OK, so you're going to work at home, but now you suddenly realize that
you have a very fundamental choice to make.
Once you have made the decision to work at home (either by choice or out
of necessity) you are faced with the decision as to whether to pursue
a work at home job or to start a home based business. That may sound like
a minor distinction, but the differences can be quite significant.
A general psychological characterization of the entrepreneurial spirit
says they are typically people who have a high energy level, set long-term
goals, feel quite self-confident, and view money and financial security
as a measure of accomplishment and piece of mind.
Entrepreneurs are further characterized as problem solvers, who take risks,
learn from their failures (as well as those of others), accept personal
responsibility, seize the initiative, and use all available resources
to achieve their success.
Entrepreneurs also tend to compete with themselves and believe that success
or failure lies within their personal control or influence. They do not
see setbacks as failures, but rather just as learning experiences. Most
of all, they exhibit persistence and tenacity, never giving up and never
quitting the quest for success.
If you fit most of these criteria, you would probably elect to start a
home business instead of undertaking a work at home job.However, the decision
to work at home does not necessarily mean that you want to be the owner
of a business. You may prefer working at home for an already established
company. This is often easier to do than owning a business yourself and
you may not want all the headaches, responsibilities and obligations that
come with owning your own business.
Regardless of which path (job or business) you choose, the first step
is to figure out what business or work-from-home opportunity you want
to pursue. There are many excellent information sources such as public
libraries and Internet sites that list seemingly countless home business
and work at home job opportunities. The abundance is so great that it
might well lead to confusion.
One of the most important factors is often overlooked. This is your personal
inventory. Often this will yield some direction and focus to the business
or job selection process. Assess yourself and your situation. Write a
resume for yourself that includes your background, education, training
as well as any particular on-the-job skills you possess that could possibly be used in
a venture or job. Also look at your leisure-time activities and hobbies,
because many businesses result from a person following their "passion."
Ask yourself how much time you can realistically put into a business venture,
given your present commitments.
Once you have determined the general type of home business or work at
home job that you want to undertake, it is of critical importance that
you do your homework (research) to select the specific opportunity where
you are going to make your "investment" (some combination of
time, effort and money) in working at home.
Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches
others seeking to start their own home based business. Visit his website
at Legitimate Home Based Business
for more details.
