Below I offer you 7 part-time jobs which can be turned into solo business ventures. Maybe any of these small ideas might bring in big business for you.

Bakery Business:

Have you ever checked the sales of the best independent bakeries around the world? I am sure you will be amazed to know how small bakers turned into rich entrepreneurs. In 1994, Jim Lahey started Sullivan Street Bakery after several years experimenting as a home baker. Today, his company has about $6 million in annual revenues and about 90 employees.

Pick up a simple bakery item initially, like cupcakes.  If you start with a $2 as the starting deal I think you can give competition to New York’s famed Magnolia Bakery which sells 2,000 cupcakes a day.

Blogging:

Dress/Jewelry Designing:

EBay Sale:

Book Keeping:

Web Designing:

Floral designer:

Starting my post with a definition, description and advantages of having a logo will make me sound stupid…hope you agree. It feels great to find people so convinced about wonders of logo designing as compare to previous years. At times, this awareness makes logo designing sound like a child’s play for many.

However, I bring this post to make all my readers aware of some necessary tips to be followed while getting there logos designed. In particular I would like to say that Corporate Logos need to have very effective concept so they deliver strong corporate identity of your company.

Lately, it seems as if business owners (small or big) have nothing else on Earth to discuss other than the recession disaster. The misfortune it has brought to lives of countless people is depressing but I was amazed when I accidentally ran into one of my old buddies at a book store. After regular pleasantries when inquired about his business conditions (thinking he would start whining soon) I was taken aback when he said “He loves the recession and recently bought a new car as well”

Being too impressed by his statement I could just not let him go and offered a cup of coffee at a close by cafeteria. Here he shared some easy and simple ways howto survive the recession and also help my business grow. And yes you are right…I couldn’t stop myself from forwarding it to you all. I am sure soon you will be able to purchase a car (German or Japanese) as well

Reduce prices to keep your customers wallets open :

People are avoiding making expensive and big purchases, so its better that you drop your product prices for time being. In fact, by reducing your prices, you are forcing your customers to keep shopping.

Ease your customers’ fears :

All the gloom and doom news has frightened laymen. When we hear big business tycoons claiming being bankrupt, they get more scared. They are holding back their money thinking it will help them in worst times. Help them relax by understanding that this economic melt-down shall pass soon.

Win their trust :

Firstly, if you want to close a deal with any of your customer try to agree with their perspective. Make them feel that you understand and agree with them. Once they get a feeling that you can understand their problems they will accept your offers.

Respect their dreams :

We all have dreams and want them to be true as soon as possible. To customers, our products and services take them closer to their dreams. Show your sensitivity towards their values and tell them how you can help their dreams come true.

Offer special discounts and bonus :

It’s human nature that “discount” and “Free Coupon” tags always attract customers. Invite customers with special discount days or adding a line of products that customers have been asking for.

Extra services would do some good :

Try offering some extra service of your same field. For example, if you clean residential homes, why not start cleaning windows or cleaning offices. It will get more people approaching you and getting all things done from same place.

Low budget advertisement :

Advertising is always important throughout for every business to get customers flowing in. Rather than avoiding your business advertisement during critical period of recession its better to look for some cheap ways to promote your services. Try some online advertisement with blogging, as earlier I mentioned wonders of blogging for small businesses.

When it comes to corporate logos design, web designing, corporate business cards and blogs, the designers are left with very limited and specific choices. Actually corporate blogs and websites are the source of information about market and other topics of entrepreneurial interes. Therefore, corporate blogs/websites can be dry and lack the charm which other independent blogs might offer in ample quantity.

From your logo to the print ads, typography plays a vital role in making or breaking your corporate image. Picking up a legible and impressive typeface to convey your professionalism can be a tricky job and as a logo designer I understand that quiet well. The most important thing a designer focuses for his corporate projects is to pick the fonts which convey the message professionally and effectively.

Madawaska:

This typeface may not look as solid and professional as others, but it gives your copy a modern, strong and original appearance. Madawaska, a slab-serif family, has a bit of both: some of the ruggedness of the creator’s display work, and the extensive structure of a text family.

Baja California:

It’s another free professional font which will be very useful for designing purposes.

Bodoni Script Pro:

The designer, Panos Vassillou, has connected characters and capitals with calligraphic elements in this typeface.

Comenia:

Comenia, a school typeface system, was developed as a typographic system for use at all levels of schools and universities. It offers a clear, understandable and universal graphic tool for electronic typography, information systems and laying out primers, textbooks and educational texts and materials.

Geogrotesque:

These semi-modular typefaces with subtle rounded ends are delivering a warm accessible look.

Kewl Script:

Kewl Script is ideal for food packaging, book and music covers, magazines and window splashes. This typeface seems a little heavier and on more playful side.

Glasgow:

BB Petie Boy:

This grungy typeface is too much in use nowadays and no doubt they are impressive.

Grunge Serifia:

This is a font I modified from the font Serifa Black. We needed a version of Serifa that was all grunged out for a magazine identity.

