc.
However, I would greatly encourage you to plan that vacation, even if you never leave your house. If taking an entire week off simply would not work, try taking a day off each week. Turn off your cell phone, keep your computer off and find things to do around the neighborhood or area. Most localities have wonderful free or close-to-free things to do for adults and children alike.
Make sure you pencil in your vacation plans early and stick with them. You'll find yourself refreshed and ready to work even harder if you can unplug and unwind.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Professional Organizer
Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Job Description: A professional organizer helps people organize their homes and home offices.
Education: None necessary.
Skills: The ability to motivate clients to organize their homes and offices.
Job outlook: By accounts from professional associations, organizing is a growing business, although no hard numbers are available.
Possible employers: Check out the National Association of Professional Organizers, OnlineOrganizing.com and Organizer U for leads. Consider starting your own consulting business or joining with another professional organizer in your area.
Preparation: Join the National Association of Professional Organizers. Take organizer courses from the above-mentioned organizations.
Get your foot in the door: Ask a professional organizer in your area or a nearby area if you could shadow her on a client visit to make sure this is a good fit for you.
Testimony: “I love to organize things, and for years, I’ve helped friends and family get organized,” confesses Valerie of Edgewater, Fla. Her advice for others seeking to launch a professional organizing business is to read books about the industry first to see if it’s a good fit and use the time when you are starting your business—and there are fewer clients to fill your schedule—to concentrate on training and additional research about the business. “Most of all, find other beginners and a mentor for support,” she recommends.
Until next time,
Sarah
Job Description: A professional organizer helps people organize their homes and home offices.
Education: None necessary.
Skills: The ability to motivate clients to organize their homes and offices.
Job outlook: By accounts from professional associations, organizing is a growing business, although no hard numbers are available.
Possible employers: Check out the National Association of Professional Organizers, OnlineOrganizing.com and Organizer U for leads. Consider starting your own consulting business or joining with another professional organizer in your area.
Preparation: Join the National Association of Professional Organizers. Take organizer courses from the above-mentioned organizations.
Get your foot in the door: Ask a professional organizer in your area or a nearby area if you could shadow her on a client visit to make sure this is a good fit for you.
Testimony: “I love to organize things, and for years, I’ve helped friends and family get organized,” confesses Valerie of Edgewater, Fla. Her advice for others seeking to launch a professional organizing business is to read books about the industry first to see if it’s a good fit and use the time when you are starting your business—and there are fewer clients to fill your schedule—to concentrate on training and additional research about the business. “Most of all, find other beginners and a mentor for support,” she recommends.
Until next time,
Sarah
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Marketing Your Home-Based Business: Open House
If you sell a product, either made by you or others, holding open houses can be a cost-effective and profitable way to market your business. Here are a few tips for holding a successful open house.
Decide on a date. Pick your dates carefully, as you don't want to schedule your open house when most of your customers will be out of town or attending other events. Avoid scheduling the same time as major festivals or street fairs, or holiday weekends. Check your city or county website for local events that might impact traffic flow to the open house.
Pick a location. If your home is large enough to accomadate the expected crowds, then have it at your house. If the season is one that makes an outdoor event viable, consider having it on your front yard or lawn. Be sure to check with your local city or county zoning or permit department to ensure you'll have the proper paperwork filed for having such an event at your home. If your home is not an acceptable location, consider asking a local business if you could hold an open house at their location in exchange for cross-promoting their services or products.
Choose your merchandise. If you're holding the open house around Christmas, you might want to have a holiday theme or at least have products that could be used for Christmas gifts or decorations. Make sure you have a wide variety of products and price points for all shopping budgets and tastes.
Figure out payment methods. Decide if you want to accept cash, checks and/or credit cards. Some companies like Square offer an easy way to process credit card payments for a low fee without the costly transcation equipment. Make sure you factor in sales tax collection, if applicable to your state.
Schedule help. You'll need someone to assist you in running or setting up your open house, so enlist the help of friends and family. Be sure to have a thank-you gift for those who help with their time if you're not paying them outright.
Advertise your open house. Don't forget to let people know about your open house through email marketing, mailed postcards and signage along busy roads and at your house. Make sure you comply with any zoning requirements for signs.
With a little planning, an open house can be just the ticket to marketing your business.
Until next time,
Sarah
Decide on a date. Pick your dates carefully, as you don't want to schedule your open house when most of your customers will be out of town or attending other events. Avoid scheduling the same time as major festivals or street fairs, or holiday weekends. Check your city or county website for local events that might impact traffic flow to the open house.
Pick a location. If your home is large enough to accomadate the expected crowds, then have it at your house. If the season is one that makes an outdoor event viable, consider having it on your front yard or lawn. Be sure to check with your local city or county zoning or permit department to ensure you'll have the proper paperwork filed for having such an event at your home. If your home is not an acceptable location, consider asking a local business if you could hold an open house at their location in exchange for cross-promoting their services or products.
Choose your merchandise. If you're holding the open house around Christmas, you might want to have a holiday theme or at least have products that could be used for Christmas gifts or decorations. Make sure you have a wide variety of products and price points for all shopping budgets and tastes.
Figure out payment methods. Decide if you want to accept cash, checks and/or credit cards. Some companies like Square offer an easy way to process credit card payments for a low fee without the costly transcation equipment. Make sure you factor in sales tax collection, if applicable to your state.
Schedule help. You'll need someone to assist you in running or setting up your open house, so enlist the help of friends and family. Be sure to have a thank-you gift for those who help with their time if you're not paying them outright.
Advertise your open house. Don't forget to let people know about your open house through email marketing, mailed postcards and signage along busy roads and at your house. Make sure you comply with any zoning requirements for signs.
With a little planning, an open house can be just the ticket to marketing your business.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Direct Seller
Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Position: Direct Seller
Education: None necessary.
Skills: The ability to sell products to a variety of people, in-person and online. Organizational skills a plus.
Job outlook: More than 14 million people do direct sales as independent contractors. With the economy still recovering, this could be a viable at-home job for many more.
Possible employers: As a direct-sales independent contractor, you can sell anything including kitchenwares (Pampered Chef), toys (Discovery Toys), healthy products (TiensNA), wine (The Traveling Vineyard) and jewelry (Silpada Designs). Check out this extensive list for more options.
Preparation: Carefully look over the product line and company information for whichever products interest you. Make sure you have a passion for that product—it helps if you already use some of the products. Ask for references to talk with other contractors to see what are the pros and cons of working with the company.
Get your foot in the door: If you know someone who does direct sales, ask if you can help with a party or see what’s involved with putting on a show. The more information you can gather before signing up with a company, the better your chances of success.
Until next time,
Sarah
Position: Direct Seller
Education: None necessary.
Skills: The ability to sell products to a variety of people, in-person and online. Organizational skills a plus.
Job outlook: More than 14 million people do direct sales as independent contractors. With the economy still recovering, this could be a viable at-home job for many more.
Possible employers: As a direct-sales independent contractor, you can sell anything including kitchenwares (Pampered Chef), toys (Discovery Toys), healthy products (TiensNA), wine (The Traveling Vineyard) and jewelry (Silpada Designs). Check out this extensive list for more options.
Preparation: Carefully look over the product line and company information for whichever products interest you. Make sure you have a passion for that product—it helps if you already use some of the products. Ask for references to talk with other contractors to see what are the pros and cons of working with the company.
Get your foot in the door: If you know someone who does direct sales, ask if you can help with a party or see what’s involved with putting on a show. The more information you can gather before signing up with a company, the better your chances of success.
Until next time,
Sarah
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