Take your Business Mobile

What is stopping you from taking your business mobile?  This is a great question that many businesses are not taking advantage of.  From mobile services like Botox injections, computer repair, laundry services, to public notaries, a mobile business can expand your market, depending on how far you are willing to travel, which have two major benefits.

The first major benefit of taking your company mobile is not only the ability to have flexible hours, but you can eliminate all of the overhead from having an office.  The second being you can change regions or your coverage area easily.

Setting up your service area and prices can be done a number of ways, like flat fee or sliding scale based on driving time or distance.  Consider the costs of your commute time, gas, insurance, and transportation ware and tare. The iPhone has an application that will count your mileage, such as Milebug, to make billing clients and tax time easier.

How can I collect payment if I am Mobile?
The answer is you cell phone. The iPhone along, with other mobile devices, now have applications like Merchant Warehouse that can run credit card transactions while you are at client sites.

Think you need an office for meetings with clients?
New mobile devices, such as the new iPhone 4, have video capabilities using Skype and even have applications for using WebEx for conference calls on-the-go.

Need access to your computer files?
Using Sugarsync allows you to sync to any of your computers at anytime and run back ups, for quick access to files on the go.

Need to print documents?
You can easily set up your iPhone to send documents to any printer at home or at a printing center.

So what is stopping you from taking your business mobile? You might find that you can cut that umbilical cord to your desk after all.

Google Maps = Free Internet Marketing

Who says nothing is for free?  As a small business owner, finding clever solutions and resources to cut costs and increase your customer base is absolutely necessary in a recovering economy. Google is making free Internet marketing possible, and it is easy too.  Small businesses can benefit in a number of ways by adding a listing to Google Maps. Below are a few reasons why you should.

Google will add your listing for searches for free.
- Yes, you will be added for free.  This means even if you do not have a website, your customers can find you easier than flipping through the phone book.

Creating a listing will give you the ability to add your company's general contact information, specify hours of operation, accepted forms of payment, and special offers or coupons.  You can also post photos and videos.
- Creating online coupons for special offers and discounts will also save you big bucks by eliminating solicitations by mail or with newspapers.

Customers can write reviews for your business.
- Customers want to hear the good and the bad, and a good review is worth its weight in gold.

Adding your listing will make you visible to your local customers who use Google to find local business and directions.
- With a few clicks customers using mobile devices can easily find you for on-the-go searches of local listings and driving directions.

Google has free tools to monitor how many people go to your website and the search words used to find your business.
- The tools let you track how many customers link to your website after they have found you.

To prevent multiple listings, make sure you do a search to check if your company is already listed.  If your company is already listed, you can edit the listing by claiming your business.

If you do not have a listing, your customers may be walking right through your competitors doors instead. Add your listing and take advantage of free internet marketing today!

Google's Local Business Center is available to business owners with locations in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Japan, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, the UK, and the U. S.

Ideas for Stay-at-Home Moms and the I-Like-to-Work-From-Home Types

In this economy, it takes a clever mind and some calculated risks to try to earn some extra cash for your household. Weather you are a stay at home mom or looking to earn some extra money on the side, there are some clever ways to try to generate income with - little risk - so to speak.

Take a look at some ideas from ABC news.

Create Your Own Product Line
Ever dream of seeing your slogans and artwork on T-shirts, mugs or hats? You can turn that dream into reality -- and into cash -- without investing even a penny in expensive start-up costs like equipment and stock. Submit your original ideas and art online to Web sites like zazzle.com, cafepress.com and others, and you'll receive commission on all sales generated with your designs.

Transcribe Audio to Text
Speeches, lectures, television and radio programs and interviews must be converted to text that's delivered in a timely and accurate way. If you possess exceptional English language and grammar skills and you're an experienced typist with a speed of at least 75 words per minute, you could transcribe audio to text. Some businesses may require you to take a transcription test before offering you opportunities to work. Most assignments are handled on a freelance basis. Sites to explore include ProductionTranscripts.com, TigerFish.com and AliceDarling.com. Find others by searching online.

Driving for Dollars
I'm not talking about becoming a taxi driver or chauffeur -- you can make money by driving your normal route while allowing your car to feature advertisements. Epecially created decals are provided to drivers to affix to the back window. Depending on your location and the amount of driving you do -- usually a minimum of 1,000 miles a month is required -- you can earn $50 to $150 a month by "renting out" this space on your car. You can make even more money -- up to $500 a month -- by allowing your car to be fully wrapped with an advertiser's images and message. Search online using keywords "car wrap advertising" to locate opportunities nationwide. Don't be shy about calling around to compare rates and advertising opportunities to find the best fit for you. Never settle on the first company you find since there could be a more lucrative option available to you.

Get Paid to Write or Edit
A handful of Web sites pay for articles, but unless they're commissioning your original work, you won't make big bucks. Associatedcontent.com pays around $10 per approved/published piece. Helium.com is another option that rewards prolific writers, and both sites are a good way to build an online portfolio of published work while making some money at the same time. Myessays.com allows essay writers to sell their original work starting at $10 for a short paper, and up to more than $100 for comprehensive work. Writerfind.com lists a range of freelance opportunities for experienced writers to pursue on their own.

Another option is freelance writing for magazines, trade publications, newsletters or local newspapers. If you've developed a specialty or have a particular interest in a single topic -- film, fashion, food, travel -- many Web sites and small publications work only with freelancers and regularly look for writers to do reviews on products or new releases, ranging in topic from electronics to beauty. Contact the editors of the publications you'd like to work for. (Their names and contact information can typically be found on the masthead or Web site.) Ask for their writers guidelines and be ready to submit samples of your work. We hire freelance writers for our company's magazine, which is published three times a year. All of them have come to us unsolicited with their writing samples and story suggestions. Compensation varies based on your experience. Novices might have to accept free products or press passes for their work. Experienced writers can expect to make anywhere from fifty cents to $2 per word. For multiple articles, you might settle on a flat rate. Apply for freelance work on sites such as Cyberedit.com, which hires professional writers for a range of projects including resume writing and document proofing. Editfast.com also hires experienced editors, writers and proofreaders.

Notes from Jessica - Magazines are a great option to try for some freelance work. Magazines such as Tangozapa.com offer to pay writers and photographers for their submissions. This is a great opportunity to get your work published with little experiance working for a publishing company.

Take a risk on yourself - you may be worth it!