Home Based Business Recession Survival: How to Avoid Top Five Mistakes

Jodie Watson, Real Simple, Real Life

Watch Video. As an answer to layoffs and downsizing during the Great Recession, Americans have started home based businesses in record numbers.  With high levels of unemployment and job uncertainty, 84% of employees plan to look for a new position in 2011 (Money Magazine) or are looking into a “Plan B.” The extremely low start-up costs, flexible hours, and the Internet are fueling this growth of the home business segment.  TLC Network’s Jodie Watson knows this first hand as she is not only seen regularly helping entrepreneurs organize their home businesses on Real Simple, Real Life, but she has her own home based business. Jodie is on a mission to share her secrets on how to avoid making the top five home business mistakes.

Mistake #1:  Opening a Business in an Industry that is Not Your Skill Set. The reason that so many businesses fail is because people open businesses in an industry they know nothing about.  The secret to success is to start a business in the area you’ve been trained or have a skill set.  Like for me, I have a background in helping people get organized, so that’s why it works.

Mistake #2:  Not Organizing Your Home Work Space for Maximum Productivity. When you work at home, you need an organized work space just like you do if you’re an employee.  You can find great organizing tools at an office supply store and getting organized is as important as staying organized.  Regardless of where you work, one the things most people overlook when setting up a home office is a chair when you spend eight hours of their day sitting at a desk. Office Depot has a new line of HONoffice chairs where you can choose between 32 designs and patterns for your needs and style.  There are two chair models, the Volt and the Ignition, that have an  design ideal for sitting five or more hours a day.  You can choose your chair at www.officedepot.com/customdesign.

Mistake #3:  Overspending on Technology. You really need to do your research when it comes to technology.  It’s not just about price, but added value as well.  You can usually save hundreds of dollars a year if you bundle your internet, mobile phone service, and other services together at a discount package price.  Also, look for a smartphone that gives you the freedom to  make your home office mobile when you’re out running errands, at meetings or at dinner.  In fact, how about using a smartphone that can transform into your laptop, home PC, office PC and home entertainment center all in one.Together with an array of web applications such as Microsoft Office Live, you can now embrace the future of mobile computing. Home business owners can also purchase Motorola’s ATRIX innovative lapdock accessories to tap into truly new mobile computing environment. Motorola’s ATRIX 4G is a phone that acts like a computer, delivers both the power and performance of mobile computing, all while fitting comfortably in your pocket.  It’s literally like putting a laptop in your pocket and you can get more info at att.com/ATRIX4G.

Motorola ATRIX4

Now, you can get stressed out working from home, but did you know that technology can help reduce stress? A recent clinical study found that playing Bejeweled 2 reduced stress 47% on adults tested.  The sequel Bejeweled 3 has launched with an expanded Zen mode for stress reduction where you can customize ambient sounds, mantras and even breath modulation settings.  You can get it in stores or at PopCap.com.

Bejeweled 3

Mistake #4:  Not Setting a Schedule and Treating Your Home Based Business Like a Job. You One of the biggest dilemmas that people who run a home-based business face is keeping their home life and their work life separate.  First, keep your home-based office in a place that is as cut off from the rest of your home as possible.  Second, when you work from home, you are still working; so you must treat it like a job in every way. Have a schedule, office hours, self-discipline but, if you lack these things, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Mistake #5:  Not Keeping Track of Expenses Will Cost You at Tax Time. One of the biggest mistakes you can make that will cost you at tax time is not keeping track of your expenses and keeping accurate records. Your legitimate deductions will save you a bundle on tax day, but you have to be organized with your receipts.

Jodie Watson is an organizational expert and the Founder and President of Supreme Organization. Jodie can been seen regularly on Real Simple, Real Life, a lifestyle make-over show on the TLC Network where she helps women identify their day-to-day organizational challenges and offers realistic solutions that save them time, clear the chaos, and make their lives less stressful and more manageable.  After working in the entertainment industry for many years including Joan & Melissa River’s Rugby Productions, she launched Supreme Organization in 2005.  Jodie is a member of the National Association of Organizers (NAPO), Vice President of the Los Angeles Chapter of NAPO, and has a roster of celebrity clients

Tara Aronson’s Busy Moms Survival Tips for Overwhelmed Moms on the Run!

January 2010:

Tara Aronson, Lifestyle Reporter

Watch Video. Did you know that 72% of moms with children over one-year-old work and moms with a full-time job spend 13 hours each day working at the office or at home completing family chores? Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, or a working mom, you probably feel overwhelmed and as though you are always running out of time. Between managing jobs, the kids schedules with school and play, cooking, and cleaning, getting organized and under control doesn’t usually come naturally and busy moms need help. Working Mom and Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson, wrote the book on helping moms get control of their homes and their lives with Mrs. Clean Jeans’ Housekeeping with Kids and she has five time management tips for busy moms.

