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7 Essentinal Resources for Small BusinessSo you want to start a business but you don't have a lot of money? Start your business online, and it won't be a problem. There are some pretty terrific resources you can use. Some of them you have to pay for, but they are inexpensive and can get you started quickly and easily. 1. A domain and web hosting. If you want others to see you as a professional and take you seriously, then you need to invest in your own domain and web hosting. Purchased separately, the cost can add up very quickly. Here are some very low cost solutions to help you put your name on the map. Dot Easy - http://www.doteasy.com - For only $25 per year, you can purchase your own domain. The web hosting is completely free. Although this hosting account is stripped of all the bells and whistles like CGI, you still get 15MB of bannerless hosting for free, and if you build minisites, this is a really cheap way for you to get started. Buy a domain a month, and before you know it, you have your own empire of products set up for a lot less than if you had bought all of this separately. Go Daddy - http://www.godaddy.com - Although as far as I know they offer domain names for the cheapest price on the Internet at $6.95, their service is pretty good. I buy all of my domains here, and I've never had any problems. Free Web Space - http://100best-free-web-space.com/ - If money is a real problem right now, but you still want to make a good impression, then this site can help you find the most affordable web hosting or even bannerless hosting that's free. Remember, you get what you pay for, so eventually, when you can afford it, upgrade. There are some good budget web hosts out there like Dot Easy, but for the most part, you get what you pay for. 2. Web Site Creation Tools. There are some fantastic tools on the Internet you can use to build your web site, and they're all free. Considered to be the best HTML editor online, Front Page 2000 will give you hundreds of scripts, as well as a free FTP client you can unzip into the directory and upload your files directly from the HTML editor. There are four different modes, including beginner and expert, so no matter what level at creating HTML you are, this free editor will definitely help you. You'll find it here: http://www.evrsoft.com. While you're there, make sure you check out the free metatag creator, as well as some of the other great free online tools you'll find there. 3. Scripts. If you want to get the most from your web site, scripts will help you do this. You don't have to be an expert in installation either. You can quickly and easily learn how to install them. I taught myself from reading some of the webmaster sites online. You have two choices when it comes to installing scripts on your site: You can install them yourself, or you can use remotely hosted scripts. Remotely hosted scripts are great when you don't have a CGI bin on your site. This site is offering scripts for free: http://site-by-design.com/affiliates.php - Scripts include: Autoresponder Script, Fly-In Ads Script, Paid To Read Emails Script, Safelist Script, Rotator Script, Homepage Traffic Script. Definitely worth a look. Two resources that offer a wide variety of scripts in different formats are: http://www.cgiextremes.com/ http://www.hotscripts.com If you want remotely hosted scripts, the best sites I have found are: http://www.cgispy.com http://www.bravenet.com 4. Autoresponders. Autoresponders will help you in two ways: you can use them for your opt in lists and ezines, and you can also use them to follow up with your customers. With opt in lists and ezines, an autoresponder will save you the trouble of handling subscribe and unsubscribe requests, which can become very tedious after awhile. This will allow you to automate the mundane part of building a relationship with your customers and newsletter subscribers, providing you with the credibility you need online to make the sale. Two sites that offer free autoresponders that are very reliable are: http://www.getresponse.com/ http://www.sendfree.com/ Please note: when using free autoresponders, the site owner will send his/her ads with your messages. This is valuable message real estate. It's better to pay for your autoresponders, if possible, so that you can place your own ads in the headers and footers of all your messages. 5. Online Tools. There is a whole host of online tools you can use to help you with your business including email formatters, newsletter formatters, sales letter and press release formatters, as well as wizards to help you build your web site. Below are some of the best: Pertinent Inc. - http://www.pertinent.com - Offers a free press release creator, as well as a sales letter generator. Free Online Wizards - http://www.thesitewizard.com/wizards/index.shtml - This site offers everything from a wizard to help you syndicate your content to form creators and drop down menu creators. Lots of tips and articles too. Email Formatter - http://www.formatit.com - Tired of getting emails with a ton of >>>>> in them? You can use this site to strip those tags out, as well as reformat your emails to any width. Great for formatting articles too. 6. Business Software. You can find thousands of dollars in free software to help you build your business by searching through software sites online. My favorite is Freeware Home: http://www.freewarehome.com. You'll find over 7,000 applications at last count here, and they're all free, full sized versions of the program. Two applications you won't want to be without are: Open Office - http://www.openoffice.org - Formerly Star Office, this open source application is the best rival to Microsoft Office. You can use it to do everything from convert your documents to PDF, to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. There's also a version for MAC, making this a must see application when you can't afford other expensive applications. Banana Cash Books - http://www.banana.ch/banana4/eng/bc4_cashbook.shtml - Although this single entry accounting program accepts just about any currency, if you want to use the accounting method the IRS recommends for small business, this nice little free program will definitely do the trick. 