Having an online business has it's perks: you can work from home and keep your own hours; you don't have to dress up since nobody is going to see you anyway, except maybe the mailman or the gardener; and you don't have to sit in traffic for hours on end to commute to and from the office. Instead, you can take all the time you need to plan your day's activities, while you calmly drink your morning coffee.
In addition to the comfort of working from home, the cost to set up and operate any online business is downright negligible: you just need a computer/tablet/smart phone and an internet connection. You don't need to rent office space, pay for permits and employees, and you save tons of money on gas, car maintenance and/or repairs. All the money you earn is for you… and the taxman of course.
The good news is that –at least here in Mexico–, when you work from home, you can deduct a portion of your home expenses, like utility bills and phone bills, some groceries (sugar, coffee, toilet paper, etc.), all of your office supplies and even part of your monthly rent. I don't know about you, but I definitely like this extra perk, given the drawbacks of not having a regular paycheck.
I've worked from home since 1993, first as an independent service provider for clients in the Mexican book publishing industry, and then as a freelance English-Spanish-English translator. It's been great, even though at times I've had to struggle to make ends meet. Nonetheless, I prefer the freedom of being able to work when and where I please, even if it means having to work really long hours sometimes to honor my commitments.
Given my long history of working online, I guess it was only natural for me to gravitate towards another kind of business that I could do from home to further supplement my income. The opportunity came along when I least expected it, but I'm glad I decided to try my hand at SFI (Strong Future International). It's been a really great experience so far.
It's amazing how many people I've met over the internet since I started this new business, and how friendly and generous they all are. It's like an exclusive club of people helping people, who understand exactly where you're coming from and what you are trying to accomplish. Thank goodness I have them, because my friends and family get this really blank look on their faces each time I talk about SFI!
Of course, not everyone is equipped to work independently, either because they need the security of a regular paycheck or because they need a boss to crack the whip once in a while in order to stay focused. But for those who are willing and able to set up an online business or have a few hours a week to spare from their regular J.O.B. (Just Over Broke), this is the best of both worlds!
Like my mom used to say: "Don't put all your eggs in one basket my child. Diversify!"
Have a great week and don't forget to visit my website for more information about SFI!
No comments:
Post a Comment