Hop over to the Ten Day Sale page and check out the deals! I’ve got my Kids’ Business Ideas on special, just in time for your children to be ready to earn money this summer.

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Unfortunately, there are scams everywhere – some you may have heard of sound too good to be true – and they usually are. Oftentimes, women lose a lot of money before they even find a legitimate opportunity, let alone one that they love.

Below, you’ll find a list of popular work from home options. They all have benefits and drawbacks. What may be great for one woman may not even be of interest to another woman.

And, of course, research thoroughly before signing any contract. Yes, there are bunches of great, legitimate possibilities out there waiting for you, but you might have to say ‘no’ to a few first before you find the perfect home business for you.

Direct Sales (MLM)
Why we love it: Where else can you get a business in a box? Seriously, the products have already been made and tested, all the marketing has been created for you, and you are set up on the road to management if you wish. You can see why Direct Sales can be a great way to make money, especially if you find a product, sponsor and company that you love!

Why it might not be for you: If the thought of sales makes you turn green from nausea, you might want to consider other options.

Internet Auctions
Why we love it: It doesn’t get much simpler than online auctions. Sell your worn clothing or used toys. Or, if you’ve got a knack for pricing, you might find some great items at a garage sale that you can turn over for a profit on online auctions.

Why it might not be for you: Is your house already too small for you and your family? If you don’t have room to store inventory, then online auctions might not be the business for you.

Start a Home Business
Why we love it: No matter what your interest is, you can start a business. Sell products or promote a service that makes life easier for other people. Whether you’re considering making crafts or becoming a massage therapist, if you’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit, then go for it!

Why it might not be for you: Starting from scratch can be a lot of work with little pay in the beginning. So, really invest a lot of time and energy into research, if you are considering this option.

Internet Marketing:
Why we love it: Low start up cost and a lot of flexibility. Internet marketing (selling products online, promoting other people’s products, or providing an online service) really is a great option for a lot of moms.

Why it might not be for you: Internet marketing has a learning curve, just like any other type of business. Anyone who’s ever had a website knows that “if you build it they will come” is not necessarily true. You have to promote, tweak, test, and learn constantly if you want to become a success in Internet Marketing. It is definitely possible and it is a great option, but don’t go into it thinking you don’t need to invest time and money in yourself and in your business. You do.

Surveys for Cash
Why we love it: Yes, there really are companies that will pay you to take surveys. In all honesty, you aren’t going to get rich taking surveys, and you’ll spend a lot of time for little money in most cases. But, if you enjoy hanging out on the computer and think it would be fun to do some surveys while you’re chatting with your friends on IM, then it isn’t a bad way to make a few extra dollars here and there. Just be sure to sign up with a free email account (like hotmail or yahoo) so you don’t get flooded with SPAM!

Why it might not be for you: If time is short or you need to make a lot of money for your family, then spend your time on something else. Surveys aren’t going to pay your bills. Also, there are some scams that charge you for a list of surveys. Be careful.

These are just a few of the many options to make money from home. Follow your heart. Start on the path today to make your dreams come true.

Article by:

Nicole Dean invites you to visit www.JustBusinessIdeas.com to find businesses you can start from home. She also recommends www.showmomthemoney.com/ if you’re looking for tips and ideas to become a work at home mom.

Wages paid to your children (between the ages 7 and 17) are a valid business deduction, as long as they do bona fide work, and they are compensated fairly.

Your children can earn up to the standard deduction amount before they will owe any income tax. Because you are getting a business deduction for the wages paid to your child, this is income that you also will not pay taxes on.

You can hire your kids to lawncare and maintenance on your business property.

Hiring your children does not raise a red flag with the IRS, but you should document your children’s salary and services provided to audit-proof your tax return. To do this, keep a time sheet showing the date, hours and services provided by your children, and write them a check for their wages.

In addition, you will need to prepare and file a W-2 for your child at the end of the year. Your child may need to file a tax return as well.

You can learn more about hiring your children in your business by reading IRS Publication 15, Chapter 3, Family Employees.

Click here to learn more about how hiring your children in your own business can help minimize your tax bill.

Resist it, if this is your main strategy! It’s true that prices may come down as competition grows fiercer for the consumers that still have money during this tough recession. However, if your only reason to reduce prices is to gain more customers, this strategy is doomed to fail. It’s not just a matter of people having less money to spend, it’s also a question of getting the best value for their money. If you don’t take the time to create a product strategy that embraces a holistic approach to marketing in bad times, you’ll end up doing what everyone else is doing – lowering prices. And, then whoever can withstand the loss of profit the most will end up winning more of the market share, but at a very steep price. That just simply isn’t a good strategy to build a business that can survive a recession and go on to generate long-term growth.

Remain Price Competitive

Don’t overlook the lowering of prices in your niche, however, don’t play the one-up game that only leads to drastic cuts in your market. This type of strategy works short-term, but eventually it eats up too much profit and it trains your customers to hold on to their dollars until the next round of price cuts. If, however, you do offer some discounts and programs for loyal buyers, instead of just everyone who might drop by your online store, you train your customers to buy more and still get a good deal. So, if you really do want to compete on price, do so in a way that generates buying behavior, and not across the board for anyone that wants to freeload off your hard work.

