Involve Family Members in Your Home Business
A Home Business Article Contributed by Donna M. Brown
Mothers, Wives Should Invite Family Members to Share in Home Business
Now that you have embarked on the adventure of owning your own home business, don't leave out the people who can help you very most to be successful.
Because this home business is likely to rearrange your schedule, your home environment and your entire life for a little while, it's important to include your significant other and children in the planning process. There are many ways you can help your family to feel more comfortable with sharing their home with a home business. Take time to let them know you care about how your business affects them.
A Home Business Can Benefit Everyone
Here are a few simple steps that will encourage participation in your home business. The idea here is to help family members feel ownership in the investment you are all about to make.
1. Talk to family members about your plans to open a home business. Offer them a formal presentation that tells them (in simple terms) what you will do from home to make money. Explain how your business will work and how you will make money right from your own home.
2. Invite family members to ask many questions about your home business. Encourage them to make their own suggestions about how they can help.
3. Explain exactly how much of the home will be required for your business operation. Talk about limits and boundaries. Let them know that they can be a tremendous help by respecting your business area and that you will respect their living area by respecting home and business boundaries.
4. On a dry erase board, create two columns. One column is for positive aspects of your home business for the family and the other is for negative aspects. For example, you will be home and more readily available to help your children when they need you, but your business will take up space and it will occupy a great deal of your time. Allow family members to participate in the process of discovering the up and down sides to this new adventure. Give younger children hints and let them discover positive and negative aspects for themselves.
5. Together, draw up a schedule of your work hours. Explain that you will be available for family emergencies during those hours, but that they must respect your business hours. Assure them that you will respect the hours that you commit to taking care of the family and being physically and mentally at home. If you respect your business and home hours, they will be more likely to do the same.
6. Find small jobs that family members can do to help you in your business. Offer them praise and explain how important their help is to you.
7. Report earnings, milestones and progress in very simple terms to them so they can share in the excitement of your home business growth.
8. Order a second phone line so you can use it strictly for business purposes. Anything you can do to draw a line between business and home will help.
9. Create a secret treasure chest of toys and activities every weekend to help you through the following week. When children get restless, invite them to choose an activity from the treasure chest while you finish up your work. These don't have to be new toys, the mystery of the chest alone will help them to feel special. Rotate treasure chest items on a regular basis to keep kids guessing what's inside.
10. Take time out to talk to young children and your significant other throughout the work day so they will enjoy the benefits of having you present in the home, even if you are really "at work."
Your Home Business Can Belong to Everyone
If you will invest time in your family and include them in the planning process of your home business, you will find them more willing to make a personal investment in you and your business goals.
Make sure family members know when they receive something special or enjoy a certain privilege that results from your home business so they want you to feel comfortable working at home.
