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How to Start a Profitable Home Improvement Referral Service

Home improvement referral services are cropping up from New York to California. They are taking the time to do the legwork to find reputable and reliable contractors and these businesses are reaping profits from good work.

It really doesn’t take much to start. A home improvement referral service business takes only a little money and not more time than a regular 40 hour a week job. They can actually start making money within the first year of business.

The first thing to consider is what types of home improvement businesses your will refer. This can include gutter cleaning and replacement, remodeling, building additions, fencing, lawn maintenance, and many others. Remember, all though you may like to paint a client may not like it or have the time. Therefore, no business should be overlooked.

Once you have an idea of the types of contractors for your referral service business, you will need to call the local, county, and state government offices. Get the regulations and requirements regarding licensing, bonding, business registry, and insurance for each type of contractor. This is the first step to building your list. Any contractor that does not meet government regulations should not be on your referral list.

By knowing these requirements and using them, your home improvement referral business will gain credibility with your clients. They will know that if the contractor doesn’t meet these requirements, they will not be on your list. It makes the client feel more sure the job will be completed professionally and correctly.

Another way to ensure creditability of your referral service business is to only look at contractors that are recommended by their past happy customers. But this is not the end of the screening process. Recommendations are not enough.

Once a contractor is recommended to your home improvement referral business, you need to check out his or her service. Talk to them, explaining your referral service business. Many contractors will give you the needed information happily. Ask to see their licenses, bonding information, and insurance to ensure they are current and up to date. Ask for a list of services they provide and the cost for these services. Finally ask for references you may speak to.

Now you have gotten your contractor referral list started. While working on creating this list, you should have started thinking about a name for your referral service business, advertising, office area, office equipment, and ordered a phone line for the business. You may want to use a computer right away, but an index card or file system could work just as well and for a fraction of the cost, until your company grows. Keep in mind that as your company grows, the office space, office equipment, and referral list system will probably need to become computerized to save time and money.

Since your referral business is going to begin locally, check with local newspapers and periodicals to see if they would be interested in doing an article about your business. Make some flyers and ask local hardware stores if you could leave some there to advertise your service. You may also want to send letters to realtors announcing your business, they can be great advertisers for you.

Make your services free to the people calling into your business looking for referrals. Many home improvement referral businesses charge the contractor anywhere from 6% to 15% depending on the size of the project. You put the customers in touch with the contractor, and upon completion of the project, the contractor pays you a fee.

Advertise that no contractors pay you to get onto your referral list. If clients or contractors ask how they get on the list, explain to them the only way for a contractor to get on the list is for a customer to recommend them. You may want to explain the whole screening process to let the person know the exact qualifications the contractors need to have before being accepted.

A referral service business can expand easily and rapidly. Once your business starts to grow, create a business plan to set goals. Decide how much you want to expand and consider starting franchises in other locations or expanding the list to include contractors that were not included originally. This is your home improvement referral service business and you can take it wherever you want.

7 Reasons to Start a High Profit Concrete Block Making Business

Making concrete blocks and other concrete products is a very profitable business. I can make this statement quite unequivocally since I was in this business most of my life. You may ask why making something as commonplace as cement blocks should be a great money maker. Well here are seven good reasons:

1. You can begin as a home based business. You can operate from your garage with no added costs. You can start out this way and when the business grows you can move to larger premises to accommodate your concrete block making machine and the drying racks for hundreds of concrete blocks.

2. You can start your concrete blocks business with hand made molds. You make these from plywood and sheet metal at very low cost. These molds are easy to make in your home workshop from available plans and instructions. Using hand molds one person can turn out 100 concrete blocks per day quite easily.

3. The demand for concrete blocks,and many other concrete products which you can make,never falters. They are a commodity which the building trades use to build all types of structure from tiny back yard projects to huge buildings. As long as building continues there will be a demand for your products.

4. Concrete blocks are not one day wonder widgets. Some items have a huge demand for a very limited period then fade from the scene. Think of the hula hoop or Rubik’s cube. Things like this are a short term craze which is quickly replaced by the next one. Concrete products however continue to be in demand year after year and the demand increases steadily.

5. When you start a home based business there is no big monetary risk. You can start with as little as a few hundred dollars. All you need is the plywood and sheet metal to build your hand molds and a supply of the basic materials for your concrete mix. These are Portland cement,gravel,sand and water. All of these can be obtained at your local building suopply store.