Create A Perception Of High Value

Another way to compete on price, but not offer lower prices, is to heighten the perception of value for your products. Your products may cost more, but they are also worth more, and therefore deserving of a higher price. The way to do this is to offer more to your customers than they expect to receive for the price. If they expect an overnight stay for $120, and your suite is $150, then throw in breakfast, restaurant discounts, or a couple of tickets to an in demand production. Always seek to offer more than what your customer expects and they will continue to buy, regardless of the fact that you cost more than your competitor. Instead, they will look at you as the deal, and the others as the cheap version of the real thing. On line, the same thing can be done by including extra products in value packages that appeal to a price-conscious consumer. Just remember, that it isn’t really the price tag that is usually the main objection a buyer has towards purchasing a product, it’s more about the value they receive for the money they spent. So, make sure that they get more than their money’s worth.

If you don’t want to design your own, you can choose from an assortment of free cards (they have 42 designs to choose from), or upgrade to one of their thousands of great designs.

Of course, you don’t even have to be in business to have a card.  It’s a great tool for networking, job hunting, or even trading phone numbers with new friends.   Have a teenager that wants to babysit or mow lawns?  A business card is a great way to start.

My girls were invited to be guest panelists at the CT-YES in New Haven last week.  The symposium, held at Gateway Community College, was designed to be both inspirational and informative for local high school students interested in starting a business.  As a parent, I was thrilled to see so many interested kids!  We’re in tough economic times and gone are the days when kids expect to go to school, graduate and find a company that will take care of them for life.

The keynote speaker, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, was running a little late and the event coordinator asking my daughters to go up in front of the group and give an impromptu presentation on their pre-wrap business.  It was a proud-mom moment for me.  I had hopes and dreams for them, and watching them be calm, cool, and collected in front of an audience was just fantastic.  They presented their product, told their story, gave a demo, and answered questions.

They met other young entrepreneurs – a personal trainer, a computer technician, and two young ladies that opened a salon.  Most of our business is online, so it was a lot of fun to be out and about.  And of course, the girls were happy to be skipping school!

Living within your means is not a new concept.  There are budget living sites everywhere, and now with the economic distress, you can’t pick up a newspaper or a magazine without tips to save money on something.

But I’m weird.

I think earning money is easier than clipping  a ten-cent coupon. Or driving to another town to get my favorite coffee on sale.  If I evaluate my time…it’s better spent finding ways to earn money than save money. I guarantee I can come up with ten dollars in income faster than I can save $5.00 on my grocery bill.

Next challenge – can I do both?

Being a wahm means that the kids actually get to see us at work. They know how tied we are to our computers, to our jobs. They know they compete with the computer for attention. Some savvy kids are smart enough to point it out by stating the obvious. For others, it comes out more subtly.  When my oldest was in Kindergarten, they would have a class topic, and each child would draw a picture. They would create a book and send it home for all the families to see. On the back page was a place to comment.

One month, the topic was “My  Mom.”  My daughter drew my back.  A picture of me at the computer.  She wrote, “My mom is a geek. She is always working at the computer.”  Years later she confided that she thought “geek” was my job title.  I fought back the tears.

Fast-forward eight years.  My girls are now in high school, and when asked what they want to be when they grow up, they say they aren’t sure of anything except that they want to work at home.  My youngest told me that she thinks it’s the only solution for her.  When I asked how they felt about me always working, they told me that they didn’t see it as that. They told me that they saw it as always being there for them.

Amazing what a little hindsight can do.

I’ve wanted this from Day One of being a work-at-home mom.  I don’t have to tell you that I’m the only one.  There are so many wahm sites. We can’t even begin to count them.  When I first joined Mom Masterminds, I learned the term USP or Unique Selling Point.   What would be my unique selling point if I had a wahm site?  Could I do it better than what already exists?  Certainly I could do it my own way, with my own sparkling personality and years of experience tossed in.  And what exactly would I be selling that would make the kind of money I’m dreaming of?  Hmmm…

I still wonder if I could make it happen. Nothing makes me crazier than seeing a mom complain about not making any money in a forum post and then reading her signature that shouts, “Make Your Dream a Reality!” or my latest gripe “Six Figure Yearly.” I’d like for one mom…just one mom…to prove to me that she’s making Six Figures Yearly with that program. Wahm sites are crawling with hunters, looking for prey. Looking for that desperate mom – hungry to stay home with her babies. It’s ugly out here on the net.

I guess we are a bit different.  My girls will be “presenting” their pre-wrap business at camp today.  They are genuinely reaping the benefits of their own sales and marketing. Both girls, fairly shy by nature, will get up in front of a camp full of their peers and show their stuff.  Camp directors and coaches have been incredibly supportive…and probably a bit amazed.  The girls have learned to ask if it would be okay if they took five minutes to share their products – what reasonable adult could resist that?

When they get home from camp, they will be buzzing with the games, the drills, the friends they met. And if today is a success, they will come home with their pockets full of money.  They’ll go over what they sold, calculate their profits, and I’ll remind them that they pay local sales tax on all sold.  I’m not a homeschooling mama, but in business I am.

We’ll talk about how the kids and coaches react.  We’ll talk about how easy sales can be when you have a product people want.   And tomorrow will be just another camp day.