Genapa – The World Awaits

Edward Navarro is the subject of today’s business blog. He’s a car mechanic specializing in auto repair in La Habra, CA. Mr. Navarro has over 20 years of experience working on and fixing cars. He has the best prices in his town and can do anything from brake service, wheel alignment, check engine light on, computers, electrical, to complete bumper to bumper auto repair, body & paint. Edward has recently gotten into Internet marketing to generate more customer for his business. A great example of a small business leveraging the Internet.

It’s true that everyone is trying to make more money whether they have lost their job or just need a second income. We’d like to maybe give our boss the boot and strike out on our own. Some might just very well do that. Here are some really handy tips if you want to start your own business full time or just want to test the waters.

You have to be very determined and self-motivated. Starting your own business is actually work; this is no decision for slackers. Fulfill every need that you promised you would if you are doing contract work.

So you don’t mind hard work? Well there are some really hard facts and real things you will have to do if you want your business to succeed. After the determination and the self-motivation have kicked in and you still want to go through with starting your own business you will need a plan. Not a plan to sleep till noon, but an actual, thought out, honest to goodness business plan on paper. Business plans do take energy and a lot of time but at least you will know your own business idea. You will know exactly what your business does, and believe it or not, many business start-ups fail because of no business plan.

A business plan does many things: it will force you to realize where your actual income will come from. It will point out areas where you will have to spend money and the people you will be competing with to make money. It details what you will do to succeed ahead of your competition and how you are better to do this job than anyone else. It will also give you something to take to the bank if you should need a small business loan. The chances are much better of you getting a loan if you have a viable plan on paper than if you just go into the bank and tell them, “I have an idea and just want money to see if it will work.”

Of course the best plan of action is to use your own savings to start your business. Once you’ve exhausted your own money you can then go to the bank with that business plan. Do not, remember, don’t ever, under any circumstances go to family or friends to borrow money. You need to keep these personal relationships intact and owing them money if you can’t pay it back will always cause hard feelings.

Now that you have struck out and started your own business that means that you have to find all the answers to all of the questions on your own. If you aren’t self-reliant or don’t know where to start then you may want to do plenty of research on what needs to be accomplished and affiliate yourself with people that can help you. If you are serious about getting your venture off the ground and now you have gotten started you will want to employ an accountant. You will need one to help give you an unbiased opinion on various business aspects such as business accounts, how to make out invoices and then collecting money from clients as well as helping keep your taxes in line.

One of the big issues when starting your own business is if you are going to work from a home office or if you want to have a place to go to work. There are different styles and just because you wanted to start your own business doesn’t mean you could bring all clients into your home office. A real office outside of your home will make clients see that you are serious. You can also use the majority of the expenses as write offs. There are also drawbacks; it costs money to rent office space and go to work. The bottom line in choosing between offices outside of the home for your own business or making the office in your home is a personal choice. Either way, organizational skills are key when starting your own business.

One of the best organizational skills you can have is to keep accurate records. You don’t want to buy the most expensive office items starting out. You want to be consistent in your pricing. Just because you are starting out you don’t have to feel the need to give discounts or do free work to get work. Believe it or not, even if you let clients know you are working cheap to get their business you will never get ahead because they are in business and will expect it every time and you will not make money.

You will need to have a bright outlook and not mind spending most of your time alone. Starting your own business means there is no longer the social aspect of the water cooler. You have to know how to stay occupied, not let the work get behind and then you’ll make those paychecks you only dreamed of when you were working for someone else.

The current economic climate has hit jobs and families all over the world, with people being made redundant from even the biggest companies that have been hit heavily by falling profits. Journalism and Media has been no different, with many editors telling their based journalists and freelancers to go out and find other means of making money for the time being.

Not Permanent

Happily for many journalists, editors of many big publications have not made permanent redundancies. Simply gigs are either shared out a bit more sporadically or being bought in cheaply. I say happily though it has become more of a ruthless world of dog eat dog, but at least money is still putting food on the table and bills being paid. Albeit with some extra work hours and the odd sneaky scoop.

For freelance journalists the economic climate has not really changed things that much, if anything there are more freelancers on the streets and out on location, due to being told by Editors to make the most of a hard economy. But in truth it has always been the same, the humble freelance journalist has always had to fight to stay afloat in the industry.

Being a good freelancer shows in resilience and the odd argument over the amount being offered by Perry White!

The Fight for Survival Continues

No, the economic crisis has just made freelance journalists a lot harder of late. There are always situations in which a story hits the grapevine and all the muckraker’s in the city are out in force like bulls in a China Shop.

Freelancers are quite used to being bumped and barged at every opportunity by a rival, who is usually known by name and met with a round of drinks at the local drinking establishment. As they say business is business, journalists get drunk together… not!

The game of who can outdo who, get in first, outfox, undercut and be the best is well and truly on in the case of freelance reporters.

The life of a freelance journalist is has never been far away from the days of tweed clad individuals with a Dictaphone or notepad in one hand and a spare pen behind the ear. Our camera’s are still round our necks, but now iPhones and laptop replace the scrap paper and biro. Some still have the tweed for all sense and purpose.
Has freelancing ever been different?

