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Further
Reading ...
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Should You Publish in Print or Electronic Format - or Both? - Marcia Yudkin
Once you've decided to create a booklet or special report, you need to decide whether you will be offering the text in printed form or as an electronic download - or in both ways. Do not use your personal preferences or values as your sole criterion...
Starting your Internet Business - Rebecca Gilbert
Starting your Internet Home Business isn’t hard, but it isn’t easy either. (Aren’t you glad I cleared that up?) What I mean to say is that if you have a product or opportunity that the public is interested in, it isn’t hard to start an internet...
What Is YOUR Excuse For Failing? - Ewen Chia
Would you intentionally set out to fail? It's hard to believe anyone would, but sometimes we do sabotage ourselves by not wanting to succeed in the first place. Yes you heard me right, some of us actually think hard of reasons to justify why...
Are Paid Surveys a Waste of Your Time? - Robert Thompson
Are Paid Surveys a Waste of Your Time? By Robert Thompson Recently ,while visiting one of my favorite business forums, I ran across some interesting comments concerning paid surveys. The gyst of these comments was that taking online surveys is...
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Work from home job? Business? How do you decide?
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Written By:
Stephanie Foster
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It's a big decision to stay home with your family, rather than continue in a traditional job outside the home. There are many choices you must make if you decide to work from home, and many pitfalls to avoid.
The first things to look at are your skills and interests. Working from home is in some ways more difficult than working outside the home (but more fun, since you don't have to leave your children), so do what you love if at all possible.
Next, decide if you are interested in a job or a business. You will need to consider the hours you want to work as well. Many jobs need you during traditional business hours; others allow you to work your own. Likewise, many home businesses need regular hours, others, such as party plans, require a great deal of evening and weekend work.
Consider how much money you can invest. If you want a work at home job, you should not have to pay to get the job itself, but some do have other investments required. For example, in addition to running my website, I do medical transcription. This required that I get appropriate reference books, and I rent a Dictaphone from my employer. Do not pay to get the job under any circumstance. Just remember that you wouldn't pay for a traditional outside the home job. Businesses, on the other hand, often require some sort of investment, depending on the kind of business. Some may even have monthly costs, such as for websites or supplies. Know what you can afford.
Think about how much interaction with other people you want. If you're not interested in telling everyone you meet about what you do, a business may not be for you, particularly if you have to sell things in person.
Take a look around your home and figure out what you can use for office space. You will need a place you can keep all your business supplies and work in relative peace. Remember, if you take a job taking calls, most employers require that you not have children yelling in the background. Even if you can have your kids around, you will get more done in a peaceful environment.
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Become familiar with the various resources to determine if an opportunity is legitimate. Some good ones are http://www.wahm.com, http://www.homewiththekids.com, http://www.ripoffreport.com, http://www.bbb.org, and http://www.ftc.gov.
Find out if you need to take any special classes for your job. Once again using medical transcription as an example, I had to study for months in order to be qualified for this job. Good medical transcription courses can run from several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Talk to your family about your plans. Make sure you will have their support. A lack of support is an easy way to fail.
If you choose a business, you will have to decide whether to strike out on your own or join an existing one. There are many excellent opportunities either way. You can join a party plan and have regular time away from your family, which many work from home parents need or sell products or services online.
Be aware of any legal issues facing your home job or business. Some cities still do not allow home businesses, and you may have to ask for a variance. Many will require some sort of license, depending on the kind of business you are starting. Check with your local city hall.
Whatever you decide to do in the end, whether work a home job or a business, make sure to network with other work at home parents. They will understand the issues you are dealing with even if what they are doing is different.
About the Author
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there's more to staying home with your family than just business. From money saving tips to parenting and marriage tips, to work at home jobs and businesses, you can get information and support here. You can visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com.
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Preparing to be an Entrepreneur - Darrin F Coe MA
I believe the free market economy and the wealth of a community is built on the back of the entrepreneur Taking the entrepreneurial business path can be exciting, exhilarating, and an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs. There are a number of...
Secrets the IRS Does Not Want You to Know - Collin Almeida
Secrets the IRS Does Not Want You to Know by Collin Almeida For average Americans, taxes are the single largest bill they will pay. Almost 40% of every working person's wages go to taxes: that's more than most people pay in utilities, rent, car...
The Long Way Home - Gary Layton
Anyone who has embarked on the long journey involved in building any type of business can relate horror stories concerning the difficulties and problems they faced. Then they can tell you about all the money they spent, the time it took and the...
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