Need Income? How About Writing A Book?

Do you have a topic that you are passionate about? Do you love to write? Have you ever thought about writing a book? … I have, and in fact, I’m working on my first one right now! This is not something that will materialize overnight, however, with the right stuff, you can be published and reaping the rewards of your written word.

There are TONS of resources on how to go about getting published. I’m researching them as I type this – I’ll post a few links as well as some info in the next few weeks.

Now – go grab a pen.

Home Based Business Ideas

Over the next few weeks, I am going to discuss a number of home based business ideas and what it takes to get them started (and keep them running!) Among these ideas, I will be providing information on the following businesses you can operate from your home (or at least near your home).

Affiliate Programs Online
Bookkeeping/Accounting Service
Business Consultant
Candy Wrapping Company
Cloth Diaper Service
Concierge Service
Court Recorder
Data Entry Services
Daycare / Child Care
Dog Treat Bakery
Dog Walking
Doggie Daycare
Ebay Entrepreneur
Editorial Services
Forum Moderation Services
Ghost Writing
Gift Basket Making
Graphic Design
Internet Marketing Guru
Kid’s Cake Baking and Decorating
Kid’s Hair Cutting Service
Medical Transcription
Midwifery / Doula Services
Music Instruction
Mystery Shopping
Personal Chef
Personal Cooking Instructor
Personal Fitness Trainer
Pet Sitting
Professional Organization Service
Santa Claus Letter Writing
Scrapbooking Business
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Company
Telemarketing Services
Telephone (and Email!) Answering Service
Transcription / Dictation Service
Tutoring Service
Virtual Assistant
Voiceover Recording
Website Content Developer
Website Design

Laid Off? Start Your Own Business

A few months ago, a close friend of mine lost his job at one of the largest recruiting firms in the country. After many weeks of trying to convince other corporations that he would be a stellar employee, he decided to become his own boss and started a consulting company (studies have shown that business start-ups statistically increased during past recessions, and it is predicted that this economic downturn will not be any different.)

Starting your own business can be a scary proposition – people see it as something with no job security. But, with today’s economy, traditional “jobs” are no longer safe or secure. If you decide to go it on your own, keep the following four tips in mind.

1. Be Yourself
Stick to an industry, service or product that you at least know something about. And be good at it.

2. Stay Away From Get Rich Quick Stuff
They are not called schemes for no reason. If something promises you $11,000 on the first day, it’s probably a lie. Follow the golden rule, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Keep Your Chin Up
No one likes to lose their job – even if you have a heads-up, it still stings. Trying to keep a positive attitude can be tough, but it’s critical. No one wants to hire a disgruntled, angry, former employee.

4. Be Passionate
Starting a business takes a lot of time and energy. If you are not passionate, putting in 100% effort, it’s going to be much harder to succeed.