22inMotion Business Blog

Today’s business person review is about Andrew McShane and his Fine Art Services in Dallas, TX. His company, AFM Fine Art Services is a great example of a business that is agile and offers a complete solution to its clients. AFM offers services from lighting design and installation to furniture and art packing and crating to art documentation for insurance purposes. Best of luck Andrew!

Today’s blog is about Timothy LaPointe a general contractor and carpenter in Douglas, MA. Timothy has had a successful small business as a contractor since 1995. One of the things we like about him is that he says he “likes to make people smile.” If that’s not the essence of how to achieve success in business, I don’t know what is. Cheers to Timothy.

Free marketing and PR is hard to come by nowadays despite the fact that the competition on the various markets for clients and customers has intensified. Only the most innovative business related entities get the free marketing and public relations. Tradition employed the use of paid advertising. Over time, customers have been fed up with advertisement due to the fact that, they feel that the advertisements are often false and misleading. The present day has seen competition over two ends in marketing and public relations. Firstly is over advertising space, and then secondly is over editorial space. Advertising space is readily available and companies with the most financial muscle have crowded this space. This refers to paid advertisement that is controlled by the owner of the advertisement. For freelances and contractors, this form of marketing and public relations is often off their radar. They hence have to compete for the second niche, the editorial space. Editorial space refers to comments written on the daily journals in regard to your line of work. This is more credible as it doesn’t take any sides.

If you are a freelancer or a contractor there are a number of ideas that you can take up to get free marketing and PR. Firstly, you need to understand the various media and their target audiences. Understanding the media goes a long way towards knowing what they best want as well as prefer. This will make you work hand in hand with their polices hence seeking favor and a working relationship that is very ideal for free marketing and PR. Different media houses have different target audiences and hence you should go further by looking at the target audience that the media address. This is simple and can be done by looking at the media houses, company profile. After creating a relationship, you need to show why you, as a freelancer and contractor, you are unique in your trade. This can be through the various practices that you uphold as well as the relationship that you have with your customers and clients.

The use of mass media for free marketing and PR forms the traditional method of the cause. The internet propagated by constant technological innovations has though brought more avenues to seek and establish free marketing as well as Public relations. There are a number of ways through which you, as a freelancer or contractor can make the most of the internet. Firstly is through the newest form of communication, social media sites. The development of social media sites has revolutionized the way communication is carried out. They have provided a forum for instantaneous communication. The first step that you need to take as a freelancer or contractor is to engage your clients and customers through the social media. Get involved in their activities that are outside your trade and seek to establish great mutually beneficial relationship. You can also sell your products here by creating a page that addresses your line of work. Encourage people to join and always keep them informed. The need for new content can never be emphasized. Online social media sites are free to use and it is only your time and dedication to the use that will enhance you as well as your company.

The internet furthermore provides another forum for free marketing as well as PR. This is through a number of ways. Online listing comes as one of the many. These include registering under local websites that give information about the location that you practice your trade. Designed to promote the locality, local websites offer free marketing and PR through creating a buzz about the presence of your work. They are often free and offer a forum for you to place your number as well as any other information about your business. The second internet mediated free marketing and PR idea comes through the email. Through the use of the Email address, you can contact a number of your clients as well as to be customers on the various new additives that you offer or revamped prices. You can also source for new jobs by posting and talking about your availability via email.

Off the internet, there are other ideas that you can take up for free marketing as well as PR. Networking through working with a number of business groups goes a long way towards development. Always seek to attend the meetings held in your area of operation as well as trade shows and exhibition affairs. This provides you with a face to face avenue to interact and bond with the community members. Give out business cards and take business cards and always remember to keep to your word. You can also interact with possible customers by building credibility. Remember, marketing and PR is a constant and ongoing activity.

Is it possible to earn money from a hobby? More than ever, people are looking for ways to make money from the comfort of their own homes. There are millions of sites that promise to tell the money-making secrets, but most are only scams. What most people don’t realize is that they might be able to turn something they do on a daily basis into a source of income.

