Another thought on time management. . .
By Donna | April 28, 2008
It seems like time management is a general theme. Time management is a key factor to being a work-at-home mom. Well, to tell the truth, it’s a key factor to just being a mom these days. Whether you work or not, it seems like moms today juggle more and more than moms twenty or thirty years ago. Having the option – and the growing trend – to work at home can add more to that juggling act. Working from home, whether through your own business or a telecommuting position, does have its pros and cons. How you manage your time can sometimes decide how the scales tip – more pro or more con – to work at home.
It seems like every four months or so, I need to sit back and re-evaluate my own time management skills. Am I spending too much time juggling everything, but really not accomplishing anything at all? Sometimes the best course of action and the time management tip I can offer is to “schedule” your day. I know, I know. Who wants to live by a strict schedule? But I’m not talking about a strict schedule necessarily – though if you need it – why not? I’m talking about giving yourself “business hours”. Set aside the times in the day that you know you’ll need to accomplish certain tasks. I know this is easier said than done. I did mention that every few months I re-evaluate my own situation. But if you start out the day, or even the week, knowing firstly, what you need to accomplish, and secondly, how much time you have to work with, you might find that you’re not so overwhelmed. Here’s a for instance. I know for one particular client that I work all day Tuesdays, and then Thursdays and Fridays until about lunch time. Those times are carved out for that client. So I know that on Mondays and Wednesdays my schedule is much more open to work on another client’s project (usually while my son is in school), work on my blog writing, do household chores (I try to spread them out over the course of the week so that my weekends are not spent house cleaning), and spend time with the kids. And I actually write these things in my calendar – my old fashioned, non-electronic, non-computer, notebook sized calendar. This way I’m not compelled to turn the computer on to check on tasks, and then get sidetracked with a multitude of other “Oh, I’ll just look up this” or “Oh, let me catch up on so and so’s blog”.
This leads me to some other questions that you can ponder and share your thoughts on. Firstly what is your best time management tip? And secondly, do you think mom’s today have it easier or harder than mom’s twenty or thirty years ago?
Topics: Just General, WAHM Life | 3 Comments »
Ask For And Go For What You Want
By Aurelia Williams | April 28, 2008
Do you think that brand new laptop that you saw at Circuit city will just magically appear in your home, or what about those projects that you know you need to start, do you think they will start themselves? Hey, what about that quiet time that you really need? Do you think your children will magically disappear for a few hours after drawing you a nice hot bubble bath? Heck No!
So, think to yourself. What is on your wish list? Is it starting your own business, have a monthly date night with your significant other, have some quality time to yourself? Also ask yourself, Have I kept this wish list to myself? Please tell me that you are not waiting for your friends, loved ones, coworker or those you network with to read your mind and then hand deliver what you are secretly wishing for.
At times we may keep our mouths closed and not ask for what we want out of fear of rejection or fear of seeming pushy or needy. For most women, just the thought of asking other for help or for a favor is enough to keep their mouths shut and their dreams far a way!
In order to ask for and go after what you want, it is important to get clear about what you want and be able to describe it in detail.. Once you know what you want, be totally willing to ask for it whenever you get the chance. This holds true in your business and personal relationships.
It is important to learn that is okay for someone to say “No”. It is also important to learn that it is ok for any given situation to not turn out the way you hoped it to go. Failure and/or rejections do not have to be the final word, actually it can be the opening for further negotiation. Take time to reflect on what happened. Were you specific about what you wanted? Did you approach the correct person, did you communicate yourself clearly? And most importantly, ‘How can your refine your request for the next time you ask it?
Next, make list of the people who come to mind when you think of what you want. For instance, if you want to start your own Virtual Assistance business, why not search online for forums or websites that specialize in that area. If you find such a forum, acquaint yourself with the members and simply introduce yourself and ask for advice, guidance and help. The only way people can help you is if you let them know that you need help.
You will be amazed at how many people truly enjoy lending a hand to others, and just think, the more you grown and learn, the more hands you can to lend a helping hand to others as well.
Topics: Just General, WAHM Life | 2 Comments »
End of School Countdown Begins!
By Christina Lemmey | April 25, 2008
Doesn’t it seem outrageous that the end of school is just 9 weeks away?? Even less than that for those of you who end school in May! So it’s not too soon to figure out just how will you continue to be productive while the kids are home for the summer?
My youngest already gives me the guilt trip of being on the computer “all morning” if I dare to check emails or Twitter before she goes to school (the curse of afternoon kindergarten!) and then gives me the big lip at bedtime saying, “But I hardly got to spend any time with you.”
I can’t imagine what summertime will be like if this is already the scene at our house. I need to find a happy medium because I don’t want to enroll them in 11 weeks of camp/daycare but I can’t leave them to their own “entertainment” because inevitably there will be yelling.
Maybe I’ll have them custom make a sign for the office door with my office hours on there so they can (hopefully) understand when I cannot be disturbed. Of course, planning office hours in between swimming lessons, playdates, and day camp sessions may not be easy!
