With a work from home job, you continue to work for somebody else. Your employer is permitting you to be based at home, but you’re still getting paid for the hours you put in and the work you were employed to complete. With a home business suited for mums, you’re your own boss, you make decisions on the work you want to execute, and you make profits for the results you generate – therefore you don’t receive payment for the time you spend working, you get rewarded for results, and that means that if you can produce great results, even in a short amount of time, you can make an unlimited income as a work at home mum and business owner.

There are a few aspects for mums to think about when selecting a work from home opportunity, between a job and a home business. Also, inside the home business category, you’ve got some options: you can begin your own business based on a skill you have or a product you manufacture or make yourself (for example, personal assistant work, data entry or typing, craft, cooking, teaching, interior or graphic design, writing, clothing and fashion, and the list continues…), otherwise you can start a home business within an existing company, where the company typically provides you with the goods or services, the systems in place and the training and support you need to get your business up and running.

Firstly, you must consider your personality to determine which kind of work at home mum you want to be, employee or mumpreneur. If you’re someone who prefers to report to somebody else, doesn’t enjoy making decisions or being independent, who needs to be provided with a structure with deadlines, agendas, and a definite description of your role, your responsibilities and the activities you are required to do to get paid, then a work from home job might be for you. If you are somebody who is more autonomous, who likes to call the shots, who is self-motivated and self-reliant, who wants to decide how much they get paid and has a ton of determination to get it, then you can succeed with a home business for mums!

Another very relevant factor is how much it costs to work from home. If you choose to take on employment, you may need some money to line up your home office, and a number of your expenses could even be reimbursed by your employer. However, having a business usually costs more. While it varies between opportunities, you’ll have initial expenses in relation to a membership, using business systems or tools, buying or producing a product, and marketing your business. Keep in mind that in each case, you can benefit from tax deductions. Work at home mums who opt to start a business might have more expenses, but typically have a higher income potential.

Working from home can be very rewarding when you have kids. You can do activities throughout the week with your children, go to playgroup, the park, be present for after-school activities, meet-up with grand-parents or friends, give them flexibility around their sleeping routine and just enjoy being at home. It can be however a juggling act for work at home mums, just like it would be if you were to work in a company workplace because you would still need to juggle everything between work, daycare or school pick-ups and drop-offs, groceries, etc. It simply means that you can control the schedule so that it works for you and that you’ll have more flexibility around looking after your family and working. It just calls for discipline and organisation, like so many other things in life!

We hope this helps clarify options for work at home mums. Now all that is left to do is find the right work from home job or home business opportunity for mums!

When setting up a work from home business online, there are in reality numerous groups or networks which you will need to be part of. We have identified them in 3 different types: 1. Mentors, 2. Supporters, and 3. Customers, and building networks in each category will greatly support your success in your business.

1. Mentors. These are the people who can provide you with training, resources and inspiration. They may be directly involved in your company, or may be well-known authors or coaches in your field. Being part of your organisation’s associates network will undoubtedly help you in learning how to take advantage of the systems available and reproduce the success of others using those same systems. In addition, finding other networks of people who specialise in areas which you wish to further develop can be a true asset. As an example, if you wish to use blogs as a way to market your home business opportunity online, you can join the networks of successful bloggers who are generous with sharing their knowledge. You can also follow inspirational speakers or success mentors to guide you with your business and personal venture as an online entrepreneur and network marketing business owner.

2. Supporters. These are the people who may not necessarily purchase anything from you: they may already be your team members, or possibly not be looking for a business opportunity at all. However, they could share your interests, be keen to learn from what you have to say, or be happy to support the promotion of your business, profile or products. For example, this type of networking is found when associates join each other’s Facebook groups, subscribe to each other’s YouTube channels or disseminate each other’s content. You can use your unique interests within your industry to create and take part in networks with related topics. For example, you may have a particular interests in entrepreneurship, health, advertising and marketing, self-growth, website design, work-life balance, finance, etc. and appeal to like-minded individuals who want your information or inspiration. This category also ties in with the next, because once you have developed a connection with your supporters or followers, they may wish to look more into what you do and whether they could do the same online business too!

