Home Business Planning & Organization

Have Bulk Mail Software? Partner with the USPS for Your Mass Mailing Needs
The United States Postal Service offers specialized services to companies involved in direct mail campaigns. Get information about how Network Distribution Centers (NDCs), formerly known as Bulk Mail Centers (but since re-engineered into a new system) can help to distribute periodicals, standard mail items, parcels and printed or recorded materials at preferred rates. The USPS is ready to help customers by providing a guide to mail services for businesses, as well as an online Resource Center with facts about shipping systems, acceptance schedules and consolidators.

Setting Up a Home Office on Any Budget
This section of articles and slideshows from Better Homes & Gardens looks at inexpensive ways to set up a home office that are both functional as well as pleasing. Start by considering what it is you really want to do, and then create a workspace of a size appropriate for the task. You don't need to partition off an entire room just to pay a handful of bills every month. The features pose many useful questions, the same kinds of questions you may be asking if you're considering setting up a home office, and then they are answered in down-to-earth, practical ways—oftentimes with illustrations—that won't cause you to empty your savings account. For example: What do you really want your computer to do? The answer to that question will determine a great deal about your home office set-up. Will the computer be used only for business or will it also be used by the family? can make a huge difference in where and how you set up your office. This is a very down-to-earth and practical site that will allow you to really examine what you need as well as what you don't need for your particular home office situation.

Starting a Home Office
Starting a business of your own that you'll run out of your own home is a risky venture. Before you burn any bridges with your current boss, this article has several suggestions for ways to help insure that your new venture stands at least a 50/50 chance of success. Once you have made the decision to go it on your own you will be faced with several challenges. One of the first challenges, according to this article, is a system of organization. This might be a simple spreadsheet or it may be more complex, depending on your business model. You'll need lists of contacts, client lists, supplier lists and so forth. Next make a list of equipment that you'll need. Basic equipment includes a computer, plus a laptop or a palm device if your business requires much travel. Make sure all components work flawlessly with each other. Spend enough to get good quality, but don't go overboard; most equipment will be obsolete in two years anyway. You'll need a separate phone line for your computer and fax machine and you should consider a fast broadband Internet connection. Click on NEXT and the article continues with discussions of multi-task office equipment (scanner/printer/fax machines), and the importance of a good office chair. There are also discussions of financial management and the proper structure of your home business, how to deal with red tape, how to get the word out about your new enterprise and even a discussion on balancing home and work life.

Basics of Planning a Home Office
A wealth of articles for those wishing to decorate a home office, including planning a home office budget, getting inspired, do-it-yourself home office decorating, easy lighting projects, hiring a professional designer for home office decoration, home office considerations, needs and home office solutions, as well as lighting a home office, window coverings and window treatments for home offices, a decorating worksheet, ceiling fans, credenzas, home office feng shui, home office design, home office bargains, home office storage solutions, home office ergonomics, home office products, pictures for your home office and more.