The Ctec-Show Blog

The wedding business is booming! Every year, almost 2.5 million couples tie the knot in the United States, spending an average of $20,000 a couple — making it a $72 billion industry. Planning and organizing a wedding is still a major undertaking and many couples simply don’t have the time to devote to it — and are more than happy to leave the planning to a professional.

The demand for wedding planners is booming too — an estimated 15% of couples now use the services of a professional wedding planner. Being a wedding planner allows you to be your own boss; it’s a profession that most people consider to be fun and rewarding — and there are no particular educational qualifications or requirements. Around 10,000 people in the United States claim to be professional wedding planners.

As a wedding planner, you are responsible for every aspect of the wedding — flowers, photography, food and perhaps accommodation for out of town guests. You also have to enjoy dealing with people, as that is essentially what you will be doing much of the time, as a wedding planner. And perhaps one of the most important qualities is simply to be well organized and efficient — you don’t want to find that you forgot to book the caterers for the big day!

Starting a wedding business is not much different from any other business — although start up costs tend to be minimal. You will need a small office to work from, or a quiet space in your home — keep in mind your clients may meet with you there. You will need such basics as a separate phone line, fax machine and business cards and you may need to register your business in your county or state. Having your own web site is an essential too.

A portfolio is also an excellent thing to show potential clients. If you aren’t sure where to start, offer your services to family and friends in exchange for being able to take and use photographs. Your portfolio should contain photographs of any weddings you have helped to plan — anything from the flowers and the table settings to the catering and the choice of venue. Reference letters from some satisfied clients are always a nice finishing touch.

The best way to become experienced as a wedding planner is to learn all you can about weddings — and what makes them successful. Attend weddings, talk to those people involved such as caterers, photographers and florists. Try to get as many contacts as you can — you will need them later. It’s also worth trying to negotiate discounts with some of your contacts. And if you want to go back to school — you can take classes that teach you all about the profession.

So now you are a wedding planner — but where do you find your clients? One of the most effective ways to find potential clients is through your network of contacts in the industry. Make sure your business cards are visible at caterers, florists and bridal shops. You may want to advertise in the local newspaper and display your business card at such places as libraries, community centers and workplaces. And as every small business owner knows — word of mouth is often the most effective advertising.

And one of the best things about being a wedding planner? You have the satisfaction of helping to plan what many people consider to be the happiest day of their lives.

Are you fed up with the day-to-day grind of your dead-end job and wish you could find a better way to make a living? It may be much easier than you think when you consider the wide range of home based business franchises with very reasonable investment costs and excellent earning potential. Realizing the dream of having your own business and working for yourself each day can be the way to a much brighter (and profitable) future! Check out the top 10 home based business franchises for 2007. One of them may be just right for you!

What’s Hot Right Now?

The top franchises are those that provide the kinds of products and services that appeal to consumer needs and current social trends. For example, the growing number of elderly persons means that there is a serious need for franchises that can provide necessary products and services for seniors.

Other lucrative home based franchise opportunities are steadily increasing in cleaning, home maintenance and repair as well as exercise and fitness. As the number of new and exciting franchise opportunities continues to grow, so too does the potential for great profit and business success for any franchisee.

Here are the top 10 home based business franchises for 2007. Perhaps one of them is the franchise that can pave the way to a brand new and prosperous venture in which you can operate your own business and reap the benefits!

Molly Maid

This well-known franchise continues to remain strong and ever present among the top home based business franchises available. In today’s fast-paced and busy world, having the time to complete many household chores and daily maintenance is simply not possible. Many consumers rely on this kind of service to keep their home organized and clean. As this need increases, so does the potential for growth and income as a franchisee. With start-up costs as low as $30,000, it is quite affordable and feasible to own a Molly Maid franchise.

ServiceMaster Clean

When the unexpected happens, many property owners seek out professionals to take over and correct the problem. As a ServiceMaster Clean franchisee, you can expect to build a long-lasting and highly respected business when you have this brand name behind you. Specializing in carpet, drapery and upholstery cleaning, this franchise is available with a very minimal initial investment and even offers financial assistance for franchisees who want to get started immediately.

