Six Smart Resources to Help You Run Your Business from Home

Dixie Somers

July 15, 2014

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The emergence of technology has allowed many small business owners to run their business entirely out of their home, saving them a great deal of overhead while they get the business up and running. Plenty of successful companies were started in a basement, garage, or kitchen in order to save a little money in order to help the business take off. If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur just starting out, you will save money by running your business from home, however, you’ll have plenty of challenges as well. If you plan to start your business from the comfort of your home, you’ll need a little help. Read on for a list of helpful resources to help you develop a legitimate business that has the ability to succeed in the future.

Small Business Development Centers

Small Business Development Centers throughout the country provide small businesses free consultation, networking and expertise in conjunction with universities they partner with. You will be able to meet industry experts one-on-one and pick their brains about your business plan, marketing campaign, or have them analyze your finances. They will often run targeted seminars for a nominal fee or no charge at all. They will also assist in receiving certifications or connecting with you other professionals that might be able to provide your business with additional value. Professionals at these development centers are more than willing to pass on their wisdom and warnings to entrepreneurs who are just starting out—so take advantage of the wealth of information you can gain from small business development centers.

Industry Groups

Joining local industry groups will provide you with a wonderful opportunity to meet experts and even potential clients. You will be able to learn what the leaders in your industry are doing and use those concepts in your own home business. Many of these groups also offer memberships that include discounts on group purchases which will help you save a great deal of money over the long run until you are able to purchase in bulk yourself. If you’re running your business out of your home, you’re still on a rather small scale, so you don’t need to follow the same path or pay the same prices that large corporations do. These types of groups will allow you to network on a smaller level until your business is ready for serious expansion. Then, when you are ready to expand, you know experts in the industry who are ready to help.

Warehousing Services

The influx of home-based small businesses and internet businesses has created the demand for distribution warehouse service companies that provide their services to businesses that don't have the capital or volume to invest in their own warehouse. These services will store your goods and services and take care of the logistical aspects such as order fulfillment and shipping. Pricing models vary by services but generally include a monthly or yearly fee plus a small percentage of each product shipped. If you are in the beginning stages of your business and your basement or garage are acting as your warehouse, you can rent warehouse equipment and storage supplies from companies like Arpac who provide forklift rentals in Calgary. Companies like this will allow you to rent the equipment or storage you might need temporarily until you have an actual warehouse for storing your product.

Google Web Tools

A small business usually entails a small budget. These budgets rarely allow for luxuries like marketing and advertising campaigns, especially in the beginning. Google offers a great deal of completely free web tools for a small business owner who doesn’t have enough money for fancy software, data analysts, or a marketing team. Google Docs allows users to create word documents, excel sheets and presentations in any web browser and share them easily with other users via Google Drive. Google Analytic tools allow you to analyze your search engine optimization and see where you rank among certain keywords. You can set-up a pay per click profile with Google AdWords to pay to pop-up during keyword searches, and you only pay when a customer actually clicks your link, providing great value for your marketing budget.

Save on Business Materials

Networking is important, even when running a business out of your home. As mentioned, it’s often difficult for early entrepreneurs to represent themselves, or get the word out about their business due to a lack of funds. When you are first starting out, you can easily network and spread the word by investing in well-priced business materials. VistaPrint offers small business owners free, professional looking business cards—you can create and order 250 business cards for no cost whatsoever. In exchange for this free service, VistaPrint places their logo on the back of the business cards provided. Aside from business cards, you can also design pamphlets or flyers at a low cost that you can hand out to professionals and potential clients as you start networking in the early stages of your business.

Marketing/Customer Relationship Management Suites

One of the best tools a business can invest in is a quality customer relationship management software suite. These suites should include the ability to organize and automate the entire sales process for you. You will be able to produce quotes, schedule meetings and reminders, organize leads and analyze your sales numbers. There are many options for small businesses and some of the most popular include Zoho, Nimble and Batchbook. As your business grows, you’ll need to stay organized, so take advantage of the technology available to small business owners who need a little extra help.

Running a business out of your home is not only a viable idea, but it is a very common practice these days. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and if you’re starting in your garage or basement, you’ll need a few resources to help you stay organized, look professional, and save you time and money. Even if you’re a small business, you can still think big—don’t let a tiny budget and minimal customers keep you from functioning like a legitimate business.