Some WAHM jobs require little selling
You might be interested in working at home but concerned that you will have to sell stuff. It maybe seems to you that moms who work at home sell stuff. They sell Avon, or cooking supplies, or homemade baby blankets. Whatever it is, it’s selling and you want no part of it. Can you work at home without selling stuff?
The answer is both yes and no. That is, while you can work at home without blatantly selling items like skincare and cooking utensils and baby blankets, you will always be selling something – yourself, your services, your skills.
So let’s look at some options for non-selling at-home jobs and discuss what you do have to sell, like it or not.
Website design
Many moms with some skill at website design have traded in the office job for the comfort of working at home and designing websites. If you have even an inkling of skill at this (or very good software that can do a lot of it for you) you can create nice looking websites for clients.
Writing
Online writing is fast becoming a WAHM job that’s overtaking many others. You can write articles for clients or you can write articles and then market them to potential customers. You can write for revenue-share sites and you can write eBooks and then sell them.
Daycare
Many moms open daycare centers so they can be at home with their children but still provide a second income for their family. This works well for many moms because they can provide that second income all while also providing playmates for their own kids.
Inbound calling
One popular job for WAHMs is inbound calling. In this business, you take calls from people making orders from infomercials or shopping networks, or even take pizza orders. You might also perform basic customer service tasks.
Bookkeeping
If you have ever worked as a bookkeeper or in some similar capacity, you can work at home as a bookkeeper, keeping the books for local businesses and perhaps even online businesses. This is an ideal position for the mom who wants to make a nice income at home but who wants to work exclusively at home.
Tutor
Many former teachers are discovering the earning potential of being an online tutor. In this capacity, they tutor students who are having problems in a particular subject area. Most of the work is done exclusively online, reducing the need to travel to work or see clients in the home.
Are you selling, though?
All of these jobs we talk about above require a certain level of marketing. You must market yourself in order to make yourself desirable to clients. That means you are selling something – yourself. If you are so uncomfortable with the concept of selling anything that you don’t think you can even sell yourself and your services, then working at home might not be ideal for you unless you are employed and simply work at home for your employer.
But if you decide to work at home in your own business, you must learn to market yourself. You must learn and accept that you have to market, or sell, yourself to make yourself appealing to clients. That’s simply part of the game.
Having said that, though, it’s not the same to market yourself and sell your services as it is to sell clothing or skincare products. If you want to get away from the direct selling that those types of jobs might require, you can do many other things at home that only require you to sell yourself and your services.
GILIW.COM
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
Why Work At Home?
Working at home ideal for many reasons
A lot of moms struggle with the concept of becoming a work at home mom. It’s tempting to do it, but they just aren’t sure if it’s the right thing for them. But there are many reasons why choosing to become a WAHM is ideal. Let’s count the ways.
1. Time
When you work outside the home, you lose a lot of time. Not at work, because when you work at home you might likely put in as many hours as when you work outside the home, but after work, and before work. Depending on where you live, there is a commute to consider and other obligations that might keep you from getting home just when you like.
When you add kids to the mix, being gone a lot is a problem. They need to see their parents, and when you work outside the home, you might be gone up to 10 hours a day (or more, depending in your job and that commute). When you work in the home, you don’t need to “leave” for work until it’s time to begin work. No commute required. And when you’re done with work, you can leave and be home, well, immediately.
2. Chaos
The life of a household with two working parents can be chaotic. You might get home from work only to turn right around and head to soccer practice, or gymnastics, or piano lessons, or a combination of all of them. There’s a certain amount of chaos build into that situation.
When you work at home, you are already there. When it’s time to head to soccer, you simply shut down your work for the day (or for now, if you intend to return later) and you go to soccer. Sometimes you might even be able to bring your work with you.
In addition, you won’t have any of the scheduling problems that moms who work outside the home might have. You can allow your kids afterschool activities and play dates. You’re there to either supervise or do the driving.
3. Money
You might be surprised to discover that you can save money by working at home, thereby increasing your net income. When you work at home, you don’t have to pay for full-time daycare. Depending on the ages of your children, you might need to take advantage of some part-time daycare until the kids are in school, however.
You won’t have a commute, so you will save on gas, and you can likely save on clothing. Even if you do meet with clients, or do parties, or work partly outside the home at your home-based business, you can have a much simpler work wardrobe than you would have if you worked outside the home. Since you won’t see the same people everyday, you can settle for fewer work pieces. Mostly, however you can dress very casually if you work at home.
You might also see a savings in unexpected areas. You will eat lunch at home most or all of the time, thereby saving on lunch costs. You won’t be caught up ordering things from co-workers or their children. You won’t have to contribute to the workplace birthday fund.
4. Quality of life
Of course, this is debatable in that not everyone can claim that working at home gives them a better quality of life. That’s due to the simple fact that working at home isn’t for everyone. But if you think that working at home might be the thing for you, it’s important to consider that your quality of life might improve.
When you work at home, you have much more control over your time than you do when you work outside the home. Depending on what kind of work you do at home, you might have absolute control or just some control, but in either event, you will ultimately have a bit more control over your time than when you work outside the home.
If the kids get sick, you can be there for them. If you get sick, you can take a day off and make up for it the next day. If you want to take a day off and run errands, or see a movie, you can do that. You ultimately control when the work gets done and as long as it gets done, you have a great deal of control over when and how. For people who like to work at night, working at home is ideal because they can work through the night and sleep late the next day.
There are many benefits to becoming a work at home mom. Consider what’s important to you in life and then consider if working outside the home or inside the home is the best way to achieve those life goals.
GILIW.COM
A lot of moms struggle with the concept of becoming a work at home mom. It’s tempting to do it, but they just aren’t sure if it’s the right thing for them. But there are many reasons why choosing to become a WAHM is ideal. Let’s count the ways.
1. Time
When you work outside the home, you lose a lot of time. Not at work, because when you work at home you might likely put in as many hours as when you work outside the home, but after work, and before work. Depending on where you live, there is a commute to consider and other obligations that might keep you from getting home just when you like.
When you add kids to the mix, being gone a lot is a problem. They need to see their parents, and when you work outside the home, you might be gone up to 10 hours a day (or more, depending in your job and that commute). When you work in the home, you don’t need to “leave” for work until it’s time to begin work. No commute required. And when you’re done with work, you can leave and be home, well, immediately.
2. Chaos
The life of a household with two working parents can be chaotic. You might get home from work only to turn right around and head to soccer practice, or gymnastics, or piano lessons, or a combination of all of them. There’s a certain amount of chaos build into that situation.
When you work at home, you are already there. When it’s time to head to soccer, you simply shut down your work for the day (or for now, if you intend to return later) and you go to soccer. Sometimes you might even be able to bring your work with you.
In addition, you won’t have any of the scheduling problems that moms who work outside the home might have. You can allow your kids afterschool activities and play dates. You’re there to either supervise or do the driving.
3. Money
You might be surprised to discover that you can save money by working at home, thereby increasing your net income. When you work at home, you don’t have to pay for full-time daycare. Depending on the ages of your children, you might need to take advantage of some part-time daycare until the kids are in school, however.
You won’t have a commute, so you will save on gas, and you can likely save on clothing. Even if you do meet with clients, or do parties, or work partly outside the home at your home-based business, you can have a much simpler work wardrobe than you would have if you worked outside the home. Since you won’t see the same people everyday, you can settle for fewer work pieces. Mostly, however you can dress very casually if you work at home.
You might also see a savings in unexpected areas. You will eat lunch at home most or all of the time, thereby saving on lunch costs. You won’t be caught up ordering things from co-workers or their children. You won’t have to contribute to the workplace birthday fund.
4. Quality of life
Of course, this is debatable in that not everyone can claim that working at home gives them a better quality of life. That’s due to the simple fact that working at home isn’t for everyone. But if you think that working at home might be the thing for you, it’s important to consider that your quality of life might improve.
When you work at home, you have much more control over your time than you do when you work outside the home. Depending on what kind of work you do at home, you might have absolute control or just some control, but in either event, you will ultimately have a bit more control over your time than when you work outside the home.
If the kids get sick, you can be there for them. If you get sick, you can take a day off and make up for it the next day. If you want to take a day off and run errands, or see a movie, you can do that. You ultimately control when the work gets done and as long as it gets done, you have a great deal of control over when and how. For people who like to work at night, working at home is ideal because they can work through the night and sleep late the next day.
There are many benefits to becoming a work at home mom. Consider what’s important to you in life and then consider if working outside the home or inside the home is the best way to achieve those life goals.
GILIW.COM
Sunday, December 23, 2018
What To Do To Kids While Working At Home
How to keep the kids occupied when you work at home
For many women, the idea of working at home is a dream. They like the idea of being at home for their kids after school, or if someone gets sick. There’s no longer any concern when a school break comes around. The kids have a place to be.
But there are some challenges to working at home with kids underfoot. Whether the children are younger or older, there can be challenges. Those challenges might be a little more manageable when the children are older, but there are challenges nonetheless.
Very young children
If you work at home and you have an infant or toddler, it’s unreasonable to assume that you can work full-time during the day and have the children at home as well. But all is not lost. Many moms find suitable solutions.
First, you can hire help to come in and help you with the child or children while you’re working. If your infant generally sleeps the morning away, consider having someone come to help in the afternoon when he’s more alert. Since you will be at home, you won’t have to pay a babysitter as much as you would if you were gone.
Some moms will work very early in the morning before their young child gets up and then late in the evening when the child has gone to bed. Of course, this might mean sacrificing some sleep yourself, but at least until the child or children are older, this can be a suitable arrangement.
Other moms who work at home with young ones will put the child in daycare. This might seem contrary to the notion of staying at home to be with your children, but there are times when there’s no other solution. Since you have control over your hours, you can drop your child off later than you would if you were commuting and you can also pick him or her up earlier. You can also visit at lunch if you like. As your children get older, and enter preschool, this arrangement will no longer be necessary.
Preschool children
If you have preschool-age children, your dreams for working at home become at once easier and more difficult. That is, at this age, children are more likely to play independently, but might also – vocally – demand your attention. This can be a challenge if you work on the phone.
Most moms find that the best arrangement for working at home with children this age is to work when the child is at preschool as well as in the early morning and late evening. Naptime is also ideal. Once your child gives up a nap, you can still institute a “quiet time” each day during which your child can read quietly, watch a movie, or do coloring or other artwork. This gives you a block of time to get some work done as well.
School age children
You might think that as soon as your children are in school, things will get easier. And they will. To a degree. But if you want to work full-time, you must account for those few hours after the kids get home from school and before your quitting time.
Many moms simply take the approach that involves setting up business hours and keeping the kids on a schedule that requires they respect those business hours. You can make clear to the kids that you aren’t available until your business hours are over (perhaps 5 p.m.).
One of the best solutions for most moms will involve keeping the kids busy. If you find many after-school activities for the kids, you might have to drive them somewhere, but otherwise can work undisturbed in the afternoon hours. You might also make an arrangement with other parents to trade off childcare duties. Or, if the kids are older and can play fairly independently, you can offer to host play dates now and then. The kids will be busy and out of your hair and you can finish your day’s work.
Being at home with the children is one of the great motivators for moms who work at home, but it does take some planning and organizing.
GILIW.COM
For many women, the idea of working at home is a dream. They like the idea of being at home for their kids after school, or if someone gets sick. There’s no longer any concern when a school break comes around. The kids have a place to be.
But there are some challenges to working at home with kids underfoot. Whether the children are younger or older, there can be challenges. Those challenges might be a little more manageable when the children are older, but there are challenges nonetheless.
Very young children
If you work at home and you have an infant or toddler, it’s unreasonable to assume that you can work full-time during the day and have the children at home as well. But all is not lost. Many moms find suitable solutions.
First, you can hire help to come in and help you with the child or children while you’re working. If your infant generally sleeps the morning away, consider having someone come to help in the afternoon when he’s more alert. Since you will be at home, you won’t have to pay a babysitter as much as you would if you were gone.
Some moms will work very early in the morning before their young child gets up and then late in the evening when the child has gone to bed. Of course, this might mean sacrificing some sleep yourself, but at least until the child or children are older, this can be a suitable arrangement.
Other moms who work at home with young ones will put the child in daycare. This might seem contrary to the notion of staying at home to be with your children, but there are times when there’s no other solution. Since you have control over your hours, you can drop your child off later than you would if you were commuting and you can also pick him or her up earlier. You can also visit at lunch if you like. As your children get older, and enter preschool, this arrangement will no longer be necessary.
Preschool children
If you have preschool-age children, your dreams for working at home become at once easier and more difficult. That is, at this age, children are more likely to play independently, but might also – vocally – demand your attention. This can be a challenge if you work on the phone.
Most moms find that the best arrangement for working at home with children this age is to work when the child is at preschool as well as in the early morning and late evening. Naptime is also ideal. Once your child gives up a nap, you can still institute a “quiet time” each day during which your child can read quietly, watch a movie, or do coloring or other artwork. This gives you a block of time to get some work done as well.
School age children
You might think that as soon as your children are in school, things will get easier. And they will. To a degree. But if you want to work full-time, you must account for those few hours after the kids get home from school and before your quitting time.
Many moms simply take the approach that involves setting up business hours and keeping the kids on a schedule that requires they respect those business hours. You can make clear to the kids that you aren’t available until your business hours are over (perhaps 5 p.m.).
One of the best solutions for most moms will involve keeping the kids busy. If you find many after-school activities for the kids, you might have to drive them somewhere, but otherwise can work undisturbed in the afternoon hours. You might also make an arrangement with other parents to trade off childcare duties. Or, if the kids are older and can play fairly independently, you can offer to host play dates now and then. The kids will be busy and out of your hair and you can finish your day’s work.
Being at home with the children is one of the great motivators for moms who work at home, but it does take some planning and organizing.
GILIW.COM
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Working At Home
Here’s how one WAHM structures her day
Wondering how a successful WAHM might organize her day? While each mom’s experience might be different, we can provide a simple profile to give you an idea of how you can be productive even with kids underfoot and meals to cook, errands to run and the like.
So, let’s look at Elise’s story.
Elise runs a website design business from home. She doesn’t have a separate office, but rather she works out of the family’s front room, sometimes welcoming clients there but usually working through email and the telephone. She has a husband who works full-time and 2 children – 7-year-old Ethan and 3-year-old Sasha.
Here’s how Elise might structure her day, as she tries to get time in for herself, for the household, and for the kids, all while she works a full day in her business.
Elise gets up early in the morning and tends to emails and work she can do quickly before getting the kids up. Before they head to school, she showers, makes beds, makes them breakfast and lunches, and starts the laundry. Later in the morning, she will take a break from work and start dinner in the slow cooker.
After the kids are at school, Elise works several hours without interruption before taking a quick break for lunch, which she packed the night before for herself. She also goes for a quick jog before heading to pick up Sasha at preschool.
In the afternoon, Elise reads to Sasha and plays a quick game with her before giving her “quiet time” which is when Sasha – who gave up naps long ago – plays quietly while Elise works. During this time, Elise also rotates laundry and pays a bill or two. Mostly, she’s working on client projects.
Right before telling Sasha her quiet time is over, Elise makes a quick work-related phone call. When Sasha’s is quiet time is over, she and Elise head over to school to pick up Ethan. Before heading home the three take time out to enjoy the park that’s adjacent to school.
In the afternoon, the kids want to play outside, so Elise takes a laptop outside and works remotely while the kids play and she keeps an eye on them.
When Elise’s husband comes home, she takes a quick break and makes salad and slices some bread to go with dinner. While he plays with the children before dinner, she finishes up her work day and makes a list of things to tackle first thing the next morning.
There are a few elements of Elise’s day that are worth noting.
First, she plans the evening before for the next day. She makes a quick list of what she needs to tackle first so when she gets up in the morning and she’s groggy and not thinking clearly, she is ready to hit the ground running. She doesn’t need to waste time figuring it out. As part of her evening routine, she also makes sure she has packed a lunch for herself, so she doesn’t waste time making lunch the next day, and she plans and packs the kids’ lunches and snacks. She also knows what will be for dinner the next day and she’s prepared to deal with it when the time comes.