3. Customers. Customers networks are diverse. They stretch from direct visitors to your website in their hunt for a home business opportunity online, to people who come across your videos or articles by accident, and also to your existing personal networks which are not linked to your business. You may join some networks for the main purpose of promoting your products or business. This doesn’t indicate that your only activity inside the network should be about marketing (unfortunately, promoting a network marketing business doesn’t work that way!), but rather that you may contribute within a group with ulterior motives, such as exposing your profile, products or business. You may for example join a Facebook group on the subject of health because you ultimately want to promote vitamins. As I mentioned earlier, your customers network can often be interrelated with your supporters network. In a more direct approach, your customers network may also be created by allowing visitors to opt-in to your website, where your visitors provide their contact details in exchange for something you offer (e.g. an e-book, newsletter, consultation, reports, etc). Through time, a contacts list can be a powerful asset for marketing your home business or products to a warm market.

In any given network marketing business online, many different teams offer a custom-made coaching program for their team members. Therefore even though you may be joining the same organisation as your fellow associates, the coaching and guidance you receive might vary.

After finding the right online business opportunity to achieve your goals, here are some questions you ought to ask a possible mentor to learn about the structure of their team, to know what to expect, and to work out whether or not their approach fits what you are looking for:

1. Concerning the training:
What does the training involve; how is it structured; how is it given; how long does it take to do the primary training; is there any ongoing coaching to help grow my network marketing business online?

2. Concerning availability:
What are your working hours (it is good to understand when they will be available for you); who else can offer help if you are not available; how several individuals are you mentoring at this particular time with this online business opportunity?

3. Regarding philosophy:
How do you approach the business (e.g. thorough, casual, collaborative, etc); what do you think is the most vital factor of this business; what is your involvement within the business community; what do you like and dislike regarding this online business opportunity?

4. Concerning the team:
How do team members network together (e.g. is there a shared team site); what team support is available; what are the shared team resources; will I be able to supply all the team resources to individuals joining with me in my network marketing business?

5. About promoting the business:
What promoting tools do you give; what kind of marketing do you believe in the most to advertise the business opportunity online; do you help out with generating leads while I’m completing the training, so that I can start making money right away (e.g. via a marketing cooperative or provider); do you provide website templates and/or hosting?

You may also be wondering the following: “Should I choose a senior member in the organisation, someone who has been doing it for a long time?” The answer is ‘not necessarily’! In fact, as you have noticed in this article, there are personal qualities far more important than status in finding your ideal mentor! Leadership, resourcefulness, a positive mindset, diligence, an approach that resonates with you and their availability are the most relevant criteria which should impact on your choice. In addition, with the right mentor should come a resourceful and supportive team with members who contribute with their various expertise and skills, and from which you will also draw on to make you own success within your online business opportunity!

Small home business opportunities online often offer a great income potential. The compelling fact about the actual revenue created by owners of home businesses in Australia is that there can be a huge gap between low- and high-income earners. While many don’t make over 40,000 dollars per year, the number of business owners making a greater income goes down as income goes up. But, even more astonishing is the fact that about the identical proportion of people make 40,000-60,000 and over 500,000 per year (that is, just over 10% each in the entire spectrum). The other 80% makes less or somewhere in between, and the average is somewhere around 220,000 per year!

Managing a home business online can present challenges, for example isolation, difficulty to divide work and personal life, having too many decisions to make, and distractions. Interestingly though, in excess of 45% surveyed individuals working from home felt that they had a better work-life balance, as opposed to 5% who found it tough to separate their work and personal life. Additionally, most of the surveyed people didn’t feel isolation was a problem they personally experienced, in particular those connected with large consumer bases and supportive home business communities. There are now endless opportunities to network with partners or team members and reach more clients online, which makes isolation a personal choice rather than a disadvantage. When selecting an online home business opportunity, one should take into account the income potential and personal income goal, building networks and working with partners, and separating personal and professional commitments.

1. Products. Do you like the products? Are you able to sample the products? It’s hard to sell something you don’t know or like. To us, this is about integrity. It’s about marketing useful products which have inherent stand-alone value, and which will be appreciated by and beneficial to buyers. Specifically, when starting a home business online where you can buy for yourself the products as a representative or business partner, study the product, and ensure that you can test it out first. A cash-back guarantee is always a powerful testament to the integrity of your company’s products, and also protects you.

2. Training and Support. Find out what coaching is available, and particularly, how it’s given and structured. Will you be personally mentored? Who created the training resources? How long will it take to complete the training? Also, who will support you? Who is ‘the team’? So often I hear stories of individuals who took on an opportunity to start a home business online and were promised comprehensive training and support, but were left to fend for themselves after a couple of weeks. Business mentors in online business opportunities should be able to help various types of individuals with different support needs. Obtain some commitment from your future coach, and discuss your individual needs from the start.

