Home-based business opportunities these days abound. If you’re looking for a way to supplement your income or start an exciting new career, there’s likely a one that suits your skills and interests. Millions of people around the world are taking advantage of work-from-home opportunities, enabling them to take control of their own work lives, finances, and achieve a work-life balance.Home based businesses offer people the opportunity to set their own hours, control their own income and develop their skills and talents. While many are part-time projects used by their owners to create a supplemental source of income or to create a self-funding hobby, a growing number of people are turning their home businesses into full-time careers.Hot career fieldsIf you want to start a business from home, but aren’t sure what type of business to start, here are a few to consider:* A home based business in entertainment shopping and travel. It’s easy to learn, and the better models will have team-support and the added benefit of reduced price shopping and luxury holidays.* Home computer businesses are an easy way for people to make money from home. If you’re tech savvy you can offer your friends and neighbors support services. Many people prefer to deal with a local support service than having to contact a call center that could be anywhere in the world.* Internet marketing is an exciting and growing business model. With a few easy-to-learn marketing, writing and web design skills, you can quickly learn how to make a substantial income from selling products and services online and helping others market their businesses. Even if you don’t want to do it yourself, there are great outsourcing services who can do the hack work for you, while you focus on business growth.* Virtual assisting is a growth field for those wanting to work from home. A growing number of companies are choosing to outsource clerical duties to outside contractors to reduce benefit costs. A virtual assistant receives work online and performs data entry and other administrative tasks for a company. By snagging several of these jobs, you can create a steady stream of dependable income.* Medical coding is another great home-based business. Many hospitals and doctors’ offices outsource their coding work to outside contractors. A good medical coder can work for several clients and bring home a significant income.The number of home based business opportunities that require little or no training to start up is growing all the time, but require time to master. Finding a mentor to help will short-cut your learning curve.
Securing a Small Business Loan
Insufficient funding is one of the top reasons why 80% of businesses fail within the first year and a half. As a business owner, not only do you have to cover all operating expenses, but the time and effort needed to succeed means you will almost certainly have to bid farewell to your day job and regular pay checks. Unless you’ve saved up enough to pay for everything for at least 18 months, you will probably have to find other sources of funding.However, here we encounter another problem. A recent survey cited by the Credit Union Times showed that only about one-fifth of small business owners – incidentally about the same rate of successful businesses – rely on a small business loan. The survey showed that 62% were fearful of taking on a loan and almost one-fourth of respondents think they would not be approved for one. A Harvard Business School working paper by Karen Mills (Administrator of the US Small Business Administration until 2013) showed even more discouraging statistics. Banks continue to apply measures that restrict small business lending since the financial crisis hit, since such loans are generally always riskier than those to large businesses. Loans amounting to $1 million or less – the domain of small businesses – have gone down 21% since 2008. These loans made up half of all bank loans in 1995, but only 30% in 2012.So what can you do to have a better chance at securing a loan?As the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.” Given the stricter requirements of banks, you will need to come up with a very convincing plan that shows your business will truly make a profit. Each number presented has to be supported by hard evidence or at least some realistic projections backed by in-depth research. There must also be a clear plan as to where the money will go and how it will influence your business’s success.Aside from this, your entire personal finances will also be scrutinized, so make sure your taxes, mortgages, credit cards, assets and liabilities, and even your credentials are all spotless and in order.The bottom line is, if you believe in your business idea and do the necessary due diligence in coming up with a sound budget and business plan, there should be no reason to be denied a small business loan. Otherwise, you may want to reconsider quitting your day job.
The World of Distance Education Learning Online
Education, as they say, is the biggest investment you can make for your future. For this reason, considering distance education learning online is a great way to go about getting educated for the future and getting ready for the technological challenges that life may hand your way. Many websites specialize in finding the online degree or course programs that will suit your needs. Because of the speed of changes in the world, distance education is becoming a great field to get in to and to be involved with. A good starting point is taking a course online to familiarize yourself with the basics of online education.
There is a wide variety of distance education online learning programs available for all occupations and educational preferences. You never know what type of course you could find from using your home computer and an internet connection, so be sure to spend some time browsing the web sites for information. Collecting the information about the educational courses available online is the primary job of the sites that specialize in providing this type of information. You can trust them to provide you with ample informational packages in reference to the courses available, as researching the education is their primary purpose.
Types Of Degrees Available
In today’s market, there is virtually no limit to what type of education you can obtain through distance education online. You can coordinate any type of educational outcome with a school through online education and find your career path without leaving the comfort of your own home. Many places even offer a form of online instruction involving a web cam or chat set up clients that allow you to engage in actual real time discussion without leaving your computer chair. This type of interactive education is part of what is making distance education learning online so popular.
You can find online associate degree programs, online bachelor’s degree programs, online master’s degree programs, and even PhD programs available from a wide variety of distance education learning online web sites. These sites will offer courses to you in all educational fields. This makes getting your education even easier, as you do not have to leave the comfort of your own home and you can use your skills at the best of their ability within your field of study.