Second, Elise makes time in the day for herself, answering quick personal emails and taking a jog. But she is focused on work and she doesn’t waste time with watching a soap opera on TV or texting friends.
Finally, Elise manages to take time for her kids as much as possible. No matter how busy she is, she tries to remind herself why she is at home in the first place and that’s to be available to her family and children.
Elise’s daily experience won’t be yours, obviously, but much can be learned from her good habits.
GILIW.COM
Wondering how a successful WAHM might organize her day? While each mom’s experience might be different, we can provide a simple profile to give you an idea of how you can be productive even with kids underfoot and meals to cook, errands to run and the like.
So, let’s look at Elise’s story.
Elise runs a website design business from home. She doesn’t have a separate office, but rather she works out of the family’s front room, sometimes welcoming clients there but usually working through email and the telephone. She has a husband who works full-time and 2 children – 7-year-old Ethan and 3-year-old Sasha.
Here’s how Elise might structure her day, as she tries to get time in for herself, for the household, and for the kids, all while she works a full day in her business.
Elise gets up early in the morning and tends to emails and work she can do quickly before getting the kids up. Before they head to school, she showers, makes beds, makes them breakfast and lunches, and starts the laundry. Later in the morning, she will take a break from work and start dinner in the slow cooker.
After the kids are at school, Elise works several hours without interruption before taking a quick break for lunch, which she packed the night before for herself. She also goes for a quick jog before heading to pick up Sasha at preschool.
In the afternoon, Elise reads to Sasha and plays a quick game with her before giving her “quiet time” which is when Sasha – who gave up naps long ago – plays quietly while Elise works. During this time, Elise also rotates laundry and pays a bill or two. Mostly, she’s working on client projects.
Right before telling Sasha her quiet time is over, Elise makes a quick work-related phone call. When Sasha’s is quiet time is over, she and Elise head over to school to pick up Ethan. Before heading home the three take time out to enjoy the park that’s adjacent to school.
In the afternoon, the kids want to play outside, so Elise takes a laptop outside and works remotely while the kids play and she keeps an eye on them.
When Elise’s husband comes home, she takes a quick break and makes salad and slices some bread to go with dinner. While he plays with the children before dinner, she finishes up her work day and makes a list of things to tackle first thing the next morning.
There are a few elements of Elise’s day that are worth noting.
First, she plans the evening before for the next day. She makes a quick list of what she needs to tackle first so when she gets up in the morning and she’s groggy and not thinking clearly, she is ready to hit the ground running. She doesn’t need to waste time figuring it out. As part of her evening routine, she also makes sure she has packed a lunch for herself, so she doesn’t waste time making lunch the next day, and she plans and packs the kids’ lunches and snacks. She also knows what will be for dinner the next day and she’s prepared to deal with it when the time comes.
Second, Elise makes time in the day for herself, answering quick personal emails and taking a jog. But she is focused on work and she doesn’t waste time with watching a soap opera on TV or texting friends.
Finally, Elise manages to take time for her kids as much as possible. No matter how busy she is, she tries to remind herself why she is at home in the first place and that’s to be available to her family and children.
Elise’s daily experience won’t be yours, obviously, but much can be learned from her good habits.
GILIW.COM
Friday, December 21, 2018
How To Turn Your Passion Into Business?
Find your passion, find your WAHM job
If you have ever heard the expression, “do what you love and the money will follow” then you understand the basic concept of finding a passion for your WAHM business. You might spend a good deal of time working your WAHM business, so it’s important that it’s something you feel passionate about.
How can you find your passion?
Think about the things in life that bring you great joy. Is it your kids? Your crafting? Your cooking? What do you enjoy doing the most? When you get a small pocket of time that’s not scheduled with other activities, what do you choose to do?
Also think about the things you enjoyed doing before you were a mom. The things you did on the weekends when you had time. What did you do? What brings you joy? You might even mentally wander back to the first job you had when you were truly happy.
Your answers to the questions give you a sense of what your passions are. Then think about how you can turn these in WAHM businesses.
Turn that passion into a business
If you are an excellent cook, you might turn your passion for cooking into a personal chef business, a catering business, a business that supplies muffins and treats for offices, or even a menu planner (where you provide other moms with pre-planned menus that they simply follow each week when cooking for their own families).
Let’s say you adore children, yours and others. You can’t get enough of them and enjoy each moment you spend with children. It’s not your desire to “get away” from them to work, but to include them as much as possible. In that case, your WAHM business might center on children in some fashion. You might tutor kids, or open a home daycare.
If you are a crafter, you can turn that passion into a business of many different sorts. You might make your crafts and sell them at craft shows, or on Etsy.com or even on eBay. Some women have trunk shows in their home where they sell their wares. This works especially well if you are selling fashion accessories or jewelry that you make.
What if you don’t have a passion?
You might think about the things you like doing and realize that those things don’t translate well into a business. What then? Then it’s time to reexamine the things you like to do. That is, you might find that your passions do lend themselves well to a WAHM business.
Are you passionate about watching television? If so, you can turn that passion into a blog that might get a good number of readers. You might find a job reviewing your favorite shows for a funny or irreverent site.
There are sites that pay for book reviews; if you are a passionate reader, you might write book reviews that net you some pay. You can also set up a blog that is written for passionate bloggers. Learn how to market it and you could have a nice little income for yourself from that blog.
If you are passionate about fitness, you might find a WAHM job as a personal trainer, providing you have adequate equipment and space at your home. You might also find a niche for yourself as a personal fitness motivator, providing customers with detailed and customized fitness plans and motivation.
Finding a business that is rooted in your passion isn’t hard once you examine your basic skill sets and combine that with your passion. You’re sure to do well when you start with the things you love doing.
GILIW.COM
If you have ever heard the expression, “do what you love and the money will follow” then you understand the basic concept of finding a passion for your WAHM business. You might spend a good deal of time working your WAHM business, so it’s important that it’s something you feel passionate about.
How can you find your passion?
Think about the things in life that bring you great joy. Is it your kids? Your crafting? Your cooking? What do you enjoy doing the most? When you get a small pocket of time that’s not scheduled with other activities, what do you choose to do?
Also think about the things you enjoyed doing before you were a mom. The things you did on the weekends when you had time. What did you do? What brings you joy? You might even mentally wander back to the first job you had when you were truly happy.
Your answers to the questions give you a sense of what your passions are. Then think about how you can turn these in WAHM businesses.
Turn that passion into a business
If you are an excellent cook, you might turn your passion for cooking into a personal chef business, a catering business, a business that supplies muffins and treats for offices, or even a menu planner (where you provide other moms with pre-planned menus that they simply follow each week when cooking for their own families).
Let’s say you adore children, yours and others. You can’t get enough of them and enjoy each moment you spend with children. It’s not your desire to “get away” from them to work, but to include them as much as possible. In that case, your WAHM business might center on children in some fashion. You might tutor kids, or open a home daycare.
If you are a crafter, you can turn that passion into a business of many different sorts. You might make your crafts and sell them at craft shows, or on Etsy.com or even on eBay. Some women have trunk shows in their home where they sell their wares. This works especially well if you are selling fashion accessories or jewelry that you make.
What if you don’t have a passion?
You might think about the things you like doing and realize that those things don’t translate well into a business. What then? Then it’s time to reexamine the things you like to do. That is, you might find that your passions do lend themselves well to a WAHM business.
Are you passionate about watching television? If so, you can turn that passion into a blog that might get a good number of readers. You might find a job reviewing your favorite shows for a funny or irreverent site.
There are sites that pay for book reviews; if you are a passionate reader, you might write book reviews that net you some pay. You can also set up a blog that is written for passionate bloggers. Learn how to market it and you could have a nice little income for yourself from that blog.
If you are passionate about fitness, you might find a WAHM job as a personal trainer, providing you have adequate equipment and space at your home. You might also find a niche for yourself as a personal fitness motivator, providing customers with detailed and customized fitness plans and motivation.
Finding a business that is rooted in your passion isn’t hard once you examine your basic skill sets and combine that with your passion. You’re sure to do well when you start with the things you love doing.
GILIW.COM
Thursday, December 20, 2018
How To Schedule To Success?
Scheduling the key for WAHMs
To be successful working at home, you must have schedules. It’s easy to get sidetracked with the laundry, the cleaning, and the errand-running. But to have a successful business that brings in the necessary income, staying focused on the job at hand is essential.
How can you do that? It’s all about scheduling. Let’s say that again – schedules are good, schedules are essential, schedules will keep your productive at work and in control at home.
Why do you need schedules?
Especially if you are a more creative thinker, scheduling things can seem rigid and unwelcome. You might not like the idea of having to schedule when you get things done, or the idea of planning meals ahead of time. But doing these things actually provides freedom.
When you work at home, you are shoulder to shoulder with the mess, the laundry, and the children. It’s easy to get sidetracked trying to take care of these things. But if everything is on a schedule (even the children, if they are home during the day), you can get more done. You’ll be able to focus on work when you’re working because you won’t get sidetracked thinking about all the other things that you need to get done.
How do you schedule?
Think about the things that you need to get done on a daily or weekly basis. Consider the laundry, the cooking, the general cleaning and the childcare. If you know that you are usually home on Sundays, for example, you can plan to make Sunday laundry day. You don’t allow yourself to do laundry on any other day but Sunday and you stick to that schedule. During the week, you won’t get sidetracked folding laundry.
Planning menus is essential. If you are the primary cook in your house, you must know what you are gong to cook each day or at the end of your workday, you’re going to end up in the car in the fast food lane. Since most women choose to work at home in order to be more available to their family, working at home all day and then providing takeout is hardly a step above.
Instead, plan a week’s worth of menus at a time. Ideally, you will plan a month’s worth of menus, but you can start with a week. Buy all the groceries you need for the week and even clean and cut veggies, put meat in marinades and measure out rice ahead of time. When you close up your work shop for the day, you can easily get a simple meal on the table because you were organized enough to get some prep done ahead of time.
To be efficient in work, it’s best if you just work when you’re working. That means don’t get sidetracked with paying bills or ordering books for your child’s book collection. Save those things for evening time, when you are more focused on home endeavors, or for your breaks.
Take breaks
On that note, be structured enough with your time to take breaks. Think of yourself as working in an office. You might head to the break room for a cup of coffee and on the way, have a brief discussion with a coworker about a party you both attended the night before. You might take another break later in the day and make a phone call to your child’s teacher.
If you think of your work at home life in a similar fashion, you can quickly see the results of your structured time. Take regular breaks and during that time, you can send a quick email to a friend or send a text to another. You might make that book order or that phone call. A few minutes later, you return to work just as you would if you worked outside the home.
Get started right
Finally, start each day in an organized fashion. Make sure the breakfast dishes are done, that the beds are made and the house is generally straightened. Sit down to a clean workspace. As you start your work for the day, you’ll have a sense that everything is in order and you can feel at peace focusing on your work needs because there are no other pressing needs you must worry about right now.
Structuring your time as a WAHM might seem like one more thing you must take care of, but doing so will actually free you to focus better at work and at home, even when those worlds intersect.
GILIW.COM
To be successful working at home, you must have schedules. It’s easy to get sidetracked with the laundry, the cleaning, and the errand-running. But to have a successful business that brings in the necessary income, staying focused on the job at hand is essential.
How can you do that? It’s all about scheduling. Let’s say that again – schedules are good, schedules are essential, schedules will keep your productive at work and in control at home.
Why do you need schedules?
Especially if you are a more creative thinker, scheduling things can seem rigid and unwelcome. You might not like the idea of having to schedule when you get things done, or the idea of planning meals ahead of time. But doing these things actually provides freedom.
When you work at home, you are shoulder to shoulder with the mess, the laundry, and the children. It’s easy to get sidetracked trying to take care of these things. But if everything is on a schedule (even the children, if they are home during the day), you can get more done. You’ll be able to focus on work when you’re working because you won’t get sidetracked thinking about all the other things that you need to get done.
How do you schedule?
Think about the things that you need to get done on a daily or weekly basis. Consider the laundry, the cooking, the general cleaning and the childcare. If you know that you are usually home on Sundays, for example, you can plan to make Sunday laundry day. You don’t allow yourself to do laundry on any other day but Sunday and you stick to that schedule. During the week, you won’t get sidetracked folding laundry.
Planning menus is essential. If you are the primary cook in your house, you must know what you are gong to cook each day or at the end of your workday, you’re going to end up in the car in the fast food lane. Since most women choose to work at home in order to be more available to their family, working at home all day and then providing takeout is hardly a step above.
Instead, plan a week’s worth of menus at a time. Ideally, you will plan a month’s worth of menus, but you can start with a week. Buy all the groceries you need for the week and even clean and cut veggies, put meat in marinades and measure out rice ahead of time. When you close up your work shop for the day, you can easily get a simple meal on the table because you were organized enough to get some prep done ahead of time.
To be efficient in work, it’s best if you just work when you’re working. That means don’t get sidetracked with paying bills or ordering books for your child’s book collection. Save those things for evening time, when you are more focused on home endeavors, or for your breaks.
Take breaks
On that note, be structured enough with your time to take breaks. Think of yourself as working in an office. You might head to the break room for a cup of coffee and on the way, have a brief discussion with a coworker about a party you both attended the night before. You might take another break later in the day and make a phone call to your child’s teacher.
If you think of your work at home life in a similar fashion, you can quickly see the results of your structured time. Take regular breaks and during that time, you can send a quick email to a friend or send a text to another. You might make that book order or that phone call. A few minutes later, you return to work just as you would if you worked outside the home.
Get started right
Finally, start each day in an organized fashion. Make sure the breakfast dishes are done, that the beds are made and the house is generally straightened. Sit down to a clean workspace. As you start your work for the day, you’ll have a sense that everything is in order and you can feel at peace focusing on your work needs because there are no other pressing needs you must worry about right now.
Structuring your time as a WAHM might seem like one more thing you must take care of, but doing so will actually free you to focus better at work and at home, even when those worlds intersect.
GILIW.COM
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
How To Start An Event Planning Business At Home?
Moms well suited to event planning businesses
If you’ve always had a skill for planning birthday parties and other events, you might want to think about starting an event planning business from home.
This is an ideal choice for moms who can do much of the planning from home and even have business meetings in their house. You do need to attend the party of event, of course.
What do you need to know?
If you want to start an event planning business, you should have either experience or training in event planning, or a combination of both. You can actually get a degree in event planning or management. There are many 2-year and 4-year schools that offer such degrees.
If you have done event planning in any capacity in a professional manner, you can us that experience to help you establish yourself in your own business. Think about the skills you might have acquired from other jobs. Have you had to arrange travel or luncheons?
In addition to any specific jobs you might have done before and your desire or ability to get a degree in event planning, you also should know some basics of how to plan an event, how to organize people and how to acquire the necessary items for a party.
Although having planned your own wedding and your children’s birthday parties might provide some experience in event planning, you can’t rely on this alone. Try to acquire more experience through a professional job or specific training.
What skills should you have?
Aside from specific experience, you should have some basic skills. Most important of these is organization. You should know that you are very organized and can plan an event from beginning to end without too many bumps in the road.
You should also be a self-starter and independent worker. Some customer service skills are also necessary, since you will be working with clients who might or might not know exactly what they want. They might also be stressed while planning and during the event and your ability to stay calm and professional is essential.
How to start your event planning business
Knowing people is the most important component to getting your business going. You need to connect with people who can give you business, or connect you with those who can give you business. You should take advantage of the connections you do have and let them know that you have an event planning business.
For many moms, event planning businesses start as birthday party planning business. If you have a real skill at putting on spectacular birthday parties, you can make a small business from that, and often your contacts will turn up larger events, from formal dinner parties to weddings.
To get the word out, have business cards printed up, and perhaps make a flier offering information about the services you provide and sample prices. Include any information about previous experience you have.
