Flea Market Business Ideas

Flea markets are great retail marketplaces. Flea market vendors are in a marketplace where the customers have a made a predetermined decision to buy.

Unlike people in malls and people walking in the streets, flea market customers are more than just browsers. They are serious customers who have a trip to the flea market to buy products.

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But just because flea market shoppers want to buy, does not mean that they will buy from you.

To make sure that they do buy from you, I have compiled some great flea market insider business ideas. Use these strategies and your flea market sales will go through the roof.

Flea Market Business Idea #1

Make your booth stand out. Flea market shoppers are surrounded by hundreds of flea market vendors. They start developing tunnel vision as they walk through the isles. You need to make your booth stand out so that shoppers will focus on your booth. One way is to use bright table cloths and a bright tent. Yellow and white are great colors since the sun will reflect on them and catch the attention of people.

Flea Market Business Idea #2

Flea market vendors need variety. Even if you have the world's lowest price on socks, your customers can only buy so many socks from you. If you want to increase your flea market sales you need to diversify your products. There is definitely a correlation between flea market sales and product variety.

Flea Market Business Idea #3

Professionalism is key. Just because you are selling at a flea market doesn't meant that you can drop your professionalism. Flea market shoppers want to be treated right. They will give their business to the most organized and polite flea market vendors. After all, who doesn't want to be treated well.

Flea Market Business Ideas

Donny Lowy runs http://www.closeoutexplosion.com an online wholesale and closeout business that supplies eBay sellers, retailers, and flea market vendors.

Small Business Ideas in Small Towns That Will Make a Profit

Living in a small town, there are often many small businesses owned by local individuals. Because these small towns are not often serviced by larger chain stores, the small businesses can thrive in such an environment. There is almost always a need for a new type of business or service to be provided.

You can start a successful business in a small town setting by getting a feel for the people. Ask what type of business they would like to see, what type of service they need provided, or what type of business they inevitably have to travel for to buy their products. This should give you many ideas to choose from.

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From this list you should pick a business idea that you are really interested in and can become passionate about. The more you love the business you are working in, the more successful you will be.

Once you start your small business, celebrate your unique localness. You can do this by using local products in your business, really getting to know your customer, or sell products that you could only purchase in your business in your small town.

Creating a local feel in your business will invite customers to return and by using local products in your business, other businesses may look to you to help them provide their services or products as well.

Small businesses can thrive in small towns if you listen to what people want, enjoy what you are doing, and create a welcoming atmosphere. If you have these key items, success should be inevitable for your business.

Small Business Ideas in Small Towns That Will Make a Profit

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Small Business Ideas in Your Own Backyard

You don't have to search the Seven Wonders of the World to find the perfect small business idea. In fact, you don't even have to leave your yard. Simply take a look around your home and backyard. There are plenty of great business ideas right in front of you. You just need to know what to look for:

In your Backyard: Often backyards hold the key to your hobbies. Is your backyard perfectly maintained? Do you enjoy mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges and fertilizing the grass? If so, then you have a great business idea right there! Many people (most people in fact); hate doing this yard work and landscaping. If you have a knack for it, then put it to good use and start your own landscaping company.

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Or, perhaps your forte is gardening. Does your backyard look like an oasis of fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables? If so, then use this amazing talent and start up your own gardening small business. Offer advice, sell products or help others with their less-thriving gardens.

In your Home: Take a look around your house. What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work? Are there hundreds of books cluttered in every corner? Do you prefer to knit, sew or make crafts in your spare time? If so, then take this creative gift and expand it into a small business.

Sell your talent and your designs. Create your very own home-based clothing store or arts and crafts shop. You have the creative juices- why not allow them to flow freely and make money in the process?

Small Business Ideas in Your Own Backyard

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Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.

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Basic Management Skills - What Makes a Good Manager?

Basic management skills are necessary to run a small business. Some business owners believe that leading vs managing is most important. In reality, you need to be able to both lead and manage.

What makes a good manager? There are definite business management styles and skills to focus on; specifically for small business owners. If you're the owner or manager of a small business, it's important to understand what those basic management skills are and to try to incorporate them into your own behaviors. Why? Because some skills are more successful than others and because some styles will engage your employees, while others will dis-engage them.

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Business management skills such as planning, decision making, problem solving, controlling and directing, and measuring and reporting are needed for the daily operation.

