So you want to start a home based business. Just think, you can
work in your slippers when you want to - what could be better? No
commute, not having to play office politics, no income - Whoops
how did that sneak in?

Let's have a reality check about your home business. Can you
work in your slippers? Sure, no problem. If you aren't going to
be meeting face to face with your clients, it makes little
difference how you're dressed.

Can you work when you want to? That really depends on a lot of
things. If you are a freelance writer with little, if any
contact, with the public, yes you can. However, if you are
selling a product or service, and the public will be contacting
you , that may not work. The normal office is open during the
working day, but wait a minute. Typical office hours are 9-5 and
if you call their number, you expect an answer. If you don't get
an answer, you will most likely try another source. But with the
Internet, what are typical office hours? If you live in Florida
and are on eastern time, how about all your prospects on the West
Coast? When you're wrapping it up for the day, they're just
getting back from lunch.

So do you increase your office hours to cover all time zones. If
you're on the west coast, open earlier in the morning - if you're
on the east coast close later at night. Right - wrong. That will
be self defeating, as far as running your own home based
business. Before you worked 8 hours a day and since you decided
to get out of the "rat race", you now have to work eleven?

The first thing you should do is to post the hours when people
can talk with you on your web site. But it is amazing how little
attention some people pay to this. Calls will be received at all
hours of the day and night. Now, remember that anyone who does
call, is a more serious prospect than one who simply responds to
an email.

Should you have a toll free number? While many will argue that
this is a more professional approach, it will increase the number
of calls from people who are referred to as "tire kickers". If
they have to spend "their dime" for the call, they will be less
inclined to call unless they are serious.

But this doesn't answer the question - how long should you be
available to take calls, and what should you do with people who
call outside your posted hours? Recognizing that there is a
three hour difference for many people, you should try to be
available during that period that overlaps the different time
zones. If you live on the east coast, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM will
provide decent coverage. Voice mail or an answering machine
should be available for those hours you are not actually taking
calls.

While voice mail or an answering machine will provide coverage,
you must respond to inquires received on a timely basis. While
you have a better chance of closing the sale if you are available
when they do call, this is the next best alternative.

Another thing that you should do, is to try to capture their
telephone number, the best time to return the call and their
email address if they do call outside your normal working hours.
This works especially well if you follow up with an email sending
them a carefully crafted message. In that message thank them for
their inquiry, and if they respond, be sure to return their call.
If they don't respond to your email, you should still follow up,
however, the odds of making a sale have decreased dramatically.

No matter what you do, you will not close a sale with everyone
who calls. If you present a "business like" image, the odds that
you will be successful, will increase dramatically, and you will
realize that dream of no commute, not having to play office
politics, and hopefully there will be some income.

About the Author
Bob publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter
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