Issue 23 - August/September 2004

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2004 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

1. Editorial

2. Article: "The Working Mothers' Revolution - Working From Home And Loving It!" [Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen]

3. Resources

4. Article: Finding the Way Home [Copyright © 2002 Sharon Davis]

5. Sponsors

6. Feedback

7. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

1. Editorial

Over the past three or four years, I've received many emails and phone calls from people who would like to set up their own businesses, some of them wanting to work from home.

Many of them are from Mothers: First time Moms - age 23 - 35; Moms whose children were now at school; Moms who want to go back to work after being home for up to 16 years (until their children are in secondary school).

Many in the last category are struggling to secure employment; up against the younger people who have tertiary qualifications but have little or no experience. For some reason, regardless of the fine track record and experience one might have, those things seem unimportant to some employers. If one is over 40 (it used to be over 50), the application will go to the bottom of the pile while the younger applicants with qualifications will be considered for interview.

About 25 years ago, my job disappeared along with the downsizing of the company for whom I was working. Off I went, job hunting. It seemed that because I had no tertiary qualifications or a stream of letters after my name, I was out of the race. My experience seemed to count for nothing.

I did eventually land several wonderful jobs over the years, where all of my skills and experience were well utilised. Sadly, in 1990 my last position became redundant with the head office moving from Adelaide to Sydney. Job-hunting was really depressing.

Being one who lived by the expression "Don't let the turkeys get you down," I decided that if no-one would employ me, I would start my own business. Now, I'm not saying that in a flippant way. It certainly wasn't easy. That's just the way things things were. If I was to survive, I needed to stop fretting about all the people
with no experience and lots of qualifications getting the jobs I felt should have been mine, and do something for myself.

Thankfully, with trusted friends, some previous employers, lots of research, hard work and silly mistakes, I eventually made my dream a reality.

There are many of us who already work from home, either in their own businesses or their employer's business, where staff who work from home is a better option for the employer.

There are many more who want to work from home, and many of them have a great ideas that should net them a tidy profit. All of them have valid reasons for wanting to work from home.

The question most often asked by people who want to work from home are "Where do I start?"

Well, whether you're going to work from your home or in another location, setting up your business is much the same for both. Each brings its own set of challenges.

In this issue we're going to focus on one particular group ... Moms who work from home.

So, Mothers, the first thing I want to tell you is this: New Mom or older Mom, whether you're just starting out or have been working for many years, remember that no-one can take away your dream. Dream BIG!!! Keep in mind that you might need help along the way. There'll be lots of advice from all corners, some of it
bad, some tried and true. Take it all in and use what suits you and your circumstances. If you really want it enough, you will achieve it. Let yourself be Inspired to Succeed.

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: "The Working Mothers' Revolution — Working From Home
And Loving It!"

Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen

What's behind this revolution?

The reasons are many and varied. Many Mothers want to work from home; some Moms feel they have to work from home. Then there those whose only option is to work from home.

So just who are those Mothers already working from or wanting to work from home?

• Mothers who have no partner to provide or assist in providing income

• Mothers who need to supplement their partner's income

• Mothers who have no other financial means of support

• Mothers who don't want to lose touch with their skills or their workmates

• Mothers who want to be with their infants and/or toddlers but want to work as well

• Mothers whose children have grown up and left home (the "empty nest" syndrome)

You might fit into a different category altogether, but there is one thing that is common for each of you. You all have children and you all have your dream to run a successful business from home!

Setting up a business needs your full attention and a great deal of your time. Please don't try to do it all by yourself. You have friends and know people in business. Don't be afraid to ask them questions. The only answers or comments you should not take into consideration are things like, "Don't do it", "You're crazy", "No way!" (unless, of course, they can give you some sound and solid reasons which make very good sense).

Upon talking to some new and older Moms, I often hear them say things like "Oh, I'm just a mother and a housewife."

You have no idea how angry that makes me. Just a Mother! ... Just a housewife! What are you THINKING?!!!!!!!

If you're a Mother and/or a housewife you probably have skills some working women don't! What are they? Well, just take a look at the list below; I'd be willing to bet my next cheque that you have at least some of these skills!

• Negotiator

• Communicator

• Budgeting ability

• Conflict resolution

• Time management

• Delegating skills

• Making the best you can with what you have.

Just think about that.

OK. Now before we get into what sort of business you're going to establish, I do want to remind you (as if you need reminding) that you have a precious little person (or two or three) who will also need your attention.

Family First

You need to be aware that your first priority must be those little people. Please don't consider the needs of your children as distractions to your home-based-business. Always put them first.

