Home-Based Business For Fun And Profit Home-Based Business For Fun And Profit  				SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND YOU
The world of self-employment can be a personally and  financially rewarding one for the right individual.  Many  people dream of owning their own business but don't believe  it will ever happen for them.  The majority of these folks  see all the positives of working for yourself, but lack the  drive and determination to make the transition from  employee to employer.
Self-employment is the ticket to higher earnings  without limit and the right to control and work your own  schedule. But it's not easy work.  A lot of self-employed  people are working longer hours and weeks than ever in  their own business.  The difference is they are doing work  they truly enjoy, and are getting paid for it!
You have the talent and ability to work on your own!  Perhaps you're just not sure what business you'd like to  specialize in.  
Sales aren't just the slick folks on the automobile  showroom who want to know what it will take to get you in  th  at car today.  Selling is the process by which a product  reaches a consumer.  It can take many forms.  If you have  some preconceived ideas about sales right now, erase them  from your mind.  Start with a clean slate by remaining open  to all possibilities in your home-based businesses.
After all, if you're marketing a product you would  buy yourself, it will be easy to convince others of its  value. Since you're selecting the right business  opportunity, you'll unquestionably choose the business that  has the most appeal to you.  Selling something you love  almost never feels like work, or real selling!
HOW TO GET STARTED
If you currently have a job, you may want to break  into your home-based business on a part-time basis until  you've built up enough earnings base to leave.  There will  probably be no greater feeling than when you walk out the  door and into a business where you call the shots!
If you're between jobs, then by all means go at this  full-  force.  All you need to do is to contact the  businesses listed here that interest you and begin the  process of determining if this is right for you.
There may be several opportunities here that are  franchises.  There is no available data that says that  electing to go the franchise route to start your business  has any lower success rate than beginning a new business  from scratch.  Again, view these choices with an open mind  and investigate the opportunity thoroughly before making  the commitment.  If you're working part or full time, you  can, perhaps, be even choosier.
THE TOP 10 WAYS TO EARN MONEY AT HOME
1.  ANTIQUES
The buying and selling of antiques has been and  should continue to be a very productive business,  financially, for those that do it.  Here, you only need an  extra room in the house, or the use of your garage -- and  you have an office!
If you have a large home that has some antique  furnishings, you might consider turning   it into a showroom  for your antique acquisitions and sales, providing you  satisfy  any local zoning regulations. The interest in  antiques will survive into the foreseeable future.  Many  people choose to spend their free time on the weekends  "antiquating" from place to place to try and pick up a few  odds or ends and maybe a jewel or two.  If you know  anything about antiques, this may be a great opportunity  for you.
For more information, check out the book, "Buying and  Selling Antiques", by Don Cline and Sara Pitzer.  Your  local library may be filled with other publications on this  subject that can get you started quickly.  Your only  overhead may be inventory and advertising!
2.  BAKING
Have you ever been told that you have a recipe  which people would line up to get if they could?  Ever had  anyone tell you that you should be selling those  cupcakes you make? There are a number of success stories  about people who have launched successful busines  ses by  cooking at home and then marketing to local people first.   Word of mouth on a good product may start to get  restaurants or bakeries interested in acquiring your  culinary masterpieces.  Then you progress to selling them  state-wide and presto!  A winning home-based business!
For more practical advice on the assorted aspects of  setting up a specialty foods business, you should contact  your local U.S. Department of Agriculture Home Extension  Agent in your county.  Since every U.S. county has such an  individual, that person shouldn't be hard to find!
3.  BED AND BREAKFAST PROPRIETOR(S)
Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast and  thought, "hey, I can do this!"  You probably went on  vacation and simply chalked your thought up as one of those  pipedreams one gets when they stay in a beautiful spot.
Don't toss that thought away!  While it's not easy  work as the hours can be long and it's usually a seven days  per week business, it's ofte  n something that you can work  into a daily schedule.  After all, it's merely an extension  of doing the housework for family, right? More and more  Americans are taking after Europeans and opening their  homes to travelers.  If you have an extra room or two since  the kids moved out, you can start a bed and breakfast in  your own place!
Bed and breakfast popularity will continue as more  and more vacationers and business travelers seek a  different accommodation away from the predictability of the  average hotel room.  If they enjoy their stay, many become  "repeat" customers, coming back to the same familiar  surroundings time and again.
If you don't need to do any major renovations in the  house to accommodate this type of establishment, you can be  off and running with very little money invested, other than  advertising and some new "guest room supplies".  If your  dream is to buy a bed and breakfast somewhere in a vacation  paradise, there are probably house  s for sale that will work  for this purpose.
Whatever your design, there are several good books on  the subject of starting your own bed and breakfast,  including "Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast", by Beverly  Mathews. Check them out at your local library.
4.  CHILD CARE
Due to the financial pressures many families face  today, many parents work outside of the home to bring in  enough income to pay daily living expenses.  A single  parent is obviously working but all too often both members  of a two parent family are in the workforce.
This creates a home-based opportunity.  Children must  be watched, all day if they're not in school, or,  otherwise, for a brief time after school before the parents  finish work for the day.
Caring for one additional child may not be that  lucrative, but taking care of several children can  certainly be a full-time, financially successful business.   Often, taking care of several children is made somewhat  easier   as the youngsters often will play together.
