by Shaheen Darr

Created on: November 06, 2009   Last Updated: November 07, 2009

Business statistics reveal that more and more women are choosing to run their own businesses and stepping into industry sectors that were once dominated by men. Women also prefer to run businesses that offer them the flexibility of working around their families and homes. There are several business ideas that have proved to be popular in this respect:

Direct selling: This is ideal for women who are outgoing, love social interaction and want a business that can be run part time. Face-to-face contact with customers is essential in this kind of business, as you have to talk about your products and use your selling skills to market them to your clients.

Jewellery, cosmetics, house wares, health and beauty products are only some products that can be marketed on behalf of companies who pay a commission based on the number of sales generated. Having the right qualifications and training is a good starting point as is marketing and providing a professional service to clients. Some websites to visit include http://www.directsellingbusiness.com/ and http://www.dsa.org.uk/. These give guidelines and advice on the basics of becoming a marketer for legitimate registered businesses.

Website: Marketing products on the internet by setting up a business blog or a website is another way of selling your own products or those of another company. Some women make their own arts and crafts like candles, cards or jewellery and setting up an informative and well laid out website will contribute to the success of the business. The Internet gives access to a worldwide audience at all times of the day or night, which contributes to giving your business a much wider chance of becoming successful. In addition to product sales, blogs can also benefit from affiliate marketing where you are paid a percentage of sales your blog generates. You can also use Google ad sense, which pays per click each time someone visits your blog and clicks on the advertisements Google provides free of charge.

Writing: Having the ability to write informative material about a subject about which you are knowledgeable can open the door to a new business venture. Freelance writers have a number of different areas they can explore depending on their expertise. These include writing reviews, copywriting, writing resumes or even an e book. For others having the creative flair to write short stories or poetry can also get you regular work if a magazine or an online site appreciates your work and wants to publish it.

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