6. When you supply your products to buyers in your local area you have no high transportation costs. Concrete products are costly to transport from a distant maker because of their weight and size. You can supply home town customers at a very good price and make an excellent profit.

7. When your business grows to the point that you can no longer make enough blocks with hand molds you will need a concrete block machine. The only downside is that this is expensive. The machine will pay for it’s cost by increasing your production greatly. The alternative is to build your own low cost machine from auto parts and a few odds and ends. Can you build your own machine? Yes you very definitely can from plans with instructions which are readily available.

I could go on with many more reasons why you can do very well indeed in the concrete products manufacturing business. These seven reasons will paint the picture for you. Manufacturing concrete blocks and other concrete products is a profitable enterprise which you can start part time while you still hold a job. The risk is little and the rewards are great. Why not find out more about it?

How To Start a Wood Working Business From Your Garage

Starting a woodworking business from your home could be an excellent way to earn an income. With right business plan and woodworking training system you could reach your financial goals with little or no woodworking skills.

As we all know financial times are tough in many areas of Canada and The USA. Their seems to be no stability working for various companies. Even if you employed the income you receive is poor. Consider starting a home based business that will create products that you can sell with very little effort. This home based business will be fun and easy to start.

Consider starting a business constructing and selling wooden furniture. Many people are often interested in purchasing wooden furniture for their homes. Good quality wooden furniture always has a way of being sold. Home owners will pay top money for this type of furnishing. This type of furnishing looks good and gives the customer a product that indicates that their money was well spent.

With proper business plan and correct construction method you might even be able to make money in your spare time building furniture and related products.

Of course you will need a place to work such as your garage. You could even construct a shed in your backyard to start your woodworking business. Constructing a shed, made of wood, could be a way of starting your woodworking business. After successfully building a shed in your backyard you could have people paying you to build a shed in their backyard.

There are a number of resources that will give you step-by-step instructions with regards to construction of various woodworking projects including numerous backyard shed plans. Types of sheds to consider are the pent roof shed and clerestory style shed.

The pent roof style shed is simple to build. It is a mono roof shed, which consists of a one piece roof sloping in one direction. It can be attached to your house or barn, giving it increased structural strength

The clerestory style shed ideal for use a place to work. The roof of this shed consists of row of windows which allows natural light to beam inside of the structure. Because of the roof its structure will mor complicated to build when compare with the pent roof style shed. However designs can be found on the internet that will help the construction process less problematic.

This type of business will require that you purchase various tools if you do not already own them. Their a number hardware stores likely in your area that will help you purchasing the tools needed in starting your woodworking business. You will also likely be able to purchase used woodworking tools in good working order.

Best Regards

Free Start Up Money is Available With Business Grants

There are many costly expenses associated with starting your own new business, but if you qualify for small business grants, you can get free government money to do it, and never have to pay it back. There are hundreds of extremely beneficial grant programs available to American taxpayers, and business is one of the most enterprising ways to take advantage of this free money.

What exactly is a small business grants? Free money!

The United States government has over eight five billion dollars per year in free government money that is in part provided by you, the American taxpayer, in every tax dollar you spend or earn. The government has a fiscal responsibility to allocate generous portions of that money in business grants to qualified applicants who wish to establish new businesses. Since this is an investment gift, not a loan, approved recipients will never be required to pay back any of the free money, and are quite often able to fully finance the start up costs of their new businesses.

What type of businesses qualify for free government money?

Any type of company or enterprise may be found qualified to receive free government business grants. Most ideas, if they appear profitable and enterprising, will be approved for this type of funding no matter what size or genre of business is being pursued. You may be able to acquire a few hundred dollars to assist you in starting an online business based in your home, or few hundred thousands to open a strip mall. The award sums, and possibilities are endless, as long as you have a good idea and solid detailed business plan.

Where do you apply for free government business grants?

By following the links provided below, you can search the grant database to find the government grant agencies in your area. Once you have found this information you will then be able to complete a government grant application to any, and all small business grants that you may be eligible to qualify for and be off to independence and self employment without spending a dime on start up costs.

Best Way to Find a Job – The Article You Must Read Before You Even Start Looking for a Job

Have you been spinning your wheels and looking for the best way to find a job that won’t drive you nuts?

Many people are in the same situation right now, spinning their wheels as well, looking for jobs that simply don’t seem to exist.

