by Stacey Thompson
It’s a great feeling when a woman is able to balance home life and a career, and it’s even way better when the aforementioned career is home-based. She is the captain of her ship, assuring the smooth sailing of the vessel and care of the welfare of her crew (husband and kids).
Home-based jobs could be as simple and straightforward as an outsource gig, taking in miscellaneous computer-based jobs from various online contractors, or perhaps a web store carrying products that she made herself. It could also go way beyond humble and propel the solo entrepreneur into a full-blown enterprise.
For some, growing the home-based business beyond its boundaries would forever change it, and affect the precarious balance of home life and career in an adverse way. Yes, some people do prefer a quiet and harmonious family of modest means over stratospheric growth, constant change, and all the stress that comes with the territory.
Still, it would be a huge waste of a great idea whose time has come. So, it has boiled down to this quandary: how are you going to grow the home-based business without compromising on the “home” part? I have a few bits of advice, for those who are willing to listen…
Establish Zones and Schedules.
Make it a point to establish areas of your abode as either places of work or family areas. As much as possible, activities associated with one should never cross over to the other, so as to keep you from tearing your hair out with compound stresses and complications. If possible, build a separate home office (yes, it has to have a lockable door).
As for your mobile computers and other gadgets, I know it’s next to impossible to not take them around with you, so use apps that regulate your schedule to make sure you have time properly apportioned to family, livelihood, and other things that are important to you.
Self-Educate and Consult.
No matter how good you are, or how many years you have put into your business, there’s always something useful you could learn from somebody else. Don’t miss out on opportunities at further education and learning, especially in topics that are relevant to your current line of business.
Online learning courses are numerous and available, but do be tight on your purse strings and do some research and forum-surfing before investing on any of them. Don’t skip out on actual classroom learning, either. Aside from giving you an excuse to get out of the house, you can also socialize and network with people in these classes. You never know, you might just meet your future business partner in one of these offline learning sessions.
Growing your company (or if needed, forming a corporation or an LLC) also comes with many requirements, paperwork, and other processes to keep everything nice and legal. This can be quite a task, as well as confusing, so it is best to consult with experts in starting and maintaining corporations and limited liability companies.
Outsource.
You have gone full circle and are also hiring other people from other places to work for you. During your first steps in outsourcing, farm out the more menial, repetitive work so you can concentrate on the more important stuff.
Don’t hire too many people at once; start with a few so you can get the hang of supervising outsourced professionals. Gradually add more outsourced staff as your requirements grow. Soon, you’ll have a fully-staffed company, without losing the sanctity and space of your home!
I wish you all the best in taking your business to the next level! Prosperity and happiness to you all!
Stacey Thompson is a professional writer, marketer, entrepreneur, and a lover of weird little animals. She shares a blog with her gang of gals, Word Baristas. She is based in San Diego, California.
