If you operate a home-based business, there are more demands on your time than time to go around. But there’s one business activity you can’t afford to defer if you want to stay in business: marketing.

For any small business, marketing has many facets, and it’s a more complex proposition than just selling what you’re already offering customers. Marketing is the set of activities that attracts customers to your product. In a home-based business, that’s not going to be signs in front of your house and a parade of customers coming through your doors every day. The challenge is to adapt sound marketing techniques to your business’s unique circumstances and offerings. And that takes time.

Here are six tips for making time for marketing:

• Convince yourself that marketing is worth the time. When you don’t think a task will contribute to your bottom line, it’s easy to go on to the next item on your to-do list. If marketing is outside your so-called comfort zone, examine why you feel that way.

• Have a marketing plan. Invariably, a good plan is at the heart of personal productivity. Examine your business goals and determine how marketing can help fulfill them. As a new business owner, you may need a crash course in marketing. If so, that becomes part of your plan.

• Be open to new ideas. How are competing businesses getting noticed by customers? If they’re using techniques or media you never considered, take time to study and learn about new approaches. Experiment with marketing ideas that are low cost and low risk.

• Dedicate the time. By reserving the time, you’re less likely to procrastinate. One you’re committed to marketing, block out time for it just as you would any other important task. Whether the task is market research or cold calling, know what you want to accomplish in that period of time, and anticipate the distractions that are most likely to interfere.

• Stay connected. Take time to be at meetings and other gatherings of your professional and community groups. Yes, this presence takes time away from other business activities, but it keeps you in front of prospective customers and creates opportunities for you to sell yourself as well as your business. A home-based business is especially likely to benefit from this exposure.

• Celebrate your marketing successes. Pay attention to when your marketing pays off. You’ll discover that as effective marketing leads to better exposure and more sales, it becomes easier to justify the time you spend to promote your services.

"Work smarter, not harder" is an expression that applies to marketing as well as other facets of entrepreneurship. Make time for marketing, use that time wisely, and you’ll hone your competitive edge. For more insights on making a home-based business succeed, contact SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business."

How to Start a Business in San Luis Obispo County is available from SLO SCORE members, local libraries, and the San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles chambers of commerce.  This workbook provides a helpful framework for developing a business plan, plus key questions that will influence how your business operates.

SCORE counselors provide free, confidential counseling to help you develop, prepare and improve a winning business plan.  All SCORE counseling is offered as a free and confidential community service. There are over 20 SCORE members in San Luis Obispo County assisting entrepreneurs. Counseling is always confidential and free-of-charge.  SLO SCORE  also offers small business workshops.

To learn more about SCORE and its counseling services, call us at 805.547.0779, or email us at info@sloscore.org.

Ah, the luxury of having a home-based business. No office leasing costs, no frustrating daily commute, and no disturbances from noisy co-workers. Although these and other advantages have enticed many people to start their own businesses, your home office should reflect the same level of commitment, professionalism, and dependability customers would expect if you set up shop on main street. These seven tips will get your home office started on the right track:

• Legalize it. Check with your local zoning office about zoning regulations in your area. Some communities, neighborhoods and apartment complexes may have covenants that restrict certain types of businesses. Requirements for licensing also vary among jurisdictions. Some require a fee or tax, based on income, while others simply want to know that your business exists.

• Establish a business address. Not all customers look favorably on a business with an obviously residential address. Many home-based business owners rent a post office box and use that address on their business cards and stationery.

• Get the right equipment. The cost of electronic equipment continues to decline, and such devices as an all-in-one fax machine, printer, scanner and copier increase efficiency while conserving space. You may need more than one phone line as appropriate to accommodate your personal and business needs. Cable modems can provide continuous Internet access without the need to add or tie up a phone line. Make sure your phone has voicemail that enables a client to leave a message while you are on the phone.

• Organize for productivity. Carefully design your workspace around your business tasks but in accordance with your work style and habits.

• Establish contacts. Working from home can limit your ability to network. Make an extra effort to connect with potential clients and colleagues by joining a professional association. You may want to consider meeting with clients at their office or in a rented conference room for a more professional environment.

