9 Excuses for Not Starting a Home Business And How to Overcome Them

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can find my full disclosure page here.

Are you a busy mama who wants to start a business but worry about making it happen? There are nine common excuses for not starting a home business that can keep you from moving forward. But, you don’t have to stay stuck! Here’s help.

If you’ve decided 2020 will be YOUR year, you’ve got this. You really can earn money online working part-time from the comfort of your home.

I’ve been doing it for about five years now, while homeschooling nine kids, so I know it’s possible. If I can do it, so can you.

But first, it’s time to bust some excuses.

There’s always an excuse not to work on your business. You might say:

• I don’t have the PERFECT idea yet.
• The house is a mess.
• I don’t have time.
• The course I want costs too much.
• I have slow internet.
• I have a toddler.
• I’m homeschooling my kids.
• The kids are sick.
• I’m pregnant.

I could go on and on with the excuses, but I think you get the idea. If you let it, something will ALWAYS be available for you to blame. You will always have an excuse to not make progress.

Your goal is to bust the excuses and to push through anyway. Making money online must become a priority in your life, or it will fall by the wayside and you won’t see a penny.

Let’s analyze these excuses, so you can see why NOW is the time to start. You’ll find links to other posts I’ve written specifically addressing the issues, so feel free to dive in further!

And, if you’re wondering what kind of business to start as a busy mom, I highly recommend Freelance Writing or becoming a Virtual Assistant. They are flexible, and you can slowly increase your work load as you get used to the newness of having a business!

1. I don’t have the PERFECT idea yet

I’ve talked with a couple of people who expressed interest in starting their own business. But, they decided not to because they didn’t have the perfect idea yet.

They’d rather not take any steps forward until they have it all thought out.

Or until they have a unique idea for monetizing their efforts.

You know what?

I didn’t have the perfect idea when I started. In fact, I’ve pivoted several times since launching my business.

Don’t wait for perfection, because it won’t happen. And if you can’t make money online with the typical methods, you won’t be ready for your unique idea when you finally have it.

Gain the experience, learn from your mistakes, and you’ll be so much further ahead.

For more help, see the following post:

5 Freelancing Mistakes I Made

2. The House is a Mess

It’s hard to work in a mess. I understand.

The good news? You can get on a schedule to get your housework caught up, and keep it decent.

You may not have a Pinterest-picture-perfect house, but does that matter in the long run? If your house is so messy you can’t work, having it a little better will be an improvement!

Make sure your kids are helping you clean. They may not be particularly helpful if they’re small, but your efforts now will pay off hugely in the future!

For more help, see the following posts:

How to Keep Your House Clean as a WAHM

How to Use a Quick Clean to Restore Order to Your Busy House

3. I Don’t Have Time

You’re right, you don’t have time to start a business. You will have to MAKE time.

It’s possible.

You need to:

• Use the small chunks of time
• Make a plan of the day so you know where to focus your efforts
• Adjust schedules as possible
• Say no to some things
• Streamline as much as possible

For more help, see the following posts:

Why I Don’t Have a Strict Schedule

What Are You Willing to Fail At?

What’s Meal Planning Got to Do with Freelancing?

How to Grow Your Business with Baby Steps

4. The Course I Want Costs too Much

As a former teacher, I’m a huge fan of learning from people who have already been there and done that. Courses have an important role to play when you’re starting a business.

But, there’s a lot of free information online.

And, there’s a lot of on the job training that occurs when you’re running a business.

You need to start somewhere, so why not today?

When I started my business, I was broke. I couldn’t afford to take a course.

So I started, reading blog posts on specific subjects I needed help with along the way.

Eventually I saved up and took a course that Gina Horkey used to offer. But taking a course IS NOT a requirement for launching a business.

For more information, see the following post:

How to Start a Freelance Writing Business When You’re Broke

5. I Have Slow Internet

Slow internet sucks. I know.

I live in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, Siri used to get people lost getting to our house.

How would I describe my internet in two words?

• Metered
• Slow

It truly is awful! And there are a lot of work from home options that I don’t qualify for because of my internet situation.

If you’re in this boat, you can either sit back and wring your hands and cry, “Woe is me.” OR you can decide to do what you can with what you have.

To make it work you can:

• Avoid streaming
• Schedule Skype calls carefully so you can leave and use free Wi-Fi
• Connect your computer to your phone’s hotspot for a little bit of a boost
• Work offline when possible (for instance, I’m writing this in Word and will transfer it to WordPress later)

For more help, see the following post:
Freelancing with Satellite Internet

6. I Have a Toddler

You do? Congratulations! So do I. Isn’t he cute?

Toddlers are so curious and fun.

No matter how old your kids are, you can start a business. I currently have:

• A baby in utero
• A toddler
• A preschooler
• 4 elementary aged kids
• 1 middle school aged kid
• 1 teenager

You know what? Each stage has it’s advantages and disadvantages. Moving beyond toddlerhood isn’t going to magically make all of your problems go away.

So you start where you are. Embrace each stage, and learn to work WITH your kids instead of against them.

You can:

• Have a quiet work time
• Have daily quiet time if your toddler outgrew naps
• Engage your toddler in a fun activity nearby while you work
• Let your kids “help” you work. Their help might not mean much now. But it will by the time they’re a teen if you let them help consistently.

Don’t let your kids be your excuse, or you may end up resenting them. Your kids are a blessing, not a burden!

For more help, see the following posts:

How to Work from Home with a Toddler (or 2!)

10 Tips for Freelancing with Toddlers (you can find links there to my whole ages & stages guide series, in case you have kids of other ages)

100+ Engaging Activities for Your Kids While You Work

7. I’m Homeschooling My Kids

Homeschooling and freelancing are a great fit! Both are flexible and adaptable.

After you provide instruction, you can work while your kids work.

For more help, see the following posts:

FAQ: Homeschooling and Freelancing

How to Grow Your Business without Tons of Time

How to Balance Homeschooling and Working at Home

8. The Kids Are Always Sick

I have a child with Angelman Syndrome and Pica. He’s constantly having seizures, eating things he shouldn’t, and not feeling well. Unexpected trips to the ER are nothing new…

Then there are eight other kids in this house. When sickness passes through, it hits us hard. Sometimes it makes the rounds a couple of times before it finally goes away.

Sick kids need extra love. They need your care. But, they don’t typically need you to drop everything in your life to stick right by their side every moment of the day.

You can get them settled, and sit down nearby with your laptop. You’ll be close if your child needs you, and be able to get some work done.

For more help, see the following posts:

Freelancing with a Child with Special Needs

Freelancing with Sick Kids

9. I’m Pregnant

When you’re pregnant, exhaustion is a common symptom. You’ll need more sleep than normal, so getting up at 4 am to write before the kids wake up probably isn’t a good idea.

You’ll have to be creative, and flexible.

Put your feet up when you type to encourage blood flow, or stand up while you work. Set your timer for fifteen minutes, and get as much work as you can.

Then repeat again each hour or two. You’ll get a ton done, without burning out.

For more help, see the following post:

Freelancing When Pregnant

Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Survival Guide for Writers

Do You Have Any Other Excuses for Why You Can’t Start a Business?

If you do, reach out and I’ll see if I can help you bust that one too.

2020 is your year.

You just have to start.

It doesn’t have to be perfect (in fact it won’t be!)

Just do it.

You can start a business.

And when you’re ready, these resources can help:

Fully Booked VA

Jumpstart Your VA Business