Focus

How do you focus on work, while at home?  How do you concentrate when your children are present?  Are you able to feel comfortable working while your spouse is watching TV? 


These questions, and more, should have been well researched and studied before you started your business-even more than the actual business itself, after all, if you cannot commit focused time, your business will not thrive even if it was named Disneyland.


At first glance, babies appear to be the most difficult distraction, however, this is false.  Sure, they'll make sure you know they need you and, yes, you won't be able to move forward until you deal with the precious child's needs and wants, yet babies and their schedules (and lack of moving about and talking), work for you.  In fact, even if your babies are anything like every single one of mine [were], it's a simply a matter of not blocking set hours of time, but allowing yourself to work 30 minutes, take 15 minutes off; work 30, take off 15; work 30, take off 15. Smaller increments, but extremely productive (so much so, that I've adopted the "five minute plan") moments.  It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you commit to those 30 minutes.


Obviously, you'll substitute your increment times according to Baby and your schedule.  


Toddlers are not as easy to deal with, and they tend to be the most difficult.  They often can understand you a thousand times better than you understand them.   That's the cause of your needing to supervise nearly every single moment.  Thank God for naps!  


Though toddlers are extremely mobile and even more curious, you can make this work.  Choose the things you can nearly count on to occupy five to ten minutes without standing over Toddler, like playing blocks (cars, ball, etc.) to do the things you most have to concentrate and get them done in small sessions (or wait a couple of years to start your home business). Use a high chair, a coloring book, and Crayolas once a day for fifteen minutes of business concentration.  If your toddler can sit quietly for a cartoon, know that "their brains won't turn to mush" if they watch a limited amount each day you need to work.  This can be a bigger break, generally a half an hour to two hours, and you can even sit beside Little Guy.


Never leave your baby or toddler alone in the bathtub and I do NOT advise you working whatsoever during bath time (I know, this is a no-brainer, but statistics of children drowning in a tub while the parent is home is staggering).


If you absolutely cannot share the concentration, hire a young sitter to play with Toddler for a few hours (or use an older sibling or the other spouse). 


School age kids, unless homeschooled, and your business work magically. It's a natural home business progression that your work hours equal their school hours.


Teens don't want to need you and will continue to do so as much as possible.  However, I find that my needing to focus on work brings about their neediness almost without fail.  I set everything down and look into their eyes while they talk and secretly be thinking, "Hurry up! I love you, but I have work to do and you didn't give me the time of day while I was washing dished, folding clothes, or watching Jerry Springer!"  This brings about some paralyzing guilt on my part once they leave my side, until I remember I'm working from home in part for them.


You can cure this one by doing two things:  work while they're at school or socializing, and deep clean the house daily (the second idea's a joke, of course, get it?).


Your spouse. For me, it's my hubby.  I don't know what to say about this because my husband doesn't even care if he talks to me, as long as I am near him.  I try focusing at the table near his Call of Duty TV, but I can't. He's cussing at his online buddies and it's distracting.  And back to kids for a moment, this is also the time when Dad can totally deal with all their needs--but their inclination is to come to me and ask me something.  Hubby says, "Hey!  Mom's working, whatever you need, come to me."  And I inject my theory that they already interrupted me so that just makes it a longer interruption.  Sigh.


Murphy's Law, right?


Anyway, my working is a no-go while Hubby's home. I work while he works or I work in the wee early morning hours.  You may have a completely different situation (and we did set up a home office where I can close the door, but sometimes, me working by his side is all the free time I have to spend with him) and will learn to know it, work with it, and love it.


Maybe you can't sit and focus for hours at a time, but with a bit of creative maneuvering, you can run a business and run it well.

Five Minutes Again

Always, I have five minutes of time at some point to do something with work.  Home businesses not only do not run themselves, but they take what seems like much more time than a big business outside your home, and why not?  You're the one running your business, your family, and your "me" time.  Of COURSE it'll take more time.

Maybe you don't have more time. Maybe your senior middle son is going to his first and only prom and there are tuxedos to pick up, hair spray to be found, pictures to take?  Perhaps you're taking time out to grill the driver, to find out exactly where the prom is being held, and laying down the rules.

Plus, you have all your other kids, your spouse, maybe some in-laws (not me), lunch, dinner, and it's Easter tomorrow, and... and... and...

By this time, I WANT to work my business! I need a break from real life.  Don't get me wrong, I can handle putting work away and swimming in the ocean, but everyday life, dealing with it, and knowing it all starts over again tomorrow with new stuff replacing what you just did is, well, it's life.

