Many stay at home moms try to juggle an at home business in addition to their parenting responsibilities. Like all other entrepreneurs some have more success than others. But moms, in general, may be more vulnerable because they don’t take their business seriously enough.
Often when a family makes the decision for mom to stay home and raise the kids, they ensure that the family can manage on one income. If mom eventually decides to launch her own business she will usually put family first. If the business takes off – great, but if not then the family is no worse off than before. This approach may work for some people either due to luck or charisma or both, but for most that type of effort is just not enough.
Taking your home business seriously and treating it like a full fledged, legitimate business is the first step towards success and growth. This can be difficult at times. The business I have chosen is blogging. Many of my offline mom friends aren’t really even sure what this is. And when I explain it, well – to them it sounds like a hobby. Selling Avon, Tupperware, or Pampered Chef is a much more tangible endeavor and garners more respect amongst my peers. It is easy to get discouraged, in blogging or any business for that matter.
I have found that developing a consistent schedule for my business projects keeps me going, especially when I feel like giving up. I set aside a few hours, usually more, everyday to work on my blogging business. There are many days when my family’s needs monopolize my time – such is the life of a stay at home mom. But even on the busiest of days, I try to accomplish at least one business task. This keeps me on track.
If you don’t take your home business seriously, nobody else will either. And that is a recipe for failure. Developing a consistent and positive approach will lead you to the next step and to eventual success. The path may change along the way but new doors will always open. If you give up then you’ve shut the door yourself.
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I love your blog you offer some really good information. I am a work at home mom and there really are so many advantages being able to work from home as long as you can be self disciplined enough to do it.
Thanks for the information
Sheryl
http://www.stayhome-mum.com/blog
Sheryl,
There is nothing better and more flexible than working from home for yourself. But the distractions are great. You need to be self disciplined just to get things done!
This post really hit home for me. I struggle daily with my business and staying at home with the kids. Scheduling time to work and letting the whole family know it’s your time is paramount. This said, before taking your time, you have to cover all of the familial responsibilities and ensure your kids have had enough attention. Working late hours, giving up hobbies and friends is often the downside to owning a business and caring for your family
Michelle,
You are living my life! The fact that the workplace is home is even more tricky because you can’t leave the housework behind when you head off to the job. Not being able to separate work and home, and also being available for the kids makes it all a daily balancing act.
Hi,
I’m enthusiastic about working from home while looking after a baby of 6 months and a 5yr old. I’m confused by all the websites promising huge earnings by working very few hours. Could someone please advise me on the best way of doing this? I like writing, am creative and am fluent in two languages as well as English.
Hi Bronagh,
I understand completely. It is so hard to know what is real and what is a scam. One company that I am seriously looking into is Site Build It!. They offer a lot of valuable free materials about building a business on the web that you can access even without signing up. Because the quality of their resources is so excellent, they are slowly earning my trust. Even though I already have experience on the web I am considering joining their program as well. Their program seems like it could save me a lot of time, which is something I don’t have enough of. Right now Site Build It! is having its summer sale so I may take advantage of this and see how it pans out.
Thanks,
I’ll look into it.