Details

Micro-Entrepreneurship For Dummies

1. Aufl.

von: Paul Mladjenovic
17,99 €
Verlag:	Wiley
Format:	EPUB
Veröffentl.:	03.04.2013
ISBN/EAN:	9781118591864
Sprache:	englisch
Anzahl Seiten:	384

In den Warenkorb

Als Gutschein

DRM-geschütztes eBook, Sie benötigen z.B. Adobe Digital Editions und eine Adobe ID zum Lesen.

Beschreibungen

Titelbeschreibung

Tired of the 9-to-5 grind and want a way to earn or to supplement your income? Easy. The media has named the growing trend toward micro-entrepreneurship "the Rise of the Creative Class," "the Gig Life," or "the freelance economy." All of those refer to the nearly 4 million workers who were self-employed this past year, and millions of others who currently supplement their income with freelance work. While the trend has been spotted before, there's one stark difference between micro-entrepreneurs today and the "Free Agent Nation" citizens of the late '90s: technology. Micro-Entrepreneurship For Dummies shows you how to navigate this confusing technological landscape in order to make a contributable profit. Micro-Entrepreneurship For Dummies aids you in making the best use of micro-entrepreneurial platforms, with helpful advice that includes information on signing up for and selling products on websites such as Airbnb, Craigslist, Taskrabbit, Uber, and Etsy. <ul> <li>Micro-enterprise, using online platforms to sell products or services,??is a proven way to earn extra money and supplement household income</li> <li>In today's struggling economy, the importance of self-run businesses and small enterprise is growing as more people take lower-paying jobs and need a little extra spending money</li> <li>Shows you how to sign up for and sell products online</li> </ul> Micro-Entrepreneurship For Dummies appeals to anyone looking to earn or supplement their income from home.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 2 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book is Organized 3 Part I: Getting Started with Micro-Entrepreneurship 3 Part II: Finding Great Micro-Entrepreneurship Ideas 4 Part III: Marketing and Selling Your Micro-Business 4 Part IV: Considering Taxes and Legal Issues 4 Part V: The Part of Tens 5 Icons Used in This Book 5 Where to Go from Here 5 Part I: Getting Started with Micro-Entrepreneurship 7 Chapter 1: Micro-Entrepreneurship 101: Just the Basics, Please 9 Understanding What Being a Micro-Entrepreneur Means 10 Following your path to be a micro-entrepreneur 10 Figuring out whether you have what it takes to be a micro-entrepreneur 11 Recognizing potential opportunities 11 Deciding What Type of Business Works for You 12 Making Your Micro-Business Noticeable 13 Advertising your services or products 14 Identifying your market 14 Communicating with your clients 14 Marketing your business 14 Being Aware of Taxes and Other Issues 15 Getting others to help you in your business 15 Growing your business 16 Tackling taxes (but fortunately no death) 16 Chapter 2: Knowing Your Path as a Micro-Entrepreneur 17 Recognizing Whether You Need a Formal Business Plan 17 Eyeing What Your Business Plan Addresses 18 Naming the Type of Business Plan You Have 20 Looking Closer at a Business Plan and What It Constitutes 21 Updating Your Business Plan 24 Creating Your Business Plan: Helpful Resources to Review 25 Making Other Stops on Your Path 26 Making Your Business Path Easier: Tools for the Road 27 Going online for some education 28 Teleconferencing or videoconferencing 28 Using open-source software 29 Organizing and being more productive 29 Relying on colleagues 29 Chapter 3: Understanding Yourself: What Makes You Tick 31 Tapping Into the Process of Starting Your Business 31 Doing your 10-10 list to find your passion 32 Focusing on where enjoyment meets competence 34 Figuring out your personality and the type of entrepreneur you are 35 Remembering your great moments 36 Recognizing the Qualities You Need to Be a Micro-Entrepreneur 36 Having initiative 36 Being able to prioritize 37 Managing your time 38 Staying focused 38 Striving for excellence 39 Being persistent 39 Showing creativity 40 Beginning Your Business Life 40 Recognizing why starting at home makes sense 41 Setting up your environment 42 Chapter 4: Setting Up Your Internet Presence 45 Having a Web Presence: Something You Need as a Micro-Entrepreneur 45 Creating Your Website 46 Doing some pre-planning 46 Recognizing the four basic elements 47 Tackling marketing considerations after your website is up 52 Setting up Your Blog 53 Deciding on your blog’s purpose 53 Figuring out the blog’s set-up in advance 54 Understanding a blog’s features 55 Tapping into blogging resources 56 Marketing your blog 57 Considering Other Alternatives to Give You a Web Presence 58 Facebook 58 LinkedIn 58 Chapter 5: Honing In on Opportunities 59 Identifying Customers; Differentiating between Their Wants and Needs 60 Knowing the lifetime value of a customer 60 Recognizing the type of market: Horizontal or vertical 61 Eyeing the Basic Categories of Successful Home Businesses 61 Category one: The problem solver 62 Category two: Anticipating a megatrend 62 Category three: A combination 64 Getting the Lowdown on Niches: What to Focus Your Business On 64 Choosing the right niche for you 64 Recognizing recession-proof niches 65 Seasonal niches 67 Good times niches 68 Special interest niches 69 Searching for Success: Finding the Information You Need 69 Researching niches 69 Viewing educational tutorials 