20 Small Business Ideas With Low Start Up Cost - Industry Leaders Magazine |
- 20 Small Business Ideas With Low Start Up Cost - Industry Leaders Magazine
- 'Low-risk' business, recreation activities allowed under new shelter order - Pleasanton Weekly
- Learning from New Jersey: Why Government Organizations Should Cut Ties with COBOL - Nextgov
| 20 Small Business Ideas With Low Start Up Cost - Industry Leaders Magazine Posted: 30 Apr 2020 12:00 AM PDT 
Ask anyone engaged in a dreary 9 to 5 job about their future ambition and 90 percent of the time the answer will be to be their own boss. Starting your own business and being an entrepreneur may be ideal, but not many are able to achieve that dream. Most people begin with a small business idea that they can do better than what their place of employment was doing. This is a fallacy. When starting a business, you do not fulfill only your role but the myriad other tasks that your colleagues were doing. A proper understanding of the enterprise as a whole is needed before you venture into something. Exciting Small Business Ideas for Budding Entrepreneurs!Some have incredible small business ideas but have no clue about how to make it happen. A great business idea needs proper implementation and direction to succeed. Just jumping into the great unknown, hoping things will fall in to place as you go along means, you will be a part of the statistics that say almost 83 percent of businesses fall by the wayside within the first year. Here we bring you some tried and tested, and some innovative small business ideas that you can start with low investment and less risk. ButtonsButtons are an essential item of clothing. You can either get into manufacturing the same or become a seller by buying from the wholesale market and retailing it digitally or through a shop. Our advice would be to start small. Start out by selling on digital platforms and reach out to customers in a unique and exciting way. The initial investment can be below $1000 ShoelacesThe demand for shoelaces is high, and manufacturing shoelaces has become a lucrative small business idea. You need a machine to do the braiding of the shoelaces and fit the aglet at the ends. The material can vary. Again it is about some design inputs, and being innovative about gaining customers and marketing. The initial investment is low. It all depends on the kind of machinery you invest in—basic or high-end. Chocolate makingHomemade chocolate making is a lucrative business. From being a cottage industry that you can run from your kitchen to building a specialized delivery service of innovative chocolates with different ingredients, the choices are wide. One thing is sure, you are bound to rope in customers. Depending on your scale of operations, the cost can be anywhere between $500 to $5000 to set up operations. BookkeepingIt is one business that you can do easily from home and does not require any investment except a laptop and great internet. There is a great demand for decent bookkeepers and tax consultants. One can earn a decent salary pursuing this. Organic soap and oilsStarting a business like this needs some investment. First, you need to learn the art of making soap and essential oils at home. Once you have learned the basic techniques, you can first experiment at home. Hone your skills and get confident about the process. Then proceed ahead. You will initially need to invest in the ingredients and do some advertising online, but it should not cost much. Content writing/editing/proofreadingIf you are good with your language skills and like to write, then there are numerous opportunities to get into the business. Now, almost all businesses have a webpage and need content to fill up the sites. Proofreading and editing content can be lucrative too. There is no investment involved, and you can easily operate from home. It takes time to build up a portfolio and get good money, but you can earn a decent earning. Best of all, it gives you the flexibility to operate in your own time. Online tutoringMany people are looking to learn an extra language or for some extra tuition for schoolwork or something creative. You can start independently or become a part of an online platform. The pandemic virus has suddenly turned online skill improving into a lucrative business. Audio recordingIf you have a great voice and clear diction, then this is a growing industry and pays well. It does not need any investment, you just need to rope in regular audiobooks recording clients, and you are set. Mobile haircutting salonAgain, since it is a mobile operation, you save on rental space investment. The equipment cost is not too much. You may have to invest in a car, if you don't have one. Rest depends on your skillset, advertising chops and customer relationship. If you are good, you can extend the services and rope in more people to operate under you. Makeup ArtistIf you are creative, stylish and interested in fashion and makeup, do a professional course. Do not get into it because you are good at doing your own makeup; then it is just a hobby. First, get a diploma, invest in quality equipment, and experiment. You can freelance as a makeup artist or open a makeup salon. Add short term courses for laypeople when you want to expand. The initial investment depends on your scale of operations and can be $2000 to $10,000. Logo DesignGood logo designers make a tidy sum with very few overheads. Though it is a competitive industry, you need to be creative and innovative to survive in this space. IT SupportThe whole world is using a computer or a laptop or is using some form of IT to run their lives or businesses. Quality IT support technicians can charge a decent rate for their skills and don't require too much overhead or equipment to run their businesses. Gardening and