Quincy woman thrives from home-based business

QUINCY, IL -- The thought has probably crossed your mind at least once in your lifetime, if only you could stay home and be your own boss.

A Quincy woman has done just that and has never looked back.

Charman Hunzeker used to work in a salon.

But 10 years ago, she quit that job and started running an Arbonne business out of her own home.

Arbonne is a network marketing company that sells skin care products.

KHQA talked with Charman about how that decision has literally paid off, and what it takes to succeed at home.

Charman Hunzeker loves her job. She's an executive regional vice president for Arbonne International, but it took some soul-searching from the start.

"You know you have that little....inside of you, and you know what you want to do. I knew I wanted to help other people, and Arbonne is that vehicle to help me help others," Hunzeker said.

The decision has been a dream come true for her personal life, too. She moved to Quincy about 3 years ago after her husband's job brought her and their 2 daughters here. She was able to help her family transition to a new location, without having to worry about looking for a job.

"It definitely can work anywhere, and that's the beauty of this business. There are no boundaries or territories," Hunzeker said.

Charman loves being able to be there for her two daughters and having an opportunity to excel professionally.

"There's no glass ceiling when you have a home-based business. You're in business for yourself. You can achieve anything. You can go to the top of this company," Hunzeker said.

Charman had some advice for those thinking about starting a home business. She says it's important for people to examine what they want in life before making any career decisions; researching a potential opportunity first and be willing to work your business just as you would if you were working for someone else.

Charman isn't alone.

Rajah contacted the Quincy Entrepreneurship Center, which falls under the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

The Center told her more than one-third of the businesses it works with are home-based.

The center serves business owners through counseling, networking and finding solutions to challenges they may face.