70 Searching news sites for information 71 Perusing article directories 71 Testing opportunities 72 Relying on Your Background for Opportunities 72 Avoiding Fraud 73 Steering Clear of Liability Problems and Other Legal Issues 74 Part II: Finding Great Micro-Entrepreneurship Ideas 77 Chapter 6: Creating Your Arts and Crafts Micro-Business from Scratch 79 From Nothing to Something Good: Entering the World of Arts and Crafts 79 Making your art and craft and a profit at the same time 80 Finding the raw materials 83 Buying wholesale 84 Touring the World of Crafts 84 Adding Beauty and Profit 85 Selling Your Creations: Focus on Etsy 86 Setting up on Etsy 86 Selling on Etsy 87 Identifying Other Online Selling Venues 87 Eyeing Offline Selling Opportunities 89 Focusing on the Four Rs 89 Chapter 7: Selling Other Stuff: The Golden Rules of Success 91 Identifying Your Selling Options 92 Understanding What You’ll Sell: Specialize and Understand Value 94 Finding Items to Sell: Buy Low 95 Buying from individuals 95 Buying from businesses 96 Buying from the government 97 Making a Profit: Sell Higher 98 Going the eBay Route 99 Listing on eBay 100 Managing ongoing auctions 103 When your auction expires 104 Chapter 8: Selling Your Services 105 Knowing Who Your Prospective Clients are 106 Focusing on consumers 106 Capitalizing on companies 107 Selling to government agencies 108 Meeting and Finding Prospective Clients 108 Horizontal venues 109 Vertical venues 109 Directly via search engines and directories 110 Hooking Up with Elance and Other Horizontal Sites 110 Identifying the client 111 Signing up and understanding the set-up process 112 Grasping how the bidding process works 113 Gaining the assignment: Now what? 114 Maximizing your Elance success 114 Becoming a Virtual Assistant 116 Recognizing what a virtual assistant does 116 Marketing yourself and finding work 117 Micro-Tasking for Small Bucks 118 Using Fiverr 118 Investigating more about micro-tasking 119 Chapter 9: Writing for Money 121 Discovering the Writer inside You 121 Cultivating important writing skills 121 Grasping some important business skills 123 Identifying your equipment needs 124 Avoiding pitfalls in freelance writing 124 Choose Your Writing Specialty 125 Blogging in the blogosphere 126 Providing website content 126 Locating Places That Pay for Writing 129 Finding websites for cold, hard cash 129 Perusing freelance writing resources 130 Accessing other freelance resources 131 Getting Paid Multiple Times 132 Chapter 10: Getting Into Self-Publishing 133 Tapping into Written Self-Publishing 134 Getting started 134 Naming your self-publishing tools 135 Considering your delivery option: Digital and physical together 136 Identifying the different types of written self-publishing 137 Using resources for written self-publishing 140 Trying the Audio Publishing Route 140 Recognizing the formats you can use 141 Creating your audio product 142 Seeing what equipment you need 144 Considering Video Publishing 144 Spelling out the ins and outs to video 145 Creating your own video 146 Knowing what equipment you need 147 Using YouTube 148 Handling Legal and Management Stuff 149 Getting an ISBN 149 Respecting copyright 149 Stating your disclaimer 150 Setting up your ecommerce for digital content 150 Chapter 11: Being a Successful Affiliate 153 The Lowdown on Affiliate Programs 153 Eyeing the pros and cons of being an affiliate 154 Knowing the types of affiliate programs 155 Viewing additional resources for more info 156 Starting As a Beginning Affiliate 157 Step 1: Discover your interest 157 Step 2: Identify your competence 158 Step 3: Investigate before deciding 158 Step 4: Select your marketing approach 159 Step 5: Focus and be persistent 160 Spotlighting the Top Affiliate Sites 161 Clickbank 161 Commission Junction 165 Amazon 166 Chapter 12: Cashing In on Advertising 169 Generating Cash from Advertising: Spotlight on AdSense 170 Content is king 170 Keywords are queen 171 Ad placement is the third consideration 172 Tracking and changing your approach 174 Identifying other advertising sources that pay you 175 Getting Customers and Sales with Pay-Per-Click: AdWords or AdCenter 176 The lowdown on PPC and how it works 177 Creating your first PPC ad 180 Keywords 101: Just the basics 184 Part III: Marketing and Selling Your Micro-Business 187 Chapter 13: Understanding Your Marketing Approach 189 Identifying Your Target Market 189 Understanding the importance of having a target market 190 Choosing your target market: The how-to 190 Researching and focusing on your target market 192 Knowing where your target market is 193 Identifying Your Competitors 194 Positioning yourself versus your competitors 195 Staying updated on your customers’ actions with competitive analysis 195 Turning competitors into partners 196 Doing Your Marketing Plan 197 Uncovering your marketing strategy 197 Remembering your mission statement 197 Knowing your target market 198 Analyzing your competition 198 Identifying what makes you unique 198 Developing a pricing strategy 199 Promoting your marketing activities 199 Tracking with a marketing worksheet 201 Tracking your marketing costs 202 Creating an action plan 203 Ensuring you offer a quality product or service 203 Chapter 14: Communicating with Prospective Customers 205 Recognizing Your Role: You’re Already a Salesperson 205 Letting you in on the big secret to salesmanship: Be convincing 206 Breaking the ice — the cold call 207 Tackling