But there is a much better way to find a job that you need to know about…

The Best Way to Find a Job and Make Tons of Cashola

If you’ve been looking for a job with no luck then it’s a good chance that it’s time to change your strategy. It’s time for you to do something that will let you earn a nice income, while others are still out there fighting for the few jobs that are available.

The best way to find a job is to stop looking for one. What?!!

Here’s the thing. Getting a job might not be the best idea for you to get ahead in this world that we’re currently living in. I know that goes totally against conventional wisdom and what your friends and family might tell you, but the truth is that I think that you’re a little bit braver than they are.

I think that you’re likely a little bit more fed up than they are with having to barely get by and having to live on someone else’s terms. You’re ready for a way to earn substantial money and enjoy life simultaneously.

To do that you’ve got to step out of your job security comfort zone, and actually start your own business. But right now isn’t the time to start a conventional brick and mortar business both for your current situation and with the shape of the economy.

So instead of starting a business that will cost you a ton of money as an initial investment, and will cost a ton of money to run, you should start a home business.

The great thing is that the right kind of home business allows you to start a business with a minimum investment, yet allows you the potential for as great if not greater monthly and/or annual income as someone with a traditional brick and mortar business. This is especially true in the beginning when most regular businesses will lose money in the beginning, your earning will be profit.

Another huge difference is the fact that when you open a business you don’t get the type of training that you’ll get with some home businesses. When I say some, what I mean is that some will give you much more hand held training than others, and those people training you have it in their best interest for you to succeed. That type of business is in the network marketing industry, and is definitely the one that this author recommends most.

So now you know that the best way to find a job is not necessarily to look for one at all but instead to give yourself the best chance ever to get ahead in life.

Start a Business Selling Tutus

Lets face it, the economy doesn’t seem to be getting better and sometimes stay at home moms options are very limited when it comes to trying to bring in a second income. More and more women are turning to home based businesses to help ease some of the burden off their spouses.

Putting your creativity to the test and selling your creations can prove to be a successful money maker.

I started selling tutus on Craigslist, eBay and by word of mouth. The response was surprising and I was making close to $500 a month when I first started. It may not seem like much, but to a stay at home mom, that extra cash helped usgreg through tough times. My husband was self employed and worked from home, so the income he was bringing in at the time wasn’t steady. That extra couple of hundred dollars would cover groceries.

So whether you just want a little bit of extra money or you want to make it a full time business, making tutus to sell can be that home business your looking for.

Keep in mind that everybody and their mommas are making tutus, however there is still a market even when you’re first starting. Eventually you can create your very own tutu designs that will set you apart from the competition. Viewers spot lack of quality right away. Put a lot of effort into perfecting your technique and making sure you pay attention to detail when making your tutus.

What’s great about learning to make tutus is that even if you’re not as successful in selling them, you can still make the best gifts and save money since tutu materials are relatively inexpensive.

Here are some of the materials you will need to make a tutu

Rolls of tulle: 6″ by 25-yard rolls are best

Optional: Cutting Mat, Rotary Cutter and Quilters Lip Edge Ruler: The rotary cutter and mat make clean and even cuts. You can use Fabric Scissors if you cannot find the rotary cutter, mat and ruler. It will take much longer to cut though.

1/2″ Width Roll of Elastic. You can use an elastic headband for waist if you want a 100% non sew tutu. Non roll elastic is best. I would go no wider than 3/4″ width elastic

Needle and Thread: Sew ends of elastic together or use Stretchy Headband for a no sew waistband

Elastic Waistband Construction:

1: Measure and cut elastic 2-3″ smaller than measurement, that way the waistband will be snug around the child’s waist. Overlap the ends of the elastic at least 1/2-1″ and sew both ends of elastic together. This is the only time you will be sewing. If you’re unable to sew, use a stretchy headband.

2: You will need between 1-3 rolls for a baby/toddler tutu. For 4 years and up, start with 3-4 rolls. This estimate is for slightly above knee length tutus. Adjust number of roll accordingly.

To cut the length of the strips, you can place at least two rolls evenly on top of each other on top of the cutting mat and unroll the tulle. Line up the tulle edge on the 0″ mark of the cutting mat and cut the tulle to the desired length using a rotary cutter. Placing a quilter lip edge ruler where you want to make your cut and rolling the rotary cutter using the edge of the ruler as a guide can help prevent accidents.

The length of the tutu can be calculated by multiplying the desired tutu length by 2 and then adding an additional 2″ to compensate for the knot you will be tying. Example: tutu length (12″) x 2 = 24 + 2 = 26. Cut each strip to 26″ long. Your measurement may be different.

