Home Business Magazine Summer 2020 by Home Business Magazine

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Home Business TV TV/ /Podcast Podcast––Pg. Pg.46 46

Home-Based Business & Opportunity Magazine

SUMMER 2020

SPECIAL TELEWORK ISSUE

WORK

Working from Home in a PostPandemic World

REMOTELY!

SIZZLING SUMMER START-UPS — PG. 18 COVID-19 ECONOMY Biz Owners Share Advice

START-UP GROWTH Build Your Remote Business! CONNECTED MARKETING Create Compelling Experiences INTERVIEW: TEDDI MELLENCAMP Thriving Health & Fitness Co. — Pg. 16

Backpacking Epiphany Leads to New Business — Pg. 22

HOME OFFICE HACKS Establish a Smooth System!

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Contents

Home-Based Business & Opportunity Magazine

Summer 2020 10

Remote Work: COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to home-based and remote working.

Consider These for Summer 2020.

F illing Customers with Good Vibes.

Epiphany.

Editor.

Creating the Change 23

Small Biz Ad 43

Needed.

Marketplace. Classified Ads.

A Backpacking 22

43 Letters to the

Teddi Mellencamp: “You gotta have a thick skin and not be afraid to stand up for what you believe is right.”

WORK-FROM-HOME SUCCESS STORIES

Business. Try these seven smart tips.

Interview with Teddi Mellencamp. The Actress of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Her Thriving Health and Fitness Company, Giving Birth During Quarantine, and More.

Small 18 Ten Business Ideas.

BUSINESSES & OPPORTUNITIES Grow Your Remote

FEATURES

Remote Work 101: 5 Golden Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success When Working from Home.

Magazine

Business Growth: Kickstart your business, attract new customers, keep current clients, and grow.

MARKETING & SALES Create Connected 30

Experiences with a Compelling Story. Every

28 30

Offering That Personal 28 Touch.

Following Her Dream.

From One Frontline to 37 Another.

Utilizing Long-Range Vision: Former special operations team member applies military skills to the business ecosystem.

business is driving towards “connected marketing.”

Four Steps to Maximize Connected Marketing: Growth During and Communicate, engage, and After Covid-19. Strategize participate with customers and market your business now and for the future.

MONEY CORNER

and drive sales.

www.homebusinessmag.com

Product Reviews. 36

Ideal products for home business owners.

A dapting Your Business to the New Economy. Five home business owners share how it is possible.

HOME OFFICE

Change: Navigate change successfully.

Stay Productive in 38

Your Home Office. Getting a system in place is well worth the investment.

Home Office Productivity: Maintain a distraction-free zone, keep a work-life balance, and prioritize.

Summer 2020 | Home Business

Magazine Volume 27 Issue 3 Summer 2020 www.homebusinessmag.com

The Home Business Team ®

Publisher Richard Henderson United Marketing & Research Company, Inc. Editor-in-Chief Stacy Ann Henderson Managing Editor Sherilyn Colleen Publicity Editor Shannah Carol Graphic Services Slice, Inc. Production Manager Jon Crossley, Ultra Graphics Digital Ad Production Angel Macias, Ultra Graphics Art Direction Richard Rabil, SliceWorks Advertising advertise@homebusinessmag.com Phone: 800-734-7042 Shannah Carol homebusinessmag.com/magazine-advertising homebusinessmag.com/online-advertising Digital Newsstand Jean Garcia, Zinio Newsstand Circulation Manager John Stratton Subscriptions Publication Fulfillment Services Int. Call 888-881-5861 - M - F 8am-4pm PST. For International, call 714-226-9782. Fax: 714-226-9733 Email: homebusinessmag@pfsmag.com Reprints Betsy White, The Reprint Outsource, bwhite@reprintoutsource.com Mailing Lists www.homebusinessmag.com (Click on “Mailing Lists” to order) Mailing List Manager Nancy Spielmann, Statlistics n.spielmann@statlistics.com List File Manager Travis McMillian, Lee Coats Newton Digital Media Manager Jim Clark, GTxcel Carolyn Rothenberger, GTxcell E-Readers Bob Mehta, Supremus Group Rachel Unclebach, Libre Digital Internet Manager Sam, Fixrunner SEO Emmylou Grimm, Logical Position Social Media Shelby Cara Home Business Expo Dan Storm, eDirectory IT/Computer Operations Jim Easton, letmefixyourpc.com Virtual Operations Mike Davidson, VDI Networks Eric L., VDI Networks Online Security Sitelock Customer Service customerservice@homebusinessmag.com Phone: (800) 734-7042 Fax: 714-388-3883

Editorial Thibaud Clement, Melissa Johnson, Gerri Detweiler, Jennifer Fortney, Adam Lyons, and others.

LETTER FROM PUBLISHER

Read Our New Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide A Step-By-Step Roadmap to Get You Started Running a Successful Home-Based Business Are you ready to start up your own home-based business? We are proud to announce the publication of Home Business Magazine’s Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide. Written by business expert Barbara Weltman, our Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide is broken up into easy-to-follow chapters that cover the key areas of a new business launch. We outline 10 critical steps to succeed in running a home business: • Determining your business fit • Selecting a business • Making your business plan • Establishing a business organization • Getting the business protections you need • Marketing and selling • Setting up a productive home office • Managing your business • Achieving a home-based business • Growing your business to the next level… and more! The Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide map is only a starting point to get you underway. It hits key bases you need to cover. Chock-full with the latest and best website links and resources, the guide also includes resources to help you adapt to the new business environment after the pandemic. Are you only interested in working remotely from your home, as a teleworker or telecommuter? You will need to set up and configure a productive workspace. The HomeBased Business Start-Up Guide provides excellent advice in quickly getting a home office up and operational. With easy-to-follow checklists at the end of each chapter, we help you save the most valuable commodity you have as an entrepreneur: Time! We hope that the Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide helps you to discover success as a home-based business owner or teleworker. We will appreciate if you can leave a positive review and let us know what you think! The Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide is available in a print edition, Kindle ebook, and most other digital formats. For sale on Amazon.com. To order, visit HomeBusinessMag.com/home-based-business-start-up-guide.

Richard Henderson Publisher, Home Business® Magazine

Notice to Readers

HOME BUSINESS® Magazine is sold as information only. The publisher, United Marketing and Research, Inc., considers its sources Distribution reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information Texterity, Inc. do so at their own risk. The publisher has not done a background check on listed companies (which includes advertisers), nor does it 144 Turnpike Road, Suite 140 know people at all the companies. The publisher cannot assume any responsibility in any manner for the actions of any of the listed Southborough, MA 01772 companies, and the publisher cannot guarantee the outcome of any correspondence, arrangements, or subsequent transactions the Tel: (800)609-8994 reader may make with any of the listed companies. HOME BUSINESS Magazine is sold with the understanding that the publisher ® Home Business Magazine is not engaged in rendering medical, legal, financial, accounting, tax, or other professional service. If medical, legal, or other expert Home Business Magazine (ISSN 1092-4779) is published by advice and assistance are required, the services of a competent qualified professional person should be sought. United Marketing and Research Company, Inc., The publisher, United Marketing and Research Company, Inc., assumes no responsibility for any changes of offers, nor for any 20664 Jutland Place, Lakeville, MN 55044. companies/advertisers that may go out of business. All correspondence regarding questions or problems on a company’s (including 4 issue (1 Year) Subscription Rate: $9.99 advertisers) program, products, or services should be directed to the company, not to the publisher. Advertisers and advertising 8 Issue (2 Years) Subscription Rate: $15.99 For Subscriptions: 714-693-1866, M–F agencies assume liability for all contents of advertising and for any claims arising therefrom. It is up to the user of this publication to Periodicals Postage Paid at Lakeville, Minnesota, investigate the product or service offered, and to make sure the company is reliable and that the product or service meets the user’s and at additional mailing offices. requirements. United Marketing and Research Company, Inc., is not responsible for the delivery of merchandise, starter kits, supplies, POSTMASTER: Send address changes to or other products and services ordered from advertisers. Home Business® Magazine, ©1993-2020. Reg. # 4180563 and 4145799. TRADEMARKS: Home Business, Serial Number 74/713646 and Home Business 20664 Jutland Place, Lakeville, MN 55044. Magazine, Serial Number 75-086596, issued by the United States Department of Commerce, Assistant Commissioner for Trademarks. Produced in the United States Mark Type(s): TRADEMARKS: Conform to the minimum requirements set forth in 37 C.F.R. Sec. 2.76 (e); and formal requirements set forth in 37 C.F.R. Sec. 2.76(b) and (c). All rights reserved. No part of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed, in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of the publisher, United Marketing and Research Company, Inc., Lakeville, MN 55044. Articles appearing in this publication express the opinions, experience, and research of its authors and not necessarily the opinion of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine. Home Business Summer 2020 www.homebusinessmag.com 88 Home Business | Summer 2020 www.homebusinessmag.com ®

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Remote Work 101: 5 Golden Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success When Working from Home By Thibaud Clement

F E AT U R E

n the span of a few weeks, working from home went from a growing trend to a way of life. In 2019, 43% of Americans worked remotely, at least occasionally. Now, COVID-19 has forced three billion people to stay home, and many companies are fully remote for the first time. As such, getting familiar with the best practices that empower you to be sustainably happy and productive when working from a home office is critical. Despite the suddenness with which many people made the change, more than half of professionals in a new survey say working remotely during the pandemic has boosted their productivity. To those of us that have been working remotely since before the pandemic, this is not terribly surprising. Over here at Loomly, our employees have been successfully working remotely since we launched in 2016. Unlocking the benefits of remote work while avoiding potential downsides like isolation and communication slip-ups requires addressing five main areas: mastering time management, setting up a work area, placing boundaries between home and work life, boosting your productivity, and developing effective management strategies for your team. Whether you are a remote worker, owner of a home-based business such as e-commerce or consulting, or managing remote employees for the first time, these tried-and-true strategies are sure to get you on track.

Getting dressed “ and to your desk at

the same time, every morning lets your mind know you are ready to work.

”

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to home-based businesses and remote working that was already underway.

Rule #1: Master Time Management Create a Routine

Spending the day in your pajamas or sleeping in may be fun at first, but those habits will zap your energy over time. Developing a routine may be the most important step you take as you adjust to remote work. Getting dressed and to your desk at the same time, every morning lets your mind know you are ready to work. Stepping away from work around the same time daily will give your mind and body the rest it needs. If you worked from nine to five in an office but find the need to adjust your schedule when working from home, speak with your supervisor to manage expectations. Once you have set a schedule, stick to it. Limit Social Media Distractions

As tempting as it is to check in on friends and family, read the latest headlines, or watch a video of goats wandering city streets, try to resist. Setting aside short periods of time for social media or browsing the news and

holding to that schedule will help you stay on task and keep down stress levels.

Rule #2: Set Up an Area for Success at Home Dedicate a Work Zone

It is very easy to lose any kind of work-life balance when you are working remotely. Creating a space solely for work will train your mind to switch into “work mode.” Ultimately, no matter how small your home is or how many people you share it with, find a spot to transform into your workspace. Use a dining table or a breakfast bar during the day, prop a small table in a corner, or convert a bookcase into a standing desk. Design Your Space

Setting up your new space begins with technology. You absolutely need a robust Internet connection, preferably high-speed Continued on page 12

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Summer 2020 | Home Business

ÂŽ

Remote Work 101 Continued from page 10

F E AT U R E

with plenty of bandwidth, especially if the kids are streaming movies in the next room. If your Wi-Fi signal is not strong or stable, set it up near a router or invest in an Amazon Echo or Google Nest Wi-Fi, which can help distribute the signal around the house. As working from a laptop screen for long periods can cause back and neck problems over time, an external monitor and an ergonomic chair are great investments. If you are not living alone, noise-canceling headphones or a good pair of earbuds such as Apple AirPods or Amazon Echo Buds will keep your attention on work and your relationships on track. To prevent your screen from going dark in the middle of a Zoom call, keep everything charged with a power strip or a phone stand with a charger. This tip may seem obvious but is also an easily overlooked detail that has the potential to throw your productivity off completely. Lastly, add your favorite coffee mug or a water bottle, and you will be set.

