Today . . . I am thinking about my amazing mom preneur clients. They do so well managing everything . . . their home, business, life, and their family!
Sometimes, though, it can be a pretty rough go. Enough to make them seriously consider throwing in the entrepreneurial towel and going back to work.
Crivens! Before that happens, try these three easy solutions to the most common problems associated with running a home-based business.
Three Most Common Problems and How to Fix Them
1. Dealing with isolation. Being a home-based business owner means you don’t have much opportunity to socialize around the water cooler, walk down the hall to collaborate with colleagues, or brainstorm ideas with other professionals. Plus, except for trips to the grocery store, picking up kids from after school activities, you don’t have much time to yourself.
Solutions: Remember to take breaks throughout the day just for you, not for doing laundry. Go for a quick walk to revitalize. Line up a babysitter and attend one professional event a week. Join mom preneurs online and take part in a forum.
2. Make-do office space. One of the problems with running a business from home is that there often isn’t much space in your home to dedicate to your home business. As a result, you make-do with working from a desk in a bedroom, the kitchen table, or living room couch. This leaves you open for constant interruptions.
Solutions: Your home office needs to be a designated place just for work. Preferably a room with a door. If possible, keep the door closed when you are working and closed when you’re not to insure that your business life does not spill over into your private life and vice versa.
3. Everything in one location. If you are used to working outside the home, bringing your business into your home can be an incredible challenge. Where there used to be a separation of work and home, now it’s all under one roof. Here you do it all: eat, sleep, play and work. Temptations are greater and distractions endless.
Solutions: Decide what your business hours will be and stick to them. Work out your schedule with your family in mind, and display it prominently outside your door. Clearly indicate when family time is. Also school events and family outings. Since you’re so used to doing house related things when you’re at home, making a schedule will help organize your time and control your temptations and distractions.
No matter how long you’ve been a mom entrepreneur, chances are you’ve run into these problems. Do you have anything wonderful to add to these solutions? Something that will make running your business from home a smart decision for your entire family? Let us know!
Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
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