Tag Archive: working from home

Working From Your Home: Convincing Your Family of the Idea

Working From Your Home: Convincing Your Family of the Idea
It’s a difficult ride if you want to work from home and yet, the most important people in your life are against the work at home concept. It’s a dream to you but it can be a nightmare for people who care for you. The whole idea of not having a stable income makes them worry about you, so, don’t blame them. For all you know, you’re terribly confident that your plan will work and you know you can commit to your new work at home business…you know that but THEY don’t.

The first step you will need to take to help your family members accept your work at home decision is to understand how they feel. I know, I know, this is a time when you want others to understand you and accept your decision. You’re tired of working for someone else and want to have the freedom of spending time with your family and friends, instead of lounging around in the office day in and day out. And here I am, telling you that you should understand the very people who are opposing you?

This is not a secret but think of it like some kind of a psychological plan. ever heard of the term ‘reverse psychology’? Ok, you’re required to use this and let me tell you this…it works like a charm! If you do this right, you will convince your family members that working at home is the best option for you.

Say things like, ‘I know you care for me, love me and want what is best for me….’, ‘I understand what you’re saying…’, or ‘You’re absolutely right in saying that, I can’t say you’re wrong’. When you’re talking to them in a non-attack way, they will back down and bring down their fences. This is an amazing way to help your family members accept your work-at-home decision. It’s true, my own family members were not to keen on me wasting my law degree to start a work at home business either – to them, I am wasting my degree, wasting my talents and wasting my energy. And they don’t want to see me suffer, be disappointed and face financial problems. Being parents, they want what is best for me and in their eyes, working at home is NOT the best moneymaking opportunity. Over the years, I have finally opened my parents’ eyes to the working at home concept. They finally accepted it that I communicate with clients from all over the world and that I am being paid for the work that I do and that my income is comfortable.

As for the spouse, this is a little bit trickier. You see, in 2-income families, if one person wants to start working from home, the other spouse would have to be prepared to give up more of his or her income to cover for the stuff that is supposed to be covered by the now-working-at-home spouse. At least during the first few months of the business, that is. I mean, for 3 to 6 months after working from home, you’ll have to expect to dig into your savings or the spouse would have to cover for expenses, so, naturally, he or she would be a little bit disgruntled with the fact. They’re not being selfish – they’re trying to deal with you breaking out of the comfort zone. Everyone, including you, hates that. So, don’t expect your spouse to welcome the idea of working from home with wide open arms. There’s bound to be some skepticism.

And skepticism from your loved ones is good too because it will keep you on your toes and you’re feet remains firmly planted on the ground. So, the best thing to do with your spouse is to discuss the idea with him or her, sit down and plan the finances. For example, dig into your savings to cover for contribution to expenses, working part-time, telecommuting, cut down on expenses, selling the extra car, remortgaging, etc. Find a way and a plan to ease the discomfort for your spouse. Make sure he or she has nothing to complain about your working at home decision. It’s incredibly difficult to accept, trust me, if you’re not the one who wants to work from home. If you’re on the other side of the fence, everything looks so bleak and uncertain.

Break through their barrier not with force, but with gentle compromising and understanding. Then, you’ll get their full support for your work at home business.

Starting Your Own Business: Are Your Ready?

Starting Your Own Business: Are Your Ready?

Every year millions of people answer “Yes” to that question and every year that answer costs many of them money, time, confidence, and heartbreak. The Small Business Administration estimates there are 580,900 new small businesses opening each year and that number does not include the small one-person entrepreneurships that pop up every day. However even if you are your business’s sole employee then there is still something to be learned from the SBA’s numbers.

According to the SBA, two-thirds of new businesses survive at least two years and 44 percent survive at least four years. Two of the key factors in the businesses survival and ability to thrive: the owner’s education level and the owner’s reason for starting the firm in the first place.

How can you make sure that you are among the winners rather than the losers in this high stakes game? The answer is inside of you. You must ask yourself four key questions to determine whether your own small business will survive and thrive.

1. Are You Ready

Have you mentally prepared yourself for the switch from employee (or student or whatever label fits you currently) to boss. You are going to be the one making decisions now about everything from office products to product line. This total control is one of the driving forces behind many people who take the plunge into starting their ownbusiness but it is also one of the elements that drives new entreprenurs crazy. When you start out there is an endless list of decisions that need to be made and new questions crop up every day.

Even more important you will need to remember that in a small business you will wear many hats. Even if you manage to start out with one or more employees you will each fulfill more than one role in your new business. And if you are running a one-man or one-woman show then you serve in every capacity from file clerk to maintenance crew to salesman to CEO. Can you handle switching from task to task and role to role like that? Are you willing to make those switches?

Similarly, have you prepared your family and friends for this switch in attitude. Your life is going to change — probably pretty drastically — and that change can have a positive or negative impact on your family life and social interactions. It will make things much easier if your friends and family are supportive going into the process.

2. Where Is Your Niche?

Have you identified your niche yet? One of the reasons many businesses fail is that they fail to focus on a target audience. Yes if you are a major discount chain then you can sell everything from peanuts to wallpaper but this type of business requires vast resources that just aren’t available to the small business. But small businesses dominate the marketplace (creating more than 50 percent of the private gross domestic product last year) by finding a different approach — a niche.

Knowing your niche means you are better able to find, target, and maintain your customers as well as provide the best possible goods and services to that customer base. That focus is one of your best chances to not only survive but to thrive in a very competitive marketplace.

3. What Is Your Plan Of Action?

Another key factor in the survival and ultimate success of your business is how much planning you do before you open your electronic or physical doors.  You need to decide if your business will be based on the internet or include more traditional models. Are you going to work full-time or part-time at your new business? Are you going to hire help or go solo? Have you written (or at least outlined) your business plan? Dreaming, thinking and planning can save you much trouble and waste later when things are hectic and problems strike. Planning can also help keep you focused and to balance your spending and time.

4. Who Are You Going To Call?

At some point, no matter how experienced a business person you are, you will need help. You will need support, advice, tools, or information — or all of the above. One of the beautiful, and most frightening, aspects of growth is that it can lead you to places you never imagined. No matter how much planning and experience you bring to your new position as CEO the unexpected will arise. How will you cope with this? It is important to recognize that no business is an island. It is not failure to seek help. Failure is when your business shuts down because you didn’t get the help you needed.

The best way to get timely help is to work on your support system while you work on building your business. That way you will already have a ready list of resources available that you can quickly tap into when emergencies strike. In today’s world there are many marvelous resources available to you no matter what your business model may be. These include:

~ Publications (newsletters, magazines, books)
~ People (professional advisors, mentors, teachers, consultants)
~ Networks (organizations and forums in your niche as well as general business and marketing)
~ Education and training (tutorials, courses, and seminars)

After you have answered these four key questions you are now ready to ask yourself that one big question again — are you ready to start your own business?