What are the best iPhone applications to use for small businesses?

Most iPhone apps are made by third party companies to use in conjunction with the iPhone. Many of the applications are made specifically with the small business owner in mind.

Here are eight of the best:

#1) Invoice2go

This iphone app enables you to build and then send out PDF invoices via changeable templates. So you can charge your customers while on the go.

#2) iPhone quick mobile office suite

This one allows you to get almost as much done as if you were using your own computer. It comes with Word, Excel, PDF viewing ability, and so on. In other words, it has the same functions as Microsoft office.

#3) Personal assistant

This enables you to stay on top of different accounts, and puts the information from all of them into the same one. So you can combine your business, travel, and email accounts into the same one in an easy-to-read format.

#4) Mileage counter

This one enables you to figure out how much gas your car has gone through. This useful if you want to report the gas as a business expense.

#5) Budget tracker

This app enables you to put your budget in. Then you input your expenses, and figure out how close to your goal you really are.

#6) 43 actions

This essentially allows you to organize different actions in terms of importance. So you would put the most important ones at the top, then check them off when done and go to the next item on the list.

#7) VAT calculator

This allows you to immediately figure out the VAT in many different countries. It’s useful if you do a lot of travelling.

#8) Feed reader

This is an RSSS feed that will bring in latest news relevant to your business.

The bottom line is, there are many apps available. The key is to only use the ones that genuinely help your business.

Some of them might seem cool, but if they distract you from the most important tasks, they are actually harmful. Experiment with the different apps, and see what helps you and what doesn’t.

Does domain renting work?

This is a little-known method of making money online. However, despite its low profile, it can be  profitable – provided you know what you are doing.

What are the advantages of renting?

Domain renting offers more consistent income than selling domains because the income is residual. Instead of getting one thousand dollars up front, you can easily rent out the same domain for forty dollars a month. Then you would have a long-term income stream.

This is similar to buying and renting real estate. You can always sell it all at once, but why not use the property to make money long term?

And you still own it. Unlike selling domains, you don’t have to give up ownership when renting it out. This would be ideal if you have a domain you believe is going to go up in value soon, and you want to wait to sell it.

So the good thing about renting is that it brings in a consistent income. Plus it gives you the options to selling it down the road.

What are the negatives of domain rentals?

For one thing, it’s risky. The person renting it could do something which causes it to get blacklisted. This is extremely hard to change, and people are not going to be eager to buy a blacklisted domain. Also, it will reduce its value to you, should you want to keep it.

Now that you know the good and the bad, how do you start making money renting domains? Here are three tips to help you begin making money:

#1) Go with a good rental site

There are a number of domain renting sites. Which you choose really matters, because you want as many people to view your site as possible. Test a few sites, and see which one brings you the best result.

To find them, just do a quick Google search. Then you just list the price you want, and sit back and see what kind of offers people make. If you get one you like, then rent it out.

After they’ve paid you the first month’s amount, change the name servers to their hosting company. If they ever cease to pay, then change the name servers back.

#2) Get a good domain name

Renting a domain is very similar to real estate. You would need a good location to make money renting real estate, and you need a good domain name to make substantial money renting.

Generally, you want names that have good keywords in them. These will be in the highest demand.

Also,.com domains are the most valuable, followed by .net. The other extensions are generally not profitable.

#3) Do research

Look at what the price point related domains are renting or selling for. This will give you an idea of how much you can expect to get. This will prevent you from paying an exorbitant price for a domain, because you know your profit margins going in.

If you are a baby boomer and you are nearing retirement, you might be looking for a new business idea that will help you earn extra income and give you new goals to achieve.

One of the most popular business opportunities today is online marketing. With an internet marketing business, start up costs are low because you can do much of your advertising for free.

There are many choices when it comes to starting an online business. Here are three of the best you can start researching:

#1) Affiliate marketing

This is easily one of the top ways for any beginner to start earning money online. You don’t even need your own product. All you have to do is to send traffic to other people’s websites. You get a commission for each sale.

You don’t have to deal with customers, and in some instances you don’t even need your own website. This can be a slow method, but if you use paid advertising you can start making money very fast. Being a “traffic broker” is one of the top strategies for earning online.

#2) Sell on eBay

EBay selling is one of the most popular small business start-ups for people, and for good reason: it works. However, the vast majority fail to earn money on this site. One of the main reasons is they don’t have a good backend.

Selling to your current customers multiple times is how to be profitable. The backend is not something most eBay sellers focus on, but it offers a lot of income potential. It’s much easier and cheaper to sell to a current customer than to find a new one.

