I’ll admit it, I love analogies. I like to hear others versions, I like to give analogies and I enjoy thinking through similarities between analogical circumstances. That’s a mouthful! Michael Gray says over using analogies is like wearing dirty underwear, so I’ll keep it brief–no pun intended–seriously.

My daughter told me her tooth felt a little funny the other day and then she said it was fine.  Right! I looked in her mouth to check for any obvious signs of tooth pain-dark spots or wiggly teeth. All that could be seen was a tiny dark spot or crevice really. It may be a cavity, so we’ll have it checked out.

Then the wheels started spinning. I thought about how it’s really easy to ignore small dark spots in our lives or even in our businesses. But just because you ignore something doesn’t mean it goes away. Whether you are a leader or are taking someone else’s lead in your online job work it’s important to not overlook potential large scale problems. It may come in the form of a pesky relationship, poor customer service or staying silent about something that can be improved on. Address the issues at hand while they’re small and they won’t take over your business.

Staying on top of the dark spots will keep you ahead of the game and allow you to focus on what you do best-your job. It may be a little painful on the front end, but dealing with it now will prevent you or someone else from coping with a giant of a problem later on.

Last evening I had a date. It wasn’t as intimate as some others. Three or four thousand people joined my husband and I as we watched the University of Cincinnati play Texas Southern, but it was a blast.  

My husband is a basketball junkie and we were fortunate enough to get amazing second row floor seats. It was surreal for me. The players were so close and the view was unbelievable. My husband pointed out to me how some players have constant hangups. Some seem to be caught up on the mechanics of doing something they know how to do mentally, but are challenged physically to breakthrough.  

On the other hand, even when a team loses, they can have individual successes. If a player makes 50% of his free throws and improves to 70%, it’s a success. He may not make every free throw, but any improvement is an improvement-personally and for the team.  

Likewise with home business jobs, any positive changes you can make any skill you can improve on will make for a better business all around. Throw some new ideas around, look at your past methods and make some changes. If you’re doing things right, make it better. And if you don’t think there’s room for improvement, well, hit rewind, there’s always room for change.    

With the versatility the Internet offers Home Based Businesses for Women are more common and easier to find than ever. Traditional businesses such as selling cosmetics and cookware are really great options for many women (or men), but can feel stifling if you can’t attract enough prospects. That’s where the Internet becomes so useful. Not only is your outreach potential greater if you are selling a product or a service, but the types of businesses you can work for from home is limitless.   

An alternative idea I came across on Internet Based Moms is working as a personal shopper. As a personal shopper you are paid for the actual shopping bit, but primarily you are being paid to research products, services, deals and prices. Your shopping know how is valuable to your customers.  Sites such as Wishabi and Design Sponge will be valuable to you as you stay on top of current trends and hot products.  

Some valuable qualities to possess as a personal shopper are communication, creativity, and organization. Most people will run their own errands, but when you find the right gift or product for the right price for your client, they will think they can’t live without you. That is your goal.  

Clearly, as women, we have many talents and skills that are valuable. Your job now is to package your particular skills into a business and sell yourself. Your imagination will accommodate your goals, so dream big.   

Now more than ever virtually anyone can have an internet home based business and be successful at it-that’s key! With a focus on writing, it’s totally feasible to earn a living, full or part-time from home.  

First, consider resume writing as a work from home position. With the economy influx and many people starting a new career (or looking for a new career), resume writing is in high demand. Research online programs or software to aid in the process and become familiar with different formats and editing tools to make your work top notch.   

Next, look into ghost writing opportunities. You might find these listings under freelance writing as well. There are thousands and thousands of individuals and businesses who prefer to outsource writing large projects or small articles on a regular basis. Businesses need a constant flow of information to reach out to their clients and potential clients. The demand for fresh content is at an all time high.    

Lastly, and really my favorite writing opportunity is blogging. Blogging is such a natural way for individuals to communicate with groups of people. The rules are flexible and vary depending on what you are blogging about. Blogging has created a community of writers who lean into each other for support and information. You may want to start a blog for friends and family to check out and build it from there.  

No matter what opportunity you decide to pursue from home, do a little research first, invest some time and energy and decide on the right opportunity for you. Writing has worked for me and my family-for us it just fits. Finding the right fit can be a challenge, but when you do everyone, including you, will know it.

As cheesy as it sounds, at a time like now, with gas prices uncertain-although I’m quite thankful for the $1.79 gas I bought a few days ago, and my young children so dependent on a full-time stay at home parent, I’m beyond thrilled to be working at home. My daughter attends half day kindergarten but working from home has allowed me to stay pretty active with her classroom festivities. I’ll be helping and attending her first Thanksgiving feast next week and will also be there for all of the Christmas activities coming in the next month.   

I’m not passing judgment on any parents who choose not to stay home or can’t stay home. Everyone’s circumstances are different, as are mine. I’m grateful for having a flexible job that allows me the luxury of spending most of my children’s waking hours with them.   

Granted, like many home based business owners and parents, like Sarah Bray of S. Joy Studios, it’s not always an easy schedule. I work many early morning hours and late evenings, but having the option is a freedom in itself.   

If you’re interested in working from home yourself or just want some information about your options, peruse the site to get a few ideas.  And I’m always looking for new ideas to pass along to others. If you have a sweet work at home setup, I’d love to hear about it.

Possible work from home business opportunities can vary depending on the person, the skills, interest, availibility and more. The options can range from teaching music lessons to catering to even grooming pets.  Do a personal inventory to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are, what kind of schedule you are looking for and even what kind of people you want to look for. No preference should be overlooked.

