Are you really “multi-tasking” – or just doing several things poorly all at once?

If you’ve worked from home for awhile now, you’ve probably come to recognize that time management is key. I am the multi-tasking queen. Once, I managed to talk to a customer, change a diaper and pour bubble bath solution into a running tub all at once. Pretty impressive, huh? Not really. The problem with multi-tasking is that you really aren’t paying enough attention to the tasks at hand. While you might feel like you are getting a lot done, your children are getting short-changed (pardon the pun) while you are talking on the phone, and your customer is getting poor … Continue reading

If You Do What You Can Tolerate – The Money Will Follow… Eventually

In a previous blog entry I talked about “finding your passion, or faking it until you make it.” Another popular phrase in the home business world is… “if you love what you do, the money will follow”. Well, although that makes a great motivational poster or Hallmark card caption, it isn’t always that easy. When I look back at my at-home career, the catch phrase would more likely be, “If you do what you can tolerate, the money will follow…eventually.” One of my absolute favorite things to do in my spare time is to play with clay. I make magnets, … Continue reading

Unfortunately, I Have Yet to Find the “Get Rich Quick” WAHM Job

When I started to look for a work at home career (nearly ten years ago) I was admittedly drawn to the ads that say such things as, “make $1000 per month…in your sleep”, or “ground floor opportunity, get in now and make millions”. Can you imagine going to bed one evening and waking up with a $1000 check in the mailbox? It sounds just about as good as the ads that suggest you’ll lose 20 inches in 20 days. Well, I hate to break it to you…but I’ve never lost 20 inches in less than a month, and I’ve never … Continue reading

Would You Work at Home if You Didn’t Have To?

Have you ever wondered if you would work at home if you didn’t have to? What if you won the lottery? What if your spouse got a substantial raise? What if you got a sudden inheritance? This is a question that is often raised in relation to traditional careers. It seems as if everyone who wins the lottery is asked, “will you continue working?” While the winners often say, “no”…many say that they would be “bored to tears” without a job. I often wonder about my motivation was for starting my work-at-home job. You’ll often hear women say that they … Continue reading

Is it Time to Hire Some Help?

I’ll never forget the day I held a spa party in one of the nicest homes in town. As everyone soaked their feet and drank expensive wine, I overheard one of the women asking her friends, “so, what are you getting the help for Christmas?” As I was pouring peppermint scented crystals into the tubs where their perfectly pedicured feet were soaking. I suddenly felt like “the help” too. Quite honestly, my first reaction was…“why in the world do these women need help with anything?” I knew many of them personally and none of them worked (at all). Were all … Continue reading

Put a fork in me….

I’m done. I threw in the towel. Elvis left the building and the fat lady has sung. I quit. I never thought I would utter those words (or type them for that matter). While I am not proud of being a quitter…it just feels right this time. Allow me to rewind a few months. I used to be a direct sales Director with a large downline team. Each month my paycheck and my business continued to grow. Much like Andre Agassiz and Michael Jordan, I quit in my prime – only I left for a very different reason. It was … Continue reading

Old Work Habits Die Hard

Prior to becoming a direct sales representative, I was an investigator for our county’s child protection agency where I spent my days interviewing people non-stop. “What happened to your child?” “What are your housing plans?” “How is your marriage?” When I wasn’t being nosey, I was busy making often feeble attempts to fix people. Needless to say, it was quite refreshing to leave my social services job and work with people that didn’t have the same issues as my “customers” from my previous job. I was ready for a change of pace. Within the first few months of my business, … Continue reading

Who Is “Keeper At Home”?

Some of you might be thinking, “KeeperAtHome, that’s an odd handle…” When I was debating about what name I wanted to represent me as I write for Families, the Lord laid Titus 2:5 on my heart. It exhorts young women to be, “…discreet, chaste, keepers at home…” Also, in Titus 5:14 the Bible says, “I will therefore that the younger women…guide the house…” From before I was married until my son was nine months old I worked in the professional world. I had a supervisory position in a health care facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. I found my job … Continue reading

Bear With Me…Just a Short Vent About “Mentality”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be snobby or anything but people who think $8/hour is “great money” are forever destined to be poor and desperate. That’s just life folks. I’m amazed at how defensive people are about it, too”. First of all, let me start by telling you that I am going to vent tonight. While I try to use my blogging job as an opportunity to inspire and encourage other home-based moms (and dads), I am annoyed tonight and need to let off a bit of steam. I am an active member of a work-at-home forum where someone … Continue reading

How Networking on Message Board Forums Can Enhance Your Home Business

Earlier this week, I was contacted by a friend about a business venture that she is starting. Interestingly, I have never met this person nor have I ever heard her voice, but I feel an amazing connection with her and I am anxious to assist her with her project. Late last month, someone e-mailed me and said, “Traci, there is a great blogging job available that you would love”. I applied, here I am…and she was right! I have never met that person either, yet I consider her a dear friend. For anyone involved in a home business, networking with … Continue reading