#3) Google Adsense

What is Adsense? It’s a simple concept. All you do is create a webpage about a particular topic, and Google will put ads on it related to your page.

So if you have a page about camping tents, the ads that appear will also be about tents. Then you get paid a certain amount every time a visitor clicks on an ad.

This is one of the fastest ways to start earning online, but it takes some time to start seeing serious results. This is because you don’t make that much money from any one click. You need a lot of clicks every day to really see progress, which requires a lot of traffic. The visitor value is relatively low when compared with other methods.

There are lots of opportunities for baby boomers to start an online business. These are three of the best ones to start earning relatively quickly with. However, there are plenty more options out there as well. Hopefully this info will jump-start you to having your own profitable business very shortly.

Starting a home sewing business is not easy, and it will require work to make a full-time income. But, if you are diligent, it can be  profitable.

There are a number of different types of sewing out there. Some have more income potential than others, so you need to determine what your focus will be.

Here are four popular skills you might want to hone:

#1) Dresses

Dresses are in high demand. Wedding dresses in particular can have extremely good profit margins. Therefore, this might be an area you want to focus on.

How will you compete with the large department stores?

Remember, many brides desire a custom-made dress rather than a mass-produced store-bought model. In other words, if you have good skills, you can easily carve out a niche for yourself.

#2) Clothes repair

Fixing damaged clothes is also big business. Dry cleaners are really your only competition in this arena, as most shops no longer perform this service.

So you might want to check with your local cleaner and see if they offer this service. If not, they may be willing to recommend their customers to you.

Keep in mind, the profit margins aren’t going to be as good as for designing dresses. However, you can still make decent money if your volume is high enough.

#3) Soft furnishings

This is another excellent income source. Cushions, covers and curtains in particular are great money makers.

There are tons of different designs you can utilize for these items. Many people want custom-made furnishings, and are willing to pay a lot for them. Therefore, if you are creative you can make a lot of money in this field.

#4) Unique clothes

In addition to the above fields, you can also focus on specific markets. For instance, you can specialize on designing baseball uniforms, rock-climbing clothes, etc.

“There are riches in niches.” Designing clothes for a specific sub-set of the population can be very profitable as well.

However, don’t forget to figure out your expenses. There are going to be a number of start-up costs. Obviously the equipment is going to be pricey. And remember the advertising expenses as well. Don’t forget to factor this in when doing your research and figuring out your profit margins.

You also have to be a good marketer. This will make or break your company. Like any business, if you can’t market, you probably won’t make money. So you need to define exactly what customers you are going to target, and then figure out how to reach them.

Where should you advertise? You can start with the standard places, like the phone book and newspaper. However, you might want to take it one step further and have your own website. This will enable customers around the world to find you. While it will require shipping, it can dramatically increase your orders and profits.

How will you handle the demand?

If your business grows beyond what you can manage yourself, you might bring on others to do sewing for you. This will make your business scalable, and will help your company grow.

After all, there’s only so much money you can make if you are doing all the sewing yourself. This is how to start a profitable home sewing business now.

A VA business can be extremely profitable. But too many people make the mistake of thinking it’s an easy path to riches.

This is not true. The vast majority of VA companies fail.

And that’s too often because the new virtual assistant makes some critical mistakes during the beginning stages.

Here are five mistakes to avoid when starting your own virtual assistant business.

Mistake #1) Not having a plan

It’s essential to have a business plan in order to make money as a Virtual Assistant. Anything sustainable doesn’t happen by accident. It has to be intentional.

The truth is, starting this business is not cheap. Knowing ahead of time what you can afford to spend can save you from disaster. A good business plan will include a budget and marketing strategy.

Mistake #2) Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Attempting to do too much is a common mistake. Many owners try to handle every task in order to get more business.

Be careful because many people who do this aren’t then able to focus their marketing on a specific group of people.  As is often said, “if everyone is your customer, then no one is your customer.”

Becoming the best at one particular skill is usually more profitable than being average at twenty. This will help you stand out from the crowd. And if you can’t call yourself the master of any particular skill, consider investing in additional training.

Mistake #3) Putting up with distractions

If you are going to work from home, make sure you are in a place that is free of distractions. In other words, don’t have your office in a high-trafficked part of the home.

This is one of the biggest killers to productivity. Instead, set up a dedicated workspace where you can have uninterrupted work time. If possible set a schedule and stick to it.

