Desperate Times

I heard a news reporter not long ago say something about how more people are starting up their own business. I wrote about this a while back. As more people discover they don't have much time left to find a job they're reacting in a survivalist way and doing things they wouldn't normally consider like starting a business.

I started a house cleaning business when I moved back to my home town because I was over qualified (and I'm sure too old) for anything within this small college town. I began with one customer by answering an ad in the newspaper. She referred me to another who referred me to another, and I found yet two more on my own. Starting a business is all about finding and fulfilling a need. After two years, I had to give it up because of physical difficulties.

A month ago I came across an ad in CareerBuilder.com advertising a work at home position. I wouldn't normally consider an advertisement for a work at home position but my husband had just been laid off from work and I needed to be open to something - anything that would bring income into our bank. Prior to his situation I would have thought the opportunity to be a scam and I still did. However, I began to dig. I started with Dun & Bradstreet. I looked up the company and found them listed. I checked the Better Business Bureau and found them listed there as well. Then I stumbled upon a forum call WAHM (Work at Home Mothers). There I found everything I needed to know from postings of individuals who had worked at home for a few years and knew legitimate companies from the non-legitimate. Some worked with NEC and found them to be legitimate; paying regularly and holding up to their promises found on their web site.

This was all I needed. I dragged my husband in to read all the information I had found. He agreed with me that based on the information we were safe from fraud. Armed with this, I made the dive. New England Crafters (NEC), the company I was interested in, required me to purchase supplies. I wasn't happy about this but being a business woman I understood their need to protect themselves. What intrigued me was their promise to repay the cost of supplies and postage so in essence I would potentially loose nothing.

Based on what I have read in the WAHM forum, NEC's quality control is high; very strict and it could take me a few times to pass their inspection but I'm confident I can and will. The driving force is the extra income and the need to work. I do give plasma twice a week for which I'm paid $234 a month but I need more. I'm looking forward to this experience.

If you're looking for extra income, consider plasma donation and NEC. And while you're at it, check out WAHM. You just might find something for yourself there because they have a load of information about opportunities.