RESOURCES IN CYBERSPACE
* Homeworks (https://www.homeworks.com) is full of free advice from home office experts Paul and Sarah Edwards. Visitors will find excerpts from their popular book series, radio show, newsletter, magazine columns and CompuServe online forum. Get tips for keeping business records, finding a business niche and keeping yourself motivated. There are also Q&As; addressing small office/home office issues.
* The Home Office Hub (https://www.gohome.com) is a resource for marketing, technology, finance, office design and legal issues. Articles cover topics ranging from how to use a business card effectively to getting a tax deduction for your home office furnishings. There’s also a discussion forum and a nationwide directory of home-based business associations.
* SOHO America (https://work.soho.org/soho/) features a lengthy “Facts on Demand” section with reference articles on topics ranging from banking to marketing to technology. The site also has SOHO-related daily news items and business tips. Members of SOHO America (who pay an annual membership fee of $33) can post questions to a panel of experts.
* The Home Office Assn. of America--a national organization for full-time home-based professionals, telecommuters and others who work from home--is online with SOHO Central (https://www.hoaa.com/main.htm). The site has profiles of 50 kinds of businesses that are well-suited for home offices. Members can purchase group health insurance, receive discounts at Kinko’s stores and receive a newsletter with trends, tips and product news for people with home offices. New members can get a personal Web page for free. The group, which has a $49 annual membership fee, lobbies in Washington to encourage laws on zoning, taxes and health insurance that are more friendly to home-based businesses.
* The SOHO Library (https://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chuck_b/lib.htm) has dozens of links to Web sites that offer SOHO products, and it ranks them by price. Find information on computer peripherals, copiers, fax machines, office furniture, software, insurance and more.
* Inc. magazine has gone online at https://www.inc.com. In addition to current and past articles from the magazine, the site features interviews, interactive work sheets to help visitors evaluate their business resources and a chat area that’s divided into topics such as marketing, home business, start-ups and managing people.
* Yahoo Internet Life’s Small Office Technology (https://www.zdnet.com/yil/content/profit/soho/soho1.html) rates Web sites for their ability to hold the hands of SOHO owners looking for good advice on cost-effective technology. The site also has reviews of SOHO-related newsletters and Web sites, and about 20 links to places where you can buy products on the Internet.
* The Home Office Home Page (https://www.bankamerica.com/p-finance/athome/ho_home.html) points out that although working from home may sound like a dream come true, it can be quite challenging. The site contains checklists for people considering a home office and tips to help both novices and veterans make the most of working from home. There are articles to help you decide whether your personality is suited for a home-based business, and advice for creating a work space in your home.
Site suggestions can be sent to cutting.edge@latimes.com
