Have a Work at Home Plan

My Personal Work at Home Plan

How Kelly Land Works at Home

Work at home had never been something I’d seriously considered. Oh sure….I had done some odd jobs to earn extra cash, but a full time or even part time REAL work at home career wasn’t something I had given a lot of thought to. I would need a work at home plan, like a business plan.

My job in radio was very satisfying. It’s what my 4-year degree in college was in. I loved it. But at 34 years old, and being pregnant with my second child — I was thinking work at home looked like a great option. Could I do it? Were there real jobs in the work at home field?

Being an avid user of the internet since 1992, I began my searching in 1998. It took a while, but by 2002 I had found several part time positions, and a home business or two that would allow me to bring in the income I needed.

My first work at home position was being a chat room moderator for a company in New York City that represented BIG clients. (This company no longer exists) I worked several different chat rooms and different hours every day. Each shift was around 2 hours and paid about $7 an hour. I Maybe got 10 hours of work a week –so I have plenty of room to add another work at home job.

The next one I went for was a writing job. It was writing descriptions for travelers. I would write, and take pictures of Asheville, NC — the biggest city that I lived near by, and one that frequented tourists.

True–I had to travel into town somewhat to take photos….but nothing extreme. I think it paid “per description and photo” — so again….not a lot of money. I think I was up to about $150 a month at this point.
I decided to look around at home businesses or opportunities to add to my current work at home schedule. I’d done a direct sales business before and enjoyed it–so why not.

I jumped right in with a Wellness Company. To this day….eight years after I signed up, I still buy their products! I love them that much. However…starting with them coincided with starting my website. And I just couldn’t invest the time. Great company though, and fabulous environmentally safe products for your home and wellness products for your family. Each month, I still get a small check from them for referring others to their products and home business years ago! That’s residual income!

After things got more settled with my website, I decided to add another website and join an easier home business that fit into my life style with a toddler. I wanted something that didn’t require a lot of phone time and I was proud to endorse.

I had steered away from direct sales.  Not because I don’t think they are a great way to earn from home, but because of the time and effort that’s really needed for them to be successful.

But I have always loved the idea of selling Avon. I loved looking at their brochures and ordering products – and I thought….why not sell it??

So….I do sell Avon – but it’s the type of direct sales that doesn’t require home parties. So this is huge for me. The difference between handing someone a brochure and a whole home party….well, it’s much easier for me. I can make all my deliveries in one day. I’m out running errands one day a  week any way. So – every other week – I drop off orders and more brochures. I also service a lot of big offices and banks….so dropping off orders is a cinch. I have one main “go to” person and they have everyone’s payments ready. I stay in contact with my customers via email…..I hardly do anything on the phone anymore.

I also have an Avon website….which is awesome for friends and family that don’t live near me. They can take advantage of all the sales, all the great new innovative products (Have you heard about Avon’s new Anew Clinical Crows Feet Corrector?! FABULOUS!) The website only costs me $7.50 a month and it’s all set up and redy for me to take orders.

Brochures are really NOT that expensive. People say that….but they are not. It costs me $19 for 100 brochures!
I can make that up with one order.
It’s just $10 to sign up as an Avon Rep too…..so hey, can’t beat that!

So I’ve approached the whole direct sales business aspect of making money at home in a way that suits my
lifestyle, my time….and that’s what you need to do to.

For me….talking on the phone and home parties…..it’s just not going to happen. I cannot carve out anymore time in my life for that.

So what do else do I do besides Avonand my websites? I do several online money making programs. (NO – these are NOT get rich quick programs!! They are incremental income programs that aren’t super time consuming that I can do right from my computer.

FusionCash is probably one of the biggest ones. Also Memolink. But I have several “read email” for pay programs that I do as well. Hits4Pay is one of the newest “paid to read email” programs that I’ve started doing. I earned over $27 my first month!

So now…. I bring home around $1000 to $1200 a month. The difference it makes for us – well, it’s a lot. I take my kids to school and I pick them up. I cook dinner and the housework is manageable. It helps that I have a fabulous husband too!

There are certainly trade offs. I could make more being in radio full time again and doing remotes every weekend for the station. BUT…. I would have missed so much with my kids. I always remember a saying I once saw….”Do you really want…’I wish I had spent more time at the office’ on your tombstone?” I sure don’t. I want to know I was the best mom I could be, and that the sacrifices I personally made, were the best ones at the time I made them.

We all have journeys and paths… how much we influence those paths…. who knows? Work at home is liberating, but can really put your budget through the test. Also…work at home IS work. It’s not “pretend” office time. You don’t work…you won’t make any money, no matter what career you choose. Signing up to be an Avon Rep and then sitting around looking at the catalog yourself will earn you…..ZILCH.

Keep searching, keep dreaming. Those that don’t give up hope reach the finish line.

More Work at Home Articles:

Stuffing Envelopes – Work at Home Fact or Fiction?

Work at Home Forum Networking

 

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