Happy Tuesday everyone!  My sister (who is a successful recruiter in SLC) was on Studio 5 last week discussing “5 Ways to Help Your Home Business Succeed” and I thought some of you might enjoy her tips!  If you are a “mom-prenuer” in any way these tips can really help you stay on track.  My sister Carly is on the news often discussing all sorts of tips for women in the work force so if you find her segment helpful go to the Studio 5 website and you can type in her name to find similar segments.  *Proud of my little sis!  She is beautiful and smart and so very talented.  I taught her every single things she knows.  ;)  Seriously though – all those hours we logged during our childhood playing news reporter paid off big time!  She is a natural on camera.  :)

You can watch her segment here:  5 WAYS TO HELP YOUR HOME BUSINESS SUCCEED – Studio 5

I wanted to re-cap the points she made (and add my two cents!) because they were great tips.  Some of them I already do and some of them I could definitely do better!

1)  Take yourself seriously.  If you’re serious about creating your own business whether it’s a blog or anything else you need to believe in yourself.  Speaking from my own experience this can be hard!  Especially if you are just starting out and wondering if what you have to offer will really help anyone.  But if you don’t take yourself seriously and have confidence in what you do, who will?  Believe in yourself and share your passion with others and you will feel success!  To be honest I’ve never thought of my blog as a “home business.”  It started as a hobby and because I still love blogging so much it’s hard to picture it as more than just that – a creative and fun outlet.  I always planned on going back to teaching once my kids started school full time, but the thought of taking myself and this blog more seriously and doing this instead feels like a dream!  So I need to put this into practice myself.  It won’t be easy.  I don’t take myself seriously very often.  :)  So I’ll try if you’ll try — deal?

(free printable from honey & fitz)

2)  Create a Work Zone.  Carve out a place in your home (even if it’s a corner of your bedroom, kitchen or garage!) where you can “go to work.”  Make it an organized, clean and inspiring space that will help you stay motivated and on track.

This is one thing I’ve been working on lately.  Because my home office is also the kids’ homework room/craft room/computer room I’ve had to figure out how to carve out some space for me!  I also want to decorate the room so that it reflects my personality and is a happy spot that I’m excited to spend time in each day.  (Seriously debating re-painting this room btw.. I’m giving it a mini makeover!)

Years ago in my previous house where we were short on space I used a corner of my baby’s nursery to set up a small craft/work station.  It’s really helpful to have a space to call your own whether you are working from home or even if you are a stay home mom and just need a place to conduct all of your “mom business.”  We all know there is plenty of that!

 3)  Set Work Hours and Avoid Distractions.  The great thing about working from home is that you can set your hours and they can be flexible and work around your family, but you still need to set your hours!  Once you decide the best time of day to work, consider yourself “on the clock.”  Keep some structure and be productive during those work times.  Don’t get distracted during this time by e-mails and phone calls!  My sister mentions in her segment that we discussed the e-mails I get from blog readers.  First I have to say that I LOVE getting e-mails from all of you!  It’s truly one of my favorite things about blogging because it’s how I get to know so many of you.  I’ve made countless friends over the years through my blog that all started with an e-mail.  Love that!  But these same e-mails that I love have been a challenge for me.  I want to respond to everyone immediately but if I did, I wouldn’t have time to write a post or finish a project for the blog, or pay attention to my kids.  :)  It has been helpful for me to set aside specific times to respond to blog e-mails a few times a week (especially for the e-mails that will take more time to respond to).  This way I can be more productive during my “work hours.”

The app Cozi has also been a huge help for me (I just recently mentioned it in my “week ahead prep” post).  My husband and I used to spend so much time calling each other back and forth discussing our schedule – adding appointments and making sure each other knew what was going on.  With Cozi you can upgrade to “gold” and get all sorts of add-ons that help you manage your schedule including alerting anyone in your family once you make or change an appointment.  So if I add an appointment to my calendar, my husbands gets an e-mail about the addition/change and now it’s also on his calendar.  Saves us so much back and forth on the phone!  Not that we don’t love talking to each other, but phone calls for scheduling were getting a bit excessive and interrupting our productivity during the day.  SO!  Long way of saying set up work hours and then don’t let distractions like e-mail and phone calls (or instagram and pinterest – ha!) keep you from using that time efficiently.

4)  Support Each Other.  One of the best ways to grow your business is to support others.  This is something I love about blogging!  It’s such a creative, supportive environment.  If you read a good post, share it!  If you buy an etsy product you love, share it!  My sister talked about the whole movement of women supporting other women.  It’s truly one of my favorite things about blogging and something I’m excited to do even more of this year.   Aside from helping your own business grow, supporting and lifting up others just makes you feel good.  :)

(recent picture from a blogger get together) 

On a quick side note I have to say a huge thank you to all of you!  My supportive friends who read this blog.  So much of any success I’ve had blogging has come many of you sharing my posts on social media or just telling a good friend about my blog.  So thank you!  It truly means so much to me.

5) Update How You Communicate.  Create a business card.  I actually just had some made for my blog.  They include a picture of me (although it’s a seriously outdated one that I need to update), my e-mail and blog on the front, and then all of my social media accounts on the back.  So official, right?  ;)

Have a professional e-mail signature.  Another way to share your business often and be remembered.  Last but not least – dress the part.  Dress in a way that represents your business.  Do workout clothes represent Sunny Side Up?  Because that is what I live in most days.  Not because I’m exercising all day, but because if I do exercise there isn’t time to change out of them.  Exercise or shower.  The choice most women make every day.  The struggle is real.  ;)

So that’s it!  A few tips on how to help your home business succeed.  If you work from home and have any other tips to share I’d love to hear them in the comments!