• Keep careful records. The Internal Revenue Service tends to audit home-based businesses more frequently, especially when they claim business expenses such as writing off a portion of the mortgage payments for the home office. You can choose from many different systems to document all your business expenses. Your accountant can advise you on claiming deductions.

• Discipline yourself. With so many distractions in your home (children, pets, delivery people, telemarketers), you must be strictly disciplined in order to get any work done. It may be tempting to take advantage of quiet time for personal chores and errands, but time away from your office during business hours is time and money lost.

If you would like to discuss setting up a home-based business, contact SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business."

How to Start a Business in San Luis Obispo County is available from SLO SCORE members, local libraries, and the San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles chambers of commerce.  This workbook provides a helpful framework for developing a business plan, plus key questions that will influence how your business operates.

SCORE counselors provide free, confidential counseling to help you develop, prepare and improve a winning business plan.  All SCORE counseling is offered as a free and confidential community service. There are over 20 SCORE members in San Luis Obispo County assisting entrepreneurs. Counseling is always confidential and free-of-charge.  SLO SCORE  also offers small business workshops.

To learn more about SCORE and its counseling services, call us at 805.547.0779, or email us at info@sloscore.org.

Sooner or later, in a moment of frustration, any home-based entrepreneur will ask, How in the world did I get myself into this business? You did your research, found your niche, worked out the start-up money and household logistics. Self-employment was a dream that one day became a reality. Some days, though, it seems impossible to manage. You’re not alone.

Perhaps your number-one goal has been to survive your first year of entrepreneurship. Consider these tips for sustaining a mind-set of success:

• Don’t go it alone. A sense of isolation is a common hazard of being in a home-based environment. You may have fond memories of comparing notes with coworkers at your last job when a problem needed solving and miss that camaraderie. Consider creating an advisory board of knowledgeable allies: trusted colleagues with some business acumen of their own who want to help you succeed.

• Reward yourself. You’re the boss. Now and then, give yourself the rest of the day off, or at least take extra time away from your office for a family project or an overdue lunch with a good friend. Let them know what you have to celebrate and a little about how your succeeded so they can share your sense of accomplishment. Small victories add up.

• Stay focused on your primary goals for your business. Your long-term goals can affect the decisions you make in your first year. The reverse is also true. If necessary, revisit your business plan. This is the best way to make the tough decisions about how to spend your valuable time and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Not every task demands perfection.

• Lastly, keep your perspective. Every entrepreneur has bad days, difficult customers and unfortunate setbacks. Don’t let them snowball, sapping your energy and productivity and leaving you totally discouraged. Remembering why you’re in business for yourself will do wonders to restore your faith in tomorrow.

Contact SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business" for guidance on how to make the most of your home-based business.

How to Start a Business in San Luis Obispo County is available from SLO SCORE members, local libraries, and the San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles chambers of commerce.  This workbook provides a helpful framework for developing a business plan, plus key questions that will influence how your business operates.

SCORE counselors provide free, confidential counseling to help you develop, prepare and improve a winning business plan.  All SCORE counseling is offered as a free and confidential community service. There are over 20 SCORE members in San Luis Obispo County assisting entrepreneurs. Counseling is always confidential and free-of-charge.  SLO SCORE  also offers small business workshops.

To learn more about SCORE and its counseling services, call us at 805.547.0779, or email us at info@sloscore.org.

Nearly every entrepreneur who has started a home-based business cannot imagine working any other way. The advantages are endless and include flexible work schedules, the ability to coordinate work responsibilities with personal chores, freedom from frustrating commutes and wider choice in deciding what to wear to work.

Yet, although running a business from your home has personal and practical advantages, your schedule may require the same degree of structure as your commuting colleagues. Without good time management, you risk the domino theory of deadlines: one business task slides, forcing you to play catch-up while meeting your other responsibilities, until you are overwhelmed. Even if you do your best work under pressure, you will soon find yourself facing the same stresses you hoped to escape by becoming self-employed.

With good planning and habits, you can make time work for you. For example:

• Prepare a weekly to-do list. Toward the end of each week, think about what assignments and deadlines require attention within the next five to seven days. Writing them down helps you set priorities, and allot appropriate amounts of time for short- and long-term projects. If something comes up—say, a meeting with a new client or the need to have your vehicle serviced—you are better able to work these activities into your schedule.

