Quite often, I am asked by military spouses, mostly stay-at-home-moms, what ideas I have for starting a home business, or how to go about it.
So I offer this information as a starting resource.
Before you start a home based business, you need to ask yourself some questions.
WHAT WILL THE START UP FEES BE?
HOW MUCH WILL THE OPERATING COSTS BE?
WILL I REALIZE AN IMMEDIATE INCOME?
IF I WORK FOR FREE NOW, WILL IT PAY OFF LATER?
HAVE I THE DISCIPLINE TO WORK FROM HOME?
WILL I NEED TO HIRE SITTERS FOR MY CHILDREN?
WILL I BE ABLE TO WORK AT MY OWN PACE?
HOW MUCH STRESS WILL BE INVOLVED?
WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?
It is always best to stick with what you know. Do you have a talent you can cash in on? Do you have an ORIGINAL idea that you could bring to the internet and make money from? You may have a skill or talent you are not even aware of!
If you like kids, aren’t too shy, and / or have a drop of artistic talent, you might consider trying some of these:
HIRING OUT FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES
You can don a disguise if you wish, just be entertaining! Keep it simple too, a lot of kids can make for chaos if the activities are too involved or geared to just one age group. Plan some fun games, craft projects, face / hand painting, learn some simple magic, story telling, balloon animals, tell jokes and riddles, songs, dances…..etc!!
SANTA
Even Mom’s can fill out a red suit and ho ho ho in a manly voice! Rent yourself out for unit Christmas parties and make some extra cash for the holidays!
HOME BASED PRESCHOOL
Are you fed up with the high cost of “preschools” in military towns, that are really just glorified daycares? Start your own at home! Get your License as a Day Care Provider, and make sure you are CPR trained. Operate under the same laws as day care, but instead of just “watching the kids” EDUCATE THEM! It only takes planning and creativity! You can make it meet daily or two or three days a week. Plan good old fashioned educational activities, and field trips. This is a good idea for a couple of kid friendly mom’s. You can always ask for volunteer help from your *students* mommies, even require they help once or twice a month. Turn a room into the class room and set up play / learning stations with toys gathered at garage sales, re-sale shops, or your own children have OUT GROWN. NEVER USE YOUR OWN CHILD’S PERSONAL TOYS! It will only cause problems for you and resentment in your child.
TEMPORARY DOMESTIC
A lot of people could use temporary help before / after the birth of a child (especially multiple births), and / or after surgeries, and many are willing to pay modest fees for help. Cooking, cleaning, and errand running / chauffeuring skills can really pay off here!
NEEDLE CRAFTS
If you’re looking to turn your needlework into cash there are several different courses to take. There are many ways to make money off of your crafts or needlework. There are craft fairs and shows, craft malls, doing display works for stores, and sample pieces for distributors and designers.
First of all you can make your crafts or needlework to sell at fairs and shows around your area, or a “craft malls.” To do this you will have to consider several things. How much is the entry fee, and do you provide your own table for displays are the most common questions for crafts fairs and shows. If you would like to display at a craft mall you need to find out what percentage of your sales they keep, how much “rent” for your space, do you do your own displays or do they set them up, etc. No question is a stupid question!!! If you are unsure of something, ask!!
Craft stores always have displays of worked pieces for the customers to get an idea of what the finished piece will look like. Talk with the store manager about doing these! Some stores have the employees do these, but quite often it is customers. They usually pay in two ways. They pay by giving you a store credit for the work you do or they pay outright. Even if they pay with a store credit, that’s a nice way to decorate your home! You may or may not have to take in a sample or samples of your work to be “graded” before hand.
Stores also get their displays from the manufacturers or directly from the designers. You can contact different companies at the address listed on their kits or brochures to inquire about doing samples for them. They will let you know their requirements and if interested will have you send samples to “grade.” Designers have sample stitchers as well. Once again you need to contact the designers to inquire about their needs. If you do not have a direct address to the designer, write to them in care of the company that publishes their work or find their web page to email them!
There are various methods to make money from your crafts. I’m sure there are lots of other ideas not mentioned here. Use your imagination! Just research the area you want to go into and be prepared to show samples if needed! Good luck everyone!
Just take an inventory of every thing you are good at and you will find a home based marketable skill!
Military Spouse Virtual Assistants
Clever Apple, tutoring business
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