Home safe and sound

It’s one thing to work toward solving homelessness by helping people get off the streets and into safe, decent accommodation.

But what about people who aren’t on the streets, who are working but at a financial tipping point, desperately in need of temporary help to make the rent?

The new Homelessness Prevention Fund is designed for just that kind of short term emergency, and has already helped two dozen people with one-time grants up to $500. One of them is single mom Joy Charleson, who has three kids, two of whom are still at home.

“This money was a lifesaver for me,” said Charleson, who suddenly found herself without a place to live, and three weeks away from an appointment for social assistance.

The problem began when she and her partner broke up.

“He was fine with the kids staying with him till I found a place, but he wanted me out. I was facing homelessness — not a great feeling. I had a place in mind, but couldn’t afford the rent on my own, so I needed a roommate and that took time. I was living off borrowed money ...

“Having this program help me out was amazing. It felt so good,” said Charle-son, 34, who works in daycare and homemaking. “It warms my heart to know there are places out there helping people who are trying to get onto their own two feet.”

The one-time emergency grant does not have to be repaid and applicants are thoroughly vetted, said Debbie Thompson, executive director of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness. A member of the 11-agency partnership overseeing the new fund, she hopes it will help stabilize housing and send a strong signal that ordinary citizens can make a difference to policies and actions that protect people.

She explained the fund came together through leadership of the Victoria Foundation, with two anonymous pledges of $50,000 each, plus $20,000 from Paula Carey’s yoga group. Carey teaches yoga and donates proceeds to community causes. She recently set up a fund for single parents at Camosun College.

Other donations are flowing into the fund and Carey believes “the amazing response” is because people feel they are part of something important. “This really makes sense because sometimes all a person needs to stop being evicted is $50 or $100. They may have a sudden car repair to deal with, a tooth that needs filling. ...”

Thompson agrees, saying people can face the loss of their apartment, and possessions, simply because they got sick. “They may have to miss a week of work without pay.”

Almost 65 per cent of those living here are renters.

“We have some of the highest rents in the country, and the lowest wages. Many working people are up against the wall and while many of us have a line of credit — a little emergency fund or the support of friends and family — they don’t have that financial cushion.”

Thompson, who researched rent banks in other cities and local groups that provide stop-gap funding, said this new rent bank is different.

“It’s a partnership of service agencies, which means it can link people to other community supports, like child care. But the key, really positive element is it’s independently funded. Historically, organizations would help by taking money out of existing budgets, whereas this fund is built by citizens’ donations. This is an additional resource in the tool-kit of front-line workers.” The grant is also not subtracted from the low- income supplement.

Other partners include Our Place and Victoria Cool Aid societies, Victoria Native Friendship Centre, Mustard Seed, Salvation Army, Burnside Gorge Community Association, Pacifica Housing Advisory Association, St. Vincent de Paul, Together Against Poverty and the Ministry of Social Development.

The fund is being managed by the Victoria Foundation. Anyone who wants to donate can learn more by calling 250-381-5532.

Sourcehttp://www.timescolonist.com/

Social Networking Guru Finally Exposes His Brand New System for Making Money Online- Excited Marketers Jump on Board

Due to the increasing demand for advice about making money at home, social networking expert, Corey Bruhn, recently announced the release of his brand new product to address this need.

Corey reveals valuable insights on social media profits in the new product release. Social Media Money Storm teaches users how to leverage the power of Facebook and Twitter. These two social media giants can be extraordinary tools to make money online.

The state of today’s economy is driving a record number of people to the Internet, hunting for effective ways to make money at home. There are avenues, like network marketing, for earning extra income online that are easy to implement. But most people don’t have the experience or know-how to make an actual profit from Facebook and Twitter.

New marketers with big dreams often times end up reaping little rewards. This is not necessarily due to lack of drive or talent, but commonly just the lack of knowledge or focus.

