Tools I Use for my Home-Based Business
The tools, products and services listed here are the ones I used to help me get started in my business and that I continue to use everyday. I know they work, are user friendly and offer great customer support. I have also listed some products and services that were highly recommended by people I trust and respect and I’ve just recently started using, and of course some government organizations, that may not necessarily be user-friendly but are specifically geared to help you build your business.
Getting Started
FREE REPORT – The Business Basics: Critical Things You Need To Know When Starting Your
First Business . . . Get It Here!
Get Help Writing Your Marketing & Business Plans.
Over 60 FREE Samples, Plus Business Calculators, Tools & Software. Click Here
Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnerships, or Other Business Formats, as
well as Trademarks, Copyrights & More. Legal Services
Guides to Help You Form Your Own Business Structure.
Do-It-Yourself Legal Books, Forms & Software From a
Trusted Source. Get Started Now
Getting Your Site Online:
Whether your business is on or offline in today’s marketplace you need a website. It takes two parts to make this work. First you’ll need a domain name. Then you’ll need a hosting account to actually show your website. The easiest way to think about it is like your domain name is your internet address and the hosting account is the block it’s located on.
I get my domain names at: My Own Biz Domain his company is great for domain purchases. They offer both low prices and great customer service. You can even get bulk discounts when buying 6 or more names at a time.
I get my hosting here (Right now, you can get a great discount when you use this coupon code: )
Building Your First Site & Graphics:
Hire web & graphic designer services at:
Elance.com
Scriptlance.com
Rentacoder.com
When I first started my business I had no money so I had to do a lot of bartering and a lot of things myself. This software was a great tool for me. It’s easy to use even for a beginner It uses WYSIWYG editing format so you don’t have to know html or CSS – although, you can also edit directly in code if you want to (and it’s free!) NVU
Gimp – Free graphics editing program and easy to use.
Selling Physical Products:
If you’re planning to sell physical products Yahoo Stores is the best way to go and this online profits book by Audrey Kerwood & Andy Jenkins is the ultimate guide to setting up and marketing a Yahoo store. In fact it is the ONLY guide you will need. When I first though about going online I opened a Gardening Store with their guide. I did so well the Botanical Gardens was calling me to order plants and get information! I finally sold the store because I realized I was just not that into gardening and I preferred teaching and helping people. Includes step-by-step instructions with pictures and videos from their actual online stores to help illustrate the process. Follow this system and you can start a Yahoo! store from scratch and be up and running in less than a month!
List Building:
Aweber – I’ve used this service since 2007 to manage all my newsletters, ecourses, and ezines, after trying several other services. These guys are unmatched for reliable service and deliverability with autoresponder systems
Payment Processing for Your Products:
If you create your own products and want to sell them, these are the two programs I use for payment processing.
PayPal – is great because you can use it for both info and physical products. And it’s free to get started. It’s also the easiest to use and you can call and talk to someone for customer support and assistance. You can even pay your affiliates through it if you want to create your own affiliate program for ultimate control. I tend to use this payment processor the most. It also offers merchant accounts, online bill pay, auction tools and more . . .
Clickbank – Clickbank’s Publisher Program. The cool part about this one is it has a built-in affiliate program for your products until you’re ready to take more control yourself. Then just add: Easy Click Mate –If you use clickbank, this is a really great tool to create an affiliate center.
Money & Taxes:
Obtain Your Federal Employer Identification Number Here. You can apply online, by fax, phone or mail.
EIN Application
Visit the Internal Revenue Service Website for Small Business Owners & Get Information About IRS Requirements and Access to All Forms For Small Business Tax Filings. FREE Tax Calendar, Online Classes and More. http://www.irs.gov/
I use this accounting software program because it’s easy, and more user friendly than most and it helps me keep accurate records so I can get the best advantage of tax deductions come tax time. It’s the next best thing to hiring a bookkeeper to do it all for you.
The Department of Labor Website. Administers Federal & State Labor Laws. Get Answers About Minimum Wage, Overtime, Family & Medical Leave, Unemployment Insurance Benefits and More. Also Links to Other Sites Regarding Employment. http://www.dol.gov/index.htm
Article Submitting
Isnare – Very inexpensive. I’ve been using them since 2008.
Unique Article Submitter – Love this tool. I use this one, too.
Tools to Easily Record Audio Podcasts
Record Audio (the simple non-techie way) – Quick and easy way to record audio from your microphone or telephone and put it on your computer. No techie stuff involved. This is what I use to record my podcasts.
Free Conference Call for hosting teleseminars and recording calls.
Business Cards, Post Cards, Logos & Stationary
The following companies offer full service commercial and graphic design for businesses including business cards, stationary, postcards and/or logo design. I have used all three for various aspects of my business
www.vistaprint.com
www.logostick.com
www.postcardmania.com
Some Really good Books to Read
E-Myth
Inc & Grow Rich
Rich Dad/Poor Dad
Think & Grow Rich
CashFlow Quandrants
Loop Holes of the Rich
the Power of Focus
Guerilla Marketing Series by Jay Levinson
All of the above books can be purchased online at: Amazon.com
Special Notes:
1. Even though I highly recommend the resources above, I am not responsible for any business dealings you engage in with the listed vendors, period. If you have a problem with any product or service you should deal directly with the vendor you purchased the item from.
2. All the listings contained here were accurate at the launching of this page. However, links do change and sometimes become inaccurate overtime. If you find a bad link, please send me an email so we can address it.
3. I do receive commissions from some of the people listed in this section. However, I never recommend any product or service solely to receive commission. I value my reputation and your trust in me and would not do anything to compromise it.