This kind of business requires in-person networking skills. You might attend local community events and talk to people about their event-planning needs. You could go to the chamber of commerce luncheons and offer to do some event planning for free. You can build a website and offer limited information about how to plan events. If they want more information, they must call you for the information, which allows you to market your services further.
If you want to start an event-planning business, just make sure you have the contacts, the experience and the know-how to get it done.
GILIW.COM
If you’ve always had a skill for planning birthday parties and other events, you might want to think about starting an event planning business from home.
This is an ideal choice for moms who can do much of the planning from home and even have business meetings in their house. You do need to attend the party of event, of course.
What do you need to know?
If you want to start an event planning business, you should have either experience or training in event planning, or a combination of both. You can actually get a degree in event planning or management. There are many 2-year and 4-year schools that offer such degrees.
If you have done event planning in any capacity in a professional manner, you can us that experience to help you establish yourself in your own business. Think about the skills you might have acquired from other jobs. Have you had to arrange travel or luncheons?
In addition to any specific jobs you might have done before and your desire or ability to get a degree in event planning, you also should know some basics of how to plan an event, how to organize people and how to acquire the necessary items for a party.
Although having planned your own wedding and your children’s birthday parties might provide some experience in event planning, you can’t rely on this alone. Try to acquire more experience through a professional job or specific training.
What skills should you have?
Aside from specific experience, you should have some basic skills. Most important of these is organization. You should know that you are very organized and can plan an event from beginning to end without too many bumps in the road.
You should also be a self-starter and independent worker. Some customer service skills are also necessary, since you will be working with clients who might or might not know exactly what they want. They might also be stressed while planning and during the event and your ability to stay calm and professional is essential.
How to start your event planning business
Knowing people is the most important component to getting your business going. You need to connect with people who can give you business, or connect you with those who can give you business. You should take advantage of the connections you do have and let them know that you have an event planning business.
For many moms, event planning businesses start as birthday party planning business. If you have a real skill at putting on spectacular birthday parties, you can make a small business from that, and often your contacts will turn up larger events, from formal dinner parties to weddings.
To get the word out, have business cards printed up, and perhaps make a flier offering information about the services you provide and sample prices. Include any information about previous experience you have.
This kind of business requires in-person networking skills. You might attend local community events and talk to people about their event-planning needs. You could go to the chamber of commerce luncheons and offer to do some event planning for free. You can build a website and offer limited information about how to plan events. If they want more information, they must call you for the information, which allows you to market your services further.
If you want to start an event-planning business, just make sure you have the contacts, the experience and the know-how to get it done.
GILIW.COM
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
How To Start A Call Center At Home?
Get the phone: Start an at-home call center business
With just a few small investments in training and equipment, you can start an at-home inbound call business and create a work schedule that’s flexible and sometimes lucrative.
Many WAHMs find that inbound calling is a great business to start at home. Though you won’t have your own business, but will work other companies, you can control much about your work environment.
What is inbound calling?
First, let’s understand our terms. Inbound calling refers to calls that you answer for companies. Usually it’s to take orders, but it can also be to perform certain customer service tasks.
There are many companies (like FedEx, 1-800-Flowers.com and HSN, to name a few) that contract with other companies to do inbound calling. You are hired by the company that has a contract with, say, FedEx, as an independent contractor. Usually there will be tests, trials and others criteria to determine if you are the right fit for the company.
Most often, you can choose the hours you work, though some companies might require a set schedule from you. When you are “at work”, you will answer calls for the company, routing them to the appropriate place, or taking orders (you will be logged into a site that allows you to input the order) or performing customer service tasks like allowing people to pay on a bill, or change an address, or ask questions about items.
How can you do this at home?
Once you decide that inbound calling is for you, you have to take several steps. First, apply with companies that contract to do this kind of work. As you go through the application process, you will find that each company has different requirements for you. Some might ask you to incorporate your business, which is an investment on your part. Others will let you operate as an independent contractor.
There will be requirements for equipment. For example, you will be required to have high-speed internet access and most likely a wireless headset along with a landline phone (not a cordless phone). Some might require – or suggest – that you have a dedicated phone line.
As you work through the application process, you might be given written tests on the particular company you will work for, and you will also likely be given verbal tests, where someone will call you and act like a customer. They will be able to judge how well you would do in a real situation.
Don’t assume that you must have inbound calling experience to do this at home. Although if you have done this in the workplace before you might have a better chance of getting the job, people who have no experience at this also manage to get hired. If you can find your way around the internet, and can talk articulately and clearly, you can do this job.
Is inbound calling right for you?
If you are a mom who works at home, you might think that taking calls is dangerous. The kids might be noisy, or you might have little time to work when the kids aren’t around.
Most moms who work at home doing inbound calling will purchase a noise-cancelling headset. This ensures that no matter what noisy activity is swirling around you, it won’t be heard through your headset. Although you can work during the day when the kids are home, you can also schedule yourself to work on weekends or at night when the kids can be otherwise occupied.
Although there can be an investment up front for those looking to do inbound calling from home, doing this kind of work can be interesting, lucrative and is great for the social mom who wants to work at home but doesn’t want to give up talking to other adults.
GILIW.COM
With just a few small investments in training and equipment, you can start an at-home inbound call business and create a work schedule that’s flexible and sometimes lucrative.
Many WAHMs find that inbound calling is a great business to start at home. Though you won’t have your own business, but will work other companies, you can control much about your work environment.
What is inbound calling?
First, let’s understand our terms. Inbound calling refers to calls that you answer for companies. Usually it’s to take orders, but it can also be to perform certain customer service tasks.
There are many companies (like FedEx, 1-800-Flowers.com and HSN, to name a few) that contract with other companies to do inbound calling. You are hired by the company that has a contract with, say, FedEx, as an independent contractor. Usually there will be tests, trials and others criteria to determine if you are the right fit for the company.
Most often, you can choose the hours you work, though some companies might require a set schedule from you. When you are “at work”, you will answer calls for the company, routing them to the appropriate place, or taking orders (you will be logged into a site that allows you to input the order) or performing customer service tasks like allowing people to pay on a bill, or change an address, or ask questions about items.
How can you do this at home?
Once you decide that inbound calling is for you, you have to take several steps. First, apply with companies that contract to do this kind of work. As you go through the application process, you will find that each company has different requirements for you. Some might ask you to incorporate your business, which is an investment on your part. Others will let you operate as an independent contractor.
There will be requirements for equipment. For example, you will be required to have high-speed internet access and most likely a wireless headset along with a landline phone (not a cordless phone). Some might require – or suggest – that you have a dedicated phone line.
As you work through the application process, you might be given written tests on the particular company you will work for, and you will also likely be given verbal tests, where someone will call you and act like a customer. They will be able to judge how well you would do in a real situation.
Don’t assume that you must have inbound calling experience to do this at home. Although if you have done this in the workplace before you might have a better chance of getting the job, people who have no experience at this also manage to get hired. If you can find your way around the internet, and can talk articulately and clearly, you can do this job.
Is inbound calling right for you?
If you are a mom who works at home, you might think that taking calls is dangerous. The kids might be noisy, or you might have little time to work when the kids aren’t around.
Most moms who work at home doing inbound calling will purchase a noise-cancelling headset. This ensures that no matter what noisy activity is swirling around you, it won’t be heard through your headset. Although you can work during the day when the kids are home, you can also schedule yourself to work on weekends or at night when the kids can be otherwise occupied.
Although there can be an investment up front for those looking to do inbound calling from home, doing this kind of work can be interesting, lucrative and is great for the social mom who wants to work at home but doesn’t want to give up talking to other adults.
GILIW.COM
Monday, December 17, 2018
How To Start A Food Business
Many moms find happiness with cooking businesses
If you enjoy cooking or baking and feel comfortable giving others your food, you might want to start your own home food business.
This kind of business can come in many forms – you might make specialty food products and sell them online, or you can be a caterer or a personal chef. Let’s look at a few possibilities.
Specialty food
This is one of the easiest food businesses to start. If you make the world’s greatest biscotti or homemade jam, you might consider selling it online or in the “real world”.
If you decide to sell your food product online, you can do it on Ebay or through your own website. You might also offer recipes, or several flavors or varieties of product. You might decide to keep it simple and offer the dry mix of a particular recipe so the customer can make the product at their convenience at home.
There are some limitations to be aware of, and these vary from area to area. There might be local restrictions on selling food, or restrictions based on where the food is produced. Make sure you pay attention to these rules and restrictions before you make food and sell it. Often, there are loopholes (like selling a mix) you can discover that allow you to create a small business from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Catering
Many moms have started catering businesses from home. If you are always called upon to cook the food for special events and you have particularly good recipes, you might be halfway in business already. In addition, if you have a large group of family and friends, you might also have a built-in client base.
To run a catering business, you have to have a kitchen to work in. Most county and state laws restrict making food from your home and carting it to another location. But you can always rent kitchens to use, such as church kitchens and the kitchens at schools and the like.
This is an ideal business for moms because you can choose the jobs you want to work on and reject the others. You can have a lot of control over your work schedule until the event itself, when you might work a few hours before and a few hours after the event.
Personal chef
Personal chefs cook food for people in their own home. This is an excellent choice for the cook who has the skill to be a caterer but no permanent kitchen to use. By cooking the food in the client’s home, you circumvent that problem.
Most personal chefs offer two primary services – they will cook a special meal in someone’s home for them to eat right then, and they cook food for a family or person to eat throughout the week. In that case, you will cook or pre-prep several meals and leave them in the fridge or freezer for the customers to eat later.
More than the other options, working as a personal chef requires that you have some cooking training. If you have no formal training, it can’t hurt to take a few classes. Having a culinary degree isn’t necessary, but you do need to have some training under your belt before you sell yourself as a professional chef.
These jobs might not be jobs that you work exclusively at home, but all of them have a focus at home with some work needed off-site. In that way, they are ideal for the mom who wants to work at home but needs to get out and about now and then too.
GILIW.COM
If you enjoy cooking or baking and feel comfortable giving others your food, you might want to start your own home food business.
This kind of business can come in many forms – you might make specialty food products and sell them online, or you can be a caterer or a personal chef. Let’s look at a few possibilities.
Specialty food
This is one of the easiest food businesses to start. If you make the world’s greatest biscotti or homemade jam, you might consider selling it online or in the “real world”.
If you decide to sell your food product online, you can do it on Ebay or through your own website. You might also offer recipes, or several flavors or varieties of product. You might decide to keep it simple and offer the dry mix of a particular recipe so the customer can make the product at their convenience at home.
There are some limitations to be aware of, and these vary from area to area. There might be local restrictions on selling food, or restrictions based on where the food is produced. Make sure you pay attention to these rules and restrictions before you make food and sell it. Often, there are loopholes (like selling a mix) you can discover that allow you to create a small business from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Catering
Many moms have started catering businesses from home. If you are always called upon to cook the food for special events and you have particularly good recipes, you might be halfway in business already. In addition, if you have a large group of family and friends, you might also have a built-in client base.
To run a catering business, you have to have a kitchen to work in. Most county and state laws restrict making food from your home and carting it to another location. But you can always rent kitchens to use, such as church kitchens and the kitchens at schools and the like.
This is an ideal business for moms because you can choose the jobs you want to work on and reject the others. You can have a lot of control over your work schedule until the event itself, when you might work a few hours before and a few hours after the event.
Personal chef
Personal chefs cook food for people in their own home. This is an excellent choice for the cook who has the skill to be a caterer but no permanent kitchen to use. By cooking the food in the client’s home, you circumvent that problem.
Most personal chefs offer two primary services – they will cook a special meal in someone’s home for them to eat right then, and they cook food for a family or person to eat throughout the week. In that case, you will cook or pre-prep several meals and leave them in the fridge or freezer for the customers to eat later.
More than the other options, working as a personal chef requires that you have some cooking training. If you have no formal training, it can’t hurt to take a few classes. Having a culinary degree isn’t necessary, but you do need to have some training under your belt before you sell yourself as a professional chef.
These jobs might not be jobs that you work exclusively at home, but all of them have a focus at home with some work needed off-site. In that way, they are ideal for the mom who wants to work at home but needs to get out and about now and then too.
GILIW.COM
Sunday, December 16, 2018
More Ideas On Working At Home
If you currently work at home or seek to become a work at home mom (WAHM), you might want the support and camaraderie of other moms who work at home. There is plenty of this online.
Once you begin working at home, visiting these sites isn’t just away to drum up more business (or get ideas for your next business venture) but also to connect with other moms in a “water cooer” type fashion. If you previously worked in an office or somewhere other than home, you might have liked the social element of working outside of home. You can replicate some of that by being active on message boards that are targeted to WAHMs.
Wahm.com
This is considered the big daddy of WAHM websites; this site offers a myriad of things for the WAHM.
First are the very active message boards. You might read the forum section that deals specifically with you want to do at home, or what you already do. This is a good way to seek advice, see how others are doing, and get ideas for your business. Other forum areas include message board for home cooks, parenting ideas, and simple “water cooler” talk.
There’s a real emphasis at WAHM on helping moms find the right WAHM environment for them, so there are articles about how to become a WAHM. In the forums, there are also many regular posters who are happy and willing to help out the newbies who have questions about a business endeavor they are considering.
You can read the forums without being a member of the site but will be prompted to register or log in to participate in the forums.
This site also offers a section that has updated WAHM job opportunities.
Workplacelikehome.com
This site operates in much the same was as WAHM.com. But unlike WAHM.com, which offers articles and other resources for the WAHM or mom who wants to work at home, Workplacelikehome.com is just a forum site.
Like WAHM.com, there are places to simply chat with other members, and sections of the forum that are work oriented. This is an ideal site to join if you currently work at home doing inbound call work or if that is your interest. There are many sub boards that focus on specific companies and specific projects you might work on for those companies.
Members are happy to help out people who don’t know much about a particular job opportunity and there are even posts from the moderators on how to go about finding the right WAHM job and how to get through application process and do a great job.
There are more than 35,000 members of this site; you must be a member to even access the forums.
Bizymoms.com
If you think you might want to start your own business at home, but you’re not sure exactly what that might be or how to go about doing, it Bizymoms.com likely has a section that can help.
This friendly and colorful site is full of useful information, from home business kits you can buy to reviews of product and companies by other moms.
As with many sites, however, the heart of the site is the message boards. Here, you can find help with avoiding WAHM scams, and get tips for getting your new business of the ground, from writing press releases to promoting your site.
There are, of course, many more sites that can help you get started working from home, but visit these and you’ll like find that you have a comfortable start.
Check out one of these sites for support, ideas and good “water cooler” gossip.
GILIW.COM - Get more ideas from this site
Once you begin working at home, visiting these sites isn’t just away to drum up more business (or get ideas for your next business venture) but also to connect with other moms in a “water cooer” type fashion. If you previously worked in an office or somewhere other than home, you might have liked the social element of working outside of home. You can replicate some of that by being active on message boards that are targeted to WAHMs.
Wahm.com
This is considered the big daddy of WAHM websites; this site offers a myriad of things for the WAHM.
First are the very active message boards. You might read the forum section that deals specifically with you want to do at home, or what you already do. This is a good way to seek advice, see how others are doing, and get ideas for your business. Other forum areas include message board for home cooks, parenting ideas, and simple “water cooler” talk.
There’s a real emphasis at WAHM on helping moms find the right WAHM environment for them, so there are articles about how to become a WAHM. In the forums, there are also many regular posters who are happy and willing to help out the newbies who have questions about a business endeavor they are considering.
You can read the forums without being a member of the site but will be prompted to register or log in to participate in the forums.
This site also offers a section that has updated WAHM job opportunities.
Workplacelikehome.com
This site operates in much the same was as WAHM.com. But unlike WAHM.com, which offers articles and other resources for the WAHM or mom who wants to work at home, Workplacelikehome.com is just a forum site.
