Even the Ironic Will Get Better

Ironically, I've been moving further and further away from what was once a joyful home office. I found myself in a space where I couldn't keep any of my work where necessary. Each day I had to pull out every single thing I needed--from several locations--where I needed them, which was not a place conducive to work. It was give and take if the Internet worked and always a revolving door for anyone to sit and talk "since I am not really doing anything anyway."

And that's the life of a home office, usually one that also houses kids.

With this I'm announcing I have moved to a new location and with it, a new home office. Everything will be in it's place and I now have commercial internet service and will not be worried about being in someone's space nor them in mine.

It's weird, because I truly believe you can work anywhere, however, it never occurred to me your state of mind may not be able to work anywhere. There's a point you can get to where you are taking much more time to be so much less productive that you no longer see working from home as viable.

If you are in a situation where you are feeling pressured, down, "blue, or even depressed by your surroundings, take a moment to shut down your business a few days and figure out where you are in need of help--because you are in need. Perhaps you can see a counselor, psychologist, Rabbi, church clergy member... even your primary care physician. Whatever it is you need, seek help and seek change so you can get back to the best you and a much better business.

Rethinking Everything

You're still here, I see. How about this, are you still running a home business? Are you loving it? Does it pay your bills or provide what you need it to provide?

If you are unhappy, rethink your business. Do you need to reimagine your role? Is there a possibly the market was oversaturated and it's difficult to compete? Are you a lazy record-keeper?

There are a few things you can ask yourself to help decide if you should continue to push forward or if you should consider cutting your losses.

Are you in love with the idea of working from home, running your own business, or are you simply passionate with something that happens to be run from home? Chose one, two, or all three; it doesn't matter as long as you are honest with yourself.

Is it YOU that is faltering? Is it the economy where your product or service is falling short?

Whether you lack the passion or lack the skills there are so many things you can do but one of them is probably to stop what you are doing and change it. You see, if your way isn't working, you MUST try another way--even if it hurts a little.

Freelance Writers
I've gotta say this: Do not fall in love with your words unless you are only writing for yourself (have at it!). If your goal is to earn money, yes, you have to write what you know and it's also good to be enjoying it, but you'll sell nothing if you are not satisfying the market. And when I say "market" I mean what your market really is/who they are not what you believe it should/they would be.

All Others
It's a new year and a new you, make it a "like-new" business where you work harder to succeed where success lives.





Still here? I'm just rambling because I am so dang tired and busy trying to figure out if I should change that I tithe 90% of my work because you know what? My needs completely changed but my work and my business didn't. Time to grow up.

ISSN Fact or Fiction: for Serious Home Business Owners and/or Newsletter Writser

International Standard Serial Number

Today's entrepreneur has to market himself and his product as much as he must be market-oriented and with both tasks comes the need to be professional. Whether you're a freelance health care provider, working a multi-level marketing business, running a daycare, or writing, there will come a time when you realize a newsletter, on- or off-line, is an information pushing time-saver your business cannot afford to do without: Enter the International Standard Serial Number.

ISSN for short, the International Standard Serial Number is the identifier accepted for periodicals (which are works published regularly on some type of schedule; GIIW!, for example, promises to publish their writer's newsletter sporadically, "never knowing" when you'll get your newsletter nor how often).

We've all seen the ISSN as a line of numbers or a barcode for decades-the letters "ISSN" are followed by two groups of four numbers (and/or possibly an X*) divided by a hyphen. This is commonplace enough you might not notice it.  

However unremarkable the ISSN has become, for the business owner/newsletter writer, it's use can be quite remarkable:

By obtaining and using an ISSN, you automatically lend an air of credibility to yourself and your newsletter in the way that a business card, once-upon-a-time, gave a buyer confidence in the card-giver and his gimmick. Sure it doesn't promise quality or usefulness--certainly there's no "buyer beware"--but that's beside the point: people believe in it and that alone is worth untold sums.

ISSNs have other relatively "just okay" points, such as electronic archiving and cataloging, which are especially useful in libraries, keeping your publication within public reach. Furthermore, while I've never personally seen this happen, it's been said newsletter old files can easily be updated across the board thanks to standard identification. 

TeraisaAtHome assumes you're a small business owner working from home and will not be submitting your newsletter into major institutions where cataloging is required for management and sanity's sake... having said that, IF YOU CAN - DO IT, because when you hit the big time with your newsletter and subscribers, the ISSN uses widen, allowing for better management of subscription and distribution. 

Bottom Line:
Apply for an ISSN for serial publications because having a leg up on competition from the get-go far outweighs the time it takes to fill out and send in the application.

Interactive Moments:
Share in our comments what is your newsletter and where can we find it? Have you obtained an ISSN? What caused you to make this decision? If you do not have an ISSN, are you now going to apply for one?

Where to Go:
What you fill out depends which country you are in or publishing in, be sure to read all the information that pertains to you before filling in the application found at ISSN.org

This was written the first month I moved to Hawaii. It's actually decent advice, but it turned out I rarely get two hours alone, not all my kids are in school any longer, and I'm constantly following everyone else's schedule. If there's a way, I urge you to put yourself and your writing first. For me, it's just not going to happen.

At last I may actually get my writing taken seriously, not because my family
gets it after years and years, but because they are all adults or close to it,
they all go to school in some form or another, and my husband only comes home for lunch. Yes, I may get two hours to work each day uninterrupted.

Had to get that out. It's sarcastic, to be sure. I've only been talking about
this since the day I started taking my writing seriously in January of 1997.

We had a pretty spot picked out and organized for an office when I realized our
room is a great size, no one will walk through it, I can close the door AND lock
it, and I can easily not notice it at bedtime. And for those of you who believe
you shouldn't work where you sleep, fret not, I haven't slept well in years,
after taking everything out for years. It's time to work my heart out.

I have learned to make things easy on myself a bit. I didn't cut down, cut out, or throw things away, I simply simplified. 24 folders - 2 for each month, one is
immediate action because it's due that particular month, and the other is
anything received, like rejection slips, bills, and yes, check stubs! That's it.
Why make it harder? When I'm rich and famous, I still won't change it because
that doesn't happen often for writers, but if it did, I'd HIRE OUT!

Lastly, I ditched the desk and got a big round table. All my work and my laptop
can be there when I'm working and can slide into a small clear plastic tub when
I'm not working. Nothing complicated. I still use the desktop, but that's
downstairs in the office that will never work as an office because it's too
convenient. For. Everyone. To. Stop. Me. From. Writing.

And thanks for sharing my slice of Heaven.

Goodnight!

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.