(323) 863-3603 admin@ourmilkmoney.org

Tip #10 You are not in this alone.

There are currently more than 5 million work-at-home parents and that number grows every single day. These are not your competitors, this is a large support network of people, who are just like you. They need you just as much as you need them. Reach out, ask for help, and be ready to listen and learn. There is an abundance of information out there at your finger tips FOR FREE. This can sometimes feel like information overload, but it can provide you with exactly what you are looking for the moment that you need it.
Remember to pat yourself on the back often. As your own boss, you will need it. Rome was not built in a day. Earning a revenue will take time, so expect to struggle for a few months. Even the most successful businesses take time to become profitable. Finances will be tight, and it may seem like you are working twice as hard for less reward. But keep your eye on the prize, and trust that you are as good as anyone else who has chosen to work from home. Your greatest reward may not be the income, but the abundance of time you can now afford to have with your children, and being able to call the shots in your own life.
Self-employed Parent Enthusiast Ally Loprete is the Founder of OurMilkMoney.com, a nationwide online business directory of self-employed parents, and the host of This Little Parent Stayed Home, a live weekly radio show which is a part of the Her Insight Group on Toginet.com. Ally is on a mission to help others deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of leaving a full time job to start a new business, while running a full time household and raising kids. She is resolute about creating a haven in which parents across the nation will continue to thrive and obtain the support they need in their personal journeys.

Tip #8: Barter your services.

This is a great way to minimize those start-up costs that you were worried about. It’s also a great way to network, and get testimonials, not to mention gain experience in your chosen field.
Make up the Difference with Barter
Yep, the old age method of bartering is making a comeback…and its hot! For families that are looking for an alternative lifestyle to what they have now, leaving a corporate salary behind may seem like an impossible thing to recover, but its not. After you have taken a look at your monthly expenses, made all the obvious cuts in over spending and subtracted your lost salary as well as the cost of daycare, if you can aim for a $200-$500 deficit, its a great spot to be in.
Making up the difference in that financial gap is completely attainable through swap and trade. Bartering, or the exchange of goods and services without money, has become a more common solution as family budgets tighten. In an economic turn down, more people are open to the idea and even more are becoming advanced in the art of bartering. Swap piano lessons for a gym membership, Babysitting for help moving, tutoring for hemming. You don’t have to run your own business to have something valuable to offer, and because we are all capable of something, there is no limit to how much of ourselves we can offer, making us worth more than what we have in our bank accounts, with no limit.
Self -employed Parent Enthusiast Ally Loprete is the Founder of OurMilkMoney.com, a nationwide online business directory of self-employed parents,  and the host of This Little Parent Stayed Home, a live weekly radio show, which is part of the Her Insight Group on Toginet.com.  Ally is on a mission to help other’s deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of leaving a full time job to start a new business,  while running a full time household and raising kids. She is resolute about creating a haven in which parents across the nation will continue to thrive and obtain the support they need in their personal journeys.

Tip #9: Use the internet and become a master of online research.

You can get just about anything you need to start your business for free. Basic websites, templates, voicemail boxes, advertising opportunities, legal advice, newsletter services, even business cards. Some services are free for only a certain amount of time, so take advantage while you can. Check out the OurMilkMoney.com Resource Page for a list of services that are free or minimal. Talk to other parents and ask them about the resources that they use. Everything else can be bartered – especially with other self-employed parents- and that is who you want to be supporting from now on, anyway. It’s good karma. Trust me, it always comes back to you.
Self-employed Parent Enthusiast Ally Loprete is the Founder of OurMilkMoney.com, a nationwide online business directory of self-employed parents, and the host of This Little Parent Stayed Home, a live weekly radio show which is a part of the Her Insight Group on Toginet.com. Ally is on a mission to help others deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of leaving a full time job to start a new business, while running a full time household and raising kids. She is resolute about creating a haven in which parents across the nation will continue to thrive and obtain the support they need in their personal journeys.