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

Getting familiar with the best practices that empower you to be sustainably happy and productive when working from a home office is critical.

Rule #3: Place Boundaries Between Work Life and Home Life

at home can be tough, so introducing these guidelines may help:

Working from Home When You Have a Partner

■

Maybe you were an at-home worker who had a routine down, and now your significant other or roommate is also at home and throwing off your game. Perhaps you like to work quietly while your partner talks — loudly — all day. Getting in sync with others working

Respect Each Other’s Schedules and Work Styles: Peace at home begins with understanding and respecting the other person’s work schedule. You might have early morning meetings, but their team gets together on Zoom at five — just as you are ready to wind down and relax. Be sure to discuss your individual schedules,

www.homebusinessmag.com

may find you “canYounow get more

becoming clear on what you can and cannot adjust. Figure out when you want to take breaks together or share meals. Make Empathy a Priority: Everyone has a work style and rhythm, and it is important to understand how housemates prefer to do their jobs. Their tasks are different, as are their managers and teams. If one of you needs blocks of quiet time during the day and the other spends the day in meetings, it can lead to tension if you share a small space. Learning to observe each other and knowing when to support, encourage, or interrupt each other is vital.

done in a shorter amount of time than you could in the office.

■

Give Each Other Alone Time: Both of you are used to having some time alone, even if only during your commute or on your morning run. Now that you are together 24/7, tensions can quickly erupt. It is more vital than ever to spend some time apart and harder to do so. Set aside time for each of you to have alone time again. Remember that this is an uncertain and confusing time, and people have different ways to cope with stress.

■

www.homebusinessmag.com

”

Working at Home When You Have Kids

In addition to the transition to remote work, parents of school-age children are juggling online learning, mealtimes, and a host of other new distractions. Kids are adjusting as well to your new routine — and theirs. From a kid’s perspective, after all, having a parent at home means the parent is always available. These tips can help you avoid meltdowns and settle into the new arrangement at home: Make a Weekly Plan: Get set for the week ahead by planning. No matter what they say, children do best with a routine. If you have a partner and young children,

■

decide who will watch them at different times depending on each person’s work schedule. Determine how meals, breaks, and check-ins through the day will be handled. Next, figure out what tasks kids need to complete over the week and what activities you might want to do together and add them to the plan. Post the schedule where everyone can see it and let your kids know what to expect. Mark Study and Play Zones: As well as knowing what they are doing and when they are doing it, kids also need to know where they can and can’t go. Try to separate areas where they will do schoolwork from where they can play. If noise is a problem, devote a spot in the house to quiet time where a child can go and not be disturbed. Make it clear to children that just as they should not be interrupted when they are studying or in quiet rooms, they should try not to disturb you while you are at your desk.

■

Turn to Online Tools to Help: The abrupt shutdown of schools has left

■

Continued on page 14

Summer 2020 | Home Business

F E AT U R E

Remote Work 101 Continued from page 13

Setting aside short periods of time for social media or browsing the news and holding to that schedule will help you stay on task and keep down stress levels.

parents scrambling to become teachers. That is an impossible task, especially when you are working. Instead, do what you can and utilize online tools and activities to do the rest, from those provided by schools to those being offered by libraries and cultural institutions. Tap into friends and family, too.

Social media created even more ways to lose focus. Now, working from home includes everything from handling family members to trying to keep your stress levels down. Here is how to keep up your attention and get your job done: ■

Rule #4: Boost Your Productivity Maximize & Sustain Focus

Working at home has always required people to resist the temptations of turning on the TV instead of responding to an email or checking what is left in the fridge instead of finishing a project’s status report.

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Do a Self-Audit: As you adjust to working at home, take some time to observe how you are really spending your time. Uncover when you get the best results — what time of day and the circumstances. Sometimes the tasks we think take most of our time and focus require less effort. And some of the things we think are helping us be more productive waste our time. You may find you can now get more done in a shorter amount of time than you could in the office.

Divide the Day Into Chunks: Create blocks of time during which you will complete specific tasks. Concentrating on one thing at a time during a set window is a more productive strategy than multitasking. And once you check something off your list, you will feel good — another productivity booster.

■

Take More Breaks: No matter how you set up your workspace, be sure to protect your body by taking frequent breaks. Ideally, take a 15-minute break every 90 minutes. Stand up and do some stretches, take a quick walk through your house, or step outside for some fresh air. Prevent eye strain with the 20-20-20 rule: look away from your screen every 20 minutes and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

■

Practice Extra Self-Care: Taking care of your body, mind, and spirit is always important; now, it is essential. That means eating as well as possible, drinking plenty of water, and getting plenty of sleep and exercise. Rest your mind with a good book or movie, listen to an inspiring podcast, and take breaks from watching the news. This is an ideal time to take on a creative hobby, start a journal, or develop a meditation practice. One of the best stress relievers is focusing on what you can do for other people — donate to a charity, offer advice to a friend, or volunteer for a cause you support.

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Access and Security: If you need to connect to your work computer from home or if your IT team needs to help you from afar, you’ll benefit from remote desktop software, such as Microsoft Remote Desktop, Apple Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, or SplashTop. It is also a good idea to improve security with software that encrypts passwords, such as 1password, and connections, like NordVPN.

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Real-Time Communication: Use messaging apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams to stay in touch with your colleagues. If your contacts are using a variety of different messaging platforms, try connecting them through Mio to streamline your workflow.

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Video Conferencing: Seeing other people’s faces will keep you from feeling isolated, clarify emails or chats, and boost collaboration. Some options work best for one-on-one conversations and others for group chats, so consider those as you make your choice. Look into Zoom, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, and Messenger Rooms.

■

Project Management: Web-based tools like Monday, Basecamp, and Asana make it easy to collaborate, schedule, and assign tasks and track the progress of projects. For sharing documents, GoogleDocs, Basecamp, and Dropbox are especially useful, while DocuSign make digital signing a breeze and Harvest simplifies invoicing,

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Interview with Teddi Mellencamp Teddi Mellencamp of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Her Thriving Health and Fitness Company, Giving Birth During Quarantine, and More By Shannah Henderson

F E AT U R E

ou may recognize Teddi Mellencamp as one of the stars of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but the popular TV personality is also a savvy entrepreneur! When she’s not getting into all the fun shenanigans with her reality show costars, Mellencamp also runs a thriving health and fitness company called ALL IN by Teddi. On top of all this, she just gave birth to her third child before the COVID-19 quarantine hit! Home Business Magazine recently caught up with Mellencamp and got the exclusive inside on the inspiration behind ALL IN by Teddi and how she balances work with her motherhood duties. She also shared one of her favorite experiences on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and gave tips to other mompreneurs! HBM: You run a thriving health and fitness company, ALL IN by Teddi. Can you tell us about it?

IN is different in that “theALLapproach is all about accountability. ” – Teddi Mellencamp

TM: “ALL IN is different in that the approach is all about accountability. You can join a gym or buy all the healthy foods out there— but many people falter or slip back into bad habits because there’s nothing or nobody holding them accountable to their goals. That’s where we step in.” HBM: What inspired you to found your company? Has fitness always been a major part of your life? TM: “I have struggled with my weight my whole life. But it was after having my second child and realizing I just wasn’t comfortable in my own skin that I knew I had to make a change. Once I made the change, so many positives happened in my life, resulting in me wanting to help others find those same positive shifts.” HBM: You recently gave birth to your third child. Congratulations! How have you been able to balance everything you have going on?

“

You know, it’s getting up each day and organizing a calendar for the family and also giving yourself grace when things don’t go exactly to plan.

”

– Teddi Mellencamp “Once I made the change, so many positives happened in my life, resulting in me wanting to help others find those same positive shifts.” – Teddi Mellencamp 16

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

“Listen to your gut and never change your mission statement, because if you are passionate about it and believe in it, you’ll commit to it.” – Teddi Mellencamp

TM: “Thank you! Well, bringing home a new baby in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic certainly changes how you approach things! You know, it’s getting up each day and organizing a calendar for the family and also giving yourself grace when things don’t go exactly to plan.” HBM: What tips do you have for other moms who want to launch their own businesses? TM: “Listen to your gut and never change your mission statement, because if you are passionate about it and believe in it, you’ll commit to it.” HBM: What is one thing people should know about being in the entertainment industry? TM: “I recently released my own journal I designed, the ALL IN Daily Journal. I’m also working on a book, additional retreats once it’s safe again, and some other fun surprises.” Shannah Henderson has been the Lifestyle Editor for Home Business Magazine for the last 5+ years. A graduate of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, she writes about entrepreneurial success stories, home office essentials, celebrity lifestyle pieces, and more. Contact: shannahch@gmail.com

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Summer 2020 | Home Business

ÂŽ

10 Small Business Ideas Consider These for Summer 2020 By Laura May

3. Streaming

ummer is lurking just over the horizon, almost ready to make parasol sellers very happy. With every seasonal shift comes a reminder of the possibilities of life. If you feel stuck in a rut, you must not get too downcast, because reinvention is closer than you think. You can feed off the energy and vibrancy of summer and parlay it into great success — and what avenue could be more satisfying than starting your own small business?

Of course, I can’t really avoid touching upon the other big change to the outside world: that being the relative dearth of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic keeping them indoors in an effort to slow the rate of infection and save lives. It does not look likely that things will be back to normal by the time summer arrives, so I can hardly recommend ideas that will not work then. Consequently, I am going to set out 10 business ideas that you can consider for summer this year even if the pandemic refuses to relinquish its grip on the structure of our lives. Here we go: 1. Copywriting

Businesses need copy now more than ever before. Aware that people across the world are looking to the online world for entertainment and education, they are all hard at work putting out blog content, website updates, and new product descriptions. The more attention they can get, the better they can do in these trying circumstances. Many of the businesses are used to being quite casual about content production, though, and are not sure how to meet demand. That is where you can enter the picture if you have copywriting skills. You can respond to freelance placements or just reach out to brands you think you could help, offering up suggestions for how you would get their content seen. If you have a laptop (or a desktop, of course), then you have what you need to try: And rates vary wildly, so you can either power through

You are presumably aware that people often run live streams through YouTube, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Twitch streaming has seen explosive growth in recent years, and current events are making it even bigger. People throughout the world while away the hours watching their favorite streamers — and you could be one of those streamers.

Podcasting has turned into a huge industry, with top podcasts getting massive numbers of listens every week.

Yes, it’s dominated by esports, particularly now that most regular sports leagues have shut down, but you don’t have to take that route. If you lack gaming skills, you can just do something else. Talk to people, draw, comment on the news: Pretty much anything can be viable if you can make it entertaining, and that is about your personality in the end.

some easy work (500-word posts, etc.) or focus on taking tougher assignments and really impressing with your work.

Money can be made through channel advertising and sponsorships, but you can also just accept subscriptions and donations. If you have a webcam, a good microphone, and a decent computer that can handle streaming HD video, then you can do streaming.

2. Podcasting

4. Blogging

Have you ever been told you have a voice for radio, and filed that notion in the back of your mind with a label of “Hmm, one day”? If so, this might be the day for you to turn it into a reality… except not exactly, because it is not radio that I am recommending: It is podcasting. Podcasting has turned into a huge industry, with top podcasts getting massive numbers of listens every week.

This is distinct from copywriting because you are not writing for another brand or website: You are writing for your personal brand. You are building up your website through targeting an audience fitting your interests and areas of expertise. Right now people are eager to exchange stories so they can feel less alone, and reading blogs can be extremely comforting.