Landscaping businessIt is meant for someone who loves the outdoors and is creative. Getting some training in business is essential. The equipment may need some investment, still, it is a low overhead business. It is an evergreen business as most people need help to keep their garden green and neat. You can expand into a nursery, flower shop, and landscaping. House sittingYou can start small by offering to look after homes that are vacant for some reason for the owners. There are many cases of squatting and break-ins; hence people are happy to have someone caretake. If somebody is either residing or making regular checks on the premises, then the owners are reassured. No equipment or overheads, except good networking skills. Keeping up with the property and estate laws will be a great help. Business consultingQuality business consultants can turn things around for businesses in trouble. If you have years of experience, have authored some books and articles, then people are ready to pay hefty amounts for the right advice, which, tied in with low overheads, makes business consulting a profitable business to embark upon. People just getting into consulting need to build up a legacy first, start by writing for publications, giving lectures at seminars, etc. It is all about building a brand, your self. Here are some unique businesses you can start Pizza ConsultantThis may not seem odd but sure is tailor-made for anyone who is interested in traveling, eating, and experimenting with food. Pizza consultants measure the freshness of the cheese, the bubbles on its, choose the right sauce for the ingredients used, and more. You do need some expertise in the kitchen for it to work for you. There are also pizzeria management courses that one can do. But it sounds fun and an exciting way to experience the world. Professional line standersIf you are one of those people who need to buy the latest gadget on the day of its release or want to see a popular movie on the first day, you can hire a professional queue to stand in line to get the gadget or the tickets to the show. Sometimes people stand in line for 12 hours for a sale or a gadget, and this can be a viable alternative. You can negotiate depending on your paying abilities and desperation to get the device. Full-time Netflix viewerThis might be a dream job for some. Netflix hires people to view their content before publishing to tag and categorize it under the right heading correctly. They view the content and assign it under the correct category of romantic, comedy, drama, suspense, etc. No salary details could be found, but to be paid to watch content is in itself a reward. Home energy auditorAll homeowners are always on the lookout for ways to save on their utility bills. Professional energy experts can provide an audit of the equipment being used in the house and give a breakdown of the energy consumption of each equipment. Do a complete appliance audit, with efficiency ratings and suggestions of what works best and is cost-effective. You may need to acquire a license to operate. And of course, the expertise. Household organizerA Japanese housewife, Marie Kondo, has turned the mundane task of cleaning up the clutter at home into a lucrative art form. You can consult on the things that the homeowners could do to organize themselves better. No overheads are there. But you need to be a stylist cum interior decorator cum counselor to be successful in this job. It is an acquired skill set but has enormous potential to be a successful business. Whether you want to stay up-to-date on the latest business news, read in-depth CEO interviews, or find new ideas on leadership, management and innovation, Industry Leaders Magazine is here to suit your needs and help you stay more informed. |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 12:00 AM PDT  The public health officers of six Bay Area counties, including Contra Costa and Alameda, have released details surrounding their extended shelter-in-place order, and while certain restrictions on outdoor businesses have eased back, social distancing policies remain. Originally initiated in mid-march in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, new shelter-in-place regulations still mandate residents stay at home unless conducting essential business, but will allow certain low-risk outdoor businesses and activities, such as construction projects and golf courses, to reopen, according to the Alameda County Public Health Department. "We understand how challenging shelter-in-place is, but we are clearly seeing the benefits," said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Health Officer of Contra Costa County. "As we ease a small number of restrictions, it's important to remember that the virus is still in our community. Now is not the time to ease up on maintaining social distancing, wearing a face covering, and staying home whenever possible." The existing COVID-19 shelter order had been set to expire Sunday (May 3) in the six counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara), as well as the city of Berkeley, which has its own health division. According to the Contra Costa County Health Services department, the new order will go into effect on May 4 -- extending through at least May 31 -- and will allow a number of lower risk outdoor businesses to reopen. Construction on both residential and commercial properties may once again continue operating, provided companies comply with construction project safety protocols issued within the order, as will commercial and residential real estate transactions. Child care programs such as summer camps, schools and other recreational programs may also be allowed to continue, so long as no more than 12 children are in a group at a time. Outdoor recreational facilities that do not