You Really Do Need a Box of Tricks

When you decide to start working at home, you will need to think about what skills you need to be successful. Yes, you are very good at what you do, but you are going to either learn how to do everything yourself or have a contact list filled with the people who can do things for you. Here's what you will need to know before you start:

- You are going to need to know about marketing. Not just telling people you run into about what you do, but the real, hardcore marketing it will take to grow your business.

-You are going to need to know about doing minor repair to your computer. When you are working on the computer all day at work and a virus or something else gets into your system you can call tech support. In your home office, you will be tech support. You will need to get at least a basic understanding of how to fix problems that come up with your computer or you will find yourself spending a lot of money on tech guys.

-You are going to need to know how to negotiate with vendors. If you've never worked with vendors, or worked with very few, you will want to talk to some people who work with them to learn how to negotiate. Your business operating costs can be cut significantly if you can negotiate down prices with vendors.