The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide to Making Money from Home, Revised: Choosing the Business That's Right for You Using the Skills and Interests You Already Have

398 Pages·2000·1.61 MB·English

by  Folger

Copyright © 2000 by Liz Folger All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Three Rivers Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
THREE RIVERS PRESS and the Tugboat design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc
Originally published in the United States by Prima Publishing, Roseville, California, a division of
Random House, Inc., New York, in 2000.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Folger, Liz
The stay-at-home mom’s guide to making money from home / Liz Folger.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Home-based businesses—Management. 2. Self-employed women. 3. Mothers—Employment. I.
Title
HD62.38 .F65 1999
650.14’085’2—dc21 99–048742
eISBN: 978-0-30780471-6
v3.1
To my dad, W. H. McKay
C
ONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction: A Few Words from Liz Folger
P O
ART NE
Home Business Basics
1. Deciding to Start Your Own Home Business
2. How to Avoid Scams
3. Finding the Right Business for You
4. Setting Yourself Up for Success
5. Creating Your Business Plan
6. Money
7. Insuring Your Success
8. Keeping Your Home Business Legal
9. Marketing
10. Getting Online
11. How to Make Money on the Internet
12. Getting Down to Business
13. How to Manage Your House, Your Family, and Your Business
14. Staying Healthy
P T
ART WO
Home Business Profiles
Craftsmaker: Lucinda Claire Macy
Child-Care Provider: Karen Potter
Web Designer: Jennifer Czawlytko
Graphic Artist/Desktop Publisher: Julia Tavis
Childbirth Instructor: Sabrina Cuddy
Accountant: Victoria Phillips
Medical Biller: Robin Ferraro
Massage Therapist: Theresa Jones
Alterations and Sewing: Barb Marshall
Proofreader/Editor/Writer: Angie Peters
Tutor: Daa Mahowald
Word Processor: Diana Ennen
Floral Designer: Kim Swanson-Huff
Travel Agent: Jennifer Dugan
Telecommuter: Mary Kovoor
Herb Gardener: Carol Dowling
Freelance Photographer: Lisa Zaccagnini
Gift Baskets: Kathy Lindberg
Indexer: Marilyn Rowland
Caterer: Anna Marie Johansen
Architect: Rebecca Bostick
Wedding Planner: Packy Boukis
Basket Dealer: Joanne Winthrop
Pet-Sitter: Ann Masland
Greeting Card Writer: Sandra Louden
Nanny-Finding Service: Suzette Trimmer
Information Broker: Phyllis Smith
Newsletter Publisher: Trish Kasey
Professional Organizer: Elaine Courtney Moskow
Freelance Writer and Editor: Pat Curry
Soapmaker: Melody Upham
Medical Transcriptionist: Luci Godwin
Quilter: Tania Osborn
Craftsmaker: Amy Reiss Levitt
Attorney: Lisa Ciancio
Resources
Bibliography
About the Author
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
F IRST, I WANT to thank my husband for his encouragement and
support throughout this project. The guy has read this book more times
than anybody should be allowed. None of the superlative adjectives can
adequately define him. To my parents, Bill and Doris McKay, for their
continued support. I’m grateful to Bambi Dingman, my mentor, for
suggesting I give writing a try. A big thanks to Bonnie Hearn, my writing
teacher, for enlightening me on the art of focus; to my online writing
teacher, Blythe Camenson; and to Mary Anne Hultgren, my mother-in-
law, and her red pen.
Last and in no way least, I want to thank everyone who allowed me to
interview them for this book. The profiles in this book are what have
made it so popular. Without these work-at-home moms relenting to my
hours of interviewing, The Stay-at-Home Mom’s Guide to Making Money
from Home would have never been possible. I thank each one of you
from the bottom of my heart! You have taught me, and every person
who reads this book, more than you will ever know.
I
NTRODUCTION
A Few Words from Liz Folger
You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it
come true.
—Richard Bach
Y OU’VE PURCHASED THIS book because you want to make a difference
in your life and in the life of your family. Maybe you’ve worked your
40+ hours a week and are tired of spending so little time with your
family and are looking for a different way to make money. Or you’re a
stay-at-home mom who would like to make some extra cash. Whatever
your reason for picking up this book, I’m here to tell you this: You can
do anything you set your mind to. And I’ll tell you why.
When I had completed an earlier edition of this book and had sent it
off to the editors, I was, how shall I put it, beside myself. Writing a book
was not a longtime passion of mine, nor did I have the English major to
back me up. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even have a college degree. I
simply liked the subject of moms working at home, wanted to be a work-
at-home mom myself, and looked around for a book on the subject so I
could learn how to make this goal a reality.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find such a book. So I decided to write it
myself. I couldn’t think of a better way to learn how to work at home
than to interview successful work-at-home moms and compile their
information and other resources into a book. So that’s exactly what I did.
After sending my manuscript off to the publisher, I called my writing
teacher Bonnie Hearn. I had taken a writing class from her through an
adult-learning school when I lived in Fresno, California. I learned so
much from her and she had, in more ways than one, become my writing
mentor.
I immediately told Bonnie, “I did it. I finished the book, on time, and
mailed it off to the publisher.” And do you know what she said to me?
“Liz, you’ve written a book, you can do anything now.” I don’t think
anyone has ever told me those words before. I can’t even tell you how
good I felt about myself when she said that to me.
And you know, you don’t have to write a book to get to that point.
In case you’re like me and have never been told those beautiful words
before, I’m taking matters into my own hands and I’ll tell you myself:
Whatever your goals, dreams, and ambitions, you can accomplish
them. You can do anything you set your mind to. That is, if you really
want it badly enough.