Business Overview:

If you have superb writing and comprehension skills and are looking for a unique way to help other businesses, you should start an abstracting service business. An abstracter gathers information and reads various publications on a particular subject and creates a document of no more than 10-15 sentences that summarizes the key points of the original. Many industries employ abstracting service companies to go though the enormous amount of information available on the internet and in numerous industry publications. The most common professional fields that use abstracters are the medical, legal, technical, real estate and scientific industries. It’s important that before you get started in this business you decide what your area of expertise will be. You need to be able to understand and communicate effectively in your particular field. If you don’t have any experience in the medical field, you’d have a hard time understanding medical terms and wouldn’t be able to filter out which information was most important. Once you determine your niche, you need to set up a website that explains your business and gives your pricing structure. You will reach out to businesses in your field letting them know you are available and direct them to your website to see some samples of your work. Your clients will contact you when they need your services or you may work on a contract basis and be a company’s go-to abstract service whenever they need information. If your client is a law office, they may ask you to research cases that are similar to one they are currently working on. Once your abstract is completed, you will add it to a database and apply keyword techniques so your clients can easily find particular topics at a later time. Although the start-up investment for this business is negligible, it does require a lot of work. You can run an abstracting service from home and can work as much or as little as you like but keep in mind that the faster you complete work, the more work you will get so be sure to dedicate a few hours a day to your reading and writing. If you are not confident in your internet research skills but see the value and potential in this business, you can always hire a staff of abstracters to work for you. This would give you the flexibility to offer abstract services in a variety of fields. Your staff can also work from their homes anywhere in the world which is why this is such a great online business idea. As long as their work is of high quality and they produce on deadline, you can concentrate on marketing your business and maintaining your database. As information continues to flow on the internet, an abstracting service will continue to be one of the most popular business ideas that you can start from home.

A Day in the Life of an Abstracting Service Business Owner:

As the owner of an abstracting service, you can work any hours you like. If you are writing abstracts, you will need to dedicate a few hours a day to make sure you turn in your work on deadline but you don’t need to work any specific hours each day. If you have a staff of abstracters working for you, you will check in with them daily to monitor their progress. You will spend some time updating your website and marketing your business to other businesses in your area of expertise.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be businesses in a variety of fields looking for someone to distill large amounts of information into manageable synopses.

What You Need to Start:

• Expertise in a particular field or a staff with expertise in a variety of fields
• Database management experience
• Marketing plan
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• This type of business will continue to grow in popularity as information continues to be added to the internet each day.
• Companies can save money by outsourcing this type of service.
• The start-up investment is negligible.
• You can charge top dollar for excellent and timely abstract services.
• You can easily run this business part-time and from home.
• You can hire abstracters in a variety of fields of expertise to widen your client base.

The Bad:

• This work is mentally challenging since you will be reading and writing a lot.
• Some deadlines and clients may be difficult to work with.

Resources:

• The National Association of Land Title Examiners and Abstracters
• Editorial Freelancers Association
• Association of Internet Researchers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Title Examiners, Abstracters and Searchers
• Wikipedia on Abstracts

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Business Overview:

The travel industry is booming and travelers are always looking for a helpful online travel guide business to aid them in their vacation decisions. When travelers load up the family and drive them across the country or brave airports, planes and trains, they want to know that their destinations will be perfect for their needs. Consulting an online travel guide will give them the knowledge they need to make their vacations successful. You’ll find that there is plenty of competition in this area so you’ll need to set yourself apart by finding a special niche. For example, you could focus on pet-friendly hotels or resorts that are handicapped accessible. Imagine travelers finding not just one hotel that meets their needs in a particular city but dozens. That would give them much more control over other aspects of their stay instead of having to settle for the one place that offered them the bare minimum of their requirements. And with today’s technology, you can work on one of the best online business ideas available today from your own home. The first thing you’ll need to do when starting your business is decide what your specialization will be. Look to your experience or area of interest to help you find your niche. For example, if you have traveled with your pet, where did you stay? Once you have selected your area of expertise, you will need to build a website and populate it with as much information about that area as you can. Look to friends and family as well as Internet research and phone calls to find out more. The more details and “off the beaten path” information you can provide, the more repeat visitors you’ll have to your site. When your site has plenty of useful information, you need to establish relationships with hotels in that area, rental car facilities, restaurants, etc. You can also set up your site so that travelers who book through your site will earn you a commission. But even if all the visitors don’t make their reservations through your site, they still have access to loads of free information to assist them in making their travel plans. Make contact with travel companies and ask them to advertise on your site. If your area of expertise is cruises for elderly travelers, you could ask AARP to advertise. If your target market is pet owners, look for local pet hotels to advertise—or you could pursue large corporations, like PetSmart to advertise. The more useful information you have on your site, the more advertisements you’ll be able to sell and the more revenue you’ll generate from those ad sales and travel booking commissions. Start your research, find your niche and help travelers have a wonderful vacation while you enjoy a successful business.

A Day in the Life of an Online Travel Guide Business Owner:

You will start your day checking for any new revenue generated from travel bookings. Next you will check out your website and see if any content needs to be updated. You will only be successful with this business idea if your information is current and accurate so you will constantly be updating and adding information. You will contact businesses aimed at your target market to discuss advertising on your site.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be prospective travelers looking for the best information on destinations that cater to their various needs (pet-friendly, kid-friendly, wheelchair access, etc.)

What You Need to Start:

• Travel niche
• Website
• Content
• Partnership with travel agencies
• Finance software

The Good:

• Start-up investment is low.
• You can operate this business from home.
• You can work as much or as little as you like.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• If your site offers top-notch information, advertisers will jump at the chance to be in front of their target market.

The Bad:

• Gathering the information to populate your site with useful information will take some time.
• You will constantly need to update and add to your site to keep it current and accurate.

Resources:

• Travel and Tourism Research Association
• American Society of Travel Agents
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article on Travel

Technorati Tags: online travel guide business

Business Overview:

Attention writers: learning how to start a press release writing business is one of the smartest business ideas you can pursue in today’s media rich culture. A press release is a communication aimed at news media outlets designed to make an announcement about something newsworthy. Press releases can be issued for a number of topics including upcoming events, sporting news, products and services, etc. For example, the Centers for Disease Control issued a press release about a new study on adult obesity. A press release writer created that press release, then issued it to various media outlets (newspapers, national television networks, etc.) and the story was then carried on the national news, local news and in newspapers around the world. A press release business can also be similar to public relations business if you are, for example, promoting a company’s new product. And national news outlets are not the only places you’ll find press releases; more and more, press releases are being posted on company websites as well. If you’re not familiar with the standard format and writing style of a press release, it’s simple to find a great number of examples online. Read high-circulation newspapers (with high online subscription numbers) like the New York Times and Washington Post to get a feel for how a press release should “sound.” If you are not comfortable with your writing skills but are still interested in this business idea, you can always hire a staff of press release writers to work for you. The best part is you can run this business entirely online if you want to. Decide what types of organizations you will target as potential clients and place ads on various websites and blogs to spread the word about your new business. Create a website that explains what your business does as well as a price list and include some samples of your work. You can charge by the word or offer a flat rate for a press release up to a certain number of words. A press release writing business is among the most attractive online business ideas because you can operate this business from home and in your spare time. As word spreads in your target market about the quality of your press releases, you may find yourself in need of additional staff to handle the work.

A Day in the Life of a Press Release Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of your email and voicemail to see if any new requests have come in. You will contact potential clients to discuss what they need covered in the release and to whom they would like it to be distributed. You will spend a portion of your day marketing your business by placing ads online and following up with previous clients to see if they have anything new to report. If you have a staff working for you, you will coordinate with them, assigning them each a number of press releases to write and distribute.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be various businesses, associations and individuals who need high quality press release writing services to make an announcement of some kind.

