Tag: home business

Going Solo in Your Own Small Business, by John English

Do you dream of being your own boss? Of working at something you love, answering only to yourself? The dream of running a small business of their own is one thousands of Australian’s share, yet many lack the knowledge to make that dream a reality.

Going Solo in Your Own small Business, by John English, may be the book that brings you to make the leap from working for someone else to working for yourself in your own small business.

In this handy guide, English guides the reader through the process of deciding to go into a small business, to deciding what sort of business to set up, and through the many considerations and realities of the daily running of a solo business. There is advice on registering business names, gaining appropriate permits, utilising your own skills as well as those of others, paying taxes, managing money and much much more.

English presents his information in a manner so straightforward and practical it is akin to having a personal business advisor standing next to you. He continually challenges the readers to consider how his advice applies to their own situation.

John English has created and run several small businesses of his own. He is an associate Professor in the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Tasmania, a Certified Practising accountant and a business consultant. His previous books include How to Organise and Operate a Small Business in Australia and Australian Stockmarket Investor.

Going Solo in Your Own Business will help you turn your dream of independence into a reality.

Going Solo in Your Own Small Business, by John English
Allen & Unwin, 2002

The Australian Guide to Online Business, by Tony Stevenson

If your business does not have an online presence, then you are probably missing out on a range of opportunities to promote your business and increase your sales. If your business does not yet have a website you may be concerned about how to go about setting it up, maintaining it and why you even need a website.

The Australian Guide to Online Business is a comprehensive guide to setting up a business website, by internet maestro, Tony Stevenson.

Stevenson begins by discussing the reasons for having a website – from making direct sales, to simply outlining services and directing customers to your brick and mortar premises. The different kinds of website are clearly explained.

The book then goes on to explore how to go about setting up a website. Practicalities such as registering a domain name and finding a host are clearly explained, and readers are given advice about deciding who will design and maintain the website and how. The possibilities of using web design software as opposed to paying someone to do the designing are discussed.

In part three of the book, Stevenson explains how and why a website must be marketed. Getting and maintaining search engine rankings, using web rings and web directories, attracting customers, using mailing lists and a range of other marketing suggestions are explored, before the final section of the book discusses the maintenance issues associated with running a web site.

Stevenson does not paint the running of the website as an easy task, but shows how it can be done, and why it is such an essential part of any modern business. His book is packed with practical examples, screen shots, useful URLs and common sense information.

The Australian Guide to Online Business is an essential resource for any one considering setting up a web site, and for those businesses who believe that they don’t need one.

The Australian Guide to Online Business, by Tony Stevenson
Pearson Education, 2001

Opportunities From Home

If you are just starting out, establishing a business can appear a complex affair – you must decide exactly what kind of business you are hoping to set up, learn how to cope with the financial and administrative processes, establish the kinds of permits you will need and so on. Ian Birt’s book, Opportunities From Home: Establishing Your Home Business, aims to help those wishing to work from home to navigate these difficulties.

From understanding what a home business is, to choosing what sort of business is right for you, to time management, motivation and administration, this book serves as a practical guide and a wonderful tool in the planning and setting up of a home based business. Birt speaks from experience, having run his own home-based business for over twenty years.

As well as providing information, Opportunities From Home doubles as a work book, with each chapter concluding with Self-development exercises and Case Studies, aimed at making the reader apply what they have learnt, both to their own situation and to those they may not have yet encountered.

No matter what kind of home business you are considering, this book will prove relevant, and if you have not yet decided what sort of business will be best, there is helpful advice for choosing the business that is right for you.

Before embarking on the exciting voyage of home employment, take the time to read what an expert has to say.

Opportunities From Home: Establishing Your Home Business , by Ian Birt
Prentice Hall: 1998.