Working from home with children doesn't have to be a struggle

[brandy514]

Running a home based business while taking care of your children doesn't go without challenges. I understand the pull to do laundry over making sales calls. I get it when you ask me, "How the heck do you even talk on the phone while your 2 year is tugging at your pant leg saying "Mommy, mommy I think I poo'd in my pants." I confess this has happened to me more than once!  But the rewards of making an income, being a successful business woman, while being able to stay at home and raise your children is well worth it.

Here are some simple tips you can take to making your Mompreneur journey go smoothly:

1.) Have a designated area to do your work: Of course it would be fabulous to have an office, but not everyone has that luxury. It IS important, however, to have a designated area just for your work. Not for anything else. Covet this area. The kids should have a special area that they can do their homework and create as well!

2.) Choose a business that works with your new schedule: What do I mean by this? Well, if you used to be a field sales executive (in your past life) then trying to work the same way now with children may be a bit frustrating for you and the kids. Try to find something that you can be flexible with , you may want to schedule your calls during a time that the kids are playing or taking a nap. Tele-classes may need to be held at 11:00am vs the standard 8:00pm time slot. It's okay, you are a mompreneur now. You determine the schedule that works best for you. I guarantee you will attract other moms that will have the same schedule.

3.) Tell your clients that you are a mompreneur: This way when your children do happen to interrupt your call, your client isn't surprised. Try, however, to explain to your kids that you will be on the phone that you need some quiet  time. There is nothing worse than being on the other end of the line and "mom" decides to have a whole conversation with the child and forgets about you, the client. If you have to call the client back, then do. It's better than having a double conversation going and neglecting your child while being rude to your client.

4.) Block your time: I learned this from my personal coach, Debra Larson at Simply Wealthy by Debra (http://www.debralarson.com/). She teaches you to do similar items at the same time. It literally takes 7 minutes for your brain to adjust each time you change to a different task. As moms we are forced to be multitasker's, but the more like-items we group together, the quicker  we will get those tasks done.

5.) Is this a hobby or a business?: It's common practice for people to think that SAHM's that work from home is just a hobby, and perhaps you may not be taken seriously. With technology these days, working from home is becoming more common. So my comment to this is treat your business  like a business and you will be fine.  If you set time aside to work then work, don't do your laundry. Some of the most successful women I know work from home . . . I am talking women who make millions of dollars each year!

6.) But I don't have 4 hours a day, let alone 8 hours a day to give to my business:  This is one of the biggest myths newbie Mompreneurs bring to me. You would be amazed how much you can get done with just 2 focused hours per day. I'm talking 2 focused hours on specific projects NOT playing on facebook. Plus, don't be afraid to reach out and hire a Virtual Assistant to help you. You may not think you can't afford it, but you may be surprised how much more you are able to make with a little helping hand not to mention just getting things done quicker with less stress (this goes a long way in my book). This applies to running some errands for you too. You don't have to be superwoman, but with a little help everyone will think that you are!!!

7.) Can you pick up my _____?: Your spouse may think that now you are at home you don't do much and have a tendency to have you run all the errands and create a big To-do list for you.  This is one of the most miss-construed comments I have ever heard and I'm sure you would agree! Share your schedule with your spouse so they understand that your day isn't a free for all. And that you'd be happy to help but you may not be able to do "___" until "___".  This is better than grumbling and getting upset thinking he doesn't understand (which he probably doesn't.)

8.) Turn work off: Work is always at home now, so you may be tempted to work all the time. I know, I've been there. This was a big learning curve for me. You must set up boundaries for yourself. Set some structure to your work time and family, relationship time apart from each other.  Make sure you adhere to this as best you can. Otherwise I guarantee your spouse will feel neglected and will not feel important. Though he may never express this to you,  I promise it will come out in other "not so pretty" ways. Plus, you will just be more relaxed if you focus on family during family time and vice versa.

So with just a few tweaks to your schedule, a few boundaries and communicating with the ones you love you should be on your way to a stress-free way of working from home and being a fabulous mom as well!