Should I stay home
or go back to work? How about both?
Growing numbers of Moms are choosing home based
businesses.
by Kathy Cooper
Women multi-task, it is just what
we do. If we weren’t doing 3 things at once plus
thinking of 3 other things – we would feel guilty.
Can we balance home, family, career, bills, life …
etc.? Sure we can! On February 19, 2004 The Today
Show aired a piece titled, “Women breaking barriers
in non-traditional job roles – gender gap closing in
skilled trades once dominated by men.” Facts and
figures were presented to show that times are
changing for women! The number of construction
firms, factories, even garages now owned by women
has grown more than 17% from 1997 to 2002. Women not
only want to prove they can do any job, they want to
own the company!
More than 25 million Americans
are home-based entrepreneurs and that number grows
every day. Being paid for what you do is so much
more rewarding than being paid what someone thinks
you are worth! Due to the highest unemployment
numbers since post September 11th, experienced and
educated women are taking jobs far below their
aptitude just to have job security. Employers are
holding the key to our futures – but you can change
that by starting a business from home.
Where do you start? Well, you
search the Internet at a feverish pace, go to the
library and read anything and everything you can get
your hands on and ask questions. “It is anticipated
that by the year 2005, 50% of households in the U.S.
alone will be involved in a home based business.” -
Newsweek Magazine. Finding your niche is where the
trick lies. It is too easy to get pulled into scams
and fraudulent activities. There are several
government agencies just for these concerns. Is it
really possible to stuff envelopes and make
thousands of dollars a week? The National Fraud
Information Center at
www.fraud.org is an incredible resource for
making sure you don’t get caught up in the moment of
moneymaking ideas. According to their web site,
Internet Fraud Statistics list a Total Loss Overall
of $14,647,933 in the year 2002. The “envelope
stuffing” scheme is listed and explained. In this
classic scam, instead of getting materials to send
out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to
place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to
send you money for information about working at
home. This is an illegal pyramid scheme because
there is no real product or service being offered.
You won’t get rich, and you could be prosecuted for
fraud. Operating a home-based business is just like
any other business, it requires hard work, skill,
good products or services, and time to make a
profit.
In 2002, the average annual
income of a person running a home office was more
than $45,000 per year! This is more than twice as
much as the average U. S. household income derived
from working for employers. In fact, home business
is the fastest growing segment of the economy. Two
out of every three businesses started in the U. S.
are started in the owner’s home. Personal Computers
have made it possible for us to become writers,
publishers, artists, shoppers, communicators as well
as entrepreneurs!
Always use the ‘buyer beware’
mentality when exploring the many options available
to you and do your homework! If you put everything
you have into your own business, the benefits will
amaze you!
Out of 100 people who start
working by age 25 – by the age of 65…
- 1 is healthy
- 4 have enough money for a comfortable
retirement
- 3 are still working
- 63 are dependent on Social Security, friends,
relatives or charity
- 29 are dead
Planning for your future and deciding where
your number will fall is entirely up to you!
Finding the business that is
right for you is as personal a choice as what outfit
you decided to wear today. Once you figure out what
you like to do and find a way to make it into a
business you will experience a passion like you have
never known. You wake up in the middle of the night
and start writing down ideas. You are always
thinking and trying to come up with new ways to
present it. Answer the following questions to narrow
down what it is you want to do. 1) If someone would
pay me to do what I really enjoy, what would that
be? Is it writing? Shopping? Selling? Giving advice?
Giving my opinion? Perhaps a hobby. The choice to
change your path is yours. There are web sites,
books and research to help answer any questions or
concerns you may have. Utilize what is available and
start working toward your future.
Kathy Cooper is the owner and editor of an e-zine
titled
From Katie’s Mom to You. Working from home has
become a top priority after the birth of Katie!
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