The reason why it’s become such a viable business (and considered one of the top side hustles) is that it’s cheap, accessible, creatively flexible, and an excellent fit for monetization methods. Regarding cost, consider that a microphone that is good enough for recording podcasts is not expensive, and — again — a decent laptop can do everything else when it comes to production. Plenty of businesses advertise through podcasts because podcast ads are harder to skip. The ads are less irritating, for the most part, making it less likely that people will try to skip them.

It is also ridiculously easy to host a blog. Just cover the meager cost of the domain and hosting, and that is it. You do not even need a microphone. Just talk about what you care about, get active on social media to share your posts, and try to attract some followers. (If your blogs are good, and you write about timely issues, then you should be able to get somewhere.) Monetization comes down to allowing ads, taking sponsorships, and/or accepting Continued on page 20

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10 Small Business Ideas Consider These for Summer 2020 Continued from page 18

donations, so blogging is the same general idea as with podcasting or streaming.

By going directly to a wholesale supplier, you can get the necessary supplies in bulk: Then it is just a matter of taking orders, baking the goods, and shipping them out in sterilized containers for safety.

5. Hosting Events

Physical events are out of the question, so people are turning to virtual events working through video conferencing: everything from pub quizzes to cocktail evenings. Why not turn your hand at hosting such events? It is a new concept, so you could take it in whichever direction you wanted: Plan activities, have refreshments delivered to the participants, give speeches, etc. What would you charge? How would you sell it? You would need to treat it like a relative frivolity, accepting that you would not make huge amounts. Put on some excellent events, though, and the resulting recommendations would help you raise your rates, so there’s real potential. 6. Making Games

I am talking about regular games such as board games, quiz games, and card games — games that families stuck in lockdown together can play to pass the time. If you can make your games playable online, of course, then so much the better. You could come up with a great concept and partner with a developer to get it made. Alternatively, you could create a version that people could play with things they are likely to already have standard playing cards, for instance. How would you make money there? Well, you could produce a printed version that you could sell online. (If you kept the game relatively simple then it wouldn’t be too hard to find a printon-demand service like The Game Crafter to do it.) You could also just sell a booklet (printed or digital) with all the instructions and some additional gameplay ideas. 7. Graphic Design

Art really helps people get through stressful circumstances, and there are a lot of artists sharing their work (through social media in particular). If you have some artistic talent, you could get involved by taking commissions to do 20

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9. Helping with IT

Think about all the people now stuck at home who lack basic IT skills. There are not as many as there used to be, certainly, but it is still true that plenty of people do not know much about tech outside of their smartphones and TVs. You could help with that by providing a support service.

Plenty of people who like to have fun with carpentry in their spare time could now do well by going professional.

artwork. Other people starting small businesses might want logos, site mockups, or even artistic headshots done. You probably will not make a lot of money this way, but you might end up working on art to pass the time anyway, so why not profit from it if you can? 8. Selling Food

The food industry is under a lot of strain now. Supply chains have encountered problems, and the panic buying that accompanied the early hysteria has yet to go away entirely. Some people are doing alright, while others have lost their jobs, but they all need to eat. If you have ever thought about selling your cooking, now’s your chance. The simplest approach would be to sell baked goods: brownies, cakes, pastries, and other delicious snack foods. You might wonder how you would get the ingredients (flour shelves are stripped bare everywhere), but the problem is not a lack of supply: It is an inability to package the flour quickly enough.

You could run it through email, social media, telephone, VoIP, or text messaging, depending on what people wanted. You could end up helping someone get their email account configured, plug in a new gaming console, or even order online shopping. 10. Carpentry

As the weather gets even better, people fortunate enough to have outdoor space will want to make the most of it, but many of them do not have suitable furniture. Even if you do not have outdoor space, you only need wood, nails, and tools to start building furniture to sell. Plenty of people who like to have fun with carpentry in their spare time could now do well by going professional. You can also sell indoor furniture to those who are taking the opportunity to work on their homes. Ebay is a good platform to use: Find a suitable shipping service, wrap everything up securely, and it should work out fine. There you have it: 10 ideas for starting a small business this summer, even amid a pandemic. Business has changed in recent weeks, but there are still opportunities out there, so why not be optimistic and take advantage of them? Laura May is Digital Editor at Just Another Magazine. They write about beauty, fashion, lifestyle, relationships, travel, trends and anything else that matters to you. Name throwing you off? Don’t take it too seriously – they intend to stand out from the crowd. Visit https://www.justanothermagazine.com.

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SUCCESS STORIES

Filling Customers with Good Vibes Company Creates Jewelry Stamped with Uplifting & Empowering Mantras By Jennifer Uy

ind your mantra. That's the mission of Aysel Gunar, author, entrepreneur, and the founder of successful jewelry brand MantraBand. Inspired by her first child who was two years old at the time, Gunar started MantraBand in 2012 to remind herself to be more present and to live in the moment as her son did. With uplifting and empowering mantras like "Live in the Moment", "One Day at a Time", and "Enjoy the Journey" stamped on chic and timeless bracelets, necklaces, and rings, this collection of jewelry is meant to promote a lifestyle of optimism, positivity, and mindfulness. Since then, the company has grown to include over 150 messages meant to encourage and empower every day. “Our pieces serve as gentle reminders of what’s important to the wearer. If you find yourself falling into negative thinking patterns, looking at a MantraBand with the message ‘Choose Joy’ can remind you that, often, choosing how you feel is in your hands.

Or, when you want to make an effort to be more present in your life, a reminder that says ‘Live In The Moment’ or ‘Be Here Now’ can help bring you back to the present moment,” says Gunar. Born and raised in Azerbaijan, Gunar speaks four languages and understands the power of words to empower, encourage, and enhance life. MantraBand bracelets are sold in more than 2,000 stores internationally and nationwide. The brand has been featured on Good Morning America, Woman’s World, Elle, Allure, PopSugar, and many more! Not only does MantraBand fill you with good vibes, the company gives back in a major way. As a member of 1% For The Planet, the company donates at least 1% of annual sales to non-profit organizations that work to protect, preserve, and restore the natural environment. The company’s CharityBands® line of bracelets supports charities that create a positive impact on women’s and children’s issues like Alex’s

Aysel Gunar, Founder of MantraBand

Lemonade Stand Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, The Breast Cancer Research Fund, The American Heart Association, and more. MantraBand is in San Clemente, CA. They can be found at www.mantraband.com and are also sold on Amazon as well as select stores. You can also follow the brand on Instagram at Instagram.com/mantraband or on Facebook at facebook.com/mantrabands.

A Backpacking Ephiphany Entrepreneur Brings Unparalleled Function and Flavor to the Outdoors in His Spare Time By Jacqui Somen

ntrepreneur Vince Roubichaud is the founder of Trailtopia, an adventure food company. He also works full time in vendor contracts for a large healthcare company. A perpetually curious person, he enjoys the challenge of building a business from home in his spare time. Over the years, Vince has worked in a few industries from chemical manufacturing to healthcare technology, but cooking and adventure are his true passions. Vince has been the honorary cook for his adventures for as long as he can remember, but in 2013 one moment catapulted him into entrepreneurship. One night on a backpacking trip in the Sawtooth Mountains, his crew was sitting around the campfire raving about his home cooked backpacking meals. They were enjoying their meals so much; they began to persuade him to start his own company. Vince joked, “If you come up with a name, I’ll

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

do it.” His son threw out Trailtopia, it was a campfire consensus, and that was that. When Vince launched Trailtopia, two things mattered: 1. The food must taste great; and 2. The bags must be designed exceptionally. In 2014, after months of development, the company released two categories of adventure foods — ramens and oatmeals. The company continues to place thoughtful care into ingredient sourcing, recipes, and packaging, and all three must meet Vince’s high standards. Since then, Vince has navigated shifting from a one-man show in the kitchen cooking for friends to a nationally recognized brand that inspires adventure. Vince and his family bought a plant eight miles from his family home in Byron, Minnesota and renovated it on their own. To this day, his family members help out whenever they can, whether it is

Vince Roubichaud, Founder of Trailtopia

Vince running the show after hours, or his children helping out with the website, with marketing materials, or in the plant. Today, Trailtopia offers 34 different meals for the outdoor adventure lover. The company makes breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts that can be cooked and eaten in the bag. Trailtopia offers gluten-free and vegetarian options. Each package is color coded for easy grabbing out of a pack or dry bag. Despite his busy schedule, Vince is still hands-on with every bag of Trailtopia that gets sent out and for now, he would not have it any other way. Visit https://www.trailtopia.com. www.homebusinessmag.com

Creating the Change Needed SUCCESS STORIES

Consultant Advocates for Black Professionals Experiencing Biases at Work By Priya Sharma

ihle Bolani’s incredible life journey and her work for the empowerment of Black professional women are inspiring. Prior to starting her own business, Sihle worked as a senior communications manager at one of the top banks in South Africa. Her work included Public Relations, Media Relations, Internal Communications, and Employee Engagement. Sihle was 32 years old when she was forced to leave her corporate job, which she describes as toxic — with no back-up plan. While Sihle had always wanted to start her own business, she was not expecting this departure from her corporate job to happen so soon; however, when life gave her this opportunity, Sihle accepted it optimistically and became victorious. She says, “What has been the most interesting part of my journey is how embracing this new chapter and trusting the process have opened me up to work I never imagined I would be doing.”

“

Passion and purpose had the perfect intersection, so I get to do work that fulfills me and not have to worry about money.

”

– Sihle Bolani

Today, Sihle Bolani runs her own consultancy brand. She is a workplace transformation specialist, strategist, facilitator, and advocate for the equality of Black professionals who are www.homebusinessmag.com

often suppressed in the corporate ladder. Sihle has made it her life journey and mission to fight for equity and equality in the workplace. Sihle is also the author of the book We Are The Ones We Need: The War on Black Professionals in Corporate South Africa that delves into the challenges faced by Black professionals in South Africa’s corporate environment. Sihle describes herself as focused and attentive to detail. She prides herself on having a high work ethic and an ability to see the big picture without losing focus on detail that matters. She is passionate about her advocacy for Black professionals — Black women in particular. Through her work, she seeks to upskill Black professional women and helps to create healthy work environments conducive to their success and mental health. Sihle utilizes a few platforms to create and share content that is relevant and engaging for her target audience. She runs a community for Black professionals (www.workingwhileblack.co.za) that aims to transform the corporate world through knowledge sharing, career tips, labor law explanations, and more. Her Podcasts (The Workplace Revolution on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Anchor) talk about the Black experiences in the workplace. She also has a YouTube channel (The Epilogue with Sihle Bolani) that covers topics, trends, opportunities, and challenges faced by Black professionals. Apart from that, Sihle is also active on Twitter (@SihleBolani_/@workwhileblack/) and Instagram (@sihlebolani @workwhileblack @konnektedblackwomen/). Through these platforms, she aims to create the content that addresses the challenges of her audience and sparks conversations that enable them to connect with others and form communities. “My consistency is what has helped expand my reach and impact. My background and experience in marketing, PR, and communications play major roles in assisting me with identifying suitable platforms and key messages to promote my work, my expertise, and my

Sihle Bolani runs her own consultancy brand.

brand,” says Sihle. Her brand primarily targets Black professional women, moms, Black professionals, and corporates. Within these audiences are the intersections of parenting, identity, equality, etc. Sihle believes that her best achievement is being able to identify a space that enables her to make money whilst doing meaningful work that benefits others. She says, “Passion and purpose had the perfect intersection, so I get to do work that fulfills me and not have to worry about money.” According to Sihle, flexibility and owning her time are some of the biggest advantages of working from home. Since she is a single mother, working from home lets her be available for, and be accessible to, her daughter. Also, she likes saving time by not being stuck in traffic and saving money on gas. Sihle says that the other advantage is being able to walk away from her computer when she is tired or frustrated. Sihle says, “By working from home, I’ve been able to prioritize selfcare, and that makes a huge difference in my mental health and general wellbeing.” Sihle has a very positive outlook for the future of her consultancy brand. In the next three years, she envisions growing her business to the international level and with a remote team. She says that she believes in harnessing technology and focusing on impact and outcomes rather than traditional team and team management principles. Visit www.sihlebolani.com.

