Brian McCauley / bmccauley@miconews.comJulie Perez, a Miami County Master Gardener, tends to an iris at the Ursuline Sisters’ grounds in Paola. Perez has turned her green thumb into a home-based career, selling a wide variety of perennials from more than a dozen flower beds on her 20-acre tract of land in the county.
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Bringing Business Home
Millions of workers across the country have been able to build careers from their homes, and residents of Miami County are no exception
By: Brian McCauley, bmccauley@miconews.com
Julie Perez is a workaholic — and she loves it.
From the early morning's dew until the evening's sunset, Perez finds herself working constantly at her chosen career. But unlike some white-collar jobs, Perez's profession has no set hours, no chain of command and no office.
She is one of millions of workers across the nation who have shed the shackles of corporate America to embrace their entrepreneurial drive to work from home.
Perez, a Miami County Master Gardener, began cultivating her green thumb shortly after she moved to her rural Paola home in 1993. Since then, her home-based business of selling iris hybrids and perennials has blossomed into acres of gardens featuring more than 250,000 plants.
Rural Miami County is no stranger to generations of farmers who have built a family business directly from the homestead, but Perez's journey began with a career in sales.
After immigrating to America from Australia in 1977, Perez, who then was in her early 20's, started pursuing her dream to show Arabian horses. She followed that ambition with years of work in retail sales.
Despite her success, Perez couldn't escape her love for flowers, a passion first instilled by her father, who was a landscape gardener in Australia.
After Perez and her husband bought their 20-acre tract of land north of the Osawatomie Golf Course, it didn't take long for her passion to take over.
“I'm so obsessed with plants,” Perez said with an Australian accent.
Today, Perez spends most of her days tending to her 14 different flower beds, which feature peonies, day lilies, hostas and more than 200 varieties of Irises.
Her 21-year-old twin daughters learned early that their mom's job drew customers at all times of the day.
“A lot of times dinner would get put on hold,” Perez said.
Perez also volunteers her time with the Ursuline Sisters of Paola. She buys most of the greenery for the Sisters' campus in Paola, and she heads up many of the organization's projects.
Although her lifestyle isn't a big money maker, Perez has embraced her daily tasks.
“It's healthier, and I get to be outside,” she said. “I don't have to answer to anyone.”
Statistics show that many other workers across the country agree with Perez. More than 20 million people do some work at home as part of their primary job, according to a 2004 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau surveyed more than 16 million business owners across the country and discovered that about half of them were home-based.
Although the statistics tell part of the story, the true numbers may be much higher, as many home business owners tackle the venture without first going through a government agency for approval.
“To be honest, I think most people just do it without asking,” said Teresa Reeves, Miami County planner.
Although the county has no specific licensing program to track home-based businesses, former economic development director Sandy Allison used to claim there were more than 400 throughout the county, said Jamma Markus, who has been filling in for Allison until the county can find a successor.
For the past 2 1/2 years the county has offered a loan for small-business owners of up to $25,000 for capital expenses. The loan, which was available thanks to state grant money, helped the businesses get started because the applicant only had to pay interest for the first year, Markus said.
That money ran dry last fall, but Markus said the county is applying for a similar grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
City planning officials face a similar dilemma, as home-based business often aren't known about unless a neighbor reports a complaint.
Amy Barenklau of Paola's building and zoning department said she hears from about a handful of people each year wanting to start a home business, and there are a number of requirements that must be met to ensure that the home maintains the appearance of its surroundings.
Everything from signage to storage can be a roadblock to any potential home business.
Bill Schrandt, Louisburg's director of building and zoning, said he hears from a person wanting to start a home business about once a week.
The city's regulations are very specific, Schrandt said. Some businesses, like home salons and day cares, are allowed, while others, like home grocery, antique, car repair or dental businesses, are not.
Under most regulations, a city or a county can review the intricacies of what a home business sells or uses to determine if it disrupts the appearance of the neighborhood.
All Carroll Platt needs is a laptop, a cellular telephone and a good reputation to keep her home business going.
After initially studying to become a CPA, Platt instead has spent the last five years offering accounting services and teaching QuickBooks, a service she now offers from her rural Paola home.
Today's computer technology allows Platt to review a client's financial figures via e-mail if necessary and provide any other type of virtual assistance needed.
“I could run my business out of the middle of the desert if I got (computer) connection,” Platt said.
When Platt started her business she was based in an office across from the Oak Park Mall, but when her deal fell through she was forced to relocate.
“It was a blessing in disguise. I moved everything home. I thought, 'Why not?'” Platt said.
It's a year later, and word of mouth has created a swarm of customers for Platt, who says she can charge much less than office-based accounting firms because of her low overhead costs.
One room in Platt's Miami County home is dedicated to her work, but often she's out and about traveling to wherever a client needs her.
On Wednesday, Platt met with Miami County resident Donna Nagle to work out the specifics of their new work relationship.
Nagle, who owns Molly's Table catering service, is an entrepreneur herself, and she sought out Platt to handle her books because her business is growing.
Nagle rents out kitchens to do her cooking, and she uses venues, like Evergreen Events in Paola, to get her name out.
“It's great to see that home businesses can succeed in small towns,” Nagle said.
