Looking at the statistics, at 32 I realized that I would never work for a company for 40+ years like my grandpa did. I wanted some consistency in my life and to take control of my future. Using a well respected franchise, I decided I was going to shift to self employment. Even at a young age of 32 the only thing I regret is not doing that earlier.
When I started my home-based business, it was slow going. I began on a limited basis while serving in uniform. Once I left the military, I discovered I had plenty of unfilled time and too few customers. Naturally, I made a lot of cold calls and worked all the warm leads I had, but with the poor local economy and no secondary income in the home, it was challenging.
But, 27 years later, I’m very thankful I made the transition decades ago. I’m now reaping the rewards for having build my work-from-home business through all the up and down economic cycles, the slow down after 9/11, and the local hardships after two major hurricanes in consecutive years.
I don’t have to worry about layoffs, downsizing, corporate mergers, or bankruptcy. I can only be fired by one client at a time.
And I’ve made my business somewhat recession-proof, by expanding the customer base both geographically as well as across several business and industry fields. With a product base of 800K+ items, I’ll always have something for my customers, regardless of price range.
Starting may be the best option for many, as it allows time for part-time or temp work, to bring in some income while building a home-based business. And working from home allows the individual to keep overhead at a minimum while building the business.
Fortunately for me, my business still fits in one spare bedroom, so my overhead is very low.
A career in sales isn’t for everyone, and doesn’t always lend itself to a home office, but explore the options. There are many sales people working from a home office that you might never expect.
The risks for home-based work are far less than with a store front or rented office space, making it easier to fund out of the limited cash flow on start-up. But, the rewards can be far out of proportion to costs, if you don’t have to pay rent, hire employees, or stock inventory.
And, with my own business, I don’t face a mandatory retirement age, as I might as an employee. I do plan to retire, just not until my 97th birthday. I enjoy my work and can work my business around my family priorities.
Consider the option of self-employment. There may be a life-changing career out there that’s only a few feet from your bedroom.
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