Summer 2020 | Home Business

BUSINESSES & OPPORTUNITIES

Grow Your Remote Business Try These 7 Smart Tips By Melissa Johnson, Content Strategist at Merchant Maverick

o, you have launched your remote business. You have landed a few customers — you might even say you are seeing a steady stream of business. But now you have hit a plateau, and it is time for the next steps: You need some actual growth. Before You Plan To Expand, Get Back to Basics One of the most difficult challenges a business can face is too much growth, too quickly, without the infrastructure to support the increased strain on your current systems and processes. So, before you start planning the expansion of your empire, get your own (proverbial) house in order. Use Business Data to Identify Your Pain Points Are you a solopreneur spending half of your day dealing with admin tasks that an assistant could be handling? If so, the easiest path to growth might be hiring someone. But for other businesses, figuring out what is holding you back might not be so easy. This is why business data is so crucial. Every business is unique, so your job is to figure out which metrics matter most. For an eCommerce business, what is the rate of cart abandonment? For service businesses, how many clients are repeat customers versus one-time customers? Looking at these numbers can help you figure out why your business is struggling to grow and inform the strategies you use moving forward. Check Your Cash Flow & Budgeting Realistically, how much extra money do you have to invest in a solution? How stable is your

…before you “ start planning the

expansion of your empire, get your own (proverbial) house in order. ” 24

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cash flow? If your business is closer to failing than hitting a plateau, should you consider a business credit card or a line of credit to help offset those expenses? Be mindful of your cash flow and the amount of debt you can take on. You should also have a timeline of when you expect to see your investment pay off. Depending on how you choose to invest your money, those expenses may be taxdeductible. Small business owners can write off operational costs such as marketing, research & development, home office space, and employee or contractor wages. Set Your Goals By now you have examined the data. You have looked at your finances. Hopefully, you have at least an inkling of what you might be holding you back. Now it is time to set some goals to work toward. Make sure that you choose an achievable goal and indicate how you will measure success — and in what time frame. “Grow my business” is incredibly vague. “Boost client retention by 30% in 6 months” is a lot more specific. 7 Smart Tips to Help Grow Your Business You have got ideas. You have got goals. Time to dig down into specific tactics you can use to achieve those goals. Try one (or more) of these tips to kickstart your business, attract new customers, keep current clients, and see that longed-for growth! 1. Revamp Your Internet Presence A professional web presence is essential to any business, but for remote businesses without a storefront, it is especially important. If you know your site is lackluster but aren’t sure what to do about it, it might be worthwhile to consider hiring an SEO expert to consult with you and create some strategies to improve your site, revitalize your content strategy, and even identify some new opportunities. 2. Be Authentic You might think of yourself as a company that offers a particular good or service, but to your customers, you are probably more than that — your business is part of a lifestyle, a solution

Try these tips to kickstart your business, attract new customers, keep current clients, and see that longed-for growth!

Consider hiring an “ SEO expert to consult

with you and create some strategies to improve your site, revitalize your content strategy, and even identify some new opportunities.”

to a problem. And that means your content marketing cannot just be sales pitches. Peter Daisyme, the co-founder of Hostt, recommends a more authentic approach. “Instead, double down on the parts of your company that your current customers already love. Promote content on social media that doesn’t lead people to sales but does make them feel a deeper connection to the brand.” 3. Ramp Up Your Email Marketing Do you have an email marketing list? If you do, you are already on the right track. If you do not, there are plenty of free and low-cost email marketing options out there. You should Continued on page 26 www.homebusinessmag.com

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BUSINESSES & OPPORTUNITIES

Grow Your Remote Business Continued from page 24

definitely get one started because there are a lot of powerful content marketing initiatives you can implement with email! Learning to use segmentation is the key to successful email marketing. With it, you can send targeted offers and reminders to your regular customers, or you can recommend a particular product or service to customers who have bought something else that is related. You can even keep a list of subscribers who have not bought from you yet and send the right offer when it is time! 4. Implement A Referral Program Loyal customers are essential for any business. You can tap into that loyalty to acquire new clients by implementing a referral program. There are many ways to go about it, but the important thing for a business owner is to make sure that your program is trackable — you should be able to measure just how effective the referrals have been. How many new customers have you acquired through those referrals? How many became repeat customers? Was one particular customer giving you more referrals than others? 5. Fight Back Against Cart Abandonment If you run an eCommerce business, specifically, cart abandonment might be a major reason for stalled growth. The exact damage depends on which study you look at, but the overall consensus is that recapturing even a portion of those sales can result in a noteworthy uptick in sales. Check with the shopping cart provider you currently use to see what cart abandonment tools are available. If there are not any, it is probably time to switch providers.

Is It Time To Hire Some Help?

aybe your remote business is just a one-person operation. Maybe it is a small team spread all over the world. But in either case, you’re going to reach a point at which you need to add another person to the mix, whether it’s to deal with customer service, manage admin tasks, or create content that’s going to attract and keep customers coming back to you. It is a big decision to make, and potentially a costly one. A bad hire (or a series of bad hires) can cost a business a lot more money in the long run. But you also need to consider whether your budget allows for a new hire and whether their contributions would ultimately have a positive impact on your bottom line. There are other considerations, too. Hiring a contractor to start out is a much lower risk than hiring an employee and requires less paperwork and onboarding. If your business is currently a one-person enterprise, hiring a contractor might be

6. Introduce New Products or Services One potential way to expand your business is just to expand the line of products and services you offer. You should tread carefully and do your research before deciding what, if any, products or services to add to your lineup. Talk to your clients. What do they have a need for? What gaps exist in the market? Consider secondary uses of your products and services, as well. You might think your business does one thing, but your customers may have found workarounds and novel solutions to their business problems with your offerings. Talking to them and identifying those uses could attract more customers and sales.

Look at your business data to find pain points and opportunities for improvement, and then you can evaluate what you can afford to invest in to achieve your goals. 26

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7. Test Pricing Strategies Pricing might seem straightforward. You set a rate that is (hopefully) enough to cover your overhead and pay you a wage. If people buy, you have set the correct price, right? Unfortunately, no. Psychological pricing is the term used to describe setting prices in a way that will appeal

the easiest route; you can always bring them on as an employee if everything goes well! Whether you go the employee or contractor route, the single most important thing is finding the right person. They should have the requisite skill sets, but more importantly, the right attitude for your business. Speaker and strategic adviser Gene Hammett recommends that plateaued businesses rethink their hiring processes. Instead of looking for just technical skills, you should seek someone with high emotional intelligence and empathy. If you are adding a new hire to an existing team, this can ensure that there is less friction. In the case of a remote business, this also means you will need someone who is able to deal with the communication hurdles that emerge from not being able to read body language on a business call. Your new hire will have to be highly motivated and independent, capable of working with minimal oversight.

to customers. It encompasses everything from the actual dollars and cents to techniques such as offering comparison pricing or multiple service tiers or plans. It is a topic that requires some careful research, but it is potentially a way to increase sales. QuickSprout has a helpful primer on the basic do’s and don’ts of psychological pricing to get you started. Conclusion There is no single path to expanding a business. The right choice requires a careful look at your business data to find pain points and opportunities for improvement, and then you can evaluate what you can afford to invest in to achieve your goals. As long as you move ahead with data and a plan to monitor and measure the effectiveness of your tactics, you will be on the right track! Melissa Johnson is a content strategist for MerchantMaverick.com, a website specializing in resources for small businesses. She has spent the last 5 years helping business owners stay informed on essential topics and find the best resources for their companies.

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SUCCESS STORIES

Offering That Personal Touch Former Olympic Trainee Creates a Gym Where Trainers and Clients Excel By Ivy Marie

ard work on a farm in Iowa — that is what Tom Green, former Olympic trainee and now founder and owner of GreenSpeed Training Facility, attributes his success to as one of the top coaches and personal trainers in Chula Vista, California. Green may be more than a thousand miles away from his hometown of Hornick, Iowa, but he has carried his Midwest values with him all through his life, from being a star high school athlete that led to his stellar college career as one of the top sprinters at the University of South Dakota. That further led to his training days for the 2004 Olympics in track and field. Today, he now coaches a variety of clients, including professional athletes, rising high school stars, and anyone who is just looking to improve themselves.

“I had worked out of a variety of gyms from 2004 to 2015, but my client base and their needs for sports performance training outgrew the space I was in at the time,” said Green. “I made the risky and uncomfortable decision to leave where I was ‘comfortable’ and create my own vision for a dream gym where personal trainers and our clients could excel. The GreenSpeed Training Facility was founded in 2015, and it's been the greatest decision of my personal training and coaching career.” GreenSpeed Training Facility is different than typical gyms. Instead of the “free gym” concept, Green and his crew of personal trainers have 28

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

My passion is helping “ people achieve success while creating priceless memories and opportunities with these amazing people. — Tom Green

”

catered and detailed routines for each client. “We offer private training and also small group training options. The youngest client is seven years old, and the oldest is seventy,” said Green. Depending on client goals, what makes his gym different than others is the personal touch that each client receives. There is a focus on all aspects of the fitness industry including strength, speed, power, agility, flexibility, overall athleticism, fitness, and weight loss. “We focus on mental discipline, injury prevention, nutrition, and physical therapy, too. We also have access to the best chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists, and a variety of doctors,” said Green. While Green’s business is a popular and wellknown gym that attracts clients from the entire San Diego area, he still stays grounded and mindful of where his success comes from. “Growing up on a hardworking Iowa farm was a major influence on my athletic background. My parents and grandparents are incredible role models, and they continue to inspire me every day,” said Green. “They taught me at a very young age how important persistence, consistent hard work, and attention to detail are in earning success. Now, many of those principles are what I instill into each of my clients. I give them a lot of tough love, but it is done with a twinkle in my eye, and clients appreciate it. My passion is helping people achieve success while creating priceless memories and opportunities with these amazing people,” further explained Green. Even with the solid framework that helped him build his business, Green also acknowledges that there are both ups and downs. “The pros of owning my own business include having the freedom to create a facility where trainers

Tom Green, Founder and Owner of GreenSpeed Training Facility

and our clients can call a second home. I have worked incredibly hard at creating an atmosphere that is designed around hard work yet is also very warm, unique, inviting, and comfortable. Most of our clients call GreenSpeed their ‘safe space.’ Hearing this is incredibly fulfilling,” said Green. “The cons of owning a business are that there's the usual financial risk, like the current COVID-19 situation we are in, time commitments required to keep a business running smoothly, and the expense of keeping equipment up-to-date. But I have such passion for what I have created that the benefits far outweigh any negatives that come along with owning a business. My favorite part of business is being directly involved with such a wide variety of people within the San Diego community. Being around such distinct personalities, goals, and backgrounds has been a priceless adventure. And I am truly honored to play a role in each of their lives,” said Green. Green encourages those who are starting their own business, whether it is a gym or something else, to follow a passion. “Truly ask yourself what you are passionate about, then attack it with 100% effort. Know what you’re good at; work in an environment that you are interested in for a few years to understand the business and how it functions with its customers/clients; and network with people in your chosen area of interest. Understand the politics and finances needed to be successful. Start small and grow each year,” advised Green. Visit https://www.greenspeedtraining.com. www.homebusinessmag.com

Following Her Dream By Yarden Ben

arden Konki, the founder of Breast Couture, set out to create a chic line of breastfeeding covers when there was nothing like them on the market as a new, breastfeeding mother. As an exclusively breastfeeding mother, she often had to take her baby with her to events (weddings, business meetings, birthday parties) and was often embarrassed by her bland nursing cover. As a woman who appreciates style and enjoys dressing up for the occasion, she needed a nursing cover that felt like more of a fashion accessory instead of a “tablecloth” after breastfeeding approximately every 3 hours. She realized that most mom products available were boring, unflattering, and did not cater to what moms these days have evolved into: fashion-forward, career-oriented, powerhouses. The idea of Breast Couture was born when Yarden was forced to pull out a shabby,

unflattering cover at a black tie event. She quickly turned the idea of creating fashionable nursing covers that were both beautiful and practical into a reality. She quickly began learning about all of the most important steps involved in starting one’s own business. Today, only six months after its launch, Breast Couture has: appeared in its first retail store, Juvenile Shop, and in popup shops such as Potterybarn Kids; sold numerous covers through an online website that Yarden built herself; and collaborated with top Instagram mom influencers. All fabrics and covers are handmade in Los Angeles, CA. They are made in small batches and all the materials used are purchased from small local vendors, because Yarden is a big believer in supporting local businesses. Breast Couture also donates a percentage of its net revenue every quarter to different nonprofit organizations that support women and

Yarden Konki, Founder of Breast Couture

children, such as one of her personal favorites, Elizabeth House. Yarden’s goal is to truly empower breastfeeding moms and women everywhere. She believes that the smallest things can make the biggest differences in general and in motherhood. “It’s like having your nails done. It just gives you that extra feeling of sophistication and femininity.”

