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If you're reading this blog, more than likely you have at least one social media account. Whether you are on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and/or Twitter, you have likely come across a post from a friend, family member (or even a stranger) advertising their work-at-home job. At times the company might be their self-owned small business, other times it might be a large network marketing company (companies like Mary Kay, Herbalife, 5Linx, ItWorks, or ACN).
The opportunity to own a small business is a remarkable accomplishment.
But please don't try to convince the rest of the world why they should quit their job and follow in your footsteps.
Oftentimes I come across the "Quit Your Job Tomorrow and Work From Home" captions that leave me bewildered. So wait, you mean to say if I quit my job tomorrow I can live off of my income as a small business owner or multi-level marketing professional? It's that easy? Sign me up!
But what many fail to tell everyone is that it is not. Any small business or multi-level marketing success takes TIME. It's a decision that has to be completely thought out. Just like you wouldn't jump into a pool not knowing how to swim and not knowing how deep it is, you wouldn't want to jump into a small business or multi-level marketing opportunity without testing the waters. Or at least having a backup plan (like a rich husband...).
The other problem is that let's face reality: not everyone wants to work from home. My primary job (outside of being a resume writer) is a teacher. Yes, after almost 10 years of teacher, I have had breaking points where I contemplated turning my small business into a full time job. But I'm just not there yet. And it has nothing to do with the financial aspect. It's just that (as crazy as it sounds) I honestly enjoy my job.
There are many people like me that do not feel the need to quit our jobs and become a full-time work-at-home professional. Millions of professionals, like me, enjoy our careers. Some people have career goals to reach the top in their company or organization, and shouldn't feel like their not successful for not working at home.
Then there are the ones that try to convince you based off the fact that they can stay home with their children and make money. Here's the shocker: some parents do not wish to be work-at-home parents. No matter what their decision is and why they have made it, it doesn't make them a horrible parent. And they shouldn't feel ashamed for making the decision to have a 9-5 job.
Kudos to those that found success and happiness in a work-at-home opportunity, but not everyone wants to take that path to success. For some people, like myself, success is not measured by the amount of zeros in a bank account. Success for me is giving back to the urban community by educating the less fortunate population. Success for me is when my students visit me or contact me online to tell me about their college acceptance letters and how I had a strong influence on their decision to follow their dreams.
My mindset might shift in one month, two years, five years, or fifteen years...but that decision will be mine to make. If later down the road I choose the path to turn my part-time business into a full-time business, I will surely not make others feel like their insane for not following.
Note: This does not apply to everyone that owns a small business or everyone that is a MLM professional. I actually follow accounts of people that work in both areas on Instagram and haven't come across any overly aggressive/misleading strategies in the ones I choose to follow.