Category Archives: WAHMs – Work at Home Moms

Set Daily Goals and Loosen the Reins in Your Home Business

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Most moms can be control freaks. That is not always a bad thing, but when you run a home business and manage your household, the stress of trying to manage every detail can be unbearable. Learn to take it easy and release the royal reins.

Let’s face it. Before you started your home business, there were days when the dishes didn’t get done because you were tired. No one complained. What has changed?

Now you have taken on new responsibilities with your business that demands your time. If you are afraid that your house will explode without your constant attention, don’t be. All you are accomplishing is increasing your anxiety level and decreasing your productivity in the home office. Who can concentrate when their mind is all over the place?

A plausible solution is to set daily goals. These goals encompass the business side and the family side. Setting goals helps maintain the balance between family and business. This will also help you be better able to relax. Here are some goal-setting tips.

  1. Know your limitations. There are no super moms – only normal moms who are super tired. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your business be. Take it one step at a time. If you are working on marketing your business, use one strategy at a time and cultivate that. As you take on clients, spread out the work until you find your comfort zone and then you can add more projects. Allowing yourself the time to do good work and complete projects on time is a great feeling.

  1. Alternate business days and housework days. There will always be housework to do. For one brief shining moment, your house is clean and then the family comes home. Choose a day when you work schedule is light or take one or two mornings a week and devote them to cleaning. Even on those days, set a time frame. Do what needs to be completed during that time and leave the rest for the next cleaning day. You’re shaking your head I can tell. Before you say to yourself, “this person’s crazy” – give it a try. On the days when work is the priority, your mind will be focused on work and not the dishes.

  1. Schedule in some free time. Spending time doing absolutely nothing or working on a hobby fulfills a soulful need. Work and home are more manageable when there is time for you factored into your week. It doesn’t have to be every day, but it needs to be there for your sanity. You’ll snap if you remain wound too tightly. Take time doing something YOU like to do on a regular basis.

Each day brings a new opportunity to grow your business, enjoy your family and take time to smell the roses. A well balanced life increases overall well-being and productivity in all of your tasks, especially your home business.

Procrastination: The Devil in the Playroom

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What is it about time? One minute, you have plenty of it to look forward to and the next, you’re chasing after it. Procrastination is one of those time stealers which can easily hinder business productivity.

Have you heard the phrase, “The devil is in the details?” This is a twist on that. It is the little things that trip us up. For many moms, it is their kids.

When the work piles up, who wouldn’t want to be shopping or at least playing with the kids? Procrastination takes advantage of the fact that you are having a hard time balancing work and family. You tell yourself that a little extra time with the kids won’t hurt anything, but that lack of structure can cripple your productivity.

Taking time away from your business to spend with family can seem like playing hooky from school. That way of thinking will keep you in the procrastination mode. Here are some ways to recognize this particular devil and find the solutions to get rid of him.

  1. You sigh heavily looking at the work left to be done. Don’t misunderstand. You want to be productive but built-in downtime is essential. Between a project finish and a new project start, take the time to bask in the knowledge of a job well done. You might not be able to take the afternoon off, but you can spend an hour or two doing something you like such as taking the kids to the park or watching a movie with them. Knowing that you don’ t have to rush into the next thing, takes the pressure off and is an incentive for getting work done in an efficient and timely manner.

  1. Your desk is a mess. They say that a messy desk is a sign of genius, but simply being a genius doesn’t get the work done. Actually the clutter can put you off from working because you don’t want to wade through the mail and paperwork. From the beginning, utilize a filing system to organize your business. If you are midstream, pencil in a couple of hours and get it cleaned up. Once your desk is cleared, you’ll be psyched to sit down and get to work.

  1. Hearing the kids playing with dad makes the mind wonder. Any hint of fun that distracts you will force you out of that chair and away from work. Know your procrastination triggers. If working on the weekend is a trigger, schedule more time through the week for business and leave the weekends open for family fun. Giggles can be distracting so choose an office space with a door to block out other sounds when your home office is open for business. Don’t set yourself up to fail.

You are not the only one who is vulnerable to procrastination. Striking a balance in your home and knowing your triggers are two ways to sweep the procrastination devil right out of your life.

Outsourcing – Get Help from Everyone

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It’s not uncommon to see large companies moving many jobs overseas in an effort to save money. They call it outsourcing. As a mom who works from home, you have that same opportunity though you run a small business.

Typically, outsourcing involves finding jobs that can be done outside the office in another location for less money. One day, you very well could visit a McDonald’s (not that we are advocating fast food over home cooking) and the person on the other end of that talking board could be in India. In this world, anything is possible.

As your business grows, you might very well find that you need help. Even when you are highly organized, there seems to be more and more work to get done. Instead of encroaching on family time, find a way to get all of your tasks handled without boarding the train to Looneyville.

Outsourcing works for the small business owner, too. Just like a large corporation find the tasks that can be done in another location and send them out. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Hire a virtual assistant. Administrative work can be such a chore and take up more and more time as your business grows. Hiring a virtual assistant can alleviate much of this burden. They are also entrepreneurs who use their industry skills to help your business grow. It is easy to find a list to begin by typing “virtual assistant” into any search engine.

  1. Hire a part-time cleaning service. The housework is always staring you in the face when you work at home. Instead of worrying about it or compromising business hours, hire a professional to take care of the upkeep. Once you clean your home thoroughly, having a service to come in weekly will keep everything managed.

  1. Hire freelance help. Freelance employees pay their own taxes and overhead. Sometimes you need the help of other professionals. For example, Internet marketing can take a large chunk of your time. Finding someone well versed in the matter to run that side of the business lets you concentrate on actually meeting deadlines or finding new places to market your business.

  1. Put your family on the payroll. Who says you can’t use a little nepotism? You run a business, but it is all in the family. Enlist the aid of your kids, husband and other family members so you can get more done. Ask your husband to take over dinner duty a few days a week. Set up a reward system (such as shiny stars) for your kids when they help mommy by picking up their toys and keeping their rooms clean.

Growth is great but it can decrease your productivity if you continue to try and do everything yourself. It’s time to get help. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to handle everything. Find ways to outsource tasks…to everyone.