3. System. How will you manage your business? Do the online business opportunities include access to a management system for marketing and communication? Does your company offer you a personalized website, a contacts management database, a marketing and business plan, business presentations, and other business resources? Essentially, you want to grasp what tasks you’ll need to accomplish to build and grow your business, and what tools you may need to carry those tasks.

4. Payment. Let’s not forget why you’re searching for a home business opportunity online. You want to make money. Study the company’s payment structure in depth. Scan the fine print. Establish your revenue objectives, and verify that the compensation structure has the power to achieve those goals. Think about your time-lines. Consider your commitment. What do you get paid for, when do you receive payment, and how much do you receive. Any plan with residual income, where you get leverage or compounded revenues for your past efforts gets bonus points! After all, if you work hard at building a successful home business online., you want to keep on reaping the benefits long-term.

5. Company. Know the facts of your organization. Look for information about the founders and the leaders. Make certain they actually exist! The web can be a dangerous place, but you can find genuine online business opportunities if you do your research and analyze every business opportunity based on the standards mentioned in this article, or if you use a consulting service like OnlineBusiness-Finder.com!

Industry Benefits

As you are considering joining the direct selling industry as an independent business owner, there are many advantages to consider including:
• Anyone can become an independent salesperson as there are no formal education or experience requirements.
• As direct selling is very flexible, you can decide how much or how little time you devote to it, as well as where and when, so it is easy to blend it with family and other commitments.
• There is real potential for personal and financial rewards, which are related directly to effort and your choice of business.
• Starting a business is simple little or lower capital investment required than a traditional business or franchise.
• Companies and sponsors in high quality companies offer training, marketing and administration support and on-going advice to help you sell the products, promote your business and to achieve your business goals.
• Direct selling offers a good way to network with other people. Home business is now very social.
• There are no financial penalties imposed upon leaving the industry or any particular direct selling organization.

Direct selling rewards people of all ages and backgrounds. It offers a wonderful opportunity for anyone to find fulfillment through their own efforts and to express their talents to find personal satisfaction and financial independence.

Men and women come to direct selling for their own reasons. Some use direct selling to earn money for things such as a new car or a family holiday, while others are looking to build a career for themselves. Whatever the reason, direct sellers often find a lasting value far beyond their original motivation. Direct selling offers one of the finest entrepreneurial skill building opportunities in the world. Many people find that what they learn from creating a home-based business of their own serves them throughout their lives in ways they never would have imagined.

Direct selling offers an opportunity for everyone, but not everyone who tries will succeed. Some will find that they just aren’t cut out to sell products and services. The beauty of direct selling however is that it’s open to everyone, it’s simple to get started, it’s easy to drop out so the risk is low, and the rewards can be immensely satisfying both personally and financially.

The business you choose and the support you receive are very important. At OnlineBusiness-Finder.com, we apply criteria to help lower the risk. For example, in a tightening global economy you should be looking to products that:
- have emotive appeal for example financial education, child development/education.
- offers convenience, for example communication or advanced technology products.
- offers improved quality of life, for example weight loss or nutrition.

Direct Selling organizations generally use one or more of following three methods of selling:

Network Marketing: involves building a business on duplication. Representatives build their businesses through selling the products and recruiting new people to start their own businesses. Often the emphasis is on recruitment that carries additional income based on the sales of the recruited downline.

Party Plan: The salesperson earns money based on a percentage of the sales they make during their presentations.

Door-to-door sales: Salespersons leave catalogues at their potential customers homes. They then return a few days later to collect the catalogue and any order. Some door-to-door salespersons leave catalogues in commercial offices and other places of work.

We find the demand is for Network Marketing style businesses which can be run predominantly online to facilitate ease of operation and flexibility. Our clients are less willing to embark on party plan or door-to-door businesses when the Internet can offer far greater reach for far lower effort. This therefore forms part of our criteria for recommending a business opportunity at OnlineBusiness-Finder.com

What I have seen that appears to be common in the people that are successful is that they do their research before they settle on an online business or franchise that they hope will be legitimate and that will meet their expectations. They ensure that they get into one of the top rating home business opportunities (there’s are reason certain online business opportunities are deemed ‘top tier’). They settle on a business that meets their goals, skills sets and comfort level. They also seem to set their ego aside and utilize the step-by-step guidance while exercising patience, realizing that they will more than likely make dollars before they make hundreds of dollars and are willing to put in the effort required to reach their goal. Many of those who fail simply fell for the ‘get rich quick’ scheme going around at the time!