What happens if your little ones need you when you're in the middle of a phone call to a prospective client or customer; trying to finish an assignment with a tight deadline; negotiating your next project; finalising accounts at the end of the month?

You don't have to go into long and involved explanations to anyone. All you have to do is handle the situation in a business-like manner. Tell the person with whom you're dealing that you will need to get back to him/her ... adding "within the hour". Tend to your child and make sure that you do make contact again
within the hour.

If the situation is going to take longer to deal with, then make the call anyway and say that you haven't forgotten and that you would appreciate it if they would give you a little more time.

Safety Issues

If you work alone from your home office there are some things you need to look at in the course of your workday.

Be wary of "strange" phone calls or approaches. If you receive a phone call that rings your alarm bells, you can hang up. Best not to be drawn into conversation or give any information.

Build a rapport with your new clients before allowing them to visit your home, and be careful about going to someone else's home rather than his/her office. Find a mutually convenient time and place to meet your prospective client the first time, saying that you'll be out and about either "picking up" files or products and
supplies, or "delivering work" to another client. Suggest meeting at a nearby shopping mall or similar. This will give you a chance to assess whether or not the person is genuine in the need of the goods or services you supply.

When you set up your workspace, be aware of your surroundings, what and who is where. If the person who has just walked through your door is a first time visitor, it's usually a good idea to "pretend" that there is someone else present in the home.

Another way to stay safe when you're working from home, is not to have your physical address on your business cards or other stationery, or anywhere else you may advertise. A Post Office Box is the safe way to go. If your local council or government allows you to hang a shingle, think about who it might attract. My choice would be not to. The last thing you want is someone unknown to you just turning up on your doorstep expecting to be invited in.

Build a reliable backup and support system

Building yourself a reliable backup and support system is the only way you'll stay afloat. You don't want to lose your clients/customers to your competition!

Your family and your friends are a good place to start. With any luck, they've been with you every step of the way while you've been planning, building your foundations and taking the necessary steps to eventually open your doors on the first day.

Your family and friends will have an understanding of what your goals are. They know you as a person as well as you in your professional skin. They will be among the best people to help when you need a hand.

We have already established that your family should come first. There will be, however, times when you need to call in the "reserves".

Family members and close friends may be willing to step in and take care of your child in your "hour of need". Those times when you need to crack that deadline, sign that deal, negotiate the next contract or purchase. You might have to work to someone else's time frame. This can put you in the position where you will need someone to look after your precious offspring. You need to know that the person is reliable and can take care of things for a morning or an afternoon. This will happen every so-often, so be prepared.

Don't abuse the friendships by calling on help every day. Your friends won't be to eager to help if they think you're "overdoing" the "I need help" call. After all, YOU are the Mom!

Your family and your friends are people you know better than any of your business contacts. These people are the most valuable and most important people in your life. Nurture these relationships. Treasure them, but ... and it really is quite a big but ... make sure they are mindful that you are running a business. The very fact that they're family or friends may mean that some of them will just phone or turn up for a chat. They are blissfully unaware that they are intruding on your time and your workspace.

When you work from your home, guidelines for family and friends are sometimes the hardest to put into place. A great deal of tact is necessary. It all depends on the way you relate your message.

Building relationships and making sure you have reliable backup and support is one of the major keys to a successful business enterprise. Fail here, and you won't make it. Start building these relationships now. Have your support system in place before you open your doors.

The Work at Home Mom is one of the fastest growing entities, she's a world-wide phenomenon and she is contributing to her country's economy in a financial and practical way.

With careful planning, you can join the revolution. Get into it! Read, watch, look, listen, question, research, surf the Net!. Go for your dream! You CAN do it!

[Editor's note: The next article by Sharon Davis looks at working from home from a different perspective. She makes great sense!]

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, Secretarial and
Administrative support including Digital Transcription. Lynne is also the Founder of Associated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. http://www.associatedsecretarial.com.au Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. Contact her via email: lynne@lynnebullenstrategies.com.au or visit her website at http://www.lynnebullenstrategies.com.au

3. Resources

Here's a fab website especially for Work At Home Moms (WHAM). Check it out! http://www.wahm.com/

Originating out of Canada, log on to http://susan.womenswealthandwellness.com/ and go to the Work From
Home page. Great info ...

A smorgasbord of practical tips, ideas and lots of information from http://www.momlinks.com/index.html and http://www.mymommybiz.com/

http://www.homebusiness-finder.com is also worth looking at.

