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Business & Tech

WORK AT HOME: Thriving In Any Economy

Dave Stine, assistant football coach at Healdsburg High School, also has a home-based business which may very well be recession-proof.

Helping others start their own business and create more income is Dave Stine’s mission.

A seventh generation Healdsburger, Stine owns Interactive Technolgies,  and uses the Internet to sell goods and services in the health, beauty and “green” homecare market. He has been in business for 15 years. 

Stine's wife Rhonda Stine is a fifth grade teacher at She supports him in the business by focusing on beauty and home care products. 

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“In addition, I have a network of independent business owners like myself that I train and coach,” he said.

When asked why he started his business, Stine cited his family and past experience.

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“I grew up working in a family-owned business my grandfather started here in Healdsburg, the Plaza Market on Center Street, in the 1930s,” said Stine. “My grandfather and father were partners, and I began working there when I was 5 years old.” 

Stine went on to say he always wanted to own his own business but had reasons for originally getting a job in corporate America.

“I always wanted my own business, but saw the struggles my parents went through so I decided to get a degree in electronics and work for Hewlett-Packard,” Stine said. “While I made an excellent salary I always felt constrained…like a caged lion, and needed more freedom.”

In the early '90s, when HP made changes to their profit-sharing formula, Stine saw the writing on the wall with cutbacks and layoffs coming soon. He stayed, but started looking for alternatives. In 1995, he met a CPA who sold his practice and was making significant income selling Amway products.

“In 2003, on a Monday, I was suddenly given a severance package after celebrating my 25 years with HP the Friday before,” said Stine. “Fortunately, I had already started my Amway business part time, and quickly switched over to full time.”

Amway, he said, was different from other home-based businesses because Stine had no start-up costs or employees, he said.

“There are already back-end support systems and processes are taken care of by the corporation I contract with,” Stine continued.

“They handle research and development, manufacturing, warehousing, order processing and fulfillment, refunds, returns and exchanges, customer service (in any language needed), information technology, accounts payable and receivable, payroll taxes and benefits, insurance, environmental, legal…the list goes on,” he said.

He noted that flexible work hours and networking relationships keep Stine from getting isolated and lets him do his work from almost anyplace.

“I know that business requires relationships, and I enjoy listening and helping people solve problems,” said Stine. “The great thing about my business is that with technology -- my laptop or smart phone -- I’ve even done work sitting in my ski boat at Lake Sonoma at times.”

On first meeting, it’s easy to tell that Stine loves his business.

“The thing I really love about my business is that I can work when I want, play when I want, give myself a raise when I want and create a legacy for my family," he said.

“The income from my business can be passed on to my children and I am also passionate about the fact that I can help people look better, feel better, save money and make money,” said Stine.

Michelle Fair, a client of Stine’s, believes that he has helped her.

“Dave is very knowledgeable about health and fitness, asked questions, listened and recommended what best fit my needs,” said Fair, a Healdsburg businesswoman.  “I would refer anyone to him.”

Stine continues to help others. His attitude is that anyone can become successful regardless of their education and background. He even posts articles on his blog about what to do if you’ve lost your job.

 “When people need help to overcome economic difficulties, have lost their job or are about to, I wrote an article for them called, I Lost My Job…So Now What.”

For more information, you can reach Stine via his website.

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