SUCCESS STORIES

Business Owner’s Products Empower Breastfeeding Moms and Women Everywhere

With a background in sales and marketing, Yarden has worked for her family business for about 10 years and was always wanting to branch off and pursue her own passions. She looked to other entrepreneurs and mompreneurs for inspiration and courage to “just do it” and follow her dream. Visit https://www.breastcouture.com.

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MARKETING & SALES

Create Connected Experiences with a Compelling Story Every Business Is Driving Towards “Connected Marketing” By Jennifer Fortney

ovid-19 certainly threw us all one major curveball. In fact, it led to many more individuals entering the gig economy or launching a business out of their homes, and because of this there seem to be more complexities in marketing and growing a business today. One thing is clear: To be successful, no matter your work-from-home situation, you need to sell. And, you sell through telling your compelling story clearly, concisely, and very well across every relevant marketing platform to get consumers to feel something. Times have changed. Business owners need to be agile and flexible to make the shift into a new world. It feels like there is more clutter to cut through, and there is, but marketing has not changed all that much. It is simply continuing its path towards more authentic experiences. Whether you’re an online tutor, a photographer, an online retail store owner, a creator of oneof-a-kind products for Etsy, a consultant, or a content creator, this year business owners are being compelled to really understand their businesses and how to build meaningful connections with customers in order to communicate, engage, and participate with them, and to drive sales.

…you sell through “ telling your compelling

story clearly, concisely, and very well across every relevant marketing platform to get consumers to feel something.

”

What the future of marketing, looks like Social distancing left people craving more meaningful connections and relationships with others who they felt cut off from, and the companies with which they do business. Technology built for companies began seeing 30

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

increased use and demand from consumers as ways to fill in those voids. Video conferencing will become a fixture for doing business and selling — business with clients and prospects, clients with their vendors, and vendors with their clients. You are going to have to get comfortable with technology and presenting and selling yourself and the story of your business, product, or service on video calls. After months of feeling disconnected, relationships are more important than ever before in marketing. And, while relationships always really been key, we are now able to have closer, more casual relationships, which means connecting needs to be authentic. This happens through powerful storytelling and building an emotional connection to your business, product, or service. This has always been growing significantly in the past decade, and now we will see a real movement toward consumer spending choices having more meaning, which means that every business is going to be driven towards more meaningful marketing. So how do you do this? The basics always hold true…and small business does it best. Know your business and its audience, intimately Believe it or not, I run into several business owners who think they know their businesses, but do not really know them, the industry, the trends, or the competition. And because of this, they seem unable to clearly define their audiences. Doing research on your industry is marketing 101, and every business owner should do it right away. Without knowing your market or current trends (market and consumer desires), how do you know whether there is competition or how to differentiate and separate your business to stand out? How can you define your audience and know whether you will meet its needs? You may learn, after some due diligence, that your customer base is much narrower (even a niche) than expected, or that it is much broader with several different approaches to communicate your business.

After months of feeling disconnected, relationships are more important than ever before in marketing.

Either way, get to know your business and audience intimately. It will determine all your marketing and most importantly your story. Define the “WHY” of your business Today, people are looking for meaning when choosing where to put their money. That means that you need to tell them “why” they should spend it with you. How is it going to be a meaningful experience for them? Why is it meaningful to their audiences? Take a moment and consider “why” you started your business. If you say you did it to make extra income or support your family, that’s really great and true for all people; however, your “why” must differentiate you to develop a powerful and compelling story that truly connects your customers with your business. While some products and business are differentiated by benefits and features, the real narrative lies in the problem you saw and the solution you created. Define why your product or service is so different and better? Maybe this means defining why you are so unique, as the face of your service-based business. Why is your business going to change people’s lives, make lives easier Continued on page 32 www.homebusinessmag.com

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Summer 2020 | Home Business

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MARKETING & SALES

Create Connected Experiences Continued from page 30

and better, or even make the world a better place? Why are your customers going to care? Defining the “why”, your story, is the #1 key to your marketing success. It should invoke emotion that resonates through words and graphics as you build community. Even if you are not an expert marketer, you can learn to tell your story in a way that resonates with people. And, in marketing, that is what matters most. Be authentic in your message Authenticity matters more today than ever before. Consumers have been surfing through Facebook for months. They can see through messages and marketing that feels wrong, like companies that used Covid-19 for their own purposes and gain, and we all saw it. #Fail The benefit of being a small business is your ability to be real and genuine and not have to run messaging through corporate marketing or attorneys to approve. You can really be, just you. And, therefore so many small and homebased businesses thrive. It is because they are not so far away from their customers to know how to connect with them in an authentic way that really matters, building real loyalty. And, when you are authentic, you have an easier time building a community around your business.

Build a Plan. Work the Plan.

ot enough time in the day? You know what they say: Failing to plan is a plan to fail. I am a professional, and I create plans of execution for every client, so why wouldn’t you? Make a list of all the tools available to reach your specific audience. Then, prioritize them. Write messaging for each — not every audience/demographic will respond positively to the same message. Not every marketing tool works with the same message. Do not stress. Chances are good your target demographic requires a message that will only work on the platform that matters to them most. Dedicate days for marketing. For instance, “Marketing Monday”. Typically, people try to get back into the swing on Mondays and often have freedom to focus on marketing tactics for the week, such as scheduling social media posts or creating a campaign (a plan) for an upcoming promotion. Pick a day for writing blog posts. Master your SEO. It is all about content — descriptive copy written authentically with

Tell your authentic story and build a community Social distancing has made a lot of consumers more aware of the community they crave. It is human nature to want to be part of a group and even part of something bigger, where we can build meaningful connections with others and even businesses.

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

Social media is FREE. Use it. Take time to learn one social tool at a time. Remember that these tools are “social”, so do not be the guy at the party who talks about himself all night. Invite others into the conversation and share videos, memes, etc. relevant to your business. It is 80% pull content from other sources and 20% pushing your own messages and authentic conversations. This is how you engage people. Break out daily tactics to accomplish that are digestible and realistic to accomplish. Never put too much on yourself. Being optimistic is great but if you keep looking at a “To Do List” that is never done by the end of the week, you are left feeling disappointed and unproductive. You need a plan. Make the plan. Work the plan.

Instagram and personal trainer might favor YouTube or TikTok. Small business will always have the upper hand in “connected marketing”. We are not big enough to lose touch on connecting oneon-one with customers. I believe the ones who do this, and learn to do this well, will come out on top.

Tools like Facebook Groups make it easy to share your story, test it, and even tweak it to see what people engage with and what they do not. It takes some time and diligence, but ultimately, the goal is to build a community of loyal followers who not only support and engage with you but act as ambassadors sharing your business with their network. There are several tools out there to help you build a community with your audience. Facebook is not ideal for everyone. Accountants might find real opportunities on LinkedIn, whereas a photographer might prefer

search terms in mind. Then tie in your page and browser descriptions and never let your website content grow old. Make small tweaks to copy on your website each month and blog, at least once a month. This triggers search engines to say, “Hey, this is new,” which is its sole job — to bring people the most updated information on the information they seek.

Get to know your business and audience intimately. It will determine all your marketing and most importantly your story.

Consistently named one of the top 25 PR agencies in Chicago, Jennifer Fortney is President of Cascade Communications, a boutique, virtual Story Agency, and author of Pitched: A Simple DIY Guide to Public Relations for Small Businesses. In her 20+ year career in PR and marketing communications, she has worked with top Fortune 1000 and a wide variety of consumer lifestyle and entertainment small businesses and startups across the country and globally, generating millions of media impressions. A Journalism major from The University of Kansas, she worked cast, sports and in corporate PR agencies. She is a speaker, guest lecturer and was the PR Instructor at SCORE Chicago for 5 years. Jennifer was a regular contributor to NBCChicago.com “Inc. Well” blog, the Chicago Tribune and is an expert and contributor for several small business and startup media outlets. www.CascadeComms.com

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Adapting Your Home Business to the New Economy Five Home Business Owners Share How It Is Possible

MONEY

By Gerri Detweiler

t would seem natural for home-based businesses to have an edge these days. While other businesses scramble to work from home, they are already there. But that does not mean the work is still there. Just like other entrepreneurs, many are finding themselves having to change their businesses just as rapidly. Here, five home business owners share how they are adapting to this new and uncertain economy.

Leverage What (and Who) You Know

boutique fitness center, a country club, the Sarasota FL County school system, and the Sheriff ’s Department, along with community classes and a few private clients in their homes and hers. She was surprised at how quickly things changed — and by how quickly she was able to shift her business. “With the flip of a switch, I was no longer teaching in-person yoga sessions, private or group. I had to adapt quickly and move to teaching via Zoom and FaceTime,” she says.

Chris Chan is the founder and CEO of 3C Strategies, LLC based in Washington DC. Founded in 2017, 80% of the firm’s work is event planning, which ground to a halt in March 2020. Chan has worked to rapidly shift his business. He is doing more graphic design work as well as virtual events production. He has also tapped his network to get consulting work around the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He has also applied for COVID-relief funds for his business.

The transition to teaching online yoga from her home went better than expected. The fitness center, Sheriff ’s Department, and her community yoga classes continued online. She picked up new private clients. One couple said that thanks to techniques she taught them, they were sleeping better than they had in decades. Some group class clients said they felt more comfortable taking class from home, and others shared that they prefer the convenience of not having to drive to class.

Chan encourages other business owners to be strategic as they seek out new avenues of income. “Working smart is a priority now,” he says. “Don’t burn yourself or your bank account out by chasing phantom leads. Work on engaging your prior clients or ones that nearly pulled the trigger in the past. They are better opportunities for new business than just flooding google ads or social media advertising out to a broad audience.”

Nikirk did not expect such positive results, but they are likely to permanently transform her business. “I’m curious what the future will bring,” she muses. “Maybe a hybrid?”

Lesson: Build your network and do not be afraid to leverage it.

Be Willing to Stretch Stephanie Nikirk was living her dream, teaching yoga full-time for a year (StephanieNikirkYoga. com), when coronavirus hit. She had been dividing her time between teaching at a

your network “andBuild do not be afraid to leverage it.”

Lesson: Be open to new approaches for delivering your products and services.

