Family Living
Focus
by
Multi-County
Extension Agent
Winifred McGee
Doing Business from your
Home
If your household is like
mine, you can always use a little
extra money. It seems that coats
are forever wearing out, and
shoes are being outgrown. While
the quickest solution might be to
get a job (or a second job), leav
ing the home and working
according to someone else’s
schedule isn’t an idea that
appeals to everyone. For many
people, starting their own busi
ness-a home based business-is
a very attractive option.
Home-based businesses app
eal to people for a variety of rea
sons. Many types of products
and services can be provided
from the home setting. Much of
the equipment that was once
found only in a large business
setting (like the FAX and com
puter) is becoming part of the
home scene. Many adults find
themselves sandwiched between
two generations, both needing
attention and time, making it
necessary to balance income/work
and family time. Probably first
on many entrepreneurs’ lists,
however, is that setting up a
business in the home means
fewer overhead dollars than
rental/purchase of a commercial
location.
. you
might be for you, how should you
get started? First, come up with
an idea that might be a good
business idea. The product or
service should be something
about which you know (or are
willing to learn). Your business
may be related to a hobby that
you have, or, for farm families, it
may involve adding value to veg
etables or fruits already grown/
produced on the farm. It may
involve some new skill that you
have always wanted to develop,
that you will learn before going
into business.
Once you have come up with
an idea, look hard at it. This
hard look is often called a feasi
bility study. You need to see if
the idea is “do-able,” mar
ketable, and profitable.
A “do-able” idea is a legal one.
Check with your township, bor
ough, or city government to find
out whether zoning allows you
to conduct your business in your
home. Each municipality is dif
ferent, and some neighboring
businesses may have been
“grandfathered in,” which
means that they existed before
zoning was put in place, and are
allowed to operate, contrary to
an ordinance. Do not assume
that land zoned for agriculture
Farm and Home Section, Lancaster Farming, Saturday. March 25, 2000—Page
can be used tor all businesses.
Check it out! Find out about any
special licenses or registrations
that are needed to operate-and
who issues them. For example,
food product businesses must be
inspected and registered by the
PA Department of Agriculture.
When looking at marketabili
ty, try to find out who would be
most likely to buy your product
or service-also called your tar
get market. Find out how many
people living in your area fall
into this group. As you learn
about your target market, try to
find out how many other people
make exactly what you want to
make. In his book, “Sell What
You Sow,” Eric Gibson says that
is is just as important that a
newly-developed product be dif
ferent from other products
already on the market, as it is
that the entrepreneur choose
something they enjoy producing.
At this stage, you need to decide
if the market can bear another
maker of strawberry jam.
Finally, make sure that you
will be able to make a profit with
this idea. Some businesses
require that you purchase equip
ment and materials to get things
going, so that it is impossible to
make a profit in the first six
months, year, or two years.
However, you must be able to see
the light at the end of the tun
nel, a time when you will make
money, after all the expenses are
paid, for an idea to be a good
business idea.
If you find you have a good
business idea, remember that
you don’t have to go it alone.
There are many sources of help.
Cooperative Extension, local col
lege business departments, and
the Small Business Administr
ation’s Service Corps of Retired
State FFA Wrap-Up
Maria Trego
Pa. FFA Reporter
Pa. State FFA
Upcoming Events
•State Legislative Lead
ership Conference-March 12-14
•State Officer Candidacy
School-Date/Time/Location-TBO
•Activities Week/Summer
Convention-June 13-15
National FFA Officers
President-Chris Vitelli.
Western Region V.P.-Mar
shall Baker.
Southern Region V.P.- Carol
Spruill.
Eastern Region V.P.-Joe
Shultz.
Central Region V.P.-Leslie
Small.
Secretary-Jodee Ruppel.
Update From the Pa.
FFA Association
The mid-winter convention
has successfully come and gone,
and thus marks a little over half
Executives (SCORE) all provide
free information. Throughout
the year, Cooperative Exten
sions across the state will be
offering Food for Profit classes
for people who want to set up
food businesses. Call your coun
ty office to see when the next
session will be in your area.
Taking time to gather infor
mation will be the first big step
so that you can, on your own
time, in your own home, take a
good business idea and make it
into a source of extra income
and personal satisfaction.
It all starts with a question:
“Is a home based business for
me?”
of the year for us as state offi
cers.
It has been an exciting year
full of surprises, good times,
laughter, tears, and most of all,
the members.
We have attended many
events, such as the Big E in
Massachusetts, National Con
vention in Louisville, Ky., and to
events at more than 100 chap
ters from throughout the state.
The chapter visit tour is in
high gear and we are nearly fin
ished. We’ve all had a great time
visiting and getting to know all
of you in your own home chap
ters.
Just because our year is half
over doesn’t mean we don’t have
many exciting activities left. As
listed, SLLC is approaching in
March. Located in Harrisburg,
SLLC teaches how a bill is
passed and amended. A tour of
the Hershey Chocolate factory
and the state capitol building is
scheduled in conjunction with
the conference.
Our state officer candidacy
school is quickly approaching.
Watch for dates, times, and loca
tions to be posted in your respec
tive areas.
Finally, our last major func
tion as the 1999-2000 state offi
cer team is Pennsylvania FFA
Activities Week. Come join us
and watch as members from
throughout Pennsylvania “un
lock their potential.”
Thank you to everyone who
has helped make this year go
smoothly, and thanks to the
members of the Pennsylvania
FFA.
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