Although the United States does not have an official language, the vast majority of the population speaks American English. However there are an estimated 337 other languages spoken by the population. Spanish is the second most common language in the U.S. with it being spoken by over 12% of the population. The Chinese languages, French, German, Tagalog (of the Philippine’s), Vietnamese, Italian, Korean and Russian round out the top ten languages spoken in the United States according to the 2000 census.

As we move towards a more culturally diverse country, coupled with the impact of globalization on our economy – the need for translation services will increase. Most, if not all major corporations offer a Spanish language translation to their customers via telephone IVR systems, marketing materials and other customer promotional items. It’s easy for them to do this because they have the budget and manpower to put into it, but this isn’t the case for the small business owner – and this is where you come in!

If you are fluent in multiple languages, consider putting that highly valuable skill to good use by starting a Translation Service business. The Internet book of the last 15 years has had a tremendous effect on marketing, for the first time in history the small business owner can reach a global audience with just a few clicks of the mouse. The unfortunate thing is that most of them are not capitalizing on this wonderful advantage due to fears of language and cultural barriers. If a Translation Service sounds like a business that you’d be interested in keep these things in mind:

1. What are the set up costs of a translation service business: For the price of marketing materials, a website, and the cost of your business license – you can start a translation service business. The main component of your business model is the ability to speak another language(s), however it is important that you are fluent and well versed in the proper spelling, grammar, tenses, etc.

If you need to brush up on those things, we suggest making the investment in Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone language courses. Remember that your clients are business owners and professional so their documents must reflect that no matter what language they are written in.

2. How much money can I expect to make?: The going rate for professional translation services is 0.15 to 0.30 per word, however the larger companies tend to pad this amount with minimal requirements and other processing fees. It’s not uncommon for a 75 word document to run the neighborhood of $100 if not more. Considering the fact that the average email sent in the United States contains 50 words, paying $100 for translation is not cost effective.

Your competitive edge will be found in your price point. By keeping your minimum requirements low coupled with a wide range of services, you will make a name for your business.

3. How can I market my translation service business?: The first thing you’ll want to do is establish your online presence. This will allow you to reach a global market. Your marketing efforts however will begin on a more local level until you can build the revenue to advertise on a broader skill. Your target demographic will be businesses that while they attract a culturally diverse client base, they have no materials available in the language(s) you specialize in. Offer to, for a free or reduced rate – translate one page of their brochure, website or other important documents in exchange for their testimonial or reference.

Don’t limit yourself to brick & mortar businesses, reach out to online businesses as well.

When approached with professionalism, the possibilities of the translation service business are endless. As your client base grows, you may also consider hiring employees who are fluent in other languages as well. This will expand your reach and give you a leg up on the competition!

Rosetta Stone Version 3: Spanish (Latin America) Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio Companion

For the cost of cleaning supplies and a stack of marketing materials – you can be well on your way to starting a Home or Office Cleaning business! A cleaning business is flexible and versatile in many ways. You can offer your services to small business offices, churches, day care centers, private homes, and much more. Due to the ease of start-up and low overhead costs, the cleaning business is often crowded and can be very competitive in some areas.

Here are a few things you will want to keep in mind if you are considering a Home or Office Cleaning Business:

1. What range of services will you offer?: This is one service based business where it may be best to keep your list of services as flexible as possible. Where one client may want to hire you for a weekly deep cleaning of their home, another client may need a one time service of clearing a cluttered garage.
Someone may want a laundry service while another wants carpet cleaning. Be open to your clients needs and wants.

2. In what ways can you set yourself apart from the rest?: A home-owner or business in the market for a cleaning service ultimately want just two things – a clean home or office and peace of mind. How good you are at providing those things will determine the success of your business. When a person allows you into your private space, they are trusting that you will not steal or do anything else to betray their trust. As a small business owner, you do not have the brand recognition of a larger cleaning company, so you will have to work harder to gain clients. To give them peace of mind it may be wise to insure and bond your business, keep an up-to-date copy of your driving record, and criminal background check. You should offer to show any new client this information.