the cold call: Helpful tips to make it successful 209 Getting additional help 211 Getting referrals 212 Focusing on Your Sales Message — Your Cold Call in Print 213 Communicating benefits versus features 213 Knowing the AIDA formula 214 Communicating effectively via email 216 Turning to additional resources for help in writing sales copy 218 Cold Calling with a Video: Use YouTube to Your Advantage 219 Chapter 15: Utilizing Search Engine Strategies to Market Your Business 223 Grasping How Search Engines Work and Where You Can Search 223 Getting the Lowdown on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 225 Before you start your own SEO research 227 Beginning your research: Google can help 227 Using other SEO tools 231 Making Yourself Findable 232 Using keywords 232 Increasing links to your site or blog 233 Getting your business listed on search engines and directories 234 Chapter 16: Using Blogs and Ezines in Your Marketing Plan 237 Choosing Whether You Want a Blog, Ezine, or Both 237 Using Your Blog to Make Money 238 Making money directly 239 Making money indirectly 239 Doing both 240 Promoting Your Blog 240 Getting listed in search engines and blog databases 241 Doing a micro-tasking blast 241 Using multiple blogs 242 Guest blogging 242 Doing some video blogging 243 Doing an Ezine 244 Knowing what to write about in your ezine 245 Building a list 246 Using bulk email service providers 252 Advertising with your ezine 253 Chapter 17: Marketing through Social Media 255 Succeeding on Social Media: Follow Some Golden Rules 257 Maximizing Your Time on Facebook 258 Getting started on Facebook 258 Using Facebook to build your business 259 Creating a Facebook fan page 260 Using Facebook advertising 260 Relying on other Facebook marketing resources 261 Focusing Your Attention on LinkedIn 261 Setting up your profile 261 Making connections 262 Joining LinkedIn groups 262 Marketing with Twitter 263 Implementing strategies 263 Relying on other Twitter resources 264 Considering Other Social Media Sites 265 Squidoo 265 Pinterest 265 Using other sites 266 Chapter 18: Implementing Other Marketing Strategies 267 Writing Articles to Market Your Business 267 Grasping how article writing works 268 Knowing where to send your article 268 Pointing to profits 270 Using Publicity and Press Releases 271 Knowing what newsworthy means 271 Drafting a press release 274 Knowing where to send your press release 276 Doing a radio or TV interview 277 Focusing on Forum Marketing 279 Eyeing the benefits of a forum 280 Using forum etiquette 281 Selling on forums: The how-to 282 Part IV: Considering Taxes and Legal Issues 285 Chapter 19: Outsourcing: Getting Others to Help You 287 Defining Outsourcing and How You Can Use It in Your Business 288 Identifying the Pros and Cons of Hiring an Outsourced Worker 289 Seeing the upsides of using outsourced workers 289 Naming the downside of using outsourced workers 290 Hiring an Outsourced Worker: The How-To 292 Establish clear goals, milestones, and requirements 292 Focus on qualified workers versus cheap workers 293 Review portfolios and samples 293 Have an agreed payment plan before you hire 294 Use an agency 294 Consider other potential issues 294 Finding Outsourced Workers 295 Using general outsourcing websites 295 Trying virtual assistant resources 297 Tapping into micro-task sites 298 Chapter 20: From Micro to Macro: Growing and Selling Your Business 301 Hiring Permanent Employees 301 Identifying payroll taxes 302 Recognizing other employee-related costs 302 Getting Your Hands on Money to Finance Your Business 303 Eyeing the debt financing route 304 Trying equity financing 305 Considering joint ventures 305 Going public 306 Looking At Franchising and Dealerships 307 Franchising 308 Independent dealership and service marks 308 Selling Your Business 309 Figuring out what makes a business sell 309 Sticking to the steps to sell your biz 310 Looking for additional help for selling your business 312 Chapter 21: Uncle Sam Comes Calling: Tax Issues for the Micro-Entrepreneur 315 Understanding Net Loss and Profit 316 Keeping Good Records 316 Being Aware of Certain Tax Obligations 318 Dishing out federal income taxes 318 Handing over state and local taxes 319 Submitting sales tax on products sold 319 Identifying General Tax Benefits for Micro-Entrepreneurs 320 Recognizing the most common tax-deductible business expenses 321 Deducting home-office expenses 322 Focusing on depreciation of assets 324 Dealing with inventory and goods for resale 325 Eating and entertaining on the job 325 Putting money into a pension plan 327 Setting Up Your Business 327 The simplest business structure you! 327 The second-simplest business structure: Sole proprietorship (the DBA) 328 LLCs, corporations, and partnerships 329 Reporting Your Business Activities 330 Part V: The Part of Tens 333 Chapter 22: Ten Beginning Micro-Entrepreneur Pitfalls (and How to Avoid ’em) 335 Failing to Understand Yourself 335 Listening to the Marketplace 336 Checking What Others Do 336 Acting without Planning 336 Getting Educated 337 Spending Too Much Money 338 Sticking to One Specialty 338 Failing to Rinse and Repeat 339 Paying Attention to What Your Customers Tell You 339 Anticipating Legal Issues 340 Chapter 23: Ten (Plus One) Ways to Make Money Quickly 341 eBay 342 Elance 342 Clickbank 342 Fiverr 343 Etsy 344 About.com 344 Amazon 344 Gazelle 345 Items Wanted Classifieds 345 Cash in on the Real You 346 Gigwalk 346 Index 347