According to Internet marketer Brian Moats, online success is found by zeroing in on a system that works and paying no attention to the ones that don’t: “I could start a social networking campaign today that could generate a respectable income in a matter of weeks. But the only reason I can do that is because I have already made all the mistakes, and from experience I know all the right steps to take to make it happen. That’s why I strongly suggest Social Media Money Storm. Corey takes out all the guess work and outlines his proven system for making money quickly and easily. Simply said, this system works.”

In his video series, available for instant download, Corey reveals all the heavily guarded secrets and proven techniques for earning cash through Facebook and Twitter including: how to quickly accumulate friends without getting banned, the importance of newsfeeds in a Facebook campaign, the difference between fan pages and groups and how to grow each of them, acquiring a vanity URL, placing opt-in forms on a fan page, how to use ad campaigns the right way, how to add badges to a website, and putting up a contact form with a captcha image.

Marketers who have purchased this course have been extremely impressed. Justin Erwin, who lost his job in February, remarks: “Within a day of receiving this course I was up and running. Within two weeks I had over 700 fans, and within a month I was making money. Today I’m happy to say that Facebook and Twitter are my bread and butter. I couldn’t be happier to finally be making a living from home.”

Don’t hesitate! Learn how to make money with social networking and discover what the hype is all about by clicking on Social Media Storm today: http://www.socialmediamoneystorm.com

Contact Information:
MDR Media LLC
Michael Dressler
Tel: 9498574590
Email us


This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/press_release_distribution_lists.php.
Source http://www.emailwire.com/

Team kill Bin Laden

Ghazi from air bases in Pakistan, the MH-60 helicopter on its way to the outskirts of Abbottabad military, the center about 50 km from Islamabad. Flight is the member of special team of U.S. Navy SEAL, was it across the border from Afghanistan.


Members of the ST6

Accompanying them was the professional communications, electronic intelligence and other intelligence experts.

After 40 minutes of fighting, 22 people or killed or captured. One of those killed is Osama bin Laden, was shot in the head and chest. Determination of the terrorist is brought back to the helicopter base Ghazi. A helicopter was having problems and U.S. forces have been destroyed soon after.

If not for this critical, then this could be a normal military operation of the comedy team is specially trained and legendary, SEAL Team Six (SEAL Team 6 - ST6), although not exist only on paper. The official name of, is heading the special war deployment of Navy (USA). This group was formally established in 1987, with the abbreviation is NAVSPECWARDEVGRU although its forerunner stemming from the failed rescue of American hostages at the U.S. embassy in Iran in 1979. However, the locals at their home base at Dam Neck in Virginia called them by name DevGru.

Their mission this time very special and we need to practice first. So they have recreated a wide 0.4 hectare park houses like the Bin Laden at Camp Alpha, a separate branch of the Bagram Air Base and began practicing early in April.

Whether public or heard about the activities of the customs of this particular file as well as a unit similar to the infantry as Delta Force, the majority of JSOC's mission was never revealed. The name of the team until just heard good things happened there (as a humanitarian aid worker was killed UK) or have something big (a captain were rescued at sea).

But even then, the U.S. military does not want to reveal their presence. JSOC a few dozen members were killed in Pakistan in recent years. Their names are the Ministry of Defense announced as usual, but under cover, as they were killed by accident while training in eastern Afghanistan. This is a password.

How did the helicopter task force is to be avoided Pakistan's air defense system? Did they use the electronic transmitter special? Did they paint helicopters to Pakistan Air Force insignia and deceive the people responsible?

If it is true, and maybe this will never be published, two other units of the Department JSOC technical applications (Technical Application Programs Office) and the evaluation team of aviation technology (Aviation Technology Evaluation Group), has done well this task. These are the real unknown soldiers, never to be honored and they do not need to be honored.

Since the 9 / 11, JSOC units and task forces have become their most effective weapons of the U.S. government in the fight against terrorism.

JSOC is the operating cost of about $ 1 billion more each year. JSOC has faced some criticism but generally operate freely and without restrictions after the terrorist 9 / 11.

