I am a Proud WAHM (Work At Home Mom)

***Please note this piece was originally written a few years ago. Before Covid, when most families had at least one person working a 'normal' job and it wasn't quite so hard to find a job. Before the cost of living skyrocketed. Before people started getting fired for refusing to be vaccinated.

The pandemic has more SAHMs crying over social media about how the economy crash has made it necessary for them to return to the workforce. More and more I am talking to men that need to find new ways to make a living to support their families.

I'm seeing more people than ever before struggling financially. Once upon a time you seldom heard of someone committing suicide over their financial situation. It seems that in the last year and a half, I have heard of at LEAST one person a week doing just that. That's just in MY circle, I can't even begin to imagine the global statistics. I find this especially heartbreaking because I KNOW that it's possible to make ends meet without a traditional job.

It takes some pretty serious mind-bending if you've been raised with the mindset that the only way to have decent income is to get a job, but I'm here to tell you it IS possible... and no this is NOT a scam! I have absolutely no intention of conning you into sending me all of your money without a return for your investment. I don't want your money, unless of course you can afford to give me some of it... in which case, see the little 'Tip' button at the bottom of this page?

I simply want to help you bend your thinking. I want to, hopefully, ease your worries and, fingers crossed, your financial burden.

Everything is going to be okay.

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I'm by no means a millionaire, but I'm a simple person and am more than content to make ends meet and have some money set aside for an emergency or just to enjoy simple pleasures... I am passionate about having time to spend with people I love, or on my own doing things that I love. Financially, that's where I'm at. If some unexpected bill or other expense comes up, I can easily work a little harder to accommodate whatever arises. I know that if I wanted, just a little more effort could give me a nice nest egg, but I am blessed & for that I am grateful!

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You've probably seen thousands of ads for home based business opportunities and asked yourself if it's really possible to make a living from the comfort of your own home. The short answer is YES! BUT it isn't always as easy as some MLM's will try to lead you to believe. I am writing this to try & pull together what I have learned in almost 3 decades of trying to make it work... & I haven't worked 'for the man' in nearly twenty years! I was originally inspired to write this by requests from fellow Fibromyalgia Warriors, so it is going to be based a lot on my experiences as someone who suffers from chronic pain/illness, which limits what I am capable of.

I have a LOT of advice gleaned from years of trial and error. I want to squeeze it ALL into one document, but I do suffer from fibro fog (I've recently had an ADHD diagnosis added), so please bear with me.

This is a not a step that anyone should take lightly. I have yet to find an MLM that will have you making thousands of dollars a month right out of the gate! I am not going to slam any particular businesses, because my intention isn't to slam anybody or business. Remember this is ALL my personal experience, no hype, just honesty. There are legitimate companies, that provide the potential for a very lucrative income, but it takes time and effort and sometimes a large financial investment.

That being said, let's get into the real meat of this article... what have I found that works?

First and foremost, when considering working from home, think about yourself!! What do you enjoy doing? What do you believe in? What are your strengths and weaknesses? If you can't stand behind what you are trying to sell, you won't be able to sell it. If you don't enjoy doing it, you won't be able to stick to it & it's not worth doing. Do you have any hobbies that could be marketable? I crochet every single day & find there is a very high demand for handmade items. I'm also breaking out my sewing machine, which I haven't done in years. I have done Farmer's Markets & other vendor fairs to sell my wares, but am slowing down on that lately, as they can be very physically demanding & I'm finding success marketing items on my Facebook page. Some other things that I have seen do well at local markets are produce & plants, woodwork, jewelry, soap, baking, & painted barn board signs. Pinterest is a great source of ideas. I used to sell fresh produce at markets & in peak season it was not uncommon to make $3000/week.

***Since Covid hit I have stopped attending markets altogether and am now selling my wares from the comfort of my home or offering home deliveries IF I happen to be venturing out. I do not deliver on demand. ***

Some things to keep in mind if you are considering doing vendor markets. If you suffer from chronic pain & fatigue, the travel, loading, setting up, sitting for hours, then packing up, loading & unloading when you get home can be too much. That is the biggest reason I stopped doing markets & using social media to market my products. Keep cost in mind. Table/booth rents vary greatly from one venue to the next & that is going to impact your bottom line. I will seldom pay more than $40/table, unless the venue manager can guarantee that several hundred people will be coming through the door.

