Search Results for: blog is your home business keeping you up at night

7 Ways to Manage Kids’ Sport Fees and Costs

There are so many reasons to give your kids the opportunity to be involved in sports, and one big one not to do so–the costly fees. Before you decide to give up the sports altogether, consider trying the following strategies that will help you manage kids sports fees and reduce the amount you spend. 1. Get some perspective Parents can get a little crazy when it comes to sports. They all want their kids to succeed and will provide them with all of the extras that they think will make this happen, such as extra training or lessons, top of … Continue reading →

Thankful For My Office Equipment Upgrade

There is a crazy amount of thunder and lightning outside, but I’m doing quite all right at my kitchen table home office. Fortunately, the kids are not at all bothered by all of the flashing and crashing so I am able to carry on with the evening’s work as scheduled. A few minutes ago, I began to worry about whether the electricity will be knocked out by the storm. Mid – worry, I caught myself. I realized that I no longer need to be overly concerned about losing electricity for one night, thanks to a wonderful birthday gift that I … Continue reading →

Avoiding Distractions

One of the more difficult aspects of working from home is actually getting yourself to do work when other, more fun and interesting things are available to do. Of course, if you work from home, there is a good chance that your work is fun and interesting because you most likely chose it yourself. The fact that it is work, though, can make other activities seem more appealing. Since I do most of my work late in the evening, after the kids are in bed, there are not too many fun things available to distract me during my working hours. … Continue reading →

The Line Between Work and Home

One of the biggest issues facing home – based professionals is defining the boundary between work and home. It is both a physical boundary, as well as one made up of your time and attention. It can be challenging to keep your work and home separate from one another, but if you can make and implement a plan for doing so both you and your family will be happier. One of the best strategies that I have found for keeping work and home separate is to avoid multitasking. Since I work only a limited amount of hours each day, I … Continue reading →

How Heavy is Your Glass?

We’ve all had those days when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. As single parents I think we have them even more often. I once got an email addressing this very issue. A woman walked around a room holding a glass of water as the audience waited for what they assumed would be the age old question, “Is the glass half empty or half full?” Instead she asked a different question, “How heavy do you think this glass is?” The audience caught a little off-guard began throwing out answers, “8 oz!” “20 oz!” She … Continue reading →

Finding Balance Through Routines

One of the biggest challenges that a home – based professional is likely to face is the issue of balance. How exactly do you keep up with work and the myriad of other things that you have on your plate? It is never an easy task, and the answer is different for each person. The answer is also highly dependent upon what things you are trying to balance. In the couple of years since I became a home – based professional, I have found myself in various positions with regard to how balanced my life is. Since my primary occupation … Continue reading →

Finding Balance in the Unbalance

As a single parent you may feel like your life is in utter chaos about 90% of the time. You are running from one thing to the next all day long, you hardly have time to take a shower in the morning, let alone brush your teeth. You are doing the work of two, so naturally you have a lot on your plate at any given time during the day. There are always a million things to do; get up, get the kids ready for school, go to work, come home, make dinner, help kids with homework, give the kids … Continue reading →

Are You Sleep Deprived?

When I was younger, I never understood what the big deal was about sleep. I’d hear older people complain about not sleeping good and I’d think “I never have a problem!” I had no problem as a late teen getting by on three or four hours of sleep a night. I guess I am officially “older” now because my sleep patterns range from “like a baby” to “not at all.” Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently did a study that showed the states that are most sleep deprived. Southern states ranked highest, which doesn’t surprise me. The study showed … Continue reading →

Unemployed? Home Based Work Could Be a Temporary or Permanent Solution

For people who find themselves out of work, working from home may be a faster path back to employment than trying to find another workplace – based job. It is true that unemployment numbers are improving, but unfortunately companies are still cutting back on staff or going out of business entirely. Often, there are many qualified and overqualified applicants for each position. Some job seekers, particularly those who have been trying to find a new job for months, end up taking positions that pay them less than they are worth and offer little challenge, fulfillment, or opportunities for growth. Losing … Continue reading →

Create Some Routines

You spend so much time cleaning your house. Every weekend, every where in the world, people are wasting precious weekend time cleaning. This defeats the purpose of a weekend, a weekend should be for family and relaxation, instead we find ourselves scrubbing toilets. The way to break this pattern is with routines. Once your house is clean just a little maintenance here and there will keep it that way so you don’t have to waste your weekend. Develop a routine for your morning. Mornings are hectic so if you don’t have a routine down it won’t get done. Think of … Continue reading →