Using their small business plan, effective managers direct the business operation. Communications, benchmarking, tracking and measuring are tactics and strategies that they use to check their direction, to adjust the plan (if necessary), and to move the business forward. Good managers act to achieve the desired results; and they manage people and resources to get where they want to go.

Understanding what makes a good manager, means understanding what motivates employees.  How do you build an environment and culture that encourages employees to participate? How do you increase employee productivity and employee satisfaction; simultaneously? How do you recruit the best talent, and then keep them? How do you train your staff to solve problems, make decisions, and involve others in the process? These are just some of the challenges, and responsibilities, of managing.

As a manager, you need to understand what the common business management styles are (autocratic, paternalistic, democratic, and passive are the most common styles). And you need to understand what your style is, and how that style affects business results.

Four Business Management Styles:

1. Autocratic: The manager makes all the decisions; a "command and control" (militaristic) management style. Focus is on business; doesn't want any personal 'stuff' to get in the way. The benefit is that decisions are made quickly. The cost is in high employee turn-over as employees find this style difficult, and stressful.
2. Paternalistic: The manager makes all decisions (or most of them) but focuses on what's best for employees. The benefit is that employees feel the business is taking care of them. The cost is that employees don't take care of business - they are uninvolved and have little at risk.
3. Democratic: The manager wants input from the whole 'team' and majority rules. Often good decisions are made and employees feel involved in the business (the benefit to this style) but the process is very slow and you can't always make everyone happy.
4. Passive: The manager abdicates responsibility to the employees; and calls it delegation. The benefit is that employees often step forward and learn in this environment. The cost is that the direction is scattered and there can be numerous false starts because there is no real manager.

Managers typically use more than one style, depending on the situation. If brainstorming creative new product ideas is today's focus, then the manager may want to use a democratic or passive style. If a decision about keeping or firing an under-performing employee must be made, the manager may need to use an autocratic or paternalistic style (hopefully not a democratic or passive style).

In most small businesses, the business owner is also the manager and the leader. In your business, make sure that you have a good understanding of your own business management styles, skills and qualities and learn how to control them and use them as necessary.

Basic Management Skills - What Makes a Good Manager?

To understand more about what makes a good manager, or the difference between leading vs managing, it is good to focus on the qualities of an effective manager as compared to the qualities of an effective leader.
Kris Bovay is the owner of Voice Marketing Inc, a business and marketing services company. Kris has 25 years of experience in leading large, medium and small businesses. For more pricing strategies and other small business resources and services go to the more-for-small-business website.
Copyright 2008 - 2009 Voice Marketing Inc.

Role of MIS in Business Management

Despite the vast improvements in information technology, computers (on which modern IT is based) cannot as yet take over business management. However, business information systems have transformed the effectiveness, power and efficiency of management.

In an earlier article on business management software, we looked at surface aspects of how modern management information systems help businesses. We saw how computers speeded up and improved the quality of operations. We also mentioned the existence of broad categories of business software - office suites, functional software such as accounting and inventory, and industry software such as retail management software. In this article, we seek to look more analytically at the role of information management systems.

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Decision Support, Problem Analysis and Overall Control

Business managers often need to make decisions that can affect the business' fortunes one way or other. For example, a company with sales outlets or distributors spread over a wide geographic area might want to optimize the logistical operations of delivering merchandise to the outlets. The best solution might be affected by numerous factors such as demand patterns, availability of merchandise, distances involved and the option of using external carriers (who can find two way loads and might prove a lesser cost option over long distances) instead of own vehicles.

While it might be possible to use complex mathematical formulas by hand to compute the best solution, computers transform the whole process into a routine task of feeding certain information as input and obtaining suggestions for best solutions as output. The task can typically be done in a few minutes (instead of hours or even days) and it becomes possible to examine several alternatives before deciding upon one that seems most realistic.

Identifying problems and analyzing the factors that cause them also has been transformed by modern computer information systems. In a typical MIS environment, standard reports are generated in a routine manner comparing actual performance against original estimates. The software that generates the report can be instructed to highlight exceptions, i.e. significant variations between original estimates and actual performance. Managers will thus become aware of problem areas in the daily course of their work simply by looking at the reports they receive, without having to do detailed data collection and computations themselves.

