Women are taking control of their financial destinies and careers by starting and running their own business. Women owned business opportunities are often of the work-at-home type due to several reasons.

When you work from home, there is usually little start-up costs involved in getting your business going. You already have a living accommodation that can double as your office, so you save from paying office rental.

There's the freedom to set your own work schedule. No more having a boss telling you what, when and how to do your work. You don't need to travel in bad weather or being stucked in a traffic jam.

You don't have to pay childcare costs or travel expenses such as gas and automobile maintenance. Many women in business are deciding to work from home so that they can spend more time with their children and family.

Potential Setbacks

Due to the fact that you have the flexibility to set your own schedule, it can be very tempting not follow it at times. You may become distracted and lose track of time. This will put you behind in your work and set the stage for stress and aggravation. Other distractions, such as the television, radio or telephone can interfere with your ability to maintain a schedule and get your work completed on time.

There may be household distractions such as the dishes that need to be washed or the floor that needs to be mopped and this is why it is important to prioritize. You can be distracted by friends dropping by unannounced to hang out because they don't understand that even though you are at home, you still have a business to run.

Overcoming setbacks

You must cultivate a strong commitment and self-discipline when running a women home based business. Set your hours that you are going to work and stay as close to your schedule as possible. With a small child you can expect to have some unplanned interruptions so allow extra time for your projects to account for this. When the workday has ended, spend some quality time with your family even though you still have unfinished work.

Don't overload yourself with work. Once in a while you may receive a big project that will take extra time, but keep this to a minimum. You don't want to do this on a regular basis where you are constantly struggling to keep up. Remember to take breaks. It is easy to get so wrapped up in a project that the day is gone before you realize it. You can get really burned out this way. Divide up your workday with breaks by going for a walk, having lunch outside or have a special time set aside where you play a short game with your child.

Be sure to keep in contact with others. Networking is an essential part of running a successful business. The rapid rise growth in women owned businesses is due to women placing more emphasis in building a business relationship, thus increasing customer loyalty and referrals.