Being a stay-at-home mom, you'd think I have all the time in the world. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Between diaper changes, making meals, cleaning the floor after meals, diaper changes, getting kids to take naps, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, and diaper changes, I seem to run out of time.
I am going to travel back in time in order to bring my blog up to date. I started with a work at home company where I truly believe in what they are doing. I'm a very skeptical person by my nature. I don't think I would be able to really recommend a product or business unless I am a customer myself. I'm sure there are many companies that are fantastic to work for. However, I need to believe in something in order to become a part of it. That applies in all aspects of my life. With that being said, I researched many work-at-home opportunities. Most of them were either too good to be true or would require endless amounts of my time filling out surveys or writing reviews into space. Again, not that these are bad options, just not the ones I wanted to utilize my time with.
I was hesitant at first when I received a call from a nice woman named Deb. She reminded me of my mother, in a good way. She was very calming, incredibly informative and friendly. Long story short, I was soon to become part of a fantastic network of mentors, trainers, and peers. This is only the beginning. I started the middle of June and jumped in eager to learn.
In our society, mothers and fathers have an incredible responsibility for raising their children. Learned values from parents and grandparents are being phased out from one generation to the next. Budget cuts in our schools keep getting worse. I have a sad feeling that my children will be labeled as "Generation Lost". They will have little to no resources to enhance their lives. The government will be unable or unwilling to provide basic services for its citizens. Part of my decision to go back to work is to earn enough money to put our kids through private school if necessary. This means the whole family will need to make some sacrifices.
Time management has been more difficult than I originally imagined. Because my brain is not fully recovered from the ailment of having children, I get sidetracked often. I would be going to get a paper from the printer and have to grab a kid to change a diaper. Then I'd see it was lunchtime and get some food for them. Two hours later, I would remember what I printed and grab the paper from the printer. The typical 'walk into a room and forget why you went there in the first place' syndrome.
My time is more effectively spent than it was before. There are still diapers to change, mouths to feed, and chores to be done. Now, I prioritize my time better. I now own and use a Day Planner to keep my head straight and my appointments visible. I haven't been scheduling house cleaning or meals, but maybe I should be. I just don't want to end up like some of those anal-retentive moms on Wife Swap who has a schedule for everything. How sad would that be for my children (and husband)?
I also purchased a laptop and wireless Internet so I'd be able to be more mobile around the house. Unfortunately, I think my kids think a computer is supposed to be around mommy all the time. During the minute intervals of downtime I have during my day, I'm checking emails, on muted conference calls, or actively marketing on the Internet. It seems to be working so far. In about 3 short hours of active marketing, I now have 28 leads and counting. They are good leads, too. I believe this could be the beginning of something beautiful!
Deb has been a fantastic mentor. I hope I can be as supportive and interactive with my partners as she has been with me. At my request, I asked to jump in with both feet and contact the prospective partners. I made business meetings with ALL of those I have contacted so far. This is so very easy. I CAN DO THIS! The company's history will speak for itself and I have gained some much needed self-confidence.
To date, I have two personal customers and one business partner. I consider that a slow month, too. For just starting out, I needed to get my niche in the business and complete much of the training. Now, I am on a path of extreme growth. I have set reachable short- and long-term goals and posted them on my desk. That way, not only do I get to see them daily, my husband does, too.
If you are going to start any type of home-based business, make sure you have a strong support system. There will be many ups and downs. There will be people cheering you on and those who tell you that you'll fail. I personally, want to tell the downers to kiss my @$$! It makes me want to prove them wrong. It gives me the fuel and drive to shove it in their faces. I want this for my kids and for my hardworking husband. I want this for myself.
Please let me know if you have any questions about working from home or if you have suggestions about my writing. I promise my posts will get shorter. I'm just getting caught up. Thanks again for reading!!
Leslie
www.myblueprint.info
You go girl! Looking forward to reading more.
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