The boundary between intelligence gathering activities of comedy team JSOC and CIA activities almost without. Raids kill Bin Laden is the most obvious evidence shows that close cooperation between the CIA and JSOC.

HOME TRUTHS: Mystery of bungalow that will never sell

Ross Clark answers reader' queries...

My neighbours have put their bungalow on the market twice a year for the past ten years.

People try to buy it, but when they get to the point of exchanging contracts – after paying considerable fees – the owners pull out saying they haven’t been able to find anything for them to buy.

Unless this couple run a conveyancing company, it is hard to see how they are profiting from this, therefore I assume that they are chronically indecisive and are wasting their own time and money.

Why aren't my neighbours completing on the sale of their bungalow?

I can’t see how agents can be blamed for taking this property on to their books. Potential buyers of any property should always ask vendors: How long has it been on the market; has it been on before and a sale fallen through, and if so why?

NEIGHBOUR’S WATER IS BLOCKING DRAIN

My next door neighbour has piped the waste from his washing machine into our jointly owned rainwater gully which is now permanently filled with foul smelling grey water as the rainwater soakaway is blocked with soap.

Your neighbour is one of 300,000 homeowners guilty of an offence by discharging ‘grey water’ – waste water from baths, sinks and domestic appliances – into the surface drainage system untreated.

You should direct him to the information on the Sewer National Action Programme at www.water.org.uk. If he fails to do anything, contact your local water company.

HE HAS NO RIGHT TO ‘SMASH DOWN’ ROOF

Our house has been adjoined to next door with a fixed flat roof for 30 years, making an enclosed passageway. A new neighbour has threatened to ‘smash it down’. Has he the right to do so?

Had you recently built this passageway without permission from the neighbour to whose home the roof is attached, he would have every right to demand that you remove it and make good any damage you had caused to his wall.

If the roof was built years ago with permission, or the houses were built like that, there is nothing your neighbour can do.

For him to ‘smash down’ your extension would constitute criminal damage, and you should contact the police if he repeats the threats.

Contact Ross with your own query at ross.clark@mailonsunday.co.uk

Source http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Is Home Ownership Overrated?

For generations of Americans, It's a Wonderful Life pretty much sums up the benefits of home ownership. George Bailey takes over his father's savings and loan in Bedford Falls, builds Bailey Park, an idyllic affordable-housing development, and issues mortgages. In the alternative universe where George never lived, there's no savings and loan or Bailey Park; the townspeople have fallen into debauchery as tenants of the usurious Henry Potter; and quaint Bedford Falls, now renamed Pottersville, is home to sleazy nightclubs and pawnshops.

Director Frank Capra's vision has dominated public policy ever since. Republicans and Democrats have competed to extol home ownership as a sound investment and source of moral virtue, stability and community.

Growing up in the small-town Midwest of the 1950s and '60s, I never questioned those precepts. In my family, mortgage payments were a sacred obligation. The idea of "throwing away money on rent," not to mention being beholden to the whims of a landlord, seemed anathema. The few neighborhoods where people rented were indeed shabby. After I moved to New York City, it took a decade of savings, but as soon as I had a down payment, I bought an apartment.

In the wake of the real estate bubble and collapse, all of these assumptions have been called into question—and in some cases, are under attack. Decades of policies designed to foster home ownership are being reexamined, from taxpayer support for the giant mortgage agencies to the tax deduction for mortgage interest. In light of this sea change, I decided to reapproach the sacred cow of home ownership with an open mind. Does it make sense financially? Does it promote social benefits?

In some cities, the past decade has been brutal for homeowners. In Atlanta average home prices this year are the same as they were in 2000—11 years ago—according to the Case-Shiller home-price index. Nationally, the rate of appreciation in housing seems likely to return to its long-term historical average, which is only slightly higher than the rate of inflation. Purely as an investment, residential real estate is never going to outperform the stock market or many other asset classes.

Nonetheless, home ownership has historically yielded other financial benefits. "Over 75 years the mortgage system is how the middle and lower-middle class accumulated capital," John Quigley, a professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley, told me. "It was a system of forced savings rather than an investment per se. It was never intended to triple your money in three years."