3: Fold the tulle strip in half to resemble an upside down “U”. Bring the folded end behind the elastic waistband. This will create a loop behind and above the top edge of the elastic.

4: From the one folded strip, you will notice two “tails” hanging. Take both tail ends of the tulle strip through the loop you have created and pull down to tighten. Make sure not to pull it too tight as that can over stretch the elastic. It takes some practice getting it right.

5: Tying double knots is another way to attach your tulle to the waistband. Continue to tie your knots until you reach the other side. You can tie additional knots to fill in any bare areas. Aim to tie at least 4-5 knots per inch of your original waist measurement. So if you have an 20″ waistband, you should be able to fit between 80-100 strips.

If the waistband over stretches, cut the elastic and resew to the original waist measurement.

Embellish your tutu once you’ve completed the steps above.

Once you’ve perfected your technique, you can start thinking about selling your tutus. Look around online and compile a list of tutu sellers and see what they charge. This will help you determine a fair price.

Start off by selling online or post photos of your tutus on your Facebook account. You’re bound to get some word of mouth advertising on there. Advertising at local ballet schools might be one route to go. Just make sure it’s not just a basic tutu. Take beautiful photos, because no matter how beautiful a tutu may be, no one is going to see that in a poorly lit and cluttered background. Find what catches your eye and improve on it.

My new favorite website to get ideas is Pinterest. Use it and when you create your website, you can start using Pinterest as a marketing tool.

One more important thing about selling… Make sure the materials and tutus are labeled in accordance with new CPSIA labeling laws for children’s products. As of February 2009, all children’s products sold must conform to all aspects of the law and safety standards, including the new lead content and phthalates limits. This is governed by the CPSIA.

Most tulle manufacturers should state on their website if their tulle conforms with CPSIA standards.

How To Start A Business With Zero Finance

Can you make money out of nothing? Don’t you want to know how to start a business with zero finance? Do not be surprised because the Net makes this not only possible, but also easy-to-do for everyone. Do you need to be a computer guru? The answer is NO! You need not be a computer expert or Internet marketing specialist. All you need is a fire in your belly to achieve success and an ongoing desire to learn. We are going to look at 3 simple steps and will expand on it later.

How?

This is the million-dollar question, right? Well, let us take it step-by-step:

1. Start a blog – once upon a time, to launch a business the minimum needed was an investment to create a professional looking website. Today also, a website is a great asset when you start a new e-business. However, it is not the only way to do so. You can also use a blog. A blog is free of cost and an excellent way to launch your business with zero investment. You can add everything you need on the blog including a shopping cart, auto responder and all the paraphernalia required to run a modest yet efficient website – all for free although you have the option to upgrade the services you receive from whatever provider you choose.

There a few out there:-

1. Blog spot/Blogger

2. WordPress

3. Type pad

4. Some hosting companies provide blogging options.

2. Affiliate marketing – this is an exceptional way to establish your business for free. What this means is you advertise other people’s product and get paid a commission for it. In some instance depending on what you are promoting the parent organization of which you wish to become an affiliate would not only offer you a free and well-designed website, but also all the tools and assistance you need to market their product. In addition, you would get a percentage as commission for every sale you make through your website.

3. Free advertisement – in order to make yourself known on the Internet you need to advertise your presence heavily and persistently. This too, can be achieved free of cost. All you have to do is write a few informative and interesting articles and submit it to free article directories or ezines. This process would help you build an enviable traffic to your blog almost overnight and your business would show profit in no time.

So thinking of starting a business and have no money, do not despair you can. The ingredients for success are these three simple steps, a positive attitude and an unquenchable thirst to succeed.

Requirements To Start An Online Business

There has never been a better time than now to consider starting a small business. The Internet provides almost limitless opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Many people make the mistake of starting an online business based on the recommendation of their cousin Larry without any knowledge about the business.

Before jumping into the first opportunity you hear about, do some research. Make a list of subjects (called niches) that you are interested in and knowledgeable about. If you want to enter into a business where you have no expertise, make sure that you can get the knowledge you need before making a financial commitment.

Once you have your list, research each niche by doing a search. Make sure there is a market for the businesses that you are interested in. If you do a search and very little comes up, it probably means that there is little interest in that field. In that case, you would probably find it difficult to make money in that business. On the other hand, searches that show 50 to 100 million sites may be too competitive to make any real money. Look for a balance somewhere in the middle.

