WORKING FROM HOME

Working from home

How to earn extra money at home, and still be with your kids Many people give up caring about work when their worlds are turned upside down by their first child, but a few years on the reality of living off one income and doing little other than parenting starts to spark their interest again. This is when working from home can provide the perfect answer. Broadband internet, email and fax machines have made it all easier; often, people won’t know where you’re working from – or whether you’re still in your pajamas! There’s a huge diversity of work that can be done successfully from home:

Business services

• Word processing • Desktop publishing • Secretarial services • Bookkeeping • Stuffing envelopes for businesses • Web design and hosting

Home help

• Organizing kids’ birthday parties • Ironing and housecleaning • Looking after other kids in your home (for example, as a Barnardos caregiver) • Babysitting • Gardening, lawn mowing or window cleaning • Sewing, tailoring, mending, alterations

Other ideas

• Teaching computer and internet skills • Catering or specialist baking (for example, Christmas cakes or Christmas goodies) • Tutoring (high school students, English as a second language) • On-line trading • Market surveys and telemarketing • Translation services • Party plan selling (for example, books, Tupperware, lingerie, jeweler) • Health and beauty services (for example, massage, facials, hairdressing) Many professional mums contract themselves out from home as architects, lawyers, accountants, journalists, seminar presenters, authors, trainers, or consultants. The secret to success is discipline. Make sure the time you put aside for work is actually used for work. Never mind if the house needs vacuuming - do the business and worry about the rest later. If possible, have an office in a separate room. Have clear working times set aside and know when to shut the door -- but also when to stay out of the office. When you take a break from work, reward your child with some quality time. Whatever you do, sound advice is essential. And don’t get ripped off! Consumer Institute spokesperson David Russell warns against the adverts that promise “Earn money from home - $1000 a week or more…” Commonly, people are hooked in and then asked to send money in return for more information. “What they get back is something that really only teaches them how to rip off others.” Check the websites below for great tips, resources, networking opportunities and information on any regulations that may apply to the area you would like to work in. And good luck!