Market Your Business Business owners often hear how important it is to work on their businesses and not just in their businesses. Marketing through content and social media, for example, can often be relegated to the back burner to make room for more pressing tasks. But for Jasmine Young, CEO and founder of a field-based accounting firm, Southern Tax Preparation & Services, in Atlanta, GA, making time to help her audience has led to phenomenal growth for her business. As a result of the coronavirus, she says, Southern Tax went from “providing education through the sale of our services to simply making education readily available to our audience through our social media platforms and online communities, email campaigns, and live video conferencing.” As a result, she says her firm has grossed 75%

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

For those business owners who navigate change successfully, the result can be stronger, more resilient businesses.

of its previous year gross income in the first quarter of 2020. “We plan to continue for the long-term to put more focus on providing readily-available education to our audience,” Young says. “Expanding our brand through digital transformation has proven to be growing our business’s social proof and bottom line.” Lesson: Make time for marketing and social media. There may never be a perfect time to start, so do what you can with what you have.

Be OK with Good Enough Before COVID-19, Shawn and Melissa Breyer and their home-based team would spend hours viewing, buying, and selling homes on site for their business Atlanta House Buyers. Now they are learning to rely on technology to help them both purchase and sell homes. Instead of an initial on-site visit, for example, they ask sellers to send pictures and videos of their properties. “We have a list of specific things we like to see in the video, such as the mechanicals, the kitchen, and the bathrooms.” It is a challenge, admits Shawn Breyer. “The biggest struggle with this approach is that most homeowners don't have the same experience with creating quality videography content. Their content tends to come out a little worse than we would like to really showcase the property.” The Breyers find themselves spending time walking sellers through the basics of setting up Google photos and uploading content. www.homebusinessmag.com

Despite the challenge, buyers are responding to online tours, as it allows them to filter through properties for sale without the risk of going out. Still, many want to see a property in person before they buy. “On properties where we cannot accommodate getting buyers into the properties, we have been seeing that those properties are harder to sell, and they sit on the market,” he notes.

Embrace Technology Running a dog breeding, boarding, and training facility is a hands-on business. After all, who does not want to play with puppies before they bring one home? But when Illinois went on lockdown, Cindy Kelly had to get creative. She’s the owner of Regis Regal German Shepherds, a small family-run business that breeds world-class German Shepherds and provides expert dog training and boarding on premises. Puppy sales are usually their biggest source of income, she says. “Although people wanting to purchase puppies has never been greater, understanding the needs of each individual family without meeting them in person has become a challenge,” she explains. “Instead of experiencing the families up close and personal, I am now forced to listen to their lifestyles and imagine which puppy of mine I feel will fit in best.” She has also had to shift her training classes online. “Clients can book an hour session with

etting financing for a small business has often been challenging, and that is even more true in today’s uncertain economy. Apart from COVID relief loans, banks, online lenders, and even credit card issuers are pulling back on lending to all but the most highly qualified businesses.

are requiring higher credit scores. Some check personal credit, some check business credit, and others check both. (You can check and monitor your business and personal credit for free at Nav.com.) In the meantime, consider crowdfunding, which does not require good credit scores or minimum revenues. Crowdfunding platforms are reporting successful funding campaigns for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Here are the four types to consider:

This will not last forever, though, so if you are in business for the long haul it is even more important to prepare for your financial future post-coronavirus. The #1 step you can take is to prepare now by taking steps to make your business lender ready. How do you do that?

• Loan-based crowdfunding offers loans, often with relaxed credit requirements. Kiva, for example, has expanded its 0% no-fee loan to a $15,000 maximum loan amount with a grace period on payments for the first six months.

• Make sure your bookkeeping is up to date. Many business owners had difficulty applying for PPP, for example, because they had not finished preparing their 2019 tax returns. Catch up and plan to stay on top of your accounting going forward.

• Donor-based crowdfunding through sites like GoFundMe does not have to be repaid.

• Make sure you have covered the basics. At a minimum, you will need a business bank account. Pay yourself a salary and document it. (Do not just pull money from your accounts when you need it, and avoid paying personal bills from your business accounts.)

• Equity crowdfunding allows you to raise money from investors. The SEC has temporarily relaxed rules for this type of crowdfunding to make it easier and less expensive.

• Consider creating a formal business structure. If you operate as a sole proprietorship, you will never truly separate your business and personal finances. A business entity such as an LLC or an S or C Corporation allows you to move away from personal credit, especially for more established businesses.

• Rewards-based crowdfunding lets you offer a variety of rewards to backers such as gift cards, first access to new products, etc. You are most likely to be successful with crowdfunding if you have a loyal fan base that wants to support your business — and you have a way to reach them. If you have not worked on building your email list or social media presence, start now.

• Check your business and personal credit scores. Many business lenders

Make time for marketing and social media. There may never be a perfect time to start, so do what you can with what you have. www.homebusinessmag.com

MONEY

Lesson: Expect hiccups and accept imperfection. Move forward anyway.

Small Business Financing Is Changing

me, and I'll provide one-to-one private advice through a Zoom or Facebook video call. During the training session, I will be seeing how the dogs respond with their owners and give them advice on what to do as well as giving them their own bespoke training sessions,” Kelly explains. It is working, though. She has held sessions with clients who bought puppies and has even held a few group training sessions with as many as 10 dogs and owners on the call. Lesson: Learn to leverage technology to adapt your service offerings.

Change is not often easy, but as these business owners demonstrate, it is possible to change course quickly when necessary. For those business owners who navigate it successfully, the result can be stronger, more resilient businesses. Gerri's been guiding individuals through the confusing world of finance and credit for 20+ years. She is the author or coauthor of five books, including her most recent, Finance Your Own Business: Get on the Financing Fast Track. Today, Gerri serves as the Education Director for Nav, an online platform that matches small business owners to their best financing options and gives free access to personal and business credit scores. Gerri serves as the Education Director for Nav (https://www.nav.com).

Summer 2020 | Home Business

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Modernize Your Office with National Business Furniture’s Brite Height-Adjustable Desk

ll home business owners need a desk that they love working at every day. If you’re on the quest for a new desk that will help you maintain perfect posture while adding a clean look to your home office, National Business Furniture’s Brite HeightAdjustable Desk is perfect for you. Featuring a contemporary, minimalist design and hi-tech features, this avant-garde desk meets the everchanging needs of modern workspaces.

port, alongside a wireless QI charging pad that allows you to easily charge QI-equipped iPhones, Androids, and Airpods while you work. Design-forward entrepreneurs will also love how the desk’s white, powder-coated frame and light maple laminate finish perfectly complement each other for a sleek, minimalist look. A breeze to clean, the desk’s durable tabletop will resist scratches and stains — no need to worry about spilled coffee! To greater protect against nicks and scrapes and boost durability, the desk also features 2mm edge banding around its perimeter.

During the long workday, it is pertinent for National Business Furniture’s Brite entrepreneurs to maintain a healthy posture Height-Adjustable Desk to prevent future back issues. Using its smooth Even better, the desk’s motor features a builtand quiet motor-operated steel legs, the Brite in, protective reset feature — if the desk encounters any resistance, it Height-Adjustable Desk can be adjusted to the optimal sitting or automatically stops moving to allow for a system reset. To reactivate standing height (between 28" to 46") with ease. Whether you want to the height adjustment, simply power the desk down, wait two minutes, relax and sit while plowing through emails or stand up to stay active restart the motor, and hold the adjustment button for 20 seconds. With during the day, the Brite Height-Adjustable Desk moves with you. It can this feature, there is no need to worry about any prolonged stalls or heavy be easily adjusted via its single-motor up-and-down control. maintenance! As a business owner, it is also crucial for you to keep your smartphone and/or tablet fully charged so you don’t miss any important calls with clients. To help you better manage this, the Brite Height-Adjustable Desk features a built-in charging station that includes a USB-C and USB

A must for all home business owners looking to upgrade their offices this summer, this desk is easy to set up and ships in fully-recyclable packaging. Measuring 48"W x 24"D x 28-46"H, it retails for $519.00 at nationalbusinessfurniture.com.

Maximize Your Workstation & Productivity with IOGEAR’s Triple Cinema 4K KVM Switch

s a home business owner, you might or pressing a hotkey combo on your keyboard, have multiple computers and monitors without messing with any cables. at your workstation to keep an eye on Beyond the productivity-boosting screen real a number of projects. If this sounds like you, estate afforded by three cinema 4K displays, the GCS1964 Triple Cinema 4K KVM from the KVM also supports multi-channel audio IOGEAR is for you. More computers and passthrough, supporting up to 7.1 surround monitors means greater efficiency. This setup IOGEAR’s GCS1964 Triple 4K sound. Additionally, the KVM benefits from allows you to designate computers for certain KVM Switch DynaSyncTM, a technology that optimizes tasks in order to optimize workflow (rather resolution and eliminates the possibility of than overload one computer with memory hogging and processordisplay sync issues that may occur at startup or when switching among intensive tasks until it lags). If you want to make it easier to work with different sources, meaning that the GCS1964 is always ready to get the multiple computers and monitors, IOGEAR’s GCS1964 Triple 4K KVM job done without drama. Switch allows you to seamlessly integrate up to four DisplayPortequipped computers into a single workstation, sharing a USB keyboard IOGEAR’s GCS1964 KVM Switch will also modernize your workspace and mouse, USB accessories and up to three Cinema 4K HDMI displays with its smart connectivity features. Its Power-on Detection tech ensures (with resolutions up to 4096 x 2160 @60Hz) among them! it automatically connects to the next powered-on computer, and it also features cutting-edge Daisy-Chain Connection support that allows you to Home business owners know better than anybody that time equals link two GCS1964 Triple 4K KVM Switches together to accommodate up money, and nothing wastes more time than a bogged down or crashed to six 4K HDMI monitors! Hot pluggable, firmware upgradable, and HDCP computer. For this exact reason, many programmers, day traders, compliant, the KVM Switch ensures ultra-fast 5Gbps data transfer rates. graphics designers, video editors, game developers and more have multiple computers at their workstation. This allows them to maintain Its multilingual keyboard mapping supports English, French, German, productivity while one of their computers is busy rendering, compiling, and Japanese keyboards. You will also appreciate its multi-platform analyzing or worse, crashed! With IOGEAR’s GCS1964, you can easily support for Windows®, Mac OS®, Linux®, and more. IOGEAR’s GCS1964 switch between your computers at the push of a button on the front panel Triple 4K KVM Switch retails for $899.95 at CDW.

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

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From One Frontline to Another

By Natalie Marciniak, Communications Specialist at Durisan

orking with a professional like Troy Daland has been not only an inspiration but also an honor. Troy Daland, CEO of Durisan, is a proven change agent with more than 24 years of service in the U.S. Department of Defense. Before becoming an antimicrobial and viral solutions expert in 2019, Daland served his country as both a Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Specialist and a Superintendent for a Personnel Recovery Cell. Daland is recognized as a leading expert in building and motivating high-performing teams to accomplish what few thought possible — or considered doing at all. Creative in solving complex problems and tested in the battlespace, this former special operations team member exhibits the unique ability to apply the skills he honed in the military to the business ecosystem. Strategic planning and decisive action are his hallmarks. When Daland joined Durisan, he knew that his strategically focused, extremely detail-oriented,

and organized mind would help him recognize and develop opportunities for growth. He is a trusted executive leader with a proven ability to design sound business strategy and execute solutions to complex challenges. In recent months, as the world has struggled to adapt and overcome in the new landscape of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Daland’s military background and ability to utilize long-range vision have helped him lead Durisan through unprecedented uncertainty — and opportunity. Daland conducted research and studied trends in human behavior to analyze the situation, prioritize corporate and individual actions, and move decisively to raise Durisan’s brand recognition and grow its market share. Daland has gathered and deployed a strong group of dedicated employees. Under Daland’s direction, Durisan has increased manufacturing capacity, hired veterans from nearby MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida into key leadership positions, and

Troy Daland, CEO of Durisan

established a breakthrough product. This product is not only proving beneficial in today’s environment but is also certain to be important in the new normal after the pandemic passes. There is no doubt that what once passed muster in sanitizing practices and products has forever been changed.

