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Dear Subscriber,
This past week, Alison and I were happy to be featured
in an article on MSN MoneyCentral concerning work-at-
home parents. The article is online at
moneycentral.msn.com
and the part about Noss Galen Baby is at the beginning
of the second section, near the bottom of the first
page.
Now being a work-at-home parent is not for everyone,
and for many career paths it simply is not an option,
but it is a growing trend in America, and we have been
amazed by the flood of emails we have received in
response to the article over the past week. Some were
from people giving us congratulations and "way to go"
messages, but most were from parents all over the
country who wanted to know how they too could work at
home, multiplying the time they can spend raising
their children.
So today I am going to reveal the #1 secret to
becoming a successful work-at-home parent. It isn't a
10-step course you can buy on the internet, and it
isn't a unique blend of all-natural herbs and spices.
The real secret is simply to make the committment to
do it. Once you have made that committment, your goal
is already in sight.
But there are some serious obstacles between here and
there. Most people who set out to be a work-at-home
family fall short and give up on their goal. Below I
have listed what I believe to be the three most common
reasons for this:
1) As soon as it becomes clear that it's going to be a
difficult road, they give up. Any business owner can
tell you that being your own boss is a tremendous
amount of responsibility. Too much for a lot of
people to stomach. The inevitable mistakes and
failures that occur when a business is starting up
have to be accepted and learned from, not dreaded. I
learned this lesson not only in our family business,
but also as an early employee at PayPal.com, which was
just a lowly Silicon Valley start-up when I joined in
February of 2000. No matter the size of the
business, the leader of the organization must have a
strong will to see it through to success.
2) They live beyond their means. It is possible to
make a fortune running a work-at-home business, but
for most people, it means making less money than they
were as an employee of a larger company. Most
Americans carry a significant load of debt, and
sustain a lifestyle at or beyond their current income.
A family in that situation has little chance of making
a successful transition from the traditional workforce
to a work-at-home business, where cutting costs can be
as important as raising revenues. The point of a
stay-at-home business is freedom, not wealth. Both
can be achieved, but it usually takes years to build a
wildly profitable enterprise.
3) They go into a line of business they know nothing
about. This is especially common with website-based
and eBay businesses. Many people get into it with no
knowledge of internet commerce, and even less
knowledge of whatever product or service they have
decided to sell. Such a business has almost no chance
for success. The first step in creating your own
business is to take stock of your own talents and
knowledge, not to look for what kinds of business are
making money for other people with a different talent
set.
Avoid those three pitfalls, make a commitment to
succeed, live within your means, take advantage of
your own unique talents and expertise, and anyone can
create a work-at-home business for their family.
For some wonderful small business resources and
advice, I also recommend The Small Business Brief at
www.smallbusinessbrief.com. Recently featured
by Forbes.com, The Small Business Brief is an
excellent starting point for anyone curious about the
world of small business.
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Have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Paul
Paul & Alison Martin
Noss Galen Baby LLC
www.NossGalenBaby.com
Copyright, Noss Galen Baby LLC 2004-2008
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