Take a break from life, just a moment, maybe you can think of it as time to yourself, even if it's not for yourself, give yourself those precious five minutes we're always talking about.

Seriously! Find a quiet space, make a phone call.  Make that cold call you've been dreading: one minute to practice, a minute to call and introduce yourself, a minute to sell yourself and your product/business, and a minute to LISTEN, and lastly, a moment to congratulate yourself for stepping out of your comfort zone (regardless of success).

I'm using five minutes to share this thought, answer an email, and check out my recent article query.

The minutes flew by, I'm off to real life again, but I have a fresh attitude, which is great, because it's Prom picture-taking time!

Perfectionism

It could be from my life as a competitive gymnast, and it could be that my mother was so smart, I had too much to live up to, but I am a serious perfectionist.  It's horrendous because it leads to procrastination, which leads to depression and feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness.

This DOES affect my home businesses.

I spend HOURS writing a thank you letter, for instance, making sure it's just right and second guessing what each word may mean to the receiver, regardless of what and why I wrote in the first place.

Even here, on this blog, I never ever re-read and edit it because to do so is death.  I would never get anything published. I have to close my eyes and push "publish post."

Great ideas are easy to come by in the wonderful world of writing-I write on the wall ideas all day AND night long. I have ideas for books, articles, screenplays, essays, poems... you name it. And they really are great ideas (I know because after a while, someone else thinks of it and makes a ton of money), but that first word gets me each and every time. It must be perfect. It has to be right or I cannot go on.


I self edit as I write, yet I'm a one-draft-deadline writer, and here's why:  the first chapter of The U-Haul Murders is the Littlest Angel/The Last Day; it's been rewritten more than one hundred times and I'm not joking.  No matter how good it is, by my standards for fellow readers, it can always be improved. Knowing Shakespeare and the Bible can be rearranged and changed for improvement - two perfect works of art (Shakespeare=all his work) - doesn't make me feel any better or edit any less.

I've been trying to earn the ChaCha bonuses (tell 'em ChaStriss sent you so we can be on the same team!), but I'm slow because I want the answers to be perfect. I want to earn 100% on the quality scores.  As a former ChaCha user, I know for a fact I'm too hard on myself compared to others, but still, I sweat it each and every time.  It's a hindrance, I tell you.

When I decide to make cold calls for my AtHome America (which, yes, I am re-instated and working until June to see what happens and how the customers deal with the new direct shipping) business, it's the same thing. I take hours to prepare and make sure I know the specials of the month and the next month. I make sure I have everything at hand, either the hard copy or the reproducibles on the computer... and I'm scared to death that I'll either be asked something I do not know, or worse, I'll know the answer and will not be able to recall it, even with everything in front of me.

Now, I know that no one is perfect and I also know that I probably won't lose a penny by a stutter or two, yet, there I am, striving to get it right before I start.

By the time I've gathered my wits about me and am ready for ChaCha or the cold calls, I've pretty much gone into the next time crunch for me, where the kids are home and I need to work on homework, or dinner's supposed to be ready, or the time zone where the customer lives is wickedly late... always something.

This perfectionism not only does not work, but it works against me.  By wanting to be perfect, I am earning less money by researching less on ChaCha and earning less money by having less home/online parties/sales with AtHome America.  0% of 0 is $0, no matter how perfect it is.

Taking the five minute idea and the knowledge my way isn't working, what if I spend just five minutes a day on ChaCha and five minutes a day making cold calls with NO PREPARATION and let whatever comes my way... come my way?

As for the writing?  I'm going to have to change it up a bit more.  No more "freewriting" because I know it's just a bunch of rambling with no intentions ever of going anywhere.  Instead, I'll have five minutes of completely unedited REAL WORK that has a preplanned purpose.  Every other day I'll write, and the next day, I'll take five minutes (and only five minutes) to edit the piece and improve as needed.


Practice makes perfect; nobody's perfect.

Laws of Power? Law 21

According to Joost Elffers and Robert Greene, there are 48 laws of power. There's so many types of "power" -good and bad- I have to wonder how it applies to each type. Power of a dictator. Power of the mind. Power of your personality. Power to unlock secrets. Power of success. Power to brainwash. Power is powerful.


Let's take a look at the laws, one at a time, over the next few months, and how they can relate to you and your home business, if at all.

 Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons [sic].  The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are.  Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

"Playing sucker..." caught my eye because the connotation immediately puts me off.  I figure, the best way to deal with Law 21 is to CHANGE it, to reword it.  Put a positive spin on it, perhaps, because the negativeness can't be good for business, least of all, YOUR home business.


