Our family is basically a one income family. We live as frugally as possible but still enjoy life. I love blogging, but it has yet to bring in an income.
Home businesses get a bad rap sometimes because people do not work the business. Home business esare just what they say they are. Home businesses. If you went to a job they would require you to work. It is the same with a home business. The hours may be flexible, but to make money, work still has to be done.
I have always tried to hold a business because I was always taught to not put all of my eggs in one basket. I have been an Avon sales representative for almost 3 years.
I have sold Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, and Partylite. They were very structured. My whole point is to work from home, so if a business takes me out of the home more, then it is not a work from home business.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BUSINESS:
1. What do you want from the business? Are you interested in selling beauty products, tupperware, kitchen tools? To start you must have a plan in place. You can’t go chasing the shiny object that sounds good.
2. If you want to work from home mind map beforehand and figure out how you will do this. I have small children and they need to be with me. So when I do my Avon business I take it with me.
I work my business around my children. Not the other way around.
3. Talk to other successful reps on facebook or twitter. Find out how much time they invest. Any home based business will have basically the same set up for growing a business, but to be successful find out what it takes.
Avon has a well developed product line that almost everyone’s mother either sold or bought. I liked this because of the history behind my products.
HOW WILL YOU MARKET YOUR BUSINESS:
1. To build your name and a brand you must market. Do you have a lot of friends on social media? Start there. If you like to talk to people then choose your favorite products and go where people are at. Take your children with you and talk to other moms. Don’t bombard them with product information, but just start up a casual conversation and lead into what you are selling.
2. Invest in your business. Not alot of money, but key marketing ideas that you can let others’ know about your business. Buy some buttons, t-shirts, and pens. I am not big on business cards because I think people trash them. Work smarter, not harder.
3. Set up one time a month and network with other businesses. Set up a monthly show at different homes with another rep of another business. Call up a pampered chef rep and tell her what you do, bounce some business building ideas off of each other.
ORGANIZE AND STREAMLINE:
This is a picture of my office that I use. It is a simple 3 drawer organizer that I bought for $10.00 at Walmart.
This is my flyer organizer/sample drawer.
This drawer holds my back order books and older books for reference.
I keep my office pretty simple. My business needs to be something that I can sit down and work at when I have 20 minutes.
Do you work from home? How do you schedule or run your business? What business do you run?
Great article!! I am a doTERRA Essential Oils Wellness Advocate. I am currently working as a nurse but am looking to try to get home with my children more. Since my life is already all about helping people with their health, this was a natural choice.