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Emerson Publications
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You are free to publish this article. Please send copy to author when published. Copyright 2008 Joyce Moseley Pierce mailto:joyce@emersonpublications.com 900 Words
So You Want to Earn Money at Home? By: Joyce Moseley Pierce
There are many different reasons for wanting to earn money at home. As a young mother, I wanted to be home with my children. Once the children were gone, I decided it really didn’t matter whether I was home or not, but when the company I worked for went out of business, I knew I didn’t want to get roped into another 8-5 job. Now I am the caregiver for my mother and if I were gone all day, we would have to hire someone to take care of her. What are your reasons?
1. Be home when the children are there 2. Eliminate the expense – childcare, clothing, transportation, meals 3. Disability makes it difficult 4. Caregiver for an elderly parent 5. Make more money! 6. Work in shorts and t-shirt!
Whatever your reason, it is possible to make money at home but before you sign any contracts with anyone, do a little research.
1. How long have they been in business? 2. Are they reputable? 3. Are they listed with the Better Business Bureau? 4. Are you still going to have a boss? Or will you be able to work independently? 5. Will you have to maintain an inventory of product? 6. Will you have to go door to door, or will you have to do in-home parties? 7. Will you have to place orders for people and then deliver them? 8. How much of an investment are you going to have to make? 9. Is there someone who is going to train you, or will you have to figure it out by yourself?
Don’t get caught in a business where you have to invest a lot of money to get started. There are companies that charge hundreds of dollars for their business kit but don’t give you any product. Beware of companies who require the purchase of a large amount of products with no guarantee that those items will not be discontinued before you sell them. Watch out for companies with only one service or product. If you’re representing a company that manufactures products, be sure they have a wide variety of products that are needed by the majority. Is this product something you would use in your home? Is there a need to reorder regularly, or is this a one-time order? If it’s not product that needs to be repurchased, then you are constantly looking for new customers instead of earning money from already established customers.
Maybe you have an idea of your own that you want to promote. If so, that’s great! Do some research and then go for it, but remember that you’re still going to have to invest money in your idea, and in most cases you’re not going to make that money back overnight. Do you want to borrow money or withdraw from a savings account to get your business up and running?
Will you need to pay for advertising? The internet is a great way for people to promote their product or their idea, but you still have to find a way to get the message out there. You’ll need a website and a way to advertise it. Nothing is free. Many of us have something we’re marketing and we write articles to bring attention to it, and yet I know from experience that it takes a lot of articles and a lot of exposure to bring people to your website, and even then, the percentage of orders is slim compared to the number of visitors!
If you do find a company you want to represent, or make the plunge and start your own business from the ground up, it’s important to establish some structure. You can’t be successful at anything if you only work when you feel like it. You’ve got to be committed to setting and working toward your goals. When I used to work downtown, I had to get up at 5 am to leave the house at 6:30 and catch a bus. I continue to get up at 5 am and many times go straight to my home office. The only difference is that I don’t have to shower first! I still have the same chores to do – keeping the house, preparing meals, and taking care of my mother, but I try to keep on a schedule. I spend my mornings checking email and making phone calls. I try to schedule outside appointments in the afternoon. About 5:30, I close the door to my office and go “home.” Of course there are always exceptions, but it helps me to have a plan.
After working outside the home for most of my adult life, I am really enjoying the flexibility that working from home brings. If you work outside the home but are trying to make the transition to building your own business at home, start with baby steps. Find something you can do on the side until you’ve built up enough income to kiss the day job goodbye. There are lots of opportunities out there, but don’t be fooled by the ones that offer thousands of dollars the first month. Do some research and find something you feel good about. Your integrity isn’t worth losing sleep over!
Copyright 2008. Joyce is the owner of Emerson Publications and editor of the Family First Newsletter. Visit www.emersonpublications.com to learn more about preparing your family for all stages of life. Visit www.prepareandsucceed.com if there’s just not enough paycheck at the end of the month.
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