| Everyone knows that there are many online and | | | | then paired with CafePress.com's customizable |
| work at home jobs are for technical services but | | | | merchandise. These custom items (logo'd T-shirts, |
| there are jobs out there for the non-techies too!! | | | | your pictures on postcards, etc...) are then |
| SALES: | | | | marketed on The site takes care of marketing, |
| Are you hoping to start selling from home? What | | | | ordering, money transfer, manufacturing and drop |
| if you do not have handmade, used or | | | | shipping your items - to allow you to seamlessly |
| value-added products of your own? If this is the | | | | sell products from home. |
| case then there are many other options available | | | | 4. Lulu - online, on demanding sale of your books, |
| to you. You may want to consider investing in a | | | | videos, CDs, DVDs, calendars, reports and more. |
| kit business or a franchise . Either option allows | | | | In it's own words "Lulu is not a publisher. It's a |
| you to start selling from home and yet still | | | | digital marketplace". Lulu provides tools to format |
| receive the support of a pre-existing business | | | | your digital content, market it, print or burn it and |
| with well established systems. These options also | | | | distribute it. I have not used this service and do |
| help to give your business credibility as the | | | | not know anyone who has - however it has won |
| products are better known. | | | | awards and the buzz about it is great. Whether |
| Kit Business | | | | you want to use lulu for vanity publishing or small |
| These businesses are ideal for people who do not | | | | publishing you can take advantage of their print |
| have the time (stay-at-home parents) or comfort | | | | and ship on demand platform. This allows you to |
| to leap into self-employment without a well | | | | start selling from home without maintaining an |
| established business concept and support system. | | | | inventory and prepaying for volume book |
| These kits provide everything from products to | | | | publications. |
| sell - to marketing material - to business forms - | | | | SERVICES: |
| to advice. HOWEVER you need to be comfortable | | | | Service businesses generally fall into one of the |
| selling and hitting up your friends and family and | | | | following categories: |
| complete strangers to buy items directly from | | | | Small business consulting: Providing expert advice |
| you. You also need to stage alot of "home | | | | to customers on your area of expertise (in |
| parties" in order to make any money with the | | | | person or online). |
| low margins alot of these companies provide. | | | | Telecommuting: Working for clients exclusively |
| People who are successful with these businesses | | | | from home. |
| earn their money by recruiting alot of other | | | | Infopreneur: Providing free information on a |
| people into their "sales teams". If you are | | | | website. Money is earned through advertising, |
| comfortable with this then these businesses can | | | | affiliate links and attracting customers to your |
| be great. Also, most kit-based, direct reselling | | | | other business ventures. Check out one of the |
| businesses require the salesperson to travel and | | | | most successful infopreneur platforms in the |
| put on/host product parties. It is important that | | | | world SBI or read about my experience using SBI |
| people realize this before spending the money to | | | | here. |
| buy their start-up kit (typically between $0 to | | | | Lead generation: Generating sales leads, contacts |
| $500). | | | | and customer lists for companies. |
| HINT: Start-up kits are periodically changed to | | | | Other services: Providing other services for clients. |
| include new or different product samples. Many | | | | There are many services out there to help people |
| companies also put their kits on sale once or | | | | who want to create home based businesses |
| twice a year. If you are not in a rush to get | | | | providing services. Some examples of such |
| started then check back with the companies | | | | services are: |
| website often for these changes. | | | | A. oDesk.comoDesk is a lot like eBay for |
| Franchises | | | | computer services - it allows buyers of services |
| A franchise is a business where the "franchisor" | | | | to post technological jobs online. Service providers |
| authorizes the proven methods and trademarks | | | | are able to bid on the jobs. After the buyer has |
| of his business to the "franchisee" for a fee and a | | | | selected the service provider and the work has |
| percentage of gross monthly sales. Various | | | | been completed both buyers and service |
| tangibles and intangibles such as national or | | | | providers are given the opportunity to provide |
| international advertising, training, and other support | | | | feedback for each other - again similar to eBay. |
| services are commonly made available by the | | | | oDesk also facilitates the exchange of money for |
| franchisor. Agreements typically last five to | | | | the services performed. |
| twenty years, with premature cancellations or | | | | B. Elance provides an opportunity for everyone to |
| terminations of most contracts bearing serious | | | | find work and do what they love. Individuals and |
| consequences for franchisees. | | | | firms join Elance and create their online profile in |
