Guest post from Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) — your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist. www.MichelePW.com   [Note: Although Michele is talking about making money as a writer, she could be talking about any "make money from home" business.]

Now that you’re ready to start making money as a writer, you’ll need a place to be a writer. Here are three steps to get you started.

1. Start with a desk. Actually you need more than a desk — you also need a place to work. While a separate room is ideal, I’ve seen people turn dining rooms, basements and even a corner of a master bedroom into an office (yours truly started out of her bedroom).

Wherever you decide to set up shop, you need enough room for both a computer and paper files (background information, magazines, client files, etc.) Let yourself spread out.

Don’t forget to make room for a bookshelf and file cabinets. You’ll need both.

What you DON’T want to do is share that space with something else. Believe me, it’s a real drag to put together and tear down an office every day because you need the kitchen table for dinner. It drains your energy and will keep you from being as productive as you could be.

2. Stock up on office supplies. Make sure you purchase the basics in advance so you won’t have to go running to Staples when you’re under deadline (talk about stress). Here’s a list to get you started:

• Paper (buy it in bulk — you’ll save money plus it will last you awhile)
• Pens
• Extra printer cartridges (very important, always have a couple on hand)
• Highlighters
• Staples and staplers (get a good stapler, you’ll thank yourself)
• File folders (don’t forget accordion file folders)
• Paper clips
• Post-it notes

3. Make sure your technology is working. Although being a writer is one of the less expensive businesses to set-up and maintain, there still are some things you really need to invest in. After all, you want to make it as easy as possible for your clients or editors to conduct business with you. If you don’t, there are many other writers who will. Some basic items to consider:

• Computer with Internet access. High-speed is best (again, you don’t want to be wasting time with dial-up).
• Fax machine. Yes, e-mail has taken over many of the functions of a fax machine, but if you do any copywriting, I guarantee you still need it. Fax machines have come down in price, you can get a pretty decent one for under $300. Make sure you get one that doubles as a copy machine — you don’t want to be running to a shop every time you need a copy.
• Dedicated fax line. A second phone line to hook up your fax doesn’t cost you that much and makes you look even more professional. Plus there will be times where you need that second line (or you need to receive and/or send a fax while on the phone).
• Voice mail on your primary line. No, not an answering machine. Get voice mail. That way, your clients, potential clients, editors, interviewees, etc. will never get a busy signal. Remember, you want to make it easy for people to do business with you.

On your computer, here are some basic software packages to look into:

Word processing (You’ll find many of your clients use Microsoft Word, so that’s probably the one to invest in)

• Accounting software (QuickBooks and MYOB are two good ones)
• A client-tracking software package (like ACT!)
• Tracking software for submissions (I’ve used Excel with success, but there are other dedicated ones out there if that’s more your style)
• Other packages to make you more compatible with your clients (I’ve found Excel and PowerPoint to be helpful).

One final tip — it’s best to get your office organized BEFORE the work starts rolling in. It can be very stressful to balance work with getting your office in order.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at www.MichelePW.com. Copyright © 2011 MichelePW all rights reserved.

=> Comparison Shop for Electronics

Use websites like Pricewatch.com and NewEgg.com to comparison shop for electronics. You’re almost guaranteed to get cheaper products than if you were shopping in local retail shops.

Also try shopping on sites like Overstock.com, which sells leftover products from other wholesalers.

=> Buy in Bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club

These consumer-oriented wholesalers often sell products like paper, ink cartridges and other office supplies at much lower prices than you’d get at Best Buy or Office Depot.

Shop around a bit before making your purchases. You’ll usually find that wholesalers have lower prices than retail shops.

=> Try eBay

EBay is great for buying all kinds of products. That’s especially true for non-electronics.

Buying things like computers or hard drives on eBay can be more risky because you don’t actually get to physically touch the product and make sure it’s okay.

That said, in the last few years eBay’s really made strides to make electronic sales more secure. Make sure you’re buying from sellers with solid feedback and thousands of sales and you’ll be fine.

=> Get Used Furniture

Don’t buy furniture new. New furniture is incredibly expensive and can really cut into an office budget.

Instead, get high-quality used furniture. One great place to find used furniture is Craigslist. There’s often free furniture listed as well as lower-cost used furniture. You’ll often be able to find some very nice pieces if you have the patience to go through listings and wait a week or two as you shop around.