encourage gathering or contain high-touch equipment are also once again allowed, which would include athletic fields such as tennis courts, shooting and archery ranges, skateparks and golf courses. Play areas and structures at parks are among facilities that are not open. According to Contra Costa Supervisor Candace Andersen, the region's order is generally consistent with the state's, but there are some differences. For example, Alameda County officials noted that while golf courses are permitted under local orders, their use is prohibited under the order initiated by the state. Other lower-risk outdoor businesses now allowed to operate include landscaping and agriculture services that normally operated outdoors prior to the shelter-in-place orders. Restaurants with outdoor seating are not included in the list of acceptable businesses. Also, as a condition of operating under this order, the operators of all businesses must prepare or update their personnel on social distancing protocol for each of their facilities in the county frequented by members of the public. Older social distancing policies still remain, however, and local communities are still expected to enforce individual mask coverings, the cessation of all non-essential travel and the temporary closure of all activities and businesses not listed as essential or exempt. "The new order allows us to carefully monitor our progress while building the essential public health infrastructure -- such as contact tracing and testing capacity -- that will support our gradual reopening and make recovery possible," said Dr. Tomás Aragon, Health Officer for the City and County of San Francisco. As of April 28, there are 7,273 confirmed cases -- up from 258 confirmed cases on March 15 -- and 266 deaths -- up from 4 deaths on March 15, 2020, in the Bay Area jurisdictions that have jointly issued the order. The opening of outdoor businesses and activities reflects the region's progress in its efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19, according to Contra Costa County officials, who added that the Bay Area's collective efforts have gone a long way toward saving lives. "Those actions have saved lives and staved off mass hospitalizations from the COVID-19 virus, which spreads easily and causes severe illness in many people. There is not yet an effective treatment or cure for the disease," said Danville Town Councilman Newell Arnerich. Livermore Mayor John Marchand told the Weekly, "Based on the data that the medical experts have, the revised order makes sense as we gradually relax the original shelter in place order." "We all recognize that there is another crisis in our county, and that is the lack of affordable housing. Construction may resume as long as the projects comply with the appropriate safety protocols," Marchand said. "Nurseries, landscaping and agriculture may also resume. These efforts, when done correctly, will safely put many people back to work, a good first step toward restoring our economy." "I want to applaud our community, healthcare workers, first responders, businesses, non-profit partners and city workers for their continued support during this disaster. It's making a real difference in mitigating the transmission and impacts of this virus locally," said Pleasanton City Manager Nelson Fialho. "The city's priorities during this pandemic remain -- public safety, the health and welfare of our community, protection and maintenance of city assets, providing accurate and timely information to the public, and accelerating the recovery of our local economy and city operations upon the continued and measured lifting of county and state health directives," Fialho said. San Ramon City Manager Joe Gorton said, "We are glad to see the return of some recreational activities, construction, real estate transactions and outdoor businesses. We are looking forward to businesses coming back allowing people to go back to work as soon as it is safe to do so." Danville Town Manager Joe Calabrigo told the Weekly, "We are glad to get the news that progress is being made in flattening the curve, and that some of the restrictions are beginning to ease. That being said, we would still encourage our community to abide by the shelter-in-place order, so that we can continue to keep the risk of transmission down, and protect those that are most vulnerable." Health officers are also releasing indicators that will be used to measure progress in containing the virus going forward. These indicators will be used in the next few weeks and months when deciding how to further ease shelter-in-place restrictions. According to Contra Costa County Health Services, those criteria include the following: * Whether the total number of cases in the community is flat or decreasing; * Whether the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is flat or decreasing; * Whether there is an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for all healthcare workers; * Whether we are meeting the need for testing, especially for persons in vulnerable populations or those in high-risk settings or occupations; and * Whether we have the capacity to investigate all COVID-19 cases and trace all of their contacts, isolating those who test positive and quarantining the people who may have been exposed. "A pandemic of this scale is unprecedented," said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Health Officer. "We are progressing steadily as a region, but we must reduce restrictions on activity gradually or we will put the lives of many community members at risk." Residents interested in learning more about the shelter-in-place order are encouraged to join State Senator Steve Glazer for a virtual town hall on Thursday. At the online gathering, Sen. Glazer (D-Orinda) will be joined by Dr. Farnitano and Andersen to talk about the latest changes to the order and what it means for local residents. Participants can submit any questions they may have before or during the call to senator.glazer@senate.ca.gov. Interested residents may join the conversation starting at 3 p.m. Thursday by streaming the audio over Glazer's website at https://sd07.senate.ca.gov/. |
