Different from the Norm

Working for Yourself and Designing Your Business

When I started Moms in Slippers, my goal was and continues to be helping stay at home moms who want to run successful home based businesses.  I wanted to introduce and present real-life work at home systems that last for a lifetime.

When I became a work at home mom, my focus was my family.  I wanted to be home for my children when they came home from school each and every day.  For me, there was nothing more important than being able to greet my children with warm brownies or some kind of homemade snack every day when I opened the front door to greet their smiling precious faces after a long day of being in school.  I know the importance of our children’s’ safety and well-being and being a stay-at-home mom who works from home for the home, is just one way of giving them a peace of mind so that they never have to fear anything.  I don’t think any child should have to be concerned with going home to an empty house and being there all alone for two to three hours five days a week.

Your Present Situation

 

If you’re out in the work force working long hours and you’re not being fulfilled, it’s time to start your own business.  Just think, your face could be the very first face your children see when they get off the school bus. So it’s time to change your present situation today. Perhaps you’re a stay-at-home mom and you need just a little extra money every week or maybe even every day, then why not do it.  You can build your own home based business right now.  The steps are easy and the time is now.

In today’s economy it seems everybody is working two jobs or doing something to bring more money into the home, but not everybody knows how to start a home based business or they’re just not sure if a home based business is right for them or a good fit for them.  I’m here to tell you from 12 years of experience that owning your home own home based business is not about making money; it’s about fulfillment.

When I worked as a program coordinator in corporate America, for the most part I wasn’t being fulfilled at all.  There were no rewards for me and there was always a cap on my salary.  My annual reviews were outstanding, but the increases I received were minimal with the exception of maybe one or two and then those had to be justified.  I thought to myself, how can I get up out of my bed five, sometimes six days a week, work all day with a 45-minute lunch break, give my all-and-all, utilizing my computer expertise, sharing my heart, always the same, kind and respectful and then get a minimal increase?  This definitely was not the life that I had planned for myself or my family.  You see, when we work for someone else, most of your life is spent at work.  I knew I had to do something to change my situation and being my own boss would be the only way to make this happen.  I deserved it and I ventured out to set up shop in my own home.  Why hadn’t I done this sooner.  I deserved so much more in this life and I knew that working for someone else was the not the answer to living a life of freedom and fulfillment.

How to Begin

 

Do you know your gifts?  Do you know where or how to begin your own work at home business?  Do you think you have what it takes to work from home?  I’m sure you do.  We all have amazing gifts.  I know I do and I love using each and every one of my gifts.  My gifts, my talents, my skills and all my great abilities have been packed into one big box.  For me, every day is like Christmas because every day I’m unwrapping some form of my gifts.  Once unwrapped, I use my gifts to help and bless others.  It’s what I love to do.  When I go to my design studio, I sit and begin to craft masterpieces that cannot be found anywhere in the world.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that there are hundreds of graphic designers out there who do phenomenal work and they are using and I’m sure enjoying their craft.  For me, it goes so much deeper.  When I sit to create a masterpiece, a sense of peace embraces me and before you know it, a vibrant and truly magnificent design, logo, bookmark or personalized keepsake has been birthed.  This is how to begin your very own work at home business; using your brilliance, your gifts, your talents, your skills and abilities.

If you want to work from home, start today.  It’ll be one of the greatest things you’ll ever do in your lifetime!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Work at Home Success Tips!

Working at home (in your own business) has tremendous benefits – no long commute in the rush hour, no need to ask permission to go the Dentist or to leave early to pick the kids up from school. But it can also bring a whole draft of problems too – especially if you are new to working at home. Losing the structure provided by an office setting can be very unsettling for some. Problems may include things like, Never Actually Switching Off! Or other people not respecting your time. Or just not getting organised enough to actually get anything done!!

So, when working at home, how do we remain productive – and keep a work-life balance?

I have compiled a list of tips for working at home that I have found helpful. (By the way, I have worked from home now for over 11 years – and I wouldn’t go back to an office for anything! However I still find these tips extremely useful to remind myself what I should be doing every so often!)

Tips for Working at Home: 1. Define your Work Space.

You need to have a workplace – and that isn’t sitting on the sofa in front of the TV! If you don’t have a separate study (which is the ideal option) then try setting yourself up with a desk in the spare bedroom or dining room. You need a space where you can shut the door and feel like you are ‘at work’ and therefore feel like you have ‘finished work’ when you move out of that space at the end of your day. Psychologically this is important as it changes your state of mind from “at home” to “at work”. Learn to FOCUS. Being able to shut the door on your separate space is vital – if the door is open it can signal to your family that you are available to chat (or play!)

