A Few Thoughts on Getting Serious

I've had two experiences this week that involved business advice. Both have hit hard because I think I needed to hear them this week. The first came on an anonymous message board. I posted about various financial goals my husband and I have, and in the course of the post, I listed our income. Mine is admittedly not where I'd like it to be, and I'm trying to remedy that. One of the posters came back and said that I need to take myself more seriously as a businesswoman so that I can begin to increase my income. After I thought about what she said, I realized that she is exactly right. I, like many work at home moms, don't treat myself like the business owner I am.

Many of us treat our careers as secondary paths in our lives. Instead of being willing to say "this is important to me," we try to work our businesses around everyone else's schedules. We may allow clients to take advantage of us. We may not be as reliable as we should be - all because we are not confident enough to admit that we are business people.

The key is in how to remedy that perception. I think there are a few choices you have. First, decide what in your life you must do and what someone else can do. Perhaps you feel that having all meals with your children is important, but someone else can wash the dishes. Then hiring domestic help (yes, it's a financial risk) may be an option. Or perhaps you could hire a virtual assistant to help with the clerical work tied to your business.

You also must be willing to have concrete goals for your business life. Know where your income is now and where you would like it to be. Know what you want to do with your business. Have a clear idea of the path that's right for you.

The second realization came from an email. I do regular writing for someone who has a large pool of writers. She sent an email this week about late assignments. In the email, she said that she wanted to share the realization she made a few years ago - that every single day she spends working on one project is a day she could get done and work on something else.

Wow! It sounds simple, but I know I do that in my business. When I have a deadline, I sometimes take longer than I should because I know when the deadline is. Perhaps I could finish a writing job by Wednesday. Ah, there's no need. I have until Friday. It's time that we work hard on our businesses. We need to put in the hours necessary to make our goals a reality.