10 Businesses You Can Start From Home

When you think of starting a business, you often think of making a huge investment: Office, marketing materials, furniture, inventory, etc. The reality is that not all companies need that and not all need an office to start. Here are ten businesses you can start from home now.

1. Web Design: If you have experience building websites or do it as a hobby, do it this one is for you. Website design is in high demand, and although there are Do-It-Yourself sites available, not everyone wants to spend the time doing it. This is where you come in, create a fantastic website, a portfolio with your best work and get started.

 

2. Virtual Assistant: If you have experience as an Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant or you are just good at the computer this one is perfect for you. With many people working and managing the business online, it is only fit that many entrepreneurs look for virtual admins to help them with everyday tasks. Some might hire you for a short-term/one task kind of project, while others might want to hire you for the long term. Be sure you outline a plan to figure out which type of projects you want and which industries you would want to focus on.

3. eBay Seller: If you have been online, we are sure you or someone you know have heard of Gary Vaynerchuk and his flip challenge. Essentially, you would buy items at a garage sale that you know you can sell for more online. You can try this approach or start by selling books and other things you have already at home, and you don’t use. It is an easy and not complicated way start a side business. Just be sure to abide by their terms of service.

4. Accountant: Do you work as an accountant? Those online businesses and even brick and mortar businesses are always in need of an accountant. Find out competitive rates in your area and reach out to companies that might be in need of your services. Do a good job and good luck!

5. Copywriter: Marketing is significant for any business, writing good copy is essential for this part of the business, and you might be the person who makes a difference in the company’s advertising efforts.

6. Driver: With companies like Uber and Lyft offering ride services, it is easy to start your own ride service business. You can join either of them and get started. Do keep in mind that they do have guidelines when it comes to the vehicles. After all, they are the brand.

7. Consultant: If you are highly knowledgeable about a specific topic and you know there is a demand for this kind of information, you can sell your services as a consultant. Set up a rate and know who your customer will be and get started.

8. Coach: This is another one that pays off when you are good at a specific skill. People can coach in a variety of subjects like Business, Life, work, spirituality and more. For this one, we recommend you get the tools needed by becoming a certified coach, although it is not necessary.

9. Meal Delivery Service: Similar to the ride services, you can deliver food by joining companies like GrubHub, Uber Eats DoorDash. Many companies offer this service, and you can get started as soon as your application is accepted. The benefit, like Uber or Lyft, is that you make your schedule.

10. Social Media: If you are creative like to write and enjoy social media, this might be a good business to start. This is the kind of business that is needed and can compliment a good marketing strategy. Remember to stay on top of trends, news and be willing to learn as this industry changes quickly but can be a rewarding experience.

There are many more businesses you can start home that requires minimal to no investment; we hope this list gives you an idea to get started.

Posted in Uncategorized Tagged with: business, coach, consultant, copywriter, customer, data, driver, ebay, entrepreneur blog, entrepreneurship, lyft, mobile, social media, tips, uber, uber eats, virtual assistant, web design, work from home, writing

3 Businesses to Start Now with No Money.

Starting a business can be tough. It requires time, effort and passion like no other. It requires you to have tough skin and not allow small things bother you.

 

But, although all of these qualities can be good, you still need to start and you need money, right? Not necessarily. Starting a business doesn’t always require you have a big amount of money or a business loan. There is some business that requires little to absolutely no money to start. And to be honest, with a little of resourcefulness, you can make your business big while spending less.

 

 

Here are 3 simple businesses to start with no money:

 

1. Start an online business: With the age of social media and the internet, starting a business online it can be as simple as 123. You can sell T-shirts on places like Zazzle or Cafepress (to name a few) and get your own designs going. If you have a passion for graphic design or just have really cool sayings and ideas, this is a sure way to get started and only requires you to open up an account, upload designs, and spread the word.

 

2. Sell your things: Making money doesn’t have to be complicated. You might have things laying around that you no longer need or you know you will never use. You can simply turn to places like Facebook Marketplace, eBay or any online marketplace platform to sell up your used or gently used goods. Want to make it a bigger business? Check out garage sales, pick up free stuff (also being offered online) and get going. No money required.

 

3. Sell up your skills: Blogging, writing, or just really good computer skills? Become a professional writer or Virtual Assistant and get paid to use up those skills! You can promote yourself online in places like Fiverr, UpWork, Craigslist and even Facebook Groups (Just be sure to follow the group’s guidelines on this!) Some of this are 100% free to promote and get work while others charge you a minimal fee after you get your first gig.

