Cash In On The Job Hunting Boom

:: Home » Library » Home Based Business Ideas Part 1

This manual is written during perhaps the worst recession Britain or the
world has ever known. It contents may lead the passive reader to believe
this might be quickly datedtext, one which might no longer prove valid
once the recession of the early 1990s ends. But it isn't! Recession might
of course lend itself exceedingly well to the ideas and proposals formulated
in the text, but the contents will almost certainly apply when periods of
boom return to the national and personal economy.

There will, you see, always be scope for businesses designed to improve the
lot of opportunity seekers, job hunter, would be and established
entrepreneurs alike. Out text is therefore dedicated to helping those
millions of people who intent tosurvive this and any other recession
Britain might encounter.

So exactly what services and product might the reader provide to countless
potential customers in the business, careers and extra income opportunities
field? We begin with perhaps the greatest moneymaker of all, namely the
marketing of information products: news letters, manuals, books, audio and
video cassettes, business plans, and many other very lucrative end products.

MARKETING INFORMATION PRODUCTS

A great many home publishers, though working in the overall sector of self
improvement, have proved quick to realise the enormous profits awaiting
those who branch out into the marketing of information on a wide range of
business plans and business opportunities, long with the perhaps more
universal demand for manuals and news letters relating to specific careers
and jobs opportunities.

Information might be provided in a variety of ways, including traditional
forms: manuals and written documents. Advances in technology provide scope
for even newly established publishers to produce their information packages
on audio and video cassettes, thereby allowing a wider potential market to
be tapped.

Just a few of the many opportunities open to you in publishing include:

Producing a range of booklets, audio and video cassettes aimed at specific
careers, and perhaps concentrating on a particular section of society
For school and college students you might
therefore concentrate on specific careers in: the police force, nursing,
journalism, and many other popular options. For other sections of the
labour force you might provide information on setting up in business as
an alternative to working form someone else; produce a range of
information products relating to homework opportunities, mail order
openings, and so on. You might alternatively do as does one current
advertiser in the national press, and concentrate ontopics of interest
to those recently made redundant, providing a wide range of information
on alternative jobs and careers, opportunities for self employment,
investment options, job application and interview techniques, and any
other subjects which might prove of interest to the reader.

As an adjunct to their normal publishing venture, many operators provide
an information update service, usually by means of regular newsletter
distributed to subscribers. Herewe find a large and growing number of
mail order bulletins, business and moneymaking news letter, homework
publications, and updates on job vacancies in other parts of the world.

Products can be sold by direct mail where they have the relatively
universal appeal that such as homework and moneymaking opportunities enjoy,
or else by means of display and classified advertising where a large but
specialised market exists, as might be the case for newsletters directed
at those seeking employment abroad. There are even newsletters and other
publications, which tough specialising in just one country or region of
the world, nevertheless find their subscribers' list growing to a degree
which necessitates them employing extra staff to cope with demand.
Examples here include specialist information relating to migration to
Canada, Australia and New Zealand; jobs opportunities in South Africa;
Kibbutz volunteers placement services, and several similar services.

Amongst the many newsletters and manuals currently available from
publishers today we find: Jobs Overseas; Overseas Employment Directory;
Live and Work Abroad (including a verywide selection of specific venues);
Jobs at Sea; The Homework and Home Business Opportunities Directory;
Entrepreneurs' Newsletter; Jobs on Oil Rigs; The Home Business Digest and
Jobs on Cruise Yachts.

A novel interpretation of an opportunities information service, currently
operating to very profitable effect in the United States, is that which
finds the operator collating cuttings and advertisements from a wide
variety of sources, which are then matched against customers' personal
details, ready for inclusion in the personalised opportunities package
sent to each customer. Subscription costs are relatively high, but
because customers know they will receive only hand selected opportunities,
many continue to subscribe year after year.

Produce and market a range of newsletter or bulletins on job hunting and
interview techniques, to which range a self assessment careers analysis
bulletins might also be included. Anyone with managerial experience,
especially in personnel selection and staff management, might well find
an ideal opening here for their skills.