Yet, re-arranged, re-worded, there is value to the statement.


When someone is in your life, whether by birth, friendship, or business, you care about them in some way. When you care for a person, actions speak loud.  If you have millions of dollars, that may be the best way you can show you care-hand them a bundle after they complete an excellent six-week course of how to manage money.  


For the rest of us, we can show we care by allowing them to be themselves and to feel good about it.  Not lying and pretending to be stupid (think: dumb blonde trying to snag a handsome young man in the 1950's, the kind of girl who wants her man to not only take care of her, but to feel like she needs him and can't function properly without his smarts), but admiration and whenever possible, true edification.


Instead of taking the literal advice of Law 21, take this advice: Edify others, allow them to feel good about themselves, and let nature flow from there.


Whatever you do, you don't have to play dumb, you just have to acknowledge the other person's strengths, lift them up and let them know you have faith, and when all's said and done, reward them for "good behavior."

Afterward

We're home after nearly a month being gone and $8000 lighter.  In normal circumstances, I'd have earned money while traveling, but being a military family, this was NOT the time to work on purpose (of course, working after we sent my husband ahead would have been welcomed!).  We're sending a soldier to a scary place for an entire year; we're not even sure he'll have much contact with us, as he had on the last deployment: time away from home was for him.  For us.

Home is good, but we're not out of the woods yet, as he can jet off at any time.  He's more important than any piece of work I do or dollar I can earn. Yet... I don't want to continue losing by being obsolete.  

Ah, the joy of working for yourself! 

Today, I'm solely working on emails and that's about it.  Not too much thinking and not too much making plans I'm unsure I can keep, but it DOES keep me moving forward.

Tomorrow? Perhaps phone calls and dusting. A month is enough time to need to sift through papers and making sure everything important is on top and less important things are filed.  Everything in place for when the time is right.

Random Organization Tips

Organization is about knowing where everything you need is at the moment you need it.  What are the five most important tools you use in your business? Can you, without showing physically nor while you are physically seeing everything, explain to a ten year old where to find each of those items?  If not,  reconsider your organization practices. 

 ~Keep a garbage can near the place you most open mail; throw unsolicited mail away immediately.

~If you set up any type of filing system and you find yourself buried in an unorganized paper mess, cut your losses and try a different method.  For instance, someone drowning in un-filed papers might simply relabel their file folders by months rather than by product, bills, receipts, etc.

~Consider using a file wallet for receipts until you know which file system works best for you.

~If you don't feel like doing something now, decide if you'll want to do it later. If not, either do it now and forget about it, or rethink what you're doing.

~Before you put off today what you can do tomorrow, figure out if late fees are involved if something comes up and you can't get to it.

~Don't put that there!  Not taking a moment to put things all the way away will add up to hours searching for that one thing you really need but can't find.

~It's worth your time and effort to set up a space, no matter how small, to designate for your work.  When you need something, it will always be there. 

~Invest in SPAM software if you do not use a big company email (such as Google's gmail), as SPAM is a time thief.

~Use a timer when "checking your email" or browsing the web "for work."  Give yourself five minutes to do what you need to do, then move on.  

~Use your Rolodex for all it's worth - store your passwords with the name and other important information for easy access; when you meet a potential client, use the front of your Rolodex card for name and contact information, use the back for notes that will mentally remind you who the person is and how you can be of help to each other

~Do you currently use gmail?  Google's gmail comes with a calendar that emails reminders when you want and sync's with most smart phones.  Better yet, if you are a Mac user, iCal will keep your days completely organized with a little help from you.

~Look at your calendar at the end of the evening (an hour before bed is great) and add to it if necessary; check out your calendar first thing in the morning - you will save valuable time by incorporating these two small things into your daily life (EXCELLENT for work and personal life)

~Clean up your desk top at the end of the day, this way you won't be tempted to avoid it the next day.

~Need more room?  Use a tall bookcase, a baker's rack, or even stacked crates to give you extra space (if you like the baker's rack in the picture, ask ME how to earn it free by hosting an online At Home America party). 

~Do you use your bedroom for your office space?  Without going into the ramifications of the office on your sleep, utilize all the space you can - use underbed boxes to store things you need, but do not use often.

~Use dry erase boards and/or cork boards near your workspace to keep important papers and information in constant view and easy access.  When you walk by, or sit down to work, you'll automatically be able to see what's urgent and deal with it.

~Unless you are expecting a specific text, resist the urge to "glance" at each text that comes in while working, if you have a hard time ignoring it and refuse to turn the phone off, schedule one minute each half hour to check your phone.