Haptic:

The Haptic family is a sans-serif typeface optimized for use in small-sized text. It serves well in attention-seeking headlines and comes in roman and italic.

FF Kievit:

FF Meta Serif:

The OpenType version of FF Meta Serif offers Book, Medium, Bold and Black, each including italics and, of course, small caps. The extra benefit is its close relationship to the original FF Meta, its sans serif sister.

Metroscript:

Metroscript, designed by New York-based lettering artist Michael Doret, was successful throughout 2008 and proudly holds the title of MyFonts’ Brush Script Font of the Year.

Museo and Museo Sans:

is a clean yet unconventional semi-serif, designed by Jos Buivenga. The sans-serif version is a sturdy, low-contrast, geometric, that is well suited to any display and text use.

FF Nuvo OT Medium:

Designed by Siegfried Rückel, it’s a contemporary type design with vertical contrast, and especially the characters a, g and y show the calligraphic touch. Suitable for magazine design from headlines to longer texts as well as for advertising, packaging and corporate design.

Ronnia:

One of the most remarkable characteristics of this humanistic sans-serif is its versatility. Ronnia has been engineered mainly for newspaper and magazine applications, as evidenced by its properties: economical in use, highly legible and friendly and charming in character. Ronnia was part of the Tipos Latinos exhibition 2008 and the 23rd Biennale of Graphic Design 2008 in Brno.

Skolar:

Skolar is a serifed typeface that has been designed specifically for scholarly multilingual publications. Skolar received international recognition at the Ed-Awards competition 2008.

FONTIN:

The Fontin italic is not a slanted roman, but a true italic.

Warnock:

Whiteboard Modern Demo:

Whiteboard Modern was hand drawn, but created entirely with a Wacom tablet and Illustrator.(

I am sure these logos will help make your corporate designs look different and make deliver your message more effectively to your customers.

If you have been using some other typeface which has worked well for your corporate designs, don’t hesitate sharing it with us.

         If we take ourselves few years back, we did not have the slightest idea of publicizing our business without placing advertisements. Shortly, I have been noticing how creatively entrepreneurs and small businesses owners are using blogs to sell their products. I find blogging an inexpensive and simple way to share news about your business, updating customers about new products, showing your expertise and reinforcing your brand. However, most of the business owners are not aware of the wonders of blogging while others consider it “waste of time.”

An old saying goes:

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Well, I would say blogs are a great place to show you care FIRST. It is yet another dimension of marketing for small, medium and larger scale business. Many times blogging is missed in small business and the sad fact is that few start it but never follow through with maintaining it. I would encourage small business owners to add a blog to their stagnant website as it is a great way to educate & interact with your customers.

If you own a business that offers any service or sells consumer goods a blog can prove to be the best tool to market and promote your venture.

Since blogs are easy to set up and pay for (some are free), launching a blog should be at the top of your to-do list. Here are some big advantages a blog can earn for small business owners…I am sure you none of you want to miss it.

1. Blogs help you create communities of customers who spread credible word of mouth about your products.
2. You get to interact with your customers directly.
3. Latest update about your service/product reaches to your customers quickly.
4. Blogs provide you strong web presence.
5. It helps you impress your customer about your company’s modern and updated personality.
6. A blog helps you establish a public dialogue where anyone can participate and learn

As a small business owner, each one of us seek for all the above given achievements but still most of you might still hesitate about starting a blog. Help is on its way my friends. Below are easy tips to have a successful small business blog…try these

1 ) Know your goals:

We all have the same target…to be successful and make good money. To achieve this purpose we all try to be found by our customers immediately. Therefore it is important for you to be on first pages of Google. Nowadays, blogs are the best way for strong web presence.

2 ) Strong keywords research:

Definitely your field will be your main keyword but think of other keywords your customers will try using to get to you. Think like a customer and then focus those keywords.

3 ) Use Free tools:

Many business owners avoid blogging thinking they have to make further investments. Here is a tip…use free platforms like WordPress to start a blog.

4 ) Share your real experiences:

Rather than picking up someone’s post and placing it on your blog share your real business experiences with your readers. Put them in their shoe and give suggestions which you think they need.

5 ) Don’t expect big results:

from 3-6 months Well, from my and some of my friend’s experience, I would suggest to spend three to six months to put up an adequate amount of posts on your blog.

6 ) Research your competitors blogs:

It is very important to study the successful blogs of your customers and analyze what extra features their blog has. Don’t mind studying others to make your self better J

7 ) Blog should be simple and clean:

It is very important for business blogs especially to have a simple and inviting face. If you clutter your blog with lots of ads, it might make the reader go away soon.

8 ) Be Consistent:

For sure this is no new tip but still I had to add it. We all know that we have to be patient and consistently hardworking to gain the rewards….Wish you luck!

9 ) Share your blog on Social Media:

Once you have got hold of blogging and have a decent blog, start networking on famous social media sites and share it with other people to get more and more clients.

The expanding reach of internet have changed business trends and rules, so it is my sincere request to all small business owners to step forward towards blogging…it is the only medium where you can communicate, connect and participate in communities with a real voice.