| Learning from New Jersey: Why Government Organizations Should Cut Ties with COBOL - Nextgov Posted: 13 May 2020 07:16 AM PDT In the wake of COVID-19, our world has been upended. From the indefinite closures of all nonessential businesses to a mass shift to remote work and stay-at-home orders, the spread of the virus has interrupted the core functions of our society—and even shed light on critical IT issues within our government. The system that powers the state of New Jersey's unemployment benefits exists on a COBOL-based mainframe that's over 40 years old. Following a dramatic increase in applications for unemployment that overwhelmed systems, the state put out a call for COBOL programmers to help them get these unemployment services up and running. However, New Jersey's approach is simply putting a bandage over a much larger issue. Government organizations are no strangers to technological issues on both the state and federal level. In 2018, the IRS computer system responsible for processing millions of returns crashed on tax day despite repeated warnings from officials that these systems were out of date. Many of these organizations are also running on systems programmed with COBOL and hesitate to modernize their technologies in fear of downtime or taking their systems being offline entirely. However, these organizations can break away from their legacy mainframes while still allowing these systems to produce their core functions—and the solution isn't to hire more COBOL developers. Selecting a Modernization Strategy COBOL is an aging programming language and its workforce is no different. As COBOL developers retire, they take with them years of essential knowledge and road mapping for the overall functionality of a specific system. As a result, hiring a new wave of COBOL developers won't do much for an organization, as managing these systems requires extensive knowledge about the application itself rather than the code in which it is written. Using Third-Party Solutions One way that government organizations can modernize their aging legacy systems is to utilize a third-party, off-the-shelf solution. This process enables an organization to replace its technologies with components available from an outside source, thus significantly reducing the level of hands-on maintenance required for handling source code, production bugs, enhancements and more. However, this approach is one of the most expensive modernization strategies—and once the vendor's code is changed and personalized, it's no longer supported by the vendor. This can make any further updates, bug fixes or other enhancements significantly more complicated to pursue. Replatforming Another approach to modernization is known as replatforming, or "rehosting" a system on a distributed platform. This approach is a low cost and fairly low-risk strategy to maintain the business value of an aging operating environment while reducing the overall operational costs. This approach emulates the legacy operating environment on a new platform, but retains the legacy COBOL code-as is. As a result, organizations that pursue this approach will find themselves faced with the same challenge of finding COBOL developers to continue to maintain it—acting against the motivating factors for modernizing in the first place. Application Re-Engineering While sometimes necessary, application re-engineering requires an organization to recreate their legacy system's functionality on newly written applications – requiring them to capture, code, test, debug and refine its code throughout a lengthy adjustment cycle. This process can not only inconvenience end users but many analysts report the failure rate of this approach to be between 70-80%. Few entities to pursue this path. Automated COBOL Conversions The most effective long-term solution for government organizations is pursuing an automated COBOL conversion. This approach lets organizations preserve the functionalities of a system by creating a 100% like-for-like copy of the system, but in a maintainable programming language like C# and Java. This not only preserves essential business logic but allows for businesses to better integrate and personalize its functions while opening themselves up to a breadth of scalable resources and system support. By recreating the system in a line-for-line format, automated conversions are an essential tactic for entities that need to preserve business logic and processes. Putting Their Best Foot Forward The older a system is, the higher the security risk it creates for organizations. There is no doubt that many organizations need to take the plunge and begin modernizing their systems but it shouldn't take a pandemic to initiate this change. Rather, government entities should use the struggles of New Jersey and other states as a motivating factor to conduct a technical evaluation of their systems to determine if they are still adequately capable of meeting modern demands, or if their mainframes should we swapped out with more current technologies better suited for carrying out core functions. Through this process, government organizations will be better positioned to lay the foundation of their plans to update their processes and ensure success—or risk facing the same consequences as the entities that waited to address them. Cameron Jenkins is executive vice president of Modern Systems—an Advanced company. |
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