Life & Family
Working from Home with a Supportive Family
Taking Care of Business = Taking Care of You
Distractions at Work – Staying Productive
Kathy's family at the Beach
This week, I returned from two weeks away on vacation. We had a fabulous time in New England at Old Orchard Beach and I was able to check some emails and do a bit of needed work, but my preparations before I left and my team support while gone really made it easy to be away from the office.
Of course we returned at a very busy time – not only is it the end of the month (books and billing due), but the kids are still home and needed a few more things before starting school on Sept 2nd AND add to this one of the worst heat waves I have ever experienced in Nova Scotia.
Today the temps got up near 34 C (about 88 F) and with our lovely maritime humidity it felt like 41 C (104 F). I am not very good with high temperatures like this – not at all. So my productivity this week has been less than my norm and that only adds to the cranky-i-ness.
We are all human and have issues at times. Today mine was the heat. Oh, the horrible heat of the last few days. Earlier this summer I told my husband (during another mini heat wave) that I had had enough and was going to buy a portable air conditioner for my office. Of course, it was a hard sell, that type of purchase, when in all honesty I might only need it a few weeks (even days) every year. Yet the arguments against it were coming from someone who works day in and out in a nicely air conditioned office building. So we decided it was not something we would pursue.
Yesterday, however, was my breaking point. We all have them, and mine was when I started sweating in places I did not know that it was possible to do. The kids were all cranky and hot, I was cranky and hot and nothing (not even a quick trip down the road to the neighbourhood beach) could keep my mind off the uncomfortableness of it all. Needless to say I was not very productive at all. I even tried working late at night, but the heat just wouldn’t go away.
As a small business owner, my work is the business and if I cannot work then not too much gets done. And this heat wave is to continue until Friday night when we will probably get hit by Hurricane Earl.
This morning when I got up at 7 and the day was already stifling, I made my executive decision. Right after walking the dog, and checking some online availability, I headed out – telling the kids I would be back in while.
I went right to my local Canadian Tire store (think Lowe’s, but even better) and found what I was after – the tool to make me a productivity machine! I also got the extra materials I needed to rig up something to make it work properly and back home I went to spend the next 3 hours on setup. (Or should I say sweat up)
The end result was absolutely what I needed. Sometimes you just have to go for it and take the steps needed to make everything work properly. And that is exactly what I did. I took a picture and emailed it to my husband at his work. His response?
“You look happier in this picture than you did on our wedding day.” (Absolutely not true, but I was pretty happy).
You can see for yourself my level of happiness!
The lesson for other Work at Home and Small Business Owners – Staying productive is Key. Always be looking to implement systems or use tools that will help run your business efficiently and keep you productive. And, these tools/systems may not always be standard to everyone.
PS. Hubby was quite okay in the end with my purchase – partly because by the time he made it home from work, the humidex was setting records all over the province and neighbouring ones as well. My task for tomorrow? Figuring out how to keep everyone from crowding in my office to stay cool! 
Learning to Say NO
After being a work-at-home entrepreneur for over 2 years, I can say that the toughest item on this list for me, personally, is learning to say no to potential clients or customers. It’s a scary thought isn’t it? Saying no to new business.
When you work for yourself – especially in the early days – you’re not always sure where that next pay cheque is coming from. Even when the customer roster is full this month, you can’t be positive the same will be true next month or the month after, this creates the habit of taking on more work than you can comfortably perform. After all, isn’t a few nights of burning the midnight oil well worth the benefit of having a little more padding in the bank account?
The problem is, working too much to stay ahead causes us stress and job burnout – and it also makes spouses and families a tad angry! So you just exchange one stress point (finances) for another (overwork and family pressure). There is a solution, although you’re not going to like it. Set a limit and stick to it. I learned this well from a colleague, Yvonne Weld
I know, I know, this is easier said than done – trust me I have been working hard to achieve the balance with my Virtual Assistant business. But I can honestly say that I’ve never had a customer or client disappear into thin air when I told him or her they had to wait a few weeks or months to work with me. In fact, it often shows that you’re in demand and that you can pick and choose who you work with, and when. That’s a valuable trait.
How do you make your limits?