~Never be afraid to answer those who ask for favors "because you don't "really" work," or because you are home "all day long," with a strong and hardy "NO, thank you; I'm busy."

Change Bad to Good

Twice now, I've received packages from UPS that are so badly out of shape, the items are ruined, or a few are missing.  One box was from World Market, the other from At Home America.  The first time, we didn't even know we had a delivery because it was - ready for this? - delivered through our backyard gate and inside the detached garage side door.  Why would we check there for a package?  That one is still giving me problems and is costing me money. It was from before Christmas and it's the new year and we still aren't happy with the solution from UPS. World Market was great for the most part (they did forget to send the replacement and that's a whole 'nother story), and tomorrow, I'll let  you know how I fare with At Home America.

What do you do when this happens?  First, before you touch it, if it's obvious, of course, take pictures!  Today there's no excuse to document it.  Then open the package and check the items to the packing list.  AFTER you check the list, find out which items are good and which are not. Then call the company and let them know what happened. Offer the pictures, because they need to know if their shipping partner is doing their job.  More then likely, they will NOT want your photos and they will NOT rethink their shipping and handling methods, but you can feel good knowing you did your part.

However, you are not finished. You MUST call the shipping company.  If it only happened/happens once, it's an accident, and they'll thank you. If it happens twice or more, you need to write a letter (documentation) and include the photos.  Poor shipping and handling is NOT acceptable. 

Where I live, on the most isolated land in the world, Hawaii (it's true), I understand all the excuses. BUT if this is the best they can do, why do I pay 25% (AHA) when people on the mainland pay only 10%?  I pay the 25% for shipping and HANDLING.  Handle with care. If you don't, I WILL do something about it.

Here's the thing: if they are sending your shipments in a careless manner (and sneaking away), what makes you believe they aren't doing the same thing to YOUR customers?  Do you really work from home to spend extra hours babysitting and coddling a delivery service? 

Take care of it now to avoid problems later.

(Thanks. As you can tell, I"m venting. I do feel better, so thank you!).

UPDATE:  We got a THIRD poorly shipped box, but this time the USPS (not the UPS) acknowledged it with a sticker.  At least I'm not missing anything. And I cannot update that yet, because we were stuck at the airport all day (and will be again tomorrow).  You know I'll be making phone calls and writing letters.

30 Days to Make a Habit

Dear Home Based Business Friends:

It takes 30 days to make a habit. We also learned what five minutes a day can do for you. Therefore, if your downfall is paperwork, you can guess what to do: five minutes a day to organize it, then every day, for 30 days, take those five minutes to maintain your files.  Do not leave it for later, because it starts piling up until you are overwhelmed, and that leads to loss of sales. 

30 days.  Make your five minutes a daily habit.

Best wishes,

Teraisa

Taxes: Home Business

Home business owners, freelance writers and photographers, and direct sellers (in no particular order):

Please click on our TAX "label" for any information we may have published about taxes in general.  We are NOT a tax service, but we do have to file taxes like the rest of you. We're simply sharing what we wished someone shared with us (or... sharing what some lovely person HAS shared).  Always, always, ALWAYS, keep in mind that tax tips are only as good as the day they are written, but usually, they are great guides, regardless.

Taxes for Writers by Cyn Mason

"...legislation that creates the tax laws we are bound to has been active where authors (and artists and film makers as well) are concerned. It isn’t difficult to get tax advice regarding simple items such as what form to use and what records to keep. What is a lot harder to find is information about the particular legislation aimed directly at this industry. The law is easier to understand if you trace back the prior rules first."

IRS small business tax center:

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html

IRS tax tips for direct sellers:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=175146,00.html

IRS business use of home:

http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc509.html

IRS home office deduction:

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=204169,00.html

IRS deducting travel, entertainment, and gift expenses:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=167363,00.html

Tax Lists for Writers by Riley & Associates:

"...The artistic temperament simply does not interface well with the exacting rule-filled world of federal and state taxation. Writers tend to avoid the whole matter and consequently leave themselves vulnerable to bad advice and to overpaying taxes. The secret to overcoming this phobia is to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of the tax code and some simple, effective ways of complying with this onerous task. I often use the analogy that you may not need to know how to fix your car but it is helpful to know how it basically works. In so doing you will pay less in taxes and you will be less likely to fall prey to erroneous tax information and disreputable [advisers]." 

