A home based business is a magnificent idea in a career or in making money today. With a home based business you are answerable only to yourself. It used to be that starting up a home based business was too much like a mere fantasy for most people who were not writers or artists (and we all know about the proverbial struggling artists and writers). But since the advent of the Internet in the mid-1990s, home based businesses have been able to flourish.The Internet contains well over 10,000 products that others have designed and made that you could sell as an affiliate. Affiliate marketing is a huge force in the home based business world. But there are other ways of having a home based business without being a marketing affiliate getting paid by Click-Bank. The Internet and cheap VoIP and cell phone calling technologies have made it possible for many people to start up their own home based businesses.Today, you can even start up your own home based business where your employees also work from their homes. All meetings can be done via cell phone, Skype, Instant Messenger, or online meeting programs like Go To Meeting, WebEx, and Adobe’s online meeting software. Many small business owners today even outsource their work overseas for a fraction of the salaries they would pay to US employees (those overseas employees have far lower standards of living and therefore their lower pay goes much further there than it would here). Again, our modern communications technologies make this all possible. Let’s look at the advantages of the home based business no matter how you’re going to do it: as a small business owner with some employees or just by yourself.Tip 1: You run everything. Yes, if you own your own business, you only answer to yourself. Wouldn’t it feel amazing to get up when you desire, never have to be on another person’s time sheet, never have to deal with a miserable manager, set all of your own hours, and be in control of your financial destiny? Yes, this takes a lot of commitment and personal discipline, but the freedom is worth every ounce of such costs.Tip 2: You have low overhead. You don’t have to spend money on commuting fuel. You cut down on wear and tear on your vehicle. You don’t have to rent or pay utilities at an office. You don’t need to buy everyone’s office supplies. You won’t end up eating out nearly as much as you would “on the run.”Tip 3: You can tend to your familial needs. You don’t have to beg for time off or use up precious “sick days” to tend to your kids. You can work while still keeping your home in order. You can relax and have dinner with your spouse and family even if you plan to go back to work again in the evening. You can pick the kids up from school or day care, or even cut out your day care bill entirely.And all of this adds up to less stress and, compared to traditional small businesses, greater profit margins. If you’re someone who is tired of losing the race to rats, if you dream of independence personally and financially, you need a home based business.

Looking to hire a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm for your small business? Going the CPA way might actually make sense over hiring just any accountant. The problem is, how do you know which is the right CPA firm for you? Here are some of the factors to consider while selecting a small business CPA firm.

1. Does the firm specialize in serving small businesses like yours?
A CPA firm specialized in serving small businesses is likely to understand and address the challenges unique to small businesses more effectively than one that is not. Also, it is likely to be efficient and agile in serving your needs as its services, processes and operations are built to cater to small businesses.

2. Does the firm have any client(s) in your industry?
A CPA firm specializing in serving small businesses in your industry is likely to be more familiar with the accounting principles and tax laws specific to your industry than a CPA that serves clients in any and all industries. This industry experience makes it an effective and informed business advisor for better business decision-making.

3. Does the firm offer all the CPA services you currently need or will need in the near future?
As your business grows, you will need a CPA firm that provides more than just accounting, tax, payroll and bookkeeping services. You will need a firm that can also be your business consultant, part-time CFO and a personal financial planner. Hire one that is a good fit for your present needs but also has the capacity to serve you as you expand.

4. Does the firm have expertise in areas relevant to your needs?
Understand your needs first before seeking a solution. For example, if your internal staff handles your accounting and bookkeeping but you need an outside help for certain types of taxes, then hire a CPA firm that is an expert in those types of taxes, preferably in your industry. If you want to setup a retirement plan for yourself and/or for your employees, hire a CPA firm that also provides financial advisory services.

5. What credentials and licenses in accounting and finance do the firm employees have?
Most highly-recognized professional credentials in accounting and finance, such as CPA, CFP, CFA, PFS, EA, etc., have requirements for continuing education and compliance with their standards to ensure that the professional is not only knowledgeable about the subject matter but also that his/her knowledge is up-to-date. It’s always wise to hire professionals with the highest professional credentials in the field of your needs.

6. Who will actually serve your account?
A typical CPA firm has accounting staff ranging from the most junior staff accountant to the most senior firm partner. Their ranks are largely determined based on their level of expertise and experience. Ask your CPA firm who will be your single point of contact for your account and who else will work on your engagement.

7. What is the firm’s client callback policy?
One of the main reasons to hire a small local CPA firm is the ease of access. Ask whether they have a written policy of returning client’s calls within 24 hours and addressing their queries and getting them resolved within 72 hours. Also, find out whether they will be available over the weekend for an occasional urgent situation.

8. What fees will the firm charge?
Depending on the nature and scope of your engagement, a CPA firm may quote you either an hourly rate or a flat fee. Ask them to explain why their quote type (hourly or flat) is appropriate for your situation. Also, ask whether there is anything you can do on your side to help lower the fees.

9. Is the firm also skilled in preparing personal tax returns and providing other personal finance services, if needed?
Most small businesses are flow-through business entities whereby their business profits and losses flow through their personal tax returns at the year-end. Therefore, as a small business owner, you need a CPA firm that has experts in not only accounting and taxes but also in personal finances.Such a CPA firm applies a holistic view to your finances in devising optimal tax strategies.

10. Does the firm have a strong referral network for your other professional service needs?
For many small businesses, their CPA is their most trusted source for many great referrals. You should be able to count on your CPA for reliable referrals for your other professional service needs such as legal, financing, banking, investment and insurance. Once you hire the right CPA firm, it should become your primary source for other reliable professionals.

Gone are the days of secretaries being tied to desks outside the boss’s office. With the advancement of technology, a new online home based business is developing along with it – the virtual assistant. This online home based business allows someone to do almost all of the administrative tasks necessary for a business from home, which benefits both the employer and the virtual assistant. By not having to pay for benefits, an online home based business as a virtual assistant becomes appealing especially to smaller companies on a smaller budget.For many employers, hiring a virtual assistant is much more cost effective. This online home based business allows employers to hire someone to do simple administrative tasks outside of their office, saving space. Also, since this online home based business means that the individual is a contracted employee, usually the employer does not have to pay for training, healthcare, or vacation time.Still, if you are considering starting your own online home based business as a virtual assistant, you need to realize that it is still work. You will first need to determine what type of virtual assistant you want to be, and you will need to gear your online home based business toward that niche. Then you will need to decide how much time you want to devote to your online home based business so that you can set appropriate limits as a virtual assistant.Yet, you need to understand that the first days of your online home based business will probably require you to work more hours than you originally wanted to work. After all, you are still in the building phase of your online home based business as a virtual assistant, and you will want to establish solid practices to gain clientele. During this time of building your online home based business as a virtual assistant you will need to remain flexible.Also, creating an effective marketing strategy is essential to starting your own online home based business as a virtual assistant. You know your niche, and now you need to market your online home based business to those that will use it the most. Remember, you are trying to build your online home based business, so it is good to market yourself as a virtual assistant wherever you go. Even joining a networking group is effective if you want to build your home based business as a virtual assistant, as many companies are often looking for help with administrative tasks.Read the rest of the article here: Online Home Based Business.