JULY 2009: The Work-at-Home Solution: Tips on Creating a Dream Job in Your Own House
By Kim Goff
If you’re a mom and have always wanted to work at home, you may have found the search frustrating. The good news is the opportunities are endless for creating unique work-at-home positions. The ones you choose depend on how much time you have to invest, and how other obligations and responsibilities may interfere when you work from home. Working from home can be a rewarding and freeing experience, but it is not for everyone. It takes a lot of discipline and dedication, since you are your own boss, and you have to make sure not to get distracted or complacent. It is also important to stay energized and organized, which can be challenging when at home.
One of the most important things to watch out for in the online world is work-at-home scams. There are multiple Internet scams that target individuals who are unfamiliar with work-at-home programs. As a rule of thumb, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Be wary of organizations that ask you to pay a start-up fee in advance. Research any company you consider working for.
If you have some creative energy and a little money to invest, the following ideas may provide you with a future work-from-home career. You can turn your hobbies, skills or talents into a money-making career!
Licensed Day Care Center Operator
You will need to obtain local day care licensing and meet certain home business regulations. If you love children and like to be home, this is the business for you. Take out an advertisement in your local newspaper, offer to your friends, family members and neighbors, or advertise at your local church or playground.
Making Gift Baskets
This opportunity is perfect for the creative, artsy person! Gifts baskets are very popular throughout the year, and you can base your basket on many different themes: Easter, Saint Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. You can find beautiful vintage baskets at garage sales and antique stores. Around the holidays, inquire with local businesses about creating unique gifts for their employees. Supervisors and corporate higher-ups have little time to devote to purchasing gifts, let alone making them. Persuade them to get something special for their employees … and let them know your baskets would be the perfect gift!
Pet Services Business
Moms who love animals should know there’s a growing demand for pet services - everything from pet sitting while owners are on vacation to doggy day care, pet grooming, dog walking and other pet-related services. Again, there may be certain restrictions and regulations when running your business from home, so be sure you follow any regulations and apply for the right licenses when starting your company.
Scrapbooking Business
There are so many people who are enthralled with the hobby, but few who actually have the time to do it. You could start a business offering your expertise in scrapbooking to create the scrapbook of their dreams. Many people who do not have the time would pay for someone to put these together for them! Scrabooks make wonderful anniversary, birthday, and wedding gifts as well. You would need to pay for start-up costs, but with enough people interested you could recover these costs quickly.
Image Consultant/Personal Shopper
An image consulting business could be the perfect home based business for those who have a knack for balance, color and psychological impact and a strong desire to help others achieve a positive image with their targeted audience. For those who love to shop, running a personal shopping business would be an ideal opportunity to shop and earn money. Similar to an image consultant, you would need to have a flair for beauty, color and design, and be up-to-date on the latest trends, brands and sales.
Nanny Service
If you love kids, you’ll be around them all the time. You’ll feel good providing a service you know busy parents really need. The business can be rewarding as you share in the joy the children can bring to your day. Once you develop a following, you could experience strong demand for your services. While there may be no licensing or formal education requirements, you’ll need to gain trust from your clients. You are likely to be the subject of a background check and you will want to build up your reference list. Word-of-mouth and references are invaluable for this business.
Errand Services
You have to run errands yourself, right? Why not see if someone else might need errand services as well? Many elderly people or those without vehicles would benefit from these types of services and you could earn a little money doing what you were planning to do anyway.
Baking/Catering
If cooking is your strong point, then maybe doing some baking or catering on the side might be a good option for you. They offer wonderful classes on cake decoration, candy making and other baking courses for a relatively low fee at many of your local craft stores. Check into these and see if you can acquire a new skill. As mentioned under childcare services, you will need to check into your local laws for what you can do within your own kitchen. If you are required to meet certain commercial kitchen standards, you could always go to the person’s home to prepare the baked goods, meals or whatever type of food you might be offering.
Selling on eBay
Selling on eBay is fairly easy. In order to be a seller you must have an eBay account and be listed as a seller. The site itself completely facilitates the signing up process. Once you register as a seller and enter your credit card or banking information, you can sell on eBay. Try to research others who may be selling the same product you are hoping to sell. Learn what your competitors are offering to buyers. This will help you come up with a marketing strategy that will help increase your sales. Another important factor to consider is advertising. Many sellers generate Web sites to increase traffic and business to their eBay business. Research as many free places to advertise, such as on your MySpace or Facebook page. The more you advertise the more people will view your products and potentially purchase them.
Avon
Avon sells in over a hundred countries and has more than three million sales representatives worldwide. You can have “Avon” parties and sell the products anywhere. Ask permission to leave copies of the catalog in grocery stores, gyms, local doctors’ offices, restaurants, etc. If any of your friends work in an office, ask them to take to work and leave it in their breakroom or meeting rooms. The more books you put out there the more you will sell! Avon is the world’s leading direct seller of beauty products and their line also includes: jewelry, clothing, toys, etc. Your earnings are determined by how much you sell.
The first step to finding a work-at-home job is to find something that interest you and can utilize the skills you have. Some women take advantage of their career skills and become consultants and others telecommute to a job. An entrepreneurial mother might start a home-based business. There are many other types of jobs that can be done from home, but these are probably the most common. However, as technology continues to advance we will likely see more and more opportunities to do even more jobs from home in the future. To be successful, you must figure out which arena will best fit your skills and temperament.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Goff is a professional speaker and author, who currently works as a communications director for the United Way of York. As a freelance writer, Kim wrote the book “Female Empowerment – A Personal Journey,” to share her insights on overcoming obstacles and the challenges of raising an autistic child. She also works on the York Daily Record’s volunteer blog and is the Philadelphia Special Needs Kids Examiner for Examiner.com. For more information on her book, or to hire her for a speaking engagement, e-mail:
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