Does anybody else have a plan in place for the summer?
Topics: Just General, WAHM Life | 3 Comments »
Staying Focused
By Nan Gomez | April 22, 2008
It’s so easy to overextend yourself. I’m finding it necessary to keep reminding myself to “stay focused” in my online business. I was presented with a great opportunity recently but then realized I need to stay focused on what it is I want not only for now but in preparation for what I have planned for the next few years.
Sometimes we allow other “shiny objects” to detract us from what our original purpose was. It’s easy to get excited about new possiblities and reaching for the stars is always ok as long and you keep your feet firmly on the ground. So, that’s what I’m doing. Staying Focused!
Where work comes into play, I want to make sure I keep my clients as my priorities and not my other business ventures as my VA business is what I’m hoping to be running for a very long time.
Topics: Just General, Virtual Assistance | 3 Comments »
Tax Day has Once Again Come and Gone
By Tishia Lee | April 17, 2008
I despise tax time! Let me rephrase that, the one thing I dread about being self-employed is tax time. This year I waited until the last minute to do my taxes. Now when I say last minute I mean the very last possible minute. In other words, I efiled my taxes, thanks to Turbo Tax, sometime around 6pm April 15th!
I know that waiting until the last minute was not a wise decision especially because I found myself stressing out and then I forgot to take my Aweber and Audio Acrobat business expenses as deductions. I don’t know that those two things would of made that much of a difference in the outcome but those two things do add up for a whole year. I’m frustrated that I forget to deduct them. (sigh) But that’s what happens and it serves me right.
This is the second year filing taxes as a self-employed person and after last year’s experience (I was audited) I was ready to run back out and find a J-O-B but thankfully I realized that all the pros and benefits to working from home outweigh this one big negative! This year, although I still despised it, taxes weren’t really that bad because I knew what was coming.
My question is - do you keep up with bookkeeping and accounting yourself or do you have a bookkeeper and accountant?
Topics: WAHM Life, Work at Home Life | 5 Comments »
By Melissa Ingold | April 12, 2008
Yup, that’s me, prego with baby #3. I’ll be heading into my 29th week next week, and it really blows my mind how fast this pregnancy is going.
This baby was completely unplanned, in fact, it came as quite a surprise. Of course hubby and I talked about having more kids, but we never really made a decision. With our youngest turning 4 this September and going to school, we were both happy to put the baby years behind us. I had a lot of plans for my business once my son started school, and was looking forward to 6 solid hours of work time 2 to 3 days a week. But once we found out that baby #3 was on the way, we had to make some changes.
Changes meaning, it’s time to rush, lol! We’ve been wanting to buy a house for quite awhile, but we were never in a big hurry to do it. Now though, we have no choice! In March we got our finances in order and obtained approval for a mortgage, and started house hunting. We looked at 1 house in March because there wasn’t much for sale. Once April hit, a few more popped up and we looked at 4 other houses. Unfortunately, we haven’t found anything that we’re interested in buying. The market is still pretty slow, and it’s somewhat disappointing because I want to be moved and settled into our new home before this baby comes. But what can you do? I’m not about to buy a house for the sake of buying when it’s such a huge investment.
With about 10 weeks to go before this baby comes, I feel like a mad woman. My work schedule is jam-packed because I’m taking time off after the baby is born, I’m house hunting, running to appointments, managing my current house and taking care of little ones. But you know, I’ve never been more thankful that I work at home than I do now. I don’t know how I’d manage to get everything done if I had to work a 9 to 5 job, not to mention how awful I felt during the first 3 months of pregnancy. No way would I have been able to take the time off from a regular job like I did being my own boss.
It’s so freeing to know that I don’t have to work if I don’t want to. That I can take as much time off as I need, and that I can work as much or as little as I want to. Of course there will always be obligations to my work and the people who pay me, but ultimately, I’m the one who gets to make the decisions about what I do and do not want to do. Now that’s what I call the freedom of working for yourself 
Topics: WAHM Life, Work at Home Life | 4 Comments »
So Many Ways
By Nell Taliercio | April 11, 2008
There are so many ways to earn an income from home. It can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. What do you pick? How do you find the jobs you’re interested in?
I know when I started out I was searching for data entry, but I had no idea how hard it would be to find a typical data entry jobs.
Maybe if I had known about some of the other ways to make money simply on the ‘net and not on the phone I could have shaved off a lot of frustration and time with my job search.
What about you? Did you know about all the options of earning a paycheck from home when you started out?
— If you’re someone looking for work at home I’d recommend going through our every growing library of work at home ideas & then come over to our telecommuting companies list.
Topics: Telecommuting | 1 Comment »
I’m Back!
By Tishia Lee | April 7, 2008
The posts that I’ve made in the past have all been somewhat of a ‘theme’ - all about reasons I like working at home and how much of a blessing it truly is. Well guess what? Yep you guessed right if you thought I would once again be talking about why working at home is a blessing.
I didn’t plan on writing about this yet again but after being sick, then my son getting sick, then having internet issues I can’t help but mention it yet again how amazing and wonderful it is being my own boss and having flexibility with a work at home business.