Like WAHM.com, there are places to simply chat with other members, and sections of the forum that are work oriented. This is an ideal site to join if you currently work at home doing inbound call work or if that is your interest. There are many sub boards that focus on specific companies and specific projects you might work on for those companies.
Members are happy to help out people who don’t know much about a particular job opportunity and there are even posts from the moderators on how to go about finding the right WAHM job and how to get through application process and do a great job.
There are more than 35,000 members of this site; you must be a member to even access the forums.
Bizymoms.com
If you think you might want to start your own business at home, but you’re not sure exactly what that might be or how to go about doing, it Bizymoms.com likely has a section that can help.
This friendly and colorful site is full of useful information, from home business kits you can buy to reviews of product and companies by other moms.
As with many sites, however, the heart of the site is the message boards. Here, you can find help with avoiding WAHM scams, and get tips for getting your new business of the ground, from writing press releases to promoting your site.
There are, of course, many more sites that can help you get started working from home, but visit these and you’ll like find that you have a comfortable start.
Check out one of these sites for support, ideas and good “water cooler” gossip.
GILIW.COM - Get more ideas from this site
Saturday, December 15, 2018
The Good Side And The Bad Side of MLM (Mulitlevel Marketing)
WAHMs often find solace in MLMs
The vast majority of moms who work at home do so in some multi-level marketing opportunity. What does that mean? If you have ever heard of Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay or Avon, you know what a MLM is.
In short, a multi-level marketing opportunity refers to those that encourage you to find people to work in your “downline” and this brings more money to you without you doing much more work. Let’s look at this in a bit more detail.
What is a MLM?
When you begin working for a company like Pampered Chef, you become the downline of another consultant. When you sell products, your “upline” makes a small amount of money off your sale, all without lifting a finger. It’s a little like passive income. Of course, there might be some work finding people to be in the downline, but once that’s done all that’s left is the general challenge of managing people and encouraging them to do well in their jobs so the upline does well in theirs.
When you become someone’s downline, you can focus on your own business and building a client base. You might forget all about building your own downline, but most people who work for MLM-based companies will eventually decide to work on building their own downline so they can make additional income.
Once you become an upline, you make money off each sale that your downline makes, and your upline makes money off your sales as well as the sales of your downline. It might sound complicated at first, but when you consider the general premise as explained here and then combine that with the concept of “multi-level marketing”, it becomes a bit clearer.
Pros of MLMs
There are many advantages to working in a MLM structure. First and foremost, there’s support. Starting a business at home can be scary for a mom, or anyone, and knowing that there’s a built-in support network can be reassuring. You will know going in that you have others you can call with questions, meetings you can attend that give you selling techniques and other support processes.
In addition, depending on the MLM you sign up with, you might be given selling materials, information about seminars you can attend, and other things that will help you build your business.
In addition to all of that, if the product you are selling has already established itself as a good product that has a good base of customers, you might likely already have a built-in customer base that comes to you rather than you trying to court them. As part of your starter kit – which you purchase – you will also likely have a starter set of sales and order forms.
Cons of MLMs
Joining a MLM isn’t for everyone. It does require selling things, and many moms aren’t interested in selling things, particularly at home parties. For those who do sell, there are minimum requirements to meet, and this varies from company to company. These minimum requirements might be met each quarter or month and some companies will put on hiatus a consultant or salesperson who doesn’t meet their minimum even just once.
If you are interested in selling a product, but don’t want to have parties, you might decide the best way for you to make money is to do online sales (which most MLMs will allow) and to have people in your downline. You can spend time training them and helping them increase their sales, which helps your bottom line.
The other people in your life – friends and family – might not look favorably at your decision to sell a product in a MLM structure. They might think that you are always trying to sell them your product and they might tire of being invited to your parties. All of these are things to consider before you sign up with a MLM.
And, finally, even though you might spend a good deal of time building your at-home sales business, some of the people you know might not see what you do as a real job, and you’ll have to consider how to deal with that.
As you can see, there are many advantages and disadvantages of joining a MLM. Many WAHMs have made very good money selling products this way, but knowing the ins and outs is important.
GILIW.COM
The vast majority of moms who work at home do so in some multi-level marketing opportunity. What does that mean? If you have ever heard of Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay or Avon, you know what a MLM is.
In short, a multi-level marketing opportunity refers to those that encourage you to find people to work in your “downline” and this brings more money to you without you doing much more work. Let’s look at this in a bit more detail.
What is a MLM?
When you begin working for a company like Pampered Chef, you become the downline of another consultant. When you sell products, your “upline” makes a small amount of money off your sale, all without lifting a finger. It’s a little like passive income. Of course, there might be some work finding people to be in the downline, but once that’s done all that’s left is the general challenge of managing people and encouraging them to do well in their jobs so the upline does well in theirs.
When you become someone’s downline, you can focus on your own business and building a client base. You might forget all about building your own downline, but most people who work for MLM-based companies will eventually decide to work on building their own downline so they can make additional income.
Once you become an upline, you make money off each sale that your downline makes, and your upline makes money off your sales as well as the sales of your downline. It might sound complicated at first, but when you consider the general premise as explained here and then combine that with the concept of “multi-level marketing”, it becomes a bit clearer.
Pros of MLMs
There are many advantages to working in a MLM structure. First and foremost, there’s support. Starting a business at home can be scary for a mom, or anyone, and knowing that there’s a built-in support network can be reassuring. You will know going in that you have others you can call with questions, meetings you can attend that give you selling techniques and other support processes.
In addition, depending on the MLM you sign up with, you might be given selling materials, information about seminars you can attend, and other things that will help you build your business.
In addition to all of that, if the product you are selling has already established itself as a good product that has a good base of customers, you might likely already have a built-in customer base that comes to you rather than you trying to court them. As part of your starter kit – which you purchase – you will also likely have a starter set of sales and order forms.
Cons of MLMs
Joining a MLM isn’t for everyone. It does require selling things, and many moms aren’t interested in selling things, particularly at home parties. For those who do sell, there are minimum requirements to meet, and this varies from company to company. These minimum requirements might be met each quarter or month and some companies will put on hiatus a consultant or salesperson who doesn’t meet their minimum even just once.
If you are interested in selling a product, but don’t want to have parties, you might decide the best way for you to make money is to do online sales (which most MLMs will allow) and to have people in your downline. You can spend time training them and helping them increase their sales, which helps your bottom line.
The other people in your life – friends and family – might not look favorably at your decision to sell a product in a MLM structure. They might think that you are always trying to sell them your product and they might tire of being invited to your parties. All of these are things to consider before you sign up with a MLM.
And, finally, even though you might spend a good deal of time building your at-home sales business, some of the people you know might not see what you do as a real job, and you’ll have to consider how to deal with that.
As you can see, there are many advantages and disadvantages of joining a MLM. Many WAHMs have made very good money selling products this way, but knowing the ins and outs is important.
GILIW.COM
Friday, December 14, 2018
How To Open A Day Care Center
Home daycare a good option for moms working at home
Moms who want to stay home with their children yet work often choose to open a daycare center in the home. In many ways, it’s an ideal scenario for the mom who wants to work at home. You can be with your children, they don’t have to go to daycare, you’re at home and it can be a profitable home business. But there are pitfalls.
Why do you want to open a daycare center?
If you’ve considered opening a home daycare center, ask yourself why. What are the benefits to you? Is it so you can be with your children? If so, consider their ages and how well they might handle seeing you care for other children. Is it so you can stay at home and make a living? If so, consider that having many children in your home can result in a lot of wear and tear on your furniture and other belongings.
Before deciding that it’s time to take the plunge, it’s important to consider issues like these first.
Things you need to get started
Before you even make up a flier for your home daycare business, you must take care of same basic business issues first.
Each state has different requirements for your home daycare, and there will be local requirements you must meet as well. At minimum, these requirements will likely include having first aid and CPR certifications, a food handling permit, and a business license. The local requirements might include having a fire inspection done, passing some basic tests and sometimes even taking specific classes.
In addition, you’ll want to stock your daycare with the essential products and tools you’ll need to run your business. Some of these items might include toys, art supplies, sippy cups and plastic plates and other items. Before you make any purchases, you’ll want to consider the age of children you intend to enroll. While you can have children ranging from infants up through school-age, you might want to focus on a specific age range.
If your own children are preschoolers, for example, you might want to focus on enrolling preschoolers so you can run a preschool curriculum and at the same time provide good playmates for your own children. You might prefer caring for infants and want to start with enrolling infants only.
Depending on the age of the children you do plan to care for, pay careful attention to your local requirements about how many children you can care for in your home. You might be able to hire extra help if you want to exceed the ratio of adults to children, but there will be overall limits on how many children you can care for in general as well.
Structure
Both the children in your care and your family members will benefit from having a structure in the home daycare. Make sure you have a set schedule for when children can be dropped off and (even more important) when they can be picked up.
Talk to parents about your system for discipline (and include it in a parent handbook as well). Write up contracts outlining the financial obligations – what kind of payments you’ll expect and when. Have a system for how to handle delinquent payments. Set up a fee schedule for parents who are late retrieving their children.
The more you treat your home daycare like a business, the more the parents whose children are in your care will also see it as a business. They will treat you like a skilled professional rather than a babysitter.
Problems
You will have problems. You’ll run into situations like the child whose parents said he was potty-trained, yet he clearly was not. You’ll run into problems with difficult parents and difficult kids. You might have problems with billing or collecting payments. You might run the risk of someone reporting you to child protective authorities when you’ve done nothing to invite it.
Before you open your at-home daycare center, consider all the problems you might run into and consider what your reaction will be to them. If you think you need to have a lawyer draw up your contracts, then spend a bit of money and do that. If you think that you might need to have helpers, hire them.
Opening a home daycare is an excellent options for moms who want to work at home. Plan ahead and do the necessary legwork for a seamless business experience.
GILIW.COM
Moms who want to stay home with their children yet work often choose to open a daycare center in the home. In many ways, it’s an ideal scenario for the mom who wants to work at home. You can be with your children, they don’t have to go to daycare, you’re at home and it can be a profitable home business. But there are pitfalls.
Why do you want to open a daycare center?
If you’ve considered opening a home daycare center, ask yourself why. What are the benefits to you? Is it so you can be with your children? If so, consider their ages and how well they might handle seeing you care for other children. Is it so you can stay at home and make a living? If so, consider that having many children in your home can result in a lot of wear and tear on your furniture and other belongings.
Before deciding that it’s time to take the plunge, it’s important to consider issues like these first.
Things you need to get started
Before you even make up a flier for your home daycare business, you must take care of same basic business issues first.
Each state has different requirements for your home daycare, and there will be local requirements you must meet as well. At minimum, these requirements will likely include having first aid and CPR certifications, a food handling permit, and a business license. The local requirements might include having a fire inspection done, passing some basic tests and sometimes even taking specific classes.
In addition, you’ll want to stock your daycare with the essential products and tools you’ll need to run your business. Some of these items might include toys, art supplies, sippy cups and plastic plates and other items. Before you make any purchases, you’ll want to consider the age of children you intend to enroll. While you can have children ranging from infants up through school-age, you might want to focus on a specific age range.
If your own children are preschoolers, for example, you might want to focus on enrolling preschoolers so you can run a preschool curriculum and at the same time provide good playmates for your own children. You might prefer caring for infants and want to start with enrolling infants only.
Depending on the age of the children you do plan to care for, pay careful attention to your local requirements about how many children you can care for in your home. You might be able to hire extra help if you want to exceed the ratio of adults to children, but there will be overall limits on how many children you can care for in general as well.
Structure
Both the children in your care and your family members will benefit from having a structure in the home daycare. Make sure you have a set schedule for when children can be dropped off and (even more important) when they can be picked up.
Talk to parents about your system for discipline (and include it in a parent handbook as well). Write up contracts outlining the financial obligations – what kind of payments you’ll expect and when. Have a system for how to handle delinquent payments. Set up a fee schedule for parents who are late retrieving their children.
The more you treat your home daycare like a business, the more the parents whose children are in your care will also see it as a business. They will treat you like a skilled professional rather than a babysitter.
Problems
You will have problems. You’ll run into situations like the child whose parents said he was potty-trained, yet he clearly was not. You’ll run into problems with difficult parents and difficult kids. You might have problems with billing or collecting payments. You might run the risk of someone reporting you to child protective authorities when you’ve done nothing to invite it.
Before you open your at-home daycare center, consider all the problems you might run into and consider what your reaction will be to them. If you think you need to have a lawyer draw up your contracts, then spend a bit of money and do that. If you think that you might need to have helpers, hire them.
Opening a home daycare is an excellent options for moms who want to work at home. Plan ahead and do the necessary legwork for a seamless business experience.
GILIW.COM
Thursday, December 13, 2018
What Are The Business Opportunities In The Internet?
The online world offers many opportunities for WAHMs
If your interest in working at home focuses on a job that requires no phone use and no leaving the house for work, you might be looking for an online job.
What’s an online job? Basically, an online job is that which you get online, work online and that requires you only to have a computer and some other job-specific tools. Many WAHMs find that online jobs work well for them because they can work whenever and however they want and can withstand many interruptions without much problem.
Ebay
One of the most well-known of the online jobs, Ebay has made many a mom a nice income from home. You can sell any number of items on Ebay, but moms often sell used baby and children clothing, custom clothing, collectibles and other such items.
Selling items on Ebay comes with its own set of challenges. There is shopping to be done, so that you can build an inventory of things to sell, and the job requires good customer service skills. Some customers can be difficult to deal with and you don’t have the advantage of looking them in the face when dealing with them.
Making money on Ebay has become a bit tougher in recent years as postal rates have risen and Ebay fees have increased. Smart WAHMs have adjusted how they sell in order to keep their profit consistent. They might sell clothes in “lots” rather than single items. They might seek out new methods for acquiring goods, and buy in bulk so they can get a better deal on inventory.
There’s little investment necessary to sell on Ebay, other than a computer (high-speed access is recommended for uploading auctions), and inventory. It also requires the investment in basic mailing materials and sometimes business cards.
Writing
Several recent national news stories have pointed up the many benefits of writing online. From professional writers to people with little writing experience there are many opportunities for people who can put words together into a compelling whole.
To become an online writer, you can begin with sites that let you upload your stories and then pay you a small amount based on how many page views the article gets. This is ideal for a new writer who might have a hard time taking on clients, but can write well. Once you have established yourself on these sites -- and made a few dollars to boot -- you can begin finding clients.
There’s little investment required to become an online writer, other than a good computer and word processing program. If you join sites to bid on work or acquire new clients, you might pay membership fees there.
Online marketing
Many WAHMs have learned and conquered the world of online marketing, which allows you to market any number of items. Many people market eBooks and promote them over the web, then get a cut each time someone buys the book.
To that end, you can also build websites and get a small cut of the profits from when people click through the ads. You might start a blog (which also places this in the writing category) and promote it in a professional manner, bringing advertisers and many readers to your site. Some bloggers can claim incomes of more than $100,000 each year.
There are many opportunities for moms who want to work exclusively online. All it takes is a little research and creativity.
More Jobs Opportunities at GILIW.COM.
If your interest in working at home focuses on a job that requires no phone use and no leaving the house for work, you might be looking for an online job.
What’s an online job? Basically, an online job is that which you get online, work online and that requires you only to have a computer and some other job-specific tools. Many WAHMs find that online jobs work well for them because they can work whenever and however they want and can withstand many interruptions without much problem.
Ebay
One of the most well-known of the online jobs, Ebay has made many a mom a nice income from home. You can sell any number of items on Ebay, but moms often sell used baby and children clothing, custom clothing, collectibles and other such items.
Selling items on Ebay comes with its own set of challenges. There is shopping to be done, so that you can build an inventory of things to sell, and the job requires good customer service skills. Some customers can be difficult to deal with and you don’t have the advantage of looking them in the face when dealing with them.
Making money on Ebay has become a bit tougher in recent years as postal rates have risen and Ebay fees have increased. Smart WAHMs have adjusted how they sell in order to keep their profit consistent. They might sell clothes in “lots” rather than single items. They might seek out new methods for acquiring goods, and buy in bulk so they can get a better deal on inventory.
