If you’re a busy mom working in an office then come home to take care of the fam, you probably dream of being your own boss one day (like I did).
One that allows you to spend more time with your kids. And one where you can pause to put laundry in the dryer anytime you like. That is the kind of life that is ideal for mom. And it’s no wonder more women are trading in the cubicle for their favorite spot in the house.
I was working in Corporate America when I got the itch. And I had enough of the long hours. Plus I was missing out on my kid’s growing up. And I was having a fly by night relationship with the hubs. Something had to give so I quit a secure job for the unknown. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner!
5 Crucial First Steps To Start A Home-Based Business
Working from home simply makes your life easier and more manageable. Plus you save a ton of money by not having to hire a sitter.
If you have friends who are currently their own boss with a lucrative home-based business, you’re likely to see the freedom to be an at-home parent while simultaneously making a healthy income from home.
Not to mention they are less stressed out about life.
And if that’s enough to make you want to take the first few steps towards starting your own home-based business here are 5 crucial steps to take towards starting your very own home-based business. Because you’ll never get there if you don’t start!
#1 Choose a niche that match your skills
Choosing a niche is crucial for any successful business. You need to be gifted at the service you’re offering and be an expert at it. Plus you have to have a passion for it too.
This means you’ll have to thoughtfully assess your talents and determine where your strengths lie. Whether your gift happens to be freelance writing, social media management, jewelry-making, baking, graphic design, marketing, or consulting, you’ll need to choose something to focus on.
#2 Create a website
In order to build a client base, you’ll have to look legitimate and professional. To start with, you should get a website.
The first step in creating a website is creating a domain. Your domain name should be short – as few letters and words as possible. It should also relate to your business. You’ll most likely choose your awesome business name first, and then see if a domain name that matches it is available.
After you create your domain name, you’ll have to hire a website designer. But this can be done for a low cost if you use a simple WordPress theme that doesn’t require a ton of customization.
You could even teach yourself how to build a simple website on WordPress by watching YouTube tutorials or enlisting the help of a tech-savvy friend.
#3 Find potential clients to pitch
It’s much easier than you’d think to find your first few clients. All it takes is some research to find clients who could use your services, and send them a pitch e-mail with an offer they can’t refuse.
For example, if your home-based business involves writing website copy, you could scour the internet for poorly written website copy and offer to re-write it for a reasonable fee.
Plenty of business owners make the classic mistake of outsourcing their website copy work. The problem with that is sometimes it’s written in broken English. Ultimately they’ll have to spend additional time to have it re-written.
As long as you choose a service to offer that is in high demand, you shouldn’t have a problem finding clients.
#4 Come up with a plan to stay self-motivated
When you start a home-based business, that means you’re becoming your own boss, which requires several traits that you must work on.
You must be self-disciplined, self-motivated, passionate, organized and hard-working. Plus you must be determined and take initiative. And you’ll have to stay on top of yourself to make sure you’re working hard each day to meet your goals and deadlines.
It’s a tough transition for some, because nobody is micromanaging you or reminding you to work. It’s all on you now. And you’ll have to come up with a plan that works for you so that you succeed.
#5 Learn about home-office tax deductions
If you use your home for business purposes, you’re entitled to claim a home office deduction and save some money at the end of the year when you do your taxes. This is often based on the percentage of your home that is used for business purposes.
Some people use more of their home for their business than others. For example, the entrepreneurial cupcake artist who uses her kitchen and also her computer room.
If you have to travel for work, you can also write of f some of the travel expenses. And if you drive for work, you can write off some of the gas expenses and mileage costs.
You can speak with an accountant to get more advice on what types of other expenses you can write off for your business.
Over To You
So those are the five first crucial steps to start a home-based business of your own.
I hope you found this post helpful.
Before you go, I hope you will share this post on social media so that other moms who are ready to become their own boss can know what to do first. Thanks!
