By Liz Folger
Here's an e-mail that I received the other day. To be honest, it's an e-mail I receive on a regular basis. So I thought I'd answer it here in this week's column.Dear Liz:
I have been trying to start my own business now for quite some time. I have tried to find work, but you have to pay for everything. I have been an at-home mom now for a while and I have no income, no credit cards, nothing. How in the world can I find a job that I don't have to pay for? Why do you have to pay someone else to work for them? If you have any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Wants To Work At Home
Dear Wants To Work At Home,
First off, any home business that you decide to start is going to cost you money. There isn't one business that I know of where you won't have to spend some money to start and run it. Even once you pay for the business opportunity, you'll have to pay out money for business cards, a business license, a new computer/printer, extra phone charges...my list could go on and on.
However, there are so many work-at-home scams out there mixed with the good business opportunities -- you're going to have to do some research.
BUT, before you do that, figure out what it is you enjoy doing. What are your interests, skills, and hobbies? This will help you figure out in what direction you should go with this home biz of yours. Everyone's interests are different. One person may love crunching numbers (accountant, bookkeeper) while another person may like to garden (herb gardener, floral design, or organic vegetable gardener).
Once you know what it is that makes you tick -- then start your home business search. You may want to still buy a home business or you may decide to start the business yourself.
If you do decide to go with some type of business opportunity, make sure it's not a scam. If you read about the opportunity in the classifieds, don't respond to the ones that are in all CAPS with lots of !!!!! Also, if an ad sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
A business opportunity that is on the up and up will have been around for many years. They will have other happy customers that you can talk with. They won't promise you a big income or tell you that your business will not fail or that the products just sell themselves.
You mentioned above, "Why do you have to pay someone else to work for them?" I'm not talking about the envelope stuffing scam where you send $25 to learn how to make money stuffing envelopes. That's just an out and out scam. But the legitimate business opportunities that ask for a fee to start are just covering their costs. Many times they will give you supplies, resources and training to make your business a success. They are making a self-employed living just like you want to do by covering their costs and, yes, making a profit.
If you can't afford the cost to buy a particular business opportunity you have a few options. Wait until you do have the money, find a way to borrow the money, or be rather clever and see if you can start a similar biz on your own. You'd be surprised how you can use your own creativity to make things happen.
Liz Folger is Work-at-Home Mom Expert and author of, "The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To making Money". Her book is available at your favorite bookstore or by calling, 800-632-8676. Liz has also created a resource site for work-at-home moms at: http://www.bizymoms.com. When you visit don't forget to sign-up for the free e-newsletter just for moms who work from home. If you have a question that you'd like covered in a column, e-mail her at: Bizymommy@aol.com.