Mistake #4) Not focusing on the marketing

It is difficult to make money without being a good marketer, even if you are the best VA in the world. If you can’t attract business, your skills will not do you much good. Use the online marketing tips on this blog to make your business stand out – head and shoulders above the rest.

Mistake #5) Not having a scalable business

That’s not to say you shouldn’t do any VA assignments yourself. After all, you might really enjoy them. However, recognize that there are limits to the amount of tasks you can do yourself in a 24-hour day. That’s why hiring people will enable you to accept more work, and therefore make your business scalable.

For instance, if you have a web design VA business, you might only be able to finish one site a week yourself. However, if you have twenty people working for you, your productivity will be multiplied times twenty.

The bottom line is this: having a VA business can be very profitable. When you avoid the five common mistakes listed above, you’ll likely start earning more.

Online stock trading schools are Internet courses that teach you about the market from the comfort of your home.

A good stock trading education program will first help you learn the necessary terms to give you a better of understanding of the market. Then they will explain the ins and outs of investing strategies.

These schools are mostly for people who want to make investing their full-time income stream. The reason is that these schools are quite time-consuming and expensive. In many instances, they will send you physical books and lessons. They require a large time and money commitment. You want to make sure to invest a lot of time and energy in your education before you start investing any of your hard-earned money in the market.

If you aren’t completely focused, you’ll want to find something that will allow you to  dabble in the market on the side. But if you are ready to start learning how to trade stocks, here are a few tips for finding the right education program for you:

What’s the best school for learning how to trade stocks?

Unfortunately there is no one answer to that. There are so many of them that none are head and shoulders above the rest. So deciding on the right one can be difficult. Here are three questions to ask when looking for the best one:

#1) Do they have successful students?

This is the most important point of all. If there is no one making money from the strategies the school teaches, they obviously have no credibility.

The best way to find this out is to look up the school name and see what the past students are saying about them. Do this before risking your money with anyone. If the predominant opinion is negative, you want to avoid them.

#2) Do they cater to your level?

This is obvious, but worth mentioning anyway. Some schools are more for beginners, whereas others are for advanced students. Choosing the one that is closest to your skill level is important.

#3) Do they offer hands-on learning?

The better schools will give you real opportunities for investing. They will provide you practice money to allow you to invest yourself and check yourself before using the real thing. You’ll want to look for this in any school you pick.

The bottom line is this: there are a lot of stock trading education schools online. The best ones need to meet your current skill level, offer hands-on learning, and have students that are making money using their strategies.

Just make sure you are serious before getting started with any program offering stock trading education. They all require a big time commitment. If you aren’t dedicated, then don’t waste your money. If you just want to make some money on the side, there are plenty of less expensive courses online that you can go with.

Like any money-making opportunity, a carpet cleaning business offers a lot of opportunity if you have good marketing skills. The good thing about this business is that it can be inexpensive to start up.

And there is a big market for it. Many people want to have their carpets cleaned either semi-annually or annually.

So how do you start making money? There are a couple ways you can begin a carpet cleaning business.

The first is to buy a franchise. There are a few popular carpet cleaning franchises you can buy into. If you want to start making money immediately, this is the method to use. This will instantly give you creditability, because your name is attached to a respected company.

But it’s not cheap. It costs a hefty sum to buy one of these firms. Sometimes you have to pay a monthly fee, in addition to the start-up costs. And you will probably still have to purchase your own equipment, which is another expense. So this is for people who already have a lot of money to invest.

What if you don’t? Then you will have to start your own company.

Starting your own carpet cleaning business is a cheaper way to start out, but it can be just as profitable if you do it right – so don’t be discouraged if you can’t pay the hefty start-up fees a franchise would require.

So now that you know the two different kinds of start-ups, you need to know how to make money with a carpet cleaning business. Here are four of the best strategies:

#1) Outsource the carpet cleaning

The reality is, you can only clean so many carpets yourself. Therefore, your income is going to cap out at a certain point. So it might be wise to outsource the cleaning and focus on finding customers.

#2) Master the skill of marketing

Even if you are the best carpet cleaner in the world, you still need customers. To find them, you need to have good marketing skills.

Make sure you have a website listed in the phone book. Another effective strategy is to have a toll free phone number listed. When the customer calls up, they will hear an automatic message that offers to give them some free information about carpet cleaning. All they have to do is leave their contact info, and you will send out the information.

These are a few marketing strategies that work, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you are serious about starting a carpet cleaning business, you have to become a good marketer.

#3) Be slow to hire and fast to fire

You need to hire people with good customer service. This is a very people-oriented business. If your employees are not friendly, your customers will not do business with you again, or recommend you to their friends.