For the most part, the system worked as intended, enabling Americans to accumulate wealth, put their children though college and retire comfortably. Returns were enhanced by the leverage provided by the mortgage—as long as housing prices rose. But as with any asset, leverage can also magnify losses. No one can borrow 80 percent of the price of a stock, yet that amount of leverage—and even more—became routine with real estate. In the wake of the housing collapse, that notion is being reexamined. "People have not ascribed enough of a risk premium to the leverage," says Christopher Mayer, professor of real estate at Columbia Business School.

Today, the answer to the question of whether a home is a good investment may well be "not always," according to Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA. Policies that increased home ownership created what Gabriel calls "transitory owners," who ended up suffering defaults, evictions, foreclosures and other financial disruptions. "Policy that creates only temporary home ownership is bad policy," Gabriel adds.

If the financial benefits of home ownership seem elusive in some circumstances, the social benefits are even more so. When it comes to promoting stability and other social benefits, nearly every economist I interviewed agreed that it's difficult if not impossible to separate home ownership from other variables that correlate with desirable environments, like affluence and levels of education.

The home ownership rate in France is 57 percent; in Germany, 46 percent; and in Switzerland, just 37 percent. By comparison, it's 67 percent in the U.S. Housing is only one variable, of course, but no one would argue that communities in France or Germany are less stable, less cohesive or more unkempt than those in the U.S. Zurich and other cities in pristine Switzerland are a far cry from Pottersville.

Once you question the notion that everyone should own a home, the policy implications are significant. As Mayer says, "Too much of current policy seems aimed at promoting consumption of housing—ever larger and more lavish homes—rather than ownership itself." All the economists I interviewed criticized the mortgage deduction as needlessly benefiting affluent taxpayers (most low-income taxpayers don't itemize, so they get no benefit). Most agreed it should be phased out, perhaps over 15 to 20 years to minimize the effect on housing prices.

But they also agreed that there's a place for some government support for home ownership, primarily as a way to promote savings. Warren Buffett, who has lived for more than 50 years in a home that cost him $31,500, made a resonant comment on this issue in his latest letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway: "Our country's social goal should not be to put families into the house of their dreams, but rather, to put them into a house they can afford."

Source http://online.wsj.com/

101 Super Creative Ways to Save Money

Do you want to save more money? Who doesn’t?! Doing so can be fun, creative and inspiring. Don’t believe us? Here are 101 super creative ways to save money:

1. Create upcycled fashions. Take your old clothing and repurpose it into creative new designs instead of spending money on new clothes!
2. Update your furniture by hand. Paint repair markers, new upholstery and handmade pillows can make an old item new again at a low cost.
3. Use your library. It’s a free resource for books, DVDs, CDs and even classes and other useful information.
4. Buy only what you need for projects. Doing a DIY project? Measure it out to get exactly what supplies you need and nothing extra.
5. Rent or even swap tools. If you need an item for only a short period of time, such as a tool for a specific household chore, don’t buy it. Look for a place to rent it or even see if there’s a tool swap in your area.
6. Engage in other swaps. There are clothing swaps, toy swaps and book swaps available locally and online and they all save you money.
7. Never throw away used pantyhose. Check out Planet Green for 25 ways it can be re-used.
8. Make your own herb garden. It’s cheap to start and maintain and saves you a lot of money on fresh herbs.
9. Make your own baby food. It is healthier and far more frugal than buying the ready made kind at the store.
10. Make your own pet food. And here are 50 other ways to save money as a pet owner.
11. Learn to cut hair. It isn’t very hard to learn. After the initial investment in a good set of haircutting supplies you will be able to provide yourself and the rest of your family with free haircuts. You can even make some money helping out your friends with inexpensive haircuts!
12. Remodel your bathroom to make it a mini-spa. You will save money on facials, mani/pedis, saunas and other relaxing beauty treats because you’ll be able to do it all at home.
13. Host group birthday parties. Put together a calendar of birthdays that are near the birthdays of each member of your family. Hosting group parties allows everyone to pitch in on the cost.
14. Save money with QR codes. We can tell you how.
15. Start using frugal affirmations. For example, at the start of each day say the following five times: “saving money makes my life simpler and happier.”
16. Watch movies and TV online. If you are paying for an Internet connection then there is no need to pay for television, too. Watch what is available online for free.
17. Replace vacations with staycations. Take time together with your family to explore your own town at a bargain instead of shelling out a fortune for holidays away from home.
18. Avoid sending post. It’s so twentieth century! Stop paying to put things in the mail when you can use electronic communication instead.
19. Have one no-spend day per week, one no-spend month per year. This is a day (and then a month) where you don’t spend any money at all, not even a coffee on your lunch break. For the month you will probably have to make an exception for rent and other ongoing expenses but don’t buy anything extra.
20. Commit to The Compact. Avoid buying anything new for an entire year except perhaps for the consumables that you require (like food).
21. Try the Uniform Project. Wear the same thing every day for a year. Get creative in making it different with the right cheap accessories!
22. Sell all but one of your scarves. Did you know that you can wear the same scarf in at least twenty five different ways. This video shows you how.
23. Develop a fashion style of your own. This will help you avoid buying trendy items.
24. Give up your clothes dryer. Dry on the line instead.
25. Become a coupon broker. Earn an income while finding your own money-saving deals!
26. Switch to re-usable nappies. Money Saving Expert shows that you can save £500 on your child’s total nappies cost if you make the switch.
27. Switch to re-usable feminine hygiene products. You can even make them yourself out of leftover fabric remnants.
28. Re-use coffee filters. They can be rinsed and re-used four or five times before they need to be thrown out, saving you a lot of money over the year.
29. Re-use dryer sheets. Or find alternative uses for them.
30. Invest in a slow cooker. Countless cheap recipes can be made using this single kitchen appliance.
31. Use beans in recipes that call for meat. It provides the texture you want at a much lower cost.
32. Buy foods that are in season. They are cheaper especially if they are local.
33. Get a makeover at the beauty counter of a big store. It doesn’t cost anything as long as you don’t get lured into buying the products they are trying to sell you!
34. Make your own sunscreen.
35. Use tea bags to treat sunburns. Just in case your sunscreen didn’t work!
36. Use nice smelling foods to make your house smell nice. Vanilla on a cotton ball, cinnamon sprinkled on a candle and fresh herbs growing in the kitchen are some of the ways that you can do this.
37. Use your own urine as a skin care product. It’s a lot cheaper than what you can buy in the store to get clear skin!
38. Never pay for apps. If you use an iPod or smartphone then commit to only getting apps that are available for free.
39. Use our 101 free alternatives to paid software.
40. Visit openings at art galleries. This is a great free date where you can enjoy wine and snacks at no charge while spending time around creative people.
41. Check out free local museums. This is another creative experience that educates you without costing anything.
42. Plant vegetables in your home instead of buying fresh flowers. They are just as pretty, much cheaper and can be turned into meals.
43. Only shop on money-off weekends at big stores. The Irish Daily Mirror reminds us that big chains like B&Q often host these huge money-saving days.
44. Give up your phone. Yes, your mobile as well as your landline. You can make all of your calls through Skype and other free/cheap online chat services.
