Overview

A resume writing business focuses on helping individuals create professional and effective resumes that highlight their skills, experiences, and qualifications. Here’s a brief overview:

Key Aspects of the Business

  1. Service Offering

    • Resume Writing: Crafting tailored resumes that align with clients’ career goals and the job market.
    • Cover Letters: Writing personalized cover letters to complement resumes.
    • LinkedIn Profiles: Optimizing LinkedIn profiles to enhance clients’ online presence.
    • Career Coaching: Providing guidance on job search strategies, interview preparation, and career transitions.

  2. Client Assessment

    • Consultations: Conducting initial consultations to understand clients’ backgrounds, career objectives, and specific needs.
    • Questionnaires: Using detailed questionnaires to gather information about clients’ work history, skills, and achievements.

  3. Writing and Editing

    • Customization: Tailoring each resume to the client’s unique experiences and the requirements of the job they are targeting.
    • Formatting: Ensuring resumes are professionally formatted and easy to read.
    • Keyword Optimization: Incorporating relevant keywords to pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

  4. Marketing and Sales

    • Target Audience: Focusing on job seekers, including recent graduates, career changers, and professionals looking to advance.
    • Marketing Strategies: Utilizing digital marketing, social media, and partnerships with career services to attract clients.
    • Packages and Pricing: Offering various service packages and competitive pricing to meet different client needs.

  5. Customer Service

    • Support: Providing excellent customer service to assist clients throughout the resume writing process.
    • Revisions: Offering revisions to ensure client satisfaction with the final product.

  6. Financial Management

    • Budgeting: Managing finances carefully, including costs for marketing, software, and operational expenses.
    • Revenue Streams: Generating income through service fees, subscription models, or additional career services.

Benefits of the Business

  • High Demand: There is a consistent need for professional resume writing services, especially in competitive job markets.
  • Low Start-Up Costs: The business can be started with relatively low initial investment, especially if operated online.
  • Flexibility: The business can be run from home and scaled as needed.

Challenges

  • Competition: The market can be competitive, so offering unique features or superior customer service can help differentiate your business.
  • Client Expectations: Managing client expectations and delivering high-quality, tailored resumes can be demanding.

Starting a resume writing business can be a rewarding venture, helping clients achieve their career goals and secure job opportunities. If you have any specific questions or need further details, feel free to ask!

What You Will Be Doing

In a resume writing service, your daily activities would focus on helping clients create compelling resumes that highlight their skills and experiences. Here are some of the key tasks you might be involved in:

  1. Client Consultations:

    • Meeting with clients to understand their career goals, work history, and skills.
    • Conducting interviews to gather detailed information about their professional background.

  2. Resume Writing:

    • Crafting customized resumes tailored to each client’s target job and industry.
    • Highlighting key achievements, skills, and experiences in a clear and concise manner.

  3. Editing and Proofreading:

    • Reviewing and refining existing resumes to improve their structure, language, and overall presentation.
    • Ensuring resumes are free of grammatical errors and formatted professionally.

  4. Keyword Optimization:

    • Incorporating relevant keywords to help resumes pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
    • Researching job descriptions to identify important keywords and phrases.

  5. Cover Letters and LinkedIn Profiles:

    • Writing or editing cover letters that complement the resume and effectively introduce the client to potential employers.
    • Optimizing LinkedIn profiles to align with the resume and enhance the client’s online professional presence.

  6. Client Feedback and Revisions:

    • Providing drafts to clients and incorporating their feedback to make necessary revisions.
    • Ensuring clients are satisfied with the final product.

  7. Career Coaching:

    • Offering additional services such as interview preparation, job search strategies, and career advice.
    • Conducting workshops or webinars to educate clients about job search techniques and resume writing tips.

  8. Marketing and Networking:

    • Promoting your services through various channels, including a professional website, social media, and networking events.
    • Building relationships with career coaches, recruiters, and other professionals to gain referrals.

  9. Continuous Learning:

    • Staying updated on industry trends, hiring practices, and resume writing best practices.
    • Attending conferences, workshops, and webinars to enhance your skills and knowledge.

These activities aim to provide clients with high-quality resumes that increase their chances of landing job interviews and advancing their careers.

Qualifications/Skills Needed 

To start and run a successful resume writing service, you’ll need a combination of qualifications and skills. Here’s an overview:

Qualifications

  1. Educational Background:

    • A degree in English, Communications, Human Resources, or a related field can be beneficial.
    • Courses in business, marketing, and career development can also be helpful.

