NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Lesley Spencer
512.266.0900 or cell phone 512.659.7584

The New Entrepreneur -- Shorts, Shirt and . . . a Stroller?
Moms Find Ways to Combine Career with Children

AUSTIN, TX -- In the 60’s there were white aprons, homemade cookies and hand-sewn clothing. In the 80’s there were business suits, fast-food meals and a grab-and-go lifestyle. Now in the 90’s, women are recreating their roles once again by starting home businesses at an unprecedented rate.

According to the National Foundation of Women Business Owners, there are 3.5 million home-based women-owned businesses in the U.S. For many women, working from home gives them the flexibility to spend more time with their children while continuing to contribute to the family’s income.

“Working outside the home set my world off its axis,” Vicky Peterson, DVM, owner of Personalized Veterinary Publications in Florida said. “I was not centered or happy being away from my son. Now being able to work from home, I am a happier, more relaxed person.”

The 90’s woman seems willing to sacrifice a fast-track corporate career for a slower-paced home business that puts her in charge. Working from home gives these women the opportunity to continue building their careers while taking time to enjoy their children.

“For the first four years of my daughter’s life, I felt as though I was missing something while working outside the home,” Amy Holding, owner of Office Wizards in Connecticut said. “Finally my husband and I realized that we didn’t want to work our lives away while we miss out on our daughter’s childhood. There will always be time in the future for whatever path I choose to follow. For now, I want to spend as much time with her as possible.”

In addition, having a home business can give these moms a new sense of accomplishment and self-worth. Even though, some may argue that stay-at-home moms have the most demanding and important job on earth, others may still view their jobs as less significant. Working from home enables these moms to gain more self-respect while taking charge of their future.

“One of the reasons I decided to work from home was because I was tired of being someone else’s secretary,” Diana Ennen, owner of Ennen’s Computer Service in Florida and author of Words From Home: How to Start and Operate a Home-Based Word Processing Business said. “I knew I could do just as well, or even better on my own. And I was right, I have had my own successful word processing business for over 10 years now.”

“But getting started can be very difficult,” Lesley Spencer, MSc., founder and director of Home-Based Working Moms (HBWM) warns. “We recommend that moms find a support group to help with the many facets of starting a home business. Many parents just aren’t sure where to begin.”

HBWM, based in Austin, Texas, is one organization that helps parents by providing resources and information to those interested in working from home. HBWM also offers a monthly newsletter, resource guides and discounts on various products and services including dental/vision/prescription care.

“HBWM is a wonderful resource for networking and business tips for those new to a home business,” Sue Wright, a writer based in California said. “It is a national community of women using each other’s services and offering suggestions to one another while truly supporting each other’s ventures.”

HBWM is an advocate of home business and home employment to allow parents to spend more time with their children. HBWM offers free ads in its newsletter and on its web site to any company offering home-based employment for temporary or permanent projects.

“Hiring home-based working moms to do projects such as word processing, writing, computer programming, mass mailings, clerical and any other jobs that can be done at home makes a lot of sense. These companies can save money by hiring these home-based working moms, and at the same time boost their company’s image as a family-friendly company,” Spencer added.

For more information on Home-Based Working Moms, view the web site at: http://www.hbwm.com or send a business-size #10, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: HBWM-NR, P.O. Box 500164, Austin, TX 78750-0164.

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Canadian Rep Lynda Menegotti