What You Need to Start:

• Press release writing skills or a staff of experienced writers
• Marketing plan
• Target market
• Computer with high-speed Internet access and financial software

The Good:

• Press releases will always be necessary to make announcements.
• Startup costs are extremely low.
• You can charge a great deal for high quality press releases.
• If you offer a great product at a reasonable price, you will get repeat business.
• You can run this business part-time.
• As long as deadlines are met, you can work any time of the day or night.

The Bad:

• It can take a while to get your name out there and get your first few clients.
• Some clients and deadlines can be difficult to work with.

Resources:

• Public Relations Society of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Public Relations Specialists
• Wikipedia on Press Releases

Technorati Tags: how to start a press release writing business

Business Overview:

If you’d like to earn income while you sleep and help people find great products, you should learn how to start a review blog. A review blog is a website with reviews of specific products. The products you review on your blog could be physical products or digital products (such as eBooks). You make money with this business by being paid a commission every time someone purchases a product via a link that you provide in your review article. You can also make money by building a list of subscribers to your website and sending out review emails to them. Again, if they buy a product through a link in your email you receive a commission. Essentially with this business idea you act as an affiliate marketer, and you promote merchants’ products in exchange for a commission for sales made. In doing so, you help people by providing valuable information on products which helps them decide whether or not to buy. It’s a great online business idea for several reasons. First, it can be highly lucrative. Recent statistics show that the affiliate marketing industry generates $6 billion USD worldwide. Second, starting a review blog is easy, and you can set everything up for very low start-up costs. All you need to spend to set up a review blog is around $10 USD a month for website hosting, and another $10 USD annually for a domain name. If you are not very technical it may take you some time to learn how to set up your website or you can easily pay someone else to do that for you for a relatively low fee. If you’d like, you can even sign up for a free WordPress or Blogger blog without needing to have your own hosting or domain. With the costs of starting this business being so incredibly low, the only major investment you really need to make is your time. You will want to continually expand your review blog by adding more reviews of products. It would be wise to focus on a specific niche, such as children’s products, jewelry, pet products, or technical software. As the popularity of your site grows, you will likely have advertisers contacting you wanting to advertise on your website. One of the great things about this business is that you can travel and live anywhere in the world while running it. With enough motivation and, such freedom is definitely within the grasp of anyone who decides to start a review blog.

A Day in the Life of a Review Blog Business Owner:

A typical day will involve you reviewing a product thoroughly before you begin to write about it. If it’s a physical product, you will need to obtain it and either examine or use it, depending on what type of product it is. You may also want to do some online research to discover who is behind the company and if there’s an interesting tale to be told along with your review. People will want to hear not only your opinion of the product, but why you are giving it the review you are. Good writing skills are a must for this business idea. If you’re not a strong writer, you can certainly hire a writer (or a team of writers if you want to go large) to review products and write for you. Then you’ll want to post your article to your blog, making sure that your article is set up so that it will receive relevant traffic from the search engines. You may spend time on the phone or email working out deals with advertisers who want space on your blog. Review sites aren’t limited to search engines as a means of generating traffic. On a typical day you may also create videos and upload them to a site like YouTube, where you can provide a link to your review site to drive more traffic to your blog. Bear in mind, however, that you don’t even have to go through the process of product selection, article writing, and traffic generation yourself. You can outsource this work by hiring someone else to do it for you if you’d prefer. In this case, a typical day would simply consist of overseeing the smooth running of your review blog business, and checking your account to find out how many commissions you’ve earned that day.

About Your Customers:

With a review blog business you won’t have customers per se because you will earn your money by generating sales for a merchant. So in this sense you won’t have customers, but you will have online leads that you aim to convert into customers for your merchant. Broadly speaking, the sales that you generate for your merchant(s) will come from people who are thinking of buying a specific product. They will be looking for more information on the product to help them decide whether or not to buy, and that’s exactly the information your blog will provide.