Wherever your workspace is, make sure you keep it tidy – the old adage about a tidy desk equalling a tidy mind is true! The tidier and more organised your workspace, the more productive you will be. Also, make sure you have the equipment you need – in particular ensure you have a comfortable chair with back support.

Tips for Working at Home: 2. Set Ground Rules with Those Around You

Set your working hours (see tip 4) and ensure that your friends and family are aware of this and respect it. You are NOT available for coffee, for long lunches or for play! Your friends and family probably wouldn’t disturb you at an office with questions that can easily wait until you get home – but if home is your office they may not show the same restraint. A lot of friends and family will also think that as you work from home you are able to stop for coffee or a long lunch at a moments notice! Ensure that everyone understands that interruptions are for urgent matters only.

Tips for Working at Home: 3. Prepare for Work – Physically and Mentally

Have breakfast, take a shower and get dressed. You don’t have to wear a suit – but don’t stay in your pyjamas! Getting dressed first thing in the morning prepares you for work – it gets your mindset in the right place.

Don’t turn the computer on just to check emails as you walk past the study first thing in the morning (I am guilty of this one!) Suddenly you realise it’s lunchtime and you are still in your PJs with a stinking headache cos you haven’t had breakfast (let alone a shower!)

Make sure you are in the right mind set for the day. Start the day properly

Tips for Working at Home: 4. Set Regular Hours – and Stick to Them

A benefit of working at home is that you don’t have to work 9-5 if you don’t want to. I tend to work from 9.30-3.00 (with a break for lunch) and then 7.30-8.30 in the evening (after my Son is in bed). Think about what works for you. You may need to work early mornings or evenings to fit around your family life or to communicate with colleagues in other timezones.

Whatever hours you decide – stick to them! (You are allowed some leeway – but don’t let work run your life).

I think this is one of the hardest ‘rules’ when working from home – it is so easy to actually never switch off. But a healthy work-life balance is important – even if you do work at home.

Tips for Working at Home: 5. Don’t think you need an Immaculate House!

Don’t spend more time on housework than on working! A bit of light housework in your ‘lunch hour’ is acceptable, as is popping the odd load of washing on, but really, when you are at work, you are at work – even if you are working at home. If you can afford to get a cleaner and you would have one if you were working a ‘proper job’ in an office – still get one. Please don’t think you have to be Superwoman (or Superman) and do it all yourself because other people think you have lots more time because you work from home!!

If you take your work seriously, especially if you have just started a new business at home, then you need to put the hours into your work – not into cleaning the house!! Schedule non-work time for household chores and get the rest of the family to do their share. It is important that you don’t take on every household job just because you work from home – those around you need to respect the fact that although you are at home you have serious work to do during your scheduled hours.

Tips for Working at Home: 6. Limit Distractions

If your work permits- TURN OFF the telephone so that you can concentrate and get on without distraction. Only check your email at certain times of the day. It is so easy to get distracted by emails that you think have to respond to IMMEDIATELY! If you do this, you will never get any tasks finished!

TURN OFF your Skype, FaceBook, Twitter etc while you are working. Check your IM at certain times and only go on FaceBook in your break times. I know that working from home can be lonely so using Social Media can feel like your lifeline to the outside world – but this can quickly take over your day and ruin your productivity.

Tips for Working at Home: 7. Make a Daily TO DO List

Making lists can really help you to focus and stop you procrastinating – which for some reason we seem to do more of when we are sat at home on our own!! I do a weekly list of tasks and then break that down into daily tasks. I use the Steven Covey approach to Time Management as much as possible and the key thing for me is to focus on my

BIG ROCKS. Don’t just pick the easy tasks – spend quality time on your Big Rocks and your business will fly!

If you really do struggle to focus (even with a to-do list) try planning out what you are going to do each hour which should help you stay productive!

Tips for Working at Home: 8. Create Small Deadlines

This follows on from tip 7 – and can also help stop the dreaded procrastination! When you start the day it seems like you have lots of time and it can be easy to get sidetracked by the TV or the Telephone. Set targets for finishing pieces of work – e.g. “I will finish writing this blog by 11am”. “I will complete this marketing activity by 1.00”. This helps to break up your day and keep you focussed on task.

Tips for Working at Home: 9. Don’t Just Take a Day Off because things get tough!