Now lets look at what we have noticed in the people that fail to make any money in online business. So allow us to identify some of the common reasons for failure in home based business:

1. People often times join the first program that offers them the most money for the least effort. If it seems to good to be true than it probably is. These pundits often end up quitting prematurely claiming they were scammed when they were at least partially at fault because they didn’t do their due diligence..

2. Joining programs that do not match their skill sets, time constraints or comfort levels. It does no good to join a program that you do not have the skill sets to accomplish the work required or that lacks the training to provide you with those skills… Some will join a home business opportunity, but are then not comfortable doing what is required to make money. Again this is their own fault.. do the research!

3. Some will join bad programs with the best of intentions and indeed get scammed. This is unfortunate and some online and home business opportunities position themselves as based in integrity but just aren’t when it comes down to it.

4. Many will not do the necessary research to narrow down the choices so they have the best chance for success. It takes a lot of time, but it must be done unless you use a website that has done it for you and many of these from my personal sleuthing around are simply a ‘front’ for self promotion anyway!

5. A few will do their research, join an online or home business opportunity, but when they do not make any money immediately, quit feeling scammed, discouraged and more than likely not try again. This comes down to not managing expectations…. online business is no different to traditional business.. it takes some time and patience.. those who understand this will usually make it.

6. Many people fail to understand the difference between a ‘home based business’ and a ‘work at home program’ becoming very frustrated at the work involved and the time required to make any money. A Home Based Business will make much more money in the end, but it will take more time to get it up, running full speed and profitable. It requires more of an investment of both time and money. I am an advocate of sustainable long term wealth, provided by a high quality home business opportunity rather than a work from home program that is essentially a J.O.B. at home.

7. Many people want the quick fix and the cheap fix. They don’t want to pay for a high quality, top tier business opportunity. This is like someone wanting the return of a franchise such as McDonald’s, but not wanting to, or feeling like they should have to pay for it. That’s called a ‘free lunch’ where I come from; top tier, top quality home based business opportunities don’t come Fr.ee!!

So there you have it, and yes I have blogged about this before. Why repeat myself? Because everyday at Online Business Finder we speak with people who have been scammed, have a ‘chip on their shoulder’ about a business that ‘didn’t work’… and as much as we feel sorry for those people and often go on to assist them, many times they are their own worst enemy because they are too emotional and naive about what it takes to ‘live the dream’.

You know, it’s really easy to forget the small stuff… and in the home business domain, it is easy to feel as though we have to be good at everything and be able to solve everything when in fact…

1. It is far easier to come from competence (strength) to excellence than it is to come from mediocrity to competence. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Why bother improving your weaknesses? It takes far too much effort, too much time, and it isn’t fun! Working within your strengths is super-fun, has high growth, and great results. So why not spend the BULK of your time doing what you love and are strong at, and let those who are strong in your areas of weakness handle your weaknesses for you? It is a synergistic way of looking at things, and if you know how to apply this principle, wow! Your online/home business and your life will take off!

2. .. It is easier and much more effective to follow the lead of those who have already solved the problems and paved the way… especially in the home business industry which can be overwhelming.

We are raised believing that it is virtuous to figure it out, to solve things. Well, solving things has its place. And its place is in inventions. In things we don’t know about. At one time, we didn’t have mobile phones, now we do. Through figuring it out, trial and error, decades of research, we invented mobile telephony. Now, in 2011, why on earth would you want to re-invent the mobile phone? Just buy one! Its cheaper and faster. Now, most likely, 99% of your life contains things that have been done well by someone else.. and that goes for running a successful legitimate online business!

And in achieving your dream life, you would be treading a path that has been walked upon in the past by others. So why not take advantage of global learning and evolution, eliminate trial and error, and simply learn from those who have succeeded before you in the path you wish to follow. We have been told that it is strong, to figure it out yourself. That it is weak to seek help. Trash those ideas right now and start emulating success by copying success!

So, where should you be looking if this is you?

I am going to put myself out there for criticism here and say that there the vast majority of online business opportunities are never going to make 98% of their members a full time income… never have and never will. This is not to say these home businesses are not good options for the right people, such as those wanting ‘pocket money’ but for those wanting to support a family for example, they’re just not viable. Why? A number of reasons:

1. THE COMPENSATION PLAN:

There is inadequate leverage built into the Compensation Plan. The Compensation (or Profit) Plan is the key and most people fall for the sales pitch around the products and support without ever understanding the Compensation Plan which let’s face it, is how you make your money. If it is geared against you, your home business is in trouble before you even get started.

