4/6/10 Powerseller Profiteer Newsletter

Why right now is the perfect time to start your own home business  

Hello!

A friend of mine has been having a really difficult time this week. She has 3 boys ranging in age from 18 months to 6 years who can be quite a handful as you can imagine, she also works part-time and due to the fact that her husband often works away on business, she juggles the smooth running of the house on top of all this. Like many working parents she plans her day with military precision, because it’s the only way she can get everything done. She knows exactly which child should be at which activity/club/school/nursery and at what time, has childcare covered when she is working and always has a dinner on the table each evening – fresh, healthy, wholesome and home-prepared of course. 

This could be a pretty close description of my day to day life a few years ago too so I really empathised with her when she telephoned me earlier this week, tearful and in a bit of a fluster. 

What had happened? Well, the half term school holidays happened! Ok, nothing unusual about that you might think and of course my friend had planned well in advance for this. However, what she hadn’t planned for was her sole provider of childcare becoming ill with a nasty case of gastroenteritis thus making it completely impossible for her to look after the children and leaving her in the lurch. Husband was away, one set of grandparents were enjoying a short break in Madeira, the other set she knew simply couldn’t cope with 3 young boisterous boys so she couldn’t even ask them, and my offer of assistance was rejected due to the distance we live apart and the logistics of it all. 

There was simply no back-up plan. 

I really felt for her because in one short moment, due to one small instance, all her careful planning collapsed around her. With a distinct lack of a workable Plan B, there was nothing she could do but ring her boss, explain the situation, apologise and take time off work as holiday. Luckily her boss is an understanding chap, but I know plenty of employers who would be less than sympathetic in situations like this and to be honest I don’t always blame them – a business is a business after all. 

Anyway, so it transpired that my friend has just spent the last 6 days at home with her children. I admit, when she called me back to tell me the whole sorry saga, I was slightly apprehensive because having known her since our schooldays, I knew it was quite likely that she would hate every minute of the situation she had been inadvertently thrown in to.  

Don’t get me wrong – she absolutely adores her children, but she also really enjoys her work – it’s her other life – her ‘grown-up’ life she calls it – a moment in time when she can wear smart clothes (in shades of white or cream if she so wishes) without fear of grubby handprints decorating the edges, she can adorn her arm with a petite designer handbag that can fit only her keys and purse within it, rather than the usual battered backpack full of wipes, teething rings, power-rangers and used tissues. It’s a moment when she feels like someone other than just ‘Mummy’ or ‘Wife’.  

I totally understand where she is coming from with this. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to dress up as I seem to spend most of my time in mud splattered, dog-walking jeans and a t-shirt! 

Apparently, it’s ok for me…  

“It’s alright for you.” She accused on Monday, which I sensibly chose to overlook because her stress levels were well in the red. “If you were in this situation it wouldn’t be a problem. You can just work when you want.” 

Yes, I know, great isn’t it! Obviously I didn’t actually say this out loud as it may just have tipped her over the edge, and I also thought it best not to mention that actually I wouldn’t be in her situation in the first place because I don’t need to arrange childcare for the holidays as I work from home!  

But all this got me thinking about my own situation and my lifestyle compared with hers. Just last week so many parents in the school playground were complaining about just how hard it is to find good, low-cost childcare during the holidays. Most of them have to juggle their children between grandparents, holiday clubs (which certainly aren't cheap and more or less defeat the object of working once you have paid the fees) and friends, whilst they go to work. And with the school summer holidays fast approaching in 6 weeks or so, it's at this time of year that I do really appreciate the decision I made a few years ago which as you know was to start an eBay business and work for myself.

Flexible family time can be yours too 

I simply don't have the problems I used to experience when I worked in my previous Advertising job. I now run my eBay business from my home office and my hours are extremely flexible. Unlike some of my friends, I am able to be at home with my girls’ during the holidays and we can do things together daily. I have no need for childcare and we are free to do pretty much as we please. If I can't fit in an hour or two of work during the day to keep things up to date, then I work for an hour or so in the evening after the children have gone to bed, which works well for all of us. 

I know plenty of other parents who would love to be in my position (and some who wouldn't - those like my friend who actually enjoy going to work in an environment away from home - but still love their children dearly and enjoy spending time with them) and that’s why I am so thankful that I took this path. 

Yes I still have to juggle work and leisure during the school holidays, but the important thing is that I choose, I don’t answer to anyone or have to book time off in advance. If one of the girls’ is ill I simply alter my schedule – there’s no messing about with grovelling apologies to my boss whilst being given a guilt trip. If I want to go and watch sports day or a school concert I can – it doesn’t matter when it is. The same goes if I want to take a whole day off and go shopping. I do what I want, when I want but the important part is that I am also doing a job that I enjoy, that is flexible and that allows me a very comfortable standard of living for working only a few hours a day. It's perfect for me, but funnily enough for all her moaning, I could never imagine my friend actually taking the bull by the horns, making a change and working from home.  

It was a shocker! 

So, I’m sure you can imagine how stunned I was when my friend telephoned me yesterday (in a very jovial, upbeat mood which was quite a feat in itself considering the week she’d had so far) and informed me that she was loving being at home, at which point she rattled off a list of at least 15 activities she had completed with her boys’ over the past 6 days, that her home was a mess and she didn’t care and she had given the boys’ fish fingers and ‘gasp’ chips for dinner on Tuesday. This was the most shocking part as I had never even caught a glimpse of anything remotely bread-crumbed and frozen within 40 feet of her kitchen in the last 20 years! 

Its early days but she has promised me that she will seriously consider working from home – possibly with an eBay business as she has dabbled in this area before – and I am right behind her. As I told her, if she seriously wants to stop the military precision that is her life, spend more quality time with her boys and gain the opportunity to earn a comfortable income with total flexibility then eBay is an easy place to start. And, the same goes for you! If you are ready to set up your own eBay business, all the details are here: 

eBay Business

It’s been an eye-opening few days for her and the advice I gave her this week applies to you too. With the onset of summer, if you haven’t made the decision already, now is the time for you to consider working for yourself and get the lifestyle you and your family deserve.

It was the best decision I ever made and I’m off now to enjoy what promises to be a scorching weekend!  

As always I wish you the very best of success, 

Amanda 

P.S Here’s that link again: eBay Business 

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I produce this newsletter on the understanding that these are my own personal opinions and experiences, which are as accurate as possible at the time of publication. I cannot be held responsible for any error in details, accuracy or judgment whatsoever. 

© Amanda O’Brien 2010 

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