Business4Moms

So, you know you want to work from home, but not sure exactly what you want to do?

Well, in broad general terms, there are about 4 ways to make money from home.  They are:

Affiliate Marketing

• Affiliate Marketing – an internet based marketing practice where you get paid a commission per visitor or customer that you refer to another business.  In affiliate marketing the business handles all of the sales and currency exchange.  There is typically no start up cost, however it is highly recommended that you actually purchase and try the product or service before you market it.  Many affilliate programs have a minimum payout amount (as in, they won’t send you a check until you’ve earned $100)

Multi-Level Marketing/Direct Sales

• Multi-Level Marketing/Direct Sales for other company – In MLM or Direct Sales, you promote products of a company adn typically you are called a consultant, independent representative, or other similar title, but you are not direcetly employed by the company as a sales person.  In Direct Sales you earn a commission on each sale, and typically you handle the exchange of currency and delivery of the product.  In MLM, in addition to the direct sales commission, you also receive payment for introducing others to the direct sales opportunity of the company.  MLM can produce large incomes in a fairly short amount of time by capitalizing on the efforts of others as well as yourself.  Most Direct Sales/MLM will require the purchase of a “start-up” kit of products and materials as well as a monthly or quarterly sales or production minimum.  This amount varies greatly from company to company and is largely dependent on the type of product involved.

Product Based Home Business

• Product Based Home Business – This is the type of business where you, yourself make the product that you intend to sell.  Whether you sell home made candles, baby clothes, gift baskets, or other craft items, you are the maker and the seller of your products. You get to set your hours, method of sales,and cost of the items which will untimately determine your profit.

Service Based Home Business

• Service Based Home Business – Similiar to the Product Based Home Business, you do everything related to your business, in fact you are your business.  Examples would be seamstress, resume writer, virtual assistant, babysitting, etc.

All of these types of businesses can be marketed online or offline, depending on your personal preference.  We will talk more about the pros and cons of each of these types of business a little later.  For now, you just need to think about each type and get a feel for what would best meet your goals for your home business.