Can You Really Start a Home Business for Less Than a Latte? Home Biz Families.com

If you are considering starting your own home based business, I am sure you’ve heard the following phrases more than a few times. “Start your business for $199”. “Everything you need to get started for $10.00”. “Join today and start for free”.

While many home-based companies offer a “starter-kit” of some sort that will help you launch your business, they also fail to mention all of the other expenses that will inevitably involved.

Wouldn’t you love to read a truthful ad for once? “Start your own home business for $199″ (plus advertising costs, high-speed internet access, telephone service, business attire, sales incentives, postage, mileage, childcare, files, a stapler, pens, pencils, a calculator, tape, ink, meals, training trips, a briefcase, computer, long distance charges, cell phone fees, etc..)

I’ll admit. When I started looking for a home-business, I was quickly caught up in the hype. I remember begging my husband to jump on board with one of my ideas, “honey, I won’t have to pay for daycare, my daily commute, business attire and lunches…it will only cost us $199 to start.”

I adore my husband but he is the realistic one. I call him the “but-guy”…but honey, you’ll still have those expense.” Ug. I hate it when he is right, which is usually…always.

While my home-business expenses are far less than a monthly daycare bill it would have been prudent to factor them in from the start. Last week I spent several hours wrapping up my year-end tax information. I had a shoe box plump full of receipts to sort through. As I was crunching the numbers, I was a bit discouraged that I hadn’t made near the amount of money I thought I had.

I am also in the middle of a transition from a direct selling career to a freelance writing career. While I am taking a drastic pay-cut, my decision was much easier as I rifled through hundreds of receipts.

With my direct sales business, I paid for team incentives, postage, customer gifts, sales, logo gear, travel expenses, party expenses and more. As a freelance writer, my main expense is my laptop, internet access and feeding my coffee addiction. Needless to say, while I am losing more “per-hour” income, the switch will ultimately be a wash.

If you are looking for a home-based business, or thinking about switching careers take some time to factor in your expenses first. Trust me, it isn’t a good feeling to work your tail off all year only to discover that you made less than the local neighborhood boy who mows lawns all summer for some extra candy money. (Unless you really love candy, of course).