Service Based Company vs. Product Based Company...

When I started looking to work from home I had NO CLUE there were so many choices. I knew I wanted a home based business, but didn't really know beyond that what I wanted. I kept looking at companies that just didn't fit my life or my needs, and I failed at them all... It was only once I found a company that fit me that I discovered WHY I was failing at all these others. I never understood the difference between a product based company and a service based company - nor did I understand how that would affect how I market, build and earn with my business...  It's because of this experience that I feel this difference is something that needs to be addressed.

A product based company will offer a physical product. This will offer you opportunities such as home parties, vendor/craft shows, store fronts and sample marketing. However, with a product based company there are also some draw backs. Depending on the company itself you may be required to deliver or ship each product order. Others may have a limited purchase opportunity for customers, so this is something that needs to be considered. IF you have a company with a limited product selection or where products are not going to be reordered you may be limiting your future income. It's generally best to find a product line which offers reorder potential. Vitamins, Cosmetics, Edibles and Clothing all carry a great reorder potential because people will use them up and need more. If your company offers a product with a low or limited need to reorder it does not mean that there isn't a good income opportunity, it simply means that you will always be searching for new customers and will not have the luxury of leaning on older customers.

A service based company will not generally offer a physical product, but will offer some type of membership. These companies are not a suited to home parties or shows as their product based counterparts but it can be done. They will also give you the freedom to promote your service without the need of deliveries, shipping or product stock. Service based companies also tend to offer a "residual" style pay, meaning that unlike a product base you don't have a need to contact previous customers or collect reorders because the service will generally be billed automatically unless they cancel. This is a good option because it frees you to find new customers rather than spending time contacting new ones and helps to provide a faster building income. But, it tends to lack some of the "business relationships" that come with the repeat customers of a product line...

Which is better is completely up to you! But now that you know all the differences, you can make a better informed choice about what is right for you!

Getting Started On The Work At Home Road...

The first step to working from home is finding an opportunity that fits you and your needs. If you are like I was when I started my search, you have no clue where to even start looking...  Google will bring up MILLIONS of Work at Home options and a great majority of them are outright scams! You know it, I know it, and neither of us want you to fall for one! But, how do you know which ones are legit and which ones really are a scam? And how do you know once you have a legit company that it's really the right one for you? Well, I am going to try to help you there.

The first thing you need to do is decide if you want a home based JOB or a home based Business... To do that answer a few questions:

Do you want set hours or days?
Do you need structure or boss to give you assignments?
Are you willing to accept limit your income in order to guarantee a paycheck?
Do you have child care or other arrangements which will allow you to have a quiet work environment?

If you answered yes to these questions, you'll want to start looking for a job... With a Home or Online Job you will be "Employed" by a company. You will work specific hours they schedule you and will have a Manager or Boss just like outside the home and will get paid an hourly, commission or base pay. In most cases Home Jobs are Customer Service where they require you to have a very quite background (where you would still need a babysitter or daycare if you have children). There are other positions from home you can find from Virtual Assistant to Freelancing. There are a couple companies that allow you to answer texts from home also. Many of these companies will ask for a background check, headset, landline, etc. and most times you will have to purchase these things to be able to start. Some companies will reimburse you for these, some will not. With most legitimate jobs from home, you must go through an interview process, background check, and you will have many to compete others as you would with any job out of the home because there are not unlimited spaces with these companies.

However if you answered NO to the above questions I would think you are better suited for a home based business... A Home Based Business is a great way to build a residual income that will pay you for a lifetime and completely change your life. It will also bring in a decent amount of income in the process of building the lifetime residual income you want. (If you work it consistently and put in the time necessary) You will want to find something you have a passion for or will be proud to represent. A Home Based Business is YOURS and you are in charge of your income and how much you earn. Most Home Based Businesses or Opportunities will have a start up cost and a monthly overhead to stay in business. These are required just as starting a Business outside the home requires investing and monthly overhead for keeping in business. What is great about Home Based Businesses is most are very low cost verses starting a business outside the home. You still have the same income potential in less time and in most cases Home Based Businesses are only $50 to a few hundred to start (Some are less, some are more). You will make your own hours, work around your schedule and have the freedom to answer only to yourself. With in just a couple to a few years you can be set for life and can create financial freedom. You do have to understand that it will take time to build, that it will not happen overnight and that you will reach many obstacles in building your business. It is those who choose to keep going and give it their all are those who are successful with a Home Based Business. Starting and growing will not be easy the first couple of years but will be worth it! It can and will change your life if you allow it to, put your heart into and become driven to make it happen!

So, now that you know what you are looking for how do you narrow down the options? Well, if you are searching for a home based JOB your options are already going to be limited to what positions you can find. However it's a good idea to start in areas you are comfortable in or where you already have experience. If you have previous customer service experience that would be a good place to start your search! If however you are looking for a home business there are countless opportunities and the number grows daily! Here again is where we need to get in to discovering what is right for YOU and your family. And again, to do this, we need some simple questions...

What kind of income potential are you looking for?
How long are you willing to work to reach that goal?
How much of an investment are you willing to make to reach that goal?
Do you want a company with a product or a service?
Are you willing to stock a product or products in your home?
Are you willing to make deliveries or not?
Are you interested in doing in home, vendor or other style shows?
Would you like a company with an established record or one where you can get in on the ground floor?
What type of product or service do you wish to be affiliated with?
What are you passionate about?

Depending on your answers to the above questions you should be able to pick out a company that's right for you. Obviously if you hate cosmetics Mary Kay or Avon would be bad choices, in contrast if you have a passion for natural or green living you may be better suited for a company which promotes these beliefs...  And of course if you have a disability that stops you from doing in home or vendor shows you would want to make a choice that will enable you to work without those options. Limited transportation would be something that may make you want to look for something which won't require delivery...

There are an unlimited number of options for working from home and I hope that I have helped you to better find your way through some of the clutter. In the end what it all comes down to is if the company isn't a good fit for YOU and your life it isn't going to be something you enjoy doing and it in turn won't be something you find success in. You'll never hear someone say "I hate my job, but I'm successful" because the two don't go hand in hand. By better narrowing your search your are allowing success to find you!

Here's to your success!

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?