Archive for the ‘Making the Decision’ Category

Working at home is one of the fastest growing trends in careers today. However, many people jump on the Wahm bandwagon without considering all of the drawbacks to working at home. While some people are naturally inclined to work at home, others find the transition more difficult to make. There are many benefits to working at home, but the drawbacks need to be considered before you make the choice.

The first drawback to looking for a work at home career is that your current career may not easily transfer to a work at home situation. If you work in the medical field or are a police officer, being a Wahm might not be an easy transition unless you are willing to change careers entirely. Sales and administrative positions transfer well, as do creative jobs like design and writing. For those in jobs that can’t make the work at home switch, you’ll have to think carefully about what you want to do when start working at home and start investigating that field.

Working at Home Expenses

Cost is another important factor in deciding if working at home is right for you. Although many mothers start working at home to save on childcare, there are added costs to being a Wahm. If you need health insurance, it will have to come out of your pocket instead of being paid by your employers. There are also many taxes that you will have to pay. Your record keeping must be excellent in order to keep track of your income and expenses, and to fill out your income tax return at the end of the year.

Working at Home Scheduling

Working at home with children is not always as easy as it seems. If you have young children that aren’t in school yet, it may be difficult to work when they are awake. This can mean lots of busy naptimes and late nights to get your projects done when they are sleeping. Family members can help take care of your children from time to time, but the responsibility of both your children and your job will be firmly in your hands. With older children, it is sometimes easier to work from home. But you will still have to start and maintain a fairly balanced schedule in order to get everything done.

Working at Home Requires Discipline

Wahms have to be very self-motivated and disciplined in order to get their work done on time and correctly. If you are the type of person that is motivated by outside factors (such as a supervisor), then working at home may not be your cup of tea. When you work at home, there is no one there to look over your shoulder and make sure that you are still working. Distractions like the television, Internet and housework can be hindrances to your work at home success.

Working at Home Can be Isolating

Isolation is another problem for Wahms. Working at home alone can get frustrating and lonely. Make sure you are comfortable with spending time alone and that you take steps to combat isolation. If you are especially prone to being depressed, then the isolation that comes with working at home may make you feel withdrawn and sad. Taking steps to combat loneliness is an important part of any Wahm’s success.

After considering these factors, you may decide that working at home is not right for you. However, thousands of people deal with these drawbacks and still have successful work at home careers. These reasons should not stop you from becoming a Wahm, if that is really what you want to do. Just make sure you understand the realities of the working at home lifestyle before you commit to it.

by Ken Shorey

The reasons for starting a home based business vary from one individual to another, but making sure new businesses succeed is in the best interest of every American. Small businesses employ six out of every 10 American citizens. Small businesses add to the economy and they pay a large percentage of taxes. These reasons make the success of the small or home based business key to the prosperity of the country.

Aspiring entrepreneurs and work from home business owners share some basic characteristics. The shared characteristics are:

*Independence
*Visionaries
*Dreamers

However, there are some significant differences in the perception of running a business that exists between these two groups.

People who dream of becoming entrepreneurs want to do something they love. Many dreamers have a hobby or a skill that they want to turn into a business venture. Another reason that dreamers cite for owning their own business is being their own boss. Interestingly enough men more than women cite this reason.

Women regard flexibility and time at home as the major reason for exploring the idea of starting a home based business. The number of women who participate in work at home opportunties is growing at an astounding rate. Work at home moms have found their own special niche on the Internet and are exploiting this business opportunity.

Business owners agreed that being their own boss was the major reason that they started a business. However, the flexibility was not the main concern after a few months. Actual business owners stated that in the first years of owning a business, flexibility was just a concept. Being the only person working a business in the initial stages requires a huge commitments of time.

‘Not to discourage home business ownership’ stated a respondent to a home business questionnaire, ‘But there is a huge learning curve when you start a small home based business just as it would be if you buy a McDonald’s franchise. There are areas of business that the average person does not have to learn when they are working for someone else. However, in your own business, you need to learn to read a balance sheet and how to put one together, you have to learn how to market your business. There is a lot to learn’

The dreamers in the survey wanted to leave their children an estate worth millions of dollars. People who already owned a business did not consider this as important. The owners of businesses did feel a commitment to giving back to their communities by donating both time and money.

An interesting observation was that the dreamers thought it would take less than 1 year to show a profit in their business while business owners specifically those who had Internet type businesses, stated that within 6-months their business was profitable.

Many of the dreamers have an idea for a product or service that they envision as a way to create a profitable business entity. The people who already own a business state they took the plunge first by deciding on a name and the business set up. People who owned Internet businesses stated that they found a product that interested them and then set up the business.

Working from home is a dream for millions of would be business owners. The good news is that the Internet makes it incredibly easy to start run and build a business empire. the only thing holding anyone back who wants to work from home is fear. This is the perfect time to start your own business. Nike tells you how – Just Do It!

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About the Author
Ken Shorey is owner/webmaster of EZ-Work-At-Home.net Visit his site for legitimate Work At Home Ideas and Opportunities.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Shorey

Mothers who work at home (or Wahm) are a growing population of working America. As more and more women want to spend time with their children and need to bring in an income, there has been a boom in the work at home industry. Making the decision to work at home is not always an easy one. Before you decide that being a Wahm is right for you, you need to take a few things into account.

Wahm Pros & Cons

You’ll need to decide if being a Wahm is right for you and your family. There are many benefits to working out of the home. You can set your own hours, you don’t have to commute to work and you can be there for your kids when they need you. However, there are some downsides as well. The isolation of working at home can be an issue for some women. There are also challenges related to juggling work time and family time.

Wahm Financial Considerations

You’ll also have to look at the impact that working from home will have on your family’s financial situation. If you are moving from a high-paying full time job to working part time from home while you care for your child, there will definitely be some financial adjustments. However, whatever your cut in pay will be, you have to weigh that versus the costs of putting your child into daycare full time. Although it may seem like your work at home pay will be minimal compared to your full time out of the home job, you need to consider how much it will cost for daycare. If you can make an equal amount of money or more by working part-time from home and taking care of your child yourself, it is well worth it financially to stay at home.

However, some women see that raising their child without the use of daycare, whether or not they make a significant income, is the real benefit of being a Wahm. The perks of raising your own child, while still bringing in money for the family are many. Children are only young once, and being able to stay at home with them is one of the top reasons that women choose a Wahm career.

Wahm Skill Set

There are also several qualities that make a Wahm successful. Before you start working at home, evaluate whether you have these qualities or can develop them.

Working at home normally fits into two different categories. You can either work as an independent contractor for a company or you can work for yourself. Either way, you are going to be in charge of your own schedule. You’ll need to be extremely self-motivated and work well without having a supervisory presence in your work environment. Even those who choose to work for a company are responsible for scheduling their own time and meeting deadlines without a lot of input from supervisors.

Another important skill to have as a Wahm is time management. When you work out the home, you are confronted with two sets of challenges each day. You’ll be faced with the work you need to get done, but you’ll also be in the midst of your household, where there are always things that need to be done. If you focus too much on your work, your house will get out of control, and vice versa. Having good time management skills will help you tackle the diverse challenges of being a Wahm.

Making the decision to become a Wahm requires a lot of thought and consideration. If you are thinking about working from home because you are having a baby, or because you are tired of sending your children to daycare, take some time to write down the pros and cons of becoming a Wahm. Talk things over with your family to ensure that you are making the right decision for the family unit. There are plenty of resources online for moms who are looking to find out more about the realities of working at home. Once you’ve considered your position and done the necessary research, you’ll be better equipped to know if being a Wahm is the right decision for you.