Seeking Ideas on Home Based Businesses - I Become Jobless in the Next Two Weeks.

With this post, you'll be hit with all the MLM'rs trying to recruit you into their woefully fantastic opportunity. Beware

What are your strengths? Think outside the box. Start now, not when you get laid off making your plan.

You can get another job. No, you can't work from home and be paid to be mom and watch your children.

Start planning now. Work at home means WORK... Self discipline, self motivation and no background intrusions.

Good luck

You need to first, file for unemployment.
Do that, first.

Home based businesses, take a TON of research.
And even at that, it will not make you a ton of money, nor initially. If it is successful. And it will take, your own money to start a business.
Nothing is free.

Babysitting, can bring you in some income. But you have to get a business license, the parents will claim you on their taxes, and you have to find out from your city, what the laws and regulations are for home childcare etc. And you'd need contracts/insurance/liability insurance, make your home baby and child proofed, etc.

While you file for unemployment, you need to update your resume, and look for jobs that will bring you in the same kind of income/salary you had from your previous job, or better. If you take a job that pays less, than your previous job, then unemployment compensation will be based on that etc. Find out all the details/rules from your local unemployment office.

Or, enroll yourself in a Temp agency.
Some of these companies, also will provide you with health insurance if your assignment is full-time.
Do research.

But first thing you NEED to do is: file for unemployment. Being laid-off, does make you eligible for unemployment.

As others have said, beware of the MLMs unless you can manage the pitfalls. If they are products you use, you might tend to buy too much, managing Inventory is hard if you have someone encouraging you to buy more. Then there's the whole marketing to everyone you know including your friends bit. Some people do it but they are hardcore sales people. Is there something you can teach others? Tutor? etc.? I teach sewing out of my home as well as offer alterations for people. Something that not a lot of people do. Can you consult in the area you are trained in? Temp work as someone mentioned? You also need to know the above don't come with medical insurance, you may need to cover that yourself.

Well... what are your skills? What industry are you currently working in? And what are you hoping to achieve by working from home? Are you also hoping to watch your children? What hours can you work? And what sort of salary are you hoping to get (ie - are you looking for full time professional work, or are you looking to sell something like Scentsy or Avon in the evenings?)

Depending on your answers, people would have VERY different responses.

They are hard to come by.

Instead, I would start sending out your resume to everyone under the moon.

Do you want a home based job because you want to be home with your kids? If so, I understand that but usually you work for a company and they let you telecommute.

Maybe concentrate on looking for those jobs first.

If you need to work & depend on that income, I would try to find any job you can find. Start with jobs that are located near your home. Maybe that would help (not so much time spent in transit, rush hour traffic so you can spen more time w/your kids).

Good luck! I hope you find a job soon!

I have been laid off 2 times in the last few years and just this week was told my hours were going to cut by 12/week. Totally sucks. I don't know where you live, but within a month of being laid off both times I was able to find a new job through temp agencies. The ones I went to both did temp to permanent jobs (which is what I did) or you could just do temp work, which some people like to do to have the variety. It's very scary to lose your job, I know. I signed up with as many as possible, which I think was 4 the last time I was looking.

But most legitimate work at home opportunities are going to be from a pre-existing job that allows you to also work from home. Most of what you get as "work at home" opportunities are going to be pyramid schemes like Scentsy or whatever other product where you make your money from selling product and from getting other people to join up and sell the product and getting commissions from that.

If you're serious about working from home, look at your areas of strength and/or what it was you were doing before the layoff; can any of those strength areas be converted into a job you can do from home? If you have children, depending on their age(s), taking care of them is going to cut into the amount of time you have to devote to your job/work.

I have a freelance editorial business. It doesn't bring me a lot of money, but it allows me to be home and raise my daughter, to be here for dr appts, afterschool activities, attending her school programs, etc., etc. Having those skills (great English, writing, critiquing, able to handle a home-based business) was what worked in my favor; finding an e-publishing company where I could be an acquiring editor as well as another independent publisher were I can proofread--those are my two steady employers. Otherwise, I have to find my own work. You can have as much--or as little--work as you're able to manage. The trick is getting your foot in the door. Then you have to prove yourself. But anything's possible if you have a positive attitude.

Good luck!

Take in ironing, clean houses, weed gardens.