Also check out the various used furniture stores in your area. Goodwill is one such store in almost every major city, though Goodwill furniture tends to be of lower quality.

Spend some time shopping around for furniture. Buy it used. You can get very high-quality pieces at very low prices this way – sometimes even free!

=> Don’t Buy Things You Don’t Need

Do you really need a fax machine? Or can you replace it with an online fax service that will receive faxes and email them to you?

Do you really need a Xerox printer, or can you just get a $25 printer from Costco? Do you really need new ink cartridges for $30, or can you just refill your old cartridges for $6?

Lower the cost of stocking a home office by just buying less stuff. Make sure everything you buy are things you really need.

Stocking a home office doesn’t need to be expensive. Use sites like eBay, Pricewatch, NewEgg and Overstock to find products cheap. Buy from Costco or Sam’s Club rather than retail stores to save money on products you need to buy in person. Cut back on product purchases. When you combine all of these money-saving habits, you’ll quickly find your home office stocked – Without having to spend tons of money.

Here’s how.

=> Be Undyingly Dedicated to Customer Satisfaction

The best and most successful companies in the world are companies that care deeply about the customer experience.

Amazon.com was not the first company to sell books online. In fact, they were number four or five to come on the market. The reason Amazon dominated the market was because they had a customer-satisfaction focus. They made sure that everyone who came to Amazon was satisfied. Today, they boost a conversion rate of over 12% as a result of the brand they built up.

The same can be said of PayPal. PayPal was also not the first to launch an online payment system. Many competitors came into the space after PayPal – including eBay, which launched their own competing payment system.

People kept coming back to PayPal time and again because PayPal had an incredible focus on making the customer experience smooth and easy. They kept the amount of steps you needed to take to a bare minimum and adapted to customer demands, while other competitors failed to do so.

Eventually eBay had to shut down their version of the company and acquire PayPal, because it was just so clear that PayPal had so much customer loyalty that they couldn’t compete.

These are just two examples. An unerring focus on customer satisfaction and the customer experience is the number one most important thing for building customer loyalty.

=> Ask for Feedback in Multiple Media

Asking for feedback is integral to providing a great customer experience. You need to know what your customers like and don’t like about their experience in order to innovate.

Ask for your customer’s feedback in many different media. The most basic method is to ask for feedback via online surveys. But don’t stop there. Ask for their feedback by phone and in person. Watch your customers use your product and see where they get stuck.

Ask for feedback from people who bought, from people who might buy but haven’t and from people who decidedly didn’t buy. Get feedback from everyone.

Only with diligent feedback can you build a really great company.

The bottom line is this: Building a great company means building a brand and a product that customers love. In order to do that, you need to pour all your energy into the customer experience. Everything else, including marketing, comes second to building a brand and product that customers can feel proud to be associated with.

According to Mark Joyner, author of Simpleology,

The Scientific Formula for Success is:
Step 1: See your target.
Step 2: Keep it in your sights.
Step 3: Hit it (until you hit it).

This area, the Home Business Start Up Guide, is for all of you who are at the beginning of your journey to home business success. It is all about getting into action and creating your business. Its a kind of "nuts and bolts" part of the building, requiring some left brained activity. There are some things to do that will bring you closer step by step to being prepared to grow a business. First, you have to take steps to bring your new business into being. Next, you’ll define and then refine your business through action and reflection. This part is all about action: concrete steps to bringing your dream of a home based business business opportunity into reality. Concrete steps to set up your office and finances and to acquire the habits that will ensure productivity.

There are a number of skills and experiences you bring to your new home business–and some you will develop. You can only focus on one target at a time — if you want to hit it accurately. In the same way, you can’t get training and experience you need for everything all at the same time. Pick your first steps, take action and bring your home business dream to life.

(Reference: Mark Joyner, Simple-ology 101, http://www.simpleology.com)

• Get more information about the Simpleology book and free training program for Simpleology 101.
• See if the Simpleology training program (free) is for you.
• To find out what Mark Joyner thinks about the Law of Attraction, read his blog post at Evolving Times.

