This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

In this in-between week before New Year's, I always find myself reflecting on the past year and planning and goal-setting for the next one. Personal goals, parenting goals, spiritual goals, physical goals, financial goals...I like taking the time to consider how I'm spending my life so I can be intentional about it. At the very least it makes sense to do this at the beginning of a new year (and a new decade!). Although I have goals in every category I mentioned above, business and financial goals are high on my list for 2020. In addition to blogging, I have some new ideas I want to try this year. At the same time, my priority is my role as a stay-at-home mom (and I will have three kids at home with me very soon!). That means anything extra I take on will be an at-home business. Having been a blogger since 2010 (a whole decade, crazy!!) I've learned a little about what works for me and what I need to avoid. If you're planning on starting a new at-home business this year, I thought I'd pass some of those tips along!

Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

1. Organize your home

An organized office is going to make a huge difference in your comfort and productivity. Try to run an at-home business without an area dedicated to your work and you’ll find it spilling everywhere and affecting everything in your home. There’s a good chance you’ll get distracted by household chores and personal to-dos while you’re trying to reach a deadline. Instead, organize your home and make sure there’s space for you to keep all of your work-related materials and get your work done in peace.

2. Don’t do it alone

Yes, at-home businesses are usually run by one person, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rely on others now and then. For instance, you should consider hiring a couple of freelancers to help with things that are outside of your skill set, such as your website. You could also think about getting some accounting help to make sure your bookkeeping and taxes are done correctly. Realize that you don’t have to figure everything out alone...there are plenty of ways to reduce your workload and allow you to focus on the parts of the business that you enjoy and are good at. In the end, getting some help will actually give you more time to grow your business!

3. Contact specialists

Whether it’s learning management system (LMS) marketing to grow your brand or a local technology expert to fix your computers, there are plenty of specialists around the world that can help you run a smooth business. This is similar to the previous tip, but the idea is to contact specific people or services that specialize in consulting and helping businesses grow.

4. Set a schedule

People often think that working at home gives you the freedom to work whenever you want. That’s kind of true, but the reality is that you do need to set a schedule or else your work is going to bleed into your everyday life. Set boundaries for yourself, and try and separate your work life and home life by sticking to a schedule. This will help you avoid non-work related things while you work, and also help you to focus on your family when you’re not working. I promise, a healthy separation between your work and personal life will make you both a better business owner and a more attentive parent, spouse, and friend. 

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