What You Need to Start:

• An account as an affiliate for a merchant (in order to promote products on your blog and earn commissions)
• A blog
• The ability to write informative review articles on specific products—or the willingness to hire a writer
• Hosting and a domain name for your blog (or you can create a free account with WordPress or Blogger)
• Business license
• Computer with high-speed Internet connection
• Financial tracking software

The Good:

• There are virtually no start-up costs if you can get merchants to provide you with free samples to review.
• You’ll be part of a $6 billion USD industry—so the profit generating potential is enormous.
• You can outsource a lot of the work if you choose.
• You can operate this business from any location in the world.
• You will be providing a genuine service to others by letting them know the pros and cons of the products you review.

The Bad:

• You’ll need to be motivated and willing to work hard, at least in the beginning, as it can take time for you to build up your blog and generate good levels of traffic and profits.
• Learning how to set up blogs correctly can be technically challenging (though you can outsource this work if you choose).

Resources:

• Performance Marketing Association
• Wikipedia on Reviews

Technorati Tags: how to start a review blog, starting a review blog

Business Overview:

If reading is your favorite pastime, and you deem yourself a natural when it comes to grammar and punctuation, it’s time to consider a book editing business. A business idea like this is quite easy to start, if you have the right tools and are truly motivated to make it work. To get started, you’ll want to decide which aspect of book editing most interests you—do you want to solicit and read manuscripts as an acquisitions editor to determine whether they’re possible bestsellers or are you better suited to reading and copyediting manuscripts that are on their way to print? In either scenario, you will be responsible for making good books better and for making writers’ dreams come true. What’s great about this business venture is that it requires very little startup money and since it’s an online business idea, you can easily operate out of your own home office; you might also decide to start bigger with office space and employees. Beyond that, most of your effort as an entrepreneur will be in garnering enough work to make your business a success. To do this, you’ll need to have a strong marketing plan in place and work hard at establishing yourself as a capable book editor. You might consider working the angles of a niche market—becoming an expert at editing how-to manuals or children’s books or romance novels. This can help you more quickly establish yourself in your genre, rather than competing with any number of editors in the larger market. Finally, knowing how to price your editing services can make your business more competitive. From there, you can read, read, read your way to a profitable venture.

A Day in the Life of a Book Editing Business Owner:

Much of the work involved in the book editing business revolves around the acquiring, reading, and correcting of manuscripts. Whether you’re the sole editor in your business or you have employees working for you, you will spend a good portion of your day with these works and communicating with the authors. The rest of a typical day will include your attempts at securing future manuscripts, whether through advertising or word-of-mouth. Then, as any business owner knows, reviewing finances will be crucial in securing the future success of your enterprise.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be hopeful writers of manuscripts who need an editor to acquire their work for publishing and fix their copy so that it’s streamlined for publication. The goal is that, with your edits, a publishing house will be willing to pay the author to publish the book. You get paid from the writer who is need of your services, though you and the writer might contract your work and fees to be somewhat contingent upon publication.

What You Need to Start:

• Business license, permit, and insurance (if necessary)
• Office space or a home office
• A stellar command of language, grammar, and punctuation
• A marketing plan
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• You can start this business with minimal investment.
• The business is entirely scalable.
• You can put your natural talents with written language to work for you.
• The business can be lucrative, especially when you get your name out in the field.

The Bad:

• With the larger publishing companies ever-looming, it could take some time to establish your company and make positive revenue.
• Working solo, you might be limited in the number of manuscripts you can edit, thereby limiting your income potential.

Resources:

• American Copy Editors Society
• National Association of Independent Writers and Editors
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Authors, Writers and Editors
• Wikipedia on Editing

Technorati Tags: book editing business

Business Overview:

