Home-Based Business Ideas for the Not so Super-Woman

Even Superwoman can't multi-task forever. Eventually the cape begins to fall apart, the kids get sick, leaping that tall building takes more than two bounds, and the boss who expects perfection from the Multi-tasking Monster he no doubt created, won't be taking to the "multi" of the "tasking" too lightly when he begins getting less than expected.

Time for the overworked, overstressed, Woman/Wife/Mommy Superhero to make a job switch? Perhaps. Remember that age-old expression, "Don't take your work home with you"? Well - check it out: They lied!! By all means, take your work home and break some ties [Note: notice the word "some"- we're not talking about burning bridges here] with the Corporate Rat Race. Find your freedom. Run for your life! Now, don't get me wrong - the Corporate Rat Race is, more often than not, a very exciting race to run. In addition, the Rats will usually pay you a pretty penny for running it. However, if you do feel the awful, mounting pressure of work and home squeezing you from both sides, draining you both physically and mentally, you may just want to consider reorganizing all the corporate knowledge in your brain and taking it to the place where you feel you want and need to be: home.

Creating a strategic plan for your home-based business is exciting for the simple fact that there are endless opportunities. As a guideline to deciding upon the nature of the business, an aspiring entrepreneur should stick close to three very obvious elements that have held true throughout the ages:

• Do what you love.
To work from home as your own boss, to earn money by using ideas and talents that were always part of "fun" time, and to have, on a moments notice and no matter how high the paper stack, the freedom to take off to the Thrift store or even the Casino (hey, I'm being realistic here...) - now what could be than that? Create your home business from something you love and success is nearly guaranteed.

• Find a niche - and fill it.
Take what you love and do something different with it that no one else has done. Make it work to fill a niche, giving people something they need - something to make their life just a bit easier. You never need to reinvent the wheel - you simply need to make it roll a little smoother.

• Analyze the competition and find what sets your business apart.
Have confidence in your uniqueness. Understand everything your competitors are doing, what and why something has worked or failed, integrate your ideas to eliminate the flaws in the big picture, and take your business right to the bank.

Let's take a look a few home-based business ideas that I have personally seen turn a profit well within the first year:

• "Virtual" Assistance for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs.
If you spent any time at all in the Corporate world, you are very well aware of the need for good - if not great - Administrative Assistants. By providing "virtual" assistance to worldwide clients via the Internet via your home office, you can prepare reports, type correspondence, answer client e-mails, take incoming calls for Product/Tech/or Customer Support, and never have to show up at an office. The typical hourly wage for a Virtual Assistant (VA) should range anywhere from $18.00 average to upwards of $40.00, depending on the amount of work given, your skill level, and the hours you are required to be "present" for a particular company. Having as little as three to four small businesses or traveling professionals on your weekly schedule will bring in plenty of money and keep you busy. For Small Business owners who feel that a body in the office (if there is an office!) besides their own is not cost- efficient just yet, the luxury of grabbing a VA's attention via fax, phone, Instant Messaging, or e-mail on a moment's notice and having work completed and returned promptly is worth paying the extra money if you are good, fast, and accurate. So - if you have excellent Administrative expertise, market yourself a bit, make some business cards, and watch your schedule fill up within a few short months.

• Freelance Writing.
Freelance Writing can be tackled from many angles. Combining your writing talents with a VA business is also something to consider if you are, indeed, very good at both. Freelance Writing includes areas such as writing for web content, articles for online mags or e-zines, copy writing, desktop publishing (brochures, newsletters, business cards, flyers, etc.), copy editing, essay and report writing, ghostwriting, creating professional resumes...the list goes on. Freelancers will spend many, many hours bidding at Freelance jobsites. The good news is that there are plenty of sites at which to bid, and plenty of jobs for everyone. Two of the better bidding sites are ifreelance.com and guru.com, with new writing venues popping up daily. The Internet needs good writers! Start a portfolio at AssocitatedContent.com and see where it takes you! The wage can be hourly - average being $25.00 - $60.00 - or per Project. It takes motivation to keep bidding after losing and patience to create the same Profile over and over at different sites. In addition, once the work starts rolling in, there will be many all-nighters to meet deadlines. In the end, though - and all that silly reality aside, once you have created even a small name for yourself as a Freelance Writer - particularly on the Internet - you are guaranteed a good run.

• Consulting.
What was your specialty as a Corporate Lady? Finance? Accounting? Collections? Public Relations? Marketing? Real Estate? Stocks? Bonds? Were you a terrific organizer? Did companies hire you to clean up administrative messes? Any and all of these specialty areas can be listed under the title of Consultant. Never underestimate your knowledge. Do not assume that what you know and understand about certain situations in life - either job-related or personal - is not absolutely important to many people - people who would be willing to pay for your knowledge through a consultation. Consulting requires extensive marketing and selling of your services but a good website and a comprehensive direct mail program assist with that end. When you begin to receive referral business from former hiring clients, then you'll know you can put your money where your mouth is and people will want to pay you for it!

• Medical Billing/Transcription.
If you are a motivated individual who knows how to transcribe, you can pretty much write your own ticket to a small fortune. Transcription services - particularly legal and medical - are needed everywhere worldwide. Legal depositions, physician case notes, and medical reports often remain unfinished for lack of an efficient transcriber. Over the Web, you can download and transcribe files sent as mp3 e-mail attachments right in your Windows Media Player. Even better - at ExpressScribe.com, the software ExpressScribe, specifically for transcribing, is available to download absolutely free! Who needs to worry about foot pedals and headsets when you got the Internet?? You gotta love it! If you are accurate and fast, you can name as high an hourly wage as you feel you and your time is worth. People requiring this service will pay just about any price to have it done right. Begin dropping business cards at the front desks of every Hospital, Doctor's or Lawyer's office you happen to pass by on the way to the Thrift store and just watch the magic happen!

If you are an overworked, stressed-out Superwoman, maybe the home-based business work-style is for you. Utilize the Internet, the library, "helpful hints" articles, books, magazines, and resources specifically geared toward women in small business. Prepare a Business Plan, make a commitment to yourself and your needs as a mom or wife or both or neither, take a long deep breath, and just dive in! The opportunities are endless and they are here from the Universe for the taking.