We need to upend all our ideas on the right way to work and school. If you want to break from the 9-5, be your own boss, raise your kids, and enjoy your life. Then you need to start a business working from home.
The struggle against these cultural norms is real. But you can be a rebel mom and create a different legacy for you and your kids.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase using one of these links, I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me keeps things free for you, and who doesn’t love free stuff. For more information, see my disclosures.
Yes, I know what you are thinking (because I’ve thought the same thoughts). Is working from home hard? What business can I start? Can I really make money? On and on the questions go. Tumbling through your mind like circus performers that just won’t stop. Here are my 10 tips working from home.
I’ve been a virtual assistant for almost 10 years. I started when I was laid off from my job because I didn’t want to continue running on the hamster wheel of dropping kids at daycare, then working 9–5. Just to do it all again the next day.
I started with a rebuilt desktop computer, a just finished website, and a gut-wrenching feeling that this had to work (there wasn’t a safety net).
Tips Working from Home What I Thought I Knew vs Reality
Building any kind of business is the practice of relentless pursuit. So, really, what you think you know or think you are an expert in is going to change. Wherever you are starting on this journey, you won’t stay there.
That means your opportunities are really limitless. You can start offering services for one thing, learn something new, and pivot your business.
If your mindset is there is always something new to learn, then you will be an unstoppable force. But it helps when we can learn from those who went before us. It cuts down on the learning curve.
10 Tips Working from Home
This is what I’ve learned from almost 10 years of working from home. Hopefully, this will cut down your learning curve, so you can launch and grow faster.
1. How to raise rates
Create a process to raise your rates regularly. I wish I had this in place from the start. I confess, I am not the best at this. Money is always a tough conversation.
There are several reasons to raise your rates with your clients. Cost of living goes up (we all felt that this past year). Your responsibilities change or increase. Or you’ve gotten better at what you do.
If you don’t increase your rates on a regular basis you devalue yourself. Your skills are increasing, so you are more valuable. However, the value of your skills (the rate you charge) is not keeping up with the market. So, over time, you get paid less for the services you are offering.
I have a friend and fellow small business owner who is very good at raising rates. Since I’m not, although I raised my rates this past year, I asked him for suggestions. He suggested building in a 10% increase every year. After you increase your rates in the first year with your clients, they will expect it the following year.
This is great advice, and I also added it to my statement of work. So I can always point to the agreed terms in the contract.
2. You don’t need to niche down
This nugget of wisdom was everywhere when I started out. It caused me so much turmoil. Everywhere I turned, I found this absolutest statement: If you want to be successful in business, then you need to niche down.
This is like the holy grail of business. Let me put on my rebel mom shirt and say you don’t need to niche down. I know this is shocking. Did you pass out? Are you still with me? A niche is not required to be successful or to make money in business.
Check out: How to Make Money from Home Without a Niche
3. Always work with good people
One of the major benefits to working independently is I get to pick the people I work with. No clients from hell allowed.
When you are starting out, you can feel desperate to make money. I understand this feeling. But there is no amount of money in the world that can compensate for a client who calls you at all hours of the night. Or demands a new deadline after you already told him your delivery timetable.
You want the freedom to be your own boss. A difficult client is going to test every boundary you have. It is not worth it.
There are way too many good clients for your time and energy to be consumed by a bad one. If you end up taking a difficult client, then set your rate high. You need to be compensated for emotional drainage.
Check out: How to Handle a Client from Hell
4. Not all business books are created equal
I’ve read so many business books with a heart full of expectation and hope. Expectation that it is the one that will give me everything I need. And hopeful that I wouldn’t need anything else.
Yeah, that never really happened. There are a handful of business books that I would suggest reading. Out of all the business books I’ve read, most of them I would not recommend. I put down the book feeling cheated of my time.
I’ve read many of the most hyped books on social media. The book must be amazing if everyone is saying it is. Right? That is usually not the case.
Check out: My Top 8 Business Books
5. It is possible to homeschool
When I started out, I wasn’t sure if it was possible. As a matter of fact, I didn’t really make it known that I was homeschooling for the first two years. I needed to see if I could make it work first.
You know what I discovered, it totally works. It is possible to work from home and homeschool your kids. You need the right curriculum that will allow your kids to be independently responsible learners. But it can be done.
Check out: The Momtrepreneur’s Guide to Curriculum
6. Audio books are amazing
My favorite thing to do is to curl up with a hot cup of coffee and a good book. I love to read. I’m a firm believer that you can get better than a college education by reading lots of books.
There is one downside to this. It requires time. Lots of time. Something that I don’t have. A few years ago I made a discovery—audio books. I’ve always resisted them because I like to read an actual book. I know I retain the information better when I see it. But that time thing keeps getting in the way of my books. So I downloaded the library app and started checking out audio books.
It is amazing. I can read here or there. I can read everywhere. Doing the dishes, in the car. I can read near or far.
Even while I was working, I could listen to audio books. I still read actual books, but most of my business books are all audio. It is how I get through 15-20 business books a year. This number is just the business genre and does not include all the other books I read.
Check out: How to Read a Book for Busy Mom Bosses
7. You don’t need all the fancy apps
It is hard to resist all the digital shiny objects. I worked with someone who literally had a separate app for everything. My one thought was, “It must take hours just to keep them all updated.”
Resist all the fancy apps. Yes, there are some great tools out there that will help you with organization, scheduling, etc But you really don’t need them all. I would find 2 maximum 3 that will actually make your work life easier without consuming your time. And work with those.
Also, you don’t need to buy all these before you start. There are a few things you need to get started, but fancy apps isn’t one of them.
Check out: What You Need to Start
8. I work to buy curriculum
Homeschooling 6 kids (ok the 3-year-old isn’t officially) can cost a lot of money. I told the kids that we could go on vacation every year if we weren’t buying curriculum. We homeschool so I can tailor teaching to each child.
I work so I can buy the curriculum I want. There are cheaper ways to homeschool, but these can take a lot of time that I don’t have.
One reason for my business is so I can buy curriculum.
Check out: The Momtrepreneur’s Guide to Curriculum
9. You still need a desk
Lay in a hammock by the ocean with your favorite drink. This is what many people think running your business looks like. Reality is that it is hard work. You still need butt in the seat time at your desk.
Yes, you are the queen of your schedule. You get to decide when and what that time looks like. But you can’t avoid putting in time.
Check out: Work Life Balance—How to Slow Down Your Busy Mom Schedule
10. Things may not turn out how you imagined
Getting laid off was never part of the plan. However, it was the push I needed to start my business. I wanted to work from home and homeschool my kids. That was always the end goal. The process to get there was beyond my imagination.
Conclusion: Working from Home
Mom, if you want to work from home and homeschool your kids. Then grab The Momtrepreneur’s Guide to Curriculum.
0 Comments