Home Business Start-Up Market has Never Been Better
By Richard Henderson, Publisher of Home Business Magazine
You have many options to start a home-based business. These include purchasing a franchise, investing in a business opportunity, buying a business directly from the owner, forming a joint venture, and even starting up your own biz concept from scratch. With the economy on the rocks and everyone’s cash flow suffering, you can leverage resources to obtain a business “for a steal.” 
Of course, not literally a steal; rather, you can get ready to deal in negotiating start-up terms and conditions. In the worst economy since the Great Depression, everything is on the table. There are different factors that you can negotiate on and reduce overall start-up investments.
This is not just for those looking to start-up a new business, but applicable for current business owners and operators, too. As we continually advocate, the best step you can take to shore up an existing business is to diversify into another business. Find a new business to start that is related to your existing business — one that you can cross-promote and market with it. You already have an existing customer foundation base. Negotiate lower costs for an expansion start-up. Because of your business experience, you already know what to focus on to achieve maximum reductions.
It’s OK to negotiate for savings and reductions in start-up costs. Most of the offerors and sponsors of home-based business packages, opportunities and franchises are hurting, too, in this economy. They welcome the opportunity to expand their business footprint by working with you, albeit at a potentially lower acquisition cost. Many of them may also be sponsoring an existing business owner that is not doing so well. You may offer them a way to take an existing floundering business and transform it into a business that is cash positive and stable. This is something to be appreciated in the current economy.
Financially prepare for tough economic times with a home business. Sharpen your pencil, and pick one up “for a steal.” HBM
