With interest, she followed Georgia's program to give all newborns a free cassette of classical music. And she figured if she felt that way, other moms would, too. The online venture sells gift packages brimming with classical music, videos, books and developmental toys. Sales grew 400 percent in the first year, and her product line has increased by 600 percent. She went online.
Low overhead is one draw.
Just as important is the close-knit community that springs up on the Web. There they can find instructions on operating small businesses, chat rooms, bulletin boards, newsletters, links and advice. And back then, as downsizing forced most employees to cling to their jobs out of fear of the ax, working from home seemed, well, unusual if not downright risky. Clearly, the winds are shifting. Today, most parents still make the daily commute, relying on a patchwork of child-care arrangements.