Do You Have a Business-Friendly Family?

by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger

07 Mar 2008 07:31 PM

We talk about how important it can be to have a family-friendly business when one is starting a home business and trying to raise a family, but we do not often give much thought to whether or not our family is actually ready and supportive of a business. Some families and family households are just not conducive to supporting a home business. It might be a worthwhile question to ask yourself if your family is friendly, encouraging and supportive of your business?

I know that we cannot expect really young children to understand or have patience for our work when we are working from home, but as children get older, they can hopefully be raised to have an appreciation for a home business. My own children are quite used to my working from home, but that does not mean they are always happy about it. We sometimes have to share resources and they can be pretty insistent that I close up shop and pay attention to them, make dinner, or tend to other family matters when I really feel like I should still be working. I understand this, however, and expect that they won't always "get" how what mom is doing is actually work when they don't know any one else's parents who work from home.

At the very minimum, I do need my children to have respect for the time that I am working and not interfere with important phone calls, make it tougher for me to meet deadlines, and understand what supplies and equipment are mine for work. Setting these boundaries and expectations took a while to establish but now they are pretty solid. If you are just starting out with your home business, you will have to decide if your family is supportive or if they can be "trained" to be understanding and supportive of having work and business going on under the same roof as family life. Deciding to have a home business means that everyone in the home needs to be able to tolerate the business operations.

Also: Is There a Home Business Lifestyle?

Is Your Home Office Messing Up Your Home?

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