Those operating in this field might also consider providing a curriculum
vitae service, perhaps also including assistance in completing application
forms, writing letters of application, and so on.

Research and write up on openings in: music, the stage, show business,
modelling, and so on. Other specialised information products for those
contemplating a more down to earth career might include market trading,
freelance writing, mail orderand home based business opportunities.
Newsletters, update bulletins, correspondence and home study courses,
all do remarkably well for publishers in this field of information
marketing.

A SELECTION OF TOPICS FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION PRODUCTS

How and Where to Raise Capital
How to Break into Television
How to Break into Radio
Earn your Living as a Freelance Writer
How to Sell Used Books
How to Become a Stockbroker
How to Start an Advertising Agency
How to Become a Bookkeeper
How to Get the Job You Really Want
Open your Own Shop
How to Sell More
How to Start Your Own Newsletter
Start Your Own Mail Order Company
Write and Sell Correspondence Courses
How to Write Greetings Card Verses
Which Franchise For You?
How to Write Classified Advertisements
A Fortune from Classified Ads
How Mail Order Millions are Made
The Secrets of Import Export Riches
Cash in on Car Security
How to Get Free Business Benefits

USEFUL PLACEMENTS IN WHICH TO ADVERTISE YOUR MANUALS
AND INFORMATION PRODUCTS

Exchange and Mart, Link House, 25 West Street, Poole, Dorset,BH15 1LL

The Opportunist, 24 Tranmere Crescent, Heysham, Morecambe,Lancs., LA3 2BD

It's In The Post, 1 Middlefield Road, Rotherham, South Yorks,S60 3JH

Karael International, Karael House, 76 Gover Street, StAustell, Cornwall,
PL25 5NG

Guide to Business Opportunities (GTBO), P O Box 88,Broadstairs, Kent,
CT10 1UB

Business Head Start, 6 May Court, Nottingham, NG5 2BG

Homeworkers Post, P O Box 99, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1YY

Stamped and Addressed, 33 Kennistoun House, Leighton Road,London, NW5 2UT

The Business Venture, 7 South King Street, Blackpool, Lancs.,
FY4 4LS

Daltons Weekly, CI Tower, St. Georges Square, New Malden,Surrey, KT3 4JA

The Trader, 13 Wine Office Court, Fleet Street, London, EC4A

Loot, 24-32 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 5UJ

Trading Place, Maze Media Ltd., 89 East Hill, Colchester,Essex, CO1 2QN

How to Grow Rich, Merlin Publications Ltd., 95 Ditchling Road,Brighton,
EN1 4SE

The Millionaire Magazine, 62 Hollyfield, Harlow, Essex, CM194NA

Money Pages, 131 Hurst Street, Oxford, OX4 1HE

The New Entrepreneur, Imprint Publishing, Sylvan House,Dundreggan,
Glenmoriston, Inverness, IV3 6YJ

Out In Front, 20 Baneberry Drive, Featherstone, Wolverhampton,WV10 7TR

Money Matters, Avalian, High Hesleden, Hartlepool, Cleveland,TS27 4PZ

A SELECTION OF USEFUL ADDRESSES OR THE PUBLISHER

The Direct Selling Association, 44 Russell Square, London,WC1B 4JB.
This organisation can provide information relatingto suitable
opportunities for direct selling specialists.

The British List Brokers Association, Springfield House,Princes Street,
Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4EF

The Direct Mail Producers Association, 34 Grand Avenue,London, N10 3PB

The British Direct Marketing Association, 1 New Oxford Street,London,
WC1A 1NQ

Association of Mail Order Publishers, 1 New Burlington Street,London,
W1X 1FD

BUSINESS PLANS AND OPPORTUNITIES

One of the largest markets of all operating primarily in the mail order
market a very handsome living indeed can be earned by those marketing
popular business plans and information products. That lucrative income
to the mail order operator though, compares as nothing to that which
might be earned by the originator and writer of the plan or manual
concerned.

