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How
Busy Moms Can Start a Business (And Still Get
Dressed in the Morning!)
by Kathy Wilson
One of the biggest hurdles Moms face
when starting any home business is
how to manage the home, the kids,
and a job, all in the same place! It
can be done, and many of us actually
even find the time to put eye makeup
on every day as well!
First things first, if you are going
to start any home business, you need
to regard yourself as a business
woman. If you don't, I promise you
no one else will! I know a lot of
work at home sites talk about the
perks of working at home including
the ability to work in your pj's,
but I highly suggest you make sure
you dress for work every morning.
This doesn't mean you need to have
your suit and heels on, just casual
dress, maybe a little makeup…enough
to give you that "I'm ready to
tackle my day" mentality! I just
can't start the day without a
shower, a cup of tea, and some
decent street clothes. If you feel
like if a client came to the door
you would be appropriately dressed,
then you will feel like you are at
work!
Make sure you explain to your family
that you have started a business,
and don't sell yourself short. Act
like a business woman, think like a
business woman, and people will
treat you like a business woman. One
of the major morale problems women
who work at home have is that they
are not taken seriously. Show
yourself, and everyone else that you
are indeed serious!
Secondly, in order to work at home
with a houseful of kids, peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches, and the
dryer beeping at you, you need to
get organized. This is a constant
battle for me, but it's a battle
that can be won! Start small, and
you will soon realize how much
smoother your household runs with
just a little planning.
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Make Sunday evening (or Friday for the next week) your
day to set aside an hour to get yourself prepared for
the week ahead. Print out a weekly calendar from your
computer every Sunday, or pick up a daily planner. Make
sure you have room to list both work items, and also
home and family issues you need to attend to. Also make
sure you have a weekly menu, cleaning schedule, and
shopping/errand list on your fridge, or in another
easily accessed spot. Create master menu lists on your
computer and keep your recipes either in a Word document
you can print out when you create your weekly menu, or
in a box of index cards on your kitchen counter. (Ol'
fashioned, I know, but I love my recipe box!) Use your
Organizing Hour to create a menu for the week, and
schedule in all your household needs along with a rough
draft of work items you need to get done that week.
Don't forget to leave time for yourself, and to spend
with the family! (After all, what good will your
business success be if you feel like you've neglected
the most important thing in your life!) Remember the
schedule must be flexible for a woman running a business
and a household, but that's why God made erasers! I
strongly suggest joining an organizing group online,
such as the ones at OrganizedHome.com or
Flylady.net,
both of which are excellent. A little organizing will
keep your business steadily moving forward, your kids
with plenty of hugs and sit down meals, and your sanity
intact!
Finally, realize that it is NOT going to run perfectly.
Ever. If you can accept that now, than you will realize
that placing unrealistic expectations on yourself will
just cause you stress and anxiety, and that is not what
success is all about. It's about balance. And every once
in awhile, no matter how much is on your day planner,
pack those kids in the car with some peanut butter
sandwiches, head for the nearest park, and spend your
day pushing the little ones in the swings and tossing a
ball around. After all, that's why God made Moms.
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