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Courses >
Start Your Own Business > Start and Operate your own Home-Based Business
Syllabus:
All
courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two
lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course.
You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must
complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new
section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each
month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure
to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
In
this first lesson, I'll introduce you to the variety of reasons why
most people want to operate their own home-based business. We'll take
an honest look at the benefits as well as the challenges of working at
home. And then you'll see what it takes to be an entrepreneur—and if
this lifestyle will work for you.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
What kind of home-based business should I start?
Have you asked yourself this question? I sure hope so. Because this is
one of the most important issues you need to consider. By thoughtfully
exploring your options, you'll spare yourself costly mistakes that come
with sinking your time, money, and energy into the wrong business. In
this lesson, you'll focus on your talents and abilities so that your
home-based business will be a great fit!
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| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
Having
the right name and look for your home-based business is essential. In
this lesson, you'll find out how to create the image that will draw
customers to you and bring them back time and again. You'll get
creative with names and logos, and then you'll learn how to protect
your work with fictitious name statements, trademarks, copyrights, and
patents.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
Did
you know that not all businesses are allowed to operate from a private
residence? It's vital that you are familiar with the rules and
regulations for the area you live in—before you start! So we'll explore zoning laws, licenses, permits, and insurance issues.
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| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
If
you want to succeed at your business, you need to write an effective
business plan. Your home-based venture is like a road trip; to get
where you want to go, you need a map that shows you where you're
starting from, where your destination is, and which route you want to
take. In this lesson, you will learn how to put together a step-by-step
action plan. This requires thorough research into each area of your
business, so plan to roll up your sleeves and get to work!
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
To
make your business thrive, you need to market it like a professional.
So in this lesson, you'll learn how to create a marketing plan. Simply
providing terrific products and services is not enough—you need to know
who make up your marketplace, what your objectives are, and what your
competition is up to. Remember, a home-based business doesn't have a
convenient storefront. You've got to be creative about letting people
know what you do.
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| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
Today,
you'll learn a lot about the fine art of selling your product or
service. It's so important to be real, to listen, and to know how to
bargain and close the sale. Sound scary? Many people get cold feet when
it comes to sales. But you don't need to worry. In this lesson, I'll
give you the key to effective selling: Develop relationships based on
trust and credibility.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
I'll
bet you're just dying to learn about banking, record keeping, and
taxes, right? No? Well, they're not the most exciting topics, I'll
admit, but they are crucial to your business. Today you'll learn about
expenses and deductions, maintaining the appropriate records for all
your revenue, categorizing your expenses, and keeping track of sales
tax. Grab a cup of coffee, and keep your eyes open for this lesson!
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| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
Do
you know how to set up your office for maximum efficiency? If not, then
you've come to the right place. Conducting your business from the
kitchen table is really not the ideal situation. So join me and see how
to find just the right area in your home that will allow you to work in
a sane and productive fashion. Learn how to set boundaries for your
office, figure out what size office and setup you need, and make sure
your office is ergonomically and aesthetically pleasing. Taking the
time to set up your home office today is an investment in your future.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Today, we'll delve into getting organized. To some people, the word organize
sounds constricting and limiting—everything has a place and must be in
it at all times. Let's toss that idea right out the window! The goal in
organizing your business is to give yourself freedom. Whether you're
dealing with paperwork or time management, your system of organization
should not restrict or confine you in any way. Come and see how
organizing will work for you and never against you.
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| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
One
thing entrepreneurs often overlook is their professional image—how
their business looks to the outside world. When your 5-year-old answers
the phone and starts playing guessing games with potential customers,
or when your computer equipment still runs on DOS, you've got an image
problem! The impression you make through your image can bring customers
to you or drive them to your competition. So in this lesson, we'll look
at what not to do and what to do regarding your personal appearance,
attitude, and printed materials.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
In
all your hard work of building a business, you don't want to forget the
most important people: not your customers, but your family. You'll need
to clarify expectations, reach compromises that work for everybody, and
especially set boundaries. In this last lesson, you'll learn how to
protect your work and your relationships and have fun with both. It's
all a matter of balance.