Joy Chudcacoff of Smart Women wrote an interesting article titled Smart Women Make Great Choices . She gives brief insight into how some of us have great difficulty making choices of any kind. It’s really okay to take time when making decisions, especially critical ones. Doing a self-inventory and making a pros and cons list should be helpful if you’re having trouble nailing down a niche to pursue. I would also recommend talking with others who are doing the job you are considering pursuing.  

Make an educated choice you can live with, at least temporarily. Remember, it’s just a job, so if you change your mind at some point, it’s your business and you have the flexbility to do that.  But being passionate about what you get up and do every day is truly priceless. So, get get started on that list, change is just around the corner.

The unsuspecting LaRosa’s delivery guy never would have known that he was in for it. Not only did he deliver our pizza 15 minutes late, he didn’t have his delivery sign placed visibly in his window AND he forgot the extra pizza sauce. I’m referring to my short but rewarding stint as a mystery (or secret) shopper.    

The mystery shopping business has quadrupled in just the past 4 years. Businesses are more die-hard than ever, striving to improve their service and beat out the competetion. A business will contract out to a mystery shopping company for X number of visitors to their-restaurant, hotel, retail shop, etc. There are certain criteria that each place will be looking for in their employees. At Red Robin, for example, they may want to know if their server kept your drink refilled and how engaging he/she was. Once you’ve completed your visit, you follow up with the mystery shopping company-usually with a written report-and share the details of your visit. Your pay can vary depending on what business you are mystery shopping. Typically, you’ll get a portion-if not all-of your food/visit paid for plus maybe some additional pay.   

The benefit for those who want to be mystery shoppers is that there are more and better opportunities than ever. Every good business wants to improve the quality of their service and most importantly their customer service. And this can be a great part-time job for those who want a flexible schedule, as you accept the assignments that fit your lifestyle and time restraints. Really, anyone can use this money making idea.    

And by the way, the delivery guy from my story came back with extra sauce, free drinks and a dessert. Now you can’t beat that for customer service, and I made sure I wrote THAT down! 

While trying to manage my two-year old son recently-and I’m not talking about friendly re-direction- I mean real two-year old issues like hiding anything that might hurt when you get hit with it, because you will get hit with something at my house. Managing temper tantrums, using discipline consistently and tears, there will always be tears. I am reminded that much of parenting-or any relationship for that matter- comes with its fair share of power struggles. And then I got to thinking about how power struggles within a business can cause turmoil and sometimes the break down of the business.

So, I came up with a few characteristics that can help anyone working with another human being in any kind of business. Like Shawn Hessinger at Boot Strap Me says, teaming up can cut costs which gives your business more bang for its buck.

First, consider that having different skills within the same business is an asset. Working alongside someone that may be highly skilled in technology while you are great at presenting could make for an outstanding presentation. As long as you are on the same page, having different skills is a bonus for your venture.

Second, although being honest in and of itself isn’t bad, being honest and tactful is even better. Hand in hand with this is being open to criticism. A business grows through changing and improving. Be willing to give honest feedback, take criticism and make improvements and you’ll see your business evolve. And criticism shouldn’t be internal only, getting feedback from your customers is priceless.

Finally, be flexible. Working with someone can be a challenge by itself. Working together can multiply your efforts and divide the labor, so take advantage of it.

The bottom line, is if you are a business opportunity seeker, an existing business or a lone employee, teaming up with someone else can really improve the quality of your work and the quantity, so don’t shy away from a partnership.

An up and coming career for individuals who no longer want to work for someone else, but have enough corporate experience to be valuable, is working as a business coach.   

As a business coach it helps, but isn’t necessary, to have past experience with many aspects of starting a business. If you have an area of expertise, becoming familiar with businesses in that arena can work in your favor.  

Minimally, you should be familiar with legal issues involving business startup, where to start marketing, business models, business plans and helping new businesses secure funding. This usually will require some financial investment, but there are always less expensive options.    

An idea that doesn’t require so much business background and has a lower startup cost is a service or product like Carrie Lundell’s of  A Kid’s First Keepsake Journal.  Lundell used her past experience as a clothing designer to create a product that would allow children to be creative themselves. Whether, it’s scrapbooking, card making, or crafting a specific product that you can sell, these are all ideas that can be done from home.   

Whichever end of the spectrum you are on, professional or creative work, it all looks the same in the end-a business opportunity seeker who is independent and successful. Decide where you can be most valuable and then hold nothing back. The journey is exciting, but realizing your goals is exhilirating. 

As promised, I’m presenting some legitimate home based business work ideas today. A very common area where you can make your own schedule, work from home and go at your own pace is by selling a service.   

Upfront, this may seem trivial, to provide to others a service you do well, but the potential for a great business is huge. To start off, I’m talking small scale-from your home office or something compatible. It will take time to work up to the level of someone like Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks-also a self proclaimed entrepreneur.   

A great example would be someone like Shelly Hart of Go Girl, who provides products and packaging to women on the go.  Also consider a child party planning business, a copywriter or a medical biller.  Some services require more financial investment than others, but it’s primarily on your end, where you would be purchasing home office equipment (if you don’t already own particular equipment) marketing materials or supplies.   

Keep in mind that these are just a few ideas. Do a self-inventory first to determine where your skills lie, what you enjoy and what needs exist in the market. If you have more ideas, send them to me as well. And if you’re interested in sharing your work from home success story please send it my way, you could be featured here.