When there's so much to do in here (review of HomeWork)

HomeWork: Juggling Home, Work, and School Without Losing Your Balance
© 2009 The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC


In today's For Better or For Worse comic, a slightly bored-at-home mother, surrounded by preschoolers, housework, and the dog, searches the help-wanted ads. "But why go out there," asks her puzzled husband, "when there's so much to do in here?"

The women profiled in The Old Schoolhouse's e-book HomeWork agree with that question--but hear it in a different sense. They are all multi-taskers who have either started their own businesses or who are involved in family businesses or ministries. Beyond that--there are no stereotypes. Some have only young children, some are veteran homeschoolers; some have opted for fairly conventional businesses, others have created something unique. Their businesses often reflect personal values: preserving craft skills, encouraging strong marriages, improving health or the environment, or supporting other homeschoolers. Some of them work only at home; others travel to craft shows, or work in an office for part of the week. These women (and their families) don't mind putting in long or unusual hours, and making financial sacrifices; but the one thing they are all unwilling to sacrifice is their family life.

Because this is an Old Schoolhouse book, there is a strong Christian context to all of the stories; phrases like "God told me what to write" or even "God told us to give away our house" are common. Each person's profile, written in the first person, is detailed and sometimes painfully honest. There are descriptions of mistakes and things they would have done differently. What comes across clearly is the need for commitment to make any business work. You can't just hope for success, you have to plan for it. It's never been easy to get a business off the ground, and these days there are high expectations on any product or service, including traditional "pin money" venues such as sewing. If your product is less than top-notch, you will be quick to hear it with online reviews such as this one. You also need business skills, market awareness, and knowledge of things like licensing, liability, insurance, and taxes. The women profiled here make good use of new technology, such as the Etsy craft storefront, websites advertising their businesses, and publishing e-books or offering online lessons.

I most enjoyed Amy Cook's "Recycling Jeans in a Motor Home," Jennifer Mitchell's "A Bushel of Business" (about a family apple orchard combined with a bed-and-breakfast), and Rebekah Wilson's fairly long and detailed Hope Chest Legacy story. We wondered, though, about the description of the computer networking business, as that is similar to what my husband does for a living. Clients, in his experience, demand a greater deal of time on-site than this story seems to imply, and unexpected problems take a lot of extra time. (My husband says he spent an hour yesterday retrieving one file for someone.) I'm not accusing anyone of dishonesty, just pointing out that if you're interested in any of the businesses described, you will want to look carefully at the pros and cons, and perhaps talk to others doing similar work to see how experiences can vary.

Could you do it? Should you do it? Adding extra work responsibilities on to homeschooling and housework may sound overwhelming if you feel like you can't even get everyone's math lessons covered in a day plus run after the preschooler and feed the toddler. But in some ways it sounds like having that extra demand on a mother's time may even improve homeschooling, for reasons such as needing to be more organized and encouraging more independent learning. Homeschooled children who are involved in a family business can develop practical skills (both in business and in home responsibilities) and an awareness of the bigger world. The benefits for a homeschooling mom are plentiful as well--running a business can allow you to develop or demonstrate new skills, develop faith, and increase your understanding of God's leading.

This is not a book about how to get rich. It does not attempt to describe every possible business you could start yourself. Most of these businesses couldn't be exactly duplicated anyway; some are unique to homeschooling, or didn't exist before these women created them. But reading their stories opens up all kinds of possibilities--the sky's the limit. If you can find a market for your product or service, and it doesn't take too big a piece out of the rest of your life, it might just be the perfect business for you.