Today is the conclusion to my “Intentional about” series I have been doing here in home business. I end with a secret to success…being intentional about helping others to succeed. I realize that for many people it’s a “dog eat dog” world out there. But I come from a different mindset. I believe that those most likely to succeed are those who help others to. Take the job of a writer. In today’s social media world, you have an opportunity to help others in their success. One of the things you are encouraged to do—which does provide a kickback to … Continue reading →

One of my biggest struggles in working from home is coming up with a workable schedule. I try one thing to see if it works and when it doesn’t, I try something else. Or I tweak my schedule one week and then implement major changes the next. Of all my “intentionals” for the year 2012, this is probably the biggest one. I don’t know why I can’t stick to a schedule. I guess I’m just one of those people that prefer something different everyday. Yet I know that I would be much more productive if I stuck to one. After … Continue reading →

When I started this blog series off in the beginning of the year, I mentioned several things that I wanted to be intentional about. One of them was being intentional about seeking new opportunities for work. This may not apply to everyone, but for some of us who work at home, we have to be seekers. For instance, freelance writers don’t usually get work dropped into their laps. We have to actively seek work. I have been working steadily, full-time for nearly two years now with a web content company in which I write articles, blogs, news pieces and FAQ’s … Continue reading →

In continuing my series on being intentional about your home-based business, this blog is going to address being intentional about your time. It’s funny how so many people think that because I work at home, I have all this “time” for other things. The reality is that we are all given the same 24 hours a day. I don’t get anymore than the next person. How we choose to use that time is completely up to us. If I do have time to do things like read or whatever else it may be, it is because I choose to make … Continue reading →

The year 2012 I plan on being intentional about learning more. I always admire adults who go back to school or otherwise continue their learning. I was in my late 30’s when I took some online courses, some related to childcare and others were general (such as economics). It felt so good to be learning even later in life. This past summer I had an opportunity to learn more about my field of writing by attending a writing conference in another state. It served as a way to sharpen my skills. Learning more about your field will help grow both … Continue reading →

The year 2012 is my year to be intentional in all areas of my life. In this blog I am going to address the issue of being intentional about performing well. Performance can be trickier to gauge when you work at home. You don’t have someone providing you objective commentaries on areas you do well in and areas you could improve in. About a year and a half ago I wrote a blog on the benefits of a self-evaluation. A month later I then wrote what I learned from my own self-evaluation. This is one way that you can measure … Continue reading →

If you are going to be successful with your home business, you need to be intentional about prioritizing. This is one of my goals for the year 2012. Prioritizing is a way to manage your time. When you work at home it means not only prioritizing your work but your entire day’s schedule. If I were to work outside my home, the option of doing dishes or throwing in a load of laundry wouldn’t be there. But since I am inside my home, it ends up cutting into my work time. I can be a little manic about things. Let … Continue reading →

So it’s nearly the end of the month. It’s time to check in and see how you are doing on those New Year’s resolutions for your home business. I don’t believe in creating resolutions, goals or whatever you wish to call them without having a plan to review them. Otherwise you are wasting your time. So my goal is to challenge you to look at the list you created in the beginning of this month and ask yourself…what steps have I made to fulfill these goals? If you haven’t moved an inch this could mean one of two things. First, … Continue reading →

Home – based professionals often have a hard time fitting in fitness, just like people who work outside of the home. However, making time to squeeze a workout into most of your days is a great idea because it boosts your energy and keeps you healthy. It could also help to keep your health care costs down, which can be very important if you have no health insurance or can only afford a plan that covers the most basic care. There are a few ways that a home – based professional can include fitness in his or her day. If … Continue reading →