Tax Tips for Writers: 

"... Freelance writers who have made any income the previous year will need to fill out a long 1040 as well as a Schedule C and a Schedule SE (self-employment tax) to report profit and loss. Keep in mind that if planning to deduct a lot of expenses, additional forms will need to be filled out as well. Consult a tax professional for extensive returns."

IRS: List of Guilds, etc.

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/industries/article/0,,id=100602,00.html

Direct Selling Association

Direct Selling 411

Nolo (Law for All):

The Home Office Tax Deduction

"...you can still deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses that you incur at home -- for instance, long-distance phone calls, a separate business telephone line, and the cost of office supplies and equipment. The above IRS rules apply only to the expenses of actually running and maintaining your home, such as utilities, rent, depreciation, home insurance, mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and repairs."

We'll add as we gain new insights and information and always, we'll label it as TAX so it's easy to find.

Basic Marketing and Promotion Tip

This year, whatever you do, you MUST promote YOURSELF and your business.  Marketing 101 (and basic business sense) tells you that the biggest part of the sale is the marketing. You can build the best product ever, but if you do not promote it wisely, it's value goes way down.

Some of us are in business for ourselves out of basic necessity; others are working from home because that's where their life's passion lies.  Still, some of us are in it to win it (whatever "it" is!).  None of that matters if you sell nothing (and no, I am not talking only about products; many of us sell skills, integrity, loyalty, whatever).  Zero percent of zero is zero.

In this age of electronics, it's nearly impossible to NOT market, but people often overlook the most obvious and extremely affordable marketing strategies - use your signature!  If you have an email (or two or three or four), add a short blip about you/your business and simple contact information. Do this for your computer AND your smart phone.  Use a different signature for each account and change it up.  Most importantly, be direct and keep it simple.

Do you belong to Google groups?  Yahoo groups? Any online bulletin boards?  Check your account, they often allow a simple two or three line signature, as well.  Think about it - even if your odds of selling yourself/product are one time for every million signatures you share: it's one more you sold without much work.

When I'm emailing via True Crime Fanatic, my goal is to get people to read our website.  I can lead with an interesting case, but more often than not, the words "true crime" often trigger intrigue and I've been able to get away with this:

Teraisa Goldman

Editor: True Crime Fanatic

http://TrueCrimeFanatic.com

I do try to stay away from extremely high profile cases because they're the cases people literally go online to read, so I'll pick a quote from a book, a favorite author, or a tag from an online article.  When I'm using a short blurb, it may look like this:

--

"... Negroes on the plantation were to rise up and begin killing their masters with axes, hoes, and clubs while they were drinking and celebrating Independence Day."  Harry N. MacLean, The Past Is Never Dead

FYI: When emailing from your smart phone, include a single word at the beginning of your signature letting others know. Why? Because although we are professional, using a smart phone often causes a few unplanned typos. When your target market receives an email from you (we can all pretend we'll never do this, but I venture to say 90% of us will send at least one in the course of our business life), and we mean to say "Harry," but it comes out "hairy," we'll be grateful they can see we let our smart phone get the best of us, just as they have, and we'll quickly be forgiven.  Example of how it could turn out:

iPhone

"... Negroes on the plantation were to rise up and begin killing their matters with axes, hose, and clubs while they were drinking and celebrating Independence Day."  Hairy Macintosh, The Past Is Never Dead

I leave you with this reminder: market and promote, but promote wisely.

It's a New Day

Each day you wake, you have a golden opportunity: You can make the day better than the day before. Meet and exceed goals you have yet to meet,  relax and enjoy your family, you can make a meal that you've been wanting to try for years... it's all up to you.  We don't need "New Years' resolutions;" we need day to day resolutions. 

For those of us working from home, it can be difficult to separate home and work.  Those are the best days, because they remind you of how flexible you and life can be.  Don't take it as a frustration, take it and make it work for them and YOU.  Take that time, rest your thoughts about work and lists and goals, and hold your angel.  Listen to them. Give them undivided attention.  Hear them. Respond to them. Love them.

When all is said and done, aren't they why you choose to work from home?  And honestly, when all is said and done, aren't you in a better frame of mind when you come out of that moment and get back to work?  Aren't they?

By the way, if you can't get back into your work, take the time to sit down and read a good book. For direct sales, it's always good to study tried, true, and proven methods.  For writing, there are thousands of books and it's hard to select only a hundred, so I'll give you a couple of my past favorites. Anything from the late great Gary Provost is a good read and informative.  Screenplay writing... you can't go wrong with Syd Field, he'll show you how to get into your screenplay and propose it so you have a fighting chance.  I'm saving my favorite for last.  I LOVE, love, love William Goldman.  There's no better screenplay to read than one of his. I've read quite a few, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but my all time favorite to read (for my learning purposes) is Absolute Power. I could understand the acts, the direction, the characters, and the words quite easily.