45. Move into a tiny home. People are living in homes that are 30 square metres or smaller. Your energy and water costs would be a lot lower if you did this. Are you creative enough to make it work?
46. Invest in white roofing. It saves on energy costs.
47. Switch to LED lights in your home. They cost a little bit more at first but save a lot of money over time.
48. Use your home’s greywater.
49. Update the insulation in your home. You’ll spend a lot less on heating and cooling the home. DIY to save money.
50. Fix all leaks in the house. The wasted water is wasting your money.
51. Use natural sunlight in the home. Then you don’t have to pay for lighting.
52. Only use free items for craft projects. It will challenge you to be even more creative with your artistic endeavors!
53. Read blogs instead of magazines. Magazine subscriptions are too expensive and blogs are free.
54. Give up the newspaper. Get your news online. Got old newspapers around the house? Here are some ways to use them.
55. Embrace re-gifting. Who ever said it was a tacky practice? It’s actually a great money-saving idea!
56. Bake cookies. Wrap them up in tissue paper and give them as inexpensive gifts.
57. Bring back board games. What a fun cheap way to entertain people of any age.
58. Go on free walking tours. Another great cheap activity for all ages.
59. Host potluck parties. Challenge everyone to bring the least expensive dish they can make.
60. Build your own casket. It is a little bit morbid but they cost a lot of money and it’s not a cost many people can think through clearly when they are dealing with a death in the family.
61. Repurpose your pet’s fur. You can save it up and turn it into fiber to use for yarn-based crafts.
62. Use olive oil around the house. It is a moisturizer, a furniture polisher and more.
63. Buy paper doilies. They are cheap and can be used to decorate everything from dinner to weddings.
64. Become an IKEA hacker.
65. Make your own household cleaners. Baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar can replace most commercial cleaners.
66. Research new money-saving theories. For example, learn about The Shopper Continuum.
67. Get free samples of shampoo and conditioner. Use them as cleaners all around the house.
68. Give up your car. Be a cyclist or pedestrian instead. Use car share as needed. Rent out your parking space for more money.
69. Become a hiker. It’s a cheap activity that gets you fit and keeps you busy at the same time.
70. Take a nap. Getting enough sleep keeps you healthy so you don’t incur health care and medication costs.
71. Decorate your home with burlap. These cheap fabric is great for window treatments, tablecloths and more.
72. Make plarn. Turn plastic bags into yarn and use it to crochet household items.
73. Make tarn. The same thing can be done with old T-shirts.
74. Buy a hula hoop and a jump rope. You can use these fun items to get exercise so you don’t have to pay for a gym membership anymore.
75. Shop in your own house. For example, when it’s time to get school supplies, look through the house to see if you have notepads and writing utensils that can be used.
76. Make your own reusable Swiffer sheets. Old socks or reclaimed yarn can be used for this task.
77. Explore open houses. Need some free entertainment? Visit local open houses to get inspired by the architecture.
78. Work from home. You will avoid commuting costs.
79. Use social lending. Avoid high interest loans. If you need a loan look into the option of peer to peer lending.
80. Hang out on campus. Your local college probably has free performances and lectures for the public to enjoy. Your local high school probably has free sports events.
81. Go to poetry readings. They are free, creative and fun.
82. Make your own beer. Learn more from Wise Bread.
83. Or drink only water. Especially at restaurants, but also at home.
84. Learn to love local bands. Their shows are a lot cheaper than traditional summer concerts.
85. Learn how to stretch your own canvas. This saves you money if you’re an artist.
86. Use free address labels. They come in the mail and you probably don’t use them up. Here are some other uses for them.
87. Turn old crayon bits into candles. Here’s how.
88. Take free classes. They’re available from various sources both online and offline and are a great way to learn something new.
89. Get free advice. Local organizations offer professional advice at no charge for many of the questions you may have in life.
90. Repurpose old calendars and cards into artwork. Don’t pay more for art!
91. Use social media to market yourself. It’s the cheapest option for anything you want to spread the word about.
92. Shop online. You can save a lot of money by shopping online instead of at stores. Set budgets and use discount codes to lower costs further.
93. Use Cheapism. This site helps you figure out which budget items are worth buying.
94. Shop used. If you need an item you should always see if you can get it used.
95. Send the kids to the babysitter’s house. Stay home together alone instead of going out on a pricey date.
96. Start a business. Bringing in new income is a great way to offset your other costs. Plus starting a business looks good on a resume and makes you more employable in traditional jobs, too!
97. Use crowdfunding to get money for creative projects.
98. Collect coins. CNN explains that they can be worth a lot of money so you should always look at the ones that you come across.
99. Spend time instead of money. Spend time doing free things with family. Volunteer time instead of doing an activity that costs money. Barter your time to get the services you need.
100. Get competitive about saving money. Challenge a spouse or friend to save more than you.
101. Think positive about your finances. Positive thinking will help improve your money attitude and will assist in your enjoyment of saving more money.
102. Source http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/
     

