HandyWomen

What’s the best business on earth?  YOUR BUSINESS!  YOU CAN DO IT AND I AM HERE TO SUPPORT YOU!

**Success comes from sweat, blood and tears….The joy of it all fills your heart, spirit and soul with pride, growth of self and the knowledge that hard work indeed has its rewards** By Jaclynn

*****ALL FOR YOU!  We are now fast building our new, original, official  HANDYWOMAN’S CLUB OF AMERICA!  This is so exciting and will be full of great things for all of you!  WATCH US GROW…See you at:  WWW.HANDYWOMANCLUBOFAMERICA.COM 

GEEEEEEZE!  You don’t have to wait for your FAB, FAVE HandyWoman’s Club Of America T-SHIRTS AND OTHER GOODIES!  Dash on over to:  www.cafepress.com/handywomanclub

                                                  A FEW TIPS BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY!

*****If you want straight talk and no BULL….Welcome and read on!

From this day on OCTOBER 6, 2008 forward, this list below will grow and grow.  UPDATE:  We are now into May/2009 and ALL of our lives are changing.  Life makes cycles and changes on a REGULAR basis and we must adapt and grow WITH AND TO our changes and needs…….NO sitting back and just watching!

*A SPECIAL NOTE:  Our present days and situations in our great USA and everywhere around the globe have changed from months ago, years ago and decades ago.  This is the natural way of life on earth.  This process and these changes also CHANGE, DICTATE AND MAKE RISE TO existing business ideas and new ideas to support and blend with our times as they ARE NOW!  Also important, because of changes some businesses may not do well now that had done well in the past!  So, keep all this in mind.

When you gather your fave biz ideas BE SURE to research your local and extended local areas to see who and how many business are doing the same thing.  Over saturated, then think again.  Do the same research online.  To get the real information you will have to research local newspapers, pennysaver type papers, message boards, word of mouth, and everywhere you can possibly think of. 

The phone book is good but MANY businesses and services will NOT be listed.  The reasons are varied.  New businesses may not have made the deadline, some businesses are not big enough to afford the business listing costs,  some businesses just feel they don’t need a business listing………………………………!  This is a big mistake.  The one place people go to first to find the business they want  is the TELEPHONE BOOK!  There are no other “one stop shop” editions for the information.   You must know that the average person does not go from “piller to post” to find the business/services they are looking for.  We’ve all been through it at one time or another and it is frustrating to NOT be able to find a business/service that you know is OUT THERE but you can’t find it.

WWW.CAFEPRESS.COM/HANDYWOMANWORK   GET YOUR STATEMENT TODAY!  THINK GIFTS TOO!

So as soon as you are stable in your business and as soon as you can afford it, get your business listing in your MAJOR telephone book.  You do NOT need to do the same in all the little small area books it will nickle and dime you into the ground. 

Research your costs for promotions/advertising well.  What would you have to earn to cover those costs?  If an ad does not run ALL THE TIME it is worthless!!  The BSET advertising and promoting you can do is IN PERSON!  ALSO…………..T-SHIRTS!!!!!  Signs on your vehicle!!  Business cards!!  It is impossible for people NOT TO READ THESE!  Same for postcards!  Be unique, create your OWN personal way of promoting!

LET’S GET SOME BIZ IDEAS!

WOMEN CAN DO IT ALL!

 **Graphics and written content are property and Copyrighted(C) 2003-2008 by Jaclynn Berry.  All rights in all forms reserved and enforced.  Thank you.

LET US BEGIN INSIDE A HOME: 

