If you are not sure whether your product is appropriate for selling on a mailing list, here are some useful criteria to check:  

1. Easy to Understand – The value of purchasing your product is immediately clear
2. Unique – It is unlike anything else on the market
3. New – It has only recently been released and needs exposure
4. Problem Solving – It has a new solution to an everyday problem
5. Simplistic – It only has one main function and solves the problem entirely
6. Aesthetically Pleasing – It is nice to look at and will display well in catalogues
7. Durable – It will not be easily damaged during shipping
8. Year-round Appeal – It is not a seasonal product with limited appeal
9. Safe – There is no foreseeable danger to consumers
10. Wide Appeal - There is a sizeable target market for the product
11. Quickly Manufactured- There is no long production process involved
12. Affordable – Sub $100 products sell best in catalogues
13. Mailing – Standard size products are easiest to ship in bulk
14. Patented - You need to have some sort of copyright to protect your idea

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United States:

• Making a Case for Partnership Pay: Small-business owners explore the possibilities of variable pay for employees. Should workers take some of the risks in return for sharing in a company’s success?
• SBA launches online finance courses: The U.S. Small Business Administration has introduced two new online courses to help small business owners with basic principles of finance and borrowing.
• Small business owners curtail spending: Small business owners are saving and spending less, as consumer goods and fuel costs top records levels, according to the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey.
• Ex-Oregonian picked to lead SBA: President Bush has selected Sandy Baruah, who now heads the Economic Development Administration, to lead the Small Business Administration.
• Small business becomes less taxing: SMALL businesses can potentially access up to 13 new tax concessions following wide-ranging changes effective from July 1. The concessions can help start-up companies and micro businesses, reduce ong
• Small Businesses Take Hit In Credit Crunch: It’s just part of the fallout from the mortgage mess: lenders are avoiding risk — and that means avoiding new borrowers. Many of those are small businesses. Anthony Mason meets two women with start-ups who just can’t get a loan.
• Facebook trademark dispute: TRADEMARK DISPUTE Silicon Valley entrepreneur Aaron Greenspan has filed a petition with the U.S.
• Grants available to small business: SALEM - The Oregon Economic and Community Development Department has a new round of grants to help Oregon small businesses access federal funding opportunities.
• Taxing Issues: This November’s elections may well hinge on who can best secure the promise of a more certain economic future for American families. Amidst unprecedented foreign competition for jobs and investment, voters have the option of two vastly different approaches.
• SBA offers loan instruction: Small business owners can get free financial instruction through two new Web sites created by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
• Small businesses need midyear financial checkups: NEW YORK (AP) — The end of June and beginning of July is an important time for savvy small business owners, who’ll be assessing their companies’ finances and thinking about strategies for the second half of 2008. A midyear checkup is even more important than usual this year, given the uncertainty of the business climate.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“Almost every kind of fanfare was tried to create enthusiasm.”

Thomas J. Watson Sr (1874-1956) US founder & president of IBM 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem.”

G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) British novelist & poet 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

Here is this week’s round-up of technology news small business owners may find informative, useful or entertaining: 

• Microsoft VP confirms Windows 7 ship date: January 2010 - The announcement comes as XP was denied a reprieve of the June 30th cut-off date and gives businesses very little incentive to upgrade to Vista
• Bill Gates is retiring, sort of – Friday was the end of an era at Microsoft. Take a look at some of Gates’ greatest hits and misses and this fascinating leaked memo from 2003 as he embarks on his new career as a philanthropist
• Firefox 3 already rules the roost - Data from PC Pro suggests an astounding amount of people are already using Firefox 3 in just one week
• Murdoch fumes as Facebook overtakes MySpace - The media mogul regrets spending $580m to purchase on the social networking site 3 years ago
• Update on Twitter and small business - Find out if the latest social networking trend could help your business
• Quarter of the planet to be online by 2012 – 1.8 billion users are estimated to be online by 2012
• Chrysler will offer wireless Internet access in 2009 models – You will soon be able to access you e-mails whilst driving a Chrysler
• New Trojan Leverages Unpatched Mac Flaw – An exploit has been uncovered in OS X
• IT is boring say graduates - Many young graduates are dismissing a career in IT as being ‘boring’
• AI could power next-gen CCTV cameras - Surveillance camera’s in the UK may soon respond to ‘violent sounds’
• Get More Clicks in theNew World of Universal Search – Advice on universal search optimisation
• Essential Technology for Small Business – Advice from Microsoft on technology to help SMEs

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“The best way to fill time is to waste it.”

