I receive hundreds of article submissions everyday, and one of the things I look for as an editor is the quality of the writing. I’ve seen some articles with excellent content but atrocious (and I mean really bad) grammar! If it just means changing the “is” to “are” I just edit the article and publish it on PowerHomeBiz.com. But some requires major overhaul, and I would just rather find another article than spend half a day rewriting the whole thing. I’m not the best writer; heck, I’ve received my fair share of “are-you-a-foreigner-because-your-English-is-so-bad-my-eyes-got-dizzy” emails from readers (some of whom turned

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Next on my reading list is a book we just received a few days ago entitled “Master Your Money Type: Using Your Financial Personality to Create a Life of Wealth and Freedom” by Jordan E. Goodman. Being a financial consultant, Goodman has encountered all sorts of financial problems and the way people deal with their finances. His work experience showed him that people have “financial personalities” and a person could be a: “Striver” – about acquiring, achieving, and letting others know how much you have “Ostritch” – baffled, intimidated, or embarrassed by money “Debt Desperadoes” – always coming up short

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A partnership is fairly simple to set up. Two or more people get together with the intent of going into business; they get the appropriate licenses and file the necessary papers with the State and you are in business. When the areas of expertise of these people compliment each other the situation is ideal. Although each partner is taxed on an individual basis they all are liable for the debts of the business. The partnership is treated like a separate entity in some ways as it can own property and execute documents, however, when it comes to payment of taxes

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2005 was a very busy and fruitful year, but I expect 2006 to be even better. We have great plans for both PowerHomeBiz.com and WomenHomeBusiness.com that will surely benefit our visitors and our loyal readers. During this first day of the year, you may want to think of ways you can improve yourself and your business. Think of this process as your “strategic planning” session, rather than the often futile exercise of listing new year resolutions (which often goes unfulfilled, if you’re like me). Here are some of my own that you can also use: 1. Seek more learning opportunities.

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If you can recapture a wasted hour here and there and redirect it to a more productive use, you can make great increases in your daily productivity. Here are ten of the techniques I share in our Time Management seminars, each one of which will help you to get at least one more hour out of your day of additional productive time. Read full article

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While in many areas of the United States, local counties are strictly enforcing zoning regulations that restricts the operation of a business from home. But not in Fort Collins, Colorado. They are making the moves to encourage home businesses, and are planning to relax their zoning restrictions to achieve this. TheColoradoan.com reports that Larimer County officials looking into ways to encourage economic development in rural areas say changes to the county land code would open the door for more home- and farm-based businesses to be established and thrive. The county plans to allow “food processing in homes and the manufacturing

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One of the most important things an online entrepreneur needs to do is to seek out various sources of traffic for their website. It is hard to rely on one major source of traffic alone. If 80 percent, or even 50 percent, of your traffic comes from a single source – e.g. search engine like Google, a link partner, pay-per-click campaign – you may want to consider looking for other sources of traffic. Just like traditional businesses that rely on a single customer, losing that main source of visitors will mean a significant setback for the business. If your site

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As the holidays draw to a close, I hope that small and home-based online retailers out there also enjoyed brisk sales. I was leafing through the October 2005 issue of Internet Retailer magazine and saw an article on how to improve conversion rates and increase sales online. Their tips are as follows: Provide an online version of your print catalog/local flier Guide users to what is important – don’t overwhelm them with options Refresh, renew, revise: keep your content fresh Test alternatives and measure results Ask customers what works and what doesn’t Do not ignore the benefits of multiple channel

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Susan Friedman of TheTradeShowCoach.com shares with us two articles on how to improve the effectiveness of trade show participation. For certain types of businesses, trade shows are critical elements of their marketing mix. Participation in trade shows give them visibility, allows them to find buyers for their products, expose them to potential suppliers, and even jumpstart sales. But trade shows are not cheap. Preparations can be time consuming. So you want to get the most from all your spending. Here are two articles that can give you a head start in terms of planning for the success of your trade

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Complaints from neighbors is often the kiss of death for home businesses. Journal and Online Courier reported that one home business owner operating a bakery in West Lafayette, Indiana lost her home business after the zoning board denied the reclassification request. The board deemed the bakery to be a commercial venture and cannot be operated in a residential area. With the decision, Sandra Hufford will not be allowed to operate her bakery near her home. The reason? Neighbors complained of the increased traffic and delivery noise resulting from the bakery’s operation. As the article said of those who complained: “As

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Many home business entrepreneurs operate their businesses under the radar. They either do not know about zoning laws and its impact on their businesses, think that they are not covered by zoning laws, or simply do not care about such laws. Well, that’s fine — until the county busts you out and give you the ultimatum to change your business venue. In this A/P story, a West Fargo N.D. couple is now fighting the local authorities in court to allow them to continue running their business from their home. They have been selling glasses for 15 years now from their

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