Flying Solo is a really good place to source tips and gather information. Log on to
http://www.solotalk.com/articles/startingfamily.htm

4. Article: Finding the Way Home

Copyright © 2002 Sharon Davis

It's very frustrating to receive an email from someone that says, "I really need to work at home. Please help me."

It would be impossible for me to make any kind of recommendation to this person. I receive emails just like this so frequently that I've created a template of the response that I send when I get one. In it, I tell them that I'd be happy to make some suggestions, but need more to go on. Do you want to start a business, or work for a company? What skills do you have? What line of work are you in?

Sadly, the fact that a person would put so little effort into making an inquiry like this tells me that they probably don't have what it takes to work from home.

Whether running a business or telecommuting, working at home takes tremendous discipline, self-motivation and creative problem-solving skills. You don't have co-workers or your supervisor down the hall, and often when problems arise you have to deal with them on your own.

Don't get me wrong, I love to help people — but I do expect it to be a collaborative process. I also understand that sometimes figuring out what it is you want to do can be a challenge.

So, what are some of the first steps you can take to find your way? Here are some exercises that you can do that can help to clarify your goals:

Self-Assessment

Consider the qualities below. Write down the ones that you think describe you:

Self-motivated — You know what needs to be done and you don't need someone to direct you or follow up and check your progress. You're not going to be distracted by today's episode of The Bold and the
Beautiful.

Creative Problem-Solver — You love nothing more than a challenge. You're able to find solutions and think "outside the box".

Excellent Communicator — You communicate effectively, both in writing and verbally. It's especially helpful if you are outgoing and enjoy talking to people.

You're not afraid to work hard. You follow through to make sure that things don't fall through the cracks.

These are all qualities that are pretty much imperative for a would-be business owner. If you wrote down all four, you are probably well-suited to running a home business.

If you wrote down three, telecommuting might be a more viable option for you-- especially if the one you didn't write down was Creative Problem-Solver. Communication skills and self-motivation are especially important for the telecommuter.

If you wrote down only 1 or 2, you should really think about whether your particular skills are going to fit with working from home. Don't give up hope, though. Consider taking a course that would help you in the area you feel you need the most improvement.

Take a Skill Inventory

Get out a pad of paper and a pen and start jotting down the things that you feel you are good at and that you have experience in.

Next, make a list of the things that you really enjoy doing. Don't worry about whether you think you could make money doing them. Just make a list of all of the hobbies, tasks and various things that you have fun doing. This should be really easy!

Think about the skills and how they relate to the things you like to do. At this point, a picture should start emerging. Maybe you are really good at working with kids and you're super-organized and you also enjoy cooking and decorating.... How about starting a Party Planning business?

But what if the previous excercise determinded that a telecommute job was a better fit for you? Maybe joining one of the party planning companies would be a better option for you because of the support they offer.

Set Goals and Map Out a Path to Achieve Them

Once you've come up with a goal, be it a home business or a telecommute job in your chosen field, you should map out a plan of how to get there.

If you've chosen to start a home business, a business plan should definitely be your first step. It helps to focus your goals and gives you a plan that you can refer to to stay on track.

Finding a telecommute job takes planning as well. Once you've decided what field you should pursue, you'll want to research companies and compile a list of the top 10 or more that you'd like to work for. Your research might include the financial performance, company culture, benefits and employee satisfaction.

Once identified, you should try to obtain the name of the person who does the hiring and send a resume with a personalized cover letter addressed to them. Also, mention the company name and say what attracted you to their company. For example, "Your Company's solid financial performance over the past 3 years is very impressive" or "Your Company's commitment to community services makes it the type of organization that I would be proud to work with". You don't want to put something like, "I want to work for
your company because you allow telecommuting".

Be Flexible

Remember that many companies that allow telecommuting only allow it after a certain period of time, or for only a certain portion of your work-week. Don't be so locked into the idea of landing a full telecommute position that you overlook the potential telecommute job in the long run.

Similarly, starting a business requires time, money and tremendous dedication. You may not be in a position to quit your job and start a business. You might have to burn the midnight oil to get something started while continuing to work.

Finding your way to working at home takes planning, creativity and some serious soul-searching. But once you map out your goals, you'll find that the path becomes much clearer and you have a much better chance at success.

Sharon Davis, Work-At-Home expert, author and consultant, helps people to achieve their goal of working at home, telecommuting or starting a home business. http://www.2Work-At-Home.Com

5. Sponsors

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From the Eagle's Nest: Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen and Associated Secretarial (articles by other individuals copyrighted as indicated). Prior to using Lynne's articles please e-mail her at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au - she will provide her bio and a URL link. Thank you.

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