Marguerite Dura (1914-96) French novelist 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United Kingdom and Ireland:

• Err on the side of caution when playing music at work warns FPB: The FPB is warning that many small businesses could be fined for playing music at work, unless they have the correct Performing Right Society (PRS) licence.
• SMP: All firms can gain from social networks: Both large and small businesses can make use of social networks, an expert believes.
• Small Business growth could offer a way out of EUs economic malaise: Small businesses can help bring the European Union out of its economic malaise, but Brussels must take positive actions to help them fulfil their potential, the UKs Federation of Small Businesses said today.
• Small business blame government inaction over rising coast: Small business owners say that the government is making it more difficult for them to handle rapidly rising costs
• Visa taps into Facebook following: Visa, the world’s largest credit card network, is paying Facebook $2m to advertise its small business service.
• More misery ahead for Manchester-bound business traffic warns the FPB:The FPB is concerned that goods lorries hit by the proposed congestion charge in Manchester could be forced to fork out double what other vehicles will have to pay. It is believed that the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) will charge up to £10 a day for the drivers of some commercial vehicles to cross the two charging rings and enter the city centre – more than small businesses had originally expected.
• EU to cut red tape for small firms: Europe’s 23 million small businesses were today promised “less red tape and more red carpet” to help them thrive.
• New act to simplify business for SMEs: A new European act designed to help deal with bureacracy experienced by small and medium-sized businesses who are trading between EU member states has been unveiled.
• Alliance & Leicester: Small business owners should choose the right bank: Overworked small businesses could ease their workload by choosing the right bank, which could benefit the 23 per cent of owners who spend over 50 hours in the office each week.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“For many businesses, the Internet is still a technology in search of a strategy.”

Mary J. Cronin (b. 1947) US business author 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

The purpose of this business is to act as a helping hand for other small businesses that might need assistance, either because they are too busy to perform some functions themselves or they do not have the required knowledge. This could involve providing advice on common legal or tax issues – information which is freely available but can be hard to find. You will also provide them with a list of all the resources available to them in their local area ranging from accountants to office stationary supplies. The opportunities for generating revenue will largely be referral based so you will have to work closely with local businesses to get them on board. 

Skills needed: You will need to have previous experience of owning a small business and an in-depth knowledge of all the processes involved. If you have knowledge of online marketing techniques it would be helpful to promote your business.

Business environment and set-up cost:  There is very little international potential for this business as it is focussed on your local area. You will need to purchase a computer, printer and software as well as paying for the design of your website. In addition, you may need powerful software to manage your mailing list and track referrals. Remember to also set aside a marketing budget, as you will need to drive traffic to your site. The overall start-up cost will range from £5,000 to £15,500 (6,000 - 20,000 EUR, 10,000-30,000 AUD/USD).

Marketing Techniques:  

• Make sure your website is easy to find by using search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Participate in the pay-per-click schemes of the popular search engines
• Get your website listed in link directories and web-rings for SMEs
• Participate on small business newsgroups and forums, linking to your website from your signature
• You could organise local SME conferences or networking events and then charge businesses a small fee if they wish to participate.
• Use OnlineOffice to set up web-site, blog and online shop to promote your business online

Complimentary business ideas: You could organise local SME conferences or networking events and then charge businesses a small fee if they wish to participate. 

Notes:  It will be essential for you to provide accurate and up-to-date information or else you will put off customers. You must have a good referral system in place to ensure you will get paid. 

Online examples & resources: 

• Inc.com – Resources for entrepreneurs
• Internal Revenue Services – A list of resources available to US businesses
• Microsoft Small Business Center – Software for SMEs

For previous SME start-up ideas, look through the archive here 

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from India:

• MSMEDI holds intensive motivation campaign: Srinagar, June 22: To motivate educated unemployed persons for self-employment, the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (MSMEDI), Government of India,
• Govt responsible for weakening local industry:The local industrialists today held the state government responsible for under development of the industry in the Valley.andnbsp;At a meeting held under the aegis of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) the industrialists said the huge government requirement of industrial products could have served as a strong foundation for entrepreneurs with sustained marketing cover had the government afforded preference to local industry.
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• Online e-Bay stores - new mantra for punjab entrepreneurs: Manmeet Singh, 28, from Amritsar sells his chess boards globally as does a young entrepreneur from Jalandhar who sells sports equipment. They are among the 200-odd people who do good business sitting in their homes in Punjab, thanks to online market portal e-Bay.
• Syria invites India Inc to tap business potentials in energy, infra: New Delhi, June 18: Visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday invited Indian businessmen to tap the “enormous” potential in Areasm including the energy sector, offered by the Arab country, which has ushered in major economic reforms.
• ndia-origin CEOs-led small cos in Fortune list: Two companies led by India-origin Chief Executives have pushed themselves into the top 25 league in the list of America’s 100 fastest growing small public firms, compiled by Fortune magazine. The two technology firms Concur Technologies led by S Steven Singh and Ebix headed by Robin Raina are ranked at the 13th and 23rd places, respectively.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.