Remember that being an entrepreneur is already making you be part of the different, the risk takers and the creative. So don’t play down your skills. You can start for free and grow from there. Even migrate to other passions of yours that can be turned to business.

Posted in Small Business Improvement Tagged with: blog, blogging, business, business tips, cafe press, craigslist, ebay, entrepreneur, Facebook, fiverr, freelancer, online business, social media, start a business, start-up, t-shirt, t-shirt printing, tips, upwork, virtual assistant, work from home, writing, zazzle

Bill Me Later rebranded PayPal Credit ahead of UK and Germany launch

Bill Me Later Is Now PayPal Credit, PayPal Working Capital Exceeds $150 Million and Both are Going Global. Delivering flexible and convenient credit products is something. Bill Me Later with eBay (PayPal), a vision to make shopping and paying easy, flexible and convenient. Announcing the evolution of Bill Me Later to PayPal Credit and the exceptional growth of PayPal Working Capital a global portfolio of credit solutions that help people and businesses leap forward.

PayPal Credit Evolves and Plans to Expand to the UK and Germany

As people and businesses know and trust the PayPal name, this is a natural and logical brand transformation. It also demonstrates how credit are moving more towards the center of the business, aligning it more closely with overall brand and working as a partner with businesses to spur growth. Customers and merchants across the pond have been asking for the flexibility and convenience of PayPal Credit in their markets, today they’re also announcing the plan to introduce PayPal Credit to the UK and Germany. People will begin to see PayPal in places they haven’t seen before, allowing shoppers to easily make purchases with financial flexibility.

Since the pilot program launched last September, more than 20,000 businesses have collectively borrowed more than $150 million in PayPal Working Capital business loans through their lending partner, WebBank. The program is also expanding to the UK and Australia to fuel business growth. Businesses in these countries will have access to capital in minutes once they apply and are approved through a simple online interface. PayPal Working Capital allows these businesses to repay with a share of their sales they choose, and don’t repay on days they don’t have sales. The program uses a business’s sales history, there is no credit check or extensive documentation required. The loan charges a single, affordable fixed fee instead of periodic interest so businesses know the cost of the loan up front. Offering these products more broadly is a sign of the power that credit brings to both merchants and consumers. Merchants can leverage credit as a tool to secure capital and grow their businesses. Additionally, they can offer credit with flexible payments options for their customers and immediate sales, while consumers experience freedom of choice when buying what they want when they want it.

Posted in Merchant Account Services News Articles Tagged with: Bill Me Later, business loans, capital, credit check, credit products, credit solutions, customers, ebay, fee, financial flexibility, global portfolio, Merchant's, PayPal, PayPal Credit, periodic interest

PayPal Select brings back rewards for top shoppers

PayPal has begun testing a new loyalty program called PayPal Select that seeks to promote use of the digital-payments network by offering more rewards for its most active members. The program launched by invitation only based on users’ history on PayPal and follows by about 18 months the cancellation PayPal’s previous loyalty program, PayPal Advantage. As PayPal looks to continue to build its volume of use on mobile devices off of eBay, driving repeat use and loyalty will be key. The challenges for the offer part will be the same as any other deal/offer program – namely the quality of the offers and inbox-offer fatigue. Like any big-screen concept that gets downscaled onto mobile, there is the challenge of how to hook people in the first couple of screens. CreditCall is not involved with PayPal Select. The payment platform is a division of San Jose, CA-based online auction giant eBay. It offers both a mobile app and an m-dot site for mobile payments.

Posted in Mobile Payments, Smartphone Tagged with: CreditCall, digital-payments network, ebay, loyalty program, m-dot site, mobile, mobile app, Mobile Devices, Mobile Payments, PayPal, PayPal Advantage, PayPal Select, rewards

Ecommerce vs. Commerce: What’s the Difference?

When someone asks what business you are in, how do you typically respond?

For many online sellers, the answer is likely I sell (name of the product), I’m an ecommerce merchant or I’m an online retailer.

Make the focus of your business your customers and its value proposition, not the fact that you sell online. It’s time to simply answer the question of what business you are in with a response that is more or less, “I am a (distributor, retailer, reseller) of (name your products) for (name your market).”

Back then, most business owners who sold products online described themselves as “ecommerce businesses” or “online retailers,” to differentiate from brick-and-mortar or catalog retailers. Most operated their own pure-play online stores. Some sold products on eBay. Amazon’s marketplace was mostly comprised of larger retailers. There’s an evolution in how e-commerce owners describe themselves.

