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Ease of access is one of the top reasons for starting a home-based business providing secretarial services. Coupled with a secretarial, office support, or administrative background (and numerous specialties), prospective entrepreneurs can find great opportunities for success in this field. With the advent of the Internet and websites commanding increasingly greater attention, this is a lucrative field for motivated individuals with a desire to help others. Some of the key points to consider when thinking about whether operating a secretarial service would be right for you follow.
Assess your personal and career goals (both short- and long-term); consider implications of operating a business in your home and the effects on your family (will clients come to your home? [many folks schedule clients in their homes by appointment only, which I highly recommend-no drop-ins]... will you offer after-hour appointments? [this is a great way to attract new business by having weekend/evening appointments]). Will you offer services exclusively through the Internet and your own dedicated website? Conduct a skills assessment to determine your strengths and weaknesses; where you have defined deficiencies, put a plan in place to either learn the skill(s), subcontract out for those services, or hire the necessary talent. Ideal background for a secretarial service operator includes experience as a secretary, administrative assistant, office clerk, human resources professional, data entry clerk, editorial assistant, etc. with strong typing/word processing skills. Recognize that, at least initially, you'll wear every hat (from creating your service to marketing and selling it, from handling sales, billing, and collections to doing filing and other paperwork, even cleaning your own office-you'll likely "do it all"!).
Determine and obtain the necessary zoning approvals your business will require (become well-acquainted with your city or town clerk-an invaluable source of information!), sales and use tax permit, and any other permits required. This important step is often overlooked. While it's generally quite painless, it is very key to know that your business is "allowed" before you incur any expenses (i.e., printing of business cards, arrangements for phone line, etc.).
Fully research the competition-are you building a better mousetrap? Or introducing a new service or product to the marketplace? What is the demand for your service in your area? Is the need being filled already? Will you provide a better, more cost-effective, more timely solution? How will you position yourself in a competitive field? What will distinguish your company and its services or products? What are the best means by which to "get the word out" about your business/company and its services? What is your market? Local/regional... national... or global? With the Internet and technology today, it's realistic to offer a service or product from home and do business virtually everywhere!
"Name Your Baby." This is fun! And you only have to pick one name (unlike with your babies) and you don't need to agree with your spouse about your choice! For most service businesses that draw heavily from local clientele, advertising through the Yellow Pages is typically imperative. For a secretarial service, this provides significant first-time business, so alphabetical placement is key... consider this when selecting your company's name.
Write a comprehensive business and marketing plan and prepare essential print marketing materials (business cards, brochures, flyers, press releases, newsletter, work order forms) as well as consider an e-mail address and a website. Determine if trade shows, craft shows, Chamber of Commerce business expos, weekly advertising, etc., will work for your business-and determine the best mix of marketing tools for your service or product. Remember a cardinal rule in marketing: never stop marketing your business (even after you are successful and busier "than you want to be").
Track the source of every prospective client call or customer order-and, once an appointment has been booked or an order placed, probe to discover why this client selected your company (you'll gain valuable insight into what works [and what doesn't] in your advertising and marketing!). Develop a referral program for cultivating leads. Develop a system for acknowledging/thanking clientele. For many people, it's effective to develop telephone scripts (which can be tailored as needed) to use in initially building a business, taking orders, and providing prospects with information.
If you have children... Build a child-friendly environment. If, like me, you don't want to exclude your kids from your business, devise ways that let them be a part of it. Create zones where your kids can play, shelves where their things can be stowed, and use lots of plastic boxes and crates for quickly cleaning your office space before an appointment. If your room is large enough to accommodate a television, keep a few select Disney or similar videos that are kid-pleasing in easy grasp for your kids and your clients' kids to enjoy when need be. Invest in a high-quality portable telephone (on a separate business line)... to let you discreetly check napping babies (or "remove yourself" from older fighting siblings) when on an important client call.
If you have children... Never apologize for being home-based or working around your kids; in fact, you don't even need to mention you work from home. Most everyone will greatly admire and perhaps even envy your ability to work at home around your kids.
If you have children... Develop a network with other working-from-home moms-for camaraderie and support when you're really in a crunch mode (swap childcare in emergencies). Continually promote the benefits of your working at home to your spouse and children; cultivate the appreciation and respect you deserve in addition to raising awareness of the rewards you're providing by being at home. Enjoy your time working from home. Take plenty of time to "smell the roses" and enjoy your kids and the "freedom" you've built. You've created and can experience what many only wish they could have.
If you have children... Save old catalogs and all your junk mail for your younger kids to "help" you with on rainy days (they can open, date-stamp, "organize," etc.). Purchase office supplies just for your kids to be able to use and have fun with. Most children adore shopping trips to Staples for supplies. As they get older, you can send them off in pairs to select items on your list. Have them help you (and pay them for their efforts-properly documented, these are legitimate tax-deductible business expenses) with mailings, applying postage, filing, uncrating supplies, organizing storage areas, data entry... etc. (It's hard to picture when your twins are infants, but they really do grow... and will love earning extra money.)
Create strategies for increasing sales to your existing clientele and customers (it's at least ten times easier, and infinitely more cost-effective, to sell more products or services to your existing clients than it is to capture new business). Never lose sight of the importance of cultivating long-term client/customer relationships.
Consider the myriad profit centers you might provide (depending on your background and former experience, it's logical for a secretarial service to expand from word processing and secretarial/office support services to resume, desktop publishing services, bookkeeping, telemarketing, and business consulting services, to name just a few ancillary profit centers).
Spend a substantial amount of time establishing your price structure; be sure to analyze all aspects of pricing and include all costs of doing business (certainly all overhead and even the intangibles); while you may not draw out a salary immediately, be sure your planning includes a reasonable profit and provision in the not-too-distant future for you to pull an income (as much fun as you will have starting a business, you clearly want to make money doing it!).
From the very beginning, keep a close watch on Accounts Receivables (ARs) and don't allow uncollected invoices to get out of hand; consider the merits of getting a hefty deposit up front (at least 50%) and balance upon delivery/completion of a project or goods.
Consult your local library for the plethora of valuable information for entrepreneurs. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce, research what's available through the Small Business Administration (and order some of their excellent, affordable materials). Join appropriate professional associations, including our top industry association: ABSSI: Association of Business Support Services International, Inc. Subscribe to periodicals to read as much as you possibly can about becoming successful. Attend workshops and seminars. Network, meet as many people as you can (both prospective clients/customers and other successful entrepreneurs). Have a dream, build a plan, and put it into action. Good luck - you can do it!
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A full-time, work-at-home business owner and mom to three young sons, Jan Melnik has operated Absolute Advantage since 1983. Her company provides professional office support, secretarial, and business support services as well as resume/career management services to individual clients. She is the author of "How to Start a Home-based Secretarial Services Business" and "How to Start a Home-based Resume Service" and has contributed to numerous professional journals and magazines.
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| She is a regular guest on a nationally syndicated radio program, Money Watch, offering advice to prospective entrepreneurs and people who wish to work from home. She coaches clients in business start-up and frequently guest "speaks" on AOL business start-up forums. Her website offers details about her practice and her publications: www.janmelnik.com.
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