Like 99.9% of all work-at-home moms, you are bound to have interruptions during your day. Your little ones need lunch, need a diaper changed, need a nap and are crying their eyes out, or are in the middle of fighting for a toy. These are not ideal circumstances to be answering the telephone under, yet, you don' t want to miss the call and possibly lose business. Let me tell you about 10 things you MUST have if you're going to work with your children at home.
1. A Separate Phone Line: This is absolutely critical. Even if it's just a "smart ring" from your phone service provider, you need to know when that phone rings whether it is a business call or a personal call. If it's your mother on the line, she knows what her grandchildren are capable of (she raised you, didn't she?), but if it's a potential client on the line, then it's better if they get the voicemail.
2. Voicemail: I highly recommend this one over an answering machine. It allows you to be on the phone and still pick up messages, you can call from anywhere to check it, and it's very inexpensive (less than $10 per month in our neck of the woods).
3. A Schedule: Time management will be the "make it or break it" of your business. If you manage your time, you will learn when your children will play nicely together, when their grumpy times are, and when their naps are. Return important calls during naptime. Play with them during the grumpy times when they want mommy. Make appointments, either in-house, or such things as the doctor's office, when you know your children will not be overly tired or trying to get your attention. If your two-year-old wakes up from his nap at 3:00, 2:30 is not the time to schedule with a new client...you know how cranky the little ones are when they first wake up, and how much they want to be held. Try scheduling that appointment for that right-after-breakfast-when-all-is-well time slot, or 30 minutes into naptime. Plan your days, then work your plan.
4. Cordless Phone: I don't know how I ever lived without this one! When you are on the phone, you can rescue your 5-year-old from the bathroom sink, move the children outside to run and play (just carry your notebook with you), or fix another cup of juice. Trust me, this one is essential. Even better if you can afford it: a hands-free headset.
5. A Childproof Office: If you haven't done so already, read the article I wrote on childproofing your office. By getting the distractions out of the way and offering your little visitors something child-friendly, you will avoid saying "No" while on the phone, or stopping what you're doing to stop your two-year-old from hitting the reset button on the computer.
6. Email: How I ever got along without it, I'll never know. Email is the wonder tool for work at home parents! I can respond to messages at my convenience, research an answer before responding, and clean out the box one message at a time in between playing with the little ones.
7. A Back-up Babysitter: As a stay at home parent, we usually don't need child care, but recent experience has taught me to have one in line in case of emergency. If you have a hair appointment, or one child is sick and needs to go to the doctor, it's a great idea to schedule those appointments for late in the day and hire a teenager to come sit. The only time my children get sick is when the healthy one spends time in the waiting room of the doctor's office, so it's well worth paying $5 for an hour of sitting versus $35 plus another prescription.
8. A Budget: I'm as guilty as the next person of cashing a check from a customer and going to buy diapers. But the fact is, when those checks come in, there are bills that must be paid. Don't put yourself out of business by not knowing what your expenses are and having an income goal for each month. Buy those diapers in emergencies or when the budget is actually "budgeting".
9. A Collection of Children's Movies: Now, I'm not advocating that you let the television become your babysitter, but the fact is, sometimes YOU need a break, you may be under a deadline, or something needs your urgent attention. If you can plug in a favorite video, you can grab a few minutes (or maybe even an hour) to complete a phone call, finish a project, or work with a customer.
10. A Break!: Take some time for yourself at night when they're in bed. Running a business, a family, a home, and a marriage can take it's toll if you don't spend some time doing what you love. Fill the bathtub with bubbles, grab a good book, and go soak for awhile. Paint your fingernails, go shopping, plant flower beds, take up a hobby or craft, do ANYTHING but housework, laundry, childcare, or your business. By refreshing yourself once or twice a week, you'll find your stress levels lower and your productivity higher.
1. A Separate Phone Line: This is absolutely critical. Even if it's just a "smart ring" from your phone service provider, you need to know when that phone rings whether it is a business call or a personal call. If it's your mother on the line, she knows what her grandchildren are capable of (she raised you, didn't she?), but if it's a potential client on the line, then it's better if they get the voicemail.
2. Voicemail: I highly recommend this one over an answering machine. It allows you to be on the phone and still pick up messages, you can call from anywhere to check it, and it's very inexpensive (less than $10 per month in our neck of the woods).
3. A Schedule: Time management will be the "make it or break it" of your business. If you manage your time, you will learn when your children will play nicely together, when their grumpy times are, and when their naps are. Return important calls during naptime. Play with them during the grumpy times when they want mommy. Make appointments, either in-house, or such things as the doctor's office, when you know your children will not be overly tired or trying to get your attention. If your two-year-old wakes up from his nap at 3:00, 2:30 is not the time to schedule with a new client...you know how cranky the little ones are when they first wake up, and how much they want to be held. Try scheduling that appointment for that right-after-breakfast-when-all-is-well time slot, or 30 minutes into naptime. Plan your days, then work your plan.
4. Cordless Phone: I don't know how I ever lived without this one! When you are on the phone, you can rescue your 5-year-old from the bathroom sink, move the children outside to run and play (just carry your notebook with you), or fix another cup of juice. Trust me, this one is essential. Even better if you can afford it: a hands-free headset.
5. A Childproof Office: If you haven't done so already, read the article I wrote on childproofing your office. By getting the distractions out of the way and offering your little visitors something child-friendly, you will avoid saying "No" while on the phone, or stopping what you're doing to stop your two-year-old from hitting the reset button on the computer.
6. Email: How I ever got along without it, I'll never know. Email is the wonder tool for work at home parents! I can respond to messages at my convenience, research an answer before responding, and clean out the box one message at a time in between playing with the little ones.
7. A Back-up Babysitter: As a stay at home parent, we usually don't need child care, but recent experience has taught me to have one in line in case of emergency. If you have a hair appointment, or one child is sick and needs to go to the doctor, it's a great idea to schedule those appointments for late in the day and hire a teenager to come sit. The only time my children get sick is when the healthy one spends time in the waiting room of the doctor's office, so it's well worth paying $5 for an hour of sitting versus $35 plus another prescription.
8. A Budget: I'm as guilty as the next person of cashing a check from a customer and going to buy diapers. But the fact is, when those checks come in, there are bills that must be paid. Don't put yourself out of business by not knowing what your expenses are and having an income goal for each month. Buy those diapers in emergencies or when the budget is actually "budgeting".
9. A Collection of Children's Movies: Now, I'm not advocating that you let the television become your babysitter, but the fact is, sometimes YOU need a break, you may be under a deadline, or something needs your urgent attention. If you can plug in a favorite video, you can grab a few minutes (or maybe even an hour) to complete a phone call, finish a project, or work with a customer.
10. A Break!: Take some time for yourself at night when they're in bed. Running a business, a family, a home, and a marriage can take it's toll if you don't spend some time doing what you love. Fill the bathtub with bubbles, grab a good book, and go soak for awhile. Paint your fingernails, go shopping, plant flower beds, take up a hobby or craft, do ANYTHING but housework, laundry, childcare, or your business. By refreshing yourself once or twice a week, you'll find your stress levels lower and your productivity higher.
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