Home Business Blog

Are you always in your kitchen making sweet candies and delicious treats for your family, friends and kids? Do your kids run in the door wanting their next after school treat? Do your neighbors just happen to wander in to taste your delicious creations? If this is the case, then you are sitting on a gold mine because you can start your own candy making home business.

Yes! That is right, candy! Who doesn’t love candy? You already know that. It doesn’t matter your age, background or job- everyone loves those delicious, sweet delicacies.

You can start today by coming up with a simple business plan by getting started on your way to your own Candy Home Business. Imagine being a stay at home entrepreneur who can become very successful with home grown talent! This business can be done part time or full time, depending on your desires and needs.

Think of all the money you can make and the extra time you would get to spend with your family. Not to mention that this business has minimal overhead, usually no employees and little investment. The process is simple, there is nothing to learn and you already have all the required skills to know how to make a phenomenal product ‘sell like candy.’ LOL!

Many people and organizations in the world buy candy everyday and give it for gifts to their loved ones and at parties. This is where your market lies. All you have to do is deliver the same high quality product that your family, friends and neighbors already enjoy and those same customers will return to you over and over again. Remember, you are turning a hobby into a successful entrepreneurship, so continue to love everything you do and take the same pride in it as you would if you were making for your family.

This business is not just for moms who stay at home, so if you are a dad who loves to bake or create these sweet treats, then go for it! Candy making may just be the calling you have been looking for to sweeten up your career. The possibility of this ‘small home business’ turning into a successful enterprise is based on the quality and overall appearance of your product that your customers receive. Your number one job is to always deliver rich, unique candy that is of high quality and high expectations so that people will spread the word about your service and not only return to use you again, but refer other people to you.

You will want to make up flyers and create business cards for your Candy Making Business. As always, I recommend using Vista Print for your initial cards or making your own at home with some standard stock and a color printer. You can get 250 cards for free with VistaPrint and all you have to pay for is shipping. You really can’t beat the good deal! Make up a flyer and then either get a friend in the copy business to make you copies or go to a copy shop and have some nice copies made up. Color is best to attract attention. After you really get going or if you have the money now, take pictures of your products and have brochures or a small catalog made.

When you are coming up with your business plan, you will not only want to set prices and decide what you will sell but decide how you will present your product to your customers. This is very important to your business. Presentation is vital to catching your customer’s eye. You want to spend the additional money on the wrappers so that they actually match the same type of quality as the candy inside of them! Imagine that the wrapper cost will be instantaneously reimbursed once they are sold. Guaranteed!

Start your business out slow so that you are not overwhelmed with orders. This way you realize how much you can and can not handle. As you work flow increases, so will your orders. Once your business gets to be too much, you can outsource help. You never want to promise a delivery or deadline that you miss or you will lose clients.

All of your products should be accompanied with a 100% guarantee to ensure that your product is of the best quality. This will show your customers that you are serious, take pride in your work and offer only the best products.

You have multiple venues to sell your candies through. Word of mouth is always good and schools are great too but other places to sell your candy include:

· Sweet Shops
· Gourmet Stores
· Online
· Candy making parties
· Candy selling parties
· Corporate Events
· Holiday Parties
· Catalog Parties
· Other Creative Ideas
· Fundraisers that you can get involved with
· Church

If you work out everything the way that I have laid it out and take pride in every product that you sale, then you can easily turn your talent into a great home business that will do more than put some extra money into your pocket!

Keep working from home!
Amandalyn

Image by liewcf via Flickr

eBay auctions are the leading place for products being sold by a diverse cross section of people from around the globe.  If you have been looking for a new home based business to run with low overhead and minimal investment, then becoming an eBay Trading Assistant may just be what you are seeking.

First, understand what an eBay Trading Assistant actually does. They are the number one resource in helping people and businesses sell their belongings on eBay. The eBay Trading Assistant takes care of all the transactions with eBay and the winning customer. From taking pictures of the item, placing the item on eBay for auction, receiving the monies and shipping the product to the customer; the eBay Trading Assistant does it all.

For these added amenities and conveniences to your private consumers, you may charge them 10% - 40%, depending on the product and efforts involved in selling the product through the eBay auction.. There are prerequisites to becoming an eBay Trading Assistant.

- Ebay Account in good standing

- Previously sold 10 items on eBay in last 3 months

- Have 10 sales every 3 monthsKnowledge of photography

- Own a cameraeBay knowledge; pricing to listing

- Ability to travel to customer’s homes to pickup their belongings and meet them face to face

- Some space to store customer’s belongings safely until shipped

- 100 feedback score or 97% score or higher feedback

eBay University Learning Center offers free online courses to help you succeed in learning everything you need to know about eBay and being an eBay Trading Assistant. Beyond that, there are also classroom selling classes offered in numerous locations across the United States.

For those people that already have an extensive knowledge of eBay and basic merchandising skills, you are already halfway there. The hardest part is people skills and acquiring clients. Most clients will be coming from your local area. All registered eBay Trading Assistants enjoy perks like press kits and marketing materials to get their home business up and running. There are also many other business resources out there on the web and in your local library to help you with this business venture.

Utilizing all of your eBay knowledge and your marketing materials, along with taking great pictures and establishing a solid client rapport can turn your home business into a lucrative opportunity that has many pros, including working on your own terms and hours! Click here to register with eBay as an eBay Trading Assistant
As always, keep working at home.

Mandi

Are you pretty nimble and skillful with the needle and thread? Does it seem like you are always making alterations and fixes for your friends and family’s clothing? If I am describing you, then you are the perfect candidate for a sewing home business owner.

The majority of people in this day and age do not know how to sew or repair their own clothing but are always on the lookout for an affordable way to keep the clothing and household décor that they have already invested their hard earned dollars on. Believe me, if you know somebody that sews, it is a miracle!

You may choose to offer a variety of sewing services or stick to just one type. Regardless, the business is high in demand and very profitable. The right people with these skills can turn sewing into a very lucrative work at home business that meets their hours and is always set at their own terms.

Ideas and services offered by a sewing home business owner can include:

* Sewing Machine Classes
* Home Sewing Courses
* Curtain Shortening
* Re-upholster Pillows
* Runners
* Chair Pillows
* Other Home Décor
* Slip Covers
* Children’s Clothing
* Basic/ Advanced Alterations
* Wedding & Prom Alterations

Before starting your business, ensure that you have all the supplies you will need for the services you plan to offer, as well as the desired working machinery. Make a price list for all your services. Print up business cards and flyers for your advertising. You can go to Vista Print and get the basic first 250 cards free with only the cost of shipping when you are just starting out. You can also just get some business card stock at your local office supply store and print them out yourself at home with a color printer. The costs now to do your own business cards are very minimal.

You will also need to consider whether you will require getting a business license for your business. Check with your local jurisdiction to determine if you need to or not before starting up. Make sure that you keep all of your bookkeeping in order and legal. Keep your receipts from purchases since they are tax write offs for business owners.

Distribute your business cards and post your flyers in places to generate the most business. For example, if you alter wedding attire, check with local wedding gown shops to see if you can leave your cards or post a flyer there. Do not forget about word of advertising, either. It is very powerful to the small business owner.

Keep working from home,

Amandalyn

P.S This is the first of hundreds of ideas on how to recession proof your life. Have an idea or feel like writing about YOUR home business? Let us know.