7. Business Education. Once you have your business up and running, it's a good idea to stay up to date with your business and marketing knowledge. There are a lot of great ways to do this including forums, article directories, mailing lists, and newsletters. There are also some great resource heavy sites out there you can benefit from. Below are three of my favorites: My 1st Business - http://www.my1stbusiness.com - Run by Ben Botes, you'll find plenty of ecourses, seminars and more covering small business, ecommerce, marketing, and other topics. You need to sign up for an account, but it's free, and definitely worth a look. Free Marketing Resources - http://www.jdbmail.com/ - Run by Jimmy D. Brown, one of my all time favorite marketers, and quite frankly, one of the best, you'll find audio, ecourses, and other resources in plain English that can teach you how to market online. Jimmy doesn't just teach you what to do; he shows you how to do it, and he spells it out. It doesn't matter if you are a complete newbie, or if you have been marketing for some time. You'll benefit from Jimmy's excellent teaching. Ebook Directory - http://www.ebookdirectory.com - Run by Noel Hynes, this is the most comprehensive collection of small business and Internet marketing ebooks on the Internet, and they're absolutely free. You'll also find plenty of other ebooks here including motivational, writing, and a whole lot more. There are plenty of free resources on the Internet to help you build your business. The trick is learning when you should buy products and services for your business and when you can get a freebie that will do the job just as well and sometimes better. A quick search of Alexa, http://www.alexa.com, will help you find some of the best. Other articles by this author »
About Jinger Jarrett
Jinger Jarrett is a former military journalist and newspaper reporter who teaches and consults on article writing. You can get her latest ebook, (it's free), "100+ Best FREE and Paid Resources for Writers, Internet Marketers, and Small Business Related
And here is another random article you might be interested in... Pull An Elastic Band Too Far – It SnapsBuilding a resilient workforce to manage pressure effectively 'Resilience' is the new buzzword for the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or other 'stressors'. It's how we 'bounce back' from difficult situations. And fortunately resilience isn't a characteristic that we either do or don't have. It involves behaviours, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed. Studies have shown that the most important factors in building resilience include: • having caring and supportive relationships • the ability to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out • possessing a positive self-view • confidence in your strengths and abilities • good communication skills • being able to manage strong feelings and impulses • strong problem-solving abilities So if these are the qualities we need to increase our resilience as individuals, what lessons can we learn in terms of the characteristics and culture required to build a 'resilient' organisation? Building resilience by reducing stress Because our working lives are becoming increasingly stressful, in November 2004 the Health and Safety Executive announced its new Management Standards for work-related stress, which are designed to help ensure that organisations address key aspects of workplace stress (or 'risk factors') including demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. For each risk factor, the Management Standards include a description of what should be happening in an organisation (or 'states to be achieved') in order for the standard to be met. 'Demands', for example, includes issues like workload, work patterns and the work environment. States to be achieved are that: • The organisation provides employees with adequate and achievable demands in relation to the agreed hours of work • People's skills and abilities are matched to the job demands • Jobs are designed to be within the capabilities of employees • Employees' concerns about their work environment are addressed The guidance centres around carrying out a risk assessment for stress (this is also a legal requirement), the results of which should highlight problem areas that need to be addressed in order to reduce (or ideally remove the causes of) stress. But while the Management Standards provide a foundation for stress reduction, there are many other actions that organisations should also consider in order to increase its resilience, some of the most important of which include the following: Commitment to stress management A Stress Policy should be implemented in conjunction with staff liaison groups, and commitment should begin at the most senior level and be cascaded downwards. There's little point in introducing stress management training for line managers, for example, if senior managers have little or no commitment to minimising or eliminating excessive pressure within the organisation. Recruitment and selection When recruiting it's important that both the organisation and applicant understand the requirements of the post and potential pressures involved. One conclusion of a landmark Court of Appeal case in February 2002 was that 'there are no occupations that should be regarded as intrinsically dangerous to mental health'. It's therefore essential to combine an appropriate selection policy with sufficient job-specific and practical training - to enable individuals to carry out their jobs within their capabilities and with the minimum of stress. Management style Effective communication is often neglected in management training, yet it's essential to good management â€" by reducing misunderstanding and the opportunity for discontent. Effective communication includes active listening skills - engaging with the person you're listening to and responding appropriately. Good communication at all levels will help ensure that everyone in the organisation can work with confidence â€" reducing the opportunities for stress to develop. Work-related training Many organisations face sudden changes in work demands, and employees need the necessary training and experience to meet the ever-increasing demands made on them. Examples include training in resilience, time management, communication skills, etc. Training in communication (and particularly active listening) skills is essential to help ensure that managers are aware of their team members' problems and in a position to offer early interventions to resolve these. Stress awareness and stress management training For stress management to become integral to corporate culture, initiatives must be introduced that will raise awareness of work-related stress. In particular, recognising the early warning signs and symptoms should become integral to management strategy. This can be achieved by monitoring sickness absence (especially short-term), carrying out confidential staff surveys, observing working relationships (especially team dynamics), and questioning changes in attitude and behaviour. Stress management training can then build on this by teaching employees about the nature and sources of stress, its effects on health, and the personal skills needed to reduce it. Training may also help reduce