A job change is never easy, especially when you’re a mother. However, now that you’ve got a kid (or maybe even kids), you need to be able to take proper care of them. Sometimes this means taking the risk to make a career change, and perhaps it’s time for you to move on from the path you have been on.
Working from home is an awesome career path, especially as it gives you more of an opportunity to take care of your children and give them the attention they need in their formative years. However, before you make the decision to start a work-from-home career, you need to consider the following:
Look inward.
As opposed to popular opinion, the first step for you to take in order to join the ranks of successful work-at-home moms it isn't necessary to finding the perfect job or get a perfect business to start. Rather, the first step is taking an inward look. Look at yourself, your family, your current employer and your set of skills. All of these variables will let you know whether you really ought to be a work-from-home mom.
Ask yourself whether you have the personality traits that will make you a successful work-at-home mom as well as what you'd like to gain from starting a career at home -- as opposed to what you’d be giving up with your current career.
Where do you go from here?
The next step is to decide on the best career path for you.
Whether you're currently in the workplace or you've already become a stay-at-home mom, the best way to begin looking for a career path is to look at your résumé. If you’re still working, will it be possible for you to negotiate a working schedule that allows you to work from home a day or two a week? Will you be able to leave work if you are needed at home?
If you’re no longer working, feel free to network with a few colleagues. They might know a few openings where you can start your career and at the very least, this can serve as a launch pad for your new career or change in career.
If your skill set or the current job you’re in doesn’t offer the benefit to work from home, you might have to break out and launch into a new field. If you’re opting for an entirely new career, do you already have those skills? Or will you have to get the required skills that will help you to succeed in such a field?
If you have been a stay-at-home-mom, or plan to be out of the traditional workforce for a while -- sometimes the best avenue for success later when the kids are gone -- is to keep up with your current skills and add new skills. Take classes that are of interest to you -- even online -- and network like crazy to keep up with this essential part of business.
Financial Evaluation
After this, you need to consider your resources.
Now that you’ve opted for a new career, can what you have now support this choice? Will you have to get a small business loan? There are small business loans for women. These are special loans for women only.
If you have to get a loan, what form of collateral do you have to pony up? Your financial strength is one you definitely need to consider because you don’t want to get financially stranded when your career is taking a break, or if you are still trying to get your business off the ground.
Make a list of the resources you have and those you’ll need. What you can afford right now and what will you save for?
If you are taking a path that is unusual from a conventional or time-honored business path, or if you are starting a business you haven't been a part of before and need to gain more experience in -- you can begin making moves to expand yourself and your options right now. Whether you are ready or not it is wise to stay prepared at all times to be able to make an entrance into the business world and market.
Sometimes life's path is not what we think it will be. It seems, most especially, women need to be ready.