It seems like everyone’s dream these days is to work from home. We envision ourselves sleeping late, working in our pajamas and watching effortlessly as the profits roll in. However, when most people begin working at home, they are in for quite a shock. As it turns out, working from home is often MORE difficult than punching the clock at your nine to five. Especially when starting out, you often end up working longer hours than you did previously. In addition, it usually takes several months (and often a lot longer) for your work-at-home efforts to generate any sort of consistent income.
It is important that before you turn in your notice at your job and set out on the road to working at home that you stop for a moment and consider a few important details:
The Kind of Work
Do you have a marketable product or service? Is it something that people will be willing to pay for? Are there enough people who would use the product or service to make it a profitable business?
Customers
How do you plan to find customers for your business? Even if you have the greatest business idea in the world, if no one knows about it you will not have the customers you need to be successful. Take the time to figure out how you will spread the word about your product or service.
Time
How much time will it take for you to make each product, or perform each service? If you are doing parties or selling items at a specific location, how much time will that take out of each week or each month? Make sure that the amount of time you will be putting into your work is balanced with the amount of money you will be making. Sit down and actually figure out what you will make per hour and decide if that amount is worth it to you.
Kids
If you have children, what will you do with them while you are working? Can you really carry your toddler around on your hip while giving a facial for Avon or Mary Kay? What will you do if your baby cries while you are giving music lessons? Remember, just because you are home does not necessarily mean that you will be able to care for your children while you work. Make sure that you figure out how you will meet your children’s needs while still running your business.
Financing
How much money will you have to have upfront to get started in your work? How long do you expect it to be before you are making money instead of just making up for the inventory or supplies you have purchased? Make sure you family can handle the gap between the end of your full-time paycheck and the beginning of a consistent work-at-home income.
With this article I am not in any way trying to convince you not to work at home. Working from home is a wonderful option and many people are doing it successfully. The difference between these successful workers and the person who does it for two weeks and has to stop, is planning. Just like you would plan out any other major undertaking in your life, plan this too. Be certain that you are ready to make the move home so that it will be a positive thing for you and your family.