Work From Home

“I started my business so that I’d have freedom, but I’ve never felt more trapped….”

I come across a statement like that at least once a day on a forum post or in email. You start your internet business because of the freedom of being your own boss and working on your own schedule and then promptly sit on your hind-end for 12 hours/day EVERY DAY. No wonder you feel burnt out. And no wonder family and friends are feeling neglected when all you can think and talk about is your business.

Freedom sounds pretty miserable to me if it means freedom from fun and the ones that I love.

So, how do you break free?

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by Lisa Taliga

Do ideal clients really exist or are they a myth? Let me assure you, there ARE ideal clients out there. You just need to know what your definition of one is.

Since I started my home-based business, I’ve had ideal clients and others that weren’t so great. Believe me, your clients will influence how you feel about your business on a day-to-day level, so you should aspire to get this right.

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by J. Stephen Pope

One of the most frequent questions I receive from those who are trying to start or grow their own consulting business is: “How and what do you charge clients for your consulting services?”

The ways of billing clients are numerous. There are hourly rates, by-the-job fixed rates, contingency or performance arrangements, flat fee plus expenses, daily fee plus expenses, and many other methods of charging for your consulting services. Which one is best?

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by Lisa Taliga

It’s that time of the year when I sit down with my accountant and see how much money I’ve earnt over the past 12 months. It’s been a profitable year – my most profitable yet. If I had known that I could be making this much money from the comfort of my own home, I would have started this business much, much sooner.

Why am I telling you this? Because looking at those figures, I have something very important to tell you. My business would not be anywhere near as profitable if I had not set my rates to the right level. Don’t get me wrong, I am not overcharging by any means. But what I AM doing is valuing my time and expertise. And that doesn’t come cheap!

When you’re starting out in your Virtual Assistant business it’s tempting to charge a low rate to bring in business. It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that you won’t have many expenses and overheads because you’re working from home. Plus, you just want to get some clients, right?

Wrong.

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by J. Stephen Pope

How can you profit from the boom in child care services? Here are a few suggestions.

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by J. Stephen Pope

Sometimes consultants and other service providers are hesitant to charge a fair rate for their services.

Maybe they feel that the services they provide are so basic that you really can’t justify charging much or anything for them.

Perhaps they feel that they don’t have the knowledge or experience that other consultants have.

Thus, they hesitate to charge fair rates because of a lack of self-confidence. This is natural (especially for new consultants). However, what you know and do has real value.

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