Is it Time to Hire Some Help?

by Traci Anderson | More from this Blogger

03 Feb 2007 10:18 PM

I'll never forget the day I held a spa party in one of the nicest homes in town. As everyone soaked their feet and drank expensive wine, I overheard one of the women asking her friends, "so, what are you getting the help for Christmas?" As I was pouring peppermint scented crystals into the tubs where their perfectly pedicured feet were soaking. I suddenly felt like "the help" too.

Quite honestly, my first reaction was..."why in the world do these women need help with anything?" I knew many of them personally and none of them worked (at all). Were all of the shopping trips, wine tasting events and golf lessons getting so tiring that they needed help with their lawn care, housework and childcare too?

I went home that evening feeling a bit discouraged. I was working a full-time job from home, and I couldn't afford to hire "help". It didn't seem fair. If anyone needed a housekeeper, it was me. I was so busy launching my business that my dishes were piled up and my laundry hadn't been done in weeks. But we couldn't afford one, or could we?

When I was pregnant with my second child, my in-laws gave me the best gift ever - a full day of cleaning from a professional housekeeper. I took my daughter to the mall, did a little shopping, drank some coffee and when I got home, my house was spotless. It made me wonder, would I earn more if had someone clean my home while I worked?

Have you ever thought about hiring help for your home business? There are many types of help. Maybe you could use a housekeeper, an assistant, or just someone to do your lawn care or run errands for you.

As you are reading this you are probably thinking, "Traci...you've completely lost your mind - who can afford that?" Well, maybe YOU can!

If you don't have a pen and paper handy, do the math in your head. How many hours per day do you spend cleaning your home? Do you do any housework? How much paperwork do you do that could easily be done by someone else? What would happen to your business, if you turned cleaning time, into work time? Would you earn more money? Would it be worth it?

This summer, I hired a high-school student to watch my kids a few days per week while I worked. The amount of work I got done in those few hours completely off set the cost of hiring her.

There are plenty of people who would appreciate helping you for a little extra income. You may want to consider a high-school student to help you with paperwork or lawn-care. I am sure you could find a college student who would love to watch your children or clean your home.

While I am not suggesting you hire a full-time butler, personal assistant or nanny, I just hope this post will help you recognize that you probably can afford a bit of help.

Have you hired assistance with your home business? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Related Reading: How's Your Energy Level? 4 Ways to Make More Time for Your Family Without Slowing Down Taking Time Off

Learn more about Traci Anderson

Traci is a work-at-home-mom (WAHM) from beautiful Big Sky Country (Montana). She spends most of her time trying to keep up with two extremely energetic (but hysterical) Irish twins.

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