#4) Go above and beyond the call of duty

Always try to over deliver. For instance, if you say you will be there by 10, try to get there by 9:45. And of course, make sure the carpets are absolutely impeccable when you are done.

The bottom line is, making money with a carpet cleaning business isn’t that difficult. When you implement these four tips, you can become profitable quickly.

Resources for further study:

Start a Cleaning Business with Suze and Eve.
Expert advice and personal guidance
More than 10 years ago, Suze and Eve started their own cleaning business. They say:
“Starting a cleaning business is lucrative and rewarding. The money is great, you work your own hours and you will absolutely love being your own boss. There is always more than enough work, it’s simple and you can enjoy your work environment.”

Are you looking for a business to start that is:

1. Recession proof?
2. Fast to start?
3. Easy to learn?
4. Always in demand?
5. Very high paying?

Get more information here >

How do you begin a resume writing service? It’s no secret that this can be a  lucrative business when done right. The following information will help you get started.

What skills do you need?

You either must be a great resume writer and marketer, or simply one or the other. In fact, you might want to outsource the resume writing and focus entirely on the marketing end.

The reality is, you could be the best resume writer in the world. However, if you cannot make yourself stand out from the hundreds of other businesses out there, you are not going to make money.

How do you make yourself stand out?

One of the best ways is by getting testimonials. Most people think testimonials do not work as well as they used to, but this is not true. Your customers will always believe what others have to say about your business more than what you say.

So how can you get testimonials?

One method is by over-delivering. Simply do more than whatever you promised to do. Also, you can offer to write a few people’s resumes for free in exchange for a recommendation. Many business owners don’t take the time to do this but it’s a great strategy and really worth the extra effort.

Emphasize benefits

You probably do not want to talk about your company. For instance, avoid discussing how long you’ve been in business, what your credentials are, and so on. You may want to mention it somewhere on your site, but it does not have to be your main focus.

Instead, discuss the benefits you will give your customer. For instance, talk about how they will finally land that dream job from having a perfect resume, earn more money, or be more in demand.

Where should you advertise?

The great thing about this kind of business is that it is not location-specific. Therefore, you can target people anywhere around the world.

If you have the money, consider doing a Google Adwords campaign. This will bring the most traffic to your website the fastest. While it can be expensive, as long as you have a good website you can make it profitable. The trick here is to test and track and really stay on top of your campaign.

How much should you charge?

Most people say you have to charge a cheap price to get business at first. However, you can charge more if you position yourself the right way. In fact, being the highest priced service gives you more perceived value, which might end up getting you more business.

If you are the most expensive, the customer will probably think you are also the best. Trying to compete on price alone is very difficult, because there is always someone who is going to undersell you.

Consider doing cover letters as well

This can dramatically expand your profits. Offering more than just resume writing is one of the best ways to make more money.

So to sum up, first decide whether you want to do the resume writing yourself or outsource it. Either way, you will have to become a good marketer to make yourself stand out.

That is why you might want to consider offloading the resume writing and focusing exclusively on the marketing. Then focus on making yourself stand out by talking about benefits and using testimonials. Finally, always over-deliver on what you promise. Implementing these steps is how to make serious money in this business.

You might also enjoy:

Click Here to Discover How to Become a Career Coach

Do you love to take photos? Want to turn your photography skills and passion into a booming business? Well, there just might be plenty of work out there for you.

Freelance photographers have many opportunities to make money and build a business. And if you enjoy working for yourself there are plenty of organizations and businesses looking to hire you. For example, if you love taking travel photos, Lonely Planet is almost always looking for submissions. Imagine traveling to a beautiful destination and getting paid for it!

Additionally, businesses and organizations need content for their publications both online and off. These may be newsletters, case studies, industry reports or even informational how-to type materials. Stock photos can be too dull or miss the mark. So they hire freelance photographers to take the images they need.

And stock photo sites are always looking for quality submissions. Generally when you put your photos on a stock photo website you sell limited rights to it, but you also can sell your photo a number of times. You receive a payment each time your photo is sold. Blogs, website owners and marketers use these stock photos for their materials.

You can also sell your photos to web designers who need them to create unique sites for their clients. And there are a number of freelance job sites where you can create a portfolio and a profile and take on jobs to fill your schedule until your business grows.

Creating a niche can be an extremely good idea because it’s easier to market your services. You can, for example, be the go-to person for sports photos or the “hot air balloon” photographer. Of course you can create a few different specialties with a website to represent each if you don’t want to spend each and every day photographing the same subjects.

