I love The Office. I’m glad its back on again. Anyway, enjoy this look at The Office as a crime drama.
Happy Friday!
Where Is the Money from Your Home Business Going?
Right now, Americans are increasingly worried about their finances. And this is especially true when it comes to those who have small businesses or run a home business. I know that I’ve been worried about losing gigs as companies tighten their belts.
But many of us in the work at home sector are also worried about where the money is going. Retirement account contributions are heading down, and emergency funds are not growing as fast as they have been. Instead, with inflation, the money that would be used to prepare for the future is being spent to pay the bills.
So, for many home business owners, now is the time to re-do the budget and consider which things can be lived without.
Are you doing something different with your money at this time?
Home Biz Notes: Reflecting on Aging and the Home Business
One of the things that I’ve been thinking about lately is aging. Now, I’m really not old at all, but as 30 approaches, I start to reflect. And I’ve been watching my mom complete her college degree and start a job as a teacher at the age of 53.
As the Boomer generation ages, and our definition of retirement and what a "senior" is changes, all of this is going to apply to the home business. Ideally, one would think that working from home is ideal for someone who is aging. But is it?
And what are the effects your age will have on your home business?
This month, over at Home Biz Notes, those very issues are going to be explored. I urge you to head on over and join the conversation.
Work from Home? Save Money on Heating Bills
Back in "the day" when my husband and I both jobs outside the home, it was easy to save money on heating bills in the winter: Keep the heat turned down while we were at work.
Now, though, things are more complicated. I work at home, we have a son who is at home half the day and my husband comes home to study some days. So we need a new plan. Happily, over at My Two Dollars, there are some great tips on how to save money on heating bills in the winter:
1. Programmable thermostat, so you don’t have to remember to keep resetting it. We have our heat turned down at night.
2. Install storm windows and doors. Do it in stages, instead of all at once.
3. Open the curtains and blinds during the day to let the sun in to warm things up.
4. Make sure your furnace is serviced and in proper working order.
5. Insulation for ducts exposed to the cold.
6. Seal your attic door temporarily.
7. Close the ducts in rooms that don’t need heat. We do this in the guest room, and then open them up the day before guests arrive.
8. Make sure the temperature on your water heater is reasonable.
9. Seal an unused fireplace.
10. Fans on low speed can move warm air through the house.
Do you have tips for saving money on heating bills?
Working from Home at 4:30 A.M.
I am TIRED. Mainly because I went to bed sometime between 10:30 and 11:00 last night and then got up at 4:30 this morning. One of the great things about working from home is that you can set your own hours. One of the bummer things about it is that if stuff has to be done, it has to be done.
Even if you have to get up at 4:30 a.m.
And I did. It’s fast approaching the end of the month, and I have plenty to do. Which means that I need to do it sometime. But with a family to juggle and company staying in the house, I have a much more limited schedule than normal.
So it’s up early.
Friday Fun Video: The Joker Doesn’t Like the Bailout
Are we ready to get serious about truly fixing the economy? Or do we just want a $700 billion band-aid?
Happy Friday!
What Are Your Net Profits?
It is important to understand what net profits are in your home business. After all, just because you are bringing in an income, it does not mean that you are making a profit. In fact, it may take a few years before your home business is profitable.
Home Biz Notes offers this insight into net profits:
Today our word or term is net profits (net income). This
refers to the amount of money left after you’ve deducted all your
expenses, at least your operating expenses. The fact that you take in
a specific amount of money doesn’t mean you have that amount to live on
or are even making a profit in your business.
It is important to consider the costs of running your home business, and to subtract them from what you bring in. Only then can you get a reasonably clear picture of your true earnings.
Increasing Pageviews on Your Home Business Blog
Yesterday, I posted a video interview about selling advertising on your home business blog. Today, I thought I would address one of the items that can make your blog more attractive to advertisers: increased pageviews.
Pageviews are the number of times your blog posts are viewed. Right now, pageviews are considered one of those vital metrics used when determining whether to advertise on a Web site or blog. Problogger (always seems to know what to do) has some easy ways you can boost your pageviews:
* Self-link. Link to old posts you have written, and to products and services you offer.
* Add related posts. At the end of your article, you can add related posts. There plug-ins for different platforms (WordPress especially) that automatically do this based on category and tag.
* Make use of your sidebar. You can use your sidebar to link to most popular posts, best posts and other areas of your blog.
* Multi-page posts. If you have a longer post that you have written, use the "read more" feature to make your post two or three pages long. Just be aware of the fact that too many multiple page posts starts to get annoying.
Can you think of other ways to boost pageviews to your home business blog?
Selling Ads on Your Home Business Blog
Many are finding that it is possible to make a little extra money by offering advertising on the home business blog. This goes beyond just using AdWords. It’s about ads with images in addition to text ads on your home business blog.
Wendy Piersall at Sparkplugging interviewed John Chow about getting ads for your home business blog. It’s some good stuff.
Will You Be Able to Get Credit for Your Home Business?
One of the side effects of the current financial crisis (even with the planned $700 billion bailout), is that credit is bound to get tighter. All sorts of credit.
Including business credit.
If you are planning on applying for credit for your home business, you may have to think again. The current climate means that getting any credit is going to be difficult. Whether it is convincing the bank to give you a loan or applying for a business credit card, you may find your limits lower than you like — or even that you are being rejected.