Little Steps

Friday, June 10, 2011

Running A Home-Based Business

Working from home, wherever you are, is an option.

If you are trying to run a business from your computer you need to do a few things. You need to have a good quality product to sell. If you are shipping it from your house and have inventory then you need a safe, clean place to keep it. If heat or cold is a factor you need a room that will suit your products.

Packaging supplies cost money!

No matter what product you decide to sell, if you have the inventory at home, you will need to ship your products to the customer. Packaging supplies such as envelopes or boxes, packaging insulation, labels, etc, as well as the ink cartridges for printing out the labels all add up. I know from selling myself, that buyers resent paying those shipping cost. They seem to expect you to ship for free and not include it in the price. I think they are in shock when they realize you really do need to make a profit somehow!

No traffic if you are working from home!

It can be a way to make money without opening a physical store somewhere and all the expenses that would entail. I like this type of business since I love computer work anyway. Plus working on the computer for your own business is very different than working for someone else. I find I work more than 40 hours a week, but I love it.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Frugal Ideas On Wordless Wednesday

Monday, June 6, 2011

My Many Streams Of Income

One of my little steps has been increasing my streams of income. This year I have been working very heavily in that area. What streams of income do you ask? I am so glad you asked! Here is my list:

1. Growing as much of my own food as I can. Means that I don't have to spend that money in the stores. So it is part of my income stream.

2. Generating even more power once we get our wind turbine added to our solar system. Means less gas spent for the generator when we do not have enough sun.

3. Utilizing our power system to provide our cooking fuel so we can do away with the propane stove. Another savings that becomes part of our income stream.

4. Now I am running three website stores as well as two Bonanza booths and trying to increase my sales by using Social Media as well as other means.

5. Writing 4 blogs presently. I have added Google Adsense to them and am adding some affiliate ads also.

6. Working on writing a book from my blog, The Enduring Word. Hopefully, that will help provide to my stream of income.

That is about it for now. What about you? Are you still working on your stream of income? If you'd like to share, please comment. Good luck!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Classic Fantasy On Wordless Wednesday

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Using Social Media To Promote My Sites

Working from home

I have been spending a lot of time on Pinterest. It is another social network of sorts. It is fun! I end up spending too much time there. I came up with a great idea. If you are selling items in a web store or on a site like Bonanza or Etsy, you can create a pin for one of your items. Then it shows up on Pinterest. Once it is there, many people will repin it, like it and go to your site to see it. Maybe even buy it.

Social networking is a hot word these days. It really does work. I think it is equivalent to meeting other business people for drinks after work. Instead we meet online. I use Twitter and Facebook a lot. Lately, I have started using StumbleUpon too. If you go to any of those sites, add me as friend or follow me.....user name is always katlupe.

Since we started our new site, I have been very busy adding new products to it. Having an online business is time consuming, especially in the beginning of getting it off the ground. Business expenses such as domain names, hosting, business documents, etc. It is so worth it once it gets going and starts making a bit of money. I do love having a home based business that is for sure. I really would have no other choice since I doubt anyone hire me due to health issues. So taking it in my own hands.

How about you? Do you use social media to promote your business or blog? Which ones do you use? Why? Which ones do you hate? Why? I am interested in what you think and will share it in future posts.

Have a safe Memorial Day week-end!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Source: Free Clip Art Now

I have been working on building another website. It is called Lupe Shop and I will be selling various other items. Not guitar strings, music CDs or my eBooks. But new items that are needed for home and garden. I have enjoyed working with my husband on this project. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time now. The ultimate store with good quality products. All name brands which is good because they come with warranties.

Still my uncluttering project has been taking a lot of my time also. But.......it is coming along! Making so much progress. I found it hard in the beginning to get rid of things I kept for sentimental reasons. But now, I am just doing it. I have carried around some things from my childhood for way too many years now. Time to rid myself of these items. Besides if I rehome these items now, then they will be in a safer place rather then when nobody wants them. That is when they get taken to the dump.

It is easy to hold onto things, like books, so you can sell them. But they do not sell instantly and you are stuck with them taking up space. You can put them in a garage sale or do what I am, give them to someone who really wants them. I am looking forward to taking the books to this lady's house this week! Ten boxes of good quality books! I can't believe I had that many boxes.

We want to make our house basically, clutter free. I want to use the computer for movies and music. No piles of stuff! What about you? Do you have a way of dealing with all your stuff? How do you manage it? Does it ever get the better of you?

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Organization IS The Key To Your Success!

My Forsythia bush

I have sadly neglected this blog. I didn't mean to. But I have been so busy doing so many other things this year. I tried to sell my books on eBay and did it mostly as an experiment. I lost money. Due to Paypal and eBay fees, shipping costs, printing costs and shipping envelopes. No, it was not worth it or my time. So I am giving my books away instead.

As we all know, the key to success is organization and if you are not organized, you will never be successful. So that is my biggest goal right now. Not only in my business but in our house, and our life too. I have started so many projects and then start another one without finishing the first one. Going to stop that right now! I am going back to all those half finished jobs I was doing and get them all finished and done with for good.

I have been doing very well on my uncluttering project. But still working on it. With the price of gas so high, it is not that easy to fill the truck up with my unwanted stuff and drive to the thrift store. The closest one I cannot go to any longer because it is upstairs and I just cannot make it up any stairs alone any more. So I will get this job done as soon as I can.

That is another area to get organized on is to buy enough supplies to cook from scratch every day. Now I usually cook from scratch anyway, but I am talking about going another step. Making my salad dressing, all my breads, crackers, everything I possibly can. It is not easy, but it is good for you health wise and financially too. A loaf of bread can go from costing three something at the store to costing about thirty-three cents a loaf baked at home. And you know the best part? It is better tasting than the ones we purchase in the stores! Wow! Your house will smell great too!

Pages