  2. Certifications:

    • Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW): This certification, offered by the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW/CC), is highly regarded in the industry.
    • Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW): Offered by the National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA), this certification demonstrates a high level of expertise.
    • Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW): This certification, provided by Career Directors International (CDI), is another valuable credential.

Skills

  1. Writing Skills:

    • Strong writing skills are essential to create clear, concise, and compelling resumes.
    • Ability to tailor writing style to different industries and job levels.

  2. Interviewing Skills:

    • Good interviewing skills to assess clients’ backgrounds, skills, experiences, and career goals.
    • Ability to ask the right questions to gather detailed and relevant information.

  3. Marketing and Sales Skills:

    • Knowledge of marketing strategies to promote your services and attract clients.
    • Sales skills to effectively communicate the value of your services and convert leads into clients.

  4. Attention to Detail:

    • Meticulous attention to detail to ensure resumes are free of errors and formatted professionally.
    • Ability to spot and correct inconsistencies or inaccuracies in clients’ information.

  5. Customer Service Skills:

    • Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships with clients.
    • Patience and empathy to understand clients’ needs and provide personalized support.

  6. Technical Skills:

    • Proficiency in using resume writing software and tools.
    • Familiarity with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to optimize resumes for keyword searches.

  7. Time Management:

    • Ability to manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously.
    • Strong organizational skills to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality work.

  8. Continuous Learning:

These qualifications and skills will help you build a reputable resume writing service that effectively supports clients in their job search efforts.

What You Can Charge/Earn

xxx

Startup Cost/Unusual Expenses

What's it cost to start your own business?

Other/Ongoing Expenses

How much will it cost to continue doing buiness?

Other Services You Can Offer

A resume service helps job seekers create professional, polished resumes that effectively showcase their skills, experience, and qualifications. Here’s an overview of what these services typically offer:

  1. Resume Writing:

    • Professional writers craft a resume from scratch based on your career history, skills, and job goals.
    • They ensure the resume is tailored to the specific industry and job you’re targeting.

  2. Resume Editing:

    • Experts review and refine your existing resume, improving its structure, language, and overall presentation.
    • They correct any grammatical errors and enhance the clarity and impact of your content.

  3. Formatting and Design:

    • Services include formatting your resume to ensure it is visually appealing and easy to read.
    • They use professional templates and layouts that highlight your strengths.

  4. Keyword Optimization:

    • Writers incorporate relevant keywords to help your resume pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
    • This increases the chances of your resume being seen by hiring managers.

  5. Cover Letters:

    • Many services also offer to write or edit cover letters, ensuring they complement your resume and effectively introduce you to potential employers.

  6. LinkedIn Profile Optimization:

    • Some services extend to optimizing your LinkedIn profile to align with your resume and enhance your online professional presence.

  7. Career Coaching:

    • Additional services may include career coaching, interview preparation, and job search strategies.

Using a resume service can significantly improve your chances of landing an interview by presenting your qualifications in the best possible light.

How to Start Your Own Business

Starting a resume writing service can be a rewarding business venture. Here are the key steps to get you started:

  1. Market Research:

    • Identify your target market, such as recent graduates, mid-career professionals, or executives.
    • Analyze competitors to understand their services, pricing, and marketing strategies.

  2. Business Plan:

    • Create a detailed business plan outlining your services, target market, marketing strategies, and financial projections.
    • Define your unique selling proposition (USP) to differentiate your service from competitors.

  3. Legal Structure:

    • Choose a legal structure for your business (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation).
    • Register your business name and obtain necessary licenses and permits.

  4. Financial Setup:

    • Secure initial funding for your business through savings, loans, or investors.
    • Set up a business bank account and accounting system to manage finances.

  5. Technology and Tools:

    • Invest in resume writing software and tools to streamline your services.
    • Ensure you have a secure and efficient IT infrastructure to protect client data.

  6. Marketing and Networking:

    • Develop a marketing strategy to attract clients, including a professional website, social media presence, and advertising.
    • Network with career coaches, recruiters, and other professionals to build relationships and gain referrals.

  7. Client Acquisition:

    • Start by reaching out to your existing network of friends, family, and acquaintances.
    • Offer free or discounted services initially to build a portfolio and gain testimonials.

  8. Service Offerings:

    • Decide on the range of services you will offer, such as resume writing, cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile optimization, and career coaching.
    • Set competitive pricing for your services based on market research.

  9. Compliance and Ethics:

    • Stay updated on industry regulations and ensure your business complies with all legal requirements.
    • Adhere to ethical standards and maintain transparency with your clients.

  10. Continuous Learning:

Starting a resume writing service requires dedication and a commitment to helping others achieve their career goals. If you have a passion for writing and enjoy working with people, this could be a fulfilling career path for you.

