Working
At Home...Should It Be A Job Or A Business?
by: Kirk Bannerman
You have decided to work at
home (either by choice or necessity) and now 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 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.
They 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 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
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.