If you are a grammar god or goddess with excellent organization skills wanting to be your own boss, you should find out how to start a proofreading business. Proofreading in its most simple form is the correction of grammar and spelling mistakes. These days, however, the demand is high for other types of proofreading services such as technical proofreading and legal proofreading. Here is where you can apply your skills and turn a great business idea into a lucrative business venture. But before you start calling around for business, you should work on a business plan to outline the types of services you will offer and what your pay scale will look like. You should decide whether you’ll only focus on one aspect of proofreading (legal documents, for example) or if your service will include all types of proofreading. If you have a medical background, you may want to start out proofreading medical documents. Then, as your workload increases, you can hire proofreaders with other specialties to cover a wider spectrum of clients’ needs. Perhaps the best thing about the proofreading business is that it is a terrific online business idea. Thanks to the Internet, your clients can live anywhere in the world. They’ll get the documents to you through email or file sharing, you (or your staff) will make the corrections and return them to the client. You will need to have a solid marketing plan worked out in order to spread the word about your new business. You’ll want to send marketing materials to businesses related to your area of expertise—or to reach them with tour online presence. If you have a legal background, get the word out to lawyers’ offices, both private and government. When you add more proofreaders, you will need to do another round of marketing to target the new group of potential clients. Before long, you will be able to handle every type of proofreading and will have enough work to keep your staff busy.

A Day in the Life of a Proofreading Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any ongoing projects and their deadlines. You will need to finish up any work that has an upcoming deadline and get started on new projects. If you have a staff working for you, make sure their projects are completed on time and assign any new work that comes in. You will spend a portion of your day updating your Internet and print ads if your business can handle more proofreading areas. Finally, you will check your finances to make sure everything is in order.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals or businesses who need high quality proofreading services. They can range from college students needing their term papers reviewed to corporations needing help with technical manuals.

What You Need to Start:

• Solid proofreading skills
• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Computer with word processing and finance software
• Staff (if desired)

The Good:

• If you enjoy working on the computer, this is the perfect business for you.
• You can work when and where you want to; you can take vacation or run errands any time. This is one of those great online businesses that you truly can do while sitting on the beach.
• Start up costs are low; you can charge top dollar for your services.
• If you’re good at it, proofreading can be an easy way to make a good living.
• You get to work with a variety of topics and learn while you proofread.

The Bad:

• It can take some time to get your first few clients.
• Deadlines can mean late hours from time to time.

Resources:

• Editorial Freelancers Association
• Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Proofreaders and Copy Markers
• Wikipedia on Proofreading

Technorati Tags: how to start a proofreading business

Business Overview:

If you have a strong business background and want to turn your skills into a highly profitable business, you should start writing business plans professionally. Each day, more and more entrepreneurs are starting new businesses in hopes of achieving freedom from the 9-5 office scene. Unfortunately, having a passion for a great business idea does not necessarily make you successful. It is crucial for a new business owner to have a solid business plan in place before opening the doors to the new business. This is where your skills come in. If you have written business plans before, you can jump right in helping others get their businesses off the ground. However, if you’re new to writing business plans, you need to do some research to find out how to write a top notch plan. There are several key elements that should be included in every business plan – executive summary, company description, marketing plan and financial projections. However, it’s also important to be able to tailor each business plan to work with each company’s specific goals. You need to be very organized and be able to communicate effectively. Sometimes it’s hard to take someone else’s ideas and passions and translate them into an effective business document. Being able to work well with your clients will be key to your success, and that of your clients. Keep in mind that this can be an excellent online business idea as well as a face to face one. You can have local clients you meet with in person but you can also have clients all over the world who you communicate with via the Internet and phone. You will need to consider how you market your new business – this information should be in the business plan that you write for your own business before you get started searching for clients. If you know anyone starting a business, offer to draft a business plan for below your regular cost, or even for free, just to get some practice and get a few clients under your belt. Advertise in entrepreneurial magazines and online. Encourage your clients to spread the word about your great new business. Soon you will need to hire business plan writers to help handle the workload.

A Day in the Life of a Business Plan Writing Service Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any ongoing projects. You will need to contact clients to discuss certain issues and you will constantly be reviewing drafts of various sections of their plans with them, and doing research to ensure the accuracy of your plans. If you have writers working for you, you will check in on their progress and assign them any new projects that come up. You will spend some time reviewing your marketing plan and place new ads in magazines or online as you see fit. Finally, you will need to review your finances to ensure your bottom line is healthy.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be entrepreneurs looking for high quality business plan writing services.

