Boomers with Home-Based Businesses Learn to Prioritize Tasks

Just ask any Baby Boomer running a home-based business – after a while, one of the most difficult aspects is to decide “What to do next?” Everyday presents new challenges. Hence, it is imperative to also maintain a prioritized list of tasks that will directly benefit your business. This is how home-based businesses survive and grow.
I like to keep a spreadsheet list for each of my businesses, one that can be easily sorted by priority. Since I’m at an age where if I don’t write down my ”brilliant” insights, they quickly vanish, I carry a notebook at all times. There, I jot down tasks, thoughts and actions that pop into my mind and then transpose them to my spreadsheet lists.
My priorities are totally subjective. Sure, there are normal business activities that must be accomplished, such as shipping products to customers or completing a consulting report to meet a deadline. These bring in money and pay the bills. And of course they typically have the highest priority.
Then there are the “fun” things. In this category, I include items that are creative or strategic in nature. For instance:

• Reviewing my website to enhance search engine optimization.
• Exploring adjacent markets for my products and services.
• Figuring out how to grow sales 20 percent this year.
• Thinking of ways to make my business run smoother.
• Determining who can I talk to get ideas for my business or to be a sounding board.

You get the idea.
Prioritized lists are key to organizing time and being productive during the hours devoted to a home-based business each day. They help Boomers accomplish more while freeing up time for “play” to enjoy golf, family and social time, trips, gardening or simply reading a good book.
Every morning, I review my lists and set an agenda for the day. Based on how much time I want to work today, I decide which items on my list to pursue. Now, they may not be items of highest priority. Some days, I just feel like doing lower-priority stuff that I enjoy, BUT at least I’m accomplishing something beneficial to my business.
I’m sure none of this is new to you. Boomers have been making lists for years. This is how we became successful during our employment years. Operating a home-based business, however, takes the art of prioritized lists to a new level.

http://www.boomerhomebizadvice.com/2013/11/boomers-with-home-base-businesses-learn-to-prioritize-tasks/

 

Managing Your Time at the Home Office

In my practice, I've discovered that a majority of the people coming to me these days are working remotely from a home base. The economy, the Internet and social media have changed the way we approach work. Many welcome the opportunity to work from home to cut commuting and to be able to spend extra time in their personal life. But while the new wave of employers may be saving on desk space, are you really garnishing more free time?
Ask yourself: When do I clock in and clock out of my workday? Chances are you probably never actually do either of those things. The convenience of tablets and smart phones has changed the way the business day is structured. That 9-5 job can easily turn into working around the clock, in your pajamas, with very little patience or time for family or anything else.

I am up against this myself as I split my business between my metaphysical center and a home office. When I am at my home base, I strive to balance my days by applying some rules to arrange my time so it works for me, while I work for my paycheck. Consider the following as a different way to look at your day.
1. Keep a time chart of when you intend to start and end your actual work day and respect it.
2. Be dressed and ready to work at your desk and treat it as you would any sacred space you work in. Make those family and friends aware of when you work and provide them with the best times for socializing with you.
3. Keep your personal day separate from your business day. If you use social media, focus on business tweeting and posting until after hours.
4. Be sure to take your lunchtimes and break times and do not skip them. Make sure they take you away from the computer screens and the work environment. Instead of looking at a virtual tree, get out and up and into nature, or open a window and gaze at the energy of the real one in front of you.
5. Once you clock out of your day, use your off time by actually being away from your computer. No matter whom you are with or where you are, it's important to actually focus on that person and that place.
By structuring your work day so that you are clocking in and out, you are opening yourself up to a more productive lifestyle and, ultimately, more free time to spend the way you wish.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-lauren/working-at-home_b_4273714.html

Working from home with young children

More and more of us are working at home these days due to the restrictively high cost of childcare – and a need for more flexible hours.

Working from home is a great way to fit your career around looking after your kids, but it's a lot easier when your children are at school. So how can you manage things when they're really small?

Remember you are doing two jobs

You're working and being a mum – two important jobs – so schedule things accordingly. "If you have small children at home with you, things will take longer to complete, so set realistic deadlines to avoid disappointing your boss or letting down your team", advises Kristen Harding, childcare expert at Tinies, the UK's leading childcare company and nanny agency network.

Create a workspace

Even if you don't have a home office, set aside a corner of the room that you can use as 'your space', while still keeping an eye on what the children are up to. "Having your own space will help you feel more secure in your role, but being able to glance up frequently will help you feel more at ease," says Kristen.

Be organised

It's all about planning when you're a WAHM (Work At Home Mum). "Plan meals in advance, shop online and make it all as easy as you can" advises Personal Development Coach Cheryl Goldenberg of The Pickle Shed, who specialises in happy working mothers. "Plan the day, too – but be prepared to change the plan along the way! Think about what the kids will be doing while you're working and make sure everything they need is in the right place".

Have a working day

You might not be going to an office, but it's important to create a working day for yourself. "Dress for work so your brain knows what mode it's in", suggests Cheryl. "Then, when you're finished, leave your home office or workspace at 5pm and find a way to draw a line between work and home – get changed into 'home' clothes, go for a run, turn up the music...". Do whatever it takes to help you switch off!

Communicate with your partner

Talk to your other half and important people in your family such as grandparents. "Be open about how easy or hard you are finding it working from home", says Kristen. "Do you need help? What would help lighten the load? Remember only you know how you're managing: don't expect others to be able to read your mind."

Create a back-up plan

What will happen if your work throws you a curve ball? "Have a back-up plan in place for when you have a last minute meeting, or an urgent deadline", suggests Kristen. "Things don't always run smoothly but if you prepare for worst case scenarios, then every day is a lot less bumpy! A childcare website like Emergency Childcare is an essential for your SOS contact list."

Look after yourself

You need to be on the best possible form – physically and emotionally – to manage working from home. "If you fall apart then everything around you does the same", warns Cheryl. "Work out what it takes to keep you feeling fresh and schedule it into your diary. Connect with other mums and dads working from home, as isolation saps confidence. And find new places to work in child-free moments to refresh creativity – your local library, a coffee shop etc."

Try and prioritise

It's vital to set aside quiet time for the tasks that need greater concentration. "This might mean arranging play dates with other working parents so that you can have a few hours of total quiet, or arranging your work around nap times", Kristen says. "And remember, letting your kids have quiet times and learn to play amongst themselves are important parts of growing up – so you don't have to entertain them all the time!"

Don't be hard on yourself

Just because you do your work at home, it doesn't make it any less important, so talk about what you do to your children and partner. "Show the family what 'Mummy's Work' means – to help them to understand what you're doing and why", suggests Cheryl.

And remember, it's never going to go smoothly all the time. "If you have a bad day, accept it and start again tomorrow!"

http://www.parentdish.co.uk/family/working-from-home-with-young-children/