9 Reasons Why You Should NOT Start a Home Based Business - And How to Overcome Them!

If you're thinking of starting a home-based business, you're probably aware of some of the obstacles you face. But, can you overcome them? Here's a look at 9 reasons NOT to start a home-based business - at least if you're not capable of overcoming them with a little work and determination.

1. You Don't Have a Nest Egg to Start a Business
Regardless of what type of home business you want to start, you need to expect that it will take some time until you start seeing any sort of income that will support you. You can also expect that you'll have some startup expenses and that you'll need to pay estimated taxes. All of these things take money.
Ideally, you should have at least 4 to 6 months of your expenses to draw from. This will give you some time to get your home based business established and, hopefully, establish an income stream from your business.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
If you have access to inexpensive credit or investors who are willing to take a chance on your home based business, or if you have a spouse or significant other who can earn enough to pay your bills while you are getting your business established. You could also consider either starting your home-based business on a part-time basis or taking a part-time job until your business is capable of providing a steady revenue stream.

2. You Can't Get or Afford Health Insurance on Your Own
It's pretty risky to go without health insurance. One substantial illness or injury and you could be bankrupt. If you are going to operate a home business full time, it will be up to you to figure out how you will get health insurance at a rate you can afford. If you have any kind of illness or past medical history, getting health insurance on the open market is nearly impossible, especially as you age.
Ideally, you have a spouse who can get you health benefits on his or her group policy at work. This would provide you with a reasonable premium and in most plans, eliminate the need to pass medical underwriting that might otherwise result in an insurer refusing to cover you.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
You might be able to join a professional organization or union as a self-employed individual that provides group health coverage to its members, although these are becoming increasingly rare and even these policies are getting tougher to afford. Some states do not permit medical underwriting - health insurers are regulated to "take all comers" regardless of any medical conditions you might currently have or have had in the past that have since been addressed.

Higher deductibles can provide affordability to some who are otherwise insurable. A savings program, a tax-deductible medical savings program, or combination of the two, can help you pay your deductibles while you operate your home based business.

3. You Hate Taking Risks
You don't want to place yourself in a situation where you can't sleep at night. Remember, having your own business provides a great sense of freedom and independence, but it comes with the risk of no steady income and making your bills every month can be a very challenging and stressful experience.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
It's very hard to change the emotional part of your dislike for taking risks. The best thing you can do is to provide some sort of safety net. Having that available should make you feel more confident and will go a long way toward reducing your stress levels. Additionally, while many argue that entrepreneurs must be "risk takers by nature", there is such a thing as a foolish risk and a calculated risk. Doing your homework to understand what the real risks are and what their impact could be, will not only help you better prepare for them, but can also help you to better identify which risks you absolutely must avoid in your home based business.

4. You & Your Spouse or Live-In Don't Get Along
If you are married or are living with a significant other or even a roommate or parent, everyone needs to be on the same page. If you are already constantly arguing or fail to see eye-to-eye on most issues, running a home business is going to be extremely challenging or nearly impossible. After all, you don't want to make your day-to-day living situation worse than it already is. With a home-based business, your day-to-day will probably involve being home most days, nearly all day long. That means you'll have little opportunity to escape a tense situation whenever your partner or roommate is also home.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
You need to have frank and honest discussions with your spouse, partner or roommate. Look for ways you can meet half way. Be supportive and try to understand your partner's needs and concerns and ask that he or she do the same. Try to resolve your problems BEFORE you actually go ahead and start your home-based business. Consider counseling if it seems warranted for your specific situation.


5. You Lack the Self Discipline Required for a Home Based Business
Being your own boss in a home-based business will take a tremendous amount of self discipline on your part. There won't be anyone telling you what you should do or when you should be doing it. You'll have the distractions typically found around the home - TV, web surfing, the kids, etc. - competing for your attention every day. If you're accustomed to following instructions and having someone else lay out the details for you, chances are very good that you will not be successful in a home-based business. Success doesn't come easily - it requires persistent hard work - perhaps even harder work than you've ever had to tackle.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
Prevent distractions by setting ground rules in the house. Set a schedule for your daily routine and make sure your family members respect and understand it. Even if your clients aren't setting deadlines for you, set your own and aim to meet them every time. Keep track of the hours you are working on a regular basis. That way, if you slack off you'll see it right away - before it's too late. Set specific production calls - I'll make so many calls today, or write so many articles, etc. and then reward yourself for meeting those goals.

