Ahh, working from home. You wake up when you are done sleeping, then enjoy a lovely breakfast at your kitchen table while you sip on coffee and read the paper. While everyone else is stuck in a sea of cars on their way to a fluorescent-lit office building, you embark upon your 30-second (depending on the size of your house) commute down the hall to your office.
Before you give your boss the pink slip and take the big plunge though, take a brief inventory of your tenders and preferences to see if earning income from home truly is your style.
1) Do you want a job or a business?
There is no right or wrong answer here. If you are prefer to be an employee and not the boss, there are plenty of legitimate work-from-home opportunities. If, however, you are ready to break through the glass ceiling that comes with the game of working for somebody else, it may be your time to have your own business.
2) Are you disciplined?
When you work from home, the good news is you are your own boss. The bad news is, you are your own boss. This brings a whole new type of accounting. Nobody is looking over your shoulder to make sure you are doing your job. Discipline, though, is not a natural born talent. You can develop the skills of structuring your time, and staying focused and on task.
3) Do you have time?
The question should really be: Will you set aside time? Most people who start work-from-home endeavors do so on the side, while they still have their day job. I recommend this, in fact, because you avoid putting yourself in a desperate situation. And, depending on the type of business you take on, your job can be a great source of networking! It is entirely possible to build your own business on the side and replace the income from your job in 10-15 focused hours per week. These hours can be found in the nooks and crannies of your days. When you really look, you'll be amazed how much extra time you can find.
4) Do you have an idea or product?
I once hear, "All you need to succeed in business today is one million-dollar idea." Here's the clincher … it does not have to be your idea. If you want to work for yourself, but you do not have a business plan down pat, consider teaming up with an existing company that already has leakage and momentum. A network marketing business may be a great one for you.
5) Do you have a system?
The key to any successful business is having a system. This means the business must be designed to be duplicable so that it can continue to grow without you as the sole cog in the wheel. You can either create a system as you go, or you can plug into an existing system that is proven to achieve results. Leveraging an already proven roadmap for your type of business is a great idea if you want to cut your business development time significantly and go straight for the results.
The bottom line is, earning income from home is not only doable, it is the future of small business. In fact, it is estimated that 10 million new millionaires will have been created between the years 2006 – 2016. Most of these will be home-based entrepreneurs.