home business hints

TOP 5 TIME-SAVING RESOURCES

1. Online banking

I already take it for granted how convenient this is. Gone are the days when I had to go to the bank to deposit checks in my personal account that I’d written to myself from my business account. (Isn’t it fun writing checks to yourself?) Now I can just swipe that money from one account to another any time I want.

Plus I can go in and get real-time transaction information. And with my business account, I can actually sync it up with Quickbooks, eliminating the need for entering all those receipts.

If you haven’t signed up for online banking yet, do it now. If you’re already an online banking pro, take a little time to learn what other services and tools are available to business owners. There may be even more conveniences you haven’t yet discovered.

2. USPS.com

The greatest convenience the United States Postal Service provides me is online ordering of stamps. I pay $1 above cost and usually receive my stamps in 3 to 5 days. Of course if I need stamps in a flash and I’ve run out I have to make the trip to the post office. But usually I buy 100 stamps online and I can anticipate when I’ll need more so I just order ahead of time.

Another nifty perk USPS.com offers is a direct mail service for businesses. Talk about quick turnaround! You can create a campaign within minutes, buy mailing lists, and have your job sent out the very next day – without leaving your computer.

3. Amazon.com

As a small home business owner, I buy books on entrepreneurship and personal development all the time. Sure it’s fun to go to the bookstore and enjoy a leisurely browse through the aisles but rarely is that my experience. I usually go there in a time crunch with a list and I’m in and out within minutes.

I just love the convenience of Amazon and especially love the option of buying used books at a discount. Keep in mind there are a million and one other things you may need for your small home business (or for your home) which can also come from Amazon along with your book order. Printer cartridges, for example, or perhaps some diapers.

The point being, maximize your shipping costs (some orders over a certain amount qualify for free shipping). And don’t forget to take the deduction (for books and office supplies, anyway) on your income taxes.

4. Paypal.com

With Paypal I can use a credit card to pay vendors or I can have the money swiped directly from my business account. I can also receive money from people who want to pay me without giving me their personal information.

I’ve also used Paypal when I was in a jam in Costa Rica and couldn’t find a bank. I actually sent money to an Internet café owner via Paypal and he gave me the money in cash.

Be forewarned if you do use Paypal to pay others or receive payments made with credit cards, the person who receives the payment will see money deducted for credit card fees. In other words, make sure you build the extra cost into the payment.

5. Cardsenderservice.com

This is by far the best thing that’s happened to contact management in a long time. I make a point of keeping in touch with former and current customers and prospects throughout the year but to keep on top of it all and really be consistent is an overwhelming chore.

With Cardsenderservice.com I can choose from hundreds of card styles and schedule the cards to go out any time I want. Plus the message I create is even more personalized with my own handwriting font, which is on file. My business contacts are delighted to hear from me with such regularity (I mean really, who doesn’t enjoy receiving a real live greeting card in the mail for no particular reason?) and I’m also able to keep up with birthdays and other special occasions celebrated by friends and family.

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