| Most Moms think
about starting a home based business at one time
or another.
Maybe the youngest
has started school, and Mom suddenly has a lot of
free time. Or perhaps Mom was successful in her
career before having her first child, and wished
to put her skills to good use in a home based
business. Another reason may be that a couple is
accustomed to the lifestyle they can afford with
two incomes, and when Mom suddenly decides to quit
her job to stay home and raise the children, the
loss of income is uncomfortable...or even
intolerable if the income is sorely needed to pay
bills.
My purpose in
writing this article is to give you some
compelling reasons why you SHOULD start a home
based business, and do so TODAY.
1) Having a Home
Based Business provides you with a safety net if
your husband loses his job.
We don't live in
the days of our Grandparents, where the advice
was: Get a good education, get a good job, work
hard for 40 years and let the company take care of
you. Retirement is almost a joke. There is no such
thing as job security anymore. Layoffs and
downsizing are commonplace today. Social Security
and Medicaid may not even be around when some of
us reach retirement age.
For many families,
the loss of the primary earner's income is
devastating. Most families simply do not have the
6-12 months of living expenses set aside in
savings that financial advisors recommend.
Oftentimes it takes a person weeks or even months
to find employment that matches the salary they
are used to. Unemployment benefit checks are not
enough to cover even the bare necessities of life.
Having a Home Based
Business provides the family with a second income.
During the period of unemployment, Mom can step up
her efforts to build her business and make more
money. Dad might be in a position to help out
more, giving her the ability to do this with more
focus. Who knows... Dad might even decide to join
Mom in her "little
business"...especially when she starts
earning more than he does. Stranger things have
happened!
2) Having a Home
Based Business provides extra income to help the
family meet certain goals.
For instance...
getting out of debt. An extra few hundred dollars
a month added to the credit card debt load could
make a huge difference in how quickly the debts
get paid off.
After this is
accomplished, the money that was going to credit
cards could be applied towards private education
for children, savings for college, that special
vacation the family has always wanted to take, a
newer model car, renovations on the house so
siblings can have more space (or Mom her own
office!).
Another awesome
goal is that of paying off the mortage early. By
making an additional mortage payment periodically
most couples can shave YEARS off of the life of
their mortage. Few people own their homes
outright, but what a freeing feeling that would
be!
3) Having a Home
Based Business models entrepreneurship to children
In today's world,
it's more important than ever for our kids to
learn how to "mind their own business".
Children who grow up watching Mom work her
business learn how to manage time wisely, they
learn how to take responsibility for themselves
financially (instead of relying on an employer),
and they may learn practical skills especially if
Mom lets them help out or even pays them to help.
Current tax laws even allow young children to be
paid (and this is a tax deductible expense) for
their services...check with your accountant.
Young girls will
also learn that it IS possible to have the best of
both worlds...a woman can stay home to raise her
children and still earn income.
4) Having a Home
Based Business improves relationships
Most women I have
spoken with about the subject agree that it isn't
good for their self esteem to have to ask their
husbands for money. What's bad for a woman's self
esteem is bad for the marriage! Women feel better
about themselves when they are at least somewhat
independent financially. They also have something
besides "what little Johnny did today"
to talk about at the dinner table. It keeps the
relationship fresh and lively when a couple can
discuss their challenges and triumphs in their
business and work lives. Anytime you see someone
do something they're good at, it causes you to see
them in a new light and have newfound appreciation
for them. This is always a good thing in marriage!
Work from home Moms
also tend to stay more connected with their peers,
via networking with other business moms,
prospecting for new customers and business
partners, and the like. There is a tendency for
new Moms to stay in the nest a little too much at
first, and this can lead to depression. A business
Mom, on the other hand, is almost forced to talk
to people! She has a reason to get up, get dressed
in something other than sweats, and go out and
meet people. Little Johnny doesn't care if you put
on shoes and makeup, but doing so does wonders for
your energy and mood.
5) Having a Home
Based Business gives a Mom "something
else"
While most women
adore being Mothers and wouldn't trade their
husbands in anytime soon either, we all want
"something more". Something for
ourselves, something to call our own, that isn't a
title or duty like Wife, Mother...something that
isn't undone 5 minutes after we do it. Something
we can put our name on and be proud of.
Mothering is the
most honorable profession in the world, but it
isn't always recognized as such...and it's nice to
be recognized once in a while.
My Mother once told
me that the main reason she always had such
success in Direct Sales was because she loved the
recognition...and the women on her team would
often work like madwomen to get some little
trinket. Sometimes it wasn't the cash...it was the
pat on the back, the feeling of accomplishment
that comes from meeting a goal.
That
"something else" also makes the
transition to empty-nest hood easier. So many
women fall into deep depression when their
youngest child leaves home. If more Moms had a
Home Based Business, instead of having their self
worth completely tied to Motherhood, maybe this
wouldn't happen so much.
There are more
reasons to start a Home Based Business, (such as
the tax advantages) but I hope I've given you some
food for thought.
I wish you the best
in your journey towards the ideal Home Business
for you.
About the Author
Carrie Lauth, work
at home Mom of 4 and the author of the Natural
Moms Business Guide (http://www.naturalmombusinessguide.com)
enjoys helping other Moms learn how to build their
businesses online. For your free help, go to http://www.business-moms-expo.com
and sign up for the "No Fluff"
newsletter.
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