By Christine Field
Are you a mom who runs a home business or are you a work-at-home mom (WAHM)? Maybe you run a company that you grew from the beginning. Or perhaps you work for another company as a contractor or employee.
You are not alone! According to Forbes Magazine, there are almost 28 million small businesses in the US and 52 percent of all small businesses are home-based.
If you are new to this area, you might be looking for an opportunity to make money at home, whether just some extra cash or to build a huge empire. It happens—and there is no reason why it can’t happen for you!
I’ve been doing some kind of work from home since I left the formal workforce many moons ago to become a full-time homeschooling mom. After getting my feet wet as a new momma, I dived into homeschooling. Once I gained some level of comfort with that, I began to look around for other things I could do from home.
It has been an adventure! Along the way, I’ve done a little bit of everything—from consulting to affiliate sales, to writing on topics that pay by the word, to producing content for publicity for other projects.
The biggest blessing, aside from being able to earn money from home, has been that I DID NOT MISS MY CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDHOODS.
I practiced law until my first two kids were two years old and six months old. It was a blur! Between the commute, the logistics, the normal stress of the job and the added huge expense of childcare, I was stretched to the MAX. I knew there had to be a better way. There is. It’s home industry.
Take a look at the Molly Green motto for HomeIndustry. It says:
By working together in a home-based business, our families can develop a strong work ethic, share quality time together, and reap the rewards of laboring toward a common goal.Do you want this for your family? You can do it!
Consider all the benefits of working from home
More Time to Spend with Your Family
Working outside the home takes time. Duh. Not just at work, but also after work, and before work. Commuting, packing up the kid stuff for the day and getting the kids settled is a huge chunk of the day. I used to feel like I had already put in a full work day before I even arrived at the office! When you engage in home industry, YOU CAN GET THAT TIME BACK. You will gain both family time and work time.
Less Stress and Chaos
Remember the morning chaos of getting everyone out of the house in time? Then the chaos is repeated after work, with the addition of Soccer practice, gymnastics, piano lessons, or a combination of all of them. That is a chaotic lifestyle!
When you work at home, you are already there. If you have soccer practice, you close the laptop and go enjoy. (Sometimes you may even bring your laptop along!) In addition, you don’t have to ask your boss if you can leave early to do after-school activities or parent volunteering. YOU CUT BACK ON CHAOS.
Save Money on Child Care
Have you priced day care lately? O my goodness! The cost can be staggering. If you are struggling with the work-at-home decision, consider how much money you might actually SAVE by working from home. Many moms have some help in the home for a few hours a week while they work, but that cost is miniscule in comparison to full-time care. Make a list of the other areas where you will save: gasoline, work clothing, dry cleaning, and the high cost of eating meals outside the home.
Better Quality of Life
Many moms thrive being working moms. Many moms don’t. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, your main consideration should be the quality of your life. Working at home or having a home business is not for everyone. But consider the freedom you can experience. When a child is sick, you can be there for them. When YOU are sick, you don’t have to ask for a day off. If you just feel like running errands or having a fun day, you can do it. When you work for yourself, you make your schedule. If you like to work at night, go for it! Early bird? Get up with the sunrise. Do you think home industry, or being a work at home mom (WAHM), might be a good fit for you?
In future blog posts I will be exploring home business ideas and ways to make money at home, as well as featuring the stories of moms who are living the dream.
Christine Field is an author and speaker and blogs at realmomlife.com.