Office Space

Everyone needs a physical location to serve as the “command center” of business action. The basic requirements for a work space are a flat surface for writing and room for an in-tray. If you don’t have a dedicated (not used for anything else) and functional workspace with an in-tray, get one now.

To get started in your new home business you will need two kinds of “office”: your functional work space at home and a portable system that you can take with you. In time, your work space will probably expand to include a phone, a computer, stacking trays, working file drawers, book shelves for reference books and media. Some will also need a fax, a printer, a VCR/DVD player and/or multi-media conferencing equipment. For people who travel, a laptop computer will seem like a necessity.

The Simplest Start

You can start to build your business with the simplest work spaces: an old door on top of two, 2-drawer filing cabinets (one at each end) with three stacking trays on it, a legal pad and a pen and access to your phone. You could start with one end of your kitchen or dining table and a plastic filing box, a phone and a pad of paper and a pen. You will need a satchel or a backpack or some other way to “take the show on the road” carrying a few folders and your Productivity Tools.

Your 21st Century Home Office

In this day and age, if you want your home based business to be a modern business with communication by email and marketing and ordering online, you will need to take stock of your office set up and plan to update your equipment and skills as needed. It is possible to conduct business from a distance which makes your business “portable” e.g. you don’t have to be in your home office to take care of business. You are free to travel and to work any hours of the day (or night) that suit you. However, don’t let anyone convince you that you’ll be able to do this without up-to-date technology. Begin to plan for the gradual building of your truly modern and convenient office and communications systems and skills.

The Systems of Success

Whatever your learning style and working style, as you move forward with your business, you will need some systems to “keep track”.

Start now keeping track of:
1. Contact data for a) all the people you meet, b) new customers and c) new team members.
2. Mileage (and other tax deductible expenses).
3. Appointments (and use your appointment records to match up with your mileage records for tax purposes). Example: in my appointment book I note a coaching appointment with “Carole S.” and make a matching note in my mileage book in my car (small spiral bound book).

Start with simple systems and teach yourself new habits. It will make your life easier as you “mess it up” with all the new people you will be meeting and making relationships with as you grow your healthy, successful business.

Network Your Way to Success

Your business goal is to fill your business "pipeline" with never-ending referrals. The primary way you will do that is to make new relationships with people and stay in touch with them. A very important networking tip is this: It is more important to get someone else’s contact information e.g. their business card than it is for you to give them yours.

And then what? Send a card or a postcard with a handwritten note (note written and card addressed in blue ink. Yep. Trust me, blue is it). For example, if you go to a meeting, meet someone new and get their card–go to your car and before driving home, address a card, add a note, put on a stamp and drop into a mailbox right away. Get their contact information into your address book and into your electronic system (like Outlook) as soon as you can. Don’t have time to copy information into your address book? Tape or staple their business card into your book.

A Bias for Action

Use an Activity Tracker, a tickler file and keeping track of "the next actionable item" as your support for action to build your business.

Your Recording Keeping System

Your financial records are the voice of your success. Good records can do two things for you:

• Tell you whether or not you are achieving your goals step-by-step, by telling you whether your business activities are giving you a financial return on the time you invest in them.
• Keep you organized

Financial Files

Keep your financial files separate from the rest of your filing system. Keep your business files separate from your personal financial files.

Start with one "Business Financial" file and keep all financial paperwork in it as it comes in: bank statement, receipts, bills, etc. Make a date with yourself at least once a month to reconcile your bank records and track your business expenses. When the month is "closed", put it all in one envelope and label it for the month.

At the end of the year, you may want to file your receipts according to the types or categories of business expense but if you use an electronic system like Quicken, just make sure that for each entry you categorize your expenses. (This system works well for your personal finances, too, as long as you keep a separate folder and separate bank accounts.)

Banking

Set up a separate bank account for your business to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. Look for a free checking account for small business with a debit card (if you like the convenience of a debit card). Keep your check register up to date.

If you will be using a credit card, apply for a separate business credit card and look for one that will send you a detailed categorized statement at the end of the year.

Taxes

If you need tax advice it is best to consult someone qualified in your state to help you. When you are just getting started, make sure to have a “My Business” folder and file some essential pieces of information:

• a business plan,
• some records related to using your car and mileage records,
• a marketing plan.

So, now you have two files, minimum: "My Business" and "Business Financial".