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Is Your Home-Based Business Legitimate? Factors to Consider to Keep Yourself Legal

Home-based businesses are fast becoming one of the best-known alternatives to supplementing a conventional 9-to-5 job. It is also a good reason to leave it. The growth of home-based businesses have been unprecedented, thanks in part to the increasing number of people who recognize its advantages and to new technology that has made running businesses from homes possible. These days, starting a legitimate home-based business is easier and cheaper.

Running a legitimate home-based business

Some of the best home businesses begin with a simple idea. From there, they can grow and become real moneymaking ventures. But whichever type of home-based business you wish to start, make sure it is legitimate. For one, a legitimate business can assure you of trouble-free operations. If you’re doing business within the confines of the law, you are assured of protection and have nothing to worry about. Second, you can hope to keep running your business for a long time to come without worrying that you might be violating laws or regulations.

To make sure your home-based business is legitimate and will keep you out of trouble, here are some important things to consider:

Are you legal?

If you’re starting the business yourself, such as when you turn a hobby, interest or training into a source of income, it’s important that you consider all the legal requirements you will have to comply with.

Your product

First, consider whether the product or service you will be offering is lawful. It’s also important to check if ingredients or raw materials that will be part of the production can be legally imported, exported, obtained or used. If the raw material used for your product is considered illegal or dangerous in your state or country, for example, it could result to getting your products seized or pulled off the market.

To prevent this from happening, always check every aspect of production or implementation involved in your home-based business. Do your research and ask local agencies for guidance so you know that what you are doing is legitimate and correct.

If you will be selling a product for someone else as a distributor or franchisee, do independent research on your own. Ask for complete information and check all claims made by the producer. It will also be a big help if you find reviews regarding the company or product in magazines or websites. This will help you make an educated decision regarding your business.

Tests, studies and government approval

Another important aspect of a legitimate home-based business is approval from the appropriate agencies. If the main objective of your business is manufacture of products that involve health or technology, for example, you might have to show proof that the products truly work. This is usually done by presenting evidence of direct or related tests or studies that corroborate your claims. If you will be selling health supplements, for example, you should be able to prove that your product is safe and effective.

Permits and licenses

To keep your home-based business legitimate, find out first what types of regulations or laws restrict the distribution, production or selling of the product or service that you wish to offer. If you’re considering a franchise or buying an established business, research the necessary information to check if the business is legitimate or not. This will help protect you from making any unintentional violations. The type of business you run and your location will also be a factor. Cities, counties and states have local regulations or zoning requirements that will determine the legitimacy of your home-based business. These regulations are in place so public safety is enforced. If operating your business will mean that public safety will be threatened, you may be legally prevented from continuing.

To keep your home-based business legitimate, check with your local agencies, particularly with those who have jurisdiction over the type of industry you will belong to. For example, if you will be making food products from your home kitchen, you will have to comply with regulations imposed by the health department. If clients and suppliers will be visiting your home for appointments or if you will be putting up signs, you should be able to comply with zoning regulations in your locality.

To keep your home-based business legitimate, always do the initial research first, prior to starting the business or signing up for it. Remember that it’s a lot cheaper to follow rules and implement preventive solutions than to be involved in a lawsuit.

Copyrights and trademarks

Another important consideration to ensure that your home-based business is legitimate is to determine if there are no copyright or trademark infringements. This applies equally whether you own your business, buying an existing one or running a franchise. Infringements can carry a significant fine and will not be helpful for your business. Plus, you could lose your license and the right to operate.