| With the advances in the internet and the | | | | order to be immediately connected to businesses |
| introduction of drop ship manufacturing - it is easy | | | | looking for their expertise. The Elance platform is |
| for many people to design and sell their own | | | | an end-to-end solution for working on demand. |
| products with little effort or capital investment. | | | | Elance lists jobs in the following fields: web & |
| The best part of this new era is that most of the | | | | programming; design & multimedia; writing |
| websites listed below offer full services from | | | | & translation; administrative support; sales |
| marketing to payment collection to drop shipping - | | | | & marketing; finance & management; |
| making it easy to quickly start selling from home!!! | | | | legal and engineering & manufacturing. |
| 1. eBay or Kijiji - online marketplaces to sell all | | | | C. is the world's largest online marketplace for |
| goodseBay is the premier online marketplace for | | | | freelance talent. Through their free service, |
| selling from home - locally, nationally and globally. I | | | | employers find top freelance and contract talent |
| have used eBay to buy things many times and | | | | locally, nationally, or globally. Created in August of |
| have sold with it a few times. Kijiji is eBay's free | | | | 2000, Guru.com's web-based marketplace directly |
| alternative to online auctions - it is an electronic | | | | connects businesses with more than 100,000 |
| classifieds board. There are a few different forms | | | | active freelance profiles specializing in over 160 |
| of eBay businesses: | | | | professional categories including: website design, |
| A. Selling your own used items. | | | | programming, graphic design, business consulting, |
| B. Selling other people's used items on commission | | | | and administrative support. Employers seeking |
| or consignment. | | | | professional expertise post their projects or |
| C. Resell consumer products at a mark-up. Many | | | | contract work on for free. Professionals seeking |
| people will buy low costs items and re-sell them | | | | work either register as a free (Basic) member or |
| for more. There are many reasons why this | | | | a subscribing (Guru) member. In addition, |
| works. | | | | employers and professionals can take advantage |
| - some items are not available around the world; | | | | of Guru.com's SafePay Escrow and Dispute |
| - some items are not available in particular lots | | | | Resolution services which greatly reduce |
| sizes (ie. you could buy items only available in bulk | | | | transaction risks. |
| and then sell them individually); | | | | D. allows you to post a chore that needs doing |
| - items can be modified slightly (ie. painted, | | | | (ANYTHING like - picking up dry-cleaning, mowing |
| wrapped, sorted, etc...) and sold for more money; | | | | your lawn, cooking your dinner, installing software, |
| and | | | | walking the dog) and then individuals or businesses |
| - items can be purchased separately then sold in | | | | in your area will bid on your proposal. |
| kits, gift baskets, or complimentary packages. | | | | E. Mechanical Turk |
| D. Sell your own goods. | | | | Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a |
| 2. Etsy - online marketplace to sell homemade | | | | crowdsourcing marketplace (breaks up jobs into |
| goods | | | | tiny pieces so that work can be shared by many |
| Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & | | | | people) that enables computer programs to |
| selling homemade or vintage items. Like eBay this | | | | co-ordinate the use of human intelligence in |
| service takes care of the listing, marketing, | | | | providing services which computers are unable to |
| ordering and money transfer for you. You simply | | | | do. Job posters, post tasks such as choosing the |
| need to make the item and then ship it to the | | | | best among several photographs of a storefront, |
| purchaser. They have a great help section that | | | | writing product descriptions, or identifying |
| not only teaches you how to use their site they | | | | performers on music CDs. Workers can then |
| also cover: setting you prices, marketing, how-to | | | | browse among existing tasks and complete them |
| craft guides and many, many other items. | | | | for a monetary payment. |
| 3. Cafepress - online marketplace that allows | | | | Whatever you decide to try out - it is essential to |
| users to apply their designs to customizable | | | | look into it. Talk to people who have undertaken |
| merchandise. | | | | similar ventures, if possible try to shadow this |
| is an online marketplace with millions of members | | | | person for a day and see what it is like to work |
| who have created over 150 million unique | | | | in this area. This will allow you to have a clearer |
| products on customizable merchandise ranging | | | | picture as to what you are getting into while |
| from apparel, home and office accessories to | | | | allowing you to network with other business |
| music and data CDs and books to prints, posters | | | | people and get familiar with how a successful |
| and cards. With this service you are able to | | | | person runs this business. |
| upload graphic designs, logos, sayings, pictures, | | | | GOOD LUCK!! |
| texts, music and more. Your creative designs are | | | | |