Today, you will still hear many online sellers describe themselves as “ecommerce businesses” or “online retailers.” But, in 2014, those terms don’t really apply. Whatever you sell, you are delivering a set of products to meet the needs of a specific market. “Ecommerce” or “online retailing” is simply a technology and a sales channel.

There is now no difference between “ecommerce” and “commerce.” It’s time to get rid of the “e” in ecommerce. Most businesses participate in ecommerce in some fashion. You engage your customers in many different channels — your own e-commerce site, brick-and-mortar, online marketplaces. Regardless, you and virtually every other B-to-C or B-to-B company are selling goods to customers across those channels.

Why Worry about Labels?

Today, commerce is multichannel and highly competitive. It’s done online, on the phone, face-to-face, and on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. Make sure your business has an omnichannel strategy, so your shoppers can find you. Make sure the information about your company and products is consistent regardless of the channel. Focus on whom your prospective customers are, what they want to buy, and how much they are willing to pay.

Business owners should think strategically. Part of strategic thinking is focusing on the bigger picture, such as having the right products and ensuring that your buyers can find them.

 Omnichannel Focus

Think about omnichannel commerce every day. Get your brand and products in front of your target customers regardless of where they are shopping. Below are some things to consider to facilitate an omnichannel strategy.

Chat and phone. If you don’t offer online chat or take phone orders, consider doing so.

Marketplaces. If you aren’t selling your products in marketplaces outside of your own online store, consider doing so.

Mobile. If you don’t have a mobile strategy, you need one.

Payment options. If you only take credit cards for payments on your website, add alternative payments like PayPal, Google Wallet, or Amazon Payments.

Social media. If you don’t have a social media presence, your market share is likely declining.

Customer Focus

Twenty-five years ago, if you asked a brick-and-mortar retailer or a catalog vendor what business she was in, she would likely respond as, say, “jewelry retailer,” “men’s clothing store,” “a department store,” or “hardware store.” She knew her target customer niche, how to reach them, and what products they wanted to buy. Those businesses that did the best job of (a) matching products to the consumer, (b) offering low prices, and (c) utilizing the right distribution likely won most of the business.

It’s time to get back to that focus. It’s more challenging than it used to be because the purchase cycles are far more complex than in 2002. There is no longer a straight path from identifying the need to research to purchase. Consumers typically identify a need and purchase intent, research products, research prices, research products further, conduct social media research, and then purchase a product and demand instant gratification and free shipping.

To be successful in 2014, commerce – not just ecommerce – requires the following.

Emphasize your value proposition. Regardless of how a shopper finds you, be sure he can quickly find out that you are a leading retailer of products in your market. Being clear on what your business is will also help establish trust with your shoppers.

Execute the 4 Ps of sales and marketing – “product,” “price,” “promotion,” and “place.”

First, make sure you know your target customers and what problems they are trying to solve or the need that you fulfill with your products. Know their demographics, their buying cycles, price tolerance, and where they research and shop.

Know your competitors.

Posted in Credit card Processing, Digital Wallet Privacy, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Internet Payment Gateway, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Payments, Small Business Improvement, Smartphone Tagged with: alternative payments, Amazon, brick and mortar, catalog retailers, catalog vendor, commerce, credit cards for payments, e-commerce site, ebay, ecommerce, ecommerce merchant, mobile and tablet devices, omnichannel, omnichannel commerce, online retailer, online sellers, online stores, phone orders, sales channel, sell online

Electronic Payments and Ecommerce Conversions

Alternative Payments and Ecommerce Conversions

There’s no shortage of alternative payment choices: eBay’s PayPal, Google’s Wallet, Visa V.me, and MasterCard MasterPass, to name a few.  There is also a proliferation of alternate contenders, as mobile shopping threatens to disrupt traditional methods of payments.

Alternative payment companies each claim that their payment method increases conversions. My company, SeeWhy, performed an independent analysis and confirmed these claims.

In this study data shows significant increases in conversion compared with credit cards, peaking at a 101 percent increase on smartphones.

But this is not the whole story. While these increases are impressive, they only applied to around 15 percent of traffic, so the impact on your site’s overall conversion rate will be much less. Depending on the characteristics of your site you will probably see somewhere in the region of 5 to 10 percent improvement in your site’s overall conversion rate, which is still significant enough not to be ignored. As mobile commerce grows, then alternative payments will become ever more important.

However, before embarking on an alternative payment implementation, there are three important considerations you need to take into account.