SUCCESS STORIES

Former Special Operations Team Member Applies Military Skills to the Business Ecosystem

At its 30,000-square-foot Sarasota factory, Durisan’s highly skilled workforce is operating around the clock to meet society’s demands for antimicrobial solutions in a world where microscopic novel threats can put us all in danger. Leading the way will be Daland, using the tools and training he received in the Air Force to the world of COVID-19. Visit https://durisan.com.

Amplify Your Brainstorming Sessions and Presentations with Casio’s XJ-UT352WN Projector

Casio’s XJ-UT352WN Ultra Short Throw Projector

Calling Casio’s XJ-UT352WN Projector “impressive” would be a vast understatement; its built-in ultra short throw ratio (0.28:1) fixed lens can project vivid, crystal-clear, and shadow-free PowerPoint Presentations and videos up to 110”! Featuring a 20,000:1 contrast ratio and outstanding WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution, this powerhouse projector will supersize your business ideas with 3500 lumens of brightness so you can plan a bolder future for your company. As an entrepreneur, you likely have a packed daily schedule and many business tasks to attend to. Thus, you will appreciate that the XJUT352WN Projector requires minimal maintenance! Also, no need to waste money on replacement lamps or filters, as this trailblazing office essential boasts a Laser & LED Hybrid Light Engine that lasts up to 20,000 hours without ever needing to be replaced. www.homebusinessmag.com

The XJ-UT352WN Projector also has a builtin 16W Speaker and DLP® Technology, all in a dust-resistant design. Business owners who love the most up-to-date, high-tech gadgets will also be happy to hear that this projector features advanced connectivity capabilities, such as Networking (RJ-45 LAN). The projector is also perfect for on-the-go entrepreneurs, as it can connect wirelessly by adding the optional YW-41 wireless adaptor.

While conducting presentations with employees during Zoom and Skype calls, business owners will love using Casio’s wonderful Educational Solutions feature. Wireless features like One Click Connection will help the presentation start quickly and hassle-free. Entrepreneurs can also use the wireless PC Remote and Moderator Functions to project their own PC display or select another PC display in the room to show. The projector can connect with up to 40 devices at one time and display up to 4 devices on-screen simultaneously!

PRODUCT REVIEWS

ooking for innovative tools that will help you enhance your business success this summer and beyond? One pioneering must-have for all home-based entrepreneurs is Casio’s XJ-UT352WN Ultra Short Throw Projector. This highly advanced projector will help you conduct robust presentations during video calls with clients and execute efficient brainstorming Skype sessions with your team.

If you want to upgrade your Zoom presentations, modernize your Skype calls with clients, or watch a supersized, high-quality version of your favorite movie after a long workday, choose Casio’s XJ-UT352WN Projector for your home office. It is available for $1899.99 at casio.com. Summer 2020 | Home Business

Stay Productive in Your Home Office Getting a System in Place Is Well Worth the Investment

HOME OFFICE

By Adam Lyons

unning a business from home is the dream for many entrepreneurs and business owners. While this has tremendous benefits, it requires a system in place to keep yourself organized and accountable. It can take time to get this system into place, but it is well worth the investment. Ultimately that extra time spent setting things up will save you time daily. I have some tips that help me stay productive in my home office that I want to share with you.

Have a Routine Each day it is important to have a routine before work. It can be tempting to just pull your laptop onto the bed and start plugging away at e-mails. Starting the day right sets the tone for everything that follows. Make sure to wake up and give yourself time to have a cup of coffee, change into non-pajama clothing, and brush your teeth before that Zoom meeting. Even if you are not seen on video, this morning routine will help keep the worklife balance truly balanced. It will also keep you from blurring personal and work time. Make sure to schedule in transitions from work to home life so you can stay balanced.

Define Your Working Space Next, you need to define your working space. When you are working from your home, distractions are everywhere. Creating a working space free of distractions will help you stay focused and productive. Make sure that space is stocked with anything you may need: office supplies, a surge protector, and any files or paperwork needed. If possible, this should be a private space with a door. Windows nearby are also a huge plus. If that is not an option for you, find a low traffic and quiet area to set up in. It is important to have a designated working area when you have a home office to help limit distractions and interruptions.

Crucial to “ success from your home office is prioritizing.

”

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

Keep it Clean and Organized Once your home office is set up, make sure to keep it clean and organize it often. Doing so will stop your home office from descending into chaos. Make sure your space is clear of old coffee cups, things your kids have left on your work desk, and piles of unaddressed paperwork. Organizing daily will keep this task from becoming overwhelming. You cannot be productive if you cannot find things and are swamped by piles of documents surrounding you. Staying on top of this from the very beginning will keep you working smoothly and efficiently from home.

… this morning “ routine will help keep the work-life balance truly balanced.

”

Establish Boundaries About distractions, if you do not live alone, it is important to establish boundaries with the people in your house early on. It is valid to express your need for the bandwidth to complete work tasks uninterrupted. I like to schedule a movie or date night after work with my partner. That way, you are validating their need for your time but also able to nurture your relationship and maintain your boundaries for working at home. Now, some distractions are bound to come up. The kids need lunch, the dog needs to be let out, and the sink repair guy needs to be let in. One thing I find helpful is to use those distractions as break times. Small breaks throughout the day are critical to succeeding from a home office. Your brain can only stay focused on a single task for a finite amount of time. When you feel you need a break from staring at the computer screen, take it. Using that break time to handle something that would otherwise be a distraction is an excellent time management tool that will help you stay productive at home. To increase home office productivity and maintain a distraction free zone, sign out of

Designating a working area when you have a home office helps limit distractions and interruptions. all social media apps during office hours. That way you cannot easily pull up an app and start scrolling with the click of the button. Create a barrier by making sure you do not have instant access to the accounts. This helps keep you accountable and off time-sucking apps. If you need to sign in for something work-related, do so. Once the task is completed, sign out. This simple act makes the allure of social media less tempting. When you see the log in screen, remind yourself not to fall into a distraction, and pivot to a work task.

Set Up a Calendar System One of the most critical pieces to succeeding in your home office is a method for keeping your calendar and time managed. If you can afford a personal assistant, it may be wise to hire someone who can help keep all your tasks and events in order. If you cannot afford an assistant, start with a calendar application that you can link to your phone. Google Calendar and iCal are great tools for this. I use iCal where I can create multiple different calendars that I can color code. Using this, I can create calendars for my businesses as well as a personal calendar and see all my calendars at once. This not only helps you keep business and personal calendar items separate www.homebusinessmag.com

but it will also help you stay organized and make sure nothing is missed. You can set alarms within each calendar event to alert you when it is time to move onto the next task. Once you have your calendar system set up it will help you manage your time and tasks effectively.

Prioritize Your Tasks

HOME OFFICE

No matter how organized your calendar may be, you will often find you have more tasks than you have time for. Crucial to success from your home office is prioritizing. You will have to make the call for certain things to be put on hold until time allows for these things to be addressed. I keep a list of things I have “on ice.” These things can be done at any time, and I do not stress about them when I need to prioritize. I also have a list of things I need “to do” that week, and a separate list of things I am “doing” that day. Next, I have a list of things I am “reviewing.” Once

To increase home office productivity and a maintain a distraction free zone, sign out of all social media apps during office hours.

Set Up Your Productivity Toolbox

very worker needs their toolbox, and people who work from home are no exceptions. If you want to be productive, you need the correct resources and tools. To set yourself up to be productive from your home office, there are a few things your toolbox should include. A comfortable and supporting chair is key to staying productive long term. Aches and pains from sitting in bed on your laptop can get in the way of getting things done. It drains your energy and divides your focus. Set yourself up so you are going to be comfortable day to day as you sit and work. Pair that with the right desk space to set yourself up for success. It is worth considering getting a laptop and cell phone dedicated to work. This can be especially important if your business includes a lot of calling out. Not only will this stop your personal devices from getting clogged with work-related things, it will help maintain your overall work-life balance. On a related note, having devices dedicated for work can help keep you from being distracted by personal messages and social media during work hours. If it is something you can afford, integrating business-only

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devices into your home office can help keep you more productive every day. Make sure your home office is set up on multiple video conferencing apps. I use Zoom to host all my meetings and even to host classes where I teach multiple clients at once. However, some clients really prefer Skype or FaceTime for virtual meetings. There are tons of apps to choose from: Slack; Google Hangouts; Pexip; Amazon Chime; and Gruveo. Choose one to set up all your meetings and calls through. Buy a pair of great wireless headphones for home office use. Immediately, this frees up your hands while you are on calls. Wireless allows you to move around your home office untethered while on a call. If you are on a long call and can manage your calendar or e-mails while on it, it can increase your productivity and help you manage your time. The most important thing to remember when creating your home office toolbox is to do what works for you. Find out what helps you stay on task and moving forward smoothly. Invest in those tools and strategies to get a home office that works best for you.

Have a method “ for managing your

calendar as well as your to-do lists.

”

I have those lists, when time runs short, I can easily check them and focus on the most pressing matters. Home office productivity looks a little different for everyone. Find a routine that works for you. Have your home office set up so it can be as distraction free as possible and keep that space organized. Have a method for managing your calendar as well as your to-do lists. These little things go a long way and will not only help you succeed at work but will also help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Adam Lyons is a renowned world-class speaker on the subject of business and marketing. He has taken multiple businesses from zero to $1 Million in less than a year. He is a serial entrepreneur that has founded several businesses. He has also created a handful of channels and fan bases in a variety of niches. He's attracted over 160,000+ Facebook Followers, 86,000+ Youtube Followers and done lots of other things most people work at for years, with no luck. He has contacts across multiple sectors from finance to government, to E-commerce and more. He is available to help anyone with increasing profit, monetizing audiences, crisis media management and public relations. Companies he has worked with include PepsiCo, Nike, Nescafé, 6pack shortcuts, Real Social Dynamics and many more. Adam currently manages several businesses of his own while consulting for other businesses around the world. He can teach you how to properly automate your business and save you an additional 2-3 hours a day. He specializes in helping high-level businesses scale to the next level by putting the proper systems in place. Visit www.thesmartblueprint.com.

Summer 2020 | Home Business

Remote Work 101 Continued from page 15

adding virtual retreats to the calendar, from mindfulness training to dance parties. Create places where employees can share personal news such as a #watercooler Slack channel. Allow for spontaneity and remember to have fun.

Collaboration: Apps designed for specific industries will improve collaboration. For example, there’s GitHub for software and Invision for design.

F E AT U R E

■

Timekeeping: Managing and recording the time spent on different projects is easy with tools such as Timely, Toggl, and Harvest.

■

Wrapping Up If you have always been working in an office and are experiencing remote work for the first time, or if you have been working from home but are still looking for ways to improve your productivity and your happiness in this configuration, the above tips are a good place to start to set you up for success.

