Recently I’ve been mulling over the idea of starting a side business. An extra 10k-15k net per year would allow us to visit the in-laws in Australia, take another nice vacation, add a front patio, buy cabinets for the laundry room, buy a 2nd laptop and other toys, and maybe even invest a little more. (Notice how low investing falls on the priority list --- bad Zetta!)
The problem is that I would have to give up my free time when DS naps for 3 hours each day. So ideally it should be something I enjoy and would want to spend time on anyway. I can’t see getting anything productive done during the 9 hours he is awake, and don’t want to take away from time with DH in the evenings or on the weekends. Let’s say I could spend 10-15 hours per week. Dreaming some more, the ideal would be something flexible where I could work on something at home as it suits me and sell it when its done (as opposed to working according to a fixed schedule or delivering on deadline.)
I really don’t know how much other people are able to net from that kind of schedule, but even 5k would be a nice addition to our finances.
Hobbies: reading, surfing the net
Skills: software design, writing, layout, public speaking,
Personality: detail oriented
I’ve browsed through a couple of books along the lines of “101 Home Business Ideas”, but haven’t come across anything appealing. Some ideas that do occur to me are freelance writer, newsletter editor, website designer, discussion forum moderator – I wonder how one gets into this sort of work, and how well it pays…
Anybody have a good entrepreneurial or home-business website to recommend?
Thinking about a side business
February 8th, 2007 at 01:01 am
February 8th, 2007 at 05:43 pm 1170956611
No advice here. Just wanted to say though I would be very careful about planning a business on a nap schedule. Murphy's LAw -- you will find something, get all set up, and your kid will stop napping. LOL. Just be open to working a little on the evenings/weekends and such perhaps - in case. Or if you are planning for more kids? My first one still naps like crazy but the little one doesn't sleep at all. Oy vey! But it still seems to this day when the kids nap and you start on a project they always seem to wake up right away. On the days you want them to take a short nap they don't - and so I try to plan nothing around naps. I Still lapse and forget this rule and am always frustrated - hehe.
February 9th, 2007 at 06:49 pm 1171046952
I don't think this is what you want at all, but I wouldn't discount it as a source of income, it can be quite lucrative. The successful ones have a true passion for it, indeed. Though I think the key is whatever you do, if you have passion and commitment.