Is there a specific aspect of starting this business that you’d like more information on?

The Business Plan for Small Business

Get clear step-by-step instructions and expert tips on how to build your business plan. Whether this is your first plan or you are an experienced business plan writer, it's fast and easy to create a business plan with these easy to follow instructions. The Business Plan for Small Business is available for immediate download.

  • The needed Excel® spreadsheets and the Word® documents are included.
  • The workbook contains all of the instructions you need to complete your business plan.
  • Designed and Customized for a Small Business

Some of the Features the Business Plan:

  • Complete the business plan in eleven (11) steps.
  • The workbook contains all of the instructions you need to complete the business plan for your Small Business.
  • Contains samples, illustrations, charts, and graphs.

how to write a business plan for your Small Business

  • Create a mission statement to synchronize your company's activities with a clear corporate vision.
  • Detailed instructions on how to customize your business plan.
  • Powerful forecasting tools and a complete, integrated financial plan.
  • Prepare marketing and sales plans with systems for determining optimal strategies, tactics and pricing.
  • Optional system to assess strategies prior to drafting plan.
  • The charts and graphs that are important to you and your potential lenders are automatically created.

how to create your own business plan for a Small Business

  • Select from the list of products and services to help you choose what you will offer your customers in the operation of your Small Business.
  • Sections included are:
    • Personal Evaluation
    • Cover Sheet
    • Executive Summary
    • General Company Description
    • Products and Services
    • Startup Cost and Capitalization
    • Marketing Plan
    • Sales Forecast
    • Operational Plan
    • Management and Organization
    • Financial Plan
  • Learn how to keep your business plan up to date.
  • Impress your audience with a professional, attractive document in the format accepted by the SBA, investors, and major lenders.
  • No writer's block; just follow the steps.
  • Bank or Grant Funding. Will meet or exceed bank or government guidelines.
  • In addition to the complete business plan, you are provided information references and website links to valuable business resources.

Where to Begin

How you Can Succeed

1. Realize your Potential
In order to succeed at anything, you need to see that you have the potential to reach your goals. For example, if you want to be a recording artist but have no singing ability, having success in this field is not likely. However, if you love working on cars and have a real talent for fixing engines and transmissions, and to you, success might mean working for NASCAR, you have potential to learn and achieve that success.

2. Don’t Look Back
Everyone has failures or mistakes from the past. To have success, you need to learn from your past and value those difficult lessons but do not every dwell on the past. Simply move forward and make better, more educated decisions from the lessons learned.

3. Dare to Dream
To succeed, you need to have dreams and aspirations. Be honest with yourself as to what you want out of life and what you want to give of your life. Allow your mind to dream and think big.

4. Business Plan
Create a Business Plan as your very first step if you are planning to build a business. Whether you will be searching for investors or not, this plan will be the blueprint to your success. The Business Plan will consist of market trends, financial planning, competitive analysis, exit strategies, marketing and promotional options, everything about your goal. When going before an investor, you will be required to have a Business Plan. This is by far the most important document of all. If your success were something personal, you would not need to create a Business Plan although a project plan would be a good option to allow you to keep track of everything involving your goal.

5. Don’t Give Up
To reach success, you have to persevere. Even Thomas Edison had to learn this. When he was creating the incandescent light bulb, it took him more than 10,000 times to get it right. Keep striving even when it becomes challenging.

6. Have an Unstoppable Attitude
You need to have determination. With good intentions, there may be a close friend or family member that feels it would be better if you focused your attention in another direction. Uphold your unstoppable attitude, determined to succeed.

7. Stop the Complaining
You might think there is no correlation between complaining and success when in fact there is a connection. When you are spending time complaining about the obstacles you are facing, you are wasting so much time being negative that you are actually losing chances to move forward. Instead of thinking of challenges as problems, think of them as opportunities.

8. Focus on Something you Like
To increase your chance of succeeding, you should concentrate your efforts on something you enjoy. When you start out, make a list of everything you find interesting. Then in a second column, write down the skills you have in relation to each of those items. This will help you narrow choices down based on interest and skill, which gets you started in the right direction for success.

9. Change your Circumstances
You have a choice in life to accept your position or change it. If you choose to plug along in life hoping that something will change for the better, you will not get very far. Always remember that when it comes to changing your circumstances, you can – you have that power. As an example, women who are in abusive situations often feel controlled and powerless to get out of the situation. They have the same choice of changing their circumstances as you do. If your circumstances lower the chances of success, you need to change them.