After you have narrowed down your list, look for products that are related to your niche. Find 5 to 7 products for each niche. Two good places to go for this information is Clickbank and Commission Junction. Clickbank handles only digital products, Commission Junction handles physical as well as digital products.

Look for products that sell well. Check out the sales pages for each of these products. Are they compelling? Do they make you want to buy it? Choose the 3 best products for each niche.

By using the parameters above, you can easily choose which niche might be the best for you. Armed with this information, you are ready to determine what type of online business is best for you, regardless of what cousin Larry says.

Do you want to learn how to make money? Get all the details and start making money online!

Money Making Internet Business – How to Start Earning Money Online in 5 Easy Steps

Any project that’s worthwhile involves a process that one must go through before reaching successful completion. Achieving your goals for a project requires you to be dedicated and focused. Multiple steps will need to be completed over time for maximum results. Starting a money making internet business is no exception. Here is the easiest way to get started and be on your way to success.

Choose a Niche

You should choose a niche that you are comfortable talking about. This will be significant because you need to be able to create a lot of content around the topic.

Create a Website Around Your Chosen Niche

Don’t worry if you have no idea how to create a website. Most web hosting services come with a program called WordPress, you can use this program to create your blog. There are also free ways to create a blog. Do a search on Google to find a free program that works for you but if your serious about starting a money making internet business, I highly recommend purchasing web hosting and using WordPress.

Do Keyword Research

Use a keyword research tool to find out what keywords people are using within the niche to find what they’re looking for. This is one of the most important steps when creating your blog because you want to write about topics that are actually being searched for in the search engines. It’s best to target long tail keyword phrases containing three or more words because these usually have less competition.

Write Articles About Your Chosen Niche

Begin with writing at least five articles and post these articles to your blog. When you write the articles, include the keywords that you found with the keyword research tool. Write and post a new article to your blog each day to keep your blog fresh and updated, this will help you achieve higher rankings in the search engines.

Join Affiliate Programs In Your Chosen Niche

Most affiliate programs provide you with banners, links and other marketing material that you can use to promote their product. Pick a marketing material and post it to your blog along with your special affiliate link. You will get paid each time a visitor clicks on the link and completes a sale or a specific action.

If you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to success. So set your goal and put in the time and effort to achieve it! Don’t wait, get started now. You will be enjoying the fruits of your accomplishment sooner than you think!

How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup Business "On the Cheap"

There are some definite costs to starting a foreclosure cleanup business. It’s not one you can start with no money – and don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. But, costs can be mitigated. Following are some concrete suggestions on how to start a foreclosure cleaning business “on the cheap.”

3 Concrete Suggestions for How to Business Cleaning Foreclosures Cheaply

Rent Equipment: While it’s ideal to have your own equipment when you own a foreclosure cleanup business, you can rent almost everything you need until you can afford to outright purchase it.

For example, a trailer and a dumpster. Most jobs will require these, as you will have to clean and remove trash and debris from a property. But this equipment can be rented very reasonably.

Equipment Tip: Familiarize Yourself with Costs before You Start Marketing

To start to get an idea of the costs of things you will be renting often (eg, ladders, lawn equipment (in warm seasons); tools, etc., visit your local Home Depot or Lowe’s. As these are built-in costs for your business, you should have an idea of how much it will cost to rent these things for your foreclosure clean out business until you can afford to buy them.

Subcontract: Another way to start a foreclosure cleanup business on the cheap is to subcontract out as much as you can. Cleaning, you can handle yourself. But, if there are jobs that you’re not equipped to handle because you either don’t know how, or don’t have the proper tools, outsource – eg, painting, plumbing, electric, window repairs, etc.

Just build the cost of hiring contractors into your estimate.

Market Online: One of the biggest costs most new businesses face is marketing. Luckily, a foreclosure cleanup business is one where marketing can be done on the cheap. Why? Because your primary customer base (eg, realtors, bankers and investors) are all online.

And, they are easy to find. So use email marketing. It’s free. Add a couple of vehicle signs to this (every foreclosure cleanup business should have vehicle signs) and this is all the marketing you’ll need to do to get business flowing in initially.

While there are legitimate startup costs you can’t get around when you start a foreclosure cleanup business (eg, insurance, vehicle, phone), everything else can be done “on the cheap” until you start bringing in business.

Learn more of what you need to know to start a successful foreclosure cleaning business.