stress symptoms such as anxiety and sleep disturbances, and has the added advantage of being relatively inexpensive. Employees also need to know how to raise concerns about work pressure (informally and formally) â€" for example by speaking to their supervisor or manager, through an existing grievance procedure, or under a dedicated stress policy. The key is that employees should find it as easy and unthreatening as possible to speak up about stress at work, and should be able to do so without fear of recrimination or any other negative outcomes. Mediation and negotiation In mediation, the parties in a dispute express their views on a contentious matter, establish common ground, and move towards a solution that's acceptable to all. In negotiation, the aim is to reach agreement on a course of action that satisfies at least some of the claims of both sides. Access to mediation and negotiation are therefore vital in enabling workplace disputes to be resolved before they escalate into stress-inducing or bullying behaviours which can be much more difficult to resolve. Rehabilitation back to work Where employees have been forced to take time away from work as a result of stress, their rehabilitation back to work needs to be carefully managed. For those employees who require specialist support, Employee Assistance Programmes and counselling services are a vital component in employee well being. Employee counselling In February 2002, the Court of Appeal ruled, inter alia, that 'any employer who offered a confidential counselling service was unlikely to be found in breach of duty of care, by the courts'. Counselling should therefore be regarded as an intervention to be included alongside other supportive services available to employees. First contact counselling teams These teams are made up of volunteers (from the organisation) who are trained in basic counselling skills, and receive ongoing training and supervision. They're often used as a 'first contact' for employees, for whom they can provide an active listening service and help to deal with work-related problems such as stress, bullying, change and mediation. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) An EAP offers employees access to a confidential counselling and information service, and to be effective must have the backing of senior management. However, although it can play an important role in helping to deal with stress-related problems, it should not detract from the importance of line managers actively listening to their staff. Nor must an application to the EAP be misinterpreted by managers as suggesting a lack of confidence in their own ability to deal with stress-related issues. What shouldn't you do? Depending on the nature of your organisation, concierge services, or complementary therapies such as reflexology, yoga, massage etc, may also be of benefit. Typically, however, they should be incorporated within an holistic approach to reducing work-related stress and increasing resilience â€" rather than being expected to resolve underlying problems on their own. If an organisation introduces these types of 'stress-busting' initiatives without a solid foundation of stress management training and employee counselling support, they risk adding to problems of work-related stress - through frustration, disillusion, and a belief amongst employees that the true causes of stress aren't being taken seriously, and the organisation is simply paying lip service to the problem. Ultimately, reducing workplace stress and building resilience is largely a matter of common sense and good management practice, and simply requires employers and employees to work together for the common good. Both share a joint responsibility for reducing stress â€" which, when this is successful, can help employees to enjoy their work more, and businesses to thrive as a result. For this to become a reality, organisations need to work towards the creation of a 'healthy', resilient work culture â€" one where there is an intelligent two-way dialogue between managers and employees; where concerns can be raised in the confidence that actions will be taken; and where everyone in the organisation recognises stress as an unnecessary and unacceptable drain on creativity and resources. Or to put it another way, a culture where healthy ways of working have become so ingrained that the need for the Management Standards will no longer exist. About The Author Carole Spiers combines three roles of broadcaster, journalist and corporate manager in the challenging field of stress management and employee wellbeing. With 20 years as a top industry guru on stress management and wellbeing, Carole's energy and dynamism extends to providing professional comment to media including television (BBC, ITV, Sky, NBC, CNN), print (Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, trade and professional journals) and countless radio interviews. A successful entrepreneur herself, Carole is the founder and MD of the Carole Spiers Group â€" a dynamic, niche consultancy, and the UK's No. 1 provider of Stress Management and Employee Wellbeing from the shop floor to the Boardroom A former Chairperson of the International Stress Management AssociationUK, Carole was instrumental in establishing National Stress Awareness Dayâ„¢. Carole acts as an Expert Witness on Stress Risk Assessment before the Courts, and is the author of Tolley's 'Managing Stress in the Workplace'. Free Special Report Contact us to receive our FREE Special report 'The Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Stress' please email sb@carolespiersgroup.com For more information on CSG'S services, including in-house and public training, stress policy, stress audit, risk assessment, attendance management, rehabilitation support, post trauma support, mediation, impartial investigations, expert witness, nationwide employee counselling team, coaching and mentoring services, please contact us: Carole Spiers Group If you would like to book Carole as a keynote speaker or conference chair at your next conference - check out www.carolespiersgroup.com/mediaenquirysheet.php Other articles by this author »
About Carole Spiers
Carole Spiers MIHE MISMA Carole Spiers combines three roles of Broadcaster, Journalist and Corporate Manager in the challenging field of stress management and employee wellbeing. Over the past 20 years, she has built up her corporate stress consultancy Carole Spiers Group (CSG), with prestige clients such as Sainsbury's, Rolls Royce and the Bank of England. Carole is frequently called upon by the national and international media and provides keynote presentations on stress-related issues. Carole was instrumental in establishing National Stress Awareness Dayâ„¢. Related
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