Tinkering
There are a lot of people out there who enjoy tinkering with little things around the house. Some can fix a toaster, some know how to make the kitchen sink work better, and others can build a computer from scratch. Any of these hobbies could be turned into a money-making venue. Not everyone can fix a toaster, but many people would rather pay to have their current toaster fixed than go out and buy a new one. A person who knew how to fix little things like this could open their own shop and be in business in no time.

The same goes for the person who knows how to fix a motor. Not just car motors, but lawn mowers or chainsaws. In this field, it’s usually cheaper to fix an existing motor than buying a new model. This would be an excellent way to supplement an income, and turn it into a full-time business. It’s also the type of business that can be done in almost any region and/or community. A person could even start out small in their own home, and work their way up to something bigger.

Crafting
Thousands of people do some type of craft. Some people paint, some make jewelry, and others sew. Each of these is an idea that could be turned into a business. For example, if a person has a knack for painting figures or nature scenes, they might do murals for various businesses. They could paint an entire scene on the side of a wall in a museum, or little bits on a storefront window. Painting is a rather broad spectrum, but a person who can specialize, could do quite well.

Another area where a crafter might earn money from a hobby is through home decor. Interior designers are always looking for funky things to put into their designs. A person who had a passion for creating something chic out of something shabby could make a fair amount of money. A person who enjoys polishing rocks might create ways to sell them to florists in their area. Or, the person who makes beautiful wreaths out of grape vines might create an online presence to sell their wares.

Sewing
Seamstresses and quilters have always known how to make a little extra money from their hobbies. Even in today’s modern society, a seamstress can still earn quite a living. And, quilting is starting to make a huge comeback as a feature of home decor. The nice thing is that this hobby can be turned into a business through either a brick and mortar establishment or through an online venue.

Another area that’s making a comeback is in knitting and crocheting. Knitted scarves and mittens have always been a hot commodity during the winter months, but ones that are made by hand are highly prized. The same is true for hand-crocheted afghans. As people try to find ways to save their environment, they’re finding their way back to the simpler things in life.

Writing
Thanks in large part to the Internet, all those people who wrote as a hobby are now earning money from their work. Through niche sites and the blogging revolution, there are thousands of writers who are seeing their dreams come true. The same can be said for the fiction writers. It’s become easier for writers to have their works seen by publishers, and many more are self-publishing. There is even a market for short story writers.

Another area where writers can earn some money is through writing greeting cards. Most major greeting card companies offer quite a bit of money for new ideas, but it’s hard to get noticed. However, with all the new sites coming out that offer e-cards, demand for original works here is higher than ever. For the writer who wants to do it themselves, there’s always the option of creating their own line of greeting cards and selling them from a personal website or author’s page.

It is possible to earn money from a hobby, if a person takes their time and does their homework. Also, there are hobby communities that enable people to showcase skills that can be a good place to start. They need to find out things like options for selling, ways to market their products, and know their competition. Rather than constantly worry about the ebb and flow of the economy, take the world by storm and turn your hobby into a way to earn some money.

Changing careers can be difficult, fun and challenging all at the same time. You must put a lot of thought and consideration into what career field you may want to go into. During this process you will need to ask yourself quite a few questions. Here are some of the few questions you may want to ask yourself, “What makes me happy and what interests me?”, “Why do I want to change career paths?”, “What would I enjoy doing or be good at?”, “What kind of salary do I want to earn?”, and “What would be required of me?”. Let’s talk about some of these questions and decisions you will be facing. Also, you may want to consider starting your own business or become a freelancer. There are many communities for people to showcase skills and showcase talents that can help get a freelance business off the ground.

When deciding to make a career change, think about your interests or even hobbies. What do you like to do? Why are you considering a new particular career change? What do you like or dislike? Would you really be happy doing this for the rest of your life? There are a lot of unanswered questions when just considering a new career path so make sure you take the time you need to figure out the answers to these questions. Keep a journal or a notepad and jot down ideas in it. Once you have several ideas jotted down, take a more in depth look at those types of careers.

Next, think about why you want to make that change. Is there something with your current career that you don’t like? What things do you like about what you currently do? Use the notebook or journal that you’ve been writing in and jot down some of these thoughts as well. You may even want to consider if you would enjoy doing the requirements of this new field. This will help you get a better understanding of what it is that you may be looking for with a new career. It may even help you rule out some careers you’ve previously considered. When your work is something you truly enjoy, it is easier to advance within the company because you’ll be more motivated.

