ina Keeley doesn't expect to make any money from her new Web site that provides tips to folks who want free advice on starting a home-based business.
Not now. Not ever.
But she'd be happy with a little psychic income such as notes from users who share their success stories.
Keeley, herself the owner of a home-based business, American Qualitees in Reno, launched cheaptrickshomebiz.com about a month ago. Her goal is simple: Share what she's learned since she launched American Qualitees with her husband in 2002.
Ever since the couple, both U.S. Army veterans, began printing patriotic T-shirts on a heat press given to Keeley by her father, she's been collecting and occasionally sharing tips about running a home-based business on a shoestring.
A few months ago, Keeley took about 10 hours and assembled the tips into the Web site, cheaptrickshomebiz.com.
The tips are straightforward: Use Microsoft Office Live Basics to create your own Web site. Get business information from the public library and Small Business Administration. Tap into services that provide free processing of credit cards for Web-based businesses. Get free shipping supplies from the U.S. Postal Service.
Keeley figures that the owner of a home-based business could save as much as $17,000 by following the tips on the Web site.
But she doesn't expect to make a dime from the site mostly because it's hard to expect that anyone looking to start a business on the cheap would pay for information.
But it's more than that for Keeley.
"I love people," she says. "I love helping them be successful. Plus, everybody I know who has a small business is struggling these days to save as much as they can."
With minimal promotion, the site generated close to 500 hits in the first three weeks it was up.
American Qualitees, which Keeley and her husband continue to run from their home with the occasional help of their children aged 5 to 14, markets business promotional items and personalized gifts along with printed T-shirts.
"It's doing great," Keeley says. "I'm having a blast."
