Stuck in a rut!

[Breezie]

Perhaps someone out there will have the magic formula to help get me out of the rut I seem to have become completely entrenched in... I'm a single parent living in rural bliss (damp cottage miles from civilisation) and have been looking for a job that will fit with my DS for years. I have upholstered, made curtains, gilded, catered, been a carer for an elderly lady and generally turned my hand to (practically) anything that will pay for the next grocery shop - but I seem to lose momentum so quickly (or have a breakdown - twice in the last 2 years). I even started to write a book...
Any suggestions as to what on earth I can do to get back on track in a child (and fragile mental health) friendly way?

Hi Breezie
I have my own business but I have the security of working under the umbrella of a great range of health and nutrition products. This means lots of national / phone /web training and support is availble to me, as well as great products and marketing info for them.

I gave up my management job in March to focus on this and its been a god send whilst I have been pregnant as I can fit it into my life, rather than trying to fit my life into my work. I've picked it up and put it down when I have felt unwell, (or last year when our house was covered in brickdust from renos for weeks on end!!).

A small part is retail, but a lot of what I do is coaching and training, helping people in my team build their business too. I have lots of Mums in my team as well as people who live all over the UK.

Take a look at my website and contact me for more info www.balance-life.co.uk

Hope you find what you are looking for.

thanks- will take a look

Helen, I had a look at your website. I was approached about this business opportunity last year but after much discussion with friends and family decided that it simply wasn't the right fit for me.

Can you give us more idea of how much you want to earn?

Have you got any capital? What about that franchise from Dragons Den for the gilding in gold ipods etc? Don't know how much the franchise costs - but looks lucrative.

Hi Nomedoit and TracyK - the answer is that I have no capital, or very little, as I'm surviving on HB and WTC at the moment (which I hate - hence the need to get something going). I will have a look at the franchise thingie, but basically I need to find something that will use my creativity with very little start-up. As for income it doensn't need to be a fortune - just enough to get the bills paid, ideally about £400+ a week.

Honestly, and I know you will probably hate this idea, I would set up a house cleaning business. Get a catchy name! Just get some business cards and printed flyers to put in shop windows. Then you can charge more as a 'business' than as a cleaning lady. I'd get paid cash, save as much as possible then use it to put into whatever business you want. You do need a bit of capital for any business and a website (if you are creative you could do a free blog to start with though, check out Wordpress).

I have a good friend who did exactly this and then used the money to train as a massage therapist. Now she has her own practice and makes very good money.

Breezie, a neighbour of mine paints door signs and sells them on NotontheHighStreet for massive sums. She spends most of the day sitting in her kitchen with the radio on, painting wood in lovely sugar-almond colours. At Christmas she ropes in local teens at minimum wage.

You could consider designing something simple and easy to make but great to look at, and selling it via that website. If you get ill and orders still flow in, you can use casual staff to fulfil the orders. It probably wouldn't make £400 pw to start but it would get you going, and when you're feeling up, you could do more and stockpile for when you're shattered or low. Also, if you're in the mood for company, you can hire staff, but if you need time alone you can stay home alone, depending on your mood. It would be pretty flexible.