Autorenportrait

Paul Mladjenovic is a certified financial planner, micro-entrepreneur, and home business educator with more than 25 years' experience writing and teaching about financial and business start-up topics. He owns RavingCapitalist.com and is also the author of Stock Investing For Dummies.

Back cover copy

Learn to: <ul> <li>Navigate the technological landscape and earn a profit</li> <li>Make the best use of micro-entrepreneurial platforms</li> <li>Sell your products and services online or offline</li> </ul> Take control of your career and income and be your own boss If you've had dreams of starting your own full-time or part-time, home-based business, perhaps because you're unemployed, dissatisfied with your current career, or you just need some supplemental income, micro-entrepreneurship is your best bet. This hands-on, friendly guide arms you with ideas, strategies, and lots of resources to help you kick-start your venture! <ul> <li>Micro-Entrepreneurship 101 — find out the best path toward being a micro-entrepreneur and what type of business mirrors your interests and abilities</li> <li>The nuts 'n' bolts — get the skinny on the inner workings of micro-entrepreneurship, from creating products and services to auctions, writing, self-publishing, affiliate marketing, and advertising</li> <li>Reach the masses — discover how to find your best customers and the various ways to market, from publicity and guest blogging to ezine and blog marketing</li> <li>The fruits of your labor — get help managing all aspects of your business, from administrative tasks to more detailed technological tasks, like outsourcing</li> </ul> Open the book and find: <ul> <li>Why a web presence is important</li> <li>How to set up a website or blog</li> <li>A ton of sites and resources to help you</li> <li>Ways to tap into your passion and find your niche</li> <li>Tips for marketing and selling your micro business</li> <li>The scoop on market research</li> <li>Guidance on tax implications and benefits</li> <li>Common pitfalls to avoid</li> <li>Ten ways to make money immediately</li> </ul>