The Skinny on Direct Sales: Your first 100 days

 

 

Be a Party Plan Superstar: Build a $100,000-a-Year Direct Selling Business from Home

The Screenwriter's Workbook (Revised Edition)

Screenplay Workbook: The Writing Before the Writing

  

Absolute Power: The Screenplay (Applause Books)

Making Money from Home: How to Run a Successful Home-Based Business

Organization: Simple Receipt Management for your Home Business

It's nearly tax time.  We've talked about organizing and managing your business, regardless of your space, time, and income; let's talk about receipts.

Receipts: can live without them, but for tax purposes (and refunds, returns, and exchanges), we will not.

For the sake of simplifying and working in a small space, let's try the easiest and smallest method available (aside of the computer program).  If your home business has become  so big you need a complete and elaborate method, not counting a computerized program, you may need to move your business to a separate location. While this receipt system can pretty much work for most businesses, it's not the best solution for a multi-million dollar business.

Using an inexpensive accordion file wallet with at least twelve tabs (each accordion wallet file shown here is under $4 and has 12 tabs), label one tab for each month (if you use a fiscal period, start with the first fiscal month).  Mark the front of the wallet with the year (when using fiscal years, use the actual year your twelve month file ends).

File each receipt into the corresponding tab, always filing each receipt behind the one that came before (this is an easy habit to get into and is more likely to find your receipts in dated order).

Make notes on the back of receipts and circle business items and amounts on the front. My businesses are small enough that I actually file ALL receipts in the wallet, even copies of the receipts I give away, and copies of items shipped to me.  Do what works for you.

Keep your wallet in the same place throughout the year; consistency makes for good habits.

At the end of the year, secure with elastic band or ribbon, tuck into your tax box or set aside until you're ready to file.  

Once taxes are filed, store your receipts, wallet and all, in a safe place for however long is necessary in your line of work.  

Many business owners scan and electronically file their receipts, throwing out the hard copy, however, the wallet is affordable enough to use a new one each year, keeping the old one for storage (this method also saves you time - no scanning and labeling).

Okay, do you understand the system?  Get a receipt; file a receipt.

What Can You Accomplish with Just Five Minutes?

When our kids were young, we often called them in for a "quick five minute clean-up." Because there were so many kids in a small house (seven), they often tried to get away with doing very little (yes, even less than a whopping five minutes of work!). You know what we'd do?  We start the time over. EVERYONE pays when someone slacks on a measly five minutes. 

A year into it, I realized they didn't really understand the concept (they were ages 4-13 at the time).  By having each one, separately, set the time and do as much as fast as they can until it goes off, they realized they could literally make a difference-an impact, really-by working gung-ho. Their five minute quick clean up work was usually much cleaner than when they'd take a half hour to do the same job.

For each action is a reaction; a consequence.  Because they took their five minutes seriously, they often didn't have any other cleaning to do for the day.  You can say the reward was immediate AND delayed and, quite honestly, they were proud of themselves.

Yesterday, I wrote I'm on a type of leave from work (purposely planning ZERO home parties with At Home America and letting the writing slide).  Though I do not have a home party planned, I do take a few minutes to find a great sale item and list it in my signature, on a postcard, or perhaps on Facebook.  And that's when lightning struck.

Why not do a five minute quick WRITE UP?  The kids cleaned five minutes. When I was a personal trainer, I would tell clients to exercise even just five minutes, knowing it often led to five more, and so on.  So, why not use the same idea with writing?

Before putting the timer on, I made a decision about WHAT to write (since I usually try to do eight or nine projects all at one time and make little or no headway).  With the decision in place (the screenplay), I wrote. And wrote. And wrote some more.  It's only been fifteen minutes, yet I wrote more, and more seriously, than I have the entire week.

Who'd ever think it'd be this easy?  Just five minutes a day.

If you remember nothing...

then don't worry about anything. But if you can remember one thing, remember this: they don't know how scared you are. They don't know how you feel about yourself and how much you know. Whatever it is you do; write, direct sales (like At Home America), dog watching, or even stamping envelopes... whomever you talk to, they don't know.  Use it and become even better than you already are.

Sometimes, LIfe Gets In the Way.

And you know what? It's okay. It's WHY we do this business-working at home.  Live life.

Holiday Stress: Use It Before You Lose It

This year, don't let holidays get the best of you. Sure, we love holidays, but often, they can also mean a lot of work and preparation.