Set a plan for all types of work; decide how many products you’re going to release, how many interviews you’re going to do, how many coaching clients you’re going to work with, how many articles you’ll write, or how many hours you’re going to work per week for clients, and then stop. That’s it – no more. (Of course, keeping in mind your most valuable clients are your present ones and they deserve top notch service – but you can still maintain your boundaries with them). All the parties must be made aware of the boundaries as well in order to be fair and for it to work.
One of the best ways to keep your work commitments at a tolerable level is to make a commitment to your family. You can start with committing to attending every hockey game, every football game, and every piano recital. You can promise dinner each evening, or read out of a chapter book every night to your children. This will make you accountable to your own scheduled work day. You may feel a momentary pang of regret or anxiety when you tell a potential client “no” or “wait.” I’m willing to bet it will soon fade when you realize how much less stressed you are on a day-to-day basis, and how much happier your home life is!
You are the boss of your time. Does your family know that? There you are sitting at your desk in your home office, available to everyone – kids, spouse, neighbors, friends – at a moments notice. You wanted to work at home so you COULD be available to your family, but you will need limits to make it work.
What kind of limits work for you? Feel free to comment and share as this is always an area where new ideas can help everyone else out!
It’s a Small World – Virtually, I mean
I have always been one to talk and question people to find some sort of connection – You know the game of Six degrees of separation. Having moved a ton in my life with a military Dad and then a call centre Husband – I am always making connections, linking someone I meet now to someone or something in my past.
Some of my favourite stories are :
- Seeing a girl at a park in Prince Edward Island who I was sure I skated with when living in Ontario – sure enough later that Fall she was a new member at the skating club and we continued our friendship
- Talking with a girlfriend in high school in Nova Scotia about our past homes and discovering when we were 7 we were playmates and friends on the base in Ontario.
- Ran into an old work colleague in the mall in PEI just after we moved into our new home. We had worked together 12 years before when I had lived there in a previous move. Turns out she was my new next door neighbour.
Anyhow, when I meet new people, I really enjoy trying to find out if we connected through someone else we know … it’s a sad life I live sometimes! *hehe*
So last week, when I was being interviewed for a promo piece for the OIVAC conference I am speaking at this week, I got to play the game again! Kind of. It was a little variation but made me chuckle none the less. Lyn Prowse-Bishop, a Virtual Assistant from Australia, was doing the interview and afterward we were chatting a bit. One of the things she said was, “Now many years ago my husband and I were in Nova Scotia and we went to the this great bar in Halifax but we can’t remember the name. Maybe you can help because it has been driving us crazy.”
Well, my ears perked up, partly because my husband used to own a bar in downtown Halifax, and I immediately started thinking – “Oh I wonder if we met somehow” – but, Australia is a far hike from Nova Scotia, the odds are slim. It turned out not to be the case this time. But I did get the name of the bar in one guess. Lyn started to describe it (Keep in mind, our downtown and waterfront area in Halifax is pretty famous for all its pubs, bars and more; many with grand Maritime atmospheres – ie. beer and music and friendly people). This is as far as Lyn got describing it: “Well, it was on the waterfront and… ”
I immediately jumped in (mostly because I love guessing games) “Aha! The Lower Deck!” I was right and extremely proud of myself because I guessed a bar on the waterfront correctly – there are tons but few as memorable as the Lower Deck. Lots of maritime music and beer as well as fun times with people from all over Atlantic Canada. We had a great laugh and the whole experience added a dimension to the connection she and I have.
When I see her online through Facebook or Twitter, I feel I have a bit more insight into Lyn and that just adds a little more depth to our virtual connection. It really turned into another example of how working virtually, I do not find myself at all feeling home and alone with no other people contact. I’m connected virtually to many people and it keeps me feeling very much in touch and enjoying the reach of people I can talk to.
If you work or network virtually, what pros and cons do you encounter?
Learn the basics of Twitter – understand what a DM, RT and Hashtag are and how to use them
Follow a typical schedule that will help you remain efficient and effective with your time spent on Twitter
Click here to buy your copy nowfor only $12.00.
Download your FREE eBook on Productivity for Entrepreneurs
Join the Social 4 Biz Club
Get your social media questions answered during a live call every month PLUS learn new tricks and tips to using Social Media for your business. Forum support as well for help throughout the month.
