As part of the Macaroni Kid EBC Work from Home Series, several of the participating Independent Consultants will be sharing their expertise on how they run a successful work from home business. They will be sharing their tried and true tips and techniques with our readers. Check out our weekly giveaway too!
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Organizing your Life to Include Your Home-Based Business
One of the common sayings in the direct selling industry is that you can work your business full-time or part-time, but you can’t work it in your spare time. Why? Because none of us has spare time in this day and age. So, if you’d like to have a home-based, direct selling business you’ll need to schedule your business building activities just like you schedule all the other activities of your life.
To schedule your business activities into your busy life, you’ll need a system. This can be whatever type of system works best for you. Over the 8 years I have had my Silpada business, I’ve tried several systems such as Outlook, iPhone, and old-fashioned printed calendar. I’ve settled on the printed calendar as the best system for me personally.
I keep all my activities in one printed calendar. This includes personal business, fun, kids’ activities, husband’s commitments, and my business commitments. The system is pretty simple. I enter all of my non-negotiable commitments first. These are the things I MUST do at the specific time required. This should also include things that are non-negotiable for you personally, such as your regular exercise or personal time. Once all of the non-negotiable items are entered, I go through and choose the dates and times I would like to work my business. Choose times to hold parties and also times to make phone calls, respond to email, and do administrative tasks.
Choosing the times you’ll hold parties makes it easier to help your hostesses book their parties. Hostesses often ask me which day of the week is the best day to have a party. The answer is, whichever day works for her and you. There is no perfect day when all her guests will be available. By choosing the days you will work, you ensure that you make time for your business and you also make it easier for your hostess to choose a date.
Scheduling your other business building activities also ensures that you make time for them. In my life, if I don’t schedule it on my calendar, it doesn’t happen. As in most other areas of life, we make time for the things that are important to us. By scheduling your income-producing activities, you will ensure that you consistently work your business.
The final step of my calendar system is to highlight the activities in a color-coded category. I use pink for parties, purple for personal, orange for kids’ stuff, and so forth. I use highlighters in my printed calendar, and Outlook also has a highlighting feature. I like the highlighting aspect because I can look at a full month in a glance and see what activities are more heavily booked and which may need additional booking.
Being an entrepreneur and choosing when I will work has been the best thing I’ve ever done. I encourage you to give it a try too!
Angela Konigsbauer is an Independant Consultant for Silpada Designs. For more information on becoming an Independent Consultant for or are interested in learning more about the products of Silpada Designs, visit www.mysilpada.com/angela.konigsbauer. This is a sponsored article paid for and submitted by Angela Konigsbauer, Independent Consultant of Silpada Designs.
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Other "From the Expert" Articles as part of our Work from Home Series:
I'm Not a Salesperson" - How I find Customers
Wellness at Work: Stress Management for working moms and SAHM's (stay at home)
Balancing Your Household & Your Home-Based Business