Rule #5: Effectively Manage Your Remote Team Apply Management Tactics

Set Expectations: If you want your remote team to play by the rules, you must set them. Managers need to lay out what they expect from employees at home, including what meetings are mandatory, when employees are required to be online, and when the workday starts and ends. Write a Culture Code: Maintaining a solid company culture can be even more challenging when staff is not sharing an office. The lack of face-to-face communication is particularly hard for newly remote employees. Draft a culture code that presents the daily principles that should guide behavior and decision-making. If you already have one, see if it needs adjusting in this new reality. Sidestep Communication Gaps: To avoid missing out on conversations that happened over messaging apps or getting frustrated when no one immediately replies to an email, you will want to make written records and regularly distribute them to the team. Take minutes of meetings, summarize important phone calls, and track messages to be sure everyone is in the loop. Store the documents in a place accessible to everyone. At Loomly, we find ourselves frequently writing down things like: "as we discussed over the phone today.” Referring to conversations that have taken place in GitHub tickets and Slack channels provides transparency and helps keep employees on track. Schedule Recurring Check-Ins: It is easy to let human interactions fade away when your staff is working at home, but that is a costly mistake. Structure the team’s schedule to include time for team members to connect 40

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

No matter how you set up your workspace, be sure to protect your body by taking frequent breaks.

with each other as well as with their supervisors. At Loomly, we have three recurring “Rendezvous.” Daily, we all check in on Slack to fill the team in on what we’re working on; weekly, we have one-on-one meetings with our direct manager or report; and monthly, we come together for an all-hands video call to share and discuss company updates. Employ Smart Workflows: The pandemic has made clear how crucial it is for businesses to be flexible. If you are not using an agile workflow, it is time to develop it. With smart workflows, cross-functional teams meet — including online — regularly to review progress, understand insights, explore strategy, adjust goals, and set high-priority tasks. Doing so allows your team to quickly identify priorities and adjust their tasks accordingly. Build-in Fun to Stay Motivated: Remote working does come with challenges. The biggest risk is that employees increasingly feel disconnected from the team. Without casual conversations around the office or teambuilding events and holiday parties, employees can feel isolated — and quickly lose motivation. Maintain these connections by setting up video celebrations of company milestones and employee birthdays or anniversaries. Consider

Like many things in our fast-changing world, feel free to experiment with these rules, and adjust as you go. Come up with the setup, workflows, and culture that suits you and your business best. Whether you are a business owner or a freelancer, working from home can offer you a flexible lifestyle combined with lower overhead costs and higher growth potential. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to home-based businesses and remote working that was already underway. Working at home can be a big adjustment for employees and business owners alike, though it may well become how most people work in the years to come. When this uncertain time has passed, many people may find that remote work has improved their lives and their businesses — and decide never to go back to the commute and the office again. Loomly is the Brand Success Platform that helps marketing teams collaborate online, seamlessly. Originally created by Thibaud & Noemie Clement to streamline an internal workflow in a previous venture, Loomly is now serving thousands of teams around the world. Start your 15-day free trial now. Thibaud Clément is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Loomly. Since graduating from both Grenoble Ecole de Management, France and the University of Ottawa, Canada back in 2011, Clement has worked with his wife and business partner, Noemie, launching four successful businesses. A self-taught programmer, Thibaud began building software to make Noemie’s job easier in 2015. Back then, the pair was managing a marketing agency and struggling with the process of creating and sharing editorial calendars with their clients through spreadsheets. Encouraged by early feedback from their own customers and peers about their prototype, Thibaud and Noemie decided to make it available to other marketing teams: Loomly was born. Along with devising the overall company strategy and vision, Thibaud actively leads all fundraising and product development efforts. Social Media: Twitter: @ThibaudClement Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibaudclement. Fun Fact: With Noémie, Thibaud traveled around the world for one year (to study innovative business models), bootstrapped and sold a candy subscription business (Candyscovery), published a French business book (“Se Lancer Sans Attendre”) and founded the marketing agency Madalana.

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Checklist for Creating Your Home Office Workspace* Questions

Yes

N/A

■ Are the people living with you on board with your working from home?

F E AT U R E

■ Are you the sort of person who can work at home despite distractions there? ■ Do you know how much space you need to operate your business from home? ■ Do you have sufficient space for your business needs? ■ Will your home office meet tax deduction rules? ■ Do you have or can you get the right desk and chair? ■ What electronic equipment is needed for your business? ■ Do you have enough storage space? ■ Do you have the right lighting for your business needs? ■ Do you have to accommodate business visitors to your home? ■ Did you decide how to decorate your office? ■ Did you think about personalizing your office? ■ Do you have enough Internet speed at home for your business needs? ■ Do you need an additional telephone line? ■ Do you have the software you need to run your business productively? ■ Do you have security devices to protect your home office? ■ Have you made plans for data backup? ■ Do you have an IT expert you can call upon for help? ■ Can email marketing help you? ■ Do you have a marketing budget? ■ Are you going to use paid ads online? ■ If you are using paid ads online, which venue(s) will you use? ■ Are you going to use paid ads in other media (e.g., local newspaper)? ■ Do you have a plan to regularly review your marketing efforts?

* This Checklist excerpted from Home Business Magazine’s “Home-Based Business Start-Up Guide.” To order your paperback or eBook version, go to Amazon.com or visit HomeBusinessMag.com

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Summer 2020 | Home Business

MARKETING & SALES

Four Steps to Maximize Growth During & After COVID-19 Strategize and Market Your Business Now and for the Future

By Carla Williams Johnson

f there is one thing 2020 has taught us thus far, it is this: Only the strong will survive. It has truly been a tough couple of months for everyone. Regardless of the industry you’re in, COVID-19 has made its presence felt and while I understand the desire to just hide away from it all, this is really the time to relook, rework and refocus our marketing strategies to make the impact we want. Remember that without marketing no one will know who you are and how you can help; therefore, sales will be negatively affected. During this season, you will need to find the best strategy that works best for your brand; So how do you begin strategizing when there seems to be so much uncertainty? Here are four steps to help: Step 1: Define Your USP We are going back to basics because your USP will help you and your clients understand how you are different from everyone else in the market. I know that many persons recognize the term Unique Selling Point, but because we live in a consumer driven market your USP can now be labeled the Unique Serving Proposition because it’s about serving your customers better and serving them differently — especially now. Your USP is your testimony of who you are and why someone should buy from you versus anyone else. It is the single, most important weapon in your arsenal and can make all the difference in the world to your bottom line.

You may not be in “control of the sales

you make right now, but you are in control of who sees you.” Step 2: Have an Updated SWOT Analysis Simply put, SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, and knowing these can help you determine how to position yourself and may even help spark ideas on how to market your brand. 42

Home Business Summer 2020 ®

Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats can help you determine how to position yourself and may even help spark ideas on how to market your brand.

Once you know your weaknesses and the threats to your business, you can easily turn them into strengths and opportunities. Here is an example: The current pandemic is most certainly a threat to many businesses; however, if we look at things differently, we can find opportunities for growth such as including a delivery service for customer’s convenience. Or, if you are in the service industry, you may want to consider online classes or training or developing programs for your clients and include an element where they can chat with you live. Once you sit and figure out where you are and what can possibly affect your business, you can turn things around to grow your business. Step 3: Redefine and Reconnect with Your Ideal Client The truth is that your customers are dealing with the exact same things you are. They are not sure what is going to happen. So right now, maybe is the best time to observe and be empathetic. Put yourself in their shoes, even when you are trying to market to them, and adjust the tone of your marketing messages suit. This will be a great time to really figure out what you are offering and how it can help your customers during this time, which can help you tailor your campaigns. You may also want to understand how your clients are consuming media now that they are quarantined. This will help you figure out the best ways to get in front of them. Lastly, look at what your competition is doing

during this time to serve their customers. See if this is something you can modify and implement in your own business. Step 4: Build Brand Awareness You may not be in control of the sales you make right now, but you are in control of who sees you. Building brand awareness right now is critical because when this is all over, the businesses that have been seen are the ones that will be remembered. This is the time to be very strategic with how you invest — you would be amazed how far a great strategy and a modest budget can take you. Also, think about including publicity to the mix to give you that extra edge above your competition. Media is always looking to feature business owners, most of the time for free. All you must do is ask. It is a great way to build credibility especially now that everyone is moving digital. So, there you have it, four simple but effective steps you can take right now to help you strategize and market your business now and for the future. We are not going to let this pandemic take any more than it already has. Carla Williams Johnson is a Media Marketing Specialist based in Trinidad & Tobago. She founded Carli Communications (https://www.carlimedia.com), which offers advertising and marketing advice to entrepreneurs and business owners who are interested in building a business in the “real world”. She considers herself an advocate for business men and women who were desirous of promoting themselves by offering sound, unbiased advice, focusing mainly on methods to identify ideal clients, online and offline approaches to boosting visibility and the creation of practical marketing campaigns designed to increase revenue.

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Dealing with Irritations During Quarantine How are couples staying sane during these dark and stressful times? The challenges of quarantine and lockdown during this pandemic are unprecedented for most of us. Every relationship goes through phases of harmony, disharmony, and then repair, but

EDEN PRESS Tele: 714-968-8472 PO Box 8410, Fountain Valley, CA 92728

spending more time together in close quarters sales and marketing time to growing these than ever before has caused some couples relationships. Of course, you must provide to unfairly scrutinize each other and their top-quality work — but that is not enough. ami-ne-99984164-eden-press-editorial--display-of-interest--150 10/1/19 12:19 P relationships. You must get proactive about growing and nurturing client relationships that stand the If you come to understand that being aggravated test of time. To realize the full potential of your and irritated with your partner during this existing client base, you must first understand quarantine is as normal and to be expected as why good relationships go bad. the sun rising in the morning and setting at night, you will understand that everything is going the way it is supposed to go. And that the small things can be talked about — laughed about, ultimately—if they are not made out to be “proof ” of a failed, or failing, relationship. They are merely aggravating. There are ways of talking these things through and of sparing yourself the painful self-harm of accumulated resentments. If there is a deep pool of love and affection between the two of you, beneath the aggravation and ordinary irritations of everyday life in close quarters, both partners will emerge from this with a more intimate connection than ever before.

Jerry Sander Couples Therapist Author of Convergence www.rusa-ie.com www.buzzsprout.com/987001

Why Client Relationships Go Bad Pursuing an attractive new client prospect provides an incredible adrenaline rush. There is something addictive about ramping up your game, pulling out all the stops, and winning the client. Yet while you are out there chasing fresh new blood, what is happening to your existing client base? If you are not romancing current clients with the same fervor, your relationships are slowly going stale. Existing clients are almost always your best source of new business. That is why it is so crucial to devote a good portion of your

Andrew Sobel Author of It Starts With Clients: Your 100Day Plan to Build Lifelong Relationships and Revenue www.andrewsobel.com/clientgrowth Creator of the eLearning masterclasses Building Your Clients For Life and Building Relationships That Matter andrewsobel.com learning.andrewsobel.com

Getting Your Chat Service Right ustomer: Hi, I am having a problem with C my bill. I am being charged $50 more than what I expected. Could someone please help? I am finding this very frustrating. Thank you. Chat Agent: Hello! Glad you are chatting with me this morning! This is Matt. What can I do for you today? Customer to Himself: Huh? Well for starters, Matt, you could read what I typed before asking what you can do! Furthermore, you can take that smile off your face.

DEAR HOME BUSINESS

Build Robust Customer Relationships While today’s sales process can appear 10 streamlined and online, it creates complexities and confusion for consumers who have vastly more options in a global marketplace. The Internet has blurred traditional sales territories because consumers can now search the world for the products and services they want or need. Finding the right one requires them to weed through many alternatives so they can make optimal purchasing decisions. Proactively building robust and trusting relationships with your customers provides opportunities to become their top advisor and go-to vendor. Anticipating potential customer service challenges will help develop a framework for resolving these issues in a manner that protects your customer relationship. Software applications and marketing automation also create opportunities for enhanced customer insight and relationship development. 225+ D HOME-BASE -UPS BUSINESS START

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Providing exceptional service via chat involves more than simply choosing a technology platform. Chat is a distinct communication channel with its own set of rules, and organizations that choose to implement a chat system need to prepare their service representatives to use it effectively. Kate Zabriskie President of Business Training Works, Inc www.businesstrainingworks.com

We appreciate your feedback and work-from-home success stories for review and consideration. Please send both via e-mail to: editor@homebusinessmag.com, or via postal mail to: HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, 20664 Jutland Place, Lakeville, MN 55044. www.homebusinessmag.com

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