There’s little investment necessary to sell on Ebay, other than a computer (high-speed access is recommended for uploading auctions), and inventory. It also requires the investment in basic mailing materials and sometimes business cards.
Writing
Several recent national news stories have pointed up the many benefits of writing online. From professional writers to people with little writing experience there are many opportunities for people who can put words together into a compelling whole.
To become an online writer, you can begin with sites that let you upload your stories and then pay you a small amount based on how many page views the article gets. This is ideal for a new writer who might have a hard time taking on clients, but can write well. Once you have established yourself on these sites -- and made a few dollars to boot -- you can begin finding clients.
There’s little investment required to become an online writer, other than a good computer and word processing program. If you join sites to bid on work or acquire new clients, you might pay membership fees there.
Online marketing
Many WAHMs have learned and conquered the world of online marketing, which allows you to market any number of items. Many people market eBooks and promote them over the web, then get a cut each time someone buys the book.
To that end, you can also build websites and get a small cut of the profits from when people click through the ads. You might start a blog (which also places this in the writing category) and promote it in a professional manner, bringing advertisers and many readers to your site. Some bloggers can claim incomes of more than $100,000 each year.
There are many opportunities for moms who want to work exclusively online. All it takes is a little research and creativity.
More Jobs Opportunities at GILIW.COM.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
How To Do Networking?
WAHMs need to learn the finer art of networking
Getting your WAHM business off the ground can be tough. At any given time, you might be competing with thousands of other businesses who are also trying to get attention for their own businesses. How can you make yours stand out? It’s all about networking.
Networking is simply talking to people, getting the word out about your business and then doing the same for others. In recent years, the world of networking has changed to reflect the impact that the internet can have. If you play your cards right, you can network almost exclusively online.
If you have a WAHM business, you might want to know how to leverage the power of the internet to drive traffic to your own business. Here are some ideas.
Website
Build a website. No longer do you have to know HTML to build a website; you can buy a software program that will build the site for you or you can pay for someone to design the site for you.
Once you have a website, you need traffic to that website, so write – or have written – articles that are targeted to your subject matter. If you are working at home selling your homemade coin purses, for example, you might write and post articles that talk about fabric, the craft of sewing and unique gifts, all while extolling the virtues of coin purses.
Links
Once you have a website, you have something you can direct people to. Having a website isn’t a “build it and they will come” kind of proposition. You need to market that website, promote it in some fashion.
Here’s how you can do that. Read blogs that are somehow related to your subject area. In the case of your coin purse business, for example, you might read blogs that are about housekeeping, crafting, sewing, and fashion. Make comments on blog posts and provide a link to your site. People will read your comments and if they like what they read, they might click on your link. That drives people to the site and provides you with a method to get information about your website out to hundreds or thousands of people at a time.
Facebook
Many businesses create Facebook pages. You might have a personal Facebook page, but this is different. You create a page just for your business and provide as much information as you can about yourself and your business there. You can also provide a link to your Facebook page on the blog comments you leave, as well as provide a link to your Facebook page from your own website.
This can benefit others as well, because you can invite people to become your “friends” on Facebook. If they also have businesses they want to promote, they can become your “friends” and possibly find more friends themselves, which helps their business as well.
Twitter
Yes, everyone these days is “Twittering”. It can be a time waster as people twitter that they “just put dinner in the oven” or are “waiting for a delayed flight”. But many people have also discovered the power of Twitter as a networking tool.
You can post a link to your site in your Twitter profile and you can post comments related to what you do. People will “follow” you and you can “follow” them. As you post blog comments, or you update your web page, or even post updates to your own blog, you can make Twitter comments that include links to these things. You can also add a link to your Twitter page on your website.
It might take some time to get all of these things started, but take the time to do it – it’s all nearly free advertising and can turn into big money for you.
For Networking Technique, GILIW.COM.
Getting your WAHM business off the ground can be tough. At any given time, you might be competing with thousands of other businesses who are also trying to get attention for their own businesses. How can you make yours stand out? It’s all about networking.
Networking is simply talking to people, getting the word out about your business and then doing the same for others. In recent years, the world of networking has changed to reflect the impact that the internet can have. If you play your cards right, you can network almost exclusively online.
If you have a WAHM business, you might want to know how to leverage the power of the internet to drive traffic to your own business. Here are some ideas.
Website
Build a website. No longer do you have to know HTML to build a website; you can buy a software program that will build the site for you or you can pay for someone to design the site for you.
Once you have a website, you need traffic to that website, so write – or have written – articles that are targeted to your subject matter. If you are working at home selling your homemade coin purses, for example, you might write and post articles that talk about fabric, the craft of sewing and unique gifts, all while extolling the virtues of coin purses.
Links
Once you have a website, you have something you can direct people to. Having a website isn’t a “build it and they will come” kind of proposition. You need to market that website, promote it in some fashion.
Here’s how you can do that. Read blogs that are somehow related to your subject area. In the case of your coin purse business, for example, you might read blogs that are about housekeeping, crafting, sewing, and fashion. Make comments on blog posts and provide a link to your site. People will read your comments and if they like what they read, they might click on your link. That drives people to the site and provides you with a method to get information about your website out to hundreds or thousands of people at a time.
Many businesses create Facebook pages. You might have a personal Facebook page, but this is different. You create a page just for your business and provide as much information as you can about yourself and your business there. You can also provide a link to your Facebook page on the blog comments you leave, as well as provide a link to your Facebook page from your own website.
This can benefit others as well, because you can invite people to become your “friends” on Facebook. If they also have businesses they want to promote, they can become your “friends” and possibly find more friends themselves, which helps their business as well.
Yes, everyone these days is “Twittering”. It can be a time waster as people twitter that they “just put dinner in the oven” or are “waiting for a delayed flight”. But many people have also discovered the power of Twitter as a networking tool.
You can post a link to your site in your Twitter profile and you can post comments related to what you do. People will “follow” you and you can “follow” them. As you post blog comments, or you update your web page, or even post updates to your own blog, you can make Twitter comments that include links to these things. You can also add a link to your Twitter page on your website.
It might take some time to get all of these things started, but take the time to do it – it’s all nearly free advertising and can turn into big money for you.
For Networking Technique, GILIW.COM.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
What is Drop Shipping?
Consider drop shipping for your WAHM
One method for making money from home that allows you to work exclusively at home is to sell items from a drop shipper.
Drop shipping is a method whereby you sell a product and it gets shipped by the drop shipper. It’s an easy and excellent way to make money, but there are some precautions.
How does drop shipping work?
First, the basics. Let’s create a scenario so you can see how this works. You sign up with a drop shipper and choose several of its products to promote and sell. You begin selling the products on Ebay or through your own site. You can use photos and you provide a good description of the item.
Someone buys one of your items and you send an email to the distributor or manufacturer and inform them of the sale. They in turn ship the item. You don’t have to keep an inventory or pack up items or ship them. You simply manage the sales and let the distributor or manufacturer handle the rest.
You can determine your profit margin when you sell drop shipped items. If you sell candles that you pay $5 each for wholesale and that cost $3 to ship, you can charge $10 per candle, plus $3 for shipping. Your net profit is good, nearly as much as you might make selling your own inventory. But you save time and money by not having to deal with the inventory.
Advantages of drop shipping
There are many advantages to drop shipping. While the manufacturer or distributor handles the product inventory and shipping, you can handle just the sales. This gives you time to build a website, market the website, and even post eBay listings. You can spend more time marketing the products.
For people without a lot of space for inventory, this method is ideal. You can provide many choices in product and give the impression that you have solid inventory, but you don’t actually have to deal with the inventory.
You can offer many more products for sale than you might be able to offer if you had to store your inventory and you can also offer products that are unusual and unique, often coming from artisans in other countries.
You can also skip the hassle and additional cost associated with having to ship inventory. There are no boxes to store, no tape to buy and no shipping companies to deal with. You can save money this way.
Disadvantages of drop shipping
The main disadvantage of drop shipping is the risk you take with the distribution company or manufacturer you choose to use. Some are unreliable and will ship items slowly or not at all. If they run out of an item, they might not inform you fast enough so you will continue to sell it without knowing that your customers aren’t receiving the item. This can seriously damage your credibility.
Other problems can arise from product quality and overall reliability of the drop shipping company. Good research into the company itself can help you head off many of these problems.
How to choose drop shipping company
Do a lot of research before you choose a drop shipping company. You want to know how long the company has been in business and what kind of customer satisfaction the company can boast about. You want to know that the products for sale are good quality (you can check on this by ordering a product for yourself).
Don’t pay a drop shipping company any money for a “monthly service” or anything else. You should only have to pay them for the wholesale price of the items and nothing more. This can be paid incrementally, as each item is sold, or you might pay the company each month for items sold that month.
As with anything, it will behoove you to do your research, try it out a bit and then make sure (through regular quality checks) that the drop shipping company is the right company for you.
More Topics on Drop Shipping at GILIW.COM.
One method for making money from home that allows you to work exclusively at home is to sell items from a drop shipper.
Drop shipping is a method whereby you sell a product and it gets shipped by the drop shipper. It’s an easy and excellent way to make money, but there are some precautions.
How does drop shipping work?
First, the basics. Let’s create a scenario so you can see how this works. You sign up with a drop shipper and choose several of its products to promote and sell. You begin selling the products on Ebay or through your own site. You can use photos and you provide a good description of the item.
Someone buys one of your items and you send an email to the distributor or manufacturer and inform them of the sale. They in turn ship the item. You don’t have to keep an inventory or pack up items or ship them. You simply manage the sales and let the distributor or manufacturer handle the rest.
You can determine your profit margin when you sell drop shipped items. If you sell candles that you pay $5 each for wholesale and that cost $3 to ship, you can charge $10 per candle, plus $3 for shipping. Your net profit is good, nearly as much as you might make selling your own inventory. But you save time and money by not having to deal with the inventory.
Advantages of drop shipping
There are many advantages to drop shipping. While the manufacturer or distributor handles the product inventory and shipping, you can handle just the sales. This gives you time to build a website, market the website, and even post eBay listings. You can spend more time marketing the products.
For people without a lot of space for inventory, this method is ideal. You can provide many choices in product and give the impression that you have solid inventory, but you don’t actually have to deal with the inventory.
You can offer many more products for sale than you might be able to offer if you had to store your inventory and you can also offer products that are unusual and unique, often coming from artisans in other countries.
You can also skip the hassle and additional cost associated with having to ship inventory. There are no boxes to store, no tape to buy and no shipping companies to deal with. You can save money this way.
Disadvantages of drop shipping
The main disadvantage of drop shipping is the risk you take with the distribution company or manufacturer you choose to use. Some are unreliable and will ship items slowly or not at all. If they run out of an item, they might not inform you fast enough so you will continue to sell it without knowing that your customers aren’t receiving the item. This can seriously damage your credibility.
Other problems can arise from product quality and overall reliability of the drop shipping company. Good research into the company itself can help you head off many of these problems.
How to choose drop shipping company
Do a lot of research before you choose a drop shipping company. You want to know how long the company has been in business and what kind of customer satisfaction the company can boast about. You want to know that the products for sale are good quality (you can check on this by ordering a product for yourself).
Don’t pay a drop shipping company any money for a “monthly service” or anything else. You should only have to pay them for the wholesale price of the items and nothing more. This can be paid incrementally, as each item is sold, or you might pay the company each month for items sold that month.
As with anything, it will behoove you to do your research, try it out a bit and then make sure (through regular quality checks) that the drop shipping company is the right company for you.
More Topics on Drop Shipping at GILIW.COM.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Home Office Tax in the USA
How to qualify for a home office deduction
Taking a home office deduction has triggered many an audit for American taxpayers, so it’s important to understand the law and know if your home office qualifies for the home office deduction.
Best of all, you can prepare yourself before you even start your home business so you can get every penny possible back.
What is the home office deduction?
The more people work at home, the most often they try to claim a home office deduction on their income taxes. The home office deduction allows taxpayers who work at home and maintain a home office to get a significant reduction in income taxes, as long as certain standards are met.
What are the criteria for the deduction?
There are three primary criteria you must meet to take the home office deduction. For someone operating a work at home business, the first one is the hardest to meet.
The first criteria that the IRS uses to determine if you are eligible for the home office deduction is the question of how the space is used. To qualify, you must use your home office exclusively for your home business. If you use a corner of the family room for the home office, this can be hard to prove.
When the IRS talks about exclusive use, it means exclusive and regular use. That is, the only activities that should take place in the space should be those related to your business. You should only conduct work activities there. If the kids use the computer for gaming, or you pay bills at your desk, or print family menus there, it doesn’t qualify.
As well, the home office should be used regularly for your home business. Let’s say you primarily work on a laptop in your car but your home office is your home base. But if you rarely actually use that home office, you likely won’t be able to claim it on your taxes as a home office deduction.
If you run a daycare from your home, there is an exception given to the exclusive use criteria because while the home is used regularly for business, it’s not used exclusively for business.
The second criteria concerns why the home office is used as a home office. That is, if you work from home at your own business, you will meet this criterion. Most home businesses will meet this particular point, but if you work for an employer and you sometimes work at home, it can be hard to prove this particular requirement, especially if the employer also provides an office or space for you to work away from your home.
The third criterion applies to people who have more than one home business. If you have more than one home business, every single one of them must qualify for the home office deduction in order for you to take the deduction. That is, if one of the businesses does not qualify, but the others do, you can’t take the home office deduction on any of them.
What can you take?
When you qualify for the home office deduction, you can get tax deductions on the portion of your house that is used as a home office; for example, if you use 200 square feet for your home office, and your home is 1,600 square feet, you can get credits for 8 percent of the utilities, property taxes and other expenses related to your home.
In addition to the home office deduction, you can still take regular business deductions, like those for supplies, phone lines, internet service and the like.
How to make home office deductible
If you work at home full time, it makes sense to take some time figuring out how to create an environment that lends itself to taking that home office deduction. If your desk is in the family room, but you use it exclusively for the business, consider partitioning off the part of the room that is just for your business. That way, you create a home office that is used exclusively and regularly for your home office.
In addition, keep all receipts for computer purchases, furniture purchases and any other purchases that are used for your business. All of these are deductible in addition to the home office.
About Legal Matters in the Philippines, visit IBP-ELIBRARY.COM.
Taking a home office deduction has triggered many an audit for American taxpayers, so it’s important to understand the law and know if your home office qualifies for the home office deduction.
Best of all, you can prepare yourself before you even start your home business so you can get every penny possible back.
What is the home office deduction?
The more people work at home, the most often they try to claim a home office deduction on their income taxes. The home office deduction allows taxpayers who work at home and maintain a home office to get a significant reduction in income taxes, as long as certain standards are met.
What are the criteria for the deduction?
There are three primary criteria you must meet to take the home office deduction. For someone operating a work at home business, the first one is the hardest to meet.
The first criteria that the IRS uses to determine if you are eligible for the home office deduction is the question of how the space is used. To qualify, you must use your home office exclusively for your home business. If you use a corner of the family room for the home office, this can be hard to prove.
When the IRS talks about exclusive use, it means exclusive and regular use. That is, the only activities that should take place in the space should be those related to your business. You should only conduct work activities there. If the kids use the computer for gaming, or you pay bills at your desk, or print family menus there, it doesn’t qualify.
As well, the home office should be used regularly for your home business. Let’s say you primarily work on a laptop in your car but your home office is your home base. But if you rarely actually use that home office, you likely won’t be able to claim it on your taxes as a home office deduction.
If you run a daycare from your home, there is an exception given to the exclusive use criteria because while the home is used regularly for business, it’s not used exclusively for business.
The second criteria concerns why the home office is used as a home office. That is, if you work from home at your own business, you will meet this criterion. Most home businesses will meet this particular point, but if you work for an employer and you sometimes work at home, it can be hard to prove this particular requirement, especially if the employer also provides an office or space for you to work away from your home.