Home Blinds

Many people value the experience and expertise of professionals when it comes to window treatments in their home or office. When you own a Home Blinds franchise, you get all the necessary training and support to become an expert in selling and installing window blinds, shutters, shades and drapery. And with a mobile unit, you can travel to meet your customer’s specific needs and requirements quickly and easily.

1-800-GOT-JUNK

Who knew that a franchise catering to junk removal would become such a large and expansive business opportunity? But many consumers do accumulate large amounts of assorted items that they no longer want or need but don’t have the necessary equipment or time to get rid of the junk. Due to the essential equipment required to start this franchise, the initial cost is slightly higher than some other home based franchises at $90,000, it is well worth it considering the detailed training and ongoing support from the franchisor.

i9 Sports

If you are interested in sports and working with children, an i9 Sports franchise business might be the one for you! Specializing in the organization of youth sports leagues, camps and after-school programs, this franchise offers flexible work hours and is home based. Plus, initial investment is reasonably low at only $60,000.

Matco Tools

This home based franchise is one of the best offering quality tools and diagnostic equipment for automotive technicians. With your own “tool truck” and stock, you can cover a fairly large territory and build a strong customer base. The superior quality, design and durability of the product is sure to help you build a solid franchise that will provide a generous profit.

Companion Connection Senior Care

Just imagine being able to help seniors in your community with your own business! And with a limited membership opportunity with no membership fees. You provide live-in or live-out non-medical care to seniors or disabled adults including such responsibilities as light housekeeping, meal preparation or just friendship and support. As our population ages, the need for this kind of business continues to grow.

ACFN ATM Franchise

As North America’s only ATM franchise, you need no prior experience to operate this business. The franchisor locates and provides the ATM locations as well as complete and extensive training. ACFN ATM machines are located in hundreds of locations including hotels, hospitals, movie theaters and more. With a $36,000, you can get started right away!

Mr. Handyman

Whether it is a small or large job, a Mr. Handyman franchise can handle it. This business can be a dream come true for anyone who enjoys home repair and would like to make money doing it. A very modest initial investment will get you started and the highly reputed brand name and a strong work ethic will keep your franchise busy and profitable.

1800905GEEK

The new age of computers and IT technology dominates our society in both home and business. Why not capitalize on the latest advances with your own on-site computer service and repair franchise? Get comprehensive, ongoing training and support that ensures you are always an expert. And you can base your business from your home with only $60,000 for initial investment.

A franchise opportunity can open plenty of new avenues for your future. When you consider the ever increasing and expansive number of incredible home based franchise opportunities, there has never been a better time to own your own business!

1. Welcome every visitor with a smile. A picture paints a thousand words and your body language is very critical. Therefore, you will need to take the time to speak clearly, slowly and in a cheerful and professional voice while greeting every visitor.

2. Use your normal tone of voice when greeting a visitor. If you have a tendency to speak loud or shout, avoid doing so while greeting the visitor.

3. Address the visitor properly by his or her title. (i.e. Good morning Mr. John, Good afternoon Ms. Kumar, How are you today, Dr.Raj). Never address an unfamiliar visitor by his or her first name.

4. Do not use Poor Language. Respond clearly with “yes” or “no” when speaking. Never use swears words.

5. Listen to the visitor and what they have to say. The ability to listen is a problem in general but it is very important to listen to what the visitor has to say. It is always a good habit to repeat the information back to the client when you are taking a message to verify that you have heard and transcribed the message accurately.

6. Do not eat or drink while you are at the desk. Only eat or drink during your coffee break or lunch break at the designated cafeteria.

7. Be patient and helpful. If a visitor is irate or upset, listen to what they have to say and then refer them to the appropriate resource. Never snap back or act rude to the visitor.

8. Always ask if the visitor has the time to wait. If you are responsible for handling multiple visitors at once, always ask the visitor politely if you may make them wait. Remember that the visitor could have already waited several minutes in a queue before reaching you may not take lightly to being asked to wait. Once the visitor agrees to wait, follow up with the concerned regularly to ensure that the waiting time is not long.

9. Always focus on the visitor. Try not to get distracted by people around you. If someone tries to interrupt you while you are attending to the visitor, politely remind them that you are attending to the visitor and that you will be with them as soon as you are finished.

