Tackling the new mommy track.

• Author: Castrina, Sean C.
• Position: Business & Finance - Business for stay-at-home mothers

IF YOU ARE a stay-at-home mom, there are many good reasons why you might want to start your own small business: maybe you would like to kick in extra money to the family income; or perhaps flex your marketable skills, talents, and creativity; or maybe you simply have a little extra time to fill now that your kids are older and at school during the day. However, if you are like many women, you may be struggling to find a reason why you personally will be able to take your dreams from "concept" to "company." You may think, "I do not know a lot about business. Would I really have enough time? What if I do not make any money? Where do I even start?"

For hopeful "mompreneurs," launching a home-based business is more doable than you may think, as long as you know the right steps to take. Without a doubt, a disciplined and motivated mother can start and operate a profitable business from home while raising children. It will not happen overnight but, with planning and patience, you can lay a broad, solid foundation for long-term success as a self-employed businesswoman.

It now is easier than ever before to launch a home-based company. Thanks to Internet-based tools, you can reach a large number of potential customers without ever leaving your house, as well as have 24/7 access to educational tools and the ability to search for answers to your questions instantly.

If you are ready to start your transformation from "mom" to "mompreneur," here are some rules of business that should prove helpful:

Figure out your field. Perhaps you already have a clearly defined vision for your business: you would like to design, make, and sell original pottery, or you would like to use your degree in accountancy to start your own tax service. However, it is very possible that you are one of many hopeful mompreneurs who is not sure which field to go into. In that case, starting a service business--anything from home cleaning to tutoring to adult care--is recommended.

They require minimal money to start--anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. Moreover, many service businesses do not require a prior work history or particular qualifications. In most cases, they cannot be outsourced or performed by computers, so you always will have work. Since you can hire others to perform the actual work while you handle the key behind-the-scenes management tasks--like hiring, supervising, taking client calls, marketing, etc.--service businesses are a great source of passive income.

The Internet has a great list of service businesses to start you thinking. Once you have familiarized yourself with the possibilities and identified a few that might be needed in your area, try to poll at least 50 people to see which services they would use in the next six months, and if they would pay the price you would charge. Their answers will give you a good idea of which field you should...