In contrast to the ever-present “Make Money Online” types of “opportunities” you can find on the web, there are hundreds of legitimate business and franchise opportunities available. You just have to know where to find them.
In this post, I’m going to tell you where to find businesses that may allow you to achieve your dream of being your own boss from the comfort of your own home.
Working From Home Sounds Great!
To a lot of people, the idea of working from home sounds fantastic.
Think about how great it would be if you could literally “walk to your office” (because it’s in the next room)? It’s pretty easy to visualize, right?
If that (and potentially working in your pajamas) sounds like something you’d like to do, there are a couple of things you need to know before you embark on a search for a home-based business.
Two Important Facts About Home-Based Businesses
Some facts:
1. It’s easy to get distracted.
Take it from me (I run my business from home), there are lots of things vying for my attention on a daily basis.
For instance, the lawn needs to get cut, our dog needs to exercise, the garage definitely needs to be reorganized, and the laundry is piling up, so there’s that. Notice I didn’t mention anything about my work needing to get done.
My point is this; if you want to work from home, you need to realize that there are always things to do around the house. Ask yourself if you’ll be disciplined enough to focus on your work and avoid the distractions that all home-based business owners face.
2. You may not be at home that much.
The fact is, there aren't many home businesses (especially in the franchise world) that allow you to stay at home and do your work all day.
Sure, you’ll be in your home office to do paperwork, client follow up and the like.
But the fact is, you’re going to have to make sales. And most of the sales activity needs to be done face-to-face. Out of your office.
That said, there are lots of non-franchise businesses around where you don’t have to leave the comforts of your home office.
How To Find A Home-Based Business
The best way to find a home-based business to own is through internet search engines.
That said, be specific when you do a search.
For example, if you strictly want to work from home, and you need to find an opportunity that won’t cost you much, type this into your favorite search engine:
“Low cost work from home businesses.” See how specific that is? You can try being even more specific by adding in a dollar amount: “Home-based businesses under $25,000.”
If you’re looking for a home-based franchise business, type in search terms like:
“Home-based franchises for sale.” Another one to try; “Franchises from home.” You’ll be amazed by the number of home-based franchises being offered these days.
Beware Of Work From Home Scams
Unfortunately, the internet has made it pretty easy for less than honest people to sell their wares...in this case, work from home opportunities.
From The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
“If you’re thinking about following up on a work-at-home offer, do your homework.* The FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule has safeguards in place to make sure you have the information you need to tell whether a work-at-home opportunity is a risky business. Under the Rule, sellers have to give you a one-page disclosure document that offers key pieces of information about the opportunity. Use the information in the disclosure document to fact-check what the seller tells you.”
*I recommend reading the entire section on home businesses located at FTC.gov before you start searching for a business you can run from home.
Note: Like all types of franchise opportunities, home-based franchise opportunities have their own set of disclosure requirements. Read about them here. Get educated.
In conclusion, if you’re attracted to the idea of working from home, a plethora of opportunities exist.
If you want to make a go of it, make sure you do your homework before you invest.
Because there may be something out there that’s perfectly suited to you. So you can work from home.
About the author