10. Assist visitors while filling out visitor passes. If your company has a detailed procedure for filling up visitor passes, assist the visitor in the process. It is not advisable to make the visitor spend a lot of time at the front desk filling up the pass, while the time can be utilized by the visitor in a constructive business meeting.

11. Innovate the Visitor pass entry. Where there is a manual visitor pass register available at the front desk, you can get innovative yourself by implementing methods that will reduce the waiting time at your desk. Alternatively you can also suggest to your management the benefits of automating the visitor pass process. Many such visitor management solutions are available today at competitive prices.

In the early days of the web, electronic commerce was viewed just as an advertising toy. But now-a-days, web has emerged as an integral part of both the online and offline business. According to a report, In UK affiliate networks have generated 2.16 billion in the year 2006. Further an investigation conducted by a British research firm in the year 2007 revealed that affiliate marketing has generated revenue of 3.13 billion. However, all these estimates are for UK alone, but that does not mean that other places lag behind. It is now a fact that affiliate marketing is definitely a “money making machine”. According to a survey done by e-consultancy retailers of UK, among 239 merchants 95 per cent of them believe that affiliate marketing is a cost effective tool.

In affiliate marketing apart from retail, gambling and adult sectors; gaming and broadband sectors are the ones which are pawing in most of the money. Even the telecommunication, finance and travel sectors are looting in heaps of money through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is also getting affected with the increase in interactive online communities and upcoming technologies which form a part of Web 2.0. This has enabled the affiliates to make money as the new media has allowed better communication between the advertisers and the publishers.

Today, Most of the affiliate programs use compensation methods to share the revenue such as cost per sale in which the publisher earns commission on the basis of every sale made through his resource. However, Only 19 per cent of the affiliate programs use methods like cost per action. There are many ways to find affiliate programs which can help you in increasing your revenue. Some of these ways are the affiliate programs directories and affiliate networks that provide a common stage for the publishers and the advertisers. You can also take reference for an affiliate program from the targeted website. Most of the websites have titled links such as “affiliates”, “referral program” or something like “web masters” that offer you affiliate programs.

Affiliates marketing has the potential of making you well-heeled in your business. And if you follow the rules and tools of this business then you can surely top this marketing domain.

All great success includes some risk, and owning a business certainly has its share. So before you open the doors to your new Go Junk business franchise, educate yourself on the possible hurdles you might face and takes steps now to divert any unnecessary risk. By outlining potential problems up front, you may be able to avoid them altogether.

Go Junk educates its franchise owners in hopes of guaranteeing success with minimal complications. We can advise you on what pitfalls to avoid when starting your junk hauling business. We go to great lengths to educate our franchise partners, and there are some things you absolutely need to know up front when you get into the junk hauling and recycling business.

Make your money. Period.

What’s the first thing to avoid when running a junk hauling business? Simply put: working for free. You’re in business to make money. And while you might consider a free or discounted junk hauling job on occasion, maybe as a favor or as a reward for a repeat customer, don’t make it a habit. The only way you should pick junk up for free is if it’s a Mercedes-Benz.

Assess the job’s value - financial and nonfinancial - and do what’s best for your business. Consider high gasoline prices, time constraints and other factors in your decision.

Don’t get addicted to the junk

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? Just make sure you don’t create a pile of “treasure” that you can’t maintain. You’re in the junk hauling business to dispose of items, not hoard them. So be selective in what you choose to keep, if anything.

Keep from cluttering up your drop-off center. You want to get your hands off the junk and turn it as quickly as possible. Setting up a flea market can be advantageous, but it’s a lot of work and is profitable only in certain situations. If you can’t find a cost-effective way to get rid of the junk, you must dispose of it.

Use marketing tools and Web support

If you’re not willing to market, you’re going to lose. Take the time up front to work with Go Junk to establish a marketing plan for your junk hauling business. And enlist Web marketing tools to boost your online presence.

You need to use marketing, even if it means taking your truck to an intersection and waving at people. People respond to human beings. We’ve even hired people to play the trumpet on top of our trucks before. The point is to get their attention.

Talk to your customers

For every junk hauling job, ask your customers how they heard about you. Find out how they found you. Your newspaper ads? On the Internet? Through a friend? This is one of your most valuable ways of determining how your name gets out to potential junk hauling clients.

By clearing these hurdles, you’re well on your way to running a successful franchise.