Identifying the factors responsible for the problem can also be routinized to some extent by using such tools as variance analysis. Variance analysis is an element of standard costing system that splits deviations from estimates (or standards) into causative factors such as increase in price of materials used, excessive usage of materials, unexpected machine downtimes, etc. With such a detailed report, managers can delve deeper into the problem factor, such as why there was excessive usage of materials.

Control is also exercised through variance analysis. Budgets are prepared for all business operations by concerned managers working in a coordinated fashion. For example, estimated sales volumes will determine the levels of production; production levels will determine raw material purchases; and so on. With good information system management, it then becomes possible to generate timely reports comparing actual sales, production, raw material deliveries, etc against estimated levels.

The reports will help managers to keep a watch on things and take corrective action quickly. For example, the production manager will become aware of falling sales (or rising sales) of particular products and can prepare to make adjustments in production schedules, and purchasing and inventory managers will become quickly aware of any mounting inventories of unused materials. MIS thus enhances the quality of communication all around and can significantly improve the effectiveness of operations control.

Effective MIS Involves Humans and Computers Working together

The major aspect to note is that MIS provides only the information; it is the responsibility of concerned managers to act on the information. It is the synergy between efficient, accurate and speedy equipment and humans with commonsense, intelligence and judgment that really gives power to MIS.

Role of MIS in Business Management

Gopinathan is a business writer who writes Web content and publicity materials for Web businesses. With first hand business experience as a trained professional with decades of executive and entrepreneurial experience, he can write on business issues with authenticity. And as a trained writer, he can also produce clearly written and readable pieces.

His goal is to help small businesses build their image through written content that brings out their strengths. This goal is sought to be achieved through discussions with clients, and relevant and focused research before starting on the writing. This approach contrasts with that of delivering cookie-cutter articles stuffed with keywords.

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How to Start A House Cleaning Business In 7 Simple Steps

One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it's a blessing to make money doing something they love. I'm not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn't hate it.

How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.

Business

Here are 7 simple steps to get you started on your own house cleaning business.

1) Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.

Here you decided what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won't do, e.g. laundry. You can also decide to specialize, e.g. by cleaning carpets only, or cleaning suspended ceilings only.

2) Pricing your housecleaning service.

To have an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section in your local newspapers for cleaning businesses, call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and find out exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information gathered decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.

3) Workout startup costs.

For this you need to consider, tools, material, transport, advertising, insurance etc. Write down a list all the tools and material you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment etc. Next find out the cost of each item on the list and write it down next to the item.

Transport: you will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get to your client. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage).

Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads etc). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company who publish your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.

Once you've gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.

4) Name your business.

Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got of the internet, 'Maid Brigade', 'All Shine Cleaning', 'White Glove Cleaning Service'. Please avoid using 'Your Name Cleaning Services'. Using your own name as part of your business name is over done by many house cleaning businesses. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out of the crowd.

5) Learn the zoning regulations of your community.

Check the city clerk's Office or your local library for a copy for a copy of the zoning laws governing your community. Your reason for doing this is that some zoning regulations prohibit home businesses in a community.

6) Do a few free cleaning jobs.

Well you're not actually doing them for free. You're doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities etc.

7) Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.

Tell everyone you know that you've started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning you need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you spend on marketing and more time you spend on cleaning and making your clients happy.

This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance better marketing strategies and more.

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You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. fayolap@yahoo.com

How to Start A House Cleaning Business In 7 Simple Steps

Fayola Peters is the webmaster of housecleaning-tips.com. To find more information about a house business cleaning course check out her website at http://www.housecleaning-tips.com.

fayolap@yahoo.com

Catchy Business Names

Thinking up a catchy business name can seem like an impossibility when you've spent hours putting pen to paper and asked just about everyone you can think of for ideas.

However, to get the ultimate catchy business name, it can be a matter of doing some very simple research. The internet is a great place to start. You can go onto certain websites and type in the nature of your business and the search will throw up related words.

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A dictionary is also a brilliant source of information. When you search for a specific word, very often the description will send you to another related word and then another. I'll bet there are words and terms in the dictionary that you hadn't even thought of!

Newspapers and magazines especially can give you great ideas for a catchy business name. Specialist magazines that are dedicated to the type of business you are in are going to be full of great ideas.

There are many different thoughts on how you should name a business. Some will recommend that you choose a name that is theme or name related, whereas others seem to think that an 'all purpose' business name is the way to go. Personally, I think there are many different factors that should be considered.

