Struggling single parents are adding to one-income homes by starting part time or home businesses and finding success. Read about one parent who found her success by helping others in her shoes.
(PRWEB) February 14, 2006 -- Bonnie Kotch was having a bad year in 2003. Her marriage had been falling apart, a bad business partner took off with their clients money, and her husband came home one day and told her that when her boys were 18, he was leaving her.
I went into a tailspin, admits Bonnie. She had been self employed for over four years at that point. After loosing her clients, she found herself looking for $7.00 an hour jobs in a rural area that really offered nothing more than that.
Her kids lost their healthcare when her husband quit his full time job to go back to school, expecting Bonnie to support him. Bonnie was looking for work in the economically depressed Northeast Pennsylvania and coming up empty. She wasnt about to spend the next four years working at some convenience store so her husband could get his degree and leave her. She moved out in June of 2003.
I had two teenage boys, no job, no healthcare for them, my business in shambles, I owed money to people. I had to move in with my mother at the age of thirty-eight and rock bottom hadnt even started yet. She recalls with a hint of the anger she felt, I had to go on assistance. I was demoralized. I couldnt even afford a divorce.
After taking a job that paid less than $200 a week with an insurance company, she made the decision to move to another area where her skills were more in demand, but she ran into other problems. Her credit was bad because of sudden lack of income, and her employment history stopped in 1998. What skills she had were not wanted without a degree and she didnt have one. Unresolved bills, car repossession, not to mention the usual gilt, anger and fear one has for their childrens well-being.
She was sick of employers evaluating her on lack of degree, digging into her credit, interrogating her on her recently spotty employment. Why do I need to spend $50,000 dollars and four years of my life to get a piece of paper to prove I know what Ive already put into action? She points out. And credit? Its none of their business. I will never again sign a piece of paper inviting some twenty-five year old human resource manager into my private financial affairs. I was done job hunting. It was a major wake up call. Remembering the frustration, she adds I dont need someone who doesnt know me at all, to tell me what Im worth. That was the end of my self pity party.
Bonnie had kept a newsletter running two years after her split with her husband. Most of her subscribers were single parents, through divorce or death. Most of them were looking for ways to make money online. Some of them made money selling her clients goods online.
In corresponding with these people, Bonnie realized that they had talents and skills that werent being used. People going online looking to make some extra income just look for the bold ads with the dollar signs. They dont realize that they have products, knowledge and the skills to offer services to people who need them. She says, These people are creative! One lady was a literacy professor! She could start her own online tutoring site! Another guy was a retired music history teacher. Another was a software creator! All these people had something that would make someone elses life easier, be it a product, a service or just knowledge! Everyone is an expert at something.
In early 2005, Bonnie continued her newsletter, but began expanding her site with the idea of helping people package their product, and promote it for free or nearly free. Most people dont know that you really dont need a business loan to get a business started, even if you are starting it offline.
Trinity Affiliate Marketing Systems grew out of a bombed business that held on to survival by a newsletter that people still gravitated toward. My gift has been in helping people achieve what they previously thought beyond them. Bonnie says. TAMS is not a course or an e-book. Its a practical application system that is designed to help struggling web site owners, affiliate marketers, and home business owners develop their own business ideas, set up, and advertise for little or no money.
How is that possible?
Bonnie replies, Everyone has something that can help someone else. Its not so much a business system, but a sharing system. We have good writers that are members; we have webmasters that are members, publishers, software creators, and teachers. What someone else needs, someone else has. She beams. We have a joint venture community. We help people find partners to get their business ideas launched. If they cant find someone, we find one for them.
Bonnie offers home business start up business plan templates, mini-courses on market research and competition analysis and business development. Her 7-step system includes web site development and tools, product vendors to partner with, free advertising sources, writing tutorials, joint venture partner directory and one-on-one assistance from start to profit.
"People can do this." She says, "If I can bring money into my house, with the monkeys I had on my back, I know someone else can do it. They just need support and encouragement, and a break."
She also offers a members forum, where service sharing/swapping is negotiated, a free report on the benefits of Joint Ventures and a free weekly newsletter.
