“I have been reading Money Spinners for months. You often say that if we are resourceful, we can discover or create countless income opportunities immediately. I am a housewife in late thirties and don’t have any professional qualification. I am unable to discover any income opportunities in my life. I will never be able to earn anything on my own. One can make a lot of money only if one is dishonest,” Priyanka said.

“Spirituality and India are inseparable. Similarly, life and income opportunities are inseparable. Never jump onto the hasty conclusion that you don’t have capacity to earn. Don’t you see that thousands of uneducated persons make millions through resourcefulness and hard work? Most of them make money through honest means. Please don’t try to conceal your ignorance and laziness behind lame excuses and silly justifications. You may argue that these self-made millionaires don’t pay taxes and so they are dishonest. But the question of paying taxes comes only after you have earned a lot of money, not before,” I replied and asked her, “What is your husband doing? Where do you live?”

“My husband had been working in a well-town transport company for a long time. Recently he opted for voluntary retirement and has started his own consulting firm. I am living in a big South Indian town that has a population of 500,000. There are hundreds of big industries and government offices. What can a housewife possibly do here?” Priyanka asked me.

“What an exciting market for a perfect home based business!” I exclaimed and said, “Presence of big industries and government offices indicate existence of transferable jobs and new employment opportunities. Thousands of employees come into your town and go out of your town every year with their families. They need the services of packers and movers. In cities, you can easily find many professional packers. However, in most Indian towns, it is difficult to find professional packers and movers. People have to organize everything on their own with great difficulty. Can you solve this problem? If you do, you will make money.”

“I don’t know anything about this service,” said Priyanka. “All you need to succeed in this project is organizing capacity. In your case, you already have easy access to experience and knowledge. Your husband had worked in transport industry. I believe he knows many truck and lorry owners and also hundreds of workers personally. Start your home based business today with his help,” I said.

“Please don’t forget that I am a housewife. How can I go around the town to get clients?” Priyanka asked me. “If it is a problem, don’t go to them. Make them come to you! Every town has dozens of ad newspapers and cable television networks. You can advertise in them for peanuts. Even if you get one client a month, your expenses would be recovered and you can a decent profit,” I replied.

“I am shy to receive strangers at my house,” she said. “I hope you are not shy to receive cheques from strangers. Believe me, the only infrastructure you need is a telephone through which your clients can contact you and discuss business proposals. You can have one or two trained assistants who can visit your clients’ houses for inspection and assessment of your fees. Please understand that you will never learn swimming if you keep asking questions that can be solved by common sense and refuse to jump into the swimming pool,” I said.

“I will discuss this project with my husband. If he agrees to help me and allows(!) me to start my own home based business, I will give it a try,” Priyanka said.

After three months, she sent me an email: ‘Thank you for your business idea. My husband told me that he would do everything possible to him to make me a success. In the past, I was under the wrong impression that no husband would allow his wife to have her own home based business. With his overwhelming support and ads, I am able to secure 5 clients a month. I work from home through a telephone and whatever has to be done outside is taken care of my by assistant. I have not met even one client in person though I talk to them over telephone. I make a profit of Rs.10,000 a month. Now I understand that making money through honest means is within the reach of all. The popular belief that one can make big money (Rs.10,000 is big money for me), only through dishonesty is the biggest lie I have ever come across.’