Getting started

To get started as a freelance photographer you’ll want to create a portfolio and learn all you can about photography.

You’ll also need the equipment to get started including:

* Software to polish and edit your photos
* A computer
* A reliable Internet connection
* High quality digital photography equipment
* A website
* An external hard drive to back up/store large image files
* Software to invoice clients and collect payment (PayPal works quite well for this purpose)

If you love taking photographs and have a knack for it, there are definitely opportunities to make profits online. Turn your hobby into your career!

We love Fabjob guides. They are instantly downloadable and offer easy-to-read, comprehensive information. FabJob Guides have been featured in stories at The Wall Street Journal as well as Entrepreneur Magazine sites.  

Here’s the FabJob guide on becoming a professional photographer:

How to Become a Professional Photographer
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by Jennifer James
Author, The FabJob Guide to Become a Gift Basket Business Owner

You’ve seen them in department stores, boutiques and gift shops. or possibly sent and received them yourself. They are beautiful and brimming with unique gifts and tasty treats. They are a more personalized gift than balloons, and more practical than sending flowers.

Of course we’re talking about gift baskets, a hot trend in gift-giving these days. And behind the scenes, another major trend is emerging – people who choose to start a gift basket business are launching one of the fastest-growing types of businesses today.

Gift basket businesses are starting up all over the country, and with good reason. Not only is the work fun and creative, but you can also start a gift basket business easily from home, by setting up a small space where you design and build your gift baskets.

You also have unlimited potential to grow when you start a gift basket business. “I launched my [gift basket] business selling $20,000 in baskets that first holiday season. The business doubled year after year, and has continued to grow substantially,” says gift basket business owner Cherie Reagor, twice named Designer of the Year by the gift basket industry.

The process for starting a gift basket business is not complicated, but you do have some important steps to follow. Here’s some advice from the FabJob Guide to Become a Gift Basket Business Owner to help you take your idea to start a gift basket business from concept to reality.

1. Plan and Prepare

To start a gift basket business, you first need to learn about the gift basket industry. Study other gift basket businesses, and see what they have to offer. How many types of gift baskets do they have for sale? What items are included in them? When you know what other gift basket businesses are offering, then you can plan how your business will be similar, and what you will do differently to be unique.

To build your gift basket making skills, you can take some classes at a local craft store, buy some good how-to books, and practice making as many baskets as you can for friends and family.

2. Buy Supplies and Equipment

You don’t need a large amount of supplies and equipment to start a gift basket business, but you will need some basics. A few pairs of sharp scissors will be essential, and you may also need a glue gun and wire cutters. You’ll also need to purchase some cello or shrink wrap, baskets or other containers, ribbon, bows, and some decorative shred, and you’ll be ready to start filling your gift baskets with goodies. Don’t forget to buy shipping supplies (i.e. boxes and tape) if you will be sending your gift baskets by courier.

3. Set up Your Work Space

Decide where you will create your gift baskets, and ensure that you have adequate lighting, as well as storage for the supplies and inventory required to start a gift basket business. You’ll also want to invest in a workbench or table when you can spread out supplies and make gift baskets at a comfortable height.

If you will include food items in your gift baskets, they should be stored in airtight containers with the expiration dates marked. Depending on where you live, local laws may also regulate how food items for your gift baskets must be handled and stored.

4. Buy Gift Basket Items

You’ll want to purchase a nice variety of gift items to start a gift basket business. Keep your purchases versatile if you can, meaning that they can be used in more than one style of gift basket. When you first start a gift basket business, stay away from buying too many gift items that won’t sell after a certain season (e.g., candy Santas), or whose shelf life may expire before you can use them up. You can order wholesale gift items at a deep discount.

Gift basket business insiders know that there are reputable businesses that will make and ship gift baskets on your behalf. All you have to do is land the orders! If your time or start-up money is limited, this can help you start a gift basket business easily and economically.

5. Market Your Gift Basket Business

When you are ready to start selling gift baskets, you’ll want to let the public know. You can advertise your gift basket business, although ads may be too expensive when you first start a gift basket business. Instead, consider press releases and other low-cost marketing strategies such as referrals. Online directories and a website for your gift basket business will also help generate and increase sales. In fact, many gift basket businesses allow their clients to browse and buy gift baskets directly online.

by Jennifer James

This article is based on the FabJob Guide to Become a Gift Basket Business Owner by Jennifer James. The complete guide offers detailed step-by-step information about how you can start a gift basket business and sell gift baskets. It is available online through www.FabJob.com/giftbasketbusiness.asp