1. How Many Alternative Payment Methods?

Choosing only one alternative payment method might be tough, so why not implement several, and cover the market more thoroughly? This may be a valid approach, but think carefully before choosing this option.

For example, RunningShoes.com has implemented PayPal, Google Wallet, and MasterPass as alternative payment options.

The problem is that offering payment choices can create four different competing calls-to-action, as you can see. Whenever consumers are faced with too much choice, indecision tends to follow.

This is also problematic when you consider the whole page. There are lots of visual distractions to the primary call to action, which in this case is the red Secure Checkout button.

Before embarking on implementing multiple calls-to-action, consider how you are going to solve this issue. One route you could consider is to suppress the alternate payment methods for returning customers if the customer always pays by credit card, for example. Or if the customer always purchases by PayPal, show the PayPal button most prominently, and hide the others under a Show alternate methods of payment  link.

2. How to Implement

Not all sites will see significant increases in conversion when implementing alternate payment methods. The main reason for this is that implementations can be done badly. One of the primary benefits of these payment methods is that they enable visitors to bypass the billing, shipping, and card entry steps on an ecommerce site. This is especially important for mobile sites, where entering these details using fingers and small screens defeats all but the most determined.

However, many sites implement these payment methods as an alternative only to entering the credit card number. You can see this here on Barnes and Noble ‘s site, where you are forced to enter shipping and billing information before being presented with the PayPal button. This may be a simpler implementation to do than providing an alternate checkout path, but it is frankly a waste of time, and surprisingly prevalent in PayPal implementations.

The correct method is to implement the alternative payment method as a button at the start of the checkout process, probably on the cart summary page. You can see a good example here of this at PacSun.com, an apparel site, but note the competing calls-to-action problem here as well.

PacSun deals with this slightly differently on mobile devices by not offering V.me. as a payment alternative. This avoids having a four choice vertical list of competing calls-to-action.

Alternative payments can undoubtedly result in higher conversions. However, to be effective they need to be implemented correctly to provide an alternative checkout flow, not simply a payment alternative to credit cards. This takes more effort to implement, but it is worth it. Implementing one payment method properly is a better route than superficially implementing multiple payment methods. This is especially true for mobile sales where the goal is to eliminate data entry as much as possible and alternate payments can do this very effectively. As mobile commerce becomes more important, so will alternative payments, for all merchants.

3. Which Payment Method?

Since there are multiple choices, the obvious route is to adopt PayPal. PayPal claims over 30 million U.S. mobile customers, and over a 100 million active accounts…which is a larger base than any of its competitors. SeeWhy found that 34 percent of U.S. consumers shopping online had PayPal accounts as of July 2013.

However, PayPal also carries some baggage. Having grown up as a payment method of choice for eBay, its reputation is not always considered positive. Some consumers are wary about PayPal, having had negative experiences in the past, probably with smaller merchants on eBay. In fact, according to SeeWhy’s analysis, two thirds of PayPal account holders state that their preferred payment method is a credit card.

Merchants selling luxury items might want to consider alternatives before implementing PayPal because of its reputation issues. Google Wallet is an alternative that is growing fast in part because of the growth of Android smartphones where a Google Wallet account is required to use the Play store, the Android equivalent of the app store. Google Wallet can also be linked to Google+ social sign on, so if you are considering implementing social sign on as well this might be a route to consider.

Both Visa’s V.me and MasterCard’s MasterPass both hold significant potential but the companies are only just beginning to roll out their service. It’s also worth noting that both Visa and MasterCard are rolling out their services through the acquiring banks. This will cause a proliferation of payment choices, leading to complexity and confusion for the shopper. You can see this already with MasterPass where having selected the Buy with MasterPass option, you are then presented with an array of different MasterPass wallets to choose from. Currently there are only six options, but what happens when there are hundreds?

Posted in e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Mobile Payments, Smartphone Tagged with: billing, calls-to-action, card entry, checkout, conversion, credit cards, e-commerce, ebay, ecommerce, electronic, google, MasterCard, masterpass, mobile commerce, mobile sales, mobile shopping, payments, PayPal, process, screens, shipping, smartphone, visa, wallet

Amazon launches payments for other e-commerce sites

Amazon has launched a service that enables its customers to pay on other e-commerce sites via their Amazon account data. Called ‘Login and Pay with Amazon,’ the service sells payment processing for participating retailers.

Amazon has more than 215 million active customer accounts. The Amazon payment service works on personal computers, smartphones and tablets. Site developers employ Amazon widgets and APIs, or application programming interfaces.