• Log daily activities. From the time you begin work each day, write down everything that happens: the work you do, incoming and outgoing phone calls, interruptions and breaks. You’ll soon see a pattern of efficient and inefficient activities, your most productive periods and other trends. With this information, you can adjust your work schedule to maximize productivity and identify regular interruptions that can be minimized or even eliminated.

• Analyze your customers’ schedules. Standard daytime business hours are still the rule for the majority of the working world. Some of your clients may also be in other time zones, requiring you to be available at unusual hours. And remember that there are no such things as lunch hours or comp time when a client calls.

• Set aside time for administrative activities. These steps will also reveal periods when business is light (early morning, for example)─ideal opportunities to check email, take care of routine tasks and plan your work schedule. Also, consider setting aside a time each day or week for marketing that does not conflict with your customers’ schedules.

For more ideas on how to make a home-based business succeed, contact SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business."

How to Start a Business in San Luis Obispo County is available from SLO SCORE members, local libraries, and the San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles chambers of commerce.  This workbook provides a helpful framework for developing a business plan, plus key questions that will influence how your business operates.

SCORE counselors provide free, confidential counseling to help you develop, prepare and improve a winning business plan.  All SCORE counseling is offered as a free and confidential community service. There are over 20 SCORE members in San Luis Obispo County assisting entrepreneurs. Counseling is always confidential and free-of-charge.  SLO SCORE  also offers small business workshops.

To learn more about SCORE and its counseling services, call us at 805.547.0779, or email us at info@sloscore.org.

You have probably seen all the stereotypes of home-based business owners. They are often portrayed as people who start their day at 10 a.m. or later, conduct teleconferences while dressed in pajamas, and are on a first-name basis with the overnight delivery person.

True, the home office is invariably more casual than other business offices, but your commitment to professionalism and top-quality service must remain strong. Here are some tips for organizing your home-based business for maximum effectiveness.

• Get connected. Make sure your home computer resources can accommodate the demands of your work and communications needs. If you expect to use email frequently, set up a separate address from your personal or family account. An email address containing your name or your company name is best. If only to guard against computer viruses, most email users today regard unfamiliar addresses with suspicion.

• Open the lines of communication. Install a separate telephone line for your business calls and, if necessary, fax and Internet service. Voicemail is also a must. Clients should never experience the frustration of getting a busy signal when trying to reach you.

• Create a professional office space. Make it quiet, comfortable and organized. Place the items you use most frequently close to you. Arrange your desk in whatever position or direction will best help you to focus on the task at hand.

• Send it in style. Have a professional looking letterhead and use it for all business correspondence. If you don’t want your clients to be reminded that you’re home based, use a post office box instead of a home street address.

• Stay current. Keep on top of the latest trends in your business. Subscribe to all the newsletters, magazines and online publications that cover your industry. (The subscriptions are tax-deductible.) These memberships and publications keep you informed about your competitors, suppliers and upcoming events.

• Stay connected. Home-based business owners often feel isolated from the rest of the world. You can restore the sense of community you enjoyed while working by making an extra effort to meet people who can provide business support. Joining a trade association, for example, will expose you to new ideas, advice and contacts. Moreover, professional memberships often include to discounts on business expenses.

• Practice self-discipline. Set the hours for your workday and try to stick to them. Do not sneak into your office to get work done after hours, and don’t sneak out to run errands during the day. Think of time away from the office during the workday as money lost.

To learn more about running a professional home-based business, contact SCORE "Counselors to America’s Small Business."

How to Start a Business in San Luis Obispo County is available from SLO SCORE members, local libraries, and the San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles chambers of commerce.  This workbook provides a helpful framework for developing a business plan, plus key questions that will influence how your business operates.

SCORE counselors provide free, confidential counseling to help you develop, prepare and improve a winning business plan.  All SCORE counseling is offered as a free and confidential community service. There are over 20 SCORE members in San Luis Obispo County assisting entrepreneurs. Counseling is always confidential and free-of-charge.  SLO SCORE  also offers small business workshops.

To learn more about SCORE and its counseling services, call us at 805.547.0779, or email us at info@sloscore.org.