Don’t just take a day off because you don’t feel like working today!! If you are having a hard day – persevere – do some work anyway! If you are sick, be sick – take a proper day off to get better. If you organise a holiday day off that’s fine – but don’t just decide you can’t be bothered to work today – that is a slippery slope to go down when suddenly you never achieve anything!

Tips for Working at Home: 10. Take Scheduled Breaks

There are various ways to do this – depending on your working style. But give yourself breaks. Some people find it helpful to take a 15 minute break for every hour worked. Or maybe you would prefer to take a 15 minute break twice a day. In addition to small breaks take a proper lunch break. Eat something health – AWAY FROM YOUR DESK! Leave the house and get some fresh air – it will genuinely make you so much more productive when you get back to your desk. Just sitting in front of your computer with no breaks will just result in ‘diminishing returns’. You think you are working really hard – but the results just aren’t that great!!

Tips for Working at Home: 11. Finish when you Finish

Know when to stop working! Just because you are working at home doesn’t mean that you should be working ALL THE TIME that you are at home! Leave work at the end of the day.

Susan Seaburg (Field Development Manager for Hewlett Packard) offers her input on working at home in an interview with Santa Clara University:

“The good news is that now you can work anywhere – the bad news is that now you can work anywhere.”

Most people go home to get away from work – you don’t have that option. So be careful that you still maintain a good work-life balance.

Tips for Working at Home: 12. Watch your Mood

Everything you listen to will influence your mood – or distract you from task. Personally I hate working in silence so if I really need to concentrate I put on some non-intrusive music just to create background noise! (My husband is the opposite – he has to work in complete silence so we use separate rooms if he is working at home too!) If I am not having to concentrate too hard I listen to educational audios – as I a member of the Empower Network Inner Circle I have access to a whole range of recordings by people at the very top of internet marketing – so I listen to those every day. These can also be great to lift your mood if you are feeling a bit low or unfocussed. Find what works for you and ensure you surround yourself with things that will give you the best frame of mind for whatever you’re doing.

Tips for Working at Home: 13. Seek out opportunities to communicate with other humans!

If you know you can won’t be too distracted, go and work in a café, hotel or library sometimes as this can just give you a change from being at home all day. Most coffee shops have free wifi these days if you need to be on the internet.

Attend some training courses or local networking events to maintain some human contact – and possibly pick up some business too!

Skype or Facebook chat rooms can also be a good way to communicate with the outside world. I use these methods a lot as my team and colleagues are all over the World. But as mentioned earlier, don’t get sucked in to spending hours a day chatting on line and not getting anything else done.

Make the odd phone call too – don’t just use email. It is good for your sanity to actually speak to someone once in a while!

And last but not Least –

Tips for Working at Home: 14.Be GRATEFUL!!

Be grateful that you CAN work at home. That you don’t have to do the awful commute, that you can be home when the kids get in from school, that you aren’t stuck in a windowless office or shared cubicle!! Above all, BE PRODUCTIVE so you can KEEP working at home!

Hope you found my top tips for working at home useful. If you want to see how I make money working at home everyday – please take a look at my blog site listed below.

I want to start a Working from Home Revolution!

See you on the inside!

Louise Fleming is a trained business coach and entrepreneur. As well as running a successful high end bespoke furniture company she also runs her own online marketing business. For more ideas how you can earn money working at home please visit Louise’s blog site at http://www.flemingfreedomplan.com.

As an entrepreneur you have no limits or restrictions. There is nothing that you can’t achieve. Well, except for freezing time.

Time is the most valuable commodity to an entrepreneur. Most of us would do anything to have another hour in the day. But until someone creates an app to manipulate time, we are forced to manage our time extremely efficiently. Here are 13 tips to help make your days more productive.

1. Schedule “You” time. Set aside a block of time to get your personal stuff out of the way. Things such as paying bills and attending to personal emails can take away from your work.

2. Disconnect when you need 100 percent focus. Preparing for an important meeting or a pitch? Turn off your mobile phone, close your email and route your office calls to voicemail. You will be more productive without the distractions.

Related: When to Spend Your Time Versus When to Spend Your Money

3. Maintain a “to-do” list. Keep an accurate list and cross tasks off as you complete them. Create your list at the end of each day for the next day — this allows you to attack the tasks as soon as your start your day.

4. Don’t be scared of technology. Embrace technology. I’ve seen people at their desk waiting on hold, holding the phone to their ear. Throw a Bluetooth headset into the situation and you can answer emails or attack your to-do list while you wait.

