Alyice Edrich is the author of several work-from-home e-books. She's worked out of her home since 1991 and has dabbled in many different careers over the years. In 1999, she finally found a niche that kept her waking up excited about her business. Today, she's an online editor of an award winning publication, the author of several e-books, and a ghost writer for small businesses.
Our three questions for Alyice were:
1. I want my children to learn to be able to handle a business themselves. What are your suggestions for ways to get them involved now that will be beneficial in the future?
The first thing I would suggest you do is speak to your children about taking an active role in your business. Let them know that your business is important because it helps your family's income and helps provide them with the many things they enjoy, like buying equipment to play basketball, eating at McDonald's, or enjoying the toys in their bedrooms. Let them know that you're willing to pay them to help out in your business, and that pay will be $X dollars per hour.
And hear their answers. If they say working with you and your business doesn’t interest them, please don't force it on them. You'll have plenty of time to try again when they're older. (I have a 15 year old son who said to me, I'm only a kid once. I would rather just be a kid right now.)
If however, they say, Mom! That sounds like a great idea, what can we do? Sit down and talk about what you need help with and then match your needs with their strengths. (I have an 11 year old daughter who said to me, I want to be like you mom. I want to review books. She reviewed books with me for $1 per book and the free book for nearly two years. This year, she grew tired of reviewing and no longer does them. It was her choice.)
Your children can help by answering the phones and taking down messages, by filing certain documents, by separating orders and packaging them for shipment, by answering customer emails, and they can even help you market your business when you attend craft fairs or other business shows.
2. What is the most important thing that a want-to-be-WAHM should consider before picking or starting a business?
The first thing any mother should consider is how she'll balance her business with her children underfoot. Many women think about the business first, and then later grow frustrated because it takes too much time away from the family, the business meetings are too hard to conduct around small children, or sending their children off to a babysitter so they could go out on jobs isn't their idea of working from home. Over time, they grow frustrated with their circumstances and often fold their new business ventures before they have a chance to run in the black.
Once Mom understands her priorities, she can find a home business that fits around her priorities instead of the other way around.
For instance, let's say that a mom really doesn't want to deal with phone calls or leaving her children in the care of another human being just so she could have her own home business. What can she do? She could find a home business that allows her to work evenings, when the children are asleep and her husband is home. Or she could consider starting an in-home daycare.
If, however, finding an occasional babysitter isn't an issue, she can open the floodgates of ideas. And find a business that meets both her needs and the needs of her family. For some that may mean finding a business that does not involve leaving the house, for others it may mean finding a business that lets her out of the house for a set number of hours every evening.
3. Is it beneficial or harmful to your business to mention your family – for example in your answering machine message, on your about me page, in product descriptions (as examples) etc.
It truly depends on the type of business you run. If you run a business that caters towards families, mentioning your family's tastes in product descriptions isn't harmful. But if your business is geared towards professionals or people who may or may not have family. It is in your best interest to separate your business from your family.
An about me page usually deals with the owner, so it's okay to mention family but there's a delicate line between being maintaining a professional image and sharing private information about your family. An about us page on the other hand, should focus on your business only.
As for answering machines, if you are using a home phone for customer calls, you need to keep it as professional as possible. Your phone should always be answered with your first and last name or the name of your business. And your answering machine should do the same.
While there are many women who can run successful home businesses, stay professional at all times, and meet all deadlines, there are also women who tend to allow home responsibilities to affect the way they conduct their business. This has left a negative stigma on women working from home with several customers. I actually have a colleague who was asked, “Is this a home business or a real business because I do not work with WAHMS. I've been burned too many times.
So my take is this: If you can project a more professional image that says you are a real business and not just a mom earning a living from home, the better off you are. (In fact, I have a colleague who works from home but has a business that portrays the image of not working from home. Since changing her company image, her business has doubled.)
You can visit Alyice Edrich atThe Dabbling Mum Press to order a work-at-home e-book, or visit her online publication for BUSY parents at The Dabbling Mum.