6. You Don't Know What Kind of Home Based Business You Want
I often receive email from readers indicating they are anxious to start a home based business and they want me to tell them what home based business they should start. The point is, no one can tell you what home-based business you should start - you have to decide that on your own. If you know you want to start a small, home based business but don't know what to do - wait until you've figured that out. Otherwise, you'll go from business to business and never realize success.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
You need to do your homework, and that includes understanding what makes you tick, what turns you on and what you are good at. You need to have a good idea of what your passion in life is all about because if you can follow your passion, your chances for success in your home based business are much greater because it will drive you to do whatever is necessary to succeed.

Also, don't expect to be successful right off the bat if you have no experience or skill level related to the home-based business you want to start. You would be far better off getting experience from someone else first before going it alone. That way, you'll have a broader understanding of the challenges and potential pitfalls that await your home-based business before you encounter them and you'll increase your chances of being able to overcome them. You'll also be better able to market yourself since you can point to your first-hand experience and be better able to explain to a prospect why they should pick you over your competitors.

7. You Lack the Self Confidence Needed to Run a Home Based Business
Running your own home-based business means you have to believe you can succeed. If you don't you're basically wasting your time and money. You need to be able to handle rejection - not every prospect will turn into a paying customer, and you need to have confidence in your abilities or you won't be able to convince others to have confidence in you.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
Start small - preferably even before you start your own small home-based business. Look for something you can accomplish and then do it to the best of your abilities. Be proud of your accomplishment and start building on your success. It also helps to have others who believe in you - especially when things aren't going so well. Occasionally we all need a pep talk to get back in the game or get back up on the horse.

Believe that you DESERVE success and that you are very capable of achieving it. This is very difficult to overcome if you've spent most of your life with self-esteem issues, but it doesn't mean it's impossible. Sometimes a trusted partner who can help you with your small business can also get you through the rough times.

8. You Don't Have the Time to Run a Home Based Business
Starting and running a home-based business is going to take up a LOT of your time - probably much more than you ever thought it would. Even before you start, you'll need a considerable amount of time to plan and research. After your small business is up and running, you'll need plenty of time because it's likely that you'll be working more hours than you worked as an employee because you'll be wearing all the hats.

If your time is already over-extended - with social activities, family obligations, etc., you need to be sure you can devote the time your business will need to survive and prosper.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
It's easy to say that we're too busy - for exercise or for operating a home-based business. If you really want your own business you're going to have to find and make the time. See if you can get other family members to help you with some of your obligations. Try to set aside specific times for your home based business - including the time you'll need for preparation.

Keep track of the time you spend on your business and non-business activities because it will help you find areas where time is being wasted or could be better spent on more fruitful activities. You may also discover that you really do have the time - you're just not 100% sure you want to start a small business and you've been using time as an excuse or "safety valve" to protect you from your fears. If that's the case, this is probably not the right time for you to start your business.


9. You Have No Tolerance for the Record Keeping Needed in a Home Based Business
Maybe you're the type who just wants to go out there and DO IT. However, operating a home-based business takes some discipline in bookkeeping and record keeping in addition to all of the fun stuff you'll be doing. At the very least, you'll need to keep good records for tax purposes, like earnings and expense and you'll also need to keep good records on your clients so you can stay on top of who's paying on time and who isn't.

Having a good record keeping system and documentation on your business also helps make it easier to sell your home-based business should you want to do so later on. Just because your business is home based doesn't mean you can neglect your record keeping.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
If you just can't stand keeping records, you could look for software to help you manage your bookkeeping and record keeping tasks. You could also consider having a partner or friend with good small business bookkeeping skills handle the bulk of these tasks for you.

Even if you don't prepare your own tax returns, your records need to be well organized and complete to make things easier on your tax preparer and to make sure you get the deductions you have coming to you.

Become An Affiliate!

Affiliate programs are found all over the web. Generally they are free as you are not working for or with the company. You are simply the "middle man" for their advertising. Its a very simple concept and easy to do. You will usually need a website of your own or at least a blog, but you could also earn through email or social network profiles as well.

