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Ready To Work From Home?
By Pamela Gold
"I have so much flexibility. I can attend my children's soccer games and school plays. I can stay home with them when they get sick. I can shop in the morning and work in the evening if I prefer! I am not tied to anyone's schedule," explains Kellie Healy, who previously worked in the corporate world for twenty years. Today, Healy happily owns and runs a Sports Section franchise from her home.
Healy worked for 18 years for Consolidated Natural Gas and for two years as the Senior Vice President of PNC Bank. "I spent 20 years in the corporate world and both companies I worked for went through downsizing. It was hard to let people go and the long hours, stress, and time away from my children became increasingly more difficult. I just didn't like the lifestyle anymore and knew I had to make a change," Healy said.
"I had a couple goals in mind when I looked for the perfect business to buy. I wanted to work from home and I wanted to do something totally different. I know I will eventually have to move into an office as my business grows, but I truly love the flexibility and freedom that working from home offers me right now. I choseThe Sports Section because I love photography and I love children. This seemed liked the perfect business for me! It is also a fairly low investment because you do not have to invest in real estate. I also liked the fact that it's a franchise but you still run your own business. I received so much positive feedback from the franchisees I spoke to before I purchased the business. I realized that not only was it a business with a lot of potential, but there was also a phenomenal support system amongst the over 140 franchisees. The Sports Section is a turn-key business and once I received my training, I was ready to start working," explained Healy.
Tired of the Corporate World
"I worked in the supermarket business for 38 years. When the supermarket I worked for was bought out, I decided I didn't want to work for another corporation. I had worked for Safeway for 33 years. That's when I decided I wanted to work for myself. I had never thought of working from home. I looked at many opportunities because I had no particular industry in mind. Maui Wowi caught my attention because they did not have any royalty fees. I found no other franchise that didn't ask for royalties. It was also less expensive to get into in comparison to many other franchises. Also, I didn't need to invest in real estate and I didn't need to hire any employees. I could work when I wanted to and it was obvious that we would have lots of flexibility," stated Lou Rizzo. Rizzo and his wife, Barbara, own a Maui Wowi franchise in Denver, Colorado.
Both Rizzo and Healy were tired of the corporate world. Their stories are typical. After many years in a corporate setting, many people want a change of job and of lifestyle. Owning your own business and working from home are highly appealing when looking for a change of career and a true change of lifestyle.
Working From Home Has Its Challenges
Factors that must be considered before starting your business from your home include the fact that there may be some vague boundaries. Where does your home and personal life start and your office and career end. There must be separation and you must set the boundaries. You may feel a sense of isolation if you worked in a busy office and you no longer have many or any co-workers. You will also have to be very self-disciplined. If you are not the type of person who can set and keep a schedule, you will have major challenges when you run your business from your home.
"For me, the challenges of working from home, include initially not really being set-up to run an office out of my home. Also, distractions can be a big issue. It's not as bad when the kids are in school all day, but there are certainly distractions at home that you might not have in an office. Additionally, I find that I am always working. I find it hard to walk away from my work and often I have to tell myself to stop when I find myself on my computer at 10 pm," stated Healy
Rizzo explains, "Some advice I would definitely give to those thinking about working from home with a spouse, is that you must have a very, very good relationship with that person. Also, both you and your spouse should be committed and passionate about the product. If only one of you truly wants to do this, it will not work and there will be big problems. If one of you worked and the other did not, it might be difficult to suddenly both share the work and also spend 24 hours a day with each other. The commitment to the business and each other must be there."
What Kind of Person Does it Take?
Working from home and working your own business is not the perfect combination for everyone. It takes a certain type of person to succeed. One must have drive, ambition, be highly organized, passionate about what they do, and have discipline, amongst many other qualities.
"You have to be a self-motivator to work from home. No one tells you that you have to go to work, but if you don't keep up with the work, you won't get a paycheck! I believe you have to be passionate about your work and the product. You also have to be prepared to deal with what might come up," stated Rizzo.
Healy explained, "Working from home is such a personal decision, but I think one needs to be a disciplined person in order to succeed. I didn't find it hard to work from home because I worked for twenty years in an office. It was easy for me, but I wasn't used to watching TV or doing housework during the day. I imagine it would be a more difficult transition for someone that has not worked in an office for many years. I think one needs to remember that when it is your own business, you have to do everything. There's no getting to it tomorrow and that takes discipline."
Freedom, Flexibility, and Cost
What are the advantages of working from home? The reasons are varied and numerous. Being available for your children. Working on your own time and setting your own schedule. Having home comforts at work. Having the convenience of working from home. Also, running a franchise from home will greatly reduce the initial investment necessary to start your business because you will not have to pay huge real estate fees, and operating and inventory costs will be considerably lower in a home-based business. The list goes on and on. First and foremost, you can achieve a lifestyle that gives you freedom and flexibility.
"Flexibility is a huge advantage to working from home. I can take a break whenever I want. I can eat whenever I want, too! There's great flexibility and freedom in working from home," said Rizzo.
He continued, "We're very organized. We work weekends, from Mid-May to Mid-September, so on Mondays we do accounting and bookwork. We also need what amounts to one day for preparation for the weekend. We will travel to event sites, order supplies, make arrangements, and repair equipment. So, we end up with about 3 days of freedom. I choose to run the business this way. If we wanted to, we could certainly choose to spread the work out differently. It all depends on one's needs, but working from home definitely grants you flexibility."
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Are you ready to work from home? Are you tired of your current career and of traveling to an office every day? Start investigating opportunities today. You can and will find an opportunity that suits your needs and interests.