Okay, so there are countless business manuals available today, surely
very few of which can bring unlimited wealth to their authors and
publishers, the reason usually being that they are nothing more than
rehashes or updates, even copies, of something already available from
some other publisher in this country, or in some other part of the world.

The way to wealth in this section of the mail order market is not
therefore one of carbon copying an already popular product, but rather
producing something unique which is then marketed with gusto.

'Unique', in this respect, has several interpretations. You might in fact
have written a variation on a relatively well worn theme, but with a
carefully selected title your offering might stand alone, even enjoy
unprecedented success in the publishing field.

Successful plans and opportunities can take shape as varied as the topics
they cover, ranging from single volumes with exciting promise filled titles,
to those highly popular instalment plans that attract a sizable monthly
income for their author and promoter, and on to the equally prolific spate
of correspondence and home study courses now proving popular with the
information buying public.

Amongst the many excellent titles enjoying well earned popularity in
today's mail order market we find: The Key to Success and Wealth;
Armchair Tycoon; Wealth Creation; Successand Achievement, and several
other notable contributions. Take a look at those included here, and
though you might know nothing at all of their contents, chances are you
will find these titles extremely inviting. I venture to suggest there
is ample scope for another product of similar content destined to enjoy
remarkable success with a suitable and inimitable title to propel it to
the top.

Amongst today's more popular single volume business products

CAREER ANALYSIS AND GUIDANCE

Sad, but true, is the fact that millions of people will spend the whole
of their working lives in jobs they hate, doing work they are not
especially suited to, and missing out on other openings which would have
provided the challenges and intrinsic rewards they perhaps will never know.
The reason, usually, is that many people never take the time or opportunity
to consider other professions, careers or businesses which might have
fulfilled their expectations. Those who do take time out to consider an
alternative lifestyle, rarely have access to adequate or sufficient
information from which to make a reasoned analysis of their suitability
for the position concerned.

This is where the career analyst comes in, offering as he does to match
the individual's personal attributes and qualifications against whatever
qualities contribute to job satisfaction and success in alternative
methods of earning one's living. Today's analyst will almost certainly
use a computer to aid his research on career opportunities and
requirements, which are then cross matched for suitability to the
individual client. A number of good books are available, of interest to
the newcomer to career analysis, who might also find his road greatly
eased by means of custom designed computer software, whether personally
created or produced by outside computer specialists. The career
analyst's services can be offered in person or by mail order.

On perhaps a less technical note, the analyst might offer to provide a
personal assessment service carried out on a one-to-one basis between
counsellor and individual client, with nothing but questions and answers
to aid the route to selection of suitable employment opportunities. The
counsellor might elect to offer a general service to guide clients towards
one or a range of careers; he or she might alternatively specialise in
executive recruitment; placements for young people, or opportunities for
the retired, redundant, home-bound, and so on.

An interesting variation on the career analysts' role is one currently
operating in Canada, but as yet almost unheard of in any other part of the
world. The frustrated job hunter simply dials the telephone number
provided, following which he or she can 'buy' time at a standard rate for
each half hour's service, during which time he or she has the personal
and undivided attention of the careers analyst on the other end of the
line. Problems of later non-payment or cash flow crises are alleviated by
means of prior debit of fees from one's creditcard, from details provided
at the outset of the conversation.

Gaining in popularity in all parts of the world are a number of
self-improvement sessions held in venues as widely diversified as local
church halls and up-market hotel conference suites, where for a once-off
payment ranging from a few pounds to several hundred pounds, the participant
can listen to a series of lectures on jobs and self-employment
opportunities, following which he may take part in discussion
groups and personal interviews with careers analysts and experienced
professionals in the vocation or business of their choice. Sometimes
the 'course' requires half a day's attendance; sometimes a full day;
at other times, course members will be provided with food and
accommodation for an assessment period lasting anywhere between a
weekend and a fortnight in duration.

Perhaps the most important thing to point out at this stage is that,
certainly where this type of course or programme is concerned, the
organiser need not himself possess formal qualifications of any type.
Instead he arranges the course; seeks out suitably qualified analysts,
speakers and group leaders; advertises for course participants;
collects thefees; coordinates between member and 'staff';
then takes avirtual back set as the proceedings get under way.

