20 Questions That Helped Me Take A Leap Of Faith And Change Careers

When I was working more than 45 hours a week in a job with a two hour commute each day, the challenge of a new husband, new step children, two beagle dogs and maintaining a home was more than a stretch! Something had to give, and unfortunately I was the one starting to not be able to hold it together!

It was a Catch 22 situation. We had an expensive home near the city center with large mortgage costs, which demanded feeding through joint incomes. So we took (what seemed) a gigantic leap of faith and sold the house, buying a less expensive one further into the suburbs. This house is actually on more land and better than our 'old' one. The best thing is the upkeep is less, the house larger and the area more pleasant.

The next big leap was for me to get fully involved in our home business, which my husband had been working for six months. At first I couldn't see how a home business could keep me interested after mergers, acquisitions, share floats and working with some of the largest corporations in our country (and the world). This really was a worrying point for me.

However, I soon discovered a home business could contain all the excitement, victories and thrills of my previous work, without the stress, backstabbing and hassles from people. For me the challenge is interesting and results rewarding. So, to help those who are toying with the idea of making a change, rest assured a home business can be a great vehicle for you to gain work life balance and enjoy your family as well as make a good income.

One of the great things about many home businesses, is that you can get them started while you are in your current job and make a full time transition when you and your business is ready. You can take things at your own pace?.after all, it's your business!

To help you know what to look for when considering an internet based home business, here are 20 questions to ask.

1. Is there a large market for the products?

2. What type of person would use the product? Nearly everyone or only people from a narrow demographic?

3. Are there a range of products to suit a range of human needs?

4. What is the industry trend? Rising, shrinking or stagnant?

5. Imagine five, ten and 20 years into the future. Can you see this product still being popular?

6. Is the product one that is consumed by customers and need to be replaced on a regular basis?

7. Is the product one that can build customer loyalty?

8. How is the product delivered to customers? Drop ship from warehouse, over the internet, or you deliver it?

9. Is there are proven business system, or do you have to create one? (ouch!)

10. Will they provide you with proven sales material? (links, banners, classified ads, sales letters etc)

11. Will they give you leeway to develop your own promotional material?

12. How often will you receive a commission check?

13. Do you get a large percentage of each sale as your commission?

14. Can you be notified electronically of a sale?

15. Is there a reputable sales tracking system? Can you access this online?

16. Is there training and support? Do you have someone to talk to or are you left on your own? Is this round-the-clock and both online and offline?

17. How long as the company been operating?

18. Do they have a track record of meeting their promises to affiliates?

19. Is the company listed on a stock exchange and meet corporate legislation?

20. Who runs the company? Are they well respected and credible?

Suzanne Beardsmore is a busy HR Manager, mother to teenage family and homemaker. She has found balance by replacing her corporate income with a home business. If you are interested in earning $500-$5,000+ per month around your schedule, visit: http://free2liv.com/?refid=20qstns-567888466


More Resources

Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door!
Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate for all the reasons you may imagine. Yet employees, managers and business owners do it all the time.
What Do You Want From Life?
The tragedy for millions of people is that they never decidewhat they want from life and make plans for it. Life will provide whatever we demand.
Relocation Myths and Stereotypes
You've probably been taught not to stereotype people based on race, religion or sex. But when you make a career or other life choice, do you still make decisions based on stereotypes?Relocation Myths"Big cities are unfriendly.
Write And Get Hired
Want to get hired faster than up to 97% of other job seekers?Well, you can. By doing two simple things almost nobody else is doing:1) write down a job search goal and2) read it out loud 10 times a day.
Get That Job: Mastering Job Interviews
I've heard it said?in fact, it might well have been me that said it - there are few things more excruciating in professional life than the job interview. Job interviews are awful! Throughout my career I have attended many and conducted many more, and the truth is whether you are the candidate or the interviewer, job interviews are challenging and confronting and difficult - but you can not only survive but learn to be a masterful interviewee by developing an understanding of what it is the interviewer needs to see and learning to conduct yourself with clarity and confidence.
20 Ways to Advance Your Career
To survive and thrive in today's competitive environment, it is not just what you know. You also need to be competent.
Learn Some Useful Feng Shui Career Tips
As it does with every main life aspect, feng shui also provides tips and guidelines to help you improving your career. If your career is not moving on in the way you wish, that is due to a lack of balance and harmony within your environment and the elements that affect it.
Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come --
Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse. You may even remember last year not getting past February.
Business & Career: Know Your Ruling Star!
"Know your Ruling Star. One man is better received by one nation than another, or is one welcome by one city than another.
Tips For Surviving As A Corporate Refugee
In her book "Are You A Corporate Refugee", Ruth Luban associates "corporate refugees" with refugees who never intend to leave their home country. People who are uprooted from the familiar terrain, customs and native language they've known for a very long time.
Job Hunting Tips: Assessing Personal Value
A week out of work is a vacation. You can sleep late in the morning, revel in your newly found free time, shop when the stores are empty, and get around to those chores you have been putting off for too long.
How to Use Flow In The Job Search
What is "flow"? Flow as described by thepsychology professor and educator,Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a state of being andbehavior. The behavior is one of complete absorption in a task.
Sweeping Up Worms
With the opening of a new venture and numerous reporters arriving in an hour, it felt like one of those "chickens with heads off" days. We were close, but not ready.
5 Simple Rules for A Great Job Interview
Many years ago, when I was a young job-searching greenhorn, I ventured to New York City to take a bite out of the big apple of opportunity.When it came to finding a job in a crowded city of millions, I quickly learned that it's much easier on one's sanity to sign up with one of the many employment agencies which helps job seekers looking for work.
Make a Good Living Doing What You Love
Don't let anyone talk you into going to college when all you really want to do is be a chef or tear apart a car engine.Some times our society pushes the wrong thing on us.
5 Resume Mistakes Telecommuters Often Make
Finding a legit telecommute job can be difficult. Telecommute jobs are in high demand and hundreds if not thousands of other people are competing for the same position.
Consultants - If We Cant Laugh At Ourselves?
There are hundreds of varieties of Consultants these days. We can find Consultants to take care of our diets, our physical well being, our mental well being, and pretty much anything you can imagine when it comes to business.
Thank-You Notes: Your Thoughtfulness will be Rewarded
I get asked these questions over and over: "Should I send separate thank-you notes to everyone who interviewed me? Can I just send one thank-you note to the hiring manager and ask him/her to thank others involved in the process?"The answers are yes and no, respectively.Send a separate thank-you note to everyone who interviewed you, whether it was an informal pre-interview phone call, an interview lunch meeting, or the final formal interview after a lengthy process.
Manage Your Boss - And Get Ahead!
It's clear there are a number of common issues faced by business people across totally unrelated industries and environments. This series was created to provide some perspective and guidance to executives as they negotiate their way up the corporate ladder.
How to Track Your Right Career
Are you lost in the wilderness when it comes to choosing a career? Once, we knew the way. As children, we played at different roles, but some became our favorites.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