Affiliate Marketing works because you are paid on each sale the company gets through your link. They will provide you with a link, ad or banner to place on your website. At that point you will earn a commission from every sale made through that link. You are responsible for bringing new people on to the site in order to purchase through that site or link. Generally you'll want to stick to products that work well with the subject of your site or blog.

There are a few ways to go about finding Affiliate Programs.
1.) The first is simply by checking out the sites you already shop at... If you have a favorite online site you may want to check out their page for an Affiliate Program option. Usually these are at the bottom of the page.

2.) Second there are Affiliate Exchange Sites that will enable to you find a large number of Affiliates to join from one place. Both www.CJ.com and www.Linkshare.com are Affiliate Exchange Sites. You will be able to join these sites and find a large list of potential Affiliate Programs to join...

3.) Online Mall programs tend to have a free option to join and you are then rewarded for referring new people...  However, make sure to read the find print as many of these sites require a minimum purchase each month in order to get paid...

Once you have found a program that you like, you'll want to maximize exposure. Do this by emailing the link to friends and family, posting it on ALL your profiles on ALL your Social Network sites, Posting it in your email and forum signature, and of course on your website or blog - or both!

Remember, the more people who see the link, the more people that are going to click it, the more people that click the more you earn! So don't miss out on potential commissions by hiding your link at the bottom of your pages. Post high and proud and make sure that everyone knows you are an affiliate. Many times people are willing to visit a friends site to go through their link instead of just going to the site... But they cant do this if they don't know it's there...

Happy Affiliate-ship!

Why is Network Marketing a good fit for any home based business for Moms

Before I outline the reasons we should first define what a network marketing company is. Simply put, a network marketing company has a business model that bypasses the traditional means of bringing a product to market or the end consumer. From the time a product is manufactured to when it's received by the "end user" it travels through a number of different points. For example a traditional model will look something like this.... Manufacturer, Wholesaler, Distributor, Retailer etc... In a network marketing company you don't have to deal with all these steps which is oftentimes time consuming and cuts into the cost of doing business.

Another way of stating it would be, network marketing company cuts out the costs of dealing with the "middleman." Not only does network marketing bring increased profits to the company and the representative selling the product because of it's direct to market approach, but you are able to leverage time in ways you wouldn't in a traditional business model. How is this possible?

Because a large part of your success depends on sponsoring other people to be part of your business. And if you teach and train your "business builders" effectively you are able to share in a portion of their efforts.

For example, if you sponsored 10 individuals within your team, and those 10 individuals put in 10 hours of work a week, you would essentially be leveraging 100 hours worth or work every week. This presents an extremely attractive proposition to Moms who don't want to invest an inordinate amount of time in their businesses outside of raising their children.

In addition, a good network marketing company should be structured in such a way that you can make an unlimited amount of income without working a full 40 hour a week. I have met hundreds of successful woman within the industry who work no more than 20 hours a week.

If your sold on the benefits of starting a network marketing business, I encourage you to start a business within the exploding gourmet food industry with Wildtree...

Residual vs Flat Commission

When I first started my search for Work at Home I had NO CLUE what residual income was or what residual commission meant. Had I known then what I know now, things would have been so very different!

Generally most home business companies fall in to one of two commission categories, some have aspects of both, but most are one or the other. Those two types of commission are very simply a flat commission, where you earn a percentage of each sale, one time, and a residual commission, where you earn a commission over and over.

But how does it really work? It's fairly simple, yet seems to present itself as more complicated than it is. So, I will break it down for you here.

Flat Commission ~
A flat commission pays you a percentage of each sale made. So, if you work with a company that offers a 30% flat commission you will earn $30 out of every $100 in sales you bring in. However, you will have to continue to make the same number of sales PLUS additional sales each month in order to see your income climb. With a flat commission you will start every month (or sales period) off with an income of $0 and build your income on a basis of sales made during that month (or period.)

Example 1: During your first month with Company A you find 30 people interested in your new business and product. This earns you $300 in sales. If you are earning a commission of 30%, that would bring your commissions to a total of $90. However, in month two, you only find 25 people interested, which equals only $250 in sales and just $75 in commissions. Because you made less sales in month two you earn less income.


