This is a guest post from Joyce Brewer, the Creator/Host of MommyTalkShow.com. The Emmy award-winning TV journalist left her career as an anchor to become a wife and work at home mom. She wrote an e-book about her experience, “Use What You Know: A Business Idea Guide for Moms.”
In a matter of weeks, I went from anchoring local news in Jackson, Mississippi as a single woman with my own condo – to getting married, moving to Atlanta, and getting pregnant.
Seriously.
Our son is a “honeymoon baby.”
I was so concerned that people would be counting the weeks from my wedding to our son’s birth.
But when my super conservative Christian mother told me not to sweat it, I felt at ease about having a baby 10 months after I got married.
As if all of these changes in my life that were happening simultaneously (married, move to Atlanta and motherhood) I was also unemployed. I wrote a few freelance articles during my pregnancy. Right after our son’s birth I even worked for the census bureau because the hours were flexible. I couldn’t imagine leaving my baby for 10-12 hours a day to go back to work in TV news.
When our son was 9 months old – it hit me. I wanted to use my skills, but I also wanted to work from home.
So I created a video blog/online parenting talk show that allowed me to use my skills as a journalist while staying home with our son. I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned to give your work at home business a solid foundation.
Here are 4 Must-Haves for a Work at Home Mom Business
1. Reliable Childcare – Just because I work from home, doesn’t mean I don’t need childcare. Our son attends morning preschool. Work at home moms also need to communicate with your spouse/partner if you need them to help with the kids on the weekends while you work at Starbucks or in your home office. Keep a reliable babysitter on speed dial. Find a friend in your neighborhood who can get to your house within minutes if a last minute conference call comes up.
2. Scheduled time off – Thursdays are typically my day off. I do my best to do something fun with our son like music class. On Thursdays, I only work while he’s napping or after his bedtime. Thursdays are great days off because parks and play spaces have a smaller crowd.
3. Support network – I joined several meet up groups when I first moved to Atlanta. First, I wanted to meet other new moms. As my business grew, I joined other groups for women, business, and networking.
4. Training & Development: Whether it’s taking an online webinar or attending a conference, I like to keep my skills sharp. I’ve attended the 2011 SheStreams Conference for Women, 2012 Disney Social Media Moms, Worth It Money Conference for Women, a Ladies Who Launch Atlanta Incubator and other Atlanta blogging events. This year I’m attending the Type A Parent Conference. If you’re not a blogger, you can still join an association in your field and attend educational events.
As a work at home mom, I no longer get to interview presidential candidates and I don’t make anything close to my salary as a journalist. But I’m in control of my schedule and anytime our son gets sick, I can be there for him without worrying about pressure from my employer.
Are you a work at home mom?
What’s helped you establish and run your business?
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I don’t work, pretty much by choice. I think that it is better for my children for me to be available to them. (There are times that I would LOVE to work and have a paycheck, but the trade-off is not usually worth it to me.)
I REALLY need to schedule a day off!
Me too! I work every day and hubby is telling me to take off.. I try to take of Tuesday only 🙂
Great tips! I think the most important one is to have a good support network. I think this applies to both work and home. Life is much easier when you have a good support group to help lean on or just to trouble shoot problems with.
I totally agree with childcare and time off if you do work from home and it is a job then it should be treated like one.
I work at home. What is this day off of which you speak? Haha.
Lol. I know, right?
I need to start scheduling a day (or) two off!
I have been working at home since I was 17 (I’m now 28). I need to take a whole year off, lol!
Really great tips!
I am a work at home mom!
I try to work during the week while the children are at school and then take the weekends off to spend time with them.