Another good way to find ideas for making money is to jump on Social Media. I'm no guru when it comes to the techy stuff, but I know that I constantly see ISO ads on marketplace. What sorts of things are people in your area looking for? Lawn services, dog walking, car detailing, house cleaning or home organization, home renovations, you might just be surprised by what people are willing to pay you to do. Also don't forget to look at what other people are doing to make cash from home. Reach out to people you may know that have turned their side hustles into full time incomes for advice.

It is also extremely important to recognize that your livelihood is now going to absolutely depend on your reputation! You aren't simply going to be able to put in your time and receive a paycheck. When you're your own boss you need to remember that if people don't like you, they are NOT going to give you their money. One bad review could truly ruin you.

Make sure that you look in to the laws and bylaws for your area. You may need a license to run a business in your home, or certain certification. There may be restrictions on how much traffic you can have coming and going, how you are allowed to display advertising and even how business materials are to be stored. If you're bending the rules and someone decides to report you, you could end up with huge fines and in some cases may even end up in jail! So make sure you cover your bases.

Now let's get into MLMs... I'm pretty sure that most of you figured this was just going to be a plug for ONE particular MLM business. Not so! Yes, I AM going to plug the ones that I am currently involved in, but this is more about what to look for in finding the right fit for you. Plus, it's important to keep in mind the old adage 'don't put all your eggs into one basket'. I am currently enrolled with three home based business companies. Don't be afraid to explore and even try out several different companies at one time... multiple streams of income is NEVER a bad thing.

Some pretty basic questions to ask yourself about any business you are considering joining... Are you already familiar with the product? Do YOU use it? Love it? Believe in it? If you didn't answer yes to all, then keep looking! Most people can tell if you are being genuine in your sales pitch & it makes it REALLY hard to sell if you are not. I personally could never be a Scentsy rep because the smells make me sick... not that they aren't lovely, they just overwhelm my senses & being exposed for more than a few minutes results in headache & nausea. Don't simply write off companies whose products you haven't tried, but use their products for awhile BEFORE you make the commitment to ensure you can truly stand behind what you are trying to sell.

Can YOU afford to buy & use the product? We live in hard times, it's tough to sell something that people can't afford to buy!

You've come up with a company you think you'll love... now what? DON'T jump right in with both feet!!! READ THE FINE PRINT before signing on with ANY company. Figure out how long it will take you to make back your sign up fee. Does that fee include a start up kit WITH product? Is there a quota? Most companies have one. If it's a monthly quota it can be very hard to maintain your sales EVERY month, especially if you are not well. Be sure to ASK if you are allowed to be involved with other MLM when you are a rep. LOTS of them have rules about this & you risk losing your investment if you get caught crossing that line.

Many MLM companies also have rules about vendor fairs, home parties, etc. If you plan on going that route, be sure to find out about those. Are they feasible?

A few things to remember when signing on new reps... Not everyone is going to take the opportunity and run with it. I find it best to set boundaries & limit how much energy I am putting in with new consultants. My time is precious & unless you're my bestie I don't want to be forever holding your hand, especially if you aren't willing to take at least a few steps on your own. That's not to say I WON'T help new reps get started, but they have to show some initiative too. This is where it's important to look at your upline (sponsor) as well. Is there a team in place that can help you get new reps going? I often lean on my upline to do the work for me & they are always more than eager to help, so be sure to sign on with a rep you can actually work with!!

Does the company provide easy to use online resources for training and marketing? Now more than ever before, this is pretty key to your success. Our health and safety have come to depend on limiting our face to face interactions. Being able to rely solely on online resources could very well be a life saver.

So now with all of THAT being said, what companies have I committed to & why? Please bear in mind, I am in Canada & these opportunities may not be available in your country. These aren't going to be a good fit for everyone, but they've worked for me.