You can do this at home for only a small investment  in basic equipment and toys for the kids in addition to the  advertising of your business.  There are several  publications that address starting this type of business,  including "Family Day Care", by Betsy Squibb.
Another resource is the Day Care Council of America,  5730 Market Street, Oakland, CA. 94608.
5.  COMPUTER SPECIALIST
The advent of the computer age has changed the  concept of self-employment.  Having a computer at home has  opened a number of opportunities for running your own  business utilizing this equipment.  Companies everywhere  are "outsourcing" work that can be done by someone else on  their computer, out of their own home.
If you're not that familiar with a computer, there  are many low-cost (or free) seminars and classes that will  teach you what equipment you need and how to use it.
If you're a whiz in computers, you m  ay end up working  as a consultant, writing programs for companies.  If you're  a beginner, you may find yourself able to obtain work as a  writer, using your computer to produce copy that's easy to  edit.  You can also keep accounting and payroll records for  companies on your computer's database.
Word processing software can be used not only for  writers but for those that can offer secretarial services  out of their house.  Desktop publishing software can allow  you to do newsletters for businesses and other  organizations.
For more educational data, contact the Information  Resources Clearinghouse at Syracuse University's School of  Education, 030 Huntington Hall, 150 Marshall Street,  Syracuse, N.Y. 13244.  Their phone number is (315) 443- 3640.
There are a substantial number of good publications,  too.  Your local library will have several books on  computer occupations.  If you can operate a computer, you  can find work in the information age today.<  /p>
6.  GARDENING
If you like working in your garden each year and  growing vegetables for your family to eat, it's a definite  possibility for home-based employment.  Imagine clearing a  little more space and growing more items that you can sell  directly to the consumer.
Most produce stands will buy from you if your product  is one of high quality.  If you enjoy gardening, this could  be your ticket!  If you have some more land to use, do it!  Plant what you can, when you can!  Contact your local  produce stands to ascertain their buying habits.
You can even inquire about your own produce stand if  you have enough product.  The more space you have on your  land, the more likely you will be able to generate enough  crops to run the business.
People love home-grown vegetables.  They just don't  have the time or want to be bothered doing it themselves.   That's your open door!
For more information, consult books like "Plants for  Profit," and "  A Complete Guide to Growing & Selling  Greenhouse Crops", by Francis Jozwik.
7.  IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR
There are a substantial number of products  manufactured in other countries which can be bought  inexpensively and sold here in the United States at a  profitable level.  The recent passages of the Congressional  bills, NAFTA and GATT, may make it easier to bring in other  products from other countries.
This is a business easily operated out of the home,  depending on the types of stock you're carrying.  You may  have to rent some storage space, but the capital required  to start should essentially be limited to the products  you're buying to sell here.
Two good resources for you are:
* American Importers Association Membership  Directory, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017; and
* American Register of Importers and Exporters, 38  Park Row, New York, N.Y. 10038.
You can also look at books in your library such as  "How   To Make A Fortune In Import/Export", by Howard R.  Goldsmith, obviously an optimistic look at this type of  business.
If you know the type of product you want to import  and the market most likely to purchase your goods, you have  great potential for a successful home-based business.
8.  INTERIOR DECORATOR
While this business will require you to be out  and about, meeting with customers, it's the type of work  many people would love to do.  If you have a fascination  for decorating a home, this could be your line of work.
Many people don't know where to start when they are  remodeling or buying a house for the first time.  If you  have the knowledge of colors and patterns and what looks  good together, plus the expertise of knowing where to get  materials and furnishings, this can be a winning home-based  business for you.
One excellent resource to consult is the "Interior  Design Directory", available through Whitney Communication  Corporation,   1050 E. 58th Street, New York, N.Y. 10155.
9.  PHOTOGRAPHER
The sky's the limit here!  Armed with your trusty  camera and some good advertising, you can do weddings,  models, family portraits, passports, student photos, local  newspaper coverage; almost anything that requires a  picture!
You can easily start this work, part-time, and work  into full-time work based on your success and inclination.   Not much equipment is necessary to get going as a camera  off the store shelf can often do the trick today.  Picking  up a tripod and having a room sufficient for developing  your pictures, and you're in business -- at home!
There are a number of excellent books available in  your local library to get you started on the path of  professional photography.
10.  SEWING & ALTERATIONS
Many people love to sew.  If you're one of them,  consider offering this service out of your home.  When  someone buys a new outfit, it rarely fits perfectly,  me  aning some kind of alteration must be done.
People look long and hard to find reliable  individuals to do their alterations.  If you can sew,  you're well on your way to opening the doors of this type  of business.
One resource you can review is "Sewing for Profit",  by Judith and Allan Smith.  Or your library will have a  handful of capable publications on starting up this type of  business.
These are our suggestions as to the top 10 ways to  earn money at home, enough to be a full-time self-employed  businessperson!
But there are many other opportunities.  The listings  that follow may give you some other ideas you need to get  started in business for yourself.
SUMMARY
Are you ready to start up your own business now?
Whether you begin from scratch or invest in a  franchise, the time has never been better to get a home- based business off the ground.  It's become almost routine  in the business world to work with independent contrac  tors.   Many times, it's more cost-effective, too.
Most of these businesses do not require a substantial  amount of start-up cash.  Many of these franchise  opportunities offer financing.
With Internet's help, your home business can be moved online and expand globally. Your profit will be significantly improved if you can integrate your traditional business into online business.
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