Starting a business is as easy as 1...2...3!

[Read2Kids2Day]

First… What to do?

There are 196 business opportunities listed on the Direct Selling Associations website that are members of the Direct Selling Association and are proven to not be scams. You just need to find one that will fit your personality and budget. Once you know which business you want to work with you can sign up, create a business name, and get a domain name if needed. You can find the entire list at http://www.dsa.org/forms/CompanyFormPublicMembers/search?action=find 

My vote for #197 is Passion Parties. It is not listed on the Direct Selling Association’s website but it is still a great company to have a business with.

Second… Marketing

The more you are able to get the word out about your business the more money you will make. Advertising your business does not have to be expensive. I have a website called Crochet Mechanics. For a donation of $5 toward the startup of the Crochet Mechanic Flea Market Booth you will receive a lifetime of advertising on our sponsors page. You can use text, buttons, banners, or HTML (such as for Etsy mini) to create your ad. We are accepting four ads for each of the 50 states for a total of 200 ads. There is no limit to how big your ad is! We do ask that you keep it short enough that your ad doesn‘t get to big and boring to read. To sign up go to http://crochetmechanic.weebly.com/sponsors.html. 

You can also start a Facebook fan page for your business which is totally free to do. You will also need to get business cards, flyers, and you may want to even look into car magnets for the side of your car. Also a cute idea I have seen is to have a bunch of business cards magnets made up with your business info and stick them all over your car with a sign that says take one. People while you are parked can come up and take one. 

Make sure to check out PRWeb.com and if you feel comfortable writing a press release or you can find a writer to do it for you get a press release out there. It will get you noticed on the web and even in newspapers and possibly magazines.

Third… Start Making Money

Get a day planner and figure out when you can schedule home parties. Also look into doing fundraisers for schools, preschools, daycares, etc. Become creative about how you can get your business to stand out and from there start creating unique opportunities for your customers that other home businesses may not offer. Like if you do Mary Kay or another make up company have a Mom’s Night Out and do makeovers and have a sleepover either at your house or at the host’s house with no kids and no husbands.

Don’t be afraid to join more than one company but try and pick two that can be done together. For example Mary Kay and Passion Parties… if you do these two you could offer gift baskets for moms to pamper themselves with. 

If you have any questions feel free to drop me a message here on CafeMom.