Working At Home...Should It Be A Job Or A Business?
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