2. THE BUSINESS MODEL:
The business model resembles or has components of the old ‘pyramid’ structure. That is, the business is built ‘vertically’ rather than ‘horizontally’, meaning that the successful become more so at the expense of those not generating the sales (for example part timers). The MLM business model has many good features, but still encourages a situation where is can be difficult for the first timer to get to a point where they can generate a full time income. There are newer ‘hybrid’ business models that combine the best of traditional business, franchising and MLM.. more on this later.

3. THE COMPETITION
The Internet is saturated with the type or specific business that your are considering. For example at the moment there is a saturation of online shopping malls that people are offered as online business opportunities.. Unsuspecting punters are given a good looking website and told to choose the products they want to sell.. all good except.. the reality is, apart from the Compensation plans being poor and not in favor of you, the competition is the likes of Amazon, EBay etc. Who is going to go to your online shopping portal with 100 items on it when they can go to EBay? I think you know the answer.

4. THE PRODUCT/PROFIT MARGIN
It is very difficult to generate a full time income promoting products that are of a low cost to the end consumer because this essentially means that the profit margin to you is low, however the effort required to generate the sale is equivalent to that required to generate a high end sale and therefore more substantial profits. People in businesses with low cost products find they have bought into a J.O.B. as they are always on the phone looking for that next couple of dollars!

5. TRAINING/SUPPORT
I often hear stories of unsuspecting business owners who are set up with a website (told it’s their new business!) and sent a disc in the mail that is supposed to train them around how to build a 5-6 figure income business. This about the work and skills set that is involved in building a 6 figure business offline in the traditional business world… it is not something that you can learn from a CD or DVD that arrives in the mail!! This is nothing short of a ‘scam’ in our view.

Support needs to be available one on one and promptly.. and training, although it will generally be time leveraged, needs to be relevant, structured and timely. Most low end business opportunities don’t offer this… their members aren’t making the money to allow the company to fund the more sophisticated training required to be successful in business.

The good news is that there is a new breed of legitimate online business that utilizes a ‘hybrid’ business model that is destined to make generating a full time income from home a reality. We are already seeing corporates, public servants, existing traditional business owners jumping in feet and all, as they realize just what is now becoming available to them.

If you are seeking an unbiased appraisal of the current top tier home business opportunities, Click Here.

Be sure to regularly assess (with honesty) where you are at in areas of your life including:

WORK:

- Are you soulfully and spiritually happy doing what you do each day? I accept that not all aspects of our work will be enjoyable and exciting, but you need to enjoy more days in the week than you don’t and it is easy to lose track of whether this is actually the case as we are so determined to earn a dollar or make something work.

- Are you missing great business opportunities because you are too focused and not ‘open’ to them?

- Are you not seeing some simple ‘adjustments’ or perhaps additions to your current work situation or business that could make it more enjoyable and/or profitable?

- Are you too focused on the financial reward instead of a balance between earning a financial living and a living for your soul? It is well documented and I can attest to this, that money alone will not make you happy… yes it creates freedom, but what’s the point of having freedom if you are working so hard you can’t enjoy it, or even worse, doing something completely uninspiring to you?

PERSONAL:

- Are you putting ‘you’ first at least for some part of the day? Do you take a few minutes to nurture yourself through exercise, meditation, reading, lunching somewhere you love..

- Do you have a ‘to do’ list of things YOU want to achieve this year… do you have a short and medium term plan for how to make this happen? Life is so much more fun when you are actually not waiting for retirement to do the things that you really want to!

- Are you mixing with the types of people that inspire you or make you feel good about yourself? The later is most important here. Ask yourself next month as you spend time with friends and work mates, “Does he/she make me feel good/happy/valued? Or not?” Then make appropriate changes gradually so as not to offend if need be.

- Are you being a good friend and workmate? Are you conscious of seeing the good in people and complimenting people on a daily basis? Make it a goal to pay a compliment to a stranger everyday. You will feel great for it.. albeit a little strange at first!
Different skill sets can be used in various ways and built on laterally… not always linearly. It’s important in business to be aware of opportunities to build and develop on you skill base in different directions.

If we take this advice, we can achieve and experience many different things in our lives and generally with vastly increased levels of success as we effectively cull the ineffective and inefficient pursuits. My life is certainly testament to that!