I read a really interesting post in a forum that I frequent. The poster asked the other mothers if they felt that having a multiple stream of income was better than just having one source of income. This board is for mothers who work from home, so the question boiled down to should you have one job or should you have more than one?
People who work for others-either those who are involved in network marketing or those who sell items like jewelry or purses through home parties-might have an opportunity to work in more than one job at one time.
I do not do either of these, but I, too, have the ability to take on numerous projects at once. Through my company I design web sites and logos and write press releases; through freelancing I write various articles and for several venues. These are not linked to my company, so I consider them other jobs. So, I would say that I fall into the category of working more than one job, and I have more than one source of income.
Quite a few people responded to this post. Most said that yes, they thought you should consider having more than one source of income if you are working from home. Several respondents stated that the most wealthy of people, including Trump, have multiple sources of income.
Does this make them wealthy? It certainly does give them a financial advantage, and it also gives them a backup in case one of their businesses fails.
Yet having more than one source of income can be a difficult task to juggle. I know from my own perspective that I usually have at least four, if not more, jobs going on at one time. They are in various stages and steps, and I have to sit down and plan out which I have to work on when I have a chance to actually sit down and work.
In this way, I must be highly organized and punctual. If I tell a client that a website will be finished by Monday, then it has to be finished by Monday, even if I tell another client that her press release will be ready and I have two deadlines with different publications for which I write.
There are days that I have to write down what it is I have to get done for each job, and then I have to prioritize these so that I am getting it all completed when I have to have it done. There are also times that I stay up until well past midnight, and then wake at five, in order to meet deadlines.
This kind of working schedule does get difficult, particularly considering I have two young children still at home. Though my three and a half year old is now in preschool, she only attends two half days a week. The rest of the time, I am in charge, and I have a rule that I will only work during nap time, bedtime and in the early morning hours. So, getting things done on time can be tough, but it is imperative that I do so if I want to earn a paycheck and have repeat clients.
If you are working from home and you are considering taking on more than one ‘job’, or you are opening a business and are considering doing something else on the side, at least until the business grows, make sure that you have the flexibility in your schedule to work more than one job.
Also make sure that you can juggle everything that each job will entail. Make a list of the things that you can see each job needing, and how you will get these done while you are also taking care of your home and your family. If these are doable, then do it!
I love what I do, and that I wear many hats. If I get bored writing an article, I can stop and work on a website. If I grow tired of editing a piece that I’m writing, I can work on a logo or a magazine layout. I’m able to go from one thing to the next, which keeps me not only busy but interested in what I am doing. And the fact that I have multiple streams of income; well, that doesn’t hurt a bit!