Summer Sanity for Moms Juggling a Home-Based Career
by Lesley Spencer, MSc; Founder & President HBWM.com Inc.
The relaxed pace of summer is peeking just around the corner.
And it is definitely welcome to many of us, but the challenge
and sometime stressful moments of balancing motherhood and work
is not always so welcome.
Like much of motherhood, being flexible is key and planning in
advance is a necessity. To help you make this summer the best it
can be with as little stress as possible, here are some tips for
balancing your many roles during the summer: -- If you don't
have a laptop, now is a great time to consider getting one
especially with wireless Internet connection. You can work just
about anywhere with your laptop and wireless connection. That
means portability to work in any room in your home as well as
work at locations in public with wireless connection - coffee
shops, public parks, airports, shopping areas, skating rinks and
more.
-- Take convenience a step higher and make your laptop your
desktop computer by using a docking station. A docking station
allows you to still use your monitor and keyboard like a desktop
without the hassle of using two computer and transferring files
and emails back and forth. Laptop prices have dropped
dramatically and some laptops are as low as $500 while docking
stations start around $60. Now may be the time to make your
business work around your busy life more than ever.
-- If you know your workload is going to be overwhelming, start
planning now what you can delegate. Perhaps, its time to hire a
Virtual Assistant to help you in your business. There are many
talented, capable VAs who can do anything from word processing
to data entry, to answering calls to respond to email to much
more. You can search for them and other talented home-based moms
in a variety of professions at: http://www.HBWM.com/memberdir.
Diana Ennen, a virtual assistant since 1985, of
http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com states to start looking now
and train them in what you want them to do to keep things
running smoothly. Chances are you'll probably end up keeping
them even after the summer is over.
-- Technology is a great thing. Look into what you can automate
in your business. Perhaps you can set up autoresponders when
someone purchases or requests something from your website. A few
sites that offer automation solutions include:
http://www.1automationwiz.com and
http://www.autoresponseplus.com.
Even with more portability, moms need some time to work, relax,
rejuvenate or just catch a breath. So what to do with those
sweet cherub-like children squealing and running underfoot?
-- Check out the summer camps in your area. These days there are
camps for just about everything from sports to art to acting to
science. Check your local parenting publications. Many of them
have summer camp guides.
-- Kid Swap? No, this isn't a bad, new reality TV series. It's
an opportunity to pre-arrange some play date exchanges with your
trusted friends and neighbors. Kids get to play and have fun and
moms get an opportunity to catch up on work or find a little
time for relaxation.
-- Consider a Mom's Helper. They can be great playmates and keep
your kids occupied while you work. You may hire someone once a
week, every morning or whatever your schedule and work requires.
With a little planning and forethought, you can make this summer
not only less stressful but actually enjoyable and fulfilling.
Take time now to get yourself ready. You and your kids will be
glad you did.