At Home Businesses for Women: Soapbox Warning

We get it. You work from home, so you have a free pass to spend the day in your pajamas behind the computer while juggling loads of laundry and dishes, right? Wrong. Fair warning, we are about to be on our soapbox and hold you accountable for the way you operate your business. If that makes you uncomfortable…. read on, anyway because we’re calling you out and that means you need it. (Yes, English teacher, we are using the word YOU today.)

With the evolution of the office (thank you, technology), so has come the evolution of opportunities for women, particularly moms, entering the workforce. Put that in a blender with the recent economy, and find for the first time ever that more women are beginning entrepreneurial endeavors than men. The fact is, we really can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan… and do the family taxi-driving, chef duty, housekeeping, bookkeeping, teacher, tear-wiper, nose-wiper, and you get-the-idea-all-at-the-same-time. BUT, if you want to be more than just slightly successful in the bank account department, you must define boundaries for your work space. Physically and emotionally.

If you are working to serve your purpose (and you should), protect that. We are guessing that most you you are not energized or empowered by laundry or scheduling the garage door repair. We also know that if you really are working to your highest potential, your hourly rate is likely higher than the cost of outsourcing house management tasks. Plus, you can feed the economy by employing another person who IS asking for that kind of work. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. That is applicable in both your personal life, and your business.

We are calling it like it is here. There is no excuse for you to be doing anything in your personal life or your professional career that does not serve your strengths, talents, personal joy, or legacy. We coach in detail about how to do this, but suffice it to say, if you are truly ready to be successful, joyful, and fulfilled, we know this is true.

And another thing! Since we are on our soapbox, we have to say it that way. If you want to be successful, you must ACT successful. Expect it. You wouldn’t go to a corporate sales meeting in sweats, so why go to your Starbucks meeting, or even Skype meeting like that? If you are networking, Get UP, dress the part, and put on a little lip gloss!

Our encouragement to you today is to respect yourself first, so you have the authority to demand that respect from others. If you want your family, friends, colleagues, prospective bosses, or potential customers to take you seriously, act like you work. Because you do.

Stepping down now….