3 Reasons to Start Your Own Home Based Business

You may be reading this article with a view to starting your own home based business. It maybe something you have been thinking about for sometime and haven’t taken any steps yet to make your ambition a reality. Today I’m not going to take you through the steps of how to start your own business, (you can find all the information you need in my earlier articles); but I am going to help you through the decision making process, by giving you 3 very good reasons why you should take action now and start getting things into motion.THE WORLDWIDE ECONOMYI imagine no one is in any doubt as to the severity of the global downturn. Yes, it probably started as a consequence of the greed and questionable business tactics of the world’s banking institutions, but the impact or fall-out has seen no boundaries. Thousands of businesses have shut down for ever. More people than ever we could have imagined, have lost their jobs and their plight is made all the worse because of the lack of availability of new jobs. Without jobs, people’s spending power diminishes. Without consumers, more businesses will be forced to close and render even more people jobless and dependent on state benefits.I appreciate I haven’t created a very rosy picture. The fact is, I believe in facing reality head on. No matter what politicians are telling us, things are going to remain extremely tough for at least a generation to come. So why have I started on such a gloomy note? Well, as someone once said to me, “If you don’t know where you are, how do you know where you are going?” It’s a simple bit of prose, but when you stop to think about it, it has deep significance for everyone.So where are we now? That’s simple to answer. We are in a position where we can no longer rely on traditional forms of income such as paid employment. i.e. jobs. But, and this is important, is this not the perfect time to start taking control of our own lives. After all, we have already learned the hard way, that we cannot trust bankers or politicians. In my 53 years, I cannot think of a more appropriate time than right now, to start a home based business.If you have been thinking about “taking the leap” for some time, I believe you should stop thinking, start planning and take positive action right now.AMBITIONYou may be one of the very fortunate ones who are in a work environment where your drive and ambition is not restricted in any way. Every day provides you with a new challenge for you to rise to. You have the drive, desire and opportunity to really go-for-it and fulfill your true potential. If this is you right now, you are very fortunate. Most people are not in this situation however and crave the opportunity to really make something of their working lives.Ambition is a truly great personal asset. The question is how you are going to fulfill it? From my own experience, the answer is to start something of your own. Whether you are trained in childcare, secretarial work, law, marketing, writing and publishing or simply want to turn the skills you do have into a business; seize the opportunity. Your natural ambition and drive will see you through the start-up process as will your determination and effort. Once you get going, no one or anything can halt your progress. You can be as creative as you like; as ambitious as you want to be and best of all, nothing can stop your dreams turning into reality, except you. You become the master of your own destiny. The world and what is happening in it, is no longer your focus; your business is your priority and no one can take it away from you.START LIVING I don’t want to pretend that it will not take great effort and commitment to get your home based business up and running, because it will. But I guess you already know that. Yes, you will find obstacles along the way and you will encounter unforeseen problems which you just have to deal with. You will probably even have to change track along the way, based on your initial experiences.I have to tell you though, it is well worth your time and effort. Once you get your business up and running, the adrenalin rush is huge and your raise in self esteem knows no boundaries. You’ve always had this overriding thought in your head that if you just had the opportunity, you could be successful. When you realise that you are on your way to becoming successful, you also realise that you are capable of matching your ambition. At this point, you know your life no longer has any boundaries or restrictions placed upon it. You also realise that as you become even better at managing your business, you get more of the most precious commodity in the world – time. No, not big houses, flashy boats or cars, but precious time to spend with those who mean the most to you.You cannot buy time, you can only create it. The heading above says, start living. The most valuable fruit of your endeavours is time and when you have time, you can start living, not just existing.

The Cons of Indian Education System

There was an interesting discussion on CNBC TV recently about whether the education system in India is better than the US. We have covered the pros of the Indian education system in the previous article. Now, we will discuss its cons or areas of improvement.

Areas of improvement
Most of the students in India find themselves in technical schools & colleges without their interest and passion for the subject. The result is— inefficient and dissatisfied employees. India has a literacy rate of 66%, and the budget of Indian education system is nearly Rs.1 lakh crore (US$17 billion). Indian education system is also considered to be one of the oldest in the world. Nalanda University, which was founded in the fifth century A.D., was the first university to be established anywhere in the world. Currently, Indian education system is offering the world the finest technocrats, educationists and entrepreneurs.

The statistics
There are around 3400 engineering colleges in India, which are approved by the AICTE, the regulatory body in India. The total seats available in these colleges are more than 1.1 million. Out of these engineering colleges, 65% are in the Southern India and 35% in the North. Similarly, there are around 350 medical colleges imparting MBBS degree course. Out of these 350 colleges, 160 are government colleges, and the rest are private. The total seats available in these courses are around 65,000. So, engineering, medicine, education, science, law and management are the most sought after careers in India.

Basic flaws of the system
In a random survey, it was found that most of the boys were interested in a career in engineering, whereas most of the girls wanted to become a doctor post their 10+2 graduation. It was also observed that for most of the Indian students, the choice of a career is largely influenced by parents. Young students are discouraged from going for their own chosen professions. Most of the Indians feel that the present Indian education system is gifted to them by the British, and its aim was to churn out more and more qualified servants for the British Empire.

It is a well known fact that Indian education system has serious flaws in it. There is a serious lack of functional literacy. Lack of scope for creativity is another serious flaw. Most of the curricula are based on textbook knowledge with little focus on the field. So, it is more of academics with no serious practical exposure. There are disparities in various streams. Vocational streams are always looked down upon in Indian education system and there are only three or four career options available for everyone. If you want to take up a career of your choice, you will have to rebel against your parents and society.

Old fashioned and traditional methods
Indian education system is still struggling with the chalk and talk style of teaching. Multimedia, technology and computers are not fully integrated into the education system. Another serious flaw of the system is the lack of world-class research facilities. If you don’t follow the outdated curriculum and research, you’re out of the system. This system also encourages private tuition, because of heavy emphasis on bookish knowledge and it is despite the fact that students spend around 7 to 8 hours studying in schools. It increases the tendency to mug up theory and discourages creativity and curiosity.

Lack of creativity
Most of the students are force-fed with theoretical knowledge. But, when we look at the most successful people in the world, these were the people who followed their passion at a young age. IITs are considered to be the most reputed technical schools in India, but unfortunately people go there as part of a rate race and for a better financial future rather than for some “real technical pursuit”. Even the best minds in India do not have a future plan!

Conclusion
The first step towards improving Indian education system, is to integrate technology into it as it is considered to be the best way to impart education nowadays. Teachers should be trained to use technology in the classroom. Efficient counseling should happen at high school level, so that students can take the right decision about their careers. They should be presented with all the options and streams that are available to them. Practical approach should be introduced in the classrooms as Prof. Walter Lewin did in the MIT, while teaching physics, in order to produce world-class students. Sports and extracurricular activities should also be encouraged at the school level. Parents should stop the tendency to impose a career on their children. Rather, it should be left to the students to decide what they want to choose as a career.

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