10. Have a Plan
Even if it is flimsy to begin with, you should construct a plan to include goals, milestones, deliverables such as contracts, business plans, etc., and accomplishments. This will provide you with a visual as to what you are working for, what milestones you have successfully met, and where you need to do better.

Market Research: Surveys and Questionnaires

Questionnaires are still very much the cornerstone for market research and the effectiveness of the questions will be determined by the quality and structure of the questionnaire itself. By ignoring this fact, the results you obtain may be irrelevant, inaccurate and even inconclusive. This E-book will help explain how to structure and develop your questionnaire in order to gain a response that can be used for an accurate analysis and constructive feed back.

Some of the Features of this Book:

  • Ways of issuing questionnaires.
  • Which people to target with your survey and questionnaire.
  • Types of questions for the questionnaire.
  • Examples of questionnaires.
  • Structuring the questionnaire.
  • Designing the questionnaire.
  • Doing your sample survey with the questionnaire.
  • Planning the survey.
  • How to write the questionnaire.
  • Survey fieldwork.

The Complete Basic Office

A good office setup is critical to smooth running business operations.  Controlling purchases and expenses are a key ingredient to a healthy business, especially a new start up venture.  This book gives you the information you need to professionally set up your office operation.

Some of the Features of the Book:

  • How to determine the office supplies, equipment and furniture you will need for your business.
  • Introduction to office supplies and equipment.
  • How to buy or lease office furniture and options for second hand furniture.
  • Keeping control of our office supplies.
  • Complete listings on filing systems, desks, shelving, and chairs.
  • Complete computer listings including PC, laptops, modems, monitors, mouse and keyboards, printers, scanners, photocopiers, fax machines and combined units.
  • How to maximize connectivity, size and legal software.
  • Links to government websites for business operations.
  • 100 ways to increase your business.
  • Free Reports including coupons and discounts and how pricing affects your business.

Paperback

How to Attract Clients/Customers

Three places to find new clients without a lot of work

1. Don’t ignore your own “Acres of diamonds” – ask your existing clients to refer some of their family, friends and associates to you. If they’re happy with your service they will be more than happy to do it and your job will be much easier since they are coming recommended by someone they trust.

2. Former employers and associates, both in your current field and in other related fields, can be a great resource for finding new business. Give them a call, talk about what you are doing and ask for referrals or better yet – have lunch and catch up with them and again, don’t be shy about asking for referrals!

3. Ask your current prospects who they know that may need your products or services. It may sound odd at first but give it a try and your opinion may quickly change. Especially if you’ve gone out of your way to help them.

Remember that the vast majority of people generally enjoy helping others. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves and one of the quickest, surest ways of doing that is to help others. When you ask the people in your circle of influence to help you by referring new clients, you’re helping yourself, you’re helping them by enabling them to help you, and you’re helping the potential clients by providing a quality product or service that they need.

For more information about obtaining and maintaining your client base, check out the resources in the "Where to Begin" section.

New Customer Development Program

How to get new accounts and new customers is the #1 concern of any business.  How to get the new customers you need to provide the income your business requires is a matter of prime importance to survival and growth. Many businesses, large and small, approached new customer acquisition in a haphazard, unplanned, and uncoordinated way. The results are usually disappointing, expensive, and inadequate from the standpoint of a contribution of to the profitability and success of your business.

Some of the Features of this Book:

  • The Six Steps to getting your new customers, clients and accounts.
  • How to understand your customers needs.
  • How to know who your clients are and where they are located
  • How to conduct your own full scale market research with emphasis on the two ways to conduct your market research
  • The four methods for getting your first customers for start-up businesses!
  • How to implement a successful marketing program!
  • How to use direct mail, telemarketing, printed materials, exhibitions, surveys, websites, promotions, press releases and public relations to acquire new customers, clients and accounts.
  • How to develop a customer retention program.
  • How keep your customers coming back!
  • How to establish Loyalty and Rewards programs!
  • Includes six bonus sections with information regarding community work, advertising, exploring business opportunities, financing your business, pricing policies and income goals.        

Customer Care Program

Good customer relations will give you a sense of achievement, satisfied customers and the improved chance of further promoting your business. So, how can you ensure that your customers will stay loyal to your business?

Some of the Features of this book:

  • How to improve customer care and customer relations.
  • How to establish your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program.
  • Selling and building customer relationships over the telephone.
  • How to handle customer complaints and establish solutions.
  • How to establish the programs that will reflect your business.
  • How to establish automatic email responses, set up telephone call centers, direct mail campaigns and loyalty cards.
  • How to handle gatekeepers.
  • How to establish customer loyalty programs.
  • How to keep customers loyal to your business.
  • How to make telephone sales and appointments.
  • How to expand your customer database.
  • How to encourage old and new customers to buy again.
  • How to generate more profit with direct mail and email marketing.
  • What you need to know about customer retention.

