qprev_HBB Manual 2.qxd - Small Business BC

1Is Home theBest Choice for You?Kootenay Valley Soap Companyby Kathy McCauley“We had soap everywhere!” says JenniferAdams, remembering how her home-basedbusiness started in her kitchen. “On old ovenracks hanging from the ceiling, on top of thefridge, the freezer, everywhere! My office was inthe middle of the living room. We ate, drank andbreathed soap for the whole first year.”The victim of a layoff after six years in the retailhealth food business, Jennifer discovered thesame week she was pregnant. She and herpartner decided to move back home to EastKootenay, determined to start a business thatwould allow her to be home with her baby.After enrolling in a basic entrepreneurshiptraining program sponsored by CranbrookCommunity Futures, Jennifer had clarified hergoals. “I’d intended to write a series of bookletson lost pioneer skills but I changed my mind. Idiscovered there was great interest in naturalsoap products, so I experimented withmanufacturing procedures and recipes. Within ayear, I finished my business plan and borrowedseed money.”Sales exceeded $100,000 in the first year andthen doubled in the second. Producing 1,600bars of soap a week, the company was soonshipping to more than 150 retail outlets acrossCanada. Helped by hired assistants, the familyfirm employs her mother as full-time officemanager and her life partner as sales managerand staff trainer.While growing a home-based business hasn’tbeen easy, it’s brought rewards. “I’ve never hadto work so hard in my life,” comments Jennifer.“Time management and stress management arechallenges for me, and it takes courage to dealwith the financial risk and responsibility ofhaving employees. Finding time for my family isstill hard but I have achieved my goal of beinghome with my daughter.”And the future looks bright. Jennifer foreseesbreaking into the international market andpotential sales of over $1 million annually.Before you go any Further...So you want to start a home-based business, eh?Before you go any further, ask yourself why?And then ask what personal qualities and familysupport you can draw upon to make your dream areality. Since these questions are so crucial toyour chance of success, let’s examine them oneat a time.Consider Your Reasons forBeing Home-BasedWhy Start a Home-based Business?The home is an excellent place to start abusiness. Unfortunately, many home businessesstruggle to survive. Being clear about yourreasons for wanting to be home-basedcan lessen that struggle greatly and helpyou make much better business decisions.Success is directly linked to being clear aboutyour motivation.4solutions for small business home-based business