What You Need to Start:

• Experience writing business plans (or solid training)
• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• With some practice, writing business plans is a simple process.
• Demand for business plans will continue to rise as more and more individuals look to start their own businesses.
• You can work when and where you want.
• You can charge top dollar for high quality business plans.
• Helping an entrepreneur get a business off the ground can be very rewarding.

The Bad:

• It could take some time to get your first few clients.
• Some clients may have trouble communicating their business needs effectively and you will have to spend extra time with them.

Resources:

• Small Business Administration on Business Plans
• Wikipedia on Business Plans
• SCORE Templates for Business Plans

Technorati Tags: business plan writing service

Business Overview:

If you can write and you’re interested in the Hollywood aspect of the writing business, learn how to become a screenwriter and open a screenwriting business. With the right script you can strike gold in this industry, whether you’re the writer or the mastermind behind the screenwriting company. While you certainly don’t need any specific credentials to make it with a business idea like this, it is a given that you will possess a talent for writing and for capturing the essence of the genre you’re writing for (for example, your comedic writing needs to be timely and, ultimately, funny). Additionally, any credentials or contacts in the business can only help you get your foot in the crowded door of screenplay writing. There are lots of resources—the internet, the library, bookstores—to get you started in the right direction and that can help you determine where your screenplays should be sent for review. If you’d rather try your hand as strictly business owner rather than screenwriter, you can recruit writers to work with you; they do the writing, you do the screenplay “shopping” and try to get their work picked up by a producer. You’ll want to make sure you iron out the details of your fees and your rights before entering a business agreement like this, and a legally binding contract between your company and the writer should do the trick. No matter how you embark on the business, one thing is for sure: If one of your company’s screenplays makes the Hollywood cut, your business will take off.

A Day in the Life of a Screenwriting Business Owner:

A typical day for a screenwriter or manager of a screenwriting business will consist of a lot of networking. Your goal each day will be to get one step closer to having your latest screenplay accepted by a production company or agent, so getting your writing out there—and following it up with emails or phone calls—will be of paramount importance. Of course if you or your writers are brimming with ideas, you will also want to take time each day to write. In fact, having a portfolio of screenplays can only benefit your business, so get writing!

About Your Customers:

This is a unique business in that you won’t really have customers per se, though you are selling a product. You are trying to win over production companies and/or agents who will buy your screenplays. Ultimately, though, your final customer will be audiences who see your screenplays come to life on the big—or small—screens.

What You Need to Start:

• Solid writing talent or talented writers working for you
• Contacts in the business to help you get your screenplays distributed
• A contract if you will be hiring screenwriters to work for you
• Copyrighted screenplays (either original or written for your company)

The Good:

• If you’re the writer, you can enter this business whenever you want and work at it as often as you are able.
• If your work is picked up, you could stand to make a good deal of money.
• The work can be very enjoyable for a person who likes to write.
• You need no startup money to write a screenplay.

The Bad:

• This business is very competitive and it could take you some time to get your screenplay read by an agent.
• You will have to do some legwork in order to send your writing to the appropriate places.

Resources:

• International Screenwriter’s Association
• Screenwriters Federation of America
• Writers Guild of America, West
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Motion Picture and Video Industries
• Wikipedia on Screenwriters

Technorati Tags: how to become a screenwriter and open a screenwriting business

Business Overview:

If you’re ready to turn your passion for writing into a profitable business venture, you must consider learning how to start and run a copywriting business. While you may initially be the sole writer in your budding enterprise, starting a copywriting business will give you the opportunity to hire writers and editors to work with you and will enable you to pick and choose the projects you take on. If this all sounds appealing to you, the next step is learning how to start a copywriting business from the ground up. You will certainly need to be a strong writer, and you will need to have a portfolio of your writing so that potential clients can see your ability and writing style. Speaking of potential clients, you will have to do a fair amount of marketing in order to secure work—you can find plenty of copywriting opportunities but also plenty of competitors. As a result, you will want to ensure your fees are competitive, but lucrative enough to keep your copywriting business afloat. Once you land a few writing jobs and impress your clients, it is likely the work will start rolling in. As your business grows from fledgling to flying, consider the legal requirements of your area—you may need to obtain a business license to make this business idea legitimate. Most important to the success of your business is to keep your craft fresh and your ear to the ground; look for copywriting jobs in a variety of places so that you have new and interesting material to work on. With this online business idea, you can write for anyone, anywhere.

