Branching Out - Adding More Services/Products to Your Home Business

Susan's home business started out as nothing more than a hobby. She liked creating soap in her home kitchen and molding it into various shapes. Putting together the right recipes, a knack for creating good soap and her artistic skills, she specialized in creating beautiful roses from soap that made wonderful gifts for friends and family. Her first order came from an appreciative friend who asked if she would make some more for her, so she can gift them to her friends.

A year later, Susan is running a small, yet carefully-managed home business. She spends two days a week creating her trademark Rose soaps as well as soaps in a variety of other shapes and scents. She sells her merchandise in her own stall in the local weekend crafts market, as well as directly to a growing list of faithful clients.

Many home businesses start out this way, with a single quality product or service that gains a following. However, if you're serious about developing your home business, there comes a stage where expanding your catalogue should be considered.

The first stages of building your business are dedicated to testing and trying things. You will be learning what works and what doesn't in so many areas, including production, customer service, marketing and more. At these early stages, it's best to focus on a limited number of products or services. This will keep the production process simpler and let you focus on bringing together the various aspects of running your home business.

When your business has been established, you will find yourself with working routines, marketing techniques and most of all, customers. Expanding your potential income using your existing customer base could be relatively easy at this point. 

When choosing products or services to add to your catalogue try to find those that

For example, if your business is translating documents for your clients, why not offer editing as well? Your clients most likely deal with published material and may require editing services. If you do web design, why not offer web hosting?

Or, to get back to Susan, if you sell soaps, why not start a line of aromatic oils? Or maybe start a line of bath and beauty gift baskets? Be creative. Homemade chocolate can be accompanied by fruit and wine, and hey, so can jewelry!

You may consider sub-contracting some of the services. If you're a translator, you may want to hire a typist and take on typing projects as well. This will allow you to expand the scope of available services without having to spend more time doing the actual work yourself. If you provide goods, you may want to buy the accompanying new products. How about adding sets of fluffy towels to your soaps? You don't have to weave them, just to buy the right ones at the right price and add your profit margin.

Branching out isn't a one time event. Once your business is established you should and probably will be, always on the lookout for new profitable products and services that you can integrate into your catalogue. Use common sense when incorporating new ventures. Don't bring in more than you can swallow and give yourself time to learn the new product or service thoroughly before moving on.