Business-Based Friends

Got a voice mail today from a neighbor inviting my wife to another "party". This time it was for Longaberger. Seems odd that neighbors today only open their home when there's a good chance we'll buy something while we're there. Kristin gets more invites for home-business "parties" than she does for playgroups, baby showers, coffee/teas, and meals all put together. It shouldn't take a sales pitch for neighborhood moms to get together.

The workplace has emptied the neighborhood of many potential friends for my wife. There is a deep and important need for friendship among stay-at-home moms. It's for this reason that I have mixed feelings about home-based businesses. It's just too easy to unintentionally exploit a young mom's need for friendship while picking up a few orders and making some bucks. Even well-intentioned ladies must be very careful if they want to mix business with pleasure in order to avoid being a faux-friend.

Home-based businesses are fine; but business-based friends are not.