One Tired Mama

Today was the first day of my 16-hour schedule.  OMG!  I wanted to maximize my time and be more productive so I decided to schedule every hour of my day.  My days nsw begin with meditation and pumping (don't forget I have a 4-month-old).   And days end with baths and storytime.  Well my day began as planned but William and Joshua were not very cooperative this afternoon and my schedule was totally thrown off. (Side note: Now you see why I made the childcare suggestion). Needless to say, I have decided to shower in the morning.
I must say that I got a lot accomplished. But I am TIRED! I worked on two of my businesses, cleaned, cooked dinner and looked in another potential business (though I planned for 3). And that is only a few things I did today.  So I'm headed to bed tonight so I'll be rested for my 16-hour week day.  I'l let you guys how things are going in another week.  Please forgive any typos as I type this post from my phone while in bed with one eye open.
Until my next post, I wish you peace, patience and prorsperity.

3 More Myths About Working from Home

Check out the first three myths here.

MYTH 4: The house will be sparkling clean now that you're working from home.

The reality is that the dirty dishes you left in the sink at breakfast will most likely be waiting for you come dinnertime. The time really flies once you get in the zone.  Truth be told, you will even wonder if you showered that morning or the night before.  This is were your schedule comes in (see Myth 6)  You must schedule in time to do housework if you can't afford a cleaning service.



MYTH 5: Working from home will be a breeze.

In many ways, telecommuting makes life a lot easier. It eliminates the time (and expense) of a commute. But working from home requires an extensive amount of self-discipline. Unlike working in a traditional office where your boss could check up on you (and keep you in check), you'll need to be highly organized, motivated and focused in order to successfully work from home.

MYTH 6: You'll love the peace and quiet of working independently.
At first, being able to work quickly and quietly without incessant interruptions from chatty colleagues will seem like a dream. But also take into consideration,  the sound of your little ones if you can't/won't have After a few weeks, though, you'll find yourself running to the supermarket just so you can chat up the produce guy or any adult you can find.  While working alone can be peaceful, it can also be isolating and lonely.  So consider how you will combat this.

Comment below with any other myths I may have forgotten.

Until next time, I wish you peace, patience and prosperity.

3 Myths About Working from Home

True story: Whenever I tell a work-away-from-home mom that my kids are home with me, they always say "Must be nice" or "I wish I could" That drives me nuts!!!!! Like everything, it has its pros and cons.

They have NO idea. Neither did I when I taught high school and wanted to be home with first son.  So I thought I'd use entry to debunk some of those work-from-home myths.

MYTH 1: You get to spend more time with your kids
You do spend more time with your kids but that also means you spend ALL of your time with your kids.  Though you get to really learn your kids' personalities and see their growth,  you also have to create a work schedule around those little personalities.  If you can, I suggest getting a sitter a few hours a day to get those crucial work tasks done.  You can also designate one day as a "serious work day" where you complete those major tasks for the week including any meetings, errands, phone calls, etc.  You can utilize a drop-in daycare. (I do).  You can have work-from-home job and be with your kids but, as you can see, it requires a schedule.


MYTH 2:  You have to be a salesperson to be successful

Home-based businesses come in all sizes, shapes, and flavors. While plenty of home-based sales opportunities exist — selling cosmetics and telemarketing, for example — that kind is just a small percentage of the entire universe of home-based businesses. Consider the following nonsales businesses and careers that can be done from home:

• Accountant

• Organic farmer

• Caterer

• Personal fitness trainer

• Income tax preparer

• Web site designer

In each case, you could build a successful business with little or no sales experience.  But you still must market your business.  Remember that there is a difference between marketing and selling.  Marketing is simply spreading the word about your service/product, which is crucial to every business.  Selling is convincing someone that they should pay for your product/service.  By doing great work or creating the best products, your first customers will tell their friends and associates, who will then tell their friends and associates.


MYTH 3: Work-from-home jobs that aren't free are scams
I know someone who went to work for American Express from home for $10 an hour with the chance to advance to $13. Not only was she chained to her desk from 6AM til 11PM at night sometimes, but she needed to install a landline, have a specific speed on her computer and a headset. So she ended up spending $150 to set that up.  She basically worked for free for two days.   With ANY at-home job, there are expenses for set up.