The life of a freelance journalist is never as romantic or poetic as Clark Kent and Lois Lane of ‘The Daily Planet’, and Spiderman never shows up to give journalists a spectacular snap of him swinging through the streets.

Journalists have to fight for the crumbs or grab a front page it is as simple as that.

Change is Afoot

For some journalists who have had little work to compete with before the economic crisis hit home, some routines have definitely changed. Freelancers have always found something to be writing about, but nowadays the Internet plays a very big part in earning a crust.

Online income from writing content for a few dollars per article to selling stories to whomever will take morsels, has been making a big comeback in freelancers homes. As much spare time as possible is spent making up for the finances lost due to unscrupulous editors bargaining… we won’t name and shame here!

Slowly though thing have although been getting back to normal as the global financial crisis begins to burst its bubble. Freelancers are getting a bit of breathing space for now with a hope that the people and businesses who make the stories keep them coming.

It’s Not All Been Doom and Gloom

Taking a step back over the last couple of years, the economic crisis has helped slightly in regard to subject matter. There has not been a shortage of stories to chase from the Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s of the world.
Something good did actually come out of all the doom and gloom bestowed upon businesses and society, it sounds harsh but in the world of journalism someone else’s heartbreak is a freelancer’s meal ticket.

Sometimes, scarcely and rarely an opportunity can be grabbed to jump into the shoes of an anchorman that came down with H1N1, these moments are often seen on TV with a rather sheepish looking semi nervous stammering freelancer who has to get his name out before the report ends… great show! Also, freelancers can take advantage of freelance marketing websites and freelancer communities.

The argument could be that there wasn’t so many freelancers legging it around from city to city, but the competition does liven things up without a doubt. This will in essence always be a part of true journalism, take the rough with the smooth and get on with it.

Freelance muckraker’s do what they do because they love their work, and why?

Because they would not have it any other way, bad economy or filled bank accounts!

If you’ve ever thought of making money doing what you absolutely love, you’ve probably passed it off as an unattainable dream that’s too good to ever come true. But, the truth is that you probably have something very valuable to offer if you have a trade or hobby that you are passionate about. There are a few tips you should follow in making your dream a reality.

First, you must research your business idea and the market. If you are providing a product or service, you need to be sure you will have a continuous demand. Although you will no doubt enjoy doing what it is you love, you still have to make a living. Therefore, you will need to be sure that what you are providing will be affordable for those in your market while still giving you a reasonable profit. Also, consider your market demographics. Pay attention to how many consumers are potentially available to buy your product or services.

Next, you will need to create a business plan. You can visit your local library as there are a bountiful supply of books detailing how to write a business plan. You can also hire an adviser to assist you. A bank will require a detailed business plan if you are seeking a loan. Even if you don’t need a loan to start your business, you need a business plan to help you get started and know where you are going. A business plan will help you determine such things as how much start-up capital you will need, how long it will take to see profits, and what income is expected to be in a year, two years and five years into the future. Basically, you will need to know how much it will cost you to produce your product or service, how much you can sell it for and how much time will be involved in production. These details will provide you with the proper foundation for running an efficient and well-managed business that will be very profitable for you. Decide how committed you want to be to your business venture. You may find that starting off part-time while still working your regular full-time job will be safe. If your business fails, you will still have income from your regular job. If your business takes off, then you could consider going at it full-time.

Next, you must examine yourself and your abilities. You may be very good at what you do, but you may not know how to properly run a business. Therefore, you must take a look at your business sense. Will your passion still excite you once you make it your business? If one cannot stay motivated, he or she will have a hard time completing tasks that make a successful business possible.

Even though running your own business might be a dream come true, you will still need to assess how this will affect your life. Operating a business requires a lot of time and energy. You need to take into consideration how your family will feel if you’re constantly working long hours. If your business takes a financial blow, it will affect your family as well. If you have small children you will need to decide what type of care they will need while you are operating your business. Often it is very difficult to work when you have little ones to look after. Therefore, you should think about hiring a nanny or someone who would be able to help you look after the children when you are busy.

You must also make yourself stand out. This means finding innovative ways to introduce your product or service. There are communities for you to showcase your talents and showcase your skills. You need to let everyone know through creative advertising why your product or service is the best. If people don’t know about you, most likely you will not be doing much business. You can get to know other members of the business community by joining your local chamber of commerce and attending events that it sponsors. Find out about trade shows that are taking place in your area. You will be able to introduce yourself and what you have to offer. This is a valuable tool in getting the names of potential customers who show interest in what your business offers.

Just remember that anything worth doing requires hard work. When you are passionate about something, you will be motivated to make it work for you. Owning your own business requires dedication and the know-how to keep things running smoothly while turning a profit. If you take into account each of the tips previously mentioned, you will be better equipped to turn your passion into a business that will be enjoyable and profitable.

Welcome to the Genapa blog. We’ll be covering lots of things about helping contractors, freelancers, and everyday people to  get the most fulfillment from the unique skills and talents.