How to Start a Home Business

How to Start a Home Business

How do you start a successful home-based business? What needs to be in your consideration?

Below is a 6-step guide:

1.       Assess your skills and knowledge

 You need to know what you are good at and what you are not so good at. Identify your strong points and your weaknesses. This can help you gauge if you are suitable for embark on a home business. As a home business owner, you will need to run a lot of tasks on your own, from planning, business management to the field work. Make sure you can carry out the tasks needed.

2.       Generate business ideas

Start brainstorming from your interest and passion. Get your family to involve as you will be using part of their space for your business.

3.       Test the market

Shortlist your ideas so that it contains only those ideas that can work for a home business. Be practical. Think whether people will want to spend money on the kind of products or services that you can offer, how much and whether this will generate sufficient income proportional to your effort.  If no, get back to Step 2 for more ideas. Being persistent is important at this stage because many people gave up after facing the obstacles.

4.       Understand the legal barriers.

Check if there are any rules or regulations controlling the starting up of a home business in your state or country. If yes, figure out how you want to get around them.

5.       Determine your capital.

Calculate the amount of money you need to start up your home business. The cost should include the purchase of any instruments, hire of any professionals (e.g. lawyers) and insurance. You might not be familiar with all these so take your time to do some price checking and bargain.

6.       Plan your business – break even points.

Once you have obtained a clear picture from Step 1 – 5, it is time to lay down your business plan. Find out your break-even point and how many products you need to sell in order to get back your investments. 

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