JR Watkins celebrated 150 years a couple of years ago... need I say more? They provide you with top notch products that most people can remember their parents or grandparents using. Many of their products literally sell themselves! I can't tell you how many times I'm 'tagged' on Facebook for people looking for our product. They have a very low annual fee of $29.95/year. For that you get THREE websites, one for online shopping, one for recruiting & an absolutely incredible training website. There are NO QUOTAS! Pay your $29.95 a year & you're a consultant, so if something happens & you end up needing to take time off, you still have a business to come back to when you are ready. Once you reach the level of manager, you have to maintain a certain level of points to maintain that position & it's perks, but even that requirement is only for 6 months of the year AND they can be ANY 6 months! The only cons I can think of are that you don't start to receive a discount until you reach $150 in sales & that resets each month, so your discount and commissions fluctuate from month to month and shipping is high on orders under $100. I find it pretty easy to put together a $150 dollar order to qualify for a discount and free shipping each month AND if I do end up reaching a higher discount level during the month, JR Watkins deposits the commission difference from what I paid on each order for the whole month into my bank account the following month. Want to learn more about the opportunity? Visit www.respectedhomebusiness.com/483993

Sunset Gourmet offers a line of wonderfully delicious food items... seasonings, soups baking mixes & more. You receive a 30% discount/commission right out of the gate & although their start up kits may seem a little pricey, you receive enough product that it is well worthwhile! They do make it simple to recover that cost in a short period of time, since they payout commissions every week. I don't know of too many other jobs that will do that! It's nice not to have to wait weeks for payday and to be able to access extra cash quickly with just a little extra effort. They offer a ton of online resources for training and marketing, as well as delivery to your customer's door, making it fairly simply to work solely from the comfort of your home. They do require $200 in qualifying volume every six months, but our family easily uses that just for us. Find out more at http://mysunsetgourmet.ca/LINDAOSIPOW

***Please note that both of the above companies have a non-compete clause. When I signed on with Sunset Gourmet, JR Watkins was more focused on cleaning products and medicinal products. I have received permission from both to continue, as long as I follow certain guidelines (for example, I cannot sell Watkins at an event where I am also selling Sunset Gourmet.)

Thirty-One Gifts offers some AMAZING bags – purses, totes, thermal totes, etc - home decor & jewelry. They offer 40% to consultants & other great deals that can increase your commission to as much as 70%. Their quota is $200/quarter, which has been fairly easy to maintain. They offer some great options for sign up kits, with product value typically about twice the cost of the kit. They have a ton of incentives & the potential to be a VERY lucrative business. Check it out at www.mythirtyone.ca/2623389

As you can well imagine, there are not enough hours in a day for me to fully devote myself to promoting ALL of my business ventures to their fullest potential. I signed up with these MLMs because I love and use their products. Getting them at a discount was my main motivation. I have found though that they make it fairly easy to earn extra cash when I need it.

I've only recently discovered yet another 'side hustle' that is well worth mentioning. Writing for Vocal is showing great potential. Making money isn't quite as simple as just writing and posting your work. If you jump on thinking you'll make a killing just from paid reads, you'll be disappointed. I joined Vocal+ in May of this year because I wanted to enter one of their challenges. Not surprisingly, I didn't win. I did however receive a bonus. That peaked my curiosity. Vocal has a number of ways you can earn bonuses. I also discovered Facebook groups for creators that provide support AND folks willing to read your work. Readers even have the option of 'tipping' writers just like you would a server in a restaurant (hint, hint). There is also a referral program as well, although it took a little digging to figure out how to get my own link. I'm learning as I go, but I've almost earned my membership fees back in just a few months and I'm confident that with the introduction of their new feature 'Subscribe', getting reads is only going to get easier and earnings will increase quickly. Want to find out more? https://shopping-feedback.today/vocal-plus?via=annalise-dionn

My best advice to you is don't be afraid to try. If you're reading this, then you have the ultimate tool at your fingertips. Take the time to do a little exploring. There's limitless information and ideas available with a simple search of Pinterest or Google, if you can't come up with something on your own. If we've learned anything from the pandemic, it's that we absolutely cannot rely on traditional jobs to keep money coming in. We have to be able to think 'outside of the box' if we're going to survive. I'm just thankful that I was already doing just that when businesses started shutting down and the economy crashed.

I sincerely hope that this article helps you find success in working from home!