If you are a stay – at – home parent, you may be wondering whether you are qualified to start your own home – based business. Let’s look at how your previous work experience, paired with the skills that you have acquired through the work of being a parent, could translate into a skill set that can enable you to start a home – based business. As an added bonus, thinking through this exercise may even point you in the direction of what your new home – based business could be.
This is both a fun and practical thing to do, but it can be difficult to really think about the following questions when your thoughts are constantly interrupted by the chubby little hands stretching up to pull you out of your “thinking chair” or the requests to “borrow” the pen and paper that you have placed on the table to jot down the answers that come to mind. It works best if you can find some personal time, such as nap time or after the children have gone to bed, to think through the following things. After all, figuring out when during your days you will be able to work and for how many hours will certainly be something that you will do once you begin working on a business plan.
Now that you are ready to think about it, take a sheet of paper and write down your previous work experience. You may already have this handy on your computer, or even on paper in the form of your resume. These are the things that you already know how to do, and they consist of much more than the job titles say. For example, if you were a bank teller, you are able to do more than count money. You had to be responsible, detail oriented, and organized in order to get through your day. Really think about what you did and what skills you used on a daily basis. It is okay if you did not enjoy the work that you did at one or more of your previous jobs. You still acquired skills through working there, and starting your own business means that you are free to choose what kind of work you do or do not do.
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