Work Online Money

[singlepic id=11 w=116 h=116 float=left]One of the best aspects of Working Online from home or starting your own Internet Home Based Business is you do not need to invest huge amounts of money in equipment as you most likely already have it. However, depending on the work you choose there are some tools/things you will need to enhance your capacity and make working online from home that much easier and more productive.

When choosing new software, in the majority of cases you have the choice to either buy a commercial product or download a free/shareware product. The biggest advantage that commercial products have over free products is the help and support desk functions, which most companies provide, should you need it. In the majority of cases the software provider will get back to you promptly as they understand a good customer experience facilitates a long lasting relationship. Obviously the down side of commercial software is you need to fork out money for the package.

In the case of free software the majority of the packages have user forums where you can get help from other experienced users. Some of the larger packages provide both free and commercial support eg OpenOffice.org. My personal experience with user forums is they can be as good as a support desk but you do run the risk of not having your question answered in the time you need. Further you may need to trawl lots forums/websites to find the right answer. When it comes to the tools that I consider critical to the operation of my business I buy software and/or support. For software I use every now and again I tend to go for freeware/shareware products.

Below is a list of core tools that we think are needed for just about any online business venture. Some of the items listed may seem pretty obvious but from experience we know it’s easy to forget the obvious. Please use this as a starting list and adjust to suit your needs/budget. (E) denotes essential:

Computer (E)	Doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest it just depends on what you need it for. If you are just checking email, doing spreadsheets, browsing, writing blogs, typing etc and running 5+ programs simultaneously then a bit of grunt is good. You will need to run Windows XP or better (we recommend Win 7 a much better Windows OS) with more than the minimum amount he memory e.g. 2GB. A good size screen is very important as the more screen ‘real estate‘ you have the more productive you will be, i.e. you can work for longer periods comfortably**. If your budget allows, also consider a Laptop as it will allow you to work from just about anywhere.
Internet connection (E)	High speed or broadband is necessary. Basically time = money and a higher speed connection will allow you to conduct your business as fast as you can.
Anti-virus (E)	Your PC is the sole gateway and the Internet is full of nasty viruses. There are many email worms, bots, viruses, etc which can bring your machine down – so don’t spare money on this and buy a decent product. It is best you get a product that provides a complete security suite such as Zone Alarm Internet Security, Norton 360, Kapersky Internet Security, etc.
Web Browser (E – Free)	I know you would not be reading this if you did not have one – yeah. All I want to say on this subject is to make sure your browser is a modern version if FireFox 3+, IE7, Chrome, etc. If you are still running IE6 or older ditch it and get a new version. The great news is they are all FREE!
Email (E)	Email will be your principal tool for communications and you need to make sure you configure your account so you can access it from wherever you’re going to be working. If you work solely from home than POP3 configuration will work best for you. However, if you need to access your e-mail from various location such as your phone and your home computer then you should considerusing the IMAP configuration as this stores all of your e-mail on the server and you to access your email from whatever device or location you are eg Internet cafe. As for e-mail clients (interfaces?) there are lot’s of e-mail available; if you have Microsoft Office you have access to/or are using Microsoft Outlook. For those not using Office you can get a very good FREE e-mail client from the makers of the Firefox browser called Thunderbird which is a great email client as it is fast and compact. Yes, the webmail clients such a Gmail are very good but nothing beats the ability to sort and file your work from your desktop – specially when you are offline.
Productivity software (E)	If you’ve got Microsoft Office then that is all that you need but if you don’t you can get word processing and spreadsheets programs from Open Office.org for free. For those people working with Virtual Assistants or with people in a different location(s) you may want to consider Google Apps as it allows you to store your documents at Google. Using this application you and your team can access your work from anywhere in the world.
Zip program	This is a compression utility that reduces the size of file and make it easier to either download or uploading them. You can get free versions from 7-zip.org or a commercial version from Winzip.
Backup (E)	You must have a regular backup system for you PC as a system crash is a disaster but with no backups of your system it is a catastrophe. You can buy an external hard disk that come with back up software or you can use external backup service providers such as Dell DataSafe Online, Mozy, Box.net, Carbonite, etc.
Start up capital	The minimum amount ncessary will vary depending on your choice of online venture., what you already have, what you can borrow till you get going and what free ware you decide to use. Just buying the essentials listed above will cost somewhere around $5000.00 Some additional expenses you may need to consider include a Website with domain ($150.00 Cheapest hosting & domain name but this option does not include design of your web site) SEO services, web design, advertising, etc
Credit Card	A Credit card is necessary for convenience – just make sure you get one that is within your limits in credit - you want to build business debt free – right? Also try and get one with a good rewards/loyalty program.
Paypal account	A PayPal account will make it easy for anyone to pay you (and don’t we all want that?!) as PayPal is the most widely used 3rd party payment processing facility on the net. However, Paypal is not available in some countries so check it out.
Telephone	Consider using Skype or another IP telephony service provider as it will allow you to contact your customers anywhere in the world at very reasonable rates. We have been using a Skype phone at home and find it very satisfactory with their call rates to overseas countries very competative. Read the Buena Vista article for more information. Note you do need to have a good broadband connection.

Depending what part of the world you are working in you may need to formalize your online business and for that you should also consider the following:

Business Cards & Stationary	If you are sending out products/kits then you need to make sure you have business cards or a leaflet about your company for customers. Obviously your local print shop can do you a good price but we strongly suggest comparing prices with an online print shop like Vista Print. Vista Print uses pre-defined templates (for those that do not feel confident about design) and the offer lot’s of good special offers which make their prices very competitive. A number of us have used Vista Print with great success, the cards arrived really quickly and they were true to what we created online.
Business bank account	As a sole proprietor it is worth considering separating your business accounts from your personal accounts. Talk to your accountant about this.
Business registration	Check with the appropriate government department in your state/country.
Business entity	The structure of your business is dictated by the laws where you live.Good legal advice is priceless! As you start is as you finish – so start in the right foot and know you are protected.
Accountant/CPA & Lawyer	Get the name of a good accountant & lawyer as you need the best advice.
Insurance	Optional – as per your legal entity get advice as it may protect you from liabilities.

Remember that for most of these tools there are free alternatives but regardless of which tool you choose make sure that it is most appropriate for your needs.

** Remember to take regular breaks and to stretch your back, neck & shoulders. The human body is made for motion. Sitting for hours is unnatural and bad for your muscles/spine. You cannot be productive if you are in pain – regardless of screen size.

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