Yes, I am writing this right on the heels of my post about how working on a flexible schedule can put tons of stress on your marriage. But while it does take some organization to succeed when working from home it is something that so many working moms say they’d love to find a way to do. Since we’ve launched Work It, Mom! I get several emails weekly from moms asking for advice about starting an online business, which is, by the way, a great type of business to work on from home.

But I am not an expert on online businesses you can start and run from home. So I asked someone who is to share some practical advice with you. Her name is Wendy Piersall and she is the founder of eMOMSATHOME.COM, a great site for parents who run internet-based businesses and work from home. I recently met Wendy at Blogher and she is one smart lady. She is also a mom. Here is a great post from her about starting a home-based online business:

Can anyone make money online? I do believe so. But not everyone WILL make money online, because as I have said before, making money on the internet takes a long time to learn, and most people give up because it can be extremely frustrating.

My one piece of advice for starting an internet home business is this :: Don’t expect to make any real money for 365 days (or so!) . Although I will add that service-based businesses tend to bring in revenue faster, I would still allow for a full year to replace your outside-the-home salary.

The good news about this industry is that as long as you are willing to put in the hours (days… weeks…. months….. ) to learn the ropes, you can bootstrap your business with extremely little money, generally speaking. Some businesses take more to start than others. I’ve probably directly invested less than $3000 getting this blog up and running, and now revenue is increasing at about a 125-140% pace every month after being in business for 16 months.

So, where do you start from here? Some general rules of thumb:

1. Pre-packaged programs only work as much as you can customize it and make it unique and your own. Even then, techniques that work for one niche won’t work in all niches.
2. Be wary of any “system” that promises instant results (especially anything that sounds like a get-rich-quick scheme!)
3. Knowing the basics of html, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media, and traditional marketing and sales are a must.
4. Every business is made stronger by specializing in a tight niche. Know your audience and stick to it.

Unless you have a brilliant tech idea that makes venture capitalists drool, you need to determine where your strengths are and which business model you plan on following (and you don’t need this list). I have run three home-based businesses in my life, all of which leveraged my current skill set as the foundation for building the business.

Look over the following list and single out the ones in which you have at least some experience. You probably won’t have all of the skills necessary, so don’t let that stop you! All you have to do is work hard and be willing to learn.

Click here for Wendy’s list of 10 Internet Businesses You Can Start In Your Underwear.

Are you a mom who runs a business from your home? Tell us about it and how you got started in the comments section.

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