A Bit of Pollyanna
"Stop being such a Pollyanna," a trusted, more experienced colleague counseled as we took the long route back to my office. He had just witnessed my project idea annihilated as co-workers eagerly argued why my idea wouldn't work, where it was flawed and why it shouldn't be funded.
Career Change: A Glittering Invitation To The Emotional Stalkers
As much as you are yearning for career-change, and as much as the trends actually favor it, just contemplating a shift is a glittering invitation to four emotional stalkers who love nothing better than to play a nasty game of team-tag at your personal expense. When you unmask these bandits -- even a little -- they begin to lose their emotional charge - leaving you free to more fully explore the opportunities to re-invent yourself.
Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs?
Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices.
Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview
There are many reasons why you could be in the marketfor a new job right now. Perhaps.
Job Lead Websites To Use in Your Telecommuting Search
Let me ask you a question: are you tired ofusing job sites only to find scam after scam? I bet you're noddingyour head in agreement to that question. I know that I was sickand tired of spending all my time online searching fortelecommuting jobs only to find scams.
Networking Masterclass - Part 1 - Practicing Empathy
Practicing Empathy - A vital part of your networking skills is your ability to build rapport quickly and effectively with others. To build rapport successfully with another individual you need to understand 'where' they are coming from and have 'empathy' with them.
Job Search -- One of the Secrets of a Trade Show
A trade show is a great place to network, look for a job, find a new employee or develop a partnership.Are you in the market for a change? Maybe.
How to Tell if You are Fired and Just Dont Know It
No one should be fired and be surprised about it. There are always warning signs.
Job Search Tip for College Students
Today everyone is looking for that special job that will suit their exact needs. In this day and age we all have circumstances, situations, obligations, etc.
Get In Career Shape
Research suggests that as many as 8 out of 10 employed adults are in the wrong job or career! They are in poor career-shape or have little or no career-stamina.If you are one of the 8 or your goal is to shape up, it is important to have a good understanding of some basic career management principles for a healthy career workout and to help you make the best decisions about your career on a day-by-day basis.
De-Bunking The "Follow Your Bliss" Myth
Hello Fellow Seekers!I don't know about you? but I'm pretty tired of hearing about how you can "follow your dream" in three or four easy steps. I've seen plenty of people leap before they sufficiently looked --and end up dissatisfied or broke, or both.
Become an LPN, the Fast Path to a Nursing Career
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) CareersLicensed Practical Nurses provide the most amount of direct patient care within the nursing category of healthcare. If you're interested in a healthcare career dealing directly with patients, becoming an LPN is a rewarding opportunity.
Job Hunting Tips: Containing Anxiety
It hangs from the ceiling above your bed while you toss through the night hours. It waits inside the door of every employment office you enter.
Find Passion for Your Work
Most people spend approximately 25% to over 67% of their waking hours working. Eventually, most everyone will want to work in a career that they enjoy and are paid well enough to live a prosperous life.
Top 10 Skills for New World of Work
There are many changes coming in the world of work, such as increased competition, the need for more education and certifications, and the trend to change careers 5-7 times in a lifetime. No matter what job or career path you decide to take, there are some basic skills that all employers look for.
During Midlife Change: Are You a Jumper or a Clinger?
Over the years, I have identified two kinds of midlife career changers: Jumpers and Clingers.Jumpers thrive on energy, enthusiasm and improbable luck.
How to Write Cover Letters That Increase Your Chances of Winning an Interview
Submit a poorly written cover letter and the chances are your resume will end up in the trash bin without even being looked at.On the other hand, a well written cover letter can almost guarantee you get an interview.
Franchising Offers NO Guarantees --
You have to ask --- IS a FRANCHISE FOR YOU?There are NO guarantees. You invest your money and take your chances.
Love What You Do!
"To love what you do and feel that it matters, how on earth could anything be more fun?" --Katherine GrahamI want to share with you a great success story from one of my clients, Susan*, because I am so proud of her. Susan had been working in the computer industry since college (8-10 years) and though she was financially and professionally successful, she felt dissatisfied with her career.
Job Hunting: Its Still The First Impression Stupid!
In the 1992 USA Presidential election, political strategist James Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign office that read, "It's still the economy, stupid." His intent? Simply to keep everybody focused on the most important issue of the day.