Do your research before launching home business

Whether it's to be your own boss or to spend more time with your family, starting and running a business from home can satisfy both those needs.

However, there are things to consider before you embark on this venture, things that will determine the success or failure or your home-based business, said Andrew Patricio, founder of BizLaunch.com in Toronto.

There are two ways you can go about deciding what business you may want to launch: Take note of your skills and see if you can build a business around one of them, or do some research and see where there is an opportunity for business.

"I don't like when people just come up with random ideas," Patricio said. "Typically, a small business owner will say, 'But people need this,' but it doesn't matter what they need, it's about what people want to pay for."

So if you have a product or service in mind, if the research reveals there is no market or demand for it and it won't make a profit, you have to scrap the idea and think of something else.

Patricio said people want to start a business based on what they're passionate about, but the danger is that it isn't always a viable business.

"Can you make money from it? That's the question," he said. "Whether you love something or not, it's nice, but sometimes passion clouds your idea."

Patricio said the ideal businesses to run from home are service-oriented, like a consulting, a training or interior designing, and today's technology easily enables people to do this.

"You don't need an office, you can have your employees on Skype so you can speak to them and message them, and you can all be working from home," he said.

After you've done your market research and found potential paying customers, drawing up a business plan is the next step, Patricio said. This displays your idea clearly on paper, the numbers are there, there is a marketing plan and it shows commitment.

"Even though we don't believe those numbers most of the time, the fact that you've written it down, you've checked the viability of the idea, it's a good starting point," he said.

Patricio then suggested taking your plan to three or four business owners, who aren't family and who will be honest with you about your idea and ask the hard questions.

Now that you have a viable idea, you have to make sure you have the right mindset in preparation for running a home-based business. Patricio said two very important qualities to have are being good at selling yourself and perseverance.

"You'll realize very quickly once you leave a big company, no one returns calls or emails, no one even remembers who you are as soon as you start your own business, so you have to understand these challenges," Patricio said.

In terms of marketing, Patricio said people expect you to have your own website, but realistically, you could be on Facebook or Twitter and not have a website at all.

"I prefer social media to a website. The only problem is if you don't have a website it's like not having a business card and people may think, 'Well she can't be that serious she doesn't even have a business card,'" he said.

There is some paperwork you have to do when starting your own business, like registering your corporation and getting insurance. Patricio said these are easy steps, but don't even think about them until you have customers.

"A lot of small business owners in Canada, we don't even register our businesses, what we do is start off as sole proprietors, which is 100 per cent legal, then as soon as we see the business getting a bit of traction our accountant will usually say incorporate," he said.

After you are established and working at home, Patricio said you need to remember you are still working and you have to behave as such. You still have to act as a professional and develop a routine.

"You have to have good self-discipline to stay on task and be organized," he said. "This includes daily to-do lists, systems and processes, ways of doing things, or it will be chaos otherwise."

Patricio said you must set regular hours and have a uniform that's not pyjamas. Also you need a dedicated office space so the kids are not coming in and out or the dog isn't barking while you are on an important call.

Patricio suggested setting boundaries and guidelines and keep work and home life as separate as possible. Have a conversation with your friends and family so they understand what's expected of them when you are working.

Most importantly, be realistic. Patricio said while many home businesses are successful, many also fail, with the main reason being not enough profit.

"Opening the business is the easy part - staying in business is the difficult part,' he said.

"The first three years in business you are not going to make a profit, there's the reality."

A good rule to follow, Patricio said, is if you're not making money within three to five years, you should consider changing or refocusing the business, or go back to work.

Source http://www.insidetoronto.com/