By Liz Folger
Where do you find yourself right now? Is it maybe....wanting to start your own home business?
Have you seen the ads? You know the ones where a person is dressed in a power suit, sitting in an ergonomic chair in their posh home office, in front of their computer, gazing thoughtfully out the window at children playing on a well manicured lawn.
I will now create for you a similar scene using real characters -- not actors. I will include a cartoon bubble above this seemingly relaxed individual sitting at her desk/kitchen table, wearing a bathrobe and some mighty fine pillow hair.
This is what my bubble would read: What should I make for dinner? Forget dinner, I'll order pizza. You know, I should really take a shower -- how many days has it been? Are the kids home from school already? When was the last time I spent quality time with another adult? (And no, the parent teacher conference doesn't count.) I wonder if that prospective client will call back after hearing little Cindy scream in the background, "MAMA, I have to go potty -- NOW?" What's burning? Is something burning. "Mom, the toaster's smoking really bad this time. We may need to call the fire department."
So, do you still want to start a home business? Well, if your answer is yes, then that means only two things. You're crazy, and you will fit in nicely with everyone else around here.
Your current situation may make the decision to work from home the easy part. Maybe your boss is married to June Cleaver and believes the only time a woman should step foot in the office is to bring her man a hot lunch. Maybe you are June Cleaver, and want to do something for yourself for once. Maybe you're tired of working for minimum wage. Whatever your situation, you probably have a good reason to be your own boss.
So now that you're tempted with the idea of owning your own business, what business would you pick? As a woman of the nineties, you probably have more roles than you know what to do with. What usually comes with that wide variety of roles is time for everyone but yourself. Besides that, time for yourself is usually right below doing the laundry. It's easy sometimes to forget the things that make us happy.
If you could do anything with your life right now, what would it be? Let's just say you won the lottery. Give yourself a year to play, but eventually you will want to do something worthwhile with your life. What would that be? When it comes down to it, most of us want the satisfaction of becoming successful at something we really love to do. Gosh, is that even possible?
Yes, it is! Finding the perfect at-home career is possible. I have talked to many women who have climbed the corporate ladder and have done some pretty exciting things, who now own their own home business. Now that they have been their own boss they would never dream of going back and working for someone else. Everything else pales in comparison.
Finding the perfect home business may seem like a difficult project, but it's easier than you realize. Most likely, what you would truly enjoy doing is something you've been doing all along, i.e., a hobby, leisure activity, or a part-time job you took just because you loved doing it.
It doesn't matter that you have a degree in bio-science, but you know quilting is where your heart is. Maybe you don't have a degree and have decided to stay home to raise your kids, and the thought of becoming a financial planner makes you a little giddy.
I know we are all sick of hearing, do what you love and the money will follow. Unfortunately, that saying is true. Darn, huh? This month I want you to think about what it is you love to do. Don't think about what makes your husband, significant other, kids or parents happy. What makes YOU happy?
Okay, I'm going to give you an assignment. Make a list of your fantasy jobs. Some of you may have a tough time coming up with the perfect job. Then some of you may have a list longer than the Great Wall of China. That's great, get crazy and write all those ideas down.
If coming up with ideas is difficult, I'd like to recommend the following books -- even you smarty pants, who cannot stop coming up with possible home business ideas, may find these books useful.
- The Artist Way by Julia Cameron
- Making a Living Without a Job by Barbara J. Winters.
Find the kid in you that wants to have fun, then incorporate your adult side that wants to make money. With those two ideas and a lot of hard work, who knows what might happen.
Liz Folger is the author of the book, The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To Making Money. She has created Bizy Moms, a resource on the Net for moms who want to work at home and for those who already do. |
