Looking for a work at home job?  I'll give you 5 good reasons
why you should consider starting a home business instead.

1. Telecommuting jobs are rare- are you?  The only real
work at home jobs out there are for highly specialized skills
like programming, translation, transcription and such.  What
they all have in common is that they require special training
and employers that hire telecommuters always require
experienced candidates- experts in their field.  Employers
just don't hire people to do things like typing from their
homes.

A home business can be anything you want it to be.  You get to
follow your passion and do something that you truly enjoy.  I
think that if we all couldn't wait to leap out of bed each
morning because we loved what we do, the world would be a much
happier place.  So, unless you have a passion for learning
MYSQL / SQL database structure or how to translate medical
documents from English to Japanese, a home business can offer
endless possibilities in an area that interests you.

2. Telecommuting jobs don't afford as much flexibility as
you might think.  Your boss picks your clients and coworkers,
not you.  You may or may not like the people you find yourself
working with day after day, which can be like a slow form of
torture.

With your business you choose who your client will be.  Maybe
you want to start a business that has to do with kids and all
your clients have kids at home with them.  They would be more
likely to understand and appreciate kid noise in the
background while on the phone with you.  You get to create
your own "company culture".

3. You're not in control of your job security. 
Corporate downsizing will still apply and even if you have
that rare and special skill that they once found
indispensable, you might find yourself back on the job search
track.  Also, unless you have a written agreement that your
telecommuting arrangement is set in stone, employers can pull
you back into the office at their discretion.

4. Big brother will be there looking over your shoulder. 
Employers need to know that their employees are being
productive.  They just can't help themselves.  This puts more
pressure on you to meet deadlines, to prove that you will be
at least as efficient (if not more efficient) that your on-
site coworkers.  Even companies that champion telecommuting
often have strict checks and balances to ensure that you're
not lying around watching television or heading off to the
beach.  Supervisors are often suspicious to the point of
micromanaging their telecommuters.

You just can't afford to be lured away by the many
distractions of the home office.  The television beckons, the
kids want your attention, you just want to get a load of
laundry in.... This is not to say that you can succumb to these
distractions as a home business owner, but the difference is
that you call the shots.

With your own home business, you are Big Brother, Big Sister,
The Big Cheese- your own boss.  You set the goals and the pace
and it's up to no one but you how and when you meet them.

5. And lastly, but most importantly... when you are a home
business owner you get to take a vacation whenever you want. 
Could there be a better reason to stop looking for a
telecommute job and start a home business?

Sharon Davis

Sharon Davis is the founder of 2Work-At-Home.com and the Editor of the site's ezine, America's Home.

A work-at-home mom of two girls, Sharon was formerly a sales management and training professional.

"After I had my second child, I was overwhelmed with the need to stay at home with my girls," says Sharon. "I felt that I was missing out on the most important part of my life. The deciding moment for me was seeing a picture of my older daughter on her first day of school. I was never able to be there, as my company held their annual meetings each year on that day. She looked so sad in that picture, it was devastating."

After being at home for some time, Sharon decided to look for a part-time job that she could do from her home office. "I realized that in addition to the extra income we would have, a job would provide me with the professional interaction that I was missing," she says. She embarked on an internet job search and was frustrated to find the large number of scams targeting stay-at-home moms. "I knew there had to be legitimate jobs out there, but I just wasn't finding them," says Davis.

She knew that there were many others who were in the same situation and it was at this point, in September of 1999, that she was inspired to start 2Work-At-Home.com. Her site provides free telecommute job listings, resume posting in the Talent Bank, information on Telecommute Friendly companies and much more.

There are also comprehensive tools and resources for those looking to start a home business. From 100's of home business ideas to tax and legal issues, they have everything you need to start, run and grow a profitable home business.

Sharon runs her business from her home in a small town on the Northern California Coast. Says Sharon, "I'm living proof that you really can work from home. It's fulfilling to know that I am helping others to achieve their goals of working at home. I feel I am the luckiest woman alive."