The Ethos Challenge

American Chronicle:

Seventeen years ago, Tonya Lewis grew tired of living in Denver.

She moved to her favorite vacation town of Westcliffe.

Her business moved with her.

One of the millions of Americans who operate a home-based business, Lewis calls the option a hidden diamond for people struggling to find jobs during the recession — or, as is the case with her, people who want more time for their family and more control over their earning potential.

“I used to vacation in Westcliffe and one day I realized it doesn’t matter where I live — I work out of my house,” said Lewis, who has spent more than 20 years working in a home-based business, first as a marketing and promotional products consultant and now as a travel consultant for WorldVentures. Lewis this week shared her experiences of managing a home-based business at a Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce seminar. The group of 10 attendees ranged from people with existing home-based businesses to novices such as a Walsenburg man looking for a business that would allow him time to pursue his passions of firefighting and school fundraising.

More people are exploring home-based businesses due to the recession, and the option makes financial sense, Lewis said. Even a part-time home-based business can dramatically improve a family’s lifestyle, she said.

“I’ve heard that the average bankruptcy could be saved for less than $500 extra (earnings) a month,” and just the tax advantages of a home business — such as mileage deductions for sales calls and meetings — can add up to thousands of dollars a year in savings to a family, Lewis said.

Whether as a pet walker — one of the faster-growing businesses, offering earnings of as much as $40 an hour for multiple pets — or as a business consultant, a range of opportunities exist based on interests, education levels and time commitments, she said.

“I know someone who started an errand-running position here in Pueblo and

she’s doing terrific,” Lewis said. Elsewhere, “We have a friend we call the eBay

Queen. Remember Beanie Babies? This gal would crank out $10,000 a month trading

Beanie Babies.”

Lewis’ own specialty is direct sales — contracting with a company to help sell their product or service — and the so-called “Business in a Box” approach is an attractive option for those with little start-up money, she said. Most entry level jobs start with an investment of $500 or less.

Direct sales companies include such well-known firms as Avon, Mary Kay, Prepaid Legal and Nutrilite/Amway, she said. A spinoff segment includes multilevel marketing companies — also known as network marketers — that pay people extra for the recruitment of new salesmen to the team.

The companies are lucrative. Direct sales companies account for $31 billion in sales a year in the U.S. and $122 billion globally, she said. They employ 15 million people. And surveys show a vast majority of the workers say the job meets or exceeds their expectations, she said.

Regardless of the segment, “There are hundreds of really good home-based businesses out there . . . Look around for a need,” Lewis said. For a full-time worker, the job offers higher earning potential than most 9-to-5 jobs, she said. For a part-time worker, the job brings in welcome extra income, she said.

Photo by d70focus

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