The third criterion applies to people who have more than one home business. If you have more than one home business, every single one of them must qualify for the home office deduction in order for you to take the deduction. That is, if one of the businesses does not qualify, but the others do, you can’t take the home office deduction on any of them.
What can you take?
When you qualify for the home office deduction, you can get tax deductions on the portion of your house that is used as a home office; for example, if you use 200 square feet for your home office, and your home is 1,600 square feet, you can get credits for 8 percent of the utilities, property taxes and other expenses related to your home.
In addition to the home office deduction, you can still take regular business deductions, like those for supplies, phone lines, internet service and the like.
How to make home office deductible
If you work at home full time, it makes sense to take some time figuring out how to create an environment that lends itself to taking that home office deduction. If your desk is in the family room, but you use it exclusively for the business, consider partitioning off the part of the room that is just for your business. That way, you create a home office that is used exclusively and regularly for your home office.
In addition, keep all receipts for computer purchases, furniture purchases and any other purchases that are used for your business. All of these are deductible in addition to the home office.
About Legal Matters in the Philippines, visit IBP-ELIBRARY.COM.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
How To Choose The Right Multi-level Marketing
Choose the right MLM for your needs
If you are a mom looking for an at-home business, you might be tempted by a multi-level marketing opportunity, like selling Avon or Pampered Chef. But there are literally hundreds of products you could sell and as many companies you could work for selling those products. How do you choose the one that’s right for you? Let’s look at some criteria to help.
Product quality
Most WAHMs who sell a product through one of these companies discover the product when they attend a home party where the product is being sold. They might find that they like the flavor of the food, or the ease of makeup application or how they feel after drinking the drink.
That means, then, that there’s a belief in the product’s quality before signing up with the company. But if you decide to sell something that you have never tried before yourself, you have to do a bit more digging. Make sure that the product has good reviews, that it does what it promises and that the company itself is a good one that stands behind its products.
Investment
How much will it cost you to get started in your business? While you should never have to pay in general to work for a company, there’s always a start-up investment when dealing with a MLM. You will buy a kit, or supplies, or a starter supply of something. Much depends on the company as to what you need to buy and how much it will cost.
Can you afford the initial investment it takes to get your business started? Many MLM companies will let you start with either a basic, bare bones kit, or you can purchase a kit that includes samples, sales orders and the like. In addition to whatever kit you choose, however, you will also need to purchase business cards, perhaps a website, and other office and business supplies.
Support
What kind of support does the company offer its consultants? Can you call someone during your start-up period for advice? Is it free? What kind of support might you get from the others who work for the company? Will your upline provide any support? Is there any training efforts that will help you as you establish your business?
One of the best aspects of signing up to sell a MLM product is the built-in support that most companies offer; though not all companies do offer that support mechanism, the best ones will. Be sure to ask the right questions before you sign up.
Time involved
Does the time requirement for working your business work for you? If you decide to sell food or kitchen products, for example, you might need to prepare food in advance of each party. Do you have time for that? If you sell scrapbooking products, you might need to make an album full of sample pages with the company’s products. Can you add that into your already busy schedule?
If you don’t have a lot of time to give to these kinds of endeavors, you might want to think about that before you sign up with a company. Other products, like makeup or skincare, might not require as much preparation.
Potential for earnings
Carefully examine the company’s compensation package. How much will you make from a sale? How much can you make from a party? Will you make enough to cover your expenses and bring you a nice profit? Sometimes it can be hard to turn a good profit from MLM companies. Many moms report losing money, likely because they don’t do the research ahead of time that you will do.
Your market
Do you have a good base of potential customers now? When you first start your business, your initial customers will likely be friends and family. If you have a tiny family and few friends, your potential for getting that business off the ground quickly and easily will be shaky.
Carefully consider the market that you have. Will they buy products from you? Not everyone will be willing to hear your presentation and might even feel put on the spot by your desire to sell the products. Make sure you have a comfortable base of potential customers to begin with.
Doing a bit of research before you jump into a new earning opportunity can be the difference between a successful endeavor and a failure. Make sure you do everything you can to achieve the former.
At GILIW.COM, we will teach you.
If you are a mom looking for an at-home business, you might be tempted by a multi-level marketing opportunity, like selling Avon or Pampered Chef. But there are literally hundreds of products you could sell and as many companies you could work for selling those products. How do you choose the one that’s right for you? Let’s look at some criteria to help.
Product quality
Most WAHMs who sell a product through one of these companies discover the product when they attend a home party where the product is being sold. They might find that they like the flavor of the food, or the ease of makeup application or how they feel after drinking the drink.
That means, then, that there’s a belief in the product’s quality before signing up with the company. But if you decide to sell something that you have never tried before yourself, you have to do a bit more digging. Make sure that the product has good reviews, that it does what it promises and that the company itself is a good one that stands behind its products.
Investment
How much will it cost you to get started in your business? While you should never have to pay in general to work for a company, there’s always a start-up investment when dealing with a MLM. You will buy a kit, or supplies, or a starter supply of something. Much depends on the company as to what you need to buy and how much it will cost.
Can you afford the initial investment it takes to get your business started? Many MLM companies will let you start with either a basic, bare bones kit, or you can purchase a kit that includes samples, sales orders and the like. In addition to whatever kit you choose, however, you will also need to purchase business cards, perhaps a website, and other office and business supplies.
Support
What kind of support does the company offer its consultants? Can you call someone during your start-up period for advice? Is it free? What kind of support might you get from the others who work for the company? Will your upline provide any support? Is there any training efforts that will help you as you establish your business?
One of the best aspects of signing up to sell a MLM product is the built-in support that most companies offer; though not all companies do offer that support mechanism, the best ones will. Be sure to ask the right questions before you sign up.
Time involved
Does the time requirement for working your business work for you? If you decide to sell food or kitchen products, for example, you might need to prepare food in advance of each party. Do you have time for that? If you sell scrapbooking products, you might need to make an album full of sample pages with the company’s products. Can you add that into your already busy schedule?
If you don’t have a lot of time to give to these kinds of endeavors, you might want to think about that before you sign up with a company. Other products, like makeup or skincare, might not require as much preparation.
Potential for earnings
Carefully examine the company’s compensation package. How much will you make from a sale? How much can you make from a party? Will you make enough to cover your expenses and bring you a nice profit? Sometimes it can be hard to turn a good profit from MLM companies. Many moms report losing money, likely because they don’t do the research ahead of time that you will do.
Your market
Do you have a good base of potential customers now? When you first start your business, your initial customers will likely be friends and family. If you have a tiny family and few friends, your potential for getting that business off the ground quickly and easily will be shaky.
Carefully consider the market that you have. Will they buy products from you? Not everyone will be willing to hear your presentation and might even feel put on the spot by your desire to sell the products. Make sure you have a comfortable base of potential customers to begin with.
Doing a bit of research before you jump into a new earning opportunity can be the difference between a successful endeavor and a failure. Make sure you do everything you can to achieve the former.
At GILIW.COM, we will teach you.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
How To Organize Your Home Office?
How to organize your new home office
Organizing a home office can be difficult. Your work space might be shared with home space. The desk at which you work throughout the day could be the same desk at which you pay bills at in the evening.
That creates a particular problem for organizing your home business items. You might not give this much thought in the beginning, but there are many reasons why having an organized work space will benefit you. In addition, keeping your work items separate from your home items can help you at tax time.
Let’s look at some ideas for organizing your at-home office.
First, consider where your home office is – or will be – located. If you are able to take over a room in the house, you are in good shape. Organizing will be simpler than those who share another space in the house, like the family room or master bedroom.
Either way, consider the unique challenges that your space poses. Where you can you file your papers and other items that need to be organized? Do you have a space for your notebooks or manuals that you might need? If you sell items, do you have space to store your samples and display materials?
Next, purchase just enough organizing materials that will help you get the job done. We say “just enough” because many of us can go crazy buying organizational helpers. Things like files and boxes and white boards can send us into a purchasing frenzy. We go crazy. But if you buy too much, you can overwhelm yourself and create a situation that’s ultimately contrary to creating a solid and useful workspace.
Try to get yourself organized before you begin working. If you are setting up that home office, you will thank yourself over and over again for taking time to organize things before you actually began working. This creates a seamless transition into working at home.
All of this organizing can be made more difficult if you share your space with the rest of your family. If you work in the family room, for example, you will not only need to make sure your items are kept separate from the rest of the family’s items, but that they are somewhat decorative. You won’t have the luck to have an office to make a mess out of. You’ll want your space to be clean because you and your family as well as guests will see the space.
Finally, as you think about organizing your work space, consider exactly what you need the office space to do. If you sell cooking items, you’ll need an area to store your samples (or perhaps those could be stored elsewhere) as well as files for customer information and catalogs. If you run an in-bound calling business, you really only need a place for your headset and phone and perhaps a notebook and pens. You might also need files for your paperwork.
In the end, you want your home workspace to work well for you but without doing more than it needs to do. If you waste time making the space do more than you need it to, you are committing yourself to a larger investment of new business money, and you’re taking more of your home space than you need to. While working at home is ideal for many people, most home businesses will naturally encroach somewhat into the family space. Your goal is to keep your items organized and to create a good working environment but without forgetting that your home is first priority.
Improve You Management Skil at GILIW.COM
Organizing a home office can be difficult. Your work space might be shared with home space. The desk at which you work throughout the day could be the same desk at which you pay bills at in the evening.
That creates a particular problem for organizing your home business items. You might not give this much thought in the beginning, but there are many reasons why having an organized work space will benefit you. In addition, keeping your work items separate from your home items can help you at tax time.
Let’s look at some ideas for organizing your at-home office.
First, consider where your home office is – or will be – located. If you are able to take over a room in the house, you are in good shape. Organizing will be simpler than those who share another space in the house, like the family room or master bedroom.
Either way, consider the unique challenges that your space poses. Where you can you file your papers and other items that need to be organized? Do you have a space for your notebooks or manuals that you might need? If you sell items, do you have space to store your samples and display materials?
Next, purchase just enough organizing materials that will help you get the job done. We say “just enough” because many of us can go crazy buying organizational helpers. Things like files and boxes and white boards can send us into a purchasing frenzy. We go crazy. But if you buy too much, you can overwhelm yourself and create a situation that’s ultimately contrary to creating a solid and useful workspace.
Try to get yourself organized before you begin working. If you are setting up that home office, you will thank yourself over and over again for taking time to organize things before you actually began working. This creates a seamless transition into working at home.
All of this organizing can be made more difficult if you share your space with the rest of your family. If you work in the family room, for example, you will not only need to make sure your items are kept separate from the rest of the family’s items, but that they are somewhat decorative. You won’t have the luck to have an office to make a mess out of. You’ll want your space to be clean because you and your family as well as guests will see the space.
Finally, as you think about organizing your work space, consider exactly what you need the office space to do. If you sell cooking items, you’ll need an area to store your samples (or perhaps those could be stored elsewhere) as well as files for customer information and catalogs. If you run an in-bound calling business, you really only need a place for your headset and phone and perhaps a notebook and pens. You might also need files for your paperwork.
In the end, you want your home workspace to work well for you but without doing more than it needs to do. If you waste time making the space do more than you need it to, you are committing yourself to a larger investment of new business money, and you’re taking more of your home space than you need to. While working at home is ideal for many people, most home businesses will naturally encroach somewhat into the family space. Your goal is to keep your items organized and to create a good working environment but without forgetting that your home is first priority.
Improve You Management Skil at GILIW.COM
Friday, December 7, 2018
What Is MLM Or Multi-level Marketing
How to find the right MLM for you
Many moms have found success as part of a multi-level marketing company. They might sell skincare or makeup products or seasonings for cooking. The moms who have found success have all found the right company for them, the company that pays well and that provides them with that they need to make their business work for them.
How can you find the right MLM company for you? Think about asking yourself (and the company) the right questions.
What is your take?
This is, how much do you get from each sale? This number can vary widely from company to company so pay attention to this information when you do your research. Less is not necessarily bad. If you sell products that people will buy more than one of (say, those seasonings for cooking), and you get a small percentage of the sale, you’ll likely will do well if people buy several items each time they make a purchase.
Conversely, you might get a lager percentage on some sales, but if people buy those items rarely and only make single purchases, your take might actually be lower than someone else who sells smaller items and takes a smaller cut.
There is no set standard here, but make sure that you can make enough sales to meet your income goals. Ask other company representatives how they do and how much they sell to meet their individual income goals.
How likely will people be to buy the product?
There’s a general consensus among people who sell products for MLM companies that consumable products are the best to sell. That is, products that people use or eat and then need more of. This might be items skincare and makeup, and food products. It can also be products for a hobby, since once the item is used, the customer might want more of that product or a similar product so they can continue their hobby.
In some cases, it can be hard to build a customer base that will come back to you again and again for a particular product. If you decide to sign up with a home décor company, as a representative, for example, you might do well selling to people but those people aren’t going to need more of your product. They might come to you when they need a gift, or they are redecorating a room, but they won’t consume the products the same way they will consume their food products, or need to replace their makeup products.
Of course, you should go with your interests, so if you are more interested in home décor items, then by all means sell them. Your passion for the product will also bring people to you for help and word of mouth will get out that ensures people know you are a good person to buy from.
What is the reputation of the company?
This is important, because the reputation of the company dictates the kind of experience you can expect to have and the experience your customers can expect to have. What do we mean by this? Simply put, if the company has a poor reputation, you will have a tough time selling, no matter how good they are to you.
Ask questions of current and former representatives of a company you are thinking of working for. What kinds of experiences did they have? If they report that their commission was good and they enjoyed some of the perks the company offered, but said that often they ship slowly and bill incorrectly, you need to think twice before signing up. Even if they treat their consultants like kings and queens, your customer will feel slighted if they too are not treated well. In the end, it’s the customer who matters, so make sure that company is one that your customers will enjoy dealing with. And also make sure you are prepared to be the face of that company, even when things don’t go smoothly.
Working as a rep for a MLM company can be very rewarding if you find just the right one. Do your research and make sure that a particular company is the right tone for you.
More on Multilevel Marketing at GILIW.COM
Many moms have found success as part of a multi-level marketing company. They might sell skincare or makeup products or seasonings for cooking. The moms who have found success have all found the right company for them, the company that pays well and that provides them with that they need to make their business work for them.
How can you find the right MLM company for you? Think about asking yourself (and the company) the right questions.
What is your take?
This is, how much do you get from each sale? This number can vary widely from company to company so pay attention to this information when you do your research. Less is not necessarily bad. If you sell products that people will buy more than one of (say, those seasonings for cooking), and you get a small percentage of the sale, you’ll likely will do well if people buy several items each time they make a purchase.
Conversely, you might get a lager percentage on some sales, but if people buy those items rarely and only make single purchases, your take might actually be lower than someone else who sells smaller items and takes a smaller cut.
There is no set standard here, but make sure that you can make enough sales to meet your income goals. Ask other company representatives how they do and how much they sell to meet their individual income goals.
How likely will people be to buy the product?
There’s a general consensus among people who sell products for MLM companies that consumable products are the best to sell. That is, products that people use or eat and then need more of. This might be items skincare and makeup, and food products. It can also be products for a hobby, since once the item is used, the customer might want more of that product or a similar product so they can continue their hobby.
In some cases, it can be hard to build a customer base that will come back to you again and again for a particular product. If you decide to sign up with a home décor company, as a representative, for example, you might do well selling to people but those people aren’t going to need more of your product. They might come to you when they need a gift, or they are redecorating a room, but they won’t consume the products the same way they will consume their food products, or need to replace their makeup products.
Of course, you should go with your interests, so if you are more interested in home décor items, then by all means sell them. Your passion for the product will also bring people to you for help and word of mouth will get out that ensures people know you are a good person to buy from.
What is the reputation of the company?
This is important, because the reputation of the company dictates the kind of experience you can expect to have and the experience your customers can expect to have. What do we mean by this? Simply put, if the company has a poor reputation, you will have a tough time selling, no matter how good they are to you.
