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In her new book, "The Self-Employed
Woman’s Guide to Launching a Home-Based Business," author and
business owner Priscilla Huff writes, "The mission of this book is
to present to women everywhere practical information to start a
successful home business that best suits their lives and their
future. … I have strived to comprehensively cover as many home
business basics as possible for your startup and to provide you with
the most helpful resources I could find."
"An
Overview & Women’s Business -- Past, Present, Future"
Huff presents a complete overview of
the pros and cons of self-employment. She identifies some common
characteristics shared by self-employed women (persistence, problem
solving, etc.), and the effect on the family and home life. She also
addresses startup necessities such as bookkeeping, insurance, legal
matters and marketing.
One of the most valuable passages in
this section is the "Eleven Frequently Asked Questions About
Self-Employment;" especially interesting is her explanation of good
places to begin looking for information (such as the public
library).
In discussing the recent evolution of
self-employment opportunities for women, Huff describes the five
home business "truths" and the 10 home business axioms. One of the
more interesting myths she dispels is, "I will not need child care
if I work at home."
"Preparation & Startup Basics"
Generally a timetable for starting your
own business begins as early as one year before the actual startup.
Huff’s recommended timetable follows a defined outline at the
six-month, four-month, three-month and startup time periods.
Preparation includes preliminary research, a decision on opening a
product- or service-based business, finding potential markets and
customers, and considerations before quitting your day job. Perhaps
the most important aspects of preparation are the three essential
plans: business, financial and marketing. According to Huff, these
documents "will help you define your business and make it a
success."
"Legal
Considerations & Financing"
In starting a home business there are
many legal considerations. Those issues include choosing a name,
securing an EIN (a federal employer identification number), and
determining whether the business will be established as a
proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Huff also walks the
reader through the myriad of licenses, regulations, labor laws and
zoning matters.
In assessing the financial needs of
your home business, Huff explains how to estimate your expenses and
how to pursue the different kinds of business financing available to
the small-business person. One often ignored but very useful
variation of financing is bartering, the exchanging of goods and
services for items and services that a business cannot afford.
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"Open
For Business & Managing And Maintaining A Profitable Home Business"
Once you open your doors for business
you should have in place a plan to attract customers and develop
markets. Normally this is accomplished through a marketing plan that
defines your strategies for advertising, public relations and
networking. As your markets grow and mature, management issues can
become more complex. Record keeping, taxes, credit/debt and hiring
options are just a few of the examples. It is during this time in
the life of a home business that certain costly mistakes must be
avoided. Some common mistakes include thinking like an employee
instead of an owner, inadequate monitoring of your cash flow and not
listening to your customers.
"Other
Issues"
Huff’s concluding chapters discuss
relevant topics such as government contacts and assistance, how to
establish an online presence, and planning for the future of your
business. The decision to have an online presence is influenced by
many factors: developing and marketing your website, business e-mail
accounts, and adhering to standard Internet business practices.
The future success of any business is
dependent on staying in touch with the customers, recognizing
emerging trends and adjusting to changing realities in the world of
self-employment.
Any woman
who is considering the challenges and opportunities associated with
a home business should make "The Self-Employed Woman’s Guide to
Launching a Home-Based Business" a first read. The book is a
start-to-finish blueprint for aspiring entrepreneurs who have always
dreamed of being their own boss and running their own business. Kim
Lisi, the managing editor of HOME Business Journal, writes,
"Patricia Huff has taken the guesswork out of home business
startups. This comprehensive book is destined to become the
preferred resource for entrepreneurial women everywhere." This book
is recommended for women who are considering a career in
self-employment or starting a home-based business.
[Richard Sumrall, Lincoln Public
Library District]
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"I couldn’t be happier," said Jennifer,
who appeared in six theater productions at Lincoln College along
with the vocal group Express and the college’s dance group. "I’ll
get to do a little bit of everything. I’ll be acting in
Steppenwolf’s next play, ‘The time of Your Life’ by William Saroyan.
"After that show is over I’ll be an
understudy, work in the box office, possibly work backstage. I don’t
have any definite assignments yet."
Because many of Steppenwolf’s founders
are ISU graduates, the theater company chooses as many as two
interns each year from ISU’s theater program. This year 15 students
auditioned, and Jennifer and a student from Indiana were chosen.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is an
international performing arts institution, which was incorporated in
1976 with nine members, most of them Illinois State University
graduates. The company now includes 33 theater artists, whose
talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual
adaptation, and has performed more than 200 works.
It has produced a number of nationally
known actors, including John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf and Gary
Sinise, who are still members of the theater company and come back
from time to time to work in Chicago.
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"Steppenwolf takes interns only from
ISU. It’s a kind of tribute," Jennifer said. "ISU has an excellent
theater school and has a lot to offer students who are passionate
about theater.
"I wouldn’t have gotten where I am now
if I hadn’t gone to both schools," she added. "Dan McLaughlin and
Jerry Dellinger [theater directors at Lincoln College] have been
good directors and good friends. The teachers at ISU are also very
supportive and very smart about their craft. They have had
professional experience and can prepare students for the world of
theater."
Jennifer has also signed up with a
talent agency in Chicago. "I did a showcase at the end of my last
semester at ISU for theaters and agencies looking for new, young
talent. I signed with Stuart Talent, which can provide experience in
modeling, acting and making commercials.
"My family is so happy for me. They are
very supportive. I couldn’t ask for better parents."
She thinks she’ll probably miss
Lincoln, but she’s very excited about this new opportunity.
"This is a
big step — the start of the career that I’ve been dreaming of since
I was a little girl."
[Joan
Crabb]
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Thursday,
Sept. 12
"Breakfast
at Tiffany’s" (1961)
Audrey
Hepburn, George Peppard, Buddy Ebsen, Patricia Neal
Based
on Truman Capote’s novel, this is the story of a young jet-setting
woman in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her
apartment building.
Thursday,
Oct. 10
Horror/sci-fi
double feature
"Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1931)
Frederic
March, Miriam Hopkins
Based
on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Dr. Henry Jekyll believes
that there are two distinct sides to men: a good and an evil side.
He faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild
with a potion that changes him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.
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section]
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"The
Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951)
Michael
Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe
An
alien (Klaatu) with his mighty robot (Gort) lands their spacecraft
on cold-war Earth just after the end of World War II. He tells the
people of Earth that we must live peacefully or be destroyed as a
danger to other planets.
Tickets
will be available at Serendipity Stitches, 129 S. Kickapoo; the
Lincoln Public Library Annex; at the door; or by calling (217)
732-4298. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2.50
for children 13 and under. These features are one show only, with
limited seating.
[Logan
County Arts Association ]
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