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Saturday, February 5, 2005

Want to work from home? Check out these tips first

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF

Want to be a work-at-home mother? Consider these tips from Carynia Van Buren, a successful work at home mom and retailer since 1982 who runs babybunz.com:

  • Consider what kind of hours and commitment you want to put into your business. Retail requires time, money and space, whereas a service business can be more flexible.

  • Know your personality -- some people go crazy without lots of external social contact.

  • Find a niche product that is not well-addressed by the market. If the market for your kind of product is saturated, try to become an exclusive dealer of a certain brand.

  • Be realistic and grow slowly. If you try to do too much too soon, both your business and your family will suffer the consequences.

  • Set your working hours to be fair to your customers and your family.

  • Get a separate business line in a separate room. The ability to close the door can relieve the mental stress of being torn between your business and family.

  • As your business grows, find helpers. Doing everything alone is the quickest way to burn out. Be sure to pay them a fair wage -- an appreciated worker is much more productive.

  • Spend some time with these helpers before you hire them -- you will be working in close contact in your own home.

    -- Kristen Millares Bolt

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