small business, Self improvement, working at home, mental health, cooking, hobbies, gardening, wellness, health, fitness, motherhood and raising families

WHY YOU NEED TO DO A BUSINESS PLAN

If you have never done a business plan before it may sound rather daunting to be told to do one.

Why you need to do a Business Plan  is so that you can keep on track with what you are trying to achieve when you start your business.  To start out the right way, you have much more chance of being successful.  A Business Plan is not set in concrete and you may revise it as you go along, but at least you will have something to work to.  I

IT WILL HELP WITH:

• your setting up budget 
• keeping you focused 
• keeping within a budget, as that is part of a business plan
• keep in mind your buying market
• analyse your market area
• how you are going to reach your clients

There are many more details in a Business Plan that will help, but these are the main ones. 

Your marketing online and offline is just as important as each other.  Even if you have an online business you should create a presence in the offline world as well.

IT SEEMS LIKE 2009 IS GOING TO BE A YEAR WHEN WE HAVE TO WATCH OUR MONEY

I don't think there will be any escaping from the fact that trimming the family budget will be a must in the coming year.

Now is the time to sit down and look at everything you spend your money on and analyse how you can save money. 

Mortgages and food bills are usually the highest payments we have to make out of our weekly income.

After that comes credit cards, car payments, education, petrol, clothing, entertainment and more costs further down the priority chain.

With all these cooking programs on TV it is a bit of a misconception that you need to spend quite a bit of money to put up a tasty meal.  That is so far from the truth.  Keep an eye out for our blogs on cheap meals.

Electricity is another cost that can be better controlled.  For years we have had the luxury of using as much electricy as we need, and theoretically we probably can in most cases, but with careful management, the electricy bill can be reduced.

Work on these items and see where you can save money.  Plan for more Family Budget ideas.

Candle making is such fun and you can use all sorts of containers to make candles. 

For pillar candles you can use milk cartons, or other waxed containers like juice cartons.  If you have old drink glasses around that you no longer use you can use those for containers, but you need to warm them before pouring in the wax.

If you do not have any glasses on hand, visit the second hand shop.  If you make candles to sell, you may be able to a do a deal and let them find them for you.  Give them strict instructions, even diagrams of glassware they could find for you.