A Day in the Life of a Copywriting Business Owner:

When you run a business like this, your work days will be centered on your laptop or home office in order to write, edit, and maintain contact with your clients. You will likely start each day with a check on your email and voicemail to see if any new writing jobs have come in or if a client needs you to rework a piece you wrote. You will then get down to the business of writing your most current piece—some jobs will require day-long writing while others will be quick clips that enable you to complete multiple jobs in a day. If you do decide to run your business as a full-scale copywriting operation and you hire others to work with you, you will want to delegate work and check in with them to ensure their work will please your clients.

About Your Customers:

Your customers can be anyone from business owners looking for copywriters to websites looking for content to local publications looking for solid writers. The nature of the business means clients can be found just about anywhere—you’ll serve your business well if you remain on the lookout for any writing opportunities.

What You Need to Start:

• Solid writing ability
• A marketing plan to garner writing work (may include a website)
• A pricing schedule for your clients
• A home office or at least a quiet place to write and work

The Good:

• You can work from home and work any hours you prefer.
• You can take on as much work as you have time for.
• The business can grow to include employees.
• You can build a business that fits your passion for writing.

The Bad:

• The market for writers is competitive; you will have to be a good businessperson in addition to a good writer.
• Because strong writing skills can be undervalued, some clients will try to get you to provide copywriting for too low a fee.

Resources:

• Association of Professional Freelance Copywriters
• Business Marketing Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Authors, Writers, and Editors
• Wikipedia on Copywriting

Technorati Tags: how to start a copywriting business, start and run a copywriting business, starting a copywriting business

Business Overview:

If you enjoy writing and are looking for a way to turn your pastime into a business, you should consider starting a freelance writing business. A freelance writer is someone who is not employed by a single company but rather writes for many different clients on various topics. A freelance writer is self-employed and gets to pick and choose what jobs to take. Online freelance writing jobs are abundantly available and all you need to get this online business idea going is a computer and the right connections. There is a huge market for freelance business writing since many people are looking for a business idea they can do from home and they look to business blogs for that information. Someone has to write these articles, and that someone could be you or one of the freelance writers you have working for you. There are many freelance writing opportunities such as writing for magazines, blogs and news organizations. As the Internet grows, so does the demand for online content, and as a result there will be a constantly growing demand for freelance writing businesses.

A day in the life of a freelance writing business owner:

A typical day for a freelance writing business owner will begin with a check of your regular clients’ needs to see if any new projects are available. If you have a number of projects in progress, continue to work on them. You may need to contact your clients or do some independent research in order to finish up your current articles. If you have writers working for you, you will need to give them their assignments and check on their progress. Finally, you will need to spend some time marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will vary greatly. You could write an article about a small business opportunity one day and the next day write a news story. It all depends on your availability and comfort with various subject matter.

What You Need to Start:

• Computer

The Good:

• You don’t need to be a professional writer to make it in the freelance writing business.
• Start up costs are low.
• Demand is high.
• You can write from anywhere; you don’t even need an office.

The Bad:

• If you are not used to writing, it may take some time to be able to write enough articles to ensure your business makes a significant profit.
• It can be difficult to dedicate enough time to writing if you have a busy schedule.

Resources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Authors, Writers and Editors
• Editorial Freelancers Association
• American Society of Journalists and Authors
• Wikipedia on Freelance Writers

Technorati Tags: freelance business writing, freelance writing business, freelance writing opportunities, online freelance writing jobs