Is your business relating to just one topic or product? If this is the case, then a more specific name should be used. This usually indicates that you are in a small niche, so a catchy business name that is theme related will work best.

For example; Pizza hut sells pizzas. People know that when they go there, they are going for pizza. A catchy name for a thai restaurant could be 'Beau Thai'- and how about 'On 4 Wheels' for a driving school?

If your business relates to multiple topics that are in the same category, then a name that covers all the products is going to work best. For example; Google and Yahoo are known all over the globe. Their business covers thousands of different topics, so the name they chose was a generic one, but their business names mean absolutely nothing. In fact it's gobble-de-gook. But the names are catchy and people remember them.

Be bold, be humorous. People have always got a smile when they hear a comical catchy business name, and if it has caught their attention, they will remember you and more than likely check you out over the competition!

Catchy Business Names

For more Cool Business Name Ideas and Info visit: http://www.internettbusiness.com/Catchy_Business_Names.html

Starting an Online Business - Ins and Outs of Your Venture

Internet or online business is a field that has gained a lot of publicity recently. There are great opportunities waiting for all kinds of people, no matter what industry they represent. There's just one question to answer: how to begin? Starting an online business is not that difficult, yet it can be challenging if you don't have some of the basic elements in place.

Nowadays, the point of entry is much easier to reach as new entrepreneurs can start their businesses from a small corner of their homes, having only a computer and an internet connection. This big change from physical to virtual gives a good advantage for wealth seekers to reach multitudes of people with very little effort. It is because of this new resource that starting an online business endeavor is an attractive choice for people searching new ventures.

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When starting an online business, one must first be familiar with the internet itself and its business applications. This includes things like doing market research, conducting competition analysis, understanding how various web tools work, and becoming aware of the culture and trend of the internet as a marketplace.

In doing so, it is essential to plan for a good concept, product, services and content. The internet is one fast busy business district, so making the content and concept of the business should mean taking full advantage of its capability. Selling goods to audiences all over the world is often the ultimate goal of many online businesses. Therefore, we should consider an interactive online shopping, a convenient global access, and a perfect showcase for people to obtain information about the company and its products. It is also important to achieve efficient means of communicating with clients and customers.

One of the first pieces of online real estate every entrepreneur needs to have is a website. This basically deals with having a domain and finding a web host. The domain is a unique address on the internet that the business owner chooses. It is usually named after the actual business name of the company (or taken from the product itself) since some customers often type it in the web browser.

The web host, in plain English, is a company that provides you with the service of hosting your website on their servers (nowadays, there's no point in having your own servers sitting in your office). Very often, hosting companies also offer domain registration, which makes the whole undertaking a lot easier because you end up with just one company handling both your domain and your hosting. After you have your domain and hosting set up the next step is to have the website designed.

Despite the fact that this is usually the most expensive part, it is not advisable to design the website yourself if you don't have any knowledge in this field. The safest thing to do is to buy a premium WordPress theme and have it installed on your hosting account.

Once the website is ready there are a couple of things yet to do. One of the most important ones is setting up a payment processing system. Fortunately, this is not that difficult thanks to services like PayPal. It is a highly recommended service due to its popularity around the internet and high safety standards. If you intend to sell digital products it is also advisable to deliver them online via a download link or an email attachment. This makes the whole process a lot quicker, and a customer can enjoy their purchase right away.

Unfortunately the "if you build it they will come" phrase does not apply to online businesses. This means that you have to build the traffic to your website on your own. The purpose is to avoid your website to be wiped out by other websites. In order to don't let that happen you have to learn some basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Having your website ranking highly in search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing is the best way of attracting a constant stream of new customers.

In order to keep track of the transactions made, it is helpful to install a free and easy traffic analyzing tool such as Google Analytics. The statistics it provides will give you valuable information about what's going on in your business in terms of pure numbers.

Finally, in the business world, online and offline; honesty, credibility and integrity are important values that the consumers always consider. Gaining and keeping their trust is essential for that matter. Let us never forget that success doesn't happen overnight. Starting an online business is never difficult as long as much dedication and hard work is put into it.

Starting an Online Business - Ins and Outs of Your Venture

If you're on the hunt for some advice on starting an online business please visit my blog (the link earlier in the sentence). It has been created to help you in your entrepreneurial journey. Particularly, to help you with things like: marketing, finding a niche, running an online business, advertising, launching a website and driving traffic to it, and there's more...