One Home Business or Many?

As you’ve read in Home Businesses I’ve Pursued, I’ve been involved in a number of ventures over the years.  Would I have been better to have stayed with one or was I right in becoming involved in a number of them, some of which I operated simultaneously? 

Some people might say I’ve jumped around a lot and didn’t stick with one thing.  Others would realize that times change, the economy changes, our lives change, regulations change and markets change.

Changes in Technology

I can’t think of any that I could pursue just as I did when I started, especially any home business I was involved in years ago, before the age of high technology and the Internet.  Writing, which I’ve pursued for the longest, has changed with the times and the markets.  Whereas my markets were all in the print media when I started, most of those I write for now are on the Internet, generally blogging.

Should I have stayed with one phase of writing?  When I had to pay the bills, I found that writing for children (my first writing goal) didn’t suffice.  So I ventured into column writing and newspaper reporting, then travel writing and editing and eventually book writing.  All of these have been enjoyable, great learning experiences, and opened more doors.

The same with the sewing field.  There was a need for my services in dressmaking and alterations when I began sewing for income.  However, during this country’s Bicentennial years of 1975-76, the interest in quilts surfaced and I found a demand for these.  Gradually my interests, both in writing, sewing, and teaching turned to this new field.

I’ve found one must stay atuned to the times in a home business, whether you’re venturing into one field or many.  Often they’re interrelated.

What about you?