• HOME REPAIRS.  SPECIALIZE IN ONE TYPE OR SEVERAL.  EITHER WAY MAKE YOUR BOUNDRIES KNOWN AND DO THEM WELL.  You can make a good living this way if you do your job WELL!  Maintainence services alone are a good reliable service.  Repairs of plumbing like toilets/dripping faucets etc, electrical like light fixtures/small appliances/etc, painting, decorative painting, decorating, re-decorating, wall papering, moving furniture, hanging curtains/cleaning and rehanging, home cleaning, faux painting, wall decorating, closet cleaning, furniture finishing, furniture repair, wood working, carpet laying, installing security fixtures/door locks, install pet doors, install safety items in bath tubs, install wheel chair ramps,  baby proof homes…
• HOW ABOUT  chef services, delivered meals, errands, trash can services, private secretary, gift buying service, party services,  creative ideas/settings for private parties and businesses, catering private and business, event planning, wedding planner **people want something very unique/simple and away from the extravagent, over the top weddings.  Got a creative mind?  Same goes for BUSINESS meetings!  BE CREATIVE AND UNIQUE!
• LIVE PLANT SERVICES:  Place and service live plants in offices and businesses of all kinds.
• SNOW BIRD SERVICES:  Maintain services, mail, upkeep and security/repairs and emergencies for people with vacation homes!  Have their home ready and food stocked per their request upon their arrival.
• HOME SITTING SERVICES:  Research well.  You will need to be bonded and have excellant character, experience and references to begin with.
• LOCAL TOUR GUIDE:  Every been to a nice place and want to know about it and don’t know where to start?  Get really good at it, a great look.  Have a great  personality?  Begin your research.  Advertise your services in hotels and motels.
• SERVICE OF THE MONTH CLUB:  Gift coupon services family and friends even bosses and employees can gift to someone.  Get your feelers out there, strike a deal with businesses and services and create a great biz service.  Great for all ages.
• PAMPER PARTIES:  Be the “Pamper Party” event planner for many salons and spas.  Create your own biz name, types of services, supplies, items, props, fun things to do, appetizers and champagne?  Strike package deals with salons and spas.  They do the services, you send invites and be the “roaming hostess”  keeping everyone happy both clients and service providers.  Encourage service providers to sell in salon products and YOU get a percentage of that too. (I am a licensed cosmetologist so this is where this is coming from)  Be sure to have several size and price packages.  Research well.  See about salon employee services for at HOME parties through YOUR business. You can have themes galore!
• HAVE A TRUCK OR VAN OR SUV:  Pick up and haul items from Home Depot and Lowes type businesses to your customers…..unload where they want items.  Possibly do a job for them too.  Haul items to thrift stores,  the dump, pick up furniture for them, HELP THEM MOVE, do packing and unpacking services for people moving. 

Continuing with the truck ideas:  Yard work, garden services,  weeding services all together or “ala carte!”  Yard/patio appearance upkeep services. 

Deliveries for businesses!  ………… 

PET SERVICES:  In home pet sitting, pet walking, overnight pet sitting, pet daycare, grooming.  dog training, horse training and boarding, other types of pets and their care. 

• WEBSITE DESIGNS….LOGO DESIGNS…..GRAPHIC DESIGNS……WEBMISTRESS……COMPUTER REPAIR
• SEWING:  Alterations, creative designs for inhome and apparel/costumes/uniforms etc.  Offer businesses one of a kind window treatments.  Bedding, nurserys, teens.  Create purese, totes, mother daughter or mother son sets, PJ’s, vacation bags, hats, pet clothes, baby clothes,  and the list goes on!
• LAUNDRY SERVICES: What a treat this would be!  Make a list of every single thing you can do from washing and drying, folding/hanging, ironing, pick up and delivery, small alterations, etc. etc.
• IN-HOME HAIR AND NAIL CARE:  You will have to be licensed and you will need to check with your state board of BARBERING and COSMETOLOGY about in-home services.  This varies between states.
• IN-HOME SENIOR CARE, SPECIAL CARE SERVICES:  Research for requirements in your city, county and state. Will you be licensed medical or non-licensed care services.
• GHOST WRITER:  Are you an excellant proper writer?  Great!  Help people and or families create their own family album,  books, ebooks, CD’s.  From novels to how-to’s to family heritage formats.  There are many revenue resources here.
• AFFILIATE REALESTATE SERVICES:  Offer empty home inside and outside upkeep services.  You’ve seen the over-grown, bad looking properties for sale……They NEED upkeep to attract prospective buyers whether they are low or high cost properties.  Are you a handy repair woman too?  Offer repairs too!  Also place their realestate signs and take them down when sold.  Create your strong selling points and make deals with as many realestate businesses as you can efficiently handle……..Remember as with ALL co-op and business contacts, LOOK GOOD, ACT GOOD, PRESENT GOOD AND DO GREAT!

OK GALS, THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY OCT/6/2008………….SEE YOU TOMORROW!