If you work in sales - be realistic. People are buying gifts, even with the economy, why not let them buy from you?  Don't decide for them whether they can afford your service or not, just let them know it exists, and how they can use it.  If they bite, run with it; if not, let it go.  The worst they can do is say "no."

If you work in a home party business, know that this time of year is both the best and the worst time for a home party.  Don't be pushy with the person who doesn't work her buns off to have the best party, be polite, work your best, and give it your all-just don't push, she may have so much pressure, it might be easier for her to call it off. Instead, surprise her. Perhaps you can make the last minute reminder calls?  Maybe you can encourage the party to close that every night, that way people can make their decisions and get on with life.  We are supposed to make life easier by having a party at home, not burdensome.

Creative workers may find they have too much on their brain all of a sudden. Why is it that when you have the most things to do, at a time you most want to do it (in other words, the chore you happen to love) your creative juices kick into overdrive?  It doesn't matter. What matters is what you do with it. Did you know or realize that the more things you have to do, the more you get done? It's true!  Maybe you only have five minutes here and there to write that book, make that craft, or paint a picture, but that's five wonderfully glorious minutes.  Sometimes five minutes produces more quality than five days.  Keep your mind open and look for opportunities.

Too many things these days are stressful. Surely the lines in the store or the traffic on the highway are going to be big ones for the next two weeks.  Turn that stress into good stress. Use time in the line to make a business call you've been putting off until the "right time."  The traffic is great to shake off the negative and clear your mind. How? Turn up your radio and sing. Sing as though no one can hear you.

Not Enough Space?

Having an office away from the house is ideal, but for us, working from home is realistic. However, some of us don't have much space and often, our work is spread throughout house and when that one really important paper or order or interview [or insert your own misplaced important information here] comes up missing, we realize: our work needs its own space.

For me to simply say use a spare closet is silly. Who has a "spare" closet?  I didn't when I had seven kids and an extra mother at home and I do not now. In fact, I'll be so bold to say, I doubt I'll ever have a spare closet because somehow, someway, I will fill it up to the brim and force the door to close. Then I'll pray no one dares open it.

There are ways around it.  You can always pare down to basics, empty a closet, set up a TV tray or book shelf, and have instant storage for your products, a place to file paperwork, perhaps, even a mini desk (if you still use desktop computers, it's possible to get that in there, as well, but probably it's elsewhere... one of the pitfalls).

Set up a simple card table in the corner of a room. Some of us have available corners, others do not.  Find a place, any place.  You can have a chair to work, use half of the table for items you need daily (pens, stapler, paper) and the other half as your workspace.  Under the table, away from your feet, store your files. You may need to keep products elsewhere, if your business requires products on hand.

Let me say that if you have so many products, there simply is no room at all, it's possible your place of business is not the problem, providing your intentions are to be at home working. It may be that your home business is a bit unrealistic.  Some businesses are NOT meant to do from home (and that's okay).

Another wonderful item is a simple TALL bookcase. Utilize the height on the top of the walls, by building higher rather than wider.  If you have bigger items, put them on the bottom so that their sticking out won't look so bad, if that's what you are worried about (I'd rather you worry about whether someone is going to trip over it or bump into it).  Use trays to group things you use together. It's easy to take the tray down, work at the kitchen table, and put it back. Nice, easy, quick.  You can use open files (no lids, as nice as they look, they will be a hassle in the long run) or use in/out boxes.  How you fill it is unique and a no brainer, these are merely suggestions.

One thing I cannot stress enough: be willing to change and adapt as needed.

If keeping your pencils and pens separate seemed like a great idea and looked great but isn't working; change it. Change it until it works for you-if it doesn't work for you, it works against you.

Our kitchen is always a work in progress. When we moved (we've moved three times in less than a year's time), I requested the cupboard and shelf plans in advance and pre-placed everything.  It looked good and it was reasonable.  Until we used the cookie supplies, all these months later and we still did not have a clue how difficult it would be to get out and put away (for the kids).  I thought of alternatives and found nothing better, which made me think another way. What would work better in the place of the cookie utensils?  Nothing.  Next, I asked myself, "Self, how often do you use these cookie things?"

"Use" turns out to be the key.  We seldom use these items. Knowing that nothing fit in their place better than they did, and that we rarely use them, why not keep them where they are and have a bit of discomfort (for lack of a better word) once or twice a year?

