Home Business Tips - Getting Prepared

A lot of people want to start a business from home and without even thinking about the prep work that's required to start a home business, they dive right in. Well, before you even think about how you're going to make your money, there are some things you better do first, otherwise you're going to find yourself looking around one day wondering what you did with that thing-a-ma-jig. This article will alert you to some of the "before you start" stuff that you should take care of.

The first thing you better do before starting a home business is actually set up a business. That means getting yourself either a social security or employer identification number. You're going to need to report taxes if you work in the United States and make an income of over $600, which hopefully you'll do. The last thing you want to do is run your business illegally.

The next thing you better do is get something to track your income and expenses. Again, you need to report all this at the end of the fiscal year. If heaven forbid you should get audited and don't have records of everything, you're going to regret the day you even heard of the IRS. Make sure you get something like Quicken or Quick Books. Keep all receipts and have proof of all expenses.

Another big mistake people make when starting a business is that they don't run it professionally. They get free email accounts that have horrible email delivery. This is the cause of many lost sales. So do yourself a favor. Get a professional email account. The last thing you want is to have your email lost in cyber space.

Another thing that you will want to get is a business phone or even a private cell number just for your business. The last thing you want is for people to be calling you up and having your 12 year old answer the phone. If you're living alone, it's not such a big deal. But if you share a home with others, you'll want to have a private line.

As to computers and other important pieces of date, most people think that this data is as indestructible as they are. Well, tell me that when you've had a hard drive crash and all your financial records are gone with the wind. So please, have several backups. You'll want a backup hard drive, a backup service if you can afford it and finally you'll want a safety deposit box to keep your important papers. If your house burns down, you'll want to be able to get back online as soon as possible.

Most people don't think of these things. They think that nothing bad is going to happen. I used to think that way when I first started marketing online. Trust me, it's a dangerous way to live.

Before you actually start running your business, make sure you're prepared.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim