Woman's Garden

WAHM Home Business Guide

You can enjoy work at home with a home business while still working at a traditional job earning a steady paycheck. This can dramatically increase a WAHM's success in building a home business because it relieves the pressure and stress of the need to make profit too early in the game. If mom takes her time, and learns to practice patience, she will find that her product and / or service is of better quality.

This work at home business guide will help you get started. Keep in mind some key factors for starting your new home business:

Your knowledge

Your experience

Your skills

Costs to begin and maintain a home business

Competitors

Here is a checklist to get you started:
Free Woman's Garden Entrepreneur Guide.

Emotions Mixed in Home Business
One WAHM's Story

From your husband, to your children, and even to your own parents, you may begin to feel the disapproval of others as you begin your journey to your home business dreams. . .

Being a manager inside of one of the USA's major airlines was a high paying job. As much as I avoided working in the technology industry in the past, I found my only way up the corporate ladder was through my knowledge of computers. My family was truly proud of me. My husband was particularly interested in marrying a professional woman.

And then, it happened... I was provoked into quitting my job due to negative politics.

I wasn't worried at the time. I immediately began sending resumes. After about one full year, and not one job offer to speak of, the worry began. My retirement money was depleting and my family was less understanding of my problem as time went by. With no other choice (other than flipping hamburgers), I began my search for a work at home job.

With my abandonment of a "normal" job, my husband began sending off different vibes. He did not seem happy about my decision to possibly start a home business. So, on went the discussions... during dinner time, during fun time, and even on date nights.  My husband was not happy.  I was completely devastated because I could not provide an income to my family and now I was making my husband upset.

To add to the issue, my son also began telling me he missed his "alone" time and that I was around too much.  My son was accoustomed to my working until 6 and 7 at night, which allowed him time to be by himself for a few hours, he didn't realize that this was a "bad" thing.  I never liked that part of my full time job, but I did understand his issue of needing "me" time.

My mother then got wind of my intentions to start a home business, and  her typical pride in my job now seemed to me like it was her obsession.  I had no idea that she was bragging to all her friends about my professional job until my sisters told me.  I have now left her without bragging rights.

With all the different people in my life upset with me, I made a hard, but necessary decision.  I would find a job, no matter what the title and pay.  I felt like I had disappointed my whole family and I wanted them to be happy with me.

Luckily I found it... I found it then, at my most needed time.  I went through the morning paper and applied for a job that allowed me to begin my work at home career.  After two years at this home based job, I have found that earning a paycheck is not what created these issues with my family.

I had to deal with each issue individually.  After speaking with my husband many times, he finally admitted that the issue was his jealousy. He also wanted the option to work at home. To remedy the situation, he decided to work at home every Friday and any other day he felt he wasn't needed physically in his office.

My son's issue was that he was not accustomed to having me around watching his activities from the moment he got home. We decided it was best that he would be allowed to play video games with his door closed at night after chores and homework.  He seems to have grown to like my presence around the house. His grades have improved slightly, and he talks to me more than he had previously.

Some issues, such as my mother's obsession with my status in society, can not be fixed with anything other than time.  Although my mother would rather I had some sort of social status, she became content with my home business dreams over time and began advising me from a distance.

I would have to say, not only is starting a home business a rocky and dangerous road, but it is also rewarding and allows us to grow not only professionally, but personally as well.  Take each issue individually, surrender some time and patience, and eventually your family will thrive around your home business.