Residual Commission ~
In a nut shell residual commission is a payment structure that provides you a longer term income per sale. Usually this type of income is only available through companies that sell some type of membership or autoship plan where the customer has a monthly fee. The reason for this is simple, when you sell a "plan" of this type the customer promises to pay a monthly fee, your commission comes out of that payment. So, even though you are only making the "sale" one time, you are going to be paid month after month. The major benefit to this type of commission payment is that it's longer term than flat commission and allows you to build a larger income quickly!

Example 2: During your first month with Company B, you find 30 people interested in your business and make $300 in membership sales. With a commission of 30% you earn $90. However, when month two comes you find another 25 people interested and make $250 in sales, which equals $75 in commissions, in addition to the $90 in commissions from the previous month for a total of $165 in income for month two. You made less sales and earned more in month two because of the business you brought in during the previous month.

Recruiting Income ~
The second way that many companies allow you to earn income is through the recruitment process. This usually allows you to earn an income from bringing others in to the business. However, the two types of commission come in to play here as well. If you are with a company that pays a flat commission based on the sales your recruits make you will receive commissions only if and when they create business. If you, however earn a residual commission on recruits simply for having them on the team, you will earn regardless of their business success. SOME, companies combine the two and provide their recruiters with a residual commission simply for team building plus pay them additional commission based on the sales of those recruits, but most do not.

Prior to getting involved with ANY company it's best to completely investigate their commission plan. Many companies will start you out with a higher commission rate and then drop it after a few weeks of months. Others will have sales quotas or requirements in one way or another to earn higher levels of commission. Make sure you ask questions about commission of your enroller prior to enrolling! When it comes to your income you don't want surprises!

Pros & Cons... At Home Job vs. Home Based Business

Many times individuals go out on their work from home search without a clue on what they are looking for. All they know is they would like to work from home. We all have different reasons for wanting to work at home that range from not having a commute to staying home with our children to having time freedom to wanting to change our lives and situation. The list goes on and on for every individual, but those reasons can be very different for the person searching. That is where it ultimately comes down to the individual and what they want. The first few things you want to ask yourself are...

~ Do you know the difference between a Home Job and a Home Business?

~ Have you researched what scams to look out for?

These questions are a big part of starting your search. Once these are answered you will know what truly is best for you... a Home Business or a Home Job. There will be a lot more Home Business opportunities verses Home Job Opportunities but you do have a choice and options. If you are looking to really change your life and your circumstances a Home Business is your best choice, now if you are looking to supplement a little income or keep yourself occupied both a Home Job and Home Business are good for those reasons. There will be many choices to choose from and many scams that you come across along the way so be very careful. Search wisely but also stay very open minded as there are many ways to work from home.

Home Job ~ (Pros and Cons)


Pros ~
* You are paid an hourly or base pay (Usually $7 to $12 an hour for customer service home jobs)
* You have no commute or gas to pay
* You can work from the comfort of your own home
* Do not have to deal with the corporate world
* You can "usually" work around your families schedule
* Saves money from gas to lunch, and other costs that were involved working outside the home
* No Dress Code
* Less Stress

Cons ~
* Many cases you still need a babysitter or daycare
* Daycare Costs might still be needed
* You will still have a Boss to answer to
* Most companies require a quiet background
* You cannot miss work just the same as working outside the home

Home Business ~ (Pros and Cons)


Pros ~
* Time Freedom, you make your own schedule always
* No Boss to answer to, just yourself
* Get to be with your children everyday
* Opportunity to make great money
* Six Figure Income potential or more
* It is YOURS, no one else's and cannot be taken away
* Residual Income (get paid month after month, year after year even when you are not working)
* Bonuses and many perks to win like vacations, cars and more
* Doing something you have a Passion for
* With in just a few years can change your life and circumstances completely
* No Glass Ceiling ~ You can acheive as many goals as you want
* Tax Write Offs

Cons ~
* Learning how to deal with balancing work and family
* The first couple of years are the hardest
* For the first couple of years sacrificing time and energy into your business
* Overwhelming at times
* Distractions

The bottom line is both are great ways to work from home, but you must choose what is best for you. A Home Job can make your situation a bit better for the time being. A Home Business can change your life and circumstances forever. The Pros definitely out weigh the Cons in both cases!  Just remember no matter if you choose a Home Job or a Home Business they both require self-discipline, self-motivation, a lot of energy, dedication, drive and most of all Heart!

