Pleasure Doing Business: Pat Dunham Consulting

Pat Dunham learned early in life that if she wanted anything she could go make the money herself to get what she wanted. She also knew when she started a family that she would be there to watch them grow up.

She has stuck to those two values and has been operating home-based businesses ever since and now operates Pat Dunham Consulting out of her Gulfport home. Originally from East Hampton, Connecticut she and her husband, Frank, moved to Gulfport decades ago.

Her consulting business caters to those looking to create home-based businesses and she has hundreds of options for clients and spends all the time necessary to find the best fit for them. She consults with clients both international and local and focuses on a list of more than 600 different business options to customize for each individual’s skills, needs and desires.

She says many people think 'follow your passion' but just because they like something doesn't mean it's going to be a career fit.

“I tell prospective clients they need to know what they like and what they don't like,” she explains. “For instance, some people absolutely hate to talk to people on the phone.”

Self-employed now for more than 50 years the initial motivation remains the same; to be home with her family.

“I started at 11,” she says of her first enterprise. “I saw an add in a comic book. I sold greeting cards – all occasions – door to door, and I made enough money to buy a horse.”

From there she sharpened her skills in direct sales with Avon, selling china and cookware to young housewives and eventually broke into the advertising and marketing fields. These days she utilizes a long-standing list of resources to steer her clients toward an appropriate path.

“Just picking a business isn't enough,” she warns. “Do the research to see if there's a market for it. Is there a need and can you fill it? Also, you have to be willing to learn. Are you teachable? And finally, are you willing to do whatever it takes to attract customers to you?”

Dunham points to one of her children who worked in management for a large firm for nearly 20 years with a thick folder of accolades only to be let go abruptly in favor of an inexpensive replacement. She sees it happen over and over, providing added motivation for people to work for themselves.

Tax breaks are another motivating factor.

“Even if you start by working your business part time with a low profit margin, having a home-based business, depending on the type, means maybe three or four thousand dollars extra in your pocket every year because expenditures such as cell phones, utilities, gas and rent to name a few, are expenses you incur anyway, but may be considered a business expense on your income tax return.”

She has written a new book, soon to be published, titled You Can Make Money Without a Job.

“It's a fabulous book,” she says. “I'm really excited about it. I put in a tremendous amount of work and it has everything imaginable to help somebody get started – the kind of business and all the little stuff about laws and everything.”

Has working at home been rewarding?

“It's been great. It’s very rewarding to see people making money and enjoying themselves at the same time. I am especially supportive of mothers who want to stay home with their babies. When you have a baby, you don’t want to miss anything.”

She explains how she arrived in Gulfport.

“My husband, six children and I came from Connecticut on a 55-foot motor yacht called The Solitude. We first stopped in Jacksonville, then Daytona and then finally here in the St. Pete area. We eventually sold the boat and wound up in Gulfport. I'm not even really sure why we came here but oh boy do we love Gulfport.”

That was 1975 and they've been here since. Working from home has worked out well for her and the family.

“I get to travel a lot. I have two boats. I'm not a millionaire but I am in lifestyle.”

She's has been married to Frank for over fifty years and has been her own boss for most of that time. Now that her kids are grown with kids of their own, she has quality time for her nine grandchildren.

“It's like a deeded community without the price tag,” she says of her adopted home town. “It's got everything that you'd have to pay for except for a pool. We've even got tennis courts.”

To find out more about Pat Dunham Consulting visit her website, Facebook page, email her at Pat@PatDunham.com or call 727-224-9771.