On a less personal note, a careers advisory service can take place by mail,
with aptitude tests and questionnaires used to bridge the gap between
counsellor and client. You might also consider answering problem letter
for a set fee per letter or expected time to answer individual questions.

Career analysis, along with most of those variations discussed in this
guide, might be incorporated into one's other operations as publisher,
newsletter writer, curriculum vitae specialist, or other related
professional or business operation.

JOB HUNTING SERVICES

OPERATING A CV SERVICE

Known by its longer title curriculum vitae' the term CV cantake on a
very awe-inspiring role indeed, surprisingly so when one considers that
the CV actually comprises nothing but a detailed document of biographical
data of interest to potential employer and sometimes course organisers.
The application form used extensively in past decades, presented a great
many problems to employers and prospective employees alike. Primary
amongst those problems was the fact that the form, being a standard
production provided to all of sometimes several hundred applicants,
afforded little or no scope for the inclusion of personal details the
applicant might have considered highly appropriate to his or her
application for employment. Those details might well have proved
sufficient to sway the job in the individual's favour; the more
experienced job hunter would therefore add a covering letter or separate
page outlining those vital missing details. But for the less astute
applicant, the chances are the form would be completed and returned
devoid of those extra snippets which might well have found the hopeful
applicant receiving an interview, if not obtaining the job itself.

As unemployment grew and the jobs market became very competitive indeed,
job hunters could no longer take chances on their applications for
employment. It could in fact be said that job hunting today has become
an art form in itself, one for which a band of professional recruitment
and advisory services have come to offer a wide range of services,
included amongst them that of producing the curriculum vitae.
The CV is an open document; one which places no restrictions at all on
what information is included.

Despite its importance, the fact remains that almost anyone with a modicum
of intelligence can produce an acceptable curriculum vitae, and a wealth
of 'How To' books are available on the topic of creating document
entirely from scratch. What most people lack however is inclination and
usually, a typewriter or word processor to create the professional
appearance required of those document destined to stand out from masses
of accompanying applications.

To the rescue comes the CV specialist, operating on a local ornational
basis, who for set fee will produce the entire document on the
applicant's behalf. That fee incidentally,

To make his service the one those reading his advertisements will respond
to, one very successful CV specialist invite clients to his home to talk
through the basics of the document itself, as well as to provide scope
for interview training sessions and career consultancy services.

One very enterprising - and superbly successful - operator,holds job
hunting sessions in halls and up-market hotel complexes throughout Britain,
to which recruitment specialist, career analysts, career consultants,
and other speakers are invited to talk to course participants,
before they then go to discuss the contents of their all-important
curriculum vitae with the course organiser himself.

Advertisements for the curriculum vitae service can be placed in a
surprisingly wide variety of outlets, including: local and national
newspapers; specialist journals and job hunters'magazines; job centres;
colleges; job clubs; shop windows, post offices; via leaflet distribution,
and through agents and representatives nationwide.

EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES

This surely has to be one of those businesses renowned for surviving the
very worst of recessions and economic downturns, one which finds many,
many clients clambering for the job placement service you provide.

A great many basic forms of employment agency exist, some catering for
jobs in the locality; some providing access to temporary and seasonal
vacancies; others offering information and guidance on placements in
other areas of the country, sometimes extending their services to job
vacancies existing throughout the world.

An employment agency can usually quite easily be set up in the
entrepreneur's home just s easily as in specialised office premises.
Major problems might however occur with regard to planning permission
where one's home attracts a large amount of traffic or people, with
obviously related problems of congestion, invasion of privacy, nuisance
and noise.

Questions you must ask before you set out on this course, include:
Is there a market for the service in your locality? Will you specialise,
for instance in au pair placements, executive recruitment, secretarial
and office staff vacancies, temporary placements? Will you offer a
postal service alongside a service to clients visiting your premises?
Will you operate exclusively by mail or by personal liaison with clients?
Will you offer spin-off services, such as jobs update bulletins, career
analysis, jobs application and interview guidance, curriculum vitae
services, and so on? Where and how will you advertise.