One of the companies I currently work for only requires a one-time set-up fee of $25 (sometimes less).  We have NO special equipment expenses and our start up cost actually gets you some cool stuff to try out and some to keep like Baby Einstein for $6.  I work for another company that has a one-time cost of $8.

I have a few other myths to discuss so until my next post, I wish you peace, patience and prosperity.

Waiting for Perfect

If I only I had an extra $20 but...
When I get a tax refund, I will...
I have to wait until next month, then...
I thought about it but...

Since I work on Facebook, I often hear people's complaints of their financial whoas.  They contact me expressing their concerns for more money.  I hear about their living-paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyles. I meet the single moms or psuedo-single moms who have kids who they would like to stay home with.  I meet wives whose husbands are working so very hard to provide for their families but it just isn't enough.  I hear the stories of the mountains of debt they would LOVE to pay off.

They all come to me because they have seen that I get results and ask how they can do what I do on Facebook.  How they can work online and help out their husbands and/or provide for their families.  But once I provide them with the information, they decide to stay stuck. They say:

• If I only I had an extra $20 but...
• When I get a tax refund, I will...
• I have to wait until next month, then...
• It sounds good but...
• I have tons to do now, so I'll start in a few...

They decide to stay stuck in poverty.  An yes, it is a decision to be stuck in poverty.  You can either wait for perfect conditions or you can make moves to make your own perfect conditions.  Thus, whenever someone gives me their decision to remain poor, I don't push.  And even though I could pull ott my tools for overcoming their objections, I don't.

I have learned that poverty is a mindset, not a place.  As long as someone chooses to be poor, I can't help them.  Even if they decide to get started but have not fully committed to get unstuck, then they will quit and  will continue to be stuck. They will not put all that they can into making the necessary moves to get out of their predicament.

My only reply "This is probably not a good fit for you.  Best of luck to you." I would rather them be someone's awesome 'E' than a mediocre 'S'.  If you're considering of working online or becoming an entrepreneur,  my only suggestion is to start thinking like one.  You have to create the life you want and believe you can achieve it.  Stop waiting for opportunity because it will NEVER come.  You have to find it.

Until next time, I wish you peace, patience and prosperity.

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Two Must-Haves of a Successful Entrepreneur

If you read my post on the Cashflow Quadrant, then you are familiar with the four different types of people.  If you recall, the major difference between employees and specialists/small business owners is that specialists/small business owners OWN a job.  We don't have a boss who pays off.  We are our own bosses and we pay ourselves.  At times, this is a blessing and a curse.  And this is why you need two things to be successful: determination and support.

If you are not a go-getter, either you soon become one or you will give up. As a specialist/small business owner, you are responsible for everything- marketing, customer relations, social media relations, bookkeeping, etc.  And there are no paid off days.  Days that you don't work equals days you don't make money and in some cases, lose money. Consequently, you need to be pushing and making moves ALL THE TIME.

When there are days that you feel like you can't go any further (and you will have those days), you need your support team. It is also essential that your spouse/significant other is in your corner because sometimes they are the only ones who know exactly what to say or do to get you back on track.  It is so important that your person is on board that I would say that you may want to reconsider your business venture if they don't believe in it.  When you person is not in your corner for Day 1, then they will be a no-show when you have those tough days.  They may even encourage you to quit. And if you don't have an incredible amount of determination, you'll have two battles to fight: one with yourself and the other with your spouse.

I do not intend to discourage you from owning your job.  I just want to prepare you.  I don't want to paint the picture that life in the (S) quadrant is all beautiful.  In fact, it may be downright ugly.  But it does has its rewards.  Before you make any moves, I encourage you to consider if you have these two essential pieces of this entrepreneurial puzzle.  And if you don't, work on that.

Until my next post, I wish you peace patience and prosperity.

Facebook Marketing for Mompreneurs 101: 11 Must-Haves on Every Facebook Page

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