HI FRIENDS!  IT’S SUNDAY NOV 9, 2008!  I want to add a biz (service) suggestion that I feel many women AND men with small businesses would be glad to have ESPECIALLY in tight financial times such as we have now.

It is a biz to biz service:  YOU would be the service center/secretary/receptionist for several small businesses.  Businesses who do not or cannot afford the above (yet) or do not want to carry the whole thing themselves.  They would share the costs of having a REAL LIVE person to answer calls and give out simplified information from you AND to forward the call or whatever each persons plan is. 

YOUR clients then have their time FOR their customers and do not waste THEIR customers time when they are on their cell phone SOOOOOOO MUCH during the times they should be on the job at hand! 

This type of business could be run out of a small office space to begin with options to enlarge and change space as needed.  Your customers could walk in OR  call.    You could also co-rent a space from an existing business which would benefit BOTH OF YOU!

There are many ways you could take this idea.  You could create a stall like area for each of your customers with a small desk/table and a few chairs (be creative…thrift shops…garage sales…lattice for wall deviders) and make each stall different….add their basic info on the walls.  The desk/table could be for them to do customer meets etc.  They have a small space around the walls and YOU have a station in the center.

Services you can offer are many.  Do the entities you want to do and offer them A LA CARTE or a set selection for everyone.  I suggest you do not offer billing/costing/tax services yourself.  Perhaps one of your customers as an accounting professional may do so and offer deals to your other customers. 

Make your spaces neat, clean and attractive, have a great biz name, wear your own biz T-Shirt there and EVERYWHERE.  Own all the furnishings yourself!!  Thus your customer changes will have an easy flow AND add to the appeal of new customers not having to come up with furnishings.

They types of businesses who would benefit from your service are MANY!

Be willing to constantly promote your business service.  Always wear your T-shirt, signs on your vehicle, get others to wear your T-shirts, deliver flyers IN PERSON to salons, barber shops, florists, Home Depot, Lowes etc., groups, clubs, police dept, fire dept, school offices, employment offices, PTA groups, groomers, vets, pet sitters, handymen, handywomen, landscapers, gardeners, bookkeepers, seamstresses, home cleaners, construction persons, decorators, crafters,  organizations………………….go through the phone book for ideas.  ANYONE who works from or out of their home!  GET OUT THERE AND MEET AND GREET!

PRICING YOUR SERVICES:  Don’t price yourself to LOW nor to HIGH.  Do research on everything!  Calculate everything!  Count every single penny it will cost YOU!!  If you can, get help from an accountant or someone who is very savvy IN THE FINANCIAL/TAX AREAS.  KEEP RECORDS…..KEEP RECORDS…..TAXES ETC!   From the very beginning.  THIS IS FOR EVERY BIZ!

IT IS A FACT that many small businesses price their services to LOW!  It is a death blow!

Thinking of a partnership?????  Think twice.   Thinking of hiring employees?????  Think twice.  Research will tell you why.

**YOU AND YOUR PERSONALITY AND YOUR *STORE/SPACE APPEAL IS DECIDED AS POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IN 3 SECONDS**

There are a lot of ways you can go with this idea………..GO FOR IT!

*HANDYWOMAN’S CLUB OF AMERICA:  HTTP://WWW.CAFEPRESS.COM/HANDYWOMANCLUB

YOUR OWN CLUB STATEMENT! HOW COOOOOOOOOOOO IS THAT!

**HOME TIP-O-RAMA:  Two years ago pipes all around town,  were bursting everywhere, private homes and city pipes too………!  I was spared.  I keep my pipes wrapped then with a “cutsie” little handmade lattice box over the faucets.  THIS YEAR I did my usual wrapping of stuffing strong garbace bags in layers and THEN I did this:  I got several of those big hot and cold insulated carry bags at the grocery store, took off the handle, turned them inside out to be all white then fitted two over each faucet!  I pulled them down to go all the way under the faucet and duck-taped (securing the bottom) those little puppys in place. 

Aren’t I CLEVER!   Cost: A few buckarinos and easy to do!  I feel like such a smarty pants!  May even be able to save them for next year!!   YAHOOOOOO LOVE TO SAVE BUCKARINOS!

**SEE MY NEW TIP-O-RAMA PAGE coming soon!

All the best YOU HARD WORKING GODDESS YOU!  Jaclynn