• What type of online business are you in?   

I'm in online retail sales.  I sell both new and old merchandise.  My business began on eBay in 1998 -- and has since expanded to include two retail sites: www.AllRetroGames.com and www.AProperFoundation.com .         I have a portal to my eBay sales as well as both my websites at www.Jenanne.com .  Our biggest challenge has been finding wholesale sources for new merchandise and vintage merchandise.

• Did you start this business off-line and then move it online?  

No, we began entirely online on eBay.  Prior to that, I was the owner of a child care center; my husband was a student and part time employee at the library in town. 

• How long have you been in business? 

We've been in business part time since August 1998.  We moved to full-time in January 2000. 

• How did you decide to start in this particular type of business?  

It was an accident. :)  I was buying on eBay and after a couple weeks realized I needed to begin selling if I was going to continue to be able to afford my buying habit.  About a year later, I realized that I was making more selling on eBay part-time than I was working 60+ hours a week in my child care center!  Two months after that, my husband and I had both quit our jobs, sold our house, and moved to our dream home in the mountains -- as full-time eBay sellers.  Our first winter convinced us that buying at garage sales and flea markets wasn't going to pay the bills entirely -- so we began to explore wholesale avenues for product acquisition.  From there it was a small step to learning HTML and programming web sites.  

• What type of work did you do before starting your own Home Based Business? 

I have nearly always been self-employed -- as it turns out, I'm not very good at taking orders -- so self-employment suits me well. :) Before this, it was childcare.  Before that, I was a student and artist. 

• What are the benefits of working from home - to you? 

The biggest benefit is the ability to schedule my time as I see fit.  A mid-week camping trip, a morning at the library, and afternoon movie -- all very possible when you work for yourself. 

• What are some of the tips and suggestions you would give to someone considering working from home for the very first time? 

Setting boundaries -- both physically and emotionally -- makes sense.  Having a space that is your "work" space -- and time that is "work" time makes it more possible for you to complete all your work each day.  Remembering that you are "working" -- and being firm when folks ask (as they will!) if you can do "x" -- because after all, you don't have a job -- also helps.

• What are some of the drawbacks to the work-at-home lifestyle? 

Sick leave and vacation time are a thing of the past -- if you have a task that must be done today, no matter how ill you are, you still have to do it.  Arranging extended vacations is also more complicated if your income is entirely dependent on your work-at-home job.

• Would you ever go back to working a 9 - 5? 

NEVER!

• Do you plan on looking into any other types of business?  

Not currently; we're always looking to expand the line of products we offer -- but websales are what we hope to continue to do for the immediate future.  We are looking down the road into purchasing an office with living quarters above for the sake of opening a B&M (Brick & Mortar) shop. 

• What do you think is the future of the home based business?  

I think the future is what we make it -- online sales in particular are revolutionizing the way that folks think of self-employment.  It makes true independence possible.

A special thanks to Jenanne for agreeing to this interview and contributing to this site!

Dave Espino

	Web www.HomeBasedBusinessowner.com