4. Videoke machine rental

 Even fathers are setting up businesses at home. Juanito  ‘Etong’ Vizcarra, dad to four grown children, rents out videoke machines. He assembled his own videoke unit for less than P20,000 and recouped his expenses within a year of operation. The cost of renting a videoke unit ranges from P800 to P1,500 for 24 hours of use. 

According to sales and marketing guru Escareal-Go, home-based businesses are flourishing as a “development borne out of change in society’s expectations of the role of women.” She cites that women are no longer expected to just stay at home but to be active contributors to the family income and in other aspects of decision-making. She adds, “It is now also more acceptable for men to be stay-at-home dads while their wives work.” 

However, Escareal-Go warns of the challenges of home-based businesses. Flexibility of time is the key reason for putting up a home-based business, but it can also be a pitfall. “Home-based business owners usually work beyond ordinary hours and multitask a lot,” she says. Knowing when to switch from work mode to parent mode is indeed crucial to a successful and well-balanced home and business. 

Photos: woman with laptop, thread spools, packed meals, videoke machine