Moving from a fully equipped office with copiers, donuts, and a computer specialist to a home office can be difficult. What elements are essential and what can you outsource so that you can start, run and manage your business effectively?
The same daily operations need to be taken care of and your computer at some point has to require a technician, but there are people, alternatives and programs that can help you run your business from home.
Necessary aspects to consider to start running your business from home
Here are some improvements you can implement to efficiently run your business from the comfort of your home.
Billing, time tracking, estimates and information storage
Without an accounting and bookkeeping department, someone needs to handle your paperwork. If you’re good with numbers, you can take care of it, but what happens when you need to get that report out for your new client before the day is out?
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) can help you record and track your time, as well as process your invoices, and many of them handle individual clients. One site, outsourcing. org, provides a list of offshore firms looking for clients on a daily basis. And if you are tired of offshore companies and want to keep your business information private, web-based programs such as Offer Due Billing, Time Tracking and Client Information Storage, as well as many other options are available and only accessible. for you.
To store your documents digitally so your living room isn’t cluttered with papers and filing cabinets, programs like DocumentMall (www.documentmall.com) Y Digitech ImageSilo offer digital storage options for as little as $ 50 a month, depending on your specific needs. There are many digital copiers that can act as scanners to convert your paper documents into digital files.
Merchant services and billing options
Even if you are operating from home, you will have to accept credit cards. If you have an e-commerce website, you can set up direct payment with a merchant service provider and put it all online. Also, if you are offering some type of consulting service such as public relations consulting or writing business plans, many companies pay by credit card rather than invoices, so it is a good idea to have this option.
Web design, online marketing and IT outsourcing
You may want to invest in online marketing options to promote your business. Without the benefit of a physical location for customers, a website can be the best way to offer your services and advertise your brand to your target market.
Even if you are not a web technology guru, starting a website can still be relatively easy. Web hosting services like Go daddy They offer you templates so you can insert company logos, information, blogs, etc. If you want an e-commerce site for customers to buy products, or if you want additional features like flash, you may want to hire a designer.
Shopping carts can be difficult and expensive if not implemented correctly due to fraud and security issues. A reputable web designer must be able to work around your budget, especially in today’s economy.
Search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, and email marketing options are all online marketing methods. Planning how you want to market your website can save you money in the long run, as SEO and PPC campaigns require your website to be designed in a certain way from scratch.
With all of this technology, you should invest in outsourcing an IT programmer to help you with any computer problems and customer service issues you may have. IT outsourcing is considerably less expensive than hiring someone else and is known to have saved companies thousands of dollars.
Order fulfillment
If you are a retailer, product storage may be impossible unless you have free garage space. The best way to avoid this is to outsource your fulfillment services. Most fulfillment companies can work with their product suppliers to ship from their warehouse directly to their customers.
The contract you sign with a fulfillment company lists the details – warehousing, shipping, customer returns, order receipts, and incoming customer calls – all for a handling fee of a few hundred dollars a month. Remember that the volume of your business will tell you how much you will spend, because the higher the volume of sales, the more work for them.
Internet, VoIP services and video conferencing
Working from a home-based business will require a consistent way of staying in touch with your suppliers, fulfillment companies, customers, and business partners. A standard phone connection is a great traditional option, but long distance and international rates can add up quickly.
With a constant Internet connection, a VoIP service provides video conferencing, digital voicemail, music on hold, and more features that any home business owner needs. Voice over Internet Protocol It is an Internet-based technology, so you will have an unlimited connection and lower long distance charges than a standard phone system. If you get a VoIP service, ask about the “Follow Me” feature where a single number can ring multiple phones.
Shop wisely and align your focus
Home offices can range from extra bedrooms with full computer systems to lounge couches close enough to the electrical outlet that you can plug in your laptop. You may find that some of the benefits of having an office are more difficult to replace than others.
Finding out options and talking to your suppliers can save you money and help you build your business from the ground up.