I started doing Inventory Documentation for clients back in 2003 and it was a real pain using spreadsheets and/or database programs. About two years ago (2005), I started looking for commercial software that would work for what I was doing.
I almost purchased the KC kit and would have if I wasnt interrupted when a Client called as I was getting the info to order. I didnt order that day and the next day I decided to do another search and found "The Complete Home Journal Business." Im glad I did!
Fred has been very good at replying to questions about his product. His customer service is exemplary! "The Complete Home Journal Business" kit does everything I was looking for AND its easy to use once you get it figured out. With the improvements Fred has mentioned for the upgrade, the software will become even better.
To answer your first question, you can do this business without software, but I DONT recommend it! I did this business for several years with out the kit and once I purchased and started using it, the data entry became so much faster and easier. Im now giving my Clients a real professional product. Im very satisfied with the kit and company that makes it! I would say your wasting your time if your not using "The Complete Home Journal Business!"
As for your second question on web hosting, Im also a web host. I write and host my own pages as well as others. You can check out my web site for additional information. I give NAHIP members a 10% discount on hosting.
I hope this answers your questions and good luck in your business.
Hi Norman, It may be difficult to find information on this type of business because it is really in the beginning of a growth phase in my opinion. It would typically fall into the business (SIC Code) category of "Personal Services" or "Photography" at this point in time. Once the industry grows to larger size it may be assigned a special industry code specifically for this industry.
I think the value of a complete startup kit depends on the individual. Some people starting out don't really have any experience with regards to setting up and marketing a business so a good kit can get one going in the right direction. Even if one has experience, I feel our kit "The Complete Home Journal Business" offers some good straight forward advice.
Regardless, I think you need a robust software product designed for business purposes that can handle large amounts of information. There are plenty of little inventory software programs out there but in my opinion you'll need one you can count on or you could end up in an embarrasing situation if you lose information because of a poor program or crash the program because the database can't handle large amounts of data.
Great Info on the KC Kit. I'm in the research and business plan development stage and I'm having a hard time trying to get industry related info (i.e. what industry this is, growth rate, and expected revenue). How beneficial are these 'kits' in providing this information and how necessary are these 'kits' towards the success of this business?
Thanks for you all's assistance.
Also what website providers are you all using? I'm thinking about using Go Daddy.com