Using the kitchen again, our spices are in a cupboard near the stove, where we cook (never over it).  It stands to reason the sugars and flours would be there, as well.  But I rarely use cinnamon, sugar, flour, sprinkles, etc. while I cook and the cupboard doesn't hold it all anyway. I tried moving it to the larger cupboard by the side of the sink.  When anyone cooked, the spices would invariably be left near the stove, rather than being put away.  I asked why and knew it was because as easy as it is, too many steps to do such a small thing was, well, too many, which led to too many more, now that we'd have to go back later, put them all away, and then some.

Who says all the spices have to be together?  We grabbed all the spices we cook with and put them near the stove. The others, mainly used in baking (where you put everything together outside the oven, mix, or what-have-you), were stored in the larger one by the sink. We call that the baking cupboard. We've included pancake mix, flaxseed, baking mixes, etc., and it works. For us. Whatever works for you, is a blessing.

The point is, create your space the best you can. When it works, it works and do not mess with it. When it does not work, don't fight it and force yourself to make it work, change it until you get it right.

Use the space you do have and use it wisely. For my home businesses, I use the area behind the door, and the wall near the bathroom.  For my writing, I use my table and the space below it holds my files. It's all neat, organized, and usable.

Hard Up!

Believe it or not, there's still sickness lurking inside our home, infecting our lives and business in every way imaginable.  For At Home America, I literally cannot hold a home party even if I forced myself (it's contagious, it seems), the only person I mentor, I've failed because I could not come to her party because of this (and now she's sick with probably the same thing, so she's in the same boat as I am), and since I cannot concentrate, I'm not writing or reading.  But check it out; I have the BEST ideas right now. Figures!

Most days, I try to make it to the game room and to my desk once a day. The game room holds the family TV and pretty much, the family!  The desk, it's just so I can say I made it to work once again, never mentioning I didn't actually work.  Though I am admitting it now.  Today, my bed's my office.

The two things I seem to be able to do are work on the website and attempt to share At Home America with friends online.  The website has been difficult since the change to Mac and the more recent switch to Dreamweaver, which makes this a bit positive. It helps that I finally broke down and purchased the Dreamweaver CS4 for Dummies book, too (if only I could concentrate and read it).

Here's my idea for next week:
Free shipping with all online orders, even to Hawaii, begins November 23. I'm going to create an event on Facebook, with pictures of MY favorite sale items people would want before Christmas, inviting them to order using the online catalog and order form and getting their shipping free. On my private page, I'll take an idea from fellow ATA, Amanda, offer our countdown snowman to 10 lucky people who are willing to part with $10 (includes shipping and tax).

I do not want to SPAM anyone or make them hate coming to my Facebook wall, but I do not want to lose the Christmas spirit sales, you know?

Teraisa's November Holiday SALE Picks:

 

  Reindeer tumblers, 8 oz.: 4 for $3.99 (beats the recalled McDonalds cups, even in price!)

Snowman counts down the days 'til Christmas - nearly 2 feet and just $7.99

 

Holiday pitcher holds a whooping 85 oz., that's a LOT of eggnog!  Use this in the dishwasher and microwave safely or use as a festive vase $6.99

Goals and Goal Management

Being sick reminds me to be grateful for my calendar.  Without a calendar, I'd be stressed each day, when sick, wondering if I was going to sabotage my businesses and family life because I'm down.  Because I use the calendar, instead, I'm able to lay down and not deal with anything except getting better (not that my head will rest!), because I know which events and goals can be put on hold.  Which ones I can complete from bed with a mushy mind, and which ones I'll have to focus and deal with at some point in time.

I put everything down on paper. Everything I do was once a future goal.  Books I want or need to read, time spent learning how to make cascading style sheets, school holidays, bills, etc. There is nothing off limits (though I've grown up a bit and realize setting a goal to check the real mailbox and crossing it off each day doesn't really give me the encouragement I seek).

My goal for today is read a friend's screenplay. I can do that, easily.

Ideas

It's hard to sleep when you have ideas swirling through your head.  My latest is that I'm going to write up a presentation for the At Home America friends who have never hosted a party. I'm going to write up exactly what you can do before, during, and after a party and include etiquette and conversation help.  Each time I am at a party, my own, anyone else's, and any other company, I'll read it again and tweak it until it works perfectly in general.

Yah, I'll do that.  And I'll finish my book and screenplay tomorrow, right? I'm tired, I'm exhausted, I'm trying to help someone who isn't helping herself (that's always a no-no!), and I am pretty sure I'm in a lot of pain - strep throat?  I love my cousins, they came all the way from the Mainland to bring me something that resembles strep throat. Ah, the memories!

Let's see if I actually get around to doing this.