Ask questions of current and former representatives of a company you are thinking of working for. What kinds of experiences did they have? If they report that their commission was good and they enjoyed some of the perks the company offered, but said that often they ship slowly and bill incorrectly, you need to think twice before signing up. Even if they treat their consultants like kings and queens, your customer will feel slighted if they too are not treated well. In the end, it’s the customer who matters, so make sure that company is one that your customers will enjoy dealing with. And also make sure you are prepared to be the face of that company, even when things don’t go smoothly.
Working as a rep for a MLM company can be very rewarding if you find just the right one. Do your research and make sure that a particular company is the right tone for you.
More on Multilevel Marketing at GILIW.COM
Thursday, December 6, 2018
How To Earn Extra Income By Working At Home
Earn extra income as WAHM
Working at home can be exhausting for a mom, and breaks might be rare. But you might work from home because you need the extra money and can’t afford to take breaks. But you can create breaks within the context of work.
Let’s look at this further. What we mean is that you can still work your full-time WAHM job, but add something in to break the monotony, or perhaps bring in extra money for holidays or to fill in a gap when your industry slows down temporarily.
These jobs likely won’t net you full-time income, but they are fun and interesting alternatives from the everyday work that you might be burnt from.
Letter writers
At Christmas, many WAHMs make extra money by writing letters from Santa. These can be postmarked from the “North Pole” or they can be on special paper or they might include special treats from Santa. You can build a quick website and market it to other moms who might be interested in their child or children getting a letter from Santa.
There are also websites that specialize in writing letters for people who can’t do it themselves or who want to present a more polished image than their own writing might provide.
Cake bakers
Many at-home moms turn into amateur bakers for weekend gatherings, from birthday parties to weddings. If you can bake well and can learn, or know, the art of cake decorating, you can make extra money at home selling decorated cakes.
This can be a nice break from your regular WAHM job, especially if your regular job is a solitary or sedentary affair. Making and decorating cakes can be creative, offering a nice respite from the demands of a less creative job.
Mystery shopping
If you miss being out and about while working your WAHM job, you might want to pick up a mystery shopping job now and then. These can be quick (taking less than an hour) but can net you a few dollars and sometimes free products. Look online for mystery shopping companies that provide services to the kinds of business you would like to shop – you might do mystery shops at restaurants, apartment complexes or cell phone kiosks.
Sell products
While many moms make a full-time living as consultants selling everything from skincare products to food, you can do it on a part-time basis and work when you need some variety or extra cash.
If you decide to sell items as a part-time gig, make sure you read the fine print carefully of the company you sign up with. Some have minimum requirements you must meet on a monthly or quarterly basis. Make sure that even on a part-time basis you can meet that minimum requirement.
Go outside the house
Working at home might be what you have always wanted to do and you are happy with all that it brings to your life. But you might have a desire to get out more. There are always options for very part-time jobs that serve you well in some way. For example, if you are a fitness freak, you might work just a few hours a week at the gym, netting you not only some extra money but likely a break on your gym fees. You might work just during the holidays at a department store.
The key to creating a WAHM arrangement that works for you is to work through any challenges you might face working at home. Picking up a now and then extra job might be the key to keeping yourself happy working at home.
More ways of earning extra income. Learn at GILIW.COM
Working at home can be exhausting for a mom, and breaks might be rare. But you might work from home because you need the extra money and can’t afford to take breaks. But you can create breaks within the context of work.
Let’s look at this further. What we mean is that you can still work your full-time WAHM job, but add something in to break the monotony, or perhaps bring in extra money for holidays or to fill in a gap when your industry slows down temporarily.
These jobs likely won’t net you full-time income, but they are fun and interesting alternatives from the everyday work that you might be burnt from.
Letter writers
At Christmas, many WAHMs make extra money by writing letters from Santa. These can be postmarked from the “North Pole” or they can be on special paper or they might include special treats from Santa. You can build a quick website and market it to other moms who might be interested in their child or children getting a letter from Santa.
There are also websites that specialize in writing letters for people who can’t do it themselves or who want to present a more polished image than their own writing might provide.
Cake bakers
Many at-home moms turn into amateur bakers for weekend gatherings, from birthday parties to weddings. If you can bake well and can learn, or know, the art of cake decorating, you can make extra money at home selling decorated cakes.
This can be a nice break from your regular WAHM job, especially if your regular job is a solitary or sedentary affair. Making and decorating cakes can be creative, offering a nice respite from the demands of a less creative job.
Mystery shopping
If you miss being out and about while working your WAHM job, you might want to pick up a mystery shopping job now and then. These can be quick (taking less than an hour) but can net you a few dollars and sometimes free products. Look online for mystery shopping companies that provide services to the kinds of business you would like to shop – you might do mystery shops at restaurants, apartment complexes or cell phone kiosks.
Sell products
While many moms make a full-time living as consultants selling everything from skincare products to food, you can do it on a part-time basis and work when you need some variety or extra cash.
If you decide to sell items as a part-time gig, make sure you read the fine print carefully of the company you sign up with. Some have minimum requirements you must meet on a monthly or quarterly basis. Make sure that even on a part-time basis you can meet that minimum requirement.
Go outside the house
Working at home might be what you have always wanted to do and you are happy with all that it brings to your life. But you might have a desire to get out more. There are always options for very part-time jobs that serve you well in some way. For example, if you are a fitness freak, you might work just a few hours a week at the gym, netting you not only some extra money but likely a break on your gym fees. You might work just during the holidays at a department store.
The key to creating a WAHM arrangement that works for you is to work through any challenges you might face working at home. Picking up a now and then extra job might be the key to keeping yourself happy working at home.
More ways of earning extra income. Learn at GILIW.COM
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Do You Have The Skill To Work At Home?
Examine your skills: What can you turn into a WAHM business?
As you think about the myriad of work-at-home opportunities, you could be overlooking one important thing – you have skills that you can turn into a career. Although it’s easy and sometimes tempting to sign up with a company or to begin selling a product, there are many skills that each of us bring to the table that can help us to create our own successful at-home enterprises.
Before you settle on a work-at-home job, carefully examine your skill set and determine if you can make a solid at-home work opportunity out of your skills. Though there is no harm in joining an already successful company, many moms are more interested in starting their own businesses. If you are that kind of mom, consider your skills first so you choose the right at-home business for you.
Money
Have you ever worked as a cashier? What skills did that require? If you had to reconcile your cash drawer, you have some experience with bookkeeping. You also likely have some customer service skills. Many women work at home as bookkeepers or as assistants to accountants.
Office skills
If you have ever worked in an office, you might have a long list of beneficial qualities that would help in an at-home job. These include phone skills, customer service skills, software experience and perhaps even some marketing or public relations skills.
Office skills and experience (as well as any training you might also have) can be used in a variety of ways with at-home jobs. Many moms work at home as virtual assistants, for example, which require customer service skills, software experience and basic office training.
Other moms with office skills can work at home for a local business. To save money, local businesses are more likely these days to hire people to work from home to handle calls, mail and basic clerical duties.
Technical skills
Those who have worked in graphic design and website design are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the work-at-home job market. That is, you can easily turn your graphic design and website design skills into an at-home business. Your services will likely cost another business less than using an in-house designer and if you provide the same – or better – quality, you can create a niche for yourself that others might not be able to easily fill.
Other technical skills that might be useful for at-home businesses include computer repair, specific software application training and other skills that you might have learned in a previous job, in college, or that you took specific classes for.
Entertainment
Many moms have had success turning their entertainment skills into an at-home business. Your ability to put on a beautiful party can be turned into a business that puts on tea party birthdays for young girls. Or you might start a catering business from home. Or you could become a personal chef. Some moms start successful home businesses that are borne out of their theater or singing experience.
The key to turning your skills and experience into a successful home business is to be honest about your skills. Know what you can do and what you are weak at. Perhaps you know that you can run a lucrative web design business, but you can’t handle money. Maybe you can hire another WAHM to do your bookkeeping for you. In that way you help yourself and another mom at the same time.
Make a list of the skills you have and those you might like to acquire and from that list, create some ideas for your at-home business. You might be surprised how much you bring to the at-home business table.
Develop Your Skill with GILIW.COM.
As you think about the myriad of work-at-home opportunities, you could be overlooking one important thing – you have skills that you can turn into a career. Although it’s easy and sometimes tempting to sign up with a company or to begin selling a product, there are many skills that each of us bring to the table that can help us to create our own successful at-home enterprises.
Before you settle on a work-at-home job, carefully examine your skill set and determine if you can make a solid at-home work opportunity out of your skills. Though there is no harm in joining an already successful company, many moms are more interested in starting their own businesses. If you are that kind of mom, consider your skills first so you choose the right at-home business for you.
Money
Have you ever worked as a cashier? What skills did that require? If you had to reconcile your cash drawer, you have some experience with bookkeeping. You also likely have some customer service skills. Many women work at home as bookkeepers or as assistants to accountants.
Office skills
If you have ever worked in an office, you might have a long list of beneficial qualities that would help in an at-home job. These include phone skills, customer service skills, software experience and perhaps even some marketing or public relations skills.
Office skills and experience (as well as any training you might also have) can be used in a variety of ways with at-home jobs. Many moms work at home as virtual assistants, for example, which require customer service skills, software experience and basic office training.
Other moms with office skills can work at home for a local business. To save money, local businesses are more likely these days to hire people to work from home to handle calls, mail and basic clerical duties.
Technical skills
Those who have worked in graphic design and website design are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the work-at-home job market. That is, you can easily turn your graphic design and website design skills into an at-home business. Your services will likely cost another business less than using an in-house designer and if you provide the same – or better – quality, you can create a niche for yourself that others might not be able to easily fill.
Other technical skills that might be useful for at-home businesses include computer repair, specific software application training and other skills that you might have learned in a previous job, in college, or that you took specific classes for.
Entertainment
Many moms have had success turning their entertainment skills into an at-home business. Your ability to put on a beautiful party can be turned into a business that puts on tea party birthdays for young girls. Or you might start a catering business from home. Or you could become a personal chef. Some moms start successful home businesses that are borne out of their theater or singing experience.
The key to turning your skills and experience into a successful home business is to be honest about your skills. Know what you can do and what you are weak at. Perhaps you know that you can run a lucrative web design business, but you can’t handle money. Maybe you can hire another WAHM to do your bookkeeping for you. In that way you help yourself and another mom at the same time.
Make a list of the skills you have and those you might like to acquire and from that list, create some ideas for your at-home business. You might be surprised how much you bring to the at-home business table.
Develop Your Skill with GILIW.COM.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Are You Qualified To Work At Home?
Do you have the right stuff to be a WAHM?
There are certain qualities that people who work at home must have. It’s not for everyone, this WAH thing. Some people just handle it better than others. But there are a few qualities that those who work at home should have.
Organization
Working at home requires good organization. You must be able to handle organizing your business, your home, your personal life and everything else that is in your life. You should be able to handle the myriad of details that your multi-faceted life requires.
Flexibility
If you are rigid and expect everything to go the way you think they should, you will likely be disappointed as a WAHM. You must be flexible so that when a child gets sick, or the dishwasher breaks, or your invoices don’t get paid, you can handle it. You should be willing to say “yes” as much as you say “no” and be able to handle the changes in schedule well.
Ability to say “no”
As much as you should be able to say “yes” you must also be able to say “no”. It’s sometimes hard for people to wrap their heads around the idea that a mom who stays home is working full time, that’s she’s contributing in a significant way to the family’s income.
That means that often you will be called up on to do things at school, to watch other peoples’ children, or to do thing that takes you away from the thing that – during the day – is the most important thing to you, and that’s work.
To that end, then, you should be able to say “no” just as often as you say “yes”. You should find some flexibility and willingness to go with the flow, to change the plans as necessary, as well, but ultimately you should be able to reply in the negative. This quality is a necessary requirement for a successful WAHM experience.
Discipline
Do you have self-discipline? Can you work hard when nobody is looking, when nobody might know that you instead spent the day in the bathtub? That quality, the ability to be disciplined about your work, is essential to having a successful WAHM business.
Not everyone has self-discipline when it comes to work, and that’s not always deadly in business. Some people just need others around to ensure that they will do the work they are supposed to be doing. But if you work at home, there won’t be other people to egg you on, to encourage you to work, to join in with when it comes to work. You need to find it somewhere within yourself.
Self motivation
This goes hand in hand with discipline, but it’s a bit different. To make your self discipline work for you, you must first have self motivation. You should want to do your job and get to it as soon as you must each day.
Unlike an out of the house job where there might be a supervisor keeping an eye on your efforts, at home it’s just you. If you aren’t self motivated enough to get up in the morning with an eye toward what you need to get done that day – without anyone reminding you of your responsibilities – you might not be well suited to working at home. But if you are self motivated and are able to keep yourself going even in the face of many bumps in the road, you might do well working for yourself at home.
Multi tasking abilities
Working at home, especially when you’re a mom, take a certain level of multi-tasking expertise. You should be able to handle the house, the kids, and the work. You should be able to handle all of it and sometimes all of it at once. If you get very stressed when things don’t go perfectly, or if you can’t focus on more than one thing at a time, working at home might not be for you.
Independence
People who work at home must have a certain level of entrepreneurial initiative. That is, they work independently and are willing to take the necessary risks to achieve some success. If you want to work at home and be successful, you too should have this independent streak.
Working at home take a myriad of personality characteristics, but these are by far the most important. Hone the traits you already have and work to develop the others, and work at home success will be yours.
Preparation is important. Visit GILIW.COM
There are certain qualities that people who work at home must have. It’s not for everyone, this WAH thing. Some people just handle it better than others. But there are a few qualities that those who work at home should have.
Organization
Working at home requires good organization. You must be able to handle organizing your business, your home, your personal life and everything else that is in your life. You should be able to handle the myriad of details that your multi-faceted life requires.
Flexibility
If you are rigid and expect everything to go the way you think they should, you will likely be disappointed as a WAHM. You must be flexible so that when a child gets sick, or the dishwasher breaks, or your invoices don’t get paid, you can handle it. You should be willing to say “yes” as much as you say “no” and be able to handle the changes in schedule well.
Ability to say “no”
As much as you should be able to say “yes” you must also be able to say “no”. It’s sometimes hard for people to wrap their heads around the idea that a mom who stays home is working full time, that’s she’s contributing in a significant way to the family’s income.
That means that often you will be called up on to do things at school, to watch other peoples’ children, or to do thing that takes you away from the thing that – during the day – is the most important thing to you, and that’s work.
To that end, then, you should be able to say “no” just as often as you say “yes”. You should find some flexibility and willingness to go with the flow, to change the plans as necessary, as well, but ultimately you should be able to reply in the negative. This quality is a necessary requirement for a successful WAHM experience.
Discipline
Do you have self-discipline? Can you work hard when nobody is looking, when nobody might know that you instead spent the day in the bathtub? That quality, the ability to be disciplined about your work, is essential to having a successful WAHM business.
Not everyone has self-discipline when it comes to work, and that’s not always deadly in business. Some people just need others around to ensure that they will do the work they are supposed to be doing. But if you work at home, there won’t be other people to egg you on, to encourage you to work, to join in with when it comes to work. You need to find it somewhere within yourself.
Self motivation
This goes hand in hand with discipline, but it’s a bit different. To make your self discipline work for you, you must first have self motivation. You should want to do your job and get to it as soon as you must each day.
Unlike an out of the house job where there might be a supervisor keeping an eye on your efforts, at home it’s just you. If you aren’t self motivated enough to get up in the morning with an eye toward what you need to get done that day – without anyone reminding you of your responsibilities – you might not be well suited to working at home. But if you are self motivated and are able to keep yourself going even in the face of many bumps in the road, you might do well working for yourself at home.
Multi tasking abilities
Working at home, especially when you’re a mom, take a certain level of multi-tasking expertise. You should be able to handle the house, the kids, and the work. You should be able to handle all of it and sometimes all of it at once. If you get very stressed when things don’t go perfectly, or if you can’t focus on more than one thing at a time, working at home might not be for you.