Of course, working from home does have its disadvantages. Finding money to advertise has been tough for Platt, and her work schedule can be intense.
“Some days I get up at 4 a.m. and don't go to bed until 9 p.m.,” she said.
“There's days that I think, 'Gosh, if I had a job I could go on vacation,'” she said with a laugh.
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From the early morning's dew until the evening's sunset, Perez finds herself working constantly at her chosen career. But unlike some white-collar jobs, Perez's profession has no set hours, no chain of command and no office.
She is one of millions of workers across the nation who have shed the shackles of corporate America to embrace their entrepreneurial drive to work from home.
Perez, a Miami County Master Gardener, began cultivating her green thumb shortly after she moved to her rural Paola home in 1993. Since then, her home-based business of selling iris hybrids and perennials has blossomed into acres of gardens featuring more than 250,000 plants.
Rural Miami County is no stranger to generations of farmers who have built a family business directly from the homestead, but Perez's journey began with a career in sales.
After immigrating to America from Australia in 1977, Perez, who then was in her early 20's, started pursuing her dream to show Arabian horses. She followed that ambition with years of work in retail sales.
Despite her success, Perez couldn't escape her love for flowers, a passion first instilled by her father, who was a landscape gardener in Australia.
After Perez and her husband bought their 20-acre tract of land north of the Osawatomie Golf Course, it didn't take long for her passion to take over.
“I'm so obsessed with plants,” Perez said with an Australian accent.
Today, Perez spends most of her days tending to her 14 different flower beds, which feature peonies, day lilies, hostas and more than 200 varieties of Irises.
Her 21-year-old twin daughters learned early that their mom's job drew customers at all times of the day.
“A lot of times dinner would get put on hold,” Perez said.
Perez also volunteers her time with the Ursuline Sisters of Paola. She buys most of the greenery for the Sisters' campus in Paola, and she heads up many of the organization's projects.
Although her lifestyle isn't a big money maker, Perez has embraced her daily tasks.
“It's healthier, and I get to be outside,” she said. “I don't have to answer to anyone.”
Statistics show that many other workers across the country agree with Perez. More than 20 million people do some work at home as part of their primary job, according to a 2004 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau surveyed more than 16 million business owners across the country and discovered that about half of them were home-based.
Although the statistics tell part of the story, the true numbers may be much higher, as many home business owners tackle the venture without first going through a government agency for approval.
“To be honest, I think most people just do it without asking,” said Teresa Reeves, Miami County planner.
Although the county has no specific licensing program to track home-based businesses, former economic development director Sandy Allison used to claim there were more than 400 throughout the county, said Jamma Markus, who has been filling in for Allison until the county can find a successor.
For the past 2 1/2 years the county has offered a loan for small-business owners of up to $25,000 for capital expenses. The loan, which was available thanks to state grant money, helped the businesses get started because the applicant only had to pay interest for the first year, Markus said.
That money ran dry last fall, but Markus said the county is applying for a similar grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
City planning officials face a similar dilemma, as home-based business often aren't known about unless a neighbor reports a complaint.
Amy Barenklau of Paola's building and zoning department said she hears from about a handful of people each year wanting to start a home business, and there are a number of requirements that must be met to ensure that the home maintains the appearance of its surroundings.
Everything from signage to storage can be a roadblock to any potential home business.
Bill Schrandt, Louisburg's director of building and zoning, said he hears from a person wanting to start a home business about once a week.
The city's regulations are very specific, Schrandt said. Some businesses, like home salons and day cares, are allowed, while others, like home grocery, antique, car repair or dental businesses, are not.
Under most regulations, a city or a county can review the intricacies of what a home business sells or uses to determine if it disrupts the appearance of the neighborhood.
All Carroll Platt needs is a laptop, a cellular telephone and a good reputation to keep her home business going.
After initially studying to become a CPA, Platt instead has spent the last five years offering accounting services and teaching QuickBooks, a service she now offers from her rural Paola home.
Today's computer technology allows Platt to review a client's financial figures via e-mail if necessary and provide any other type of virtual assistance needed.
“I could run my business out of the middle of the desert if I got (computer) connection,” Platt said.
When Platt started her business she was based in an office across from the Oak Park Mall, but when her deal fell through she was forced to relocate.
“It was a blessing in disguise. I moved everything home. I thought, 'Why not?'” Platt said.
It's a year later, and word of mouth has created a swarm of customers for Platt, who says she can charge much less than office-based accounting firms because of her low overhead costs.
One room in Platt's Miami County home is dedicated to her work, but often she's out and about traveling to wherever a client needs her.
On Wednesday, Platt met with Miami County resident Donna Nagle to work out the specifics of their new work relationship.
Nagle, who owns Molly's Table catering service, is an entrepreneur herself, and she sought out Platt to handle her books because her business is growing.
Nagle rents out kitchens to do her cooking, and she uses venues, like Evergreen Events in Paola, to get her name out.
“It's great to see that home businesses can succeed in small towns,” Nagle said.
Of course, working from home does have its disadvantages. Finding money to advertise has been tough for Platt, and her work schedule can be intense.
“Some days I get up at 4 a.m. and don't go to bed until 9 p.m.,” she said.
“There's days that I think, 'Gosh, if I had a job I could go on vacation,'” she said with a laugh.