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Why
Moms Should Start a Home-Based Business Today
by
Carrie Lauth
Most Moms
think about starting a home based business at one time or
another.
Maybe
the youngest has started school, and Mom suddenly has a lot
of free time. Or perhaps Mom was successful in her career
before having her first child, and wished to put her skills
to good use in a home based business.
Another
reason may be that a couple is accustomed to the lifestyle
they can afford with two incomes, and when Mom suddenly decides
to quit her job to stay home and raise the children, the loss
of income is uncomfortable...or even intolerable if the income
is sorely needed to pay bills.
My purpose
in writing this article is to give you some compelling reasons
why you SHOULD start a home based business, and do so TODAY.
1) Having
a Home Based Business provides you with a safety net if your
husband loses his job.
We don't
live in the days of our Grandparents, where the advice was:
Get a good education, get a good job, work hard for 40 years
and let the company take care of you. Retirement is almost
a joke. There is no such thing as job security anymore. Layoffs
and downsizing are commonplace today. Social Security and
Medicaid may not even be around when some of us reach retirement
age.
For many
families, the loss of the primary earner's income is devastating.
Most families simply do not have the 6-12 months of living
expenses set aside in savings that financial advisors recommend.
Oftentimes
it takes a person weeks or even months to find employment
that matches the salary they are used to. Unemployment benefit
checks are not enough to cover even the bare necessities of
life.
Having
a Home Based Business provides the family with a second income.
During the period of unemployment, Mom can step up her efforts
to build her business and make more money. Dad might be in
a position to help out more, giving her the ability to do
this with more focus.
Who knows...
Dad might even decide to join Mom in her "little business"...especially
when she starts earning more than he does. Stranger things
have happened!
2) Having
a Home Based Business provides extra income to help the family
meet certain goals.
For instance...
getting out of debt. An extra few hundred dollars a month
added to the credit card debt load could make a huge difference
in how quickly the debts get paid off.
After
this is accomplished, the money that was going to credit cards
could be applied towards private education for children, savings
for college, that special vacation the family has always wanted
to take, a newer model car, renovations on the house so siblings
can have more space (or Mom her own office!).
Another
awesome goal is that of paying off the mortage early. By making
an additional mortage payment periodically most couples can
shave YEARS off of the life of their mortage. Few people own
their homes outright, but what a freeing feeling that would
be!
3) Having
a Home Based Business models entrepreneurship to children
In today's
world, it's more important than ever for our kids to learn
how to "mind their own business". Children who grow up watching
Mom work her business learn how to manage time wisely, they
learn how to take responsibility for themselves financially
(instead of relying on an employer), and they may learn practical
skills especially if Mom lets them help out or even pays them
to help. Current tax laws even allow young children to be
paid (and this is a tax deductible expense) for their services...check
with your accountant.
Young
girls will also learn that it IS possible to have the best
of both worlds...a woman can stay home to raise her children
and still earn income.
4) Having
a Home Based Business improves relationships
Most women
I have spoken with about the subject agree that it isn't good
for their self esteem to have to ask their husbands for money.
What's bad for a woman's self esteem is bad for the marriage!
Women
feel better about themselves when they are at least somewhat
independent financially.
They also
have something besides "what little Johnny did today" to talk
about at the dinner table. It keeps the relationship fresh
and lively when a couple can discuss their challenges and
triumphs in their business and work lives. Anytime you see
someone do something they're good at, it causes you to see
them in a new light and have newfound appreciation for them.
This is always a good thing in marriage!
Work from
home Moms also tend to stay more connected with their peers,
via networking with other business moms, prospecting for new
customers and business partners, and the like. There is a
tendency for new Moms to stay in the nest a little too much
at first, and this can lead to depression. A business Mom,
on the other hand, is almost forced to talk to people! She
has a reason to get up, get dressed in something other than
sweats, and go out and meet people. Little Johnny doesn't
care if you put on shoes and makeup, but doing so does wonders
for your energy and mood.
5) Having
a Home Based Business gives a Mom "something else"
While
most women adore being Mothers and wouldn't trade their husbands
in anytime soon either, we all want "something more". Something
for ourselves, something to call our own, that isn't a title
or duty like Wife, Mother...something that isn't undone 5
minutes after we do it. Something we can put our name on and
be proud of.
Mothering
is the most honorable profession in the world, but it isn't
always recognized as such...and it's nice to be recognized
once in a while.
My Mother
once told me that the main reason she always had such success
in Direct Sales was because she loved the recognition...and
the women on her team would often work like madwomen to get
some little trinket. Sometimes it wasn't the cash...it was
the pat on the back, the feeling of accomplishment that comes
from meeting a goal.
That "something
else" also makes the transition to empty-nest hood easier.
So many
women fall into deep depression when their youngest child
leaves home. If more Moms had a Home Based Business, instead
of having their self worth completely tied to Motherhood,
maybe this wouldn't happen so much.
There
are more reasons to start a Home Based Business, (such as
the tax advantages) but I hope I've given you some food for
thought.
I wish
you the best in your journey towards the ideal Home Business
for you.
Carrie
Lauth
Carrie
is a work at home Mom of 3, a homebirth advocate, breastfeeding
educator and homeschooler. http://www.money-smart-women.com
- (url has changed ownership) msbiz@earthlink.net
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