Secrets To Be A Successful Work At Home Mom

Becoming a successful work at home mom can be a daunting and exciting thought

Before you burn your bridges …like quitting your day job, you have given considerable thought about how you can achieve a new business. Or, you went to your day job and found out that you are going to become part of the Company downsizing and your layoff is imminent. Something triggered this happening.

So you figured out how you can generate an income at home, you have made a business plan and you have the right contacts. So you are ready to go – right? Not necessarily.

What about how you’re new business is going to fit into your family life?

How would working at home fit into your home activities without disrupting your children’s lives and raising your husband’s expectations of your home performance? You need to give much thought to merging being a successful work at home mom with how to include your family as they are part of this happening too.

Secrets to be a successful work at home mom:

1. Have a family meeting with your husband and children 2 years and older. Get them all sitting at the kitchen table to keep their attention easier. Explain to them what you have in mind to do and why. Let the kids know that they will – or will not, be going to day care. Tell them about the benefits they will experience by having you be a work at home mom. Share with them how they can help you also. Explain how your home routine will be changing. Ask for questions and answer all their questions and concerns. Be as upfront as you can while not over embellishing. They have to understand this is not a holiday having mom at home and that you will have to be able to work as hard at home at you did at your day job. This is your support team and you need to help them understand what is going to happen.
2. The next step can be done as the occasion arises, let your surrounding family and friends know of your new job. Discourage unnecessary phone calls just because you are at home for shopping, lunch excursions, or little visits, unless it fits in with your work routine.
3. Get a hard copy Planner. You will keep this book with you all the time and you need to work with it. Everything, from maintenance for the house, children’s appointments, family outings and business details will all be put into it. Microsoft Office Outlook also has a planner and the calendar is handy for looking at all the activities merged together. Don’t rely on it as your computer can crash. Keep your hard copy first.
4. Determine where you are going to be working at home.  Working down in a basement corner is not conducive to a positive attitude and it cuts you off from the rest of the family. You must work where you are visible and your family is visible to you. Using a kitchen table with a filing cabinet close by can be a starting point if your work will be clerical. If it is crafts you probably have set yourself up already for location. If you decide you need a computer desk think outside of the box. Ikea offers an upright work station that has a footprint of only 40 inches and sits in a corner of a room. It is 7 feet high and holds a myriad of content - all your work peripherals like office supplies, equipment, books and disks. It has 4 doors which close when you are finished for the day and looks like a cupboard when not open. It costs $539 and they will assemble it in your home for $30.00 more which is a good investment. Delivery is another $20.00.
5. Decide how many hours a day you must work. You can fragment your hours to wrap around your home life. Figure out a routine everyone is comfortable with and make sure there is family time included.
6. Maintain your appearance and be ready for an office meeting at any time. You will be surprised how many business calls you will receive once the locals know you are in business.
7. Don’t say “No” to salespeople out of hand. Listen to them even if you know at the beginning of their presentation you are not going to do what they are asking. If for no other reason then to learn from them as they are usually walking encyclopedias about the local businesses. Don’t let them ramble on either.
8. Depression is usually the biggest enemy of work at home moms. You don’t get the social exchanges that you had at your day job, nor will you get instant success from being a work at home mom. So make sure you work out – or take your kids for a walk mid-morning and mid-afternoon for at least 20 minutes each time. Also take Vitamin D3. If you maintain your energy level depression shouldn’t bother you. Join a local business club like the Rotary or Chamber of Commerce to keep up the business chatter and start networking.
9. If you find that the children interrupt you sufficiently to interfere with your work, get a child’s table and chair set and put them by your own work station. Show your children this is where they can work too. Equip this area up with a bin holding crayons, scissors, paper, paste, etc and advise them when a person works they are quiet. Create a “Show And Tell” after dinner where your children may show you and your husband what they achieved when they were working with you. This should minimize them wanting to show you everything they made each time they “work”.
10. Keep your office clutter to a minimum. Clear up your work area every night before you finish your day. All of your office tools should have a designated place. Use a 3-ring binder to file all of your correspondence, receipts, bills – everything. Use tabs to sort this paper as you file. Using 3-ring binders (a big one) takes a lot less space than a filing cabinet and is actually more efficient and less costly.   Avoid creating piles of paper as you will forget what is there. Place a “To-Do” tab in your 3-ring binder and file these items there for review daily or place them in the correct day slot (you did get an 31-day index for your 3-ring binder didn’t you?).

Now you are ready to get started on your successful work at home business.

We hope our list of secrets for being a successful work at home mom help you get over the hurdles of adapting your new business to your home and will get you comfortably on your way. Remember, you get the benefits of being a successful work at home mom too as you could earn more then at a regular day job, you see your children develop and grow, you exercise daily, you avoid the stress of commuting all the while helping keep our planet green.

 ~Congratulations~