Associations/Organizations

There are an immense amount of small business associations and organizations for both general and specific businesses and industries. The ones listed here, offer broad information that affect all businesses, no matter what their size. These organizations provide support, education and resources for running your business.

I can think of no reason not to join any or all small business associations that are relevant to your business. Most charge a membership fee, but if you get one, two or even a dozen ideas that impact your bottom line for the positive, then it will be well worth the cost. Having an invaluable business partner—or maybe even a loyal customer down the line—is priceless for your business.

Think about what your goals are, where your customers are and what they need, and investigate how the association can connect you to the partners, networks, and customers you need to grow your business.

Industry Specific Organizations

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

Books/Magazines/Periodicals

Industry Specific Books & Publications

In this section you will find resources that are specific to your field of interest.

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

 Education/Courses/Training/Videos

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

Websites

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

 

 

Blogs/Forums

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

Social Media

Not every social media company has industry specific links. Where I could find them I have tried to give you the best, otherwise I have provided links to general business social media accounts. Not all of these will meet your criteria, but things on the internet change on a daily basis and I will keep researching. If anyone accessing this site knows of a industry specific social media company please email me the information at 

Facebook

xxx

Flickr

xxx

Instagram

xxx

KIK

xxx

LinkedIn

xx

Periscope

xxx

Reddit

 

SoundCloud

xxx

Tumblr

xxx

WhatsApp

xxxx

Medium

xxx

Pinterest

xxx

Snapchat

xxx

Swarm by Foursquare

xxx

Twitter

xxx

YouTube

xxx

Words to Know

Business Plan

Here is your tool for demonstrating how you want to establish your small business and how you plan to grow it into good financial health. When writing a business plan, it should include financial, operational, and marketing goals as well as how you plan to get there. The more specific you are with your business plan, the better prepared you will be in the long run.

B2B

abbreviation for business-to-business: describing or involving business arrangements or trade between different businesses, rather than between businesses and the general public

B2C

abbreviation for business-to-consumer: describing or involving the sale of goods or services directly to customers for their own use, rather than to businesses

e-business

the business of buying and selling goods and services on the internet, or a particular company that does this

Bootstrapping

Using your own money to finance the start-up and growth of your small business. Think of it as being your own investor. Once the business is up and running successfully, the business finance term and  definition bootstrapping refers to the use of profits earned to reinvest in the business.

Employer Identification Number (EIN) Certificate

In order to be more easily identified by the Internal Revenue Service, every business entity is assigned a unique number called an EIN. When you start your small business, an EIN will be assigned and mailed to the business address. This number never changes, and you will be asked to furnish it for many reasons.

Articles of Incorporation

This is legal documentation of the business’s creation, including name, type of business, and type of business structure or incorporation. This paperwork is one of the first tasks you will complete when you officially start your business. Once submitted, your articles of incorporation are kept on file with the appropriate governmental agencies.

Income Statement

Here is one of the four most important reports lenders and investors want to see when evaluating the viability of your small business. It is also called a profit and loss statement, and it addresses the business’s bottom line, reporting how much the business has earned and spent over a given period of time. The result will be either a net gain or a net loss.

Statement of Cash Flow

One of the important documents required by lenders and investors that shows a summary of the actual collection of revenue and payment of expenses for your business. The statement of cash blow should reflect activity in the areas of operating, investing, and financing and should be an integral part of your financial statement package.

Bootstrapping

Using your own money to finance the start-up and growth of your small business. Think of it as being your own investor. Once the business is up and running successfully, the business finance term and  definition bootstrapping refers to the use of profits earned to reinvest in the business.

Financial Statements

An integral part of the loan application process is furnishing information that shows your business is a good credit risk. The standard financial statemen packet includes four main reports: the income statement, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flow, and the statement of shareholders equity, if you have shareholders.

Lenders and investors want to see that your business is well-balanced with assets and liabilities, has positive cash flow, and will have capital to make expected repayments.

Net Worth

This business finance term and definition is an expression of your business’s total value, as determined by your total current assets less the total liabilities currently owed by the business. With your business’s most recent balance sheet in hand, you can calculate the net worth using a simple formula: Assets – Liabilities = Net Worth.

Featured Business

Business Name

xxx

Description

xxx

History

xxx

Marketing Tips

xxx

What I've Learned

xxx

Advice and Recommendations

xxx