In January, there will be a rush of people looking for a home business. Will you be ready to help them?

Typically December is a slow month for home based businesses. People are busy with shopping, holidays, parties and spending way too much money. They tend to procrastinate and wait until January before building or starting their business.

But there are a lot of advantages to building your business in December. If you put things on hold and don’t start things moving until January, you will be a step behind and lose out on a lot of people. And with the economy in the dumps, more people will be looking for ways to create additional income and financial security. If you get started now, you can be in a great position to help them.

Here are five things you can do to propel yourself for the coming year:

1) Preparation. Get ready for the rush that will start in January. You can do this by working on your blog, create landing pages, prepare email campaigns and write articles. If you are at the beginning stages of your business, then this is a great time to really focus on learning.

2) Tax Deductions. December is the last month to take advantages of tax deductions for the 2008 calendar year. Take advantage of that, and holiday specials, by investing in needed tools to speed up efficiency in your business (e.g. hardware, training systems).

3) Reconnect. December is a great time to reconnect with people you know, whether it be friends and family or business contacts. This is not about selling, in fact, you don’t want to go into sales mode. It is about reconnecting and, in doing so, you will traffic to your blog where people can get more information. For instance, when you send out cards or emails, include the link to your blog.

4) Give Holiday Tips. When you are reconnecting with your list or creating internet articles, give people holiday tips. You can incorporate holiday tips and seasonal information in all your communications, including email campaigns, blogs, and articles (e.g. on sites like squidoo and hubpages).

5) Holiday Specials. The holidays are a great time to heap on added value, bonuses and gifts. You might offer a free giveaway such as an ebook, or something you will provide like free coaching. Remember to put a deadline on your offers to inspire action. And if you’re doing any advertising, make sure it is seasonal in nature.

Here is a holiday special I am offering. Happy Holidays!

In the spirit of the holidays and my 7 year old, here is a Christmas joke for you:

Knock Knock

Who's There?

Mary

Mary Who?

Mary Christmas!

Cindy Schulson is a coach for those who work from home or want to have a home business. Her focus is on working smart by helping you leverage the power of the Internet and attract qualified people to you. Visit her at Home Business Wins to book a free consultation and to receive a FREE copy of her ebook. You can contact her directly at cindy@homebusinesswins.com or call her at (619) 318-86