The Business of Caring

   Increasing numbers of families are developing work-at-home strategies to compliment other sources of income. Today, home based businesses are an effective means for families to 

• make use of existing resources,  
• develop new skills,  
• provide a necessary service, and  
• bring their products to market.

   As the demand for the products and services of work-at-home or stay-at-home entrepreneurs increases, a growing number of small businesses have recognized the needs of the home based entrepreneur.

   However, it is a challenge for the home based entrepreneur to learn how to use the available resources these small businesses provide, develop their business plan, their marketing plan, and the financing necessary to make their home based businesses profitable. Yet this is exactly what is required of them while they also perform the work necessary to manufacture their product or provide their service.

   While business development centers, schools, and social service agencies recognize these trends and their related challenges, the aspiring entrepreneur struggles to gain a foot hold and build a successful business with more hope than money and more ambition than time. Fortunately, entrepreneurs are risk-takers.

   Many of the challenges the home based entrepreneur needs to overcome are gaps in

• knowledge,
• experience,
• connections, and
• resources.

   Future posts will describe the business of caring, or how the methods of for profit business and non-profit organizations can be combined to fill these gaps.

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