In American Economic History, author Harold Underwood Faulkner notes that the colonial farmer produced not only his own food, clothing, soap, and furniture, but generated other goods for sale. Especially in the slow winter months, the colonial farmer, together with his family, made extra income by manufacturing nails, shingles, farm tools, casks, and other goods. These were used in the West Indian trade, or in the fishing industry. Now almost forgotten, there was early trade, as well, in ginseng roots, gathered in the eastern mountains and warehoused in the homes of pioneers and trappers, who shipped them to the Far East, where the plants have long been used as an herbal remedy. Indeed, trappers tended to make their homes warehouses for a variety of products, and sometimes hide-processing plants as well. Fortunately, the new home businesses are a little more clean and less pungent.

Home businesses drew families together to do meaningful work. Some families that launch home businesses today find the same thing happens, although views of marriage and relationships with marriage partners have changed to much for others.
One New York women who considered starting a home business of her own decided against it mainly because it would have kept her too close to her husband, already self-employed at home. 'If I had to work next to my husband all day, and be with him at night and on the weekends, too, I'd go nuts,' she remarked. Still, the bygone era that so many people seem to yearn for when families were secure and life was simple happens to be the period when home working was common.