As society grows more conscious of the environmental impact of certain chemicals, people are moving towards eco-friendly or “green” alternatives. You can reach that demographic by offering green cleaning solutions and child-friendly methods. This will be very important for families.

3. How can I market and advertise my cleaning business: When it comes to advertising – you will want to concentrate your efforts to high volume social places. Your local grocery store, day care facility, church or shopping plaza are ideal locations. Consider spending the money to run a print ad in your towns newspaper and CraigsList.com is another great (free) alternative. Building your word of mouth reputation will be important, offer to clean the homes of friends and associates in exchange for a testimonial of your services. You may also want to consider marketing a contract deal to local apartment complexes, Realtors and credit unions. These companies will always need a reliable service to thoroughly clean apartments and homes after leases end, evictions and foreclosures. In fact, specializing in foreclosure clean-up may prove to be highly profitable.

Though the overall start up costs of a cleaning business are very low, you don’t want to make the error of skipping over the important steps. Make sure to register your business legally with your county, state and the IRS. Purchase a domain name and establish a website. Finally, you are a cleaning professional and must present yourself as such at all times. Although you are cleaning messes, your appearance should remain tidy!

Sam Rodman has a great manual available for just $37.97  where he gives step by step guidance on starting your business, securing leads, submitting job bids and appropriate price models.

Purchase yours today at the low price of $37.94 : Start Your Own Cleaning Service

Do you find yourself going to your friends or family’s homes to organize their mess? Does your brother call you when he needs help decluttering his home office? Or perhaps your mom tempts you with her tasty baked apple pies in exchange for tidying the kitchen pantry? If this sounds like you, then chances are – you have a talent suited for a professional organizer! One of the wonderful aspects of starting a professional organizing business is the minimal costs involved.

Professional Organizers aren’t required to have years of formal training rather an uncanny skill for establishing useful systems and order in peoples homes and office spaces.If you are looking to start your own professional organizing business, here are a few useful tips to get you started:

5  Tips to Starting a Professional Organizing Business

1. Establish your business legally: The most important step in starting any business is legal set-up. Due to the nature of a professional organizing business, this step should be relatively simple and quick. It will be important to research the state tax requirements for your business type. You will also want to inquire about any insurance needs as well. Even if your state does not mandate business insurance for professional organizers, you should consider purchasing liability insurance, heavens forbid you break an antique while organizing a client’s home.

2. Establish your online presence: Waste no time in purchasing your domain name and building your website.Although you may be tempted to spend a ton of money on a fancy webpage design, it isn’t necessary. There are many template services that allow easy set up – you can have your site up and running in a matter of hours. Using WordPress as your site’s platform is also another inexpensive option to explore. There are literally hundreds of free WordPress themes (templates) that are easy to install.

3. Determine your target demographic: The key to effective marketing is to focus on your target demographic. Are you going to market your services to families, busy professional singles, small businesses? The answer to this will help you navigate the best advertising approach. If you intend to market your services towards families, you will want to place advertisements in places like super markets, daycare centers and schools. For busy professionals you may choose to advertise at local gyms, lounges and meeting places.

4. Build your Professional Organizer portfolio: When courting potential clients you will need a professional portfolio to display your work. This portfolio should include before and after photos of the work you’ve done, examples of your methods, systems and literature about your services. Building an adequate portfolio will likely require that you organize several homes free of charge in exchange for permission to use these photos in your book. This will give you an opportunity to hone in on your skill while developing your client interaction.

5. Set your price model: As a Professional Organizer there will be times when you will charge per hour and other instances where you will charge per job. $35 to $50 per hour is the going rate for professional organizers – the greater your experience, the higher your rate.

The job of an organizer goes beyond clearing clutter – in many ways you will also be a teacher and a psychologist. There are varying degrees of disorganization, messier homes are often an underlying symptom to a larger problem. Your role will be most pivotal in identifying that problem and providing solutions to overcome them.

There’s a great book available for download: How to Start a Home-Based Professional Organizing Business, for just $29 – you will have instant access to the best walk-thru manual on the subject.

$29.00 Start a Professional Organizing Business