A Natural Home

The WAHM or work at home mom used to be an unusual thing, but with so many mommies starting little internet sites selling this and that, it is becoming the “in” thing.

Working Mother Magazine contacted us (or rather me) about doing an article about our cottage based company, and I began to realize that I am not a work at home mom any more.

With 5 employees, 30 families that we work with, a warehouse, a store, and another store about to be opening, we are not a start up internet site any more.  We are a “real” business.

There is a certain freedom in being more than I once was, but it is also scary.  I have more responsbility, but I have more freedom to leave if I want and let the employees take care of things.

I can delegate and spend time with my family. I get to stop answering the phone and just veg out with my kids, do the laundry, cook dinner, or shop for a gas grill made in the USA or Canada without having to answer the phone. It is nice.

A WAHM is generally someone trying to run a company from start up, but she really is not planning on paying her bills with it, or paying off her house. She is just happy to be making a little extra money and that is it.

There is nothing wrong with that, but there is something missing for the equation, the real business aspect.  Filing taxes does not usually stress a WAHM out. She is not dealing with 1099s, w-2s, corporate S filiing status, etc… I had to file an extension this year, as I have not had time to get everything together.

The working mother redefined, or the WAHM expanded I have become. It feels good. I am proud of what I have built my business into. We have many happy customers, and a very very few disgrunteled ones… Women who are thinking of going on your own, you can do it.  It takes time, patience and a desire to make something of the company and yourself, but it can be done and it is almost as rewarding as raising a child (only it pays the bills,LOL).