Finding a Business That Is Right For You

In the new year, with many people trying to recover from credit card debt and facing potential job losses, more and more people are looking for additional income options. For some, that may mean finding a second job or trying to get a raise. For others, this may entail finding a way to work from home a few hours a week. Many people are choosing the second option due to the flexibility and choices that it brings with it.

While choices in the home-based business industry can be a positive thing, they can also be quite overwhelming. There’s skincare, purses, jewelry, scrapbooking, kitchen products, candles, and more. Then there’s the terminology: party-plan, direct sales, multi-level marketing, network marketing, online business, blogs, etc. How does one decide what is right for them?

One way to start is by answering a few questions to narrow down your choices. By answering these questions, you can help determine what you are looking for as well as what a company might offer. Some examples of these questions would be:

• What are you passionate about?
• What products does the company offer?
• What is the market in your area for these products?
• Are the products affordable for the average person?
• What is the start-up cost and is that refundable?
• How long has the company been in business?
• What are the average earnings of people in the company and how many hours a week is required to reach that income level?
• How do you market the products - parties/shows, online, face-to-face, over the phone?
• Does the business result in residual income?

In addition to asking yourself these questions, there are some excellent resources available online. Obviously, when researching online, one must keep in mind that there is a lot of information out there, and not all of it is accurate. Be sure to thoroughly research your topic, and remember that personal experience is the only way to know if something will work for you or not. That being said, here are some online resources that one might find particularly helpful:
http://www.wahm.com/ - The online magazine for work at home moms. Here you can browse through message boards such as "Business Advice and Topics" or "WAHMs in Party Plans".
http://www.dsa.org/ - The Direct Selling Organization’s official website. You can search the Member Directory according to company name, products/services offered, or type of compensation plan.
http://www.bbb.org/ - The Better Business Bureau’s website allows you to search based on company name and/or type of business. You can view the company’s status with the BBB and how the company has resolved complaints against them.

Finally, one of the best ways to make a decision about working from home is hearing first-hand experiences of others. You can ask friends and family who they know who has a home business and is successful, talk to members of Tuesday Forum, as well as read online blogs of people who work from home.

Once you find the right business for you, it is important to treat it like a business. You’ll need to give yourself at least 3-6 months to begin generating some income. However, don’t allow someone to convince you that it should take 3-6 years to generate income. While it will take some time, if you are working consistently, a good business will result in income in a reasonable amount of time. For me, I have found the right business, and I feel that it is a business anyone can do!