{"id":1483,"date":"2007-12-09T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2007-12-09T16:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/2007\/12\/09\/how-i-became-a-millionaire-while-working-in-my-pajamas\/"},"modified":"2019-10-17T22:28:24","modified_gmt":"2019-10-18T05:28:24","slug":"how-i-became-a-millionaire-while-working-in-my-pajamas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/how-i-became-a-millionaire-while-working-in-my-pajamas\/","title":{"rendered":"How I became a millionaire while working in my pajamas"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was written by the Millionaire Mommy Next Door<\/a>.<\/b> At her blog, MMND shares her recipe for success, happiness, and financial freedom. This piece originally appeared on her site in a slightly different format.<\/i><\/p>\n

When my husband and I married (at age 23), I was working as an office assistant at a veterinary hospital earning $7.50 per hour. Unsatisfied with my low wages, I brainstormed ways to generate extra income.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Going to the Dogs<\/span><\/h2>\n

I had worked as a volunteer dog-trainer for the Humane Society since age 14, so I combined my experience and youthful exuberance into a part-time side business. I offered dog-training classes and taught them in the veterinary hospital’s backyard. It was a win-win situation: my employers had a new service to offer their clients, and I was self-employed, with very low operating expenses.<\/p>\n

I soon added home- and pet-sitting to the services I provided. Within about a year, my part-time business was earning more than my full-time wages at the veterinary hospital, so I quit my job. Over the next few years, I expanded my business and hired a few part-time employees. It was at that point that I discovered the joys of working from home in my pajamas.<\/b><\/p>\n

In the Pipes\"\"<\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, my husband served as a company-employed plumber working for hourly wages, earning $30,000 to $35,000 a year.<\/p>\n

At age 30, I sold my dog-training and pet-care business (for about $75,000) and we launched a plumbing and heating business of our own. My husband served as the project estimator and plumber; I was the business manager and bookkeeper.<\/p>\n

Our customers quickly spread the word about our new plumbing company. Within our first year, we had generated enough business (via personal referrals) to keep us busy and profitable. Building a business based on personal referrals completely eliminated the need for us to spend a dime on advertising.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Doing the Math<\/span><\/h2>\n

We soon faced an important decision. Should we expand our services by hiring other plumbers? Here are the two options we considered:<\/p>\n

Option A:<\/i>
\nContinue to manage a small in-home business operated by:<\/p>\n