We've probably all heard the cry- I want to stay at home with my children! But I need money!
Don't despair; there are a few avenues for you to be able to realize this dream.
The government has introduced incentives for a woman to leave the workforce and to have children- "to keep our population growing". The most talked about incentive is the 'baby bonus'. Originally it was a lump sum payment of $A3,000 per child, payable on birth to cover the costs of having a baby. This payment has now increased to A$4,000 per child.
Well, this is all well and good, but what happens 12 months down the track when the costs of living are skyrocketing and staying at home with your precious ones, just isn't working out the way it was meant to.
Putting your child into daycare to return to the workforce is the first option. So, you start looking for centres or even family based care. What you find is that there are waiting lists everywhere! Some for over a year, before you can get your child into the centre. You also find that the costs of childcare are absolutely ludicrous! Even though the government will subsidise these costs, for many, they are only working to pay transport and daycare costs.
So, what do you do?
You need money but you also need to be able to do something from home that will earn you the income you need. There are many options out there- but you need to ensure that you look into each one sufficiently to make sure it's right for you. There are options in party plan, network marketing, mystery shopping and paid surveys just to name a few.
When enquiring into each field, ensure you ask the right questions for you-not what anyone else has told you, nor their thoughts or opinions. Don't be put off by those business concepts asking for a small fee for more information- this is only to determine how serious are about working from home- think of it as a pre-qualification interview. Just do ensure, however, that your money is able to be refunded, and that you can view the website owners' contact details. Make contact with them first via email if you are still unsure- just to establish credibility.
Avenues such as mystery shopping and paid surveys take a while to build up income, however can pay within a couple of weeks- Just don't expect a huge paycheck from these guys. Be very wary, of those offering you to make huge incomes from home by completing surveys- if it really were that simple, wouldn't we all be doing it??
I personally entered into the world of network marketing when I was on maternity leave. Fortunately for me, I didn't need a huge income straight away. For a few years of hard work and building my business from home, I will be able to set my family up for life.
Party Planners need to be outgoing people and have the time to go and do these parties. Some may be close to you, others you may have to travel for. A new concept is E-Parties where you don't even go anywhere to host a party. However, the response rate is a lot lower that those traditional parties. You may need family or friends to watch your child(ren) when you travel to these parties. Ensure you look into the different commission structure that each company offers and choose a product you are interested in.
Whether it's direct sales, or party plan, you must believe in the product you are selling- otherwise you are wasting your time.
Working from home isn't for everyone- you need the dedication to separate your family time from work time. Once you've harnessed this skill, you have the opportunity to earn quite a high income working from home.
Emma Rhoades runs her own successful network marketing business from home. For over 2 years now, she has been helping others to succeed in network marketing and enjoying the chance to stay at home with their kids. For more information on starting your own network marketing business visit www.riches-4-u.org.
