Time Management for your Home Business

Time management is a serious issue for work from home Moms. You want your home business to be successful, but you don't want the rest of your responsibilities to fall by the wayside... especially your children, who are the reason most of us chose to work from home in the first place, right?

Have a clear purpose when you go online

Whenever you go to your computer, have a definite purpose in mind. It helps to keep a notebook by your computer always with your goals and to-do lists in it, all in once place. This helps prevent you from aimlessly checking email or surfing the net and getting lost. Know what you need to accomplish, write it down, do it, and move on to the next activity.

Think Assembly Line

In other words, group similar activities together. Don't check your email all day, check it two or 3 times a day (at most) and answer all the emails at the same time. When you want to make changes to your website, list them all and wait until you need to make several changes at once. When one child asks for a story gather them all around. Same thing for snacks. Run all your errands at once.

Set limits

No one person can do everything. Your time and energy is valuable and you need to be firm in setting limits on how you spend it. Don't commit to things that you can't reasonably accomplish. Get enough rest. Learn to say No. Avoid negative people who like to whine.

Do Daily Planning

It is said that people do not plan to fail but a lot of people fail to plan. Take the time each night to review what you have going on for the next 24 hours. Plan your work and then work your plan each day. Write up a To Do list with all you “have to’s” and all of your “want to’s” for your next day.

Control Procrastination

The most effective planning in the world does not substitute for doing what needs to be done. We procrastinate and put off important things because we don’t sense enough pain for not doing it or enough pleasure to do it.

Ask for help

If you are a person who feels that you need to do everything yourself, this tip might make you uncomfortable. I'd encourage you to try this anyway. I've found that, by asking for assistance, I'm actually able to produce much more in much less time.