I have been working from home since January 2011.  So many people are looking for extra work they can do from home either as a second income, or to save for a specific reason.  Working from home is also very flexible around your other commitments.  I hope this blog post will help you, if you are thinking of working from home, to get set up and ready to take that first step!

1. Create a work space. 

Whether it is a desk and a laptop in the corner of a room or an office at home, find a space that is yours and for your work/business.  You can keep everything you need within reach and it will help you to get some focus when you sit down to work.

Work out when you will be able to work each week.  Working from home is flexible, but if you don't set aside some time to spend working you won't earn! Set up your daily method of operation so that you know exactly what you are doing each day.

2. Think about your aim

​Do you want to earn some short term money or do you want a long term business which you can work on and grow and perhaps make your full time income?  What your aim is will affect whether you look for online work or whether you look for a business opportunity which you can work on and grow over time.

I work from home full time and I fun two businesses part time alongside each other.  I have my greetings card business teresa4cards.co.uk  and I am a distributor with Utility Warehouse. 

In the past I also earned money through matched betting which brought me in consistent money each month.   I have also worked on survey sites in the past.

3. #dowhatyoulove

This is certainly true if you are starting a business.  If you love what you do then you will enjoy working on it and you will feel enthused to spend time on your business.  So think about what you enjoy, can you find a business opportunity that is linked to your interests?

4. Sort out your financial stuff

It sounds boring but it is essential. If you are starting a business there will be start up costs, you need to consider what you can afford and setting a budget could help those costs from getting out of control!  After all the aim is to make money, not spend it!

You may also need to register with the HMRC if you are starting a business.  You can get advice on this from their website.

5.  Find your motivation!

Working from home can make you feel isolated and it can be hard to be  motivated to keep going.  How are you going to stay enthusiastic about your work/business?  Keep your goals in mind and write them down.  If you are working towards paying a debt keep a record of the payments you make.  If you are saving then write down how much you have managed to save.  This will help to motivate you to keep going.

If you are starting out in a business set some short term goals and monitor your progress. If you can see progress being made then this will help you to stay motivated.

6. Be prepared to do some training/research
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​There will be many, many things you won't know how to do, especially if you are starting your own business.  On an almost daily basis I find things I do not know how to do!  Google is your friend!  There is a lot of free training and advice available, so don't worry about not knowing how to do something!

I hope you have found this useful. Bear in mind there is loads of help out there available to you and be brave and go for it!  Good luck :-)

​Love Teresa xx

I am now able to take new Flamingo Paperie partners! Yay! This is a great time to get started and in at the beginning with Flamingo Paperie.  The launch on 1st February 2018 was very exciting with lots happening and it was a great feeling to be able to finally get under way.  I am very excited and happy to be able to start growing my card business again and I would love some of you to get involved too!

The business is very very simple.  You buy stock from Flamingo Paperie at a 30% discount and sell it.  That's it.  There isn't lots of product information to learn and there are no targets.  I love it because it is so flexible.  A great work from home business or side hustle!  I received my pack of new cards today and they are beautiful greetings cards. I can't wait to get out and about and showing them off.

So if you are like me your first question is.....what is it going to cost me?!  Answer - £200 (or £95, or £45 depending on the pack size).  For that £200 you get £367 of Flamingo Paperie stock and £60 of business tools and brochures.  You also get a years public liability insurance and a free website. 

If you can't afford £200 there are two other options too, £95 and £45.  I always recommend the largest pack, but you should go for the biggest pack that you can reasonably afford within your budget.

I love going to events with the cards and I am growing my business online.  You may choose to do home parties, or basket drop offs at schools and businesses, or catalogue drops.  There are many ways to sell, you do what suits you and what fits in with your current commitments.

As well as selling cards, there is also a fantastic opportunity to grow you own team of Flamingos and generate further income.  I can also provide support for this if you choose to grow your team.

There is more information on my Flamingo Paperie website www.teresa4cards.co.uk or you can contact me if you would like to know anything else.  Or click Join Now to get started straight away!

This is the largest pack, pack 3. This is a good amount of cards for a home pop-up shop, a stall at an event or a couple of browsing baskets. When you sell all of pack 3, the average profit is £167.  ​In addition Pack 3 also generates your first retail bonus of a further £20.

Smaller packs are available, £45 or £95, if you have a smaller budget and they are great for showing people the fabulous quality of the cards! If you would like more information visit my dedicated teresa4cards website!

Update: it is now May 2020 and I have to say I am so happy with how my business is growing. The cards are beautiful and so well received. Our new range of papercraft kits have opened up completely new markets for me and we now have a range of biodegradeable and recyclable kraft paper. Visit my dedicated website for more information on all the new developments:

Love Teresa xx

You can also shop for our fabulous greetings cards, gift wrap and papercraft kits here: