3/13/08

Home-based businesses: opportunities, challenges and fun

by Beckye Randall

For many entrepreneurs, operating a home-based business is a natural choice. Working from home often affords a level of flexibility and creativity that’s harder to achieve in a retail or office setting.

Unfortunately, the allure of working from home is the basis for many acts of fraud. The Better Business Bureau offers good information about “work from home” scams on its Web site (www.bbb.org/alerts), and the best advice may still be “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

But opportunities for home businesses do exist, and many are quite satisfying. No matter what the enterprise, home-based business owners agree on one simple fact: professionalism, quality products and excellent customer service are still the keys to a successful business.

Home-based businesses take many forms, from direct retail sales to personal service providers and everything in-between. For this article, we talked with owners of four very different types of businesses, all of whom base their operations from their homes.

Shaklee Products – Direct Sales/MLM

Nancy Wolfe of Marysville has been a Shaklee distributor since 1980. Her clients span the globe, but each one of them depends on Wolfe for personal service and quality products for their health and home.

“I definitely don’t consider myself a salesperson,” said Wolfe. “I believe in the products I stock, and trust the company to give me good information I can pass on to my clients.”

In fact, Wolfe’s first foray into the world of sales was also her last. Early in her career, she answered an ad to sell World Book Encyclopedias door-to-door. After finally mustering enough courage to knock on that first door, her sales pitch went like this: “I’m selling World Book. You don’t want any, do you?”

She started using Shaklee products personally to combat debilitating hip pain. “I was taking 18 aspirins a day,” said Wolfe. After a few months on Shaklee supplements, the pain was gone.

As a multi-level marketing (MLM) business owner, Wolfe mentors other entrepreneurs who are interested in starting their own Shaklee business. She repeats the company’s advice to prioritize, putting God first, family second and the business third. Gaining nationwide exposure and personal recommendations from Oprah Winfrey has made the Shaklee product line even more popular than before, and Wolfe’s client list continues to grow.

“Running a business from your home offers tax benefits, like deductions for an office in your home, business mileage expenses and more,” said Wolfe. “But it also requires discipline and attention to scheduling.”

To find out more about Shaklee products or the business opportunity, contact Nancy Wolfe at (360) 659-9045 or visit www.healthybasics4u.com.

Stickles Press – Screenprinting and Embroidery

In a large shop behind their Arlington home, Jesica and Jason Stickles run Stickles Press, a business specializing in screenprinting, embroidery and customized promotional materials. Many of their clients are wholesale distributors, but they also offer retail sales of T-shirts and other apparel items to sports teams, businesses, churches and other groups.

Thanks to the internet and a robust Web site (www.sticklespress.com), the Stickles can process orders from around the world, promising a turnaround time of 7 to 10 business days. A new feature on their Web site offers customers the ability to preview their design on a shirt before they order.

Neither Jesica nor Jason had experience in the screenprinting business, but they were interested in starting a home-based business and started looking for opportunities several years ago. Jesica was excited about ordering promotional items for their new business, and as she looked at catalogs and samples, she began to consider the business opportunity before her eyes. Research convinced the couple that they could be successful in the customized apparel business.

The Stickles converted a 4-car garage on their property into a shop for production, inventory storage and shipping. They maintain a separate office in their home to process orders, handle billing, prepare marketing materials and manage the business.

“We’ve done a lot of research, and we continue to invest time in finding the very best suppliers for our customers’ needs,” said Jesica Stickles. Whether buying ink or blank T-shirts, the Stickles insist on high quality products for professional results.

For your next screenprinting or embroidery project, contact Stickles Press for a competitive bid from a local company. Call (360) 474-0699 or visit www.sticklespress.com.

At Home America – Party Plan Sales

A busy mother of a very active 2-year-old toddler, Jody Randall was excited about decorating her family’s new home in Stanwood. At the Evergreen State Fair, she was drawn to a display of items from At Home America, a company specializing in party plan sales of unique furnishings and accessories, and fell in love with the products.

“I planned to host a party to earn some free merchandise for myself, and everyone who looked at the catalog loved the products,” said Randall. “By the time my party was held, I had decided to start a business as a Home Décor Specialist for At Home America.”

Working from home is one of the biggest benefits for Randall. “I can still be here to play with my son, to take care of my home and my family,” she said. “And then I get to meet new people, spend some time with other adults and make some extra money.”

Representing an established company with a stable product line was a benefit, said Randall. “I don’t have to stock any inventory or worry about sales getting mishandled,” she said. “So far, the company’s customer service has been very good, which means I can provide excellent service to my customers.”

Hostesses earn free merchandise for having a home show or collecting catalog orders, and specialists like Randall are paid a percentage of their sales revenue. She can also qualify for bonuses, free products, trips and other incentives.

As Randall starts to mentor others to become Home Décor Specialists, she’ll be paid a portion of those representatives’ sales as well. And since most customers schedule home shows on evenings or weekends, she usually doesn’t have to worry about finding day care for her son.

“It’s fun, the products are great, and I don’t have to leave home every morning to commute to work,” said Randall. “I love it.”

To contact Jody Randall to book a party or find out about business opportunities, call (360) 629-3251 or visit www.athome.com/jodyrandall.

Red Tent Threads – Custom Clothing Design

Vicki Kubitz is a woman with a flair for fashion. Not the kind of runway-impractical fashion portrayed in magazines, but fun and flirty styles that make every woman feel “glorious.”

Kubitz has always dressed in what she terms a “free-flowing” style, sporting bold prints and unusual accessories. Her outfits were full of spirit and friends would shower her with compliments, saying, “That’s so much fun! Where did you get that?”

Her secret was that she made most of her own clothes. Turning that talent into a business seemed like a no-brainer.

When her children were young, Kubitz contracted out as a seamstress so she could work from home. She partnered with high-end interior designers, manufacturing anything they could engineer. She was “fearless.”

Working at home allowed her the freedom to adjust her schedule to fit her children’s needs. The kids could watch her work and know she was always available for them.

That experience gave her the confidence to start a business, Red Tent Threads, creating her own designs, flowing tops she calls “runaways” and unstructured jackets and wraps. She uses exotic patterns, unusual materials and fine finishing details to assure quality.

“Most women are not a size 4,” said Kubitz, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t all be glorious. My designs look fabulous on women of every shape and size and they’re easy to wear. Just throw a runaway on top of a pair of jeans and go to the grocery store in style.”

In addition to her line of tops, Kubitz creates costumes and fulfills custom orders. She can also be found at street fairs and festivals, where she has a grand time chatting with customers and helping them find their own glorious style.

With clothing from Red Tent Threads, Kubitz assured us, “the extra sass is included.”

To find out more about Red Tent Threads, call (425) 268-3777 or e-mail vlkubitz@yahoo.com.