| Since my wife and I started our home catering | | | | When you do go into your business full-time, make |
| business, I've been encouraging (my friends call it | | | | sure you've got at least a year (two is better) of |
| nagging) everyone I know to start a home based | | | | backup funds ready. You should have a cut-off date |
| business to escape the volatile cycle of full-time | | | | when you MUST decide that you will need to go back |
| employment. | | | | to full-time employment in the event your home |
| Even as many of them faced the threat losing their | | | | business doesn't go the way you plan - that's reality. |
| jobs, they seemed reluctant to take that critical first | | | | The Online Entrepreneur |
| step. The main problem isn't really about how to start a | | | | Starting and online business deserves to be in a |
| home based business. It's about making that conscious | | | | category of its own simple because you can |
| decision to actually take that first step! It can be difficult | | | | freelance, do it part-time, three-quarter time, full-time, |
| especially if you're holding on to your job for dear life! | | | | anywhere, anyway you choose. However, running an |
| Breaking free of your comfort zone is critical, but once | | | | online business is not as easy as many ads on the |
| you get over that mental hurdle and you've decided to | | | | internet would like you to believe. It can take |
| go ahead and start a home based business, there are | | | | considerable time and effort before you see any |
| basically four ways to do it. | | | | substantial income coming from your online business. |
| The Freelancer | | | | Here's a short list of the types of online businesses |
| Freelancing is the easiest way to start a home based | | | | you could set up : |
| business, when having a steady income is crucial and | | | | Sell your own physical product. This is probably the |
| leaving your job is not an option. It can be difficult | | | | most difficult to get off the ground. Unless you already |
| though, if you have to juggle work, family and | | | | have an established customer base and your online |
| freelancing so you've got to stay focused on what | | | | presence is there to add value to your business, it |
| your goal is. It helps if the whole family can get in on | | | | could take years to build such an online business, but |
| the act and work as a team. | | | | having an online store brings you business from all over |
| Freelancing is great because you get to play around | | | | the world, something a small physical store can't |
| with your time and your goals, adjusting them to suit | | | | possibly do. |
| your needs. When your job is secure, you might want | | | | Sell your own electronic products. Being an Infopreneur |
| to freelance as a way to supplement your income. | | | | (Information Entrepreneur) is really easy these days. |
| However, if there are signs that you might lose your | | | | There are millions of people promoting their e-books, |
| job, you can always pick up the pace and move from | | | | software and training programs online. You don't have |
| freelancing to running your business part-time or | | | | to be an Internet genius to sell your stuff online. All you |
| full-time. Freelancing greatly reduces the stress and | | | | need is to be knowledgeable in a specific niche and |
| anxiety a family goes through in the event of job or | | | | build your products around that niche. There is BIG |
| income loss. However, it's also very easy to lose your | | | | money to be made in this! |
| momentum and passion when you freelance since you | | | | Sell an online service. People will pay a subscription fee |
| would probably have a loose working schedule. This is | | | | to be allowed into the subscribers section of your |
| where self-discipline and perseverance comes in. | | | | website to use these services. The types of services |
| The Part-time Business Person | | | | you could offer are limited only by your imagination and |
| Running part-time is ideal if you're able to opt for a flexi | | | | technical know-how. |
| working schedule to concentrate more on your home | | | | Sell other people's products. This is called affiliate |
| based business. There are obvious benefits to this | | | | marketing. It's the most popular because you don't incur |
| because most home based businesses require you to | | | | development costs. There are literally millions of |
| operate during office hours. Remember that this sort | | | | products to choose from, and the beauty of this online |
| or working arrangement may mean you will earn less | | | | business is that you can sell to anyone, anywhere in |
| for a while as you build your home business. | | | | the world - there are NO borders! |
| When we first started our home catering business, my | | | | Selling advertisement space on your website. This has |
| wife worked mornings as a kindergarten teacher while | | | | always been a good money maker. The catch is that |
| I was employed full-time. In the evenings, we would | | | | you need to build your website to such a level where it |
| both work on our home catering business. In fact, | | | | brings in substantial traffic. This in turn brings in |
| we're still doing it this way. My wife still teaches while I | | | | advertisers who are willing to pay you to display their |
| now work at home as a Netpreneur in the mornings. | | | | ads on your website. |
| We're adapting our working arrangements to suit our | | | | Better earlier than later |
| needs. | | | | My personal opinion is that there's no better time to |
| The Full-time Business Person | | | | start a home based business than when your job is |
| Many people try to start a full-time business after | | | | secure and you're financially stable. Think of it as an |
| they've been laid off or they've had it up to their | | | | insurance policy. You're investing in a backup plan that |
| eyeballs with their job. In their desperation, they're easy | | | | you may need sooner than you think. The statistics |
| prey for online and home based business scams. If | | | | are alarming. One report suggests eighty five percent |
| you ever find yourself in such a situation, DON'T throw | | | | of the global workforce will experience the loss of their |
| your money into a home based or online business | | | | job at least once in their career. What better way to |
| hoping for immediate returns - chances are you WILL | | | | escape this than to build your own home based |
| regret it. The exception to this rule would be if you've | | | | business where YOU are the boss and you will never |
| been freelancing or working part-time on that business | | | | get fired! Here's to your financial and family well-being. |
| for some time and you're ready to take it to the next | | | | Cheers! |
| level. | | | | |