Choosing to Work from Home
So you're a new mom (or a mom to be or a mom-for-ages-and-
ages) and you're starting to think about staying home. Can it be done?
Can you stay home and still make it on one salary? Let's start by looking
at the pros and cons of staying home and then move on to how to actually
realize that goal.
There are actually many advantages to staying at home that working women
don't realize. My husband and I have been able to save more money since
I started staying home than we did
when we were on two salaries. Here are some ways you'll be saving money:
1) No daycare costs. My salary would've gone almost entirely
to daycare, so it was barely a break-even for us. However, even if you're
making enough to cover daycare, this is one big expense you won't miss.
Additionally, as a stay-at-home mom, I have met several other SAHMs, and
we have a babysitting co-op. End result: free babysitting almost anytime
I want/need it. So I'm not paying for full-day daycare or even part-time.
2) No more (or fewer) drycleaning costs. Those great suits you wear to
the office every day can become a thing of the past (although you might
want to throw one on occasionally just to feel like an adult again) and,
with it, the high drycleaning fees.
3) No more paying for your lunch every day. While you and your little
one may occasionally eat out together (or meet a friend for lunch), you
won't have to spend $5 (or more) every day. My lunch usually consists
of left-overs (keeps the fridge much more organized!), sandwiches, soups
or salads.
And let me tell you, a soup and salad I make is much cheaper than any
soup and salad I bought at the deli!
4) Reduced wear and tear on the car and less gas consumption (or fewer
public transportation costs). I can now go almost an entire month on a
tank of gas (okay, my little car gets great gas mileage), as opposed to
filling up once a week when I was working. That's a full 75% reduction
in cost!
In addition, I also made some concessions. Since I am home, I make sure
I take the time to peruse the circulars every Sunday to find the best
deals (especially on groceries) and to cut coupons. I do all the cleaning
myself (it's a bore, but someone has to do it). And we used cloth diapers
(that
I laundered) and washcloths (instead of wipes) to keep baby costs down.
We made our own babyfood and are blessed to have family and friends that
keep us well-stocked in hand-me-downs,
so our clothing costs are low. I cook (almost) every night, and we eat
a lot of casseroles to stretch our food budget (every Friday, I do a "restaurant
night," where I cook a meal you might get at a restaurant (Italian, Chinese,
etc.), but it's a lot cheaper when it's home-made). But I don't see
these as sacrifices. They allowed me to stay home and play with my beautiful
little girl from the day she was born.
Now, on to choosing your home-business. First, recognize that a home-business
is work. It will take time before the money starts coming in. There will
be ups and downs. If you don't love what you're doing, you won't stick
with it.
The first thing to do is sit down and brainstorm every single
business you could do from home. These will include your hobbies, your
skills and even some things you don't necessarily find very appealing
(like doing other people's laundry, for me -- but some people LOVE to
do laundry and make good money at it). Check into local companies that
might want to hire moms as telecommuters (data entry, word processing,
desk-top publishing). Look at transcription (if you have the skills).
Talk to other moms who already work from home and find out what they do.
Scan your classified ads. Give yourself a minimum of a week to brainstorm
(I took almost 9 months, from
the time I first found out I was pregnant) From that list, narrow it down
to what you might like to do (so drop the laundry!). Then sit down and
take a good look at each of the businesses on your list. Start doing some
research. Are there others in your area who already have the business
you want
who might be able to help you (or is the area already saturated)? Can
you find information on-line? Visit your local library and see what you
can learn about the businesses you're interested in. Also be sure to check
with both your county and state tax offices about any requirements --
zoning, licenses, tax forms, etc. -- you might have to fulfill.
Whatever you finally choose, network, network, network. Network
with people in your town (start with your family and friends and work
out), network on-line (there are a million great on-line communities for
moms), network through your church, your Chamber of Commerce, your Small
Business network. If you sell products, consider offering to do fund raisers
for your locals schools or your religious community. Donate products (or
services) to charity auctions and raffles (and
make sure your business card goes with each of your donations). Hold open
houses (and offer door prizes, free food (nothing too expensive) and a
prize to whoever brings the most guests), especially near holidays. Look
into setting up (or having set up) a website (I suggest starting with
a free website provider) and moving into some of the on-line malls (many
offer you space for simply a commission on every sale, so you don't pay
them if you don't make money).
Home-based businesses are the quickest growing sector in the business
world today. There are so many opportunities out there -- you just need
to find the one that's right for you. One last word: if at first you don't
succeed, try again. Some of us try three or four businesses or jobs before
we
find the one that suits us. It's okay to jump around. The important thing
is: are you enjoying your life? Do you feel better being able to be with
your children at home? Are you comfortable where you are? Then I say,
"GO FOR IT!!!"
(c) Marybeth Henry, 1999
Marybeth Henry is the Director of WAHMfest TM, dedicated to helping moms
stay home by bringing them face-to-face with business opportunities and
resources. Visit our site for more information on working from home and
be sure to check out our Resource Library for helpful information. She
is also the Editor of The Backyard Fence, a FREE weekly ezine for parents
that offers money saving tips & recipes, and a place for parents to
call their own. http://www.wahmfest.org/