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This
course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide
you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your
questions. The instructor for this course will be Helene Liatsos.
 Helene
K. Liatsos graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater and Communications and pursued an
MBA at Fordham University. After a career working in the Travel
Industry, with companies such as Trans World Airlines and the Sheraton
corporation, Helene decided she was much better suited to working on
her own and started her own home based business. Her consulting company
specializes in home based business start-ups and/or assisting
established homebased businesses who need a helping hand. She has been
in this business for over 12 years, has helped many entrepreneurs
realize their dream job, and was recently awarded the Home Based Business Of The Year 2004 award by the U. S. Small Business Administration.
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins
(two free and simple downloads you obtain at
http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and
Get Adobe Reader).
Student Reviews:
"Because of this course, I am positive that I have what it
takes to start my own business. I have the creativity, the passion, I'm
doing something that I love, and I'm extremely motivated! This course
has me writing my business plan and given me the structure and
resources I need to do this. Eventually my goal is to get my own
website, marketing brochure and offer classes out of my home to launch
my custom home decorations. Thank you, this was just what I needed
Helene!"
"Great course! I have also taken a SCORE workshop and found that these two courses complemented each other."
"Helene... I have been having a blast with this course.
Through the years I have wanted to have my own business, doing a lot of
research, just never going full steam ahead. Your lessons are so
helpful and validate a lot of things that I have been doing on my own,
but never sure if they were correct. Thanks again!! It is always
rewarding to have such a good instructor and I really enjoyed the
course."
"I am starting two home based businesses. This course has
given me great insight and encouragement to succeed at both of them,
and maybe more down the road. Thank you, Scott Holman"
"I had taken Small Business Basics many years ago. This was
a very good refresher course for me. It filled in the blanks. Thank
You."
"I have researched online and in books on how to go about
writing a business plan and this was the most comprehensive and
streamlined description of how to and what to include. So far I have
been very impressed with the information covered in this class. I have
been studying this stuff for months, and this is the most useful info
yet. Kudos to you, Helene!"
"I have started my business, working with a computer and being female, Helene had many great tips that I will use."
"I learned a lot from this course. It opened my eyes and
gave me inspiration to pursue my dreams of being my own boss. Thank you
very much!"
"I never imagined the depth of information necessary to
starting a home based business. Thank you so much for slowing me down
enough in taking one step at a time instead of diving in head first and
getting stopped before I even got started. Now I know where to begin
correctly."
"I thought the course was very insightful and, due to the
fact that I could print the material, it will be a most helpful
reference tool when I begin setting up my home based business. I felt
that the instructor posed very important questions to ask one's self in
pursuing a home based business career."
"I thought this course was excellent! I learned a lot and it
was very convenient for me. Being able to access lessons at work was
great. Even though I still haven't decided on a business yet, I have no
regrets about this course. I really learned a lot."
"I was very impressed with the instructor and content of this course. It covered more than I expected..."
"The information I've obtained is most valuable and appreciated."
"The lesson materials were broad-based while the assignments
'zero-ed in' with personal, relevant detail...a good balance. Overall,
this class is a great introduction to the process of venturing forth
with your own home-based business. I am the type who prefers the
structure of a class/instructor than reading a book on my own, so this
class was perfect for balanced, current content and accomodating my
style!"
"This course covered all the topics which I had questions on operating a home based business. I found it very useful."
"This was a very informative class. I will be using
everything that I have learned here to make my business successful. I
think ANYONE that is going to start a small business should take this
course. It definitely opens your eyes."
"Very comprehensive and helpful material."
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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Home-Based
businesses are the hottest business trend of the decade! Learn how to
be your own boss and eliminate the stress of having a job. The benefits
of working from home are endless! Earn what you deserve, be
independent, have tax deductions, do away with traffic, office politics
and more! Learn how to develop the entrepreneurial qualities -
motivation, discipline, creativity - that you will need to succeed!
This class is a great way to start your own business or enhance the one
you already have.