Features of this type of business include the fact that usually it is
the employer who pays the bill, often as a predetermined percentage of
salary for the member of staff actually appointed. In the majority of
cases, the higher ormore senior the position concerned, the higher will
be the percentage of salary comprising the introduction fee.

Au pair agencies have grown rapidly in number since Britain joined the
European Community, when entrepreneurs realised the enormous potential
of providing for the mutual needs of young people wishing to improve
their knowledge of other languages in return for working and living with
a family in another part of the world, and busy households only too
willing to provide hands on language 'teaching' to that person willing
to help with household duties in return for board and lodging and
sometimes a small amount of pocket money thrown in for good measure.
But how to bring together those two mutually acquiescent groups in
that factor which presents great problems to both parties, and
thankfully also provides greatscope for a lucrative business opportunity
for that person willing to act as coordinator.

Au pair agencies operate under supervision from the Department of
Employment in the same way as do other employment agencies involving
direct contact with staff. Your premises and services will therefore be
inspected annually and a licence to operate issued where appropriate.

The agency normally relies on agents and representatives abroad to contact
prospective au pairs. Normally the agents will advertise for interested
individuals who will then be screened for suitability before being
recommended to you. In many instances, in return for mutual services,
au pair agencies in other countries will carry out similar service on
your behalf, recommending likely candidates to you in return for you
providing suitable British contact for their own au pair service.
Au pairs, usually, but not always girls, should have good references,
a clean bill o mental and physical health, and a basic understanding of
the language and traditions of the country they wish to visit. One of
the most essential pre-requisites is at least a liking for household
and child-minding duties, given that in the majority of cases,this is
the area in which their services will be most required.

Usually the au pair arranges her (or his) own transport. You arrange
a suitable placement family, usually providing information and
photographs of the visitor for family approval. Your profits come from
the fee charged to the family for the placement you arrange, and
sometimes - but notalways - you might ask a small fee of the
prospective au pair. A two-week trial period normally applies, with
replacement guaranteed where the relationship fails. Your services
to families might be advertised in most national newspapers,
particularly those with a relatively affluent readership. Other
suitable advertising publications include 'The Lady' and most
up-market glossy women's and home' lovers magazines.

Amongst those essential points to consider when contemplating:

. If you need to issue contracts, make sure you obtain comprehensive
legal advice when drafting them.

. If you begin an agency which deals with placing people to work for
others, obtain a professional indemnity insurance policy as cover against
potential accidents.

. If you operate under a business name different to your own, you must
display the business name on all stationery and al soon a notice visible
to the public.

. If you invite clients to the premises, you might find it necessary to
set two rooms aside exclusively fr business purposes: one to act as a
waiting room, the other as an interview room.

MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES

GRAPHOLOGY

Graphology - the Americans call it 'graphonomy' is the ancient art of
studying handwriting. Though popular as a management and staff recruitment
tool for several decades in the United States, it is only in recent years
that the 'science' has started gaining respectability in Britain.

The way in which one forms letters, joins letters, and various other
features of one's handwriting, will reveal to the trained eye all manner
of personal characteristics: good, bad and indifferent. The writer's
character can be revealed froma very small sample of handwriting, giving
access to individual traits, talents and tendencies, strengths and
weaknesses. How this relates to the jobs market has only recently become
apparent. A number of companies, including many whose parent firms are
based in the United States, now use the services of a good graphologist
to predict the suitability of job applicants, as well as to indicate the
fitness of current employees for promotion, further training, career
moves, and so on.

Courses and home study manuals are available to teach the art of
handwriting analysis, most of them advertised in the national press and
various business and opportunities magazines. Your services can also be
advertised in the national press; in the local press; in job hunters
magazines and bulletins; to employment agencies and recruitment
specialists; in professional journals, or approach can instead be made by
direct contact with those responsible for recruitment and staff management.
Try a mailshot to ll companies in your area, then extend your services to
include prospective clients throughout the country.