I run several home based business. I have a home based bookstore. I also sell the books on the internet. I sell some paintings on the wall of the home based bookstore and I make money blogging about how to run a bookstore. All of them are run simultaneously from my living room.

It’s really amazing that in this day and age we can operate a business from our living room and reach people all over the world.  We actually can operate several home businesses which might or might not be related. 

What are doing for a home business?

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How do we do this in our business, especially when there are happenings beyond our control?  How do we turn depressed economic times, when business may be down, into an upturn or comeback?

Starting new Image: sxc.hu

Find something in the situation that you can use to help others.  In other words, find a need and fill it.

I thought of this theory recently as I was reading a mystery.  Woven into the “who dun it” story line was the heroine Peggy’s challenge with a drought in her area.  This adversely affected her gardening/landscaping business.  Then her assistant came up with the idea of catching rain water (when it occasionally rained) to water gardens and flowers.  In the meantime, he suggested they offer the service of clearing up dead plants and replanting with ones that survive with little water.

Next they decided Peggy should conduct workshops on keeping one’s plants alive, what plants to encourage in dry weather and sell the items needed in her shop.  Voila!  A new aspect of her business was born out of adversity.

What can you offer, during natural and economic disasters,  that helps others while helping your business?

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You might want to consider looking into voice recognition programs that enable you to write your blogs, letters, manuscripts and other work by using your voice.  These programs apparently have become better than the first versions developed so are handy and save you time.

I haven’t tried any yet, but at ProBlogger, Darren Rowse features a guest article with video, Speech Recognition for Bloggers – the Ultimate Guide, by Jon Morrow.  This gives great information about utilizing voice recognition for your blog and other written work.  You’ll want to check this out, especially if you’re not into typing and/or want to save time.

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 More and more people are becoming blog saavy and enjoy checking out interesting material.

• Develop a blog that is entertaining as well as informative. 
• Create one that doesn’t look like you’re only promoting your products or service.
• As you write about your work, yourself, history of your product, information related to producing it, you will capture your customers’ attention and hopefully stimulate sales.
• Create the idea that your customers need your product or service by letting them know how it can make their lives easier, more efficient or pleasurable.
• Post frequently so they’ll be looking for something new.
• Use photos and/or graphics.

How do you attract people to your blog?

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If you have a home business, where you might not want walk in customers or have mainly an online business, you might want to reconsider your listing.  It appears that you must fill in the information about address which automatically appears on the map.

However, if you do want to be listed and gain this free promotion, you could check into it.  Check out www.Google.com/LocalBusinessCenter

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Vintage Blue Mason Jars image: sxc.hu

Your newsletter nowadays, in all likelihood, will be an e-newsletter in which you share information, shows, workshops and history of the craft or hobby.  This information also could gain you customers, if it’s a business.

For instance, I received for years a print newsletter from a canning jar collector.  She formed a collectors’ club in her area, then created a newsletter to share information about various jars and their monthly club meetings and exchanges.  I learned about her newsletter and, even though I lived in another state, I found it very interesting.  Her newsletter was started before ezines had become popular. 

She had not developed her hobby into a business although the club members might exchange and sell canning jars, lids and other memorabilia at their meetings and shows.  The newsletter helped the members share information…and would have been a great promotional tool if she had developed a business.

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Sometimes we don’t have a choice with our home business.  There are deadlines to be met, a job to schedule around, family commitments to meet.

However, if we have some idea when we’re at our best, we can accomplish more.  We can try to schedule our most pressing work for then. 

For instance, if you work best in the early morning (at midday or in the evening), you’ll want to arrange your life so you can aren’t otherwise tied up at that time.  You may have other people and commitments to schedule around, but try your best to be your most effective when it’s your best time of day.

List the tasks you need to accomplish.  Some people like to get the most difficult out of the way first.  Others take the most pleasurable and work down through their list.

Try to find your most productive time and schedule your work around it.

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This all depends on your business, the number of customers, and how much you have to spend.

Receiving gifts pleases most customers and serves as a good public relations technique.  However, most businesses can’t spend too much on gifts and must be careful they don’t favor one customer over the other.

Some ideas:

• Calendars
• Planners
• Cheese and crackers gift box
• Something you’ve made
• A hand written thank you note
• Grab bag
• Include something extra with a holiday purchase
• Open house party

What do you give as gifts…to your walk-in customers and those you have contact via the Internet and mail order?  Now is the time to start planning for holiday gift giving.

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 Some of these you may have tried already; others will be those you haven’t heard about but can adapt in some way for your business.

Author John Foxjohn mentioned that he posts information about himself, his books and his web site on the top of his laptop.  It’s positioned so that when he has the laptop open, anyone glancing his way can easily read what’s written.  When he used his computer in a cafe, airport or elsewhere, he often has people approach him after noticing his laptop cover message.

Why not try this with your computer, if you carry it with you and use it in public?  Adapt what you paste to the cover to promote your business.

Then if you use some of author Janet Elaine Smith’s suggestions, you’ll always have copies of your book(s) with you.  So if people ask, you’ll be able to show them…and often sell a copy on the spot. 

At least have business cards with you to hand out when you receive inquiries.

Related Posts:

Fun Promotional Tips from Author Janet-Elaine Smith

Fall Festival Promotions & Janet Elaine Smith Postscript

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Colorful notes image: sxc.hu

Keep on the lookout for promotional tips…techniques that have worked for other business people which you can adapt for your business.  Even though the idea might have been used for a business different from yours, the concept might be applicable for your business.

For instance, author John Foxjohn mentioned that he sends a small colored announcement about his books when he mails a payment for a bill.  He assumes that the person opening the envelope will at least notice the paper.

He doesn’t know whether this has resulted in sales and may never know, especially if the person goes to a book store or purchases online instead of contacting him.  But he hasn’t lost anything and it doesn’t cost him anything, except the paper and ink for the announcement.

This would work for a bookmark, business card, or announcement of an event, too. 

Use your creativity and you may come up with similar unique promotional ideas.

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