Transitioning from Work to Home Mode

I was recently thinking about some of the positive aspects to working outside the home. For instance, commuting can be a real source of frustration for many who do it on a daily basis. But I was thinking about how it can also be used as a time of transitioning. That commute can help you move from home mode to work mode and then vice versa when the day is over with. Depending on how long you are commuting and the form of transportation you take, you could spend your time unwinding by listening to music or reading. The point … Continue reading

Potential Problems of a Home-Based Business

As we are nearing the end of 2011, you might be thinking about ways to increase your home-based business or start one up. While there are many, many positive reasons to work from home, there are also potential problems that have to be realized. You may end up using this blog as a defense weapon as well, the next time someone tells you how “easy” you have it being able to work at home. No matter what your business is (inside or outside the home), there are always good and bad parts to it. One of the biggest problems you … Continue reading

Downsides of a Home-Based Business

I’m always writing about the benefits and the blessings of having a home-based business. However, the truth is that it isn’t for everyone. So now I am going to take a different approach, in an effort to prevent someone from making a huge mistake. The decision to start up a home-based business is not one that should be taken lightly. Once you dive in, there may be no going back before huge mistakes are made. So I feel it’s only right that I share some of the downsides to this. The first downside is the financial investment you must make. … Continue reading

Working from Home Does Have Challenges

Twice this week I have heard the phrase, “Well at least…” This always refers to how much more fortunate I am for the work I do at home. It can be a real battle for me to hear those words. Because while it is true that I am blessed to be working from home and doing what I love, the context of those phrases is what gets to me. For instance, a family member was complaining about her schedule and how she can never take off work to get her children to doctor appointments and the like. Then came the … Continue reading

Working from Home Doesn’t Mean I Have It Easy

Someone recently posted on their Facebook status that they had come to the conclusion women who have never held a full-time job while raising children have no clue what its like. Apparently something had rubbed her the wrong way. But quite honestly, I know that feeling of being rubbed the wrong way when it comes to my working at home and raising children. I could say the same thing, “Women who have never had to work at home while raising children have no clue what its like.” Working at home is a blessing, don’t get me wrong. But I continue … Continue reading

Diary of a Work at Home Mom Part 11

Today is a beautiful, sunny day here. It is a welcome relief after two and a half days of nothing but rain. It is the perfect day to take my little guy to the lake. While today seems so perfect that I am tempted to think that the end of summer is nowhere near, it is hard to ignore the signs that summer is in fact drawing to a close. For many work at home parents, the days to squeeze in a little more sun and fun before the school bus arrives are going by all too quickly. As the … Continue reading

Your Home Business Is Part of Your Family

Like it or not, when you decide to run a home business it is not just about you. It becomes a part of your family. Part of the reason is that you can’t separate it from your family as much as you can a job that you go to outside of the home. It is there in front of everyone. It is accessible. It may even affect your family, good and bad. So you have to be very careful that your home business never becomes a replacement for time spent with family or in any way becomes more important than … Continue reading

Is Your Home-Based Work Working for Your Family?

Working from home can be a wonderful way for parents to make staying home to care for children make economic sense for their families. Although that is a good thing, it can sometimes be difficult for a parent who is staying home to raise children to decide how to integrate working from home into the rhythm of their days. There is no one set formula for deciding how much work to take on, how many hours to work each day or each week, when to work during the day, or anything else. Add to this the fact that the appropriate … Continue reading

A Chocolate-Themed Home-Based Business Opportunity

I love chocolate. Not just any chocolate, though, it has to be good chocolate. Even though I am not in the market for a home-based business opportunity, I must admit that I was tempted when I heard about the Dove Chocolate Discoveries home-based chocolate business. This business opportunity combines direct selling with entertaining in a way that is similar to many home-party types of business opportunities. Independent sales representatives that participate in the Dove Chocolate Discoveries program are called Chocolatiers. Chocolatiers host chocolate tasting parties in their homes, and guests at the parties get to sample fun, chocolatey treats. Chocolatiers … Continue reading

Challenges in Working from Home with Teenagers

Many people who operate home businesses are parents. In fact, this is oftentimes the main reason a person decides to work from home, so they can be available to their children. I didn’t get my start in working from home until my children were older, so I have never had to deal with running a home business with small children. I completely understand that the dynamics to that type of setup will be very different. Many a blog has been written on the challenges of working from home with small children. So it might be assumed that if your children … Continue reading