Lesley Spencer Pyle,
MSc, Lesley Spencer Pyle is the founder and president of Home-Based
Working Moms and HireMyMom.com.
She has been featured in publications including Forbes,
the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Parenting.
She has 4 children, ages 2 - 14, and has been working from home
since the first baby was born.
These days, working from home
just makes sense for a lot of moms. It’s good for
the environment, there’s no more time wasting away in
the car or on the train, and it helps you build a schedule
that’s right for your family. It’s a win-win situation
for everyone. Here are my top 10 tips for doing it well.
1.
Whether you’re dealing with a customer over
the phone or via e-mail, it should always be done with
the utmost professionalism. You want your current and
potential customers to feel confident in your abilities.
This should include stepping into a quiet area to make
a call to a client or getting a company dedicated phone
number so you can answer the call with a company greeting.
E-mails should always be spelled checked before hitting
the send button.
2.
Schedule your day and create goals to ensure
you’re completing all the tasks that need to be done as
well as making a set number of marketing contacts each
day. This will help you remain focused and productive,
despite any distractions that might be taking place in
your home.
3.
Create a business plan to help keep you
on track. It’s a lengthy and miserable process for some,
but once completed, it’s extremely advantageous to the
success of your business. Even if no one else ever sees
it, a business plan creates a tool for you to make sure
you have thought through the entire process running a
successful business.
4.
Determine your strengths and weaknesses
and what responsibilities take up the majority if your
time—either in the workplace or your household. These
are the functions that should be considered for outsourcing.
It will help you find a balance, but more importantly,
focus on your strengths which will help thrust your business
forward.
5.
Participate in local and online
networking groups to help build resources and a support
group. There are several online groups such as: www.cwahm.com,
www.hbwm.com
and www.wahm.com.
6.
Get yourself up to speed with new technologies.
Whether it is taking a class online or at a local community
college or having someone come in to train you, you’ll
keep up with your competitors by being technologically
literate.
7.
Set parameters with your family so they
know that when you’re working, this is your work
time. This may be challenging with little ones, but should
get easier as you continue to emphasize the importance
of “work time.” Be sure to hire help when needed.
Your business needs your full attention as do your children.
Don’t try to do both at once.
8.
Set a limit so you’re not overwhelmed by
taking on too much at one time. Be comfortable with letting
people know that you aren’t available to watch their kids,
do volunteer work, etc. It’s okay to say that your schedule
is really booked right now, but maybe in the near future
they can call on you when things have settled down.
9.
Create emergency back-up plans. This would
include back-up daycare, what to do if your computer system
goes down, or if a huge project comes in, who can you
rely on for assistance. This prevents you from scrambling
at the last minute.
10.
Make time for yourself. Points 1 - 9 will
not make any difference if you are not looking out for
yourself. You need to be healthy and happy to be there
for your family and your business. Prioritize time for
you, your faith, your family, your friends and your home
in addition to your business.