Login and Pay with Amazon enables companies to make millions of customers by inviting online shoppers with Amazon credentials to access their account information safely and securely with a single login. Login and Pay with Amazon helps replace guest checkouts with recognized customers, leading to improved services which could include: managing and tracking orders, purchase history detail, special discounts, instant access to shipping addresses and payment methods.

Amazon previously called its payment service Checkout by Amazon, but rebranded it Amazon Payments. In May, Internet Retailer wrote about Autoplicity.com’s experiences adding the Amazon payment tool.

Amazon says it will not share customers’ credit card information gained via the payment tool, and that it will cover purchases made through the service in the same way purchases are covered from Amazon.com.

“This [newly launched] service is more of a repackaging of Checkout by Amazon than as something new,” says a payments industry analyst. “Amazon has been a challenger to PayPal for some time in the Internet payments arena, but PayPal has the dominant market share. One key reason is that PayPal is not viewed as a direct competitor to the merchants it serves while Amazon often is.”

PayPal, part of eBay, is the clear leader in so-called alternative payments, used by 84% of consumers who pay online with alternatives to payment cards, according to a report earlier this year from Javelin Strategy & Research. The report, based on a 2012 survey, also showed that 42% of consumers pay with credit cards when making online retail and travel purchases, up from 40% in the 2011 survey, and 29% pay with debit cards, down from 30%.

The new Amazon service is a “great deal” more than a warmed-over Checkout.

He points out that the number of Amazon’s active accounts is much more than the active users of all eBay’s payment services. Including consumers with PayPal or Bill Me Later accounts, that base totaled 132.4 million in the second quarter, up nearly 17% from 113.2 million a year earlier, according to eBay.  And Amazon’s customers trust the security of making payments through the e-retailer, and have grown accustomed to the convenience of doing so. Amazon is No. 1 in the Internet Retailer.

For e-retailers, it’s yet another payment method they might want to evaluate. “Amazon is a damn big brand. If you bring that many users along with [the payment service], then e-retailers will give it serious consideration. It will give PayPal some competition.

 

 

Posted in e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Smartphone Tagged with: Amazon, amazon.com, api, application programming interface, checkout, credit cards, customers, debit cards, e-commerce, e-retailer, ebay, internet retailer, online, orders, payment methods, payment processing, payment service, PayPal, purchase, shoppers, travel purchases

Same-Day Delivery Debut is Official with Google

Google announced Wednesday that it is opening its Google Shopping Express service to shoppers in the entire San Francisco Bay Area, marking the official launch and first big expansion of the company’s same-day delivery service. Google began testing the retail delivery service this year among a limited set of invited consumers in a few areas within the Bay Area, but the new announcement extends the service to anyone in an expanded region ranging from San Francisco to San Jose. With the service, online shoppers can place online orders from several chain stores and have those products delivered within the day.

Also on Wednesday Google released an app for iOS and Android that allows users to browse the shopping sites and order products directly from their smartphones. New users who sign up before the end of the year can get six months of free, unlimited delivery service; it costs $4.99 per store order.

Race to Deliver
Google is not the only company to experiment with the same day delivery offerings. Walmart and eBay are both testing similar services…eBay now even offers the delivery within an hour, although consumers can only shop from a single store. Amazon is also following in the footsteps of companies like Fresh Direct and rolling out same-day deliveries on groceries to consumers in Los Angeles and Seattle.  Google understands that it will have tough competition in the space and can afford to take a loss on the service at first, which is why it is offering the service for free for new users, said an e-commerce consultant. It is evident from the low price and free sign-up offer that Google is not interested in making money in the short term, that will come once there is a widespread adoption of their service…

A Lot of Challenges Ahead
Although Google is not a retail hub at its core, the company has other strenghts that could help it gain an advantage over its competitiors. Being a default search provider for many millions of users on all platforms, from desktops to tablets right through to mobile phones, can give Google an edge over Amazon and eBay.

Still the key element to a successful e-commerce platform is logistics. Google might have deep pockets and effective algorithms, but it has a a lot of cathing up to do to make sure its delivery service could compete with those of companies like Amazon and eBay, which have years of experience delivering products to consumer worlwide.

“Google certainly has the stamina and budget to give it a good run, but there are a lot of moving parts”. Being a big data company doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at the logistics, so they’re going to have a lot of challenges ahead.

Posted in Credit card Processing, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Merchant Account Services News Articles Tagged with: Amazon, Android, app, delivery, desktops, e-commerce, ebay, google, iOS, mobile phones, online, platforms, shopping, tablets, walmart