I was able to take some time off when I was sick so I could get the rest I needed. I didn’t miss any project deadlines and I still kept my clients happy. I was able to work here and there as needed but rest when I needed too. Then when my son was sick for a couple days I was able to once again work here and there but take care of my son too.
Now as for the internet issues, I have no control over that and there wasn’t much I could do but I was able to run to my local library and email clients to let them know what was going on.
So what I’m once again trying to say is that - I’m blessed to be able to work at home! Only with the flexibility of being my own boss can I have the freedom to take time off and work here and there!
Topics: WAHM Life | 2 Comments »
Tough Questions, Real Advice
By Nell Taliercio | April 7, 2008
It isn’t healthy to work all of the time. In fact, there was an article written about bloggers who may have died because of how hard they worked. Did you just read that? Do you need to re-read it? DIED because of their hard working blog lifestyle. Frightening! Is that you? Are you working too hard or too much?
My advice:
Not only do you need to step back and evaluate how many hours you’re working, but you should also look at how stressful your job really is. Are you working with clients that make you want to pull your hair out everyday? Do you end your day crying or terribly upset? Do you go to bed exhausted? Maybe it’s time to change things.
How, though?
Look at what you’re being paid. Do you HAVE to work 8-10 hours per day (or more) just to get by? Up your rates! If you’re worth the rate change your clients will likely pay the new rate. Start somewhat slow. Don’t go from $15.00 per hour to $30.00 per hour without understanding you will lose many clients. If you go slower for existing clients they’ll likely stay on so long as they find true value in using you. For new clients, go directly to the new rate.
How many hours do you want to work? If you are working 40plus hours per week and you’re stressed and burned out and unhealthy then lets drop those hours back. Do you want to drop your hours in half? Do it! Up your rates to a level where you an drop your hours without losing income.
Incorporate passive income streams. Passive income is something you set up once(you will need to maintain it but not to the same level as a service job) and you make money when you aren’t sitting down working. You make money when you’re sleeping or playing…for real, this isn’t a scam. It’s called affiliate marketing. If you’re a VA or service business owner you could start by promoting affiliate programs that your clients would find valuable.
But what if you’re working hard all of the time because you want to and not because you have to?
What if you’re addicted?
This sounds like a bigger and more difficult problem but really…it isn’t.
In my opinion, you JUST have to DO IT. You have to force yourself to shut down the computer. You have to force yourself to eat better, get out of the house, go exercise, go out with your spouse and friends, go play with the kids more…just DO IT!
Once you change your working lifestyle for a certain amount of time you’ll likely break your addiction.
Here’s the key, if you’re healthy and happy outside of your work then you won’t want to be on the computer all of the time.
Your business shouldn’t be your life. Your business shouldn’t overtake your life. Your job or business (from home) should give you joy and freedom…isn’t that why we work from home? And for petes sake, if your work at home career is taking away from your kids you must make changes. We’re home for our kids…we need to create careers from home that will allow them to remain the priority.
How do you handle work burnout?
How do you break a computer addiction?
Do you have any stories or advice about this topic? Please do share in the comments.
Topics: Work at Home Life | 1 Comment »
eMail Time Management tips
By Aurelia Williams | April 5, 2008
Can you estimate how much time a day you spend just checking your email? Now tack on responding, sending new messages and filing things that come in and let’s not forget the endless deletion of Spam.
Be honest and please let us know about how much time you spend daily in front of your PC just for email purposes. Many people check their email on demand (meaning they just keep refreshing the email screen or open up an email and react to it as soon as their computer alerts them to the fact that they have a message).
Did you know that when you check your email non-stop and on demand it can interfere with whatever other tasks you need to accomplish. This is because usually people read the email, search for just the right way to reply, hit reply then sit and wait for something magical to happen (smile).
I usually suggest to people that they check their emails on a schedule (not a rigid one) but a schedule - a few times in the morning, afternoon and before quitting time should be just fine. If you are working on a project with others, you can even share your schedule with them or have them title the subject of the email in such a way that you can scan your inbox and go directly to where you are needed most. Also if you read a message and don’t have time to reply to it, be sure to mark that message unread or flag that particular message so that when you do have time to respond to the message you can clearly find it.
Make use of your folders in email system. Setting up folders and filing important messages in folders will save you time and a headache down the line when you are looking for that information later.
Special note: if you find yourself responding to different emails using the same response, create a response template and just simply cut and paste the response when needed instead of typing it over again. Of course you want to personalize the email but keep the *meat* of the email the same. You will save yourself a lot of time
So, share with us and let us know how your email time management is going?
Personal Note – I’m just now getting to the point of “Letting Go” of a lot of my email duties. I have a Coaching Business, Podcast, and 3 other sites along with Managing affiliates and the amount of emails that I was trying to stay on top of was enough to make your head spin (smile). I am now training a VA to handle a lot of the email for me and I feel so much better.
Topics: Just General, WAHM Life, Work at Home Life | 7 Comments »