By Karen E. Spaeder for Work-At-Home.org
Most of us dream about being able to work at home at some time or another. But maybe your boss laughed in your face when you asked if you could do your current job at home. Maybe you’ve scoured the internet and got nowhere. While there are thousands more people working at home now than in the past, unfortunately, most employers still require the honor of your presence at their place of work, not yours.
So why not start a business of your own? There are many business opportunities that can be done at home. Maybe you’ll even give birth to your own great home business idea.
If you like the idea of taking advantage of a business opportunity or franchise, you must do your due diligence and thoroughly research its credentials before investing!
If you have your own work-at-home idea, follow these steps for turning your idea into a successful business that lets you make money from home:
1. Come up with the idea itself. Many great businesses are born to solve a nagging problem. Perhaps you don’t like your kids’ lunch boxes, or you wish you had a certain product that would take gum out of silk. Whatever the case, you have a unique advantage in coming up with a small-business idea. Get out a sheet of paper, and make a list of all the possible “problem solvers” you can think of. Now whittle the list down to the one or two ideas that interest you most. Try to identify the one that brings out the passion in you.
2. Research. Get a group of people together and toss some ideas around. But be careful someone in the group doesn’t end up being your competitor! The internet is also a great place to research your work-at-home idea. Get yourself on some forums and social networks. Read posts and pose some questions of your own.
3. Make your plan. Any successful small business starts with a business plan. Think of it as your roadmap, the thing that will get you where you want to go. Start with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) for help in crafting a plan and other advice on starting a business. SCORE offers free and low-cost workshops, one-on-one counseling in person or via e-mail, and other resources designed to help get a business off the ground and keep it growing. There are also business plan packages and guides on the internet, plus, of course, books available to help you make your own business plan.
4. Get financing. Home businesses are much less expensive to start than traditional businesses, generally, but make sure your business plan includes enough financial resources to bring your new business to fruition. You can also contact your local Small Business Development Center.
5. Find a mentor. Locate someone, ideally another business person, who is successfully running a homebased business. Compare notes. Share ideas. Problem solve together.
6. Work at home! When all your ducks are in a row, you’ll be thrilled to get your home business started and begin living life on your terms. While there are many stepping stones along the way, you’ll happily plod on, knowing that you’re working for you and your family’s future.
Karen E. Spaeder is a freelance writer, a business developer (www.kspaeder.ildglobal.com), and the founder of Rain Frog Apparel (www.rainfrogapparel.com), a bamboo clothing company in Southern California. For help in starting your own business from home, contact her at kspaeder@ildglobal.com.
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