Work At Home For Moms - How To Manage Your Time
A mom's life is busy enough with taking care of the kids and keeping up the house, but when you have a work at home mom, you throw another iron onto the fire and complicate things. It can be very easy for a work at home mom to become consumed by her work and let the other things fall to the wayside, or to become so distracted by her kids and household duties that her work suffers. It can wreak havoc on a work at home business.
When you are working out of the home, there is a more defined environment, but when you work at home the lines between personal duties and job are very blurry. A work at home mom has added challenges on top of running a business. These tips will help you prioritize your tasks and manage your time wisely.
* Evaluate your Activity Online
You want the time that you spend online to be used optimally. Take a look at the things that you do when you are online such as joining safe lists and traffic exchanges. Experts in internet marketing advise against this because they generally agree that it is a waste of time. Network with other people who work at home and whose businesses are where you want yours to be and ask them what they do and how they manage their time.
* Have a Purpose when you go Online
When you go online you need to avoid getting caught up in email or in surfing the net. The way to do this is to set a definite course of action, a purpose, when you go online. Writing down the things that you want to get accomplished can help to keep you focused. But ultimately, you will need discipline to keep yourself on track.
* Outsource when you Can
If you have it in your budget, outsource as many things as you can. Many work at home jobs outsource tasks and it is often to other people who work at home. This can also prove to be a great networking contact with whom you can develop a working relationship. You can share links, refer clients and trade ideas. It can be effective in several ways.
* Don't get Caught up in the Internet Trap
There are many things that can suck up your time during the day and the internet is one of them. Set aside a certain time to check email, whether it is once a day, twice or ever three or four times. But don't check it any other time than the time or times you have allotted in your schedule. Now, you can't work all the time, so take time to surf, but allot a certain time for it and stick to it. If you do research, don't let yourself get sidetracked.
* Get a Sitter
A big problem with a work at home business is that the house "stuff" can often be very distracting. Get a sitter to come over and play with the kids for a few hours a week. You would be surprised what you can accomplish when you know the kids are cared for and you can focus strictly on your work.
* Simplify the "Home Stuff"
Three big things that eat up your time at home are meal preparation, housekeeping and grocery shopping. It is often tempting to eat out, but that is not cost effective, nor is it particularly. Just because you work at home does not mean that you have extra time to spend on these tasks. Try streamlining your housecleaning or hire someone if you can. Even having someone come in once or twice a week will make a world of difference. For cooking, use your crockpot, make double meals when you cook and freeze one for later. Make a standard shopping lists of ingredients for meals you regularly cook and keep a working list on your fridge. Oh, and kids can help in the house too. A little work won't hurt them!
* Use a Timer
A timer can be invaluable to someone who has a work at home business. Set it and tell the kids that when it goes off, you will be available for them. This is especially crucial with young children. They don't have a good comprehension of time, but a timer can give them a visual and they can watch it. It can also keep you on track and on schedule. If you set aside 30 minutes for email, set your timer for 30 minutes and when it goes off, move on to the next task. A timer is one work at home tool that you pretty much can't do without.
* Set Limits
You can't do it all. You work at home, keep a house and care for the kids, something has to give. Your time and energy is very valuable so you need to be firm in setting limits for ho you spend your time. If you can't do something, don't commit to it, learn to say no. You also need to make sure that you get enough rest and get plenty of sleep at night. It is also a good idea to take a yoga class or some similar relaxation class at least once a week. It gets you out of the house and can help you de-stress. This is important because stress can kill a work at home business.
* Establish a Routine
A work at home business means that you have to be super organized so establish a routine. Write a schedule that includes your household chores as well as business activities so that you can manage your time more effectively. Write down your routine, at least at first, so that you can follow it with ease.
* Use Technology
Don't let technology intimidate you. There are a lot of "techie" things to make your work at home business time more efficient and more effective. Go wireless with your internet and invest in a laptop if you can fit it into your budget. This can help you tremendously because it allows you to be more mobile in your home. You can use your laptop anywhere in the house or even on the front porch while the kids play and still be able to work. For a change of pace, you can pack up the laptop and head to a coffee house, have a latte while you work.
You can work at home and have a family and both can be successful. If you have chosen to work at home, try some of the time management tips that are specific to someone who has a work at home business. You may find that you have more time to do the things that you enjoy.
To learn exactly what John Beck creates wealth, visit http://www.work-at-home-mlm.com/ where you'll find everything you need to know about working at home.
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