Southern Moms are often the type to start a home business or other small business to make a little extra money.

The problem is they are good at so many things it is hard to choose just one!  So, she may start a hair salon and add a clothing line as a side.  Maybe she grows a garden and sets up a booth at the Farmers Market, but sells her crafts and sewing projects too.  Moms who like to cook often participate in bake sales at the school or church, but end up running the Fall Festival or Yearbook publication, as well.  Maybe she is like my mama, who sold Christian T-shirts and ties at the flea market, but also ran the cash register across the way at Daddy’s lawn mower shop.  The point is Southern Moms are smart and can make a business out of their pleasures.  I guess that is why there are so many happy Southern ladies in business.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we work at our businesses….we don’t play!  🙂

We take seriously the passage in Proverbs 31:10-31 (The Message)

A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve,  and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant,  and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!” Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves!  Festoon her life with praises!

*The bold type is my own emphasis.  I just love the way it reads.  This woman has some FLAIR!

Not only do we take those verses to heart, we also pay strict attention to every word in The Word.  So, when we see other passages that talk about “train up your child” like in Proverbs 22:6 us Southern Moms listen up.

We encourage our sons and daughters to “find a trade”.

Maybe we take our son around to the neighbors pulling a trailer with a riding lawn mower, so he can start a lawn service.  Our daughters may show an interest in making beach bags, so we help her buy cloth and notions to make beach bags.  Then she sells them to her friends, who are graduating high school and are going to the week-long trip to Panama City.  Maybe one of the kids takes up audio recording and wants to sell his services.  So, we help him with a business plan and he buys a storage building to convert into a studio to do just that.  These are just a few examples of the businesses my oldest two kids started and ran as teenagers.  That was back before we had high-speed internet and Wi-Fi.  My youngest is geared toward online business in the gaming industry.  So, it looks like we will be starting an online business for him pretty soon!  Life’s a great adventure.

Teaching our children to be their own boss or own a business is just natural.

Who WANTS to work for someone else?  Take me, for instance, I’ve worked for others.  I have made others lots of money.  It’s high time I did the same for my family.  That’s why I started my own business a few years ago and I love it.  Working all the years I did in accounting, I learned a lot about how money works in business.  Part of starting a business that is the most scary is doing the books.  It doesn’t need to be scary.

Young Entrepreneurs Use QuickBooks – Course

Teaching our kids to work for themselves or own a business calls for them to be able to keep accurate books.  Right?  Well, I want to introduce you to my newest QuickBooks course designed for homeschoolers or anyone who wants to learn the basics of accounting with this wonderful software.  The course is Young Entrepreneurs Use QuickBooks.  Check it out.

The Amazon Sellers Guide to QuickBooks Pro

This course is for Amazon Sellers or any small business that needs to track sales tax, inventory and run reports.  Of course, Profit and Loss – Balance Sheet – General Ledger are all the technical things you need, but keeping up with inventory and tax is a big deal and QuickBooks is a great program to use in small business for DIY moms like me.

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