It may not be easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. By using some simple time management tricks, a WAHM can find time to “get it all done!” One thing every WAHM should have is a planner. Schedule your family time first! Then schedule in the time you are going to work your business. Once you have your “work time” scheduled, make it a priority to stay focused on your business during those hours. It is very easy to procrastinate when you are a WAHM.

If your work requires you to do lots of different tasks, try to group similar tasks together. For instance, if you are in a direct sales business and you have a team under you, designate one day to be your “training day”. Instead of helping various team members throughout the week, schedule all of your mentoring sessions for one day. Set aside an hour in the morning and an hour in the late afternoon to respond to email and/or return phone calls. By scheduling that time in, you will find that you are able to get more work done and feel less scattered.

You might also consider outsourcing some of your activities. If you find that you are spending too much time on responding to email, returning phone calls, or updating your website, hire a virtual assistant to do those tasks for you. This will free your time up to work on your business, and by spending more time on the parts of your business that actually bring in money, you will be able to increase your profits.

You can also save time by setting aside a block of time each week to do your “regular” errands, such as grocery shopping. If you plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store once, you will save lots of time during the week by not taking those daily “quick trips to the market”. And while you are planning your meals, try to schedule a few “cook once, eat twice” days. For instance, you can plan on having spaghetti on Monday and tacos on Tuesday. So, on Monday, brown the hamburger you will need for both days. On Tuesday, half of your work will already be done. And if you are making a meatloaf or lasagna, make two and freeze one for later.

Most importantly, do not feel as if you have to do it all by yourself. You are not a super hero. If you have a spouse or significant other, ask them to chip in on household chores. Children love to help out, and depending on their ages, there are multiple things they can do. And when it is all said and done, don’t forget to take out some time for yourself. Everyone needs a break– WAHMs included!

Outsourcing means taking internal company functions and paying an outside firm to handle them. This supposedly saves money, improves quality, or frees up company resources. Whether or not it saves money, and improves quality is a major debate. If you’ve called for information about your mortgage and wind up talking to someone in another country – you’re going to have serious questions about the merits of this practice.

Outsourcing is supposed to cover non-core or non-important functions – i.e. landscaping duties to someone who specializes in the area. However, more and more companies seem to be farming out their call center and customer service areas – both of which are actually critical to the firm’s bottom line. If they’re handing out things like payroll, billing and data entry that’s not quite as public relations sensitive.

Another area you’re likely familiar with is information technology outsourcing – like getting a service tech on the line for a computer problem and finding out you both have trouble understanding each other, and face cultural and time zone differences.
If you want to outsource what do you need to do?

Develop your organization’s philosophy about the role of outsourcing in its activities. Decide if it will help YOUR business. Then, decide what to outsource, where to do it, and whom you want to do it. Work out the legal, pricing and service level agreement terms, and figure out who is going to manage this. If you’re going to outsource, you will need skills in negotiation, communications, project management, and a good understanding of the terms and conditions of your working contracts.

Is this for YOU? Only you can make that decision. Take time to check out all the angles before you jump in. Anecdotal evidence is a good indicator of whether or not outsourcing is working.

No time to make meals? Easy – make them ahead of time and throw them in the freezer. Do this after the kids are in bed – fewer distractions and less stress. You’ll have time to make that deadline.

Haven’t had time to get near the washer? Grab a basket and go hunting for the heaps in each room. Have a laundry sorter set up – whites in one side, colors the other. Train the kids and husband to pitch the right color into the right side and all you need to do it load the washer, turn it on, and get back to work.

Dust bunnies the size of Jack Russell Terriers under your beds? Focus on ONE room a day.
Make a list and when your child is napping or doing something else – dive in. You’re done quickly and can finish your calls or typing.

If your little one is old enough to help you, give them easy chores – dusting or polishing. Too young to dust or polish? Pop them into a back-pack sling and storm your way through the room you want to get done. They’ll be happy to be with you.

About this cleaning thing – as funny as it may sound – do it as you go. Most of us leave things until we absolutely can’t stand it any longer. See it needs doing – do it right away. Better a small thing now, than a monster job later.

Last, but not least – be creative with your time saving cleaning tips. Microwave need cleaning? Stick a bowl of water in it, zap it for five minutes. Voila! Steam cleaned microwave. Put degreaser in mop bucket. Wow – what it does to stains on the floor. Use a sheet of Bounce to collect cat hair. Being sneaky is the cornerstone to cutting corners when you need to tend your home business too.

What is a service business?

Service businesses are those that provide help to others. This can be anything from mowing the lawn to managing business accounts. The basis of a successful service business is one that supplies a need. In your area, it may take some research to discover the top service needs and then figure out which one you can provide.

Benefits of a home-based service business

There are several benefits to running a home-based service business. First of all, you can run the business from your home. Since you already pay a mortgage, utilities and car payments, the only thing you need spend money on now is the equipment for your business. And, running a service that began as a hobby means you already own most of the needed equipment.

Secondly, a home-based service business requires low overhead and startup costs. We alluded to the startup costs above and the low overhead means no employees but you. The key to keeping the overhead low is taking on only as many projects as you can safely and efficiently handle by yourself.

Home-based service business options

As we mentioned, you can usually run these service businesses out of your home. Establishing a website for selling your services lowers the overhead even more and maximizes your profit. With the Internet as your potential customer base, the opportunities are endless for marketing and finding clients. Here are some home-based service options.

Virtual assisting has taken off in a big way in the last ten years. Using a computer, fax machine, telephone, and Internet access, you can perform various administrative duties for large and small companies. You are paid for the work that you do so there is no extra charge for the company. Virtual assisting skills run from transcription to accounting to managing email and company websites.

Transcription by itself can be a profitable venture. Medical offices and businesspeople are always in need of someone to transcribe their audio or video files. It is far easier and less time consuming to record an interview or dictate a medical procedure. Your job will be to turn that file into a document for patient charts and online use by various businesses.

Ghostwriting is the process of writing articles, novels, eBooks and more for an individual or a company. Using your writing talent, you can make a lot of money creating literary works (print and electronic) for others who need them.

Getting started tips

There are considerations before beginning any type of business even a home-based one.

1. Check out the local laws for registering and zoning a home business. Most home businesses require no zoning issues unless you will be meeting clients in your home and posting signs in the yard.

2. Small business tax laws. Now that you are a business, you are subject to different tax exemptions, deductions and payments. Sites like www.irs.gov can give you the information you need.

3. Set up a separate work space at home. This could be as simple as using a spare bedroom or den with a door to keep your work separate. If you rely on the telephone a separate phone line can be added. When a workshop is needed, consider using a garage or purchasing a large outbuilding.

4. Use on and offline marketing methods to find clients. This includes: viral marketing, newspaper and Yellow Pages ads, flyers and direct mailings, email marketing, article marketing, setting up a website and etcetera.

5. Create a schedule to divide time between work and family. Balancing both is hard. Scheduling time and sticking to it means more gets done and no one is slighted.

A home-based service business is an alternative for people who want to know entrepreneurship without spending a lot in upfront costs. If you have a talent and can meet a need, consider a home-based business.