Another great question when considering a career change is, what kind of salary might you earn. Some will change careers to make more money than they previously did while others will change careers with lower pay in turn of less stress, less hours or more free time. When considering your new salary, ask yourself if this new position would require you to go back to school. How much time would you spend in school and how much will your tuition cost? Would your current employer or company help pay with such expenses? You can also speak with college advisers to help you choose the necessary classes to obtain your goals. These are just a couple of things to consider before venturing out into a new career field.

Read as much as you can about what careers interest you so that you have all the knowledge you need to make a wise decision. You may also want to consider the type of field you’re going into. Do most of these new found positions require any amount of experience? Would you be able to do volunteer work to gain this type of experience? Another important thought is do you know anyone in this field to help you get your foot in the door?

As you can see, changing careers can be exciting with the vast opportunities that they may hold but there is also a lot to think about. It’s best to write everything down to help keep your thoughts clear so you can focus on follow up questions before making any life changing decisions. The most important thing to remember is that you want to be happy so make sure you pick a field that is best suited for you personally.

Starting your own business is a great way to find fulfillment and put your skills, talents, and passions to good use. Service businesses are the easiest businesses to get running on a shoestring these days. Providing a service to busy working folks is a great way for people to start their own business, and there are creative ways to leverage the web to get that service business rolling with minimal upfront costs.

What are five ideas for people to start their own business?

1. Freelance Web Writer

Anyone with a talent for writing, a computer and an internet connection, can write for the web. With the explosion of websites and the need for content, there is an almost constant demand for fresh web content.

There are three types of web content most in demand: Web Articles, Blogposts, and Copywriting. Posting content on sites like Helium and Suite101 allows writers to share ad revenue on those sites, which, for good writers, can create a nice residual income. Sites like TextBroker and Associated Content pay per article or blogpost. Copywriting is the most lucrative, but also requires specialized knowledge, and a knack for making the sale.

2. Senior In-Home Care Technologist

People with experience in Electronics technology, such as in home theater and stereo installation, might want to look at the fledgling field of Age In Place Technology. The Baby Boomer Generation are two income families, who don’t have the luxury of staying home and taking care of an aging parent. Technology comes to the rescue, with the installation of home monitoring systems and sensors. The technology is really taking off. Imagine being able to tell remotely, with the click of a mouse button, what an aging diabetic parent’s glucose level is at that moment while they’re home a few miles away. These systems give adult children of aging parents much peace of mind, while enabling the aging parent to continue living in their own home.

3. Transcriptionist

For those who can write a decent grammatical sentence and can type, there’s a demand for transcriptionists, and a few companies based in the US that hire locally, such as The Transcription Institute and Focus Forward. Transcription is simply typing what people are saying. Minor editing is needed, for instance removing the “Uh” or “Um” at the beginning of a sentence, but basically there’s no creativity involved, just simple typing. For anyone who has some experience in the medical fields and familiarity with the terminology and spelling, medical transcription is usually better paying. Completing a competency test and an application is what’s needed to get started.

4. Medical Billing and Coding

With the enormous amount of paperwork generated by our health care billing system there’s a great need for those certified in Medical Billing and Coding. Once you’re certified, this is a legitimate and potentially lucrative work at home online job, with plenty of potential for ongoing work. As you gain competency, you can add Specialties to your Certification, which will allow you more lucrative assignments in billing and coding. The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) are two of the Certifying Organizations.

5. Disaster Damage Restoration

Whether it be fires, hurricanes, floods or tornadoes, there is always need for those specializing in Disaster Damage Restoration. Learning how to clean smoke and soot from inside a home, restore blistered finishes on wood furniture, clean smoke residue and smell from drapes and upholstery and other fire related issues, or dealing with mildew and damp damage from floods and firehoses, there is steady disaster recovery business with the bills paid by insurance settlements.

With many of these ideas for people to start their own business, with some care and forethought the business can be started with little or no upfront investment. Hopefully this will help you to start your own business soon.

Welcome to 22inMotion. This site is dedicated to the movement of helping people get in gear. By that we mean helping people follow their dreams instead of sitting around watching TV and doing nothing.