Why should I work from home? Top 6 reasons to work from home

In these tough economical times so many are trying to find "Plan B" and are wanting to have security in income. This is very difficult to find this day in age. With job security going out the door and now no one is able to find a good company to work for that will allow them to dedicate their lives to and retire at a good age. These are very rare finds and now with the economy as tough as it is... there is not enough job security to go around. Many are lost, confused and tired of their same old situation.

Many steer away from work at home opportunities because of the fear of no job security. They get scared they will not be successful, that it will fail and they will still be in there same position. Well, what most do not come to realize is anyone can be successful working from home. It all comes down to the person! If you are willing to work from home seriously and treat it like a Business or a Job...  with dedication, determination, heart and drive it can bring you home full time and give you that financial security and freedom you are looking for.

If you look around to local Small Businesses, Independent Contrator's, etc. Many worked very, very, very hard and invest thousands upon thousands to become successful. Even the large corporations started somewhere... like Microsoft and Apple, they both started in basements of their homes. These companies and businesses understood what it took to be successful. We all have this opportunity right in front of us for a lot less investing and hardship.

Having an opportunity that will give you the same chance to become successful and financially free is something most feel is not out there. Well, it is definitely out there. You can find many legitimate companies that allow you to work from home, you just need to make sure you invest the time necessary to make it successful.  There are many sites that will tell you come make thousands in just minutes a day. That is all a scam. A Home Business takes the same effort you would give growing a business outside the home or a job outside the home. What is great it does not take half as much time as a business outside the home does! And eventually you can be working only a couple hours a day max bringing in six figures.

Here a some of the TOP Reasons people want to work from home...

1. Financial Freedom / Working on your own Terms... Working from home gives you not only the schedule you want, the time off that you want, the time with your family and friends, being able to be a parent 24/7, and much more... It brings the Income also. Income is a big reason why people want to work from home. Having a Home Business can create six figures or more if you work hard, put in the determination, dedication and heart it needs. What job outside the home can you say does that? The ones that do require years and years of school, by the time you can enjoy your life and money you can't even spend the time to enjoy it because you working consistently. Working from Home gives you the Freedom and the Income you want.

2. Stay at Home Moms, Work outside the Home Moms and Single Moms... This gives Moms the opportunity to change their lives and their families lives. Even if it is a part time income as a goal, they have an opportunity to be able to acheive that without leaving their children. Which is one of the main reason's people want to work from home... to be with their children. It allows them to be a Mom and earn an Income at the same time.

3. Inexpensive to start a Home Business / Low Cost Start Up.... With a Home Business or Opportunity you are allowed to have the same and even more potential than a business or career outside the home.. but you get all the other great perks that go along with it! Being able to have a six figure income potential with a small amount of money to start is an amazing opportunity to change your life. You have to think about how much it is to start a business outside the home then compare it to a Home Business. Most Home Businesses are very low cost... there are many that are under $100 to start up. You can take advantage of growing a great residual income with out all the thousands of investing.

4. Getting out of the 9 to 5 day to day... Working from Home gives you the chance to get out to the Rat Race. Being underpaid for your job, dealing with traffic, gas, daycare costs, lunch costs, office drama, not being home with your children and ultimately having not one ounce of control on your life.

5. Tax Benefits / Write Offs... Having a Home Business and Working from Home allow you to have a great amount of Tax Benefits and Write Offs. These include many things from traveling expenses to everyday home bills like utilities, internet, phone, etc. Your Home Office is with in your Home which allows you to have these Tax Benefits. You will want to make sure you consult with a Tax Expert for more details on how this works.

6. Looking for Work (Losing Jobs and just Part Time Work)... This is an alternate to many of those who cannot find a job outside the home or need that additional income. With how bad the economy is in the last year finding a job is getting more difficult. Many are looking for something to allow them to be in charge of their income, not someone else telling them when they can work or lose their job. A Home Business can also be a great way to bring in Income on the side for part time work. It allows those who work full time to work around their schedule and eventually come home with in just a year to a few short years!

There are many Home Businesses and Opportunities to choose from. Make sure you do your research, you know your passion and you are willing to learn how to build it online and offline successfully. When choosing something, put your all into it and do not let anyone stop you. You will have obstacles and walls but they will be worth it. Remember... do you want to work 40 hours a week for 40 years for someone else's dreams to come true or do you want to work 2 to 4 years smart to make your dreams come true?