5. Say no. You may hate to disappoint people, but for your own productivity, learn how to say “no” to people. It isn’t always the greatest feeling, but it is impossible to appease everyone. If you said “yes” to everyone and every request you would have no time to do what you need to accomplish.

6. Be ultra responsive. We all have iPhones and smartphones, so use them. If you are out of the office and receive an email that you can easily address on the spot, do so! The other day I received this email:

“I’ll email you when I get back to the office.
Sent from my iPhone”

The response didn’t require this person to be in the office. It was a simple “yes” or “no” response that would have taken less time to type out than the response they sent. If you can reply while out of the office it eliminates wasted time when you get back.
JONATHAN LONG
CONTRIBUTOR
Founder and CEO, Market Domination Media

 

Entrepreneurs will often have amazing business ideas, but they put them on hold due to a lack of capital. They assume that their idea will never get far off the ground unless they have major funding behind them.

It seems that every day there is a new startup receiving millions of dollars from venture capital firms, but what you don’t hear about is the several startup failures that burn through millions of dollars only to fizzle out and shut their doors forever.

If your idea and plan of execution aren’t well thought out from the beginning, no amount of money can turn it into a winner. Have a great idea but very little money? Don’t let that stop you! Yes, there will be ridiculously long days with little to no sleep. Yes, you are going to be stressed. But those that want it bad enough will make it.

Here are eight tips that can help you get your idea off the ground with limited funds.

1. Build your business around what you know. Instead of venturing off into uncharted territory, make sure that you build your business around your skills and knowledge. The less you have to rely on outside sources the better. When your business is built around your own personal expertise you can eliminate consultants and outside assistance.

Also, having that knowledge is sometimes all that is needed to successfully take the plunge into entrepreneurship.

2. Tell everyone you know what you are doing. Inform your family, friends, business contacts and past colleagues about your new business. Call, send emails and make your new venture known on your social-media profiles. Your friends and family members can help you spread the word, and past business contacts can introduce your brand to their professional contacts as well. This type of grassroots marketing can help introduce your company to a much larger audience.

3. Avoid unnecessary expenses. You are going to have plenty of expenses, and there are some that just can’t be avoided. What you can avoid though is overspending. Take something as simple as business cards. You could drop $1,000 on 500 metal business cards that give off the “cool” factor, or you could spend $10 on 500 traditional business cards. Being frugal in the beginning can be the difference between success and a failed business.

4. Don’t get buried in credit card debt. There is a smart way and a suicidal way to use credit when starting a business. New computers, office furniture, phones and supplies can all quickly add up. Instead of purchasing everything at once and throwing it all on a credit card, use your company’s revenue to finance your expenses. Eliminating the stress and burden of debt will greatly increase the chances of creating a successful business.

Related: Funding Your Business on Your Own? Learn From These 7 Entrepreneurs

5. Make sure your receivables policy won’t sink you. If your business is a retail operation then this isn’t going to apply, but if you are providing services such as consulting or products to retailers you need to make sure that your payment policy is well thought out. Can you remain above water with net-15 or net-30 terms? Don’t base your receivables on what you think your customers will want. Base them on what is going to make your business operate successfully.

6. Build up sweat equity. When I first started my business I worked around the clock, handling every aspect of the business as well as the marketing and growth. All of the hard work and long days that you put in isn’t for nothing. You are building a brand and your hard work is essentially increasing the value of your business. Your sweat equity will come into play if you ever decide to sell off a piece of your company or take on a partner.

7. Take advantage of free advertising and marketing. There are several ways to generate a buzz for your business without breaking the bank. Social media is a great way to gain exposure and interact with potential customers. You can also reach out to local media and offer your expertise.

Make as many local media contacts as you can and be extremely responsive with their requests. This can lead to them to branding you as the local authority, generating plenty of free press for your business.

8. Get ready to hustle. Hard work is an absolute necessity, but when you are starting a business with little to no capital then you must be prepared to dedicate everything you have into making the business a success. This might mean cold calling, handling customer support, dealing with billing and accounting, and every other working part of your business. You will wear many hats and it will require the majority of your time and energy if you are to make it.

Don’t let limited capital prevent you from taking a great idea and running with it. Will it be difficult and will you have some stressful situations? Of course, but that is part of entrepreneurship.

JONATHAN LONG
CONTRIBUTOR
Founder and CEO, Market Domination Media