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WAHM finds new life in
her Work at Home Job

by Michelle Scavone

Before I was a WAHM.

Many years ago, in a time before children, I was a retirement benefit consultant working at a large, international consulting firm. I had a great job and I was paid very well. When my son was born, I made the decision to leave my job in corporate America and stay at home with him. My husband and I made the decision that I was better off becoming a stay-at-home mom. There was no way we could both have full-time, demanding jobs and raise a family without having a lot of outside help. So, at the tender age of 33, I retired.

As a new stay at home mom, I was terrified. What was I thinking, giving up that income? What was I thinking giving up my career? What was I going to do all day? Money was tight without my paychecks coming in. We still managed, but not without sacrifices.

A few years later my daughter came along. More and more I appreciated the freedom I had by staying home. I was able to watch them grow and be there for them at every turn. I was able to take them to classes, and play dates, and enjoy all the things they wanted to do. But more and more I also began to think about the burden my husband was carrying by being the sole provider for our family. I felt guilty about not working, but, on the other hand, I knew I couldn’t go back to my old job.

Becoming a WAHM

With my son in first grade and my daughter attending pre-kindergarten, I was beginning to have more time on my hands. How fun, right! I had been waiting for this for so long. Time to myself. I could go shopping; or have lunch with friends; or work out…okay, maybe not that. Quickly I realized that I needed to do something that was outside of the home; and, I needed to feel productive.

That’s when I started thinking about becoming a WAHM and looking for work-at-home job opportunities on the internet. I thought if I could find something with flexible hours and a flexible schedule, I would feel a little better! I could start helping out with the household expenses again, but still not miss out on any of the kids’ activities.

As a WAHM, I could have it all!

Three months ago, I found something that was truly the perfect match for me. I began working from home starting my own home-based business and it felt great. But, in the beginning it was pretty crazy. I couldn’t stop thinking about this great opportunity and the new challenge in my life. I was so excited to get started and learn as much as I could and prove to myself and my family that I could make this work. I loved the challenge and the idea of setting my own goals and seeing them met. Maybe I was a bit too excited, because my husband started to notice that the laundry wasn’t getting done as quickly as it used to; the dishes were piling up a little too high; those home-cooked meals were starting to be a thing of the past. What was happening here?

What happened was that this WAHM discovered one of businesses best kept secrets: the direct-selling industry. Even better was that with the company I had chosen to partner with, I was not asked to sell any products to anyone. I merely use one of the oldest forms of advertising…and that’s “word of mouth”. By promoting this company to others through consumer direct marketing, and setting up wholesale accounts, I am creating residual income to last me a lifetime.

At the time, consumer direct marketing was a pretty foreign concept to me. I collected as much information as I could, and discovered it to be quite an explosive industry. It was the perfect opportunity for people who are looking for financial freedom. For the first time in my life, I am my own boss. I set my own hours. I am accountable only to myself. What a sense of freedom and yet what a challenge. Would I be able to balance my family and my new business? How would this work?

It took me a good month to figure that out. At first, I was obsessed with learning everything I could about this opportunity. I was sneaking in to my office to check emails and phone messages. I was getting take-out a lot more than usual. I had no defined office hours and I was just thoroughly disorganized. I needed to take a step back and see the bigger picture. That’s when I started to make a plan. I purchased a large desk calendar and scheduled the days and hours that I was going to work. I talked to my husband about what I was doing and got his full support…receiving my first pay check helped convince him that this was worth supporting! I talked with my kids and they now know that if I am in my office and the door is closed, I cannot be disturbed. My house is back in order because I have scheduled time for that as well.

Now I’m a WAHM with a new life.

Things could not be better for us right now. My friends have commented that I seem so much happier ever since I embarked on this wonderful journey. Starting my own home-based business has given me something that I had been missing for many years – something that was mine. I love my husband and my kids with all my heart and I do not regret one minute leaving my career behind to become a stay-at-home mom. However, I think it is still important that women who sometimes sacrifice a little of themselves for the sake of their family keep something for themselves that also helps to define who we are. Having my own home business has given me the confidence to know that I can make a difference in my life and in the lives of others. I am not just my husband’s wife and my children’s mother….I am also a woman who has built a business from home and loves every minute of the day that I am working towards my goals.

WAHM tips for working from home:

• Look for a business that you are passionate about. There is nothing worse than trying to promote a company whose products you do not feel strongly about. One thing I found with my business is that I am very excited to talk with people about what I am doing.

• Do your homework. Make sure that the company you are working with has a proven track record of success. There are a lot of scams out there and companies that are just getting started. You want to look for a company that has documented sales information for you to look at.

• Find out what tools you will need to succeed in this business and see what the company will provide to you to help you reach your goals. Many companies provide websites, training and other business tools at no charge to help you start your business.

• Ask a lot of questions, especially about the compensation program. This should be clearly defined so you know exactly what you need to do to earn your desired income. Documented income statistics will also show you what others are earning and how long they have been working to reach those goals.

• Make sure you have a mentor or someone who is more experienced than you to help you establish your business and get you moving in the right direction. This person should be available to you for questions and guidance.

• Realize that nothing in life is free – you will need to invest time to get things started, but once you do the dividends will pay off! Don’t give up too soon. You may end up losing out on a great opportunity.

• Establish office hours and make sure your family recognizes the times when you are working. This might be difficult in the beginning. If your family is used to having you work outside of the home, they might have a tough time understanding that even though you are home, you are still working. Also, because your home is your office, you should also learn to stick to those office hours yourself so that your household do not get neglected.

• Recognize the tax incentives to being a WAHM with a home business. Consult your tax adviser to find out about how you can deduct many of your daily activities as well as a portion of your household expenses! Visit www.irs.gov to find out more.

The biggest lesson I have learned is knowing that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by starting my becoming a WAHM with my own home business. If I didn’t try, I would never know about the thrill and the joy of having my own business. I love working each day towards financial freedom with people who I have met along the way. I appreciate all the lessons I have learned and the confidence I have gained to know that I CAN do this.

Michelle Scavone is a WAHM and Marketing Executive, Finding Healthy Alternatives. You can reach her at her website.

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