Independence
People who work at home must have a certain level of entrepreneurial initiative. That is, they work independently and are willing to take the necessary risks to achieve some success. If you want to work at home and be successful, you too should have this independent streak.
Working at home take a myriad of personality characteristics, but these are by far the most important. Hone the traits you already have and work to develop the others, and work at home success will be yours.
Preparation is important. Visit GILIW.COM
How To Avoid Scams If You Work At Home
Be careful to avoid WAHM scams
If you really want to work at home, you might be tempted by the many ads online and even in newspapers that promise easy work and good money.
It’s hard not to be tempted by these ads and promises. But there are many scams out there, and they can strip you of money, reputation and, at the very least, your confidence.
The most common scam
Yes, this one is still around. You might remember seeing these ads in newspapers years ago, promising “easy money!” for stuffing envelopes. The ads are generally targeted to moms at home, students and retired people. It’s easy to get sucked into the idea that you can make money by stuffing envelopes for businesses, but in reality, you don’t.
You are asked to send money (usually $29.99) and in return, you will get a list if of businesses you might contact to try and get their envelope stuffing business. The reality is that few, if any, companies hire people to stuff their envelopes. And these days, with more and more people relying on online methods to contact potential customers and clients, they need this service even less.
Sometimes people who pay the money will be given information on how to advertise in newspapers and online for people to start an envelope stuffing business. You make $29.99 off these poor people as they contact you for more information.
If you see this offer, or it’s sent to you directly, it’s best to ignore it, no matter how tempting.
How to spot a scam
It’s not easy to spot a scam. If you are desperate to work at home and looking for something that’s already set up for you (in that you don’t have to actually start your own business), you might be tempted by these offers to work at home.
There are several criteria to help you determine if you are dealing with unscrupulous people who are tying to scam you.
First, if an offer promises big pay for easy work, it might be a scam. The reality is that few people can get paid big dollars for easy work and little work. Big pay usually is a reward for big work, so while it might be temping to think that you can get paid big dollars for little work, you have to objectively consider the possibilities there.
Any offer that promises you a lot of work for a fee is likely not on the up and up. You shouldn’t have to pay to work. You shouldn’t have to pay for a job. Of course, some businesses (like businesses where you sell products as a consultant for a company) will require a small up-front investment. In that case, however, you are investing in your own business, not the business of others. You are investing to get the products you need to run your business and that is decidedly different than paying to get a job.
Ask questions. If you get vague answers, or your questions are ignored completely, that should set off a few warning bells with you. You should be able to dig up a street address for the company, the names of the relevant players in the company and you should be able to check the company’s history with the Better Business Bureau and other such agencies.
Don’t sign up for a job or to work with a company without talking to someone on the phone or person. Don’t settle for the information available on a website in the FAQs. Instead, make sure you can make contact with someone you can talk to one-on-one (not in email). If you can’t do that, you might want to look elsewhere.
If you do need to make an investment in product or materials (not for the job itself) use your credit card. Don’t write a check or use a debit card because those will be harder to get protection with. If you use a credit card, you get protection from the credit card company if things go wrong.
Do your research and understand the various risks and rewards of the company you are considering there are many bad deals out there and many scams, but if you do your research, you should be able to find the right opportunity for you.
Do Your Research at GILIW.COM
If you really want to work at home, you might be tempted by the many ads online and even in newspapers that promise easy work and good money.
It’s hard not to be tempted by these ads and promises. But there are many scams out there, and they can strip you of money, reputation and, at the very least, your confidence.
The most common scam
Yes, this one is still around. You might remember seeing these ads in newspapers years ago, promising “easy money!” for stuffing envelopes. The ads are generally targeted to moms at home, students and retired people. It’s easy to get sucked into the idea that you can make money by stuffing envelopes for businesses, but in reality, you don’t.
You are asked to send money (usually $29.99) and in return, you will get a list if of businesses you might contact to try and get their envelope stuffing business. The reality is that few, if any, companies hire people to stuff their envelopes. And these days, with more and more people relying on online methods to contact potential customers and clients, they need this service even less.
Sometimes people who pay the money will be given information on how to advertise in newspapers and online for people to start an envelope stuffing business. You make $29.99 off these poor people as they contact you for more information.
If you see this offer, or it’s sent to you directly, it’s best to ignore it, no matter how tempting.
How to spot a scam
It’s not easy to spot a scam. If you are desperate to work at home and looking for something that’s already set up for you (in that you don’t have to actually start your own business), you might be tempted by these offers to work at home.
There are several criteria to help you determine if you are dealing with unscrupulous people who are tying to scam you.
First, if an offer promises big pay for easy work, it might be a scam. The reality is that few people can get paid big dollars for easy work and little work. Big pay usually is a reward for big work, so while it might be temping to think that you can get paid big dollars for little work, you have to objectively consider the possibilities there.
Any offer that promises you a lot of work for a fee is likely not on the up and up. You shouldn’t have to pay to work. You shouldn’t have to pay for a job. Of course, some businesses (like businesses where you sell products as a consultant for a company) will require a small up-front investment. In that case, however, you are investing in your own business, not the business of others. You are investing to get the products you need to run your business and that is decidedly different than paying to get a job.
Ask questions. If you get vague answers, or your questions are ignored completely, that should set off a few warning bells with you. You should be able to dig up a street address for the company, the names of the relevant players in the company and you should be able to check the company’s history with the Better Business Bureau and other such agencies.
Don’t sign up for a job or to work with a company without talking to someone on the phone or person. Don’t settle for the information available on a website in the FAQs. Instead, make sure you can make contact with someone you can talk to one-on-one (not in email). If you can’t do that, you might want to look elsewhere.
If you do need to make an investment in product or materials (not for the job itself) use your credit card. Don’t write a check or use a debit card because those will be harder to get protection with. If you use a credit card, you get protection from the credit card company if things go wrong.
Do your research and understand the various risks and rewards of the company you are considering there are many bad deals out there and many scams, but if you do your research, you should be able to find the right opportunity for you.
Do Your Research at GILIW.COM
Work At Home By Being A Medical Transcriptionist
Medical transcription the choice of many WAHMs
If you’re looking for an at-home business that offers flexible hours and interesting work as well as consistent pay, you should consider medical transcription.
Many a mom who works at home has chosen transcription work as their go-to business because they can control their schedule. But there is a generous amount of work available, so earnings are consistent.
Why become an at-home transcriptionist?
There are many advantages to doing transcription at home. You can control your hours and do the work whenever it suits you (as long as you meet deadlines and deliver work when it’s due), and you can work exclusively at home, never needing to leave if you don’t want to. The work can be interesting and the pay can be good, depending on how experienced you are and how smart you are at setting your rates.
However, to be a transcriptionist, you need to either have past experience doing this kind of work (perhaps at a job outside the home) or you must take classes. If you decide to run your own business, it can be hard to get clients initially, but if you work for another company that simply sends the work your way, you might not make as much as you would with your own business. The advantage of working for another company, of course, is that you don’t have to seek out your own clients.
Training
If you are entering the medical transcription field for the first time, you must take some classes in this field. The terminology is complicated and you won’t be able to decipher what you are hearing without having some medical terminology under your belt. Of course, you will get faster and understand more as you work, but it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find work without having some medical terminology classes under your belt first.
Even if you have worked for another company doing medical transcription, you should take more classes when you start your own business. This is something you can note your résumé or credential sheet and it will help you find work.
How to find clients
If you have worked in this field before, you likely have some contacts and you should work those contacts to find your clients. If you are new to the field, you can do several things. First, create a good resume or credential sheet. Outline all of your work experience, not just the experience that relates specifically to medical transcription.
Your overall experience can help potential clients decide if you are a good fit for them. For example, medical transcriptionists should type quickly, so a note about your typing speed is useful. You might mention that you have had experience working in an office environment, which gives the client confidence that you know how to do work that is assigned and do it on time.
It’s advisable that you invest some money in business cards and perhaps a flier or – even better – a brochure that outlines your services. You can hand deliver these to medical offices or you can mail them to targeted potential clients.
Offer to do an audition transcription, whereby the potential client gives you a small transcription job and you complete it at no charge. If the client is happy with your work, you can pick up a new client. This is one of the best and easiest ways for a new medical transcriptionist to add new clients.
Working at home as a medical transcriptionist is a good way for moms to make extra money. You can work part-time or full-time, or a combination of both depending on your needs at any particular time. Many moms find the work exciting and interesting and they don’t get bored. And once a client base is developed, the job can lucrative as well.
If you’re looking for an at-home business that offers flexible hours and interesting work as well as consistent pay, you should consider medical transcription.
Many a mom who works at home has chosen transcription work as their go-to business because they can control their schedule. But there is a generous amount of work available, so earnings are consistent.
Why become an at-home transcriptionist?
There are many advantages to doing transcription at home. You can control your hours and do the work whenever it suits you (as long as you meet deadlines and deliver work when it’s due), and you can work exclusively at home, never needing to leave if you don’t want to. The work can be interesting and the pay can be good, depending on how experienced you are and how smart you are at setting your rates.
However, to be a transcriptionist, you need to either have past experience doing this kind of work (perhaps at a job outside the home) or you must take classes. If you decide to run your own business, it can be hard to get clients initially, but if you work for another company that simply sends the work your way, you might not make as much as you would with your own business. The advantage of working for another company, of course, is that you don’t have to seek out your own clients.
Training
If you are entering the medical transcription field for the first time, you must take some classes in this field. The terminology is complicated and you won’t be able to decipher what you are hearing without having some medical terminology under your belt. Of course, you will get faster and understand more as you work, but it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find work without having some medical terminology classes under your belt first.
Even if you have worked for another company doing medical transcription, you should take more classes when you start your own business. This is something you can note your résumé or credential sheet and it will help you find work.
How to find clients
If you have worked in this field before, you likely have some contacts and you should work those contacts to find your clients. If you are new to the field, you can do several things. First, create a good resume or credential sheet. Outline all of your work experience, not just the experience that relates specifically to medical transcription.
Your overall experience can help potential clients decide if you are a good fit for them. For example, medical transcriptionists should type quickly, so a note about your typing speed is useful. You might mention that you have had experience working in an office environment, which gives the client confidence that you know how to do work that is assigned and do it on time.
It’s advisable that you invest some money in business cards and perhaps a flier or – even better – a brochure that outlines your services. You can hand deliver these to medical offices or you can mail them to targeted potential clients.
Offer to do an audition transcription, whereby the potential client gives you a small transcription job and you complete it at no charge. If the client is happy with your work, you can pick up a new client. This is one of the best and easiest ways for a new medical transcriptionist to add new clients.
Working at home as a medical transcriptionist is a good way for moms to make extra money. You can work part-time or full-time, or a combination of both depending on your needs at any particular time. Many moms find the work exciting and interesting and they don’t get bored. And once a client base is developed, the job can lucrative as well.
Working At Home (For Moms)
WAHM 101: How to tell if you’re ready to become a WAHM
More and more women are choosing to stay home but still pursue a career. The old idea that women had to choose to be at home or away at work no longer applies. But if you currently work outside the home, you might wonder if you can take the plunge and become a WAHM.
Perhaps you have the business idea, or you have the acumen to start something new, but you just aren’t sure that you can actually do it. How will you know when the time is right? There are a few things to consider.
Can you afford it?
First, consider finances. Depending on what business you plan to work at home, it might take some time for you to make money in your new venture. Can you afford to live on your spouse’s income only during that time?
To determine if you can afford your WAHM venture, first do a budget and figure out what your base living expenses are each month. Does one income cover that expense? If not, do you have enough in savings to cover the difference if need be for the first few months of your WAHM business?
If one salary isn’t enough to cover the expenses, do you have savings that you can pull from if necessary? If not, consider working a few more months while putting as much as possible in the bank.
Before you take the plunge, also consider what kinds of start-up expenses there will be for your business. Can you afford to make that investment? Remember that some start-up expenses are tax-deductible, but you still have to be able to make the purchases and investments now.
Can you handle it?
Working at home is often harder that it might appear initially. While the idea of working at home could hold some romance for you, the reality is that it’s much harder for most people than they initially realize, especially when there are child rein the house.
So ask yourself if you will be able to find the time and quiet to effectively work at home. Think about the kind of job you’ll be doing. If it requires phone work, consider that you need to have quiet in the house before you can do that work. If it requires computer time, is there a computer that you can use often for your work? Do you have a good area that you can claim as your workspace?
Once you have secured a spot and know what you’re going to do, think about the family arrangement. If you have very young children who aren’t even in preschool yet, do you have plans for how you will work around them? Do you have family who can help you or could you hire a babysitter? If you need to work full-time and your kids are in school, how will you handle your work time once they are home from school? How about holidays, days off and summer vacations?
Are you ready to make change?
Transitioning from being a mom who works outside the home to one who works at home can be tough. Or, if you’ve been at stay-at-home mom, it can be difficult on your family, who must make the transition from seeing you as very accessible to them to being concerned with other matters.
Ask yourself these hard questions about transition. Are you ready to work at home? Can you handle the isolation? Do you think you can be a work at home mom and still see to your family’s needs? Most moms decide to work at home because they want to be available to their children; if you plant your children in front of the television so you can work, you haven’t necessarily succeeded in your mission.
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a WAHM for some time, you likely know the answers to all of these questions already. Once you know that you’re ready for the change, the transition can be fairly simple because your confidence will help provide a good result.
More and more women are choosing to stay home but still pursue a career. The old idea that women had to choose to be at home or away at work no longer applies. But if you currently work outside the home, you might wonder if you can take the plunge and become a WAHM.
Perhaps you have the business idea, or you have the acumen to start something new, but you just aren’t sure that you can actually do it. How will you know when the time is right? There are a few things to consider.
Can you afford it?
First, consider finances. Depending on what business you plan to work at home, it might take some time for you to make money in your new venture. Can you afford to live on your spouse’s income only during that time?
To determine if you can afford your WAHM venture, first do a budget and figure out what your base living expenses are each month. Does one income cover that expense? If not, do you have enough in savings to cover the difference if need be for the first few months of your WAHM business?
If one salary isn’t enough to cover the expenses, do you have savings that you can pull from if necessary? If not, consider working a few more months while putting as much as possible in the bank.
Before you take the plunge, also consider what kinds of start-up expenses there will be for your business. Can you afford to make that investment? Remember that some start-up expenses are tax-deductible, but you still have to be able to make the purchases and investments now.
Can you handle it?
Working at home is often harder that it might appear initially. While the idea of working at home could hold some romance for you, the reality is that it’s much harder for most people than they initially realize, especially when there are child rein the house.
So ask yourself if you will be able to find the time and quiet to effectively work at home. Think about the kind of job you’ll be doing. If it requires phone work, consider that you need to have quiet in the house before you can do that work. If it requires computer time, is there a computer that you can use often for your work? Do you have a good area that you can claim as your workspace?
Once you have secured a spot and know what you’re going to do, think about the family arrangement. If you have very young children who aren’t even in preschool yet, do you have plans for how you will work around them? Do you have family who can help you or could you hire a babysitter? If you need to work full-time and your kids are in school, how will you handle your work time once they are home from school? How about holidays, days off and summer vacations?
Are you ready to make change?
Transitioning from being a mom who works outside the home to one who works at home can be tough. Or, if you’ve been at stay-at-home mom, it can be difficult on your family, who must make the transition from seeing you as very accessible to them to being concerned with other matters.
Ask yourself these hard questions about transition. Are you ready to work at home? Can you handle the isolation? Do you think you can be a work at home mom and still see to your family’s needs? Most moms decide to work at home because they want to be available to their children; if you plant your children in front of the television so you can work, you haven’t necessarily succeeded in your mission.
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a WAHM for some time, you likely know the answers to all of these questions already. Once you know that you’re ready for the change, the transition can be fairly simple because your confidence will help provide a good result.
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