TIP # 1 – Don’t Skip Breakfast. Mornings are the hardest times for moms and kids with getting everyone ready for school and work and though you know that skipping breakfast is a bad idea, it takes a lot more time to cook a nutritious breakfast. Here’s an easy alternative when you’re on the go and need to get out the door, Carnation® Breakfast Essentials™. It has more than two times the protein of an egg, twice the calcium of a 6 oz cup of yogurt and 21 essential vitamins and minerals in every serving. It’s also easy on the budget since one serving averages $0.76 when using a glass of milk and the kids can even make this easy breakfast by themselves which saves moms time during the morning madness.

Don't Skip Breakfast!

TIP # 2 – Make Technology Your Friend and Reduce Stress. Today’s mom can use the latest technology to help organize her day and find ways to relax. Here are two lifesavers for moms. Whether you’re running errands or attending soccer practice, an Android smart phone will help you keep it all together. The new LG Optimus M from MetroPCS costs $229 and has over 100,000 apps with features like social networking, texting and email. You get unlimited calls, texting and internet access, service starts at $50 a month and you never sign an annual contract You can find out more details at MetroPCS.com.

Android Smartphone: LG Optimus M from MetroPCS

Now, busy moms get stressed out but did you know that technology can help reduce stress? Video games aren’t just for kids and a recent clinical study conducted at East Carolina University found that playing Bejeweled 2 reduced stress 47% on adults tested. It’s easy to see why more than 300 million women around the world play it and now, the sequel Bejeweled 3 has launched with an expanded Zen mode for stress reduction where you can customize ambient sounds, mantras and even breath modulation settings. You can get it in stores or at PopCap.com.

Get Bejeweled 3 in stores or at PopCap.com.

TIP # 3 – Get the Kids Involved. First of all, you’re a mom, not a maid, and it’s important to be a good parent and teach your kids age appropriate chores to learn the life skills they need to succeed in life. That includes not doing every thing for them when they’re old enough to start making the bed, cleaning their room, taking out the trash, and even doing laundry. By delegating these chores, it’s less stress on moms and it’s teaching kids responsibility.

Age appropriate chores teach kids important life skills and help busy moms.

TIP # 4 – Conquering Clutter, Cleaning and Chaos. Here are three easy tips to conquer clutter, cleaning and chaos and it starts with keeping a schedule and posting it on the fridge, or “family central,” so everyone knows the plan and keeps track. Next, cleaning is delegated so that’s a family affair as well and the kids chore lists on also on the fridge. Finally, have a catch-all basket for important papers like homework that needs a signature, etc. and set that in a place you won’t miss it and keep another basket where you can collect items that go back to bedrooms so you only have to make one trip.

TIP # 5 – Organize Errands to Save Time and Money. Organizing your time by combining errands will save you gas, time and money so plan your errands so you make one trip instead of three or four. Go to Tara’s MrsCleanJeans.com website to get lots of free tips to help you organize a busy mom’s life.

2009 Top 5 Busy Mom Time Management Makeover Tips

October 2009:

Tara Aronson, Lifestyle Expert

Tips from Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson. 72% of moms with children over one-year-old work and moms with a full-time job spend 13 hours each day working at the office or at home completing family chores. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, or a working mom, you probably feel overwhelmed and as though you are always running out of time. Between managing jobs, the kids schedules with school and play, cooking, and cleaning, getting organized and under control doesn’t usually come naturally and busy moms need help. Working Mom and Lifestyle Expert, Tara Aronson, wrote the book on helping moms get control of their homes and their lives with Simplify Your Household and Mrs. Clean Jeans’ Housekeeping with Kids and she has smart time management tips for busy moms  Here are her top five tips for a Busy Mom’s Time Management Makeover.

TIP # 1 – Eliminate Morning Madness. Simplify your mornings by doing as many things as you can the night before.  Sign off on homework and school papers, pack lunches, pack up backpacks and station them near the door and lay out school clothes including shoes, socks and hair bands.  Finally, make sure kids set their own alarm clocks as it encourages them to be responsible for their own schedules.

TIP #2 – Conquer Clutter and Cleaning to Prevent Chaos. You can conquer what I call important clutter like receipts, mail, permission slips and other important items by creating a temporary holding area with what I call clutter-buster baskets.  These are not a permanent dumping grounds because you will check them daily and distribute the contents. Now, here’s a cleaning tip most people don’t know about.  Many kitchens can get foul odors if the dishwasher and garbage disposal are not properly cleaned as directed in their Use & Care guides.  In fact, dishwashers in particular can be a problem when dirty dishes sit for several days or when food residue is not completely rinsed away.  I recommended something that is brand new on the market from Whirlpool for a cleaner, fresher dishwasher and disposal, Affresh™ Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner.  You use this once a month or as needed and it’s the only national two-in-one product available that removes odor in dishwashers and garbage disposals.

TIP #3- Make A Family Calendar to Save Time by Organizing Schedules. Everyone in the family has activities so it’s important to make a family calendar.  This can help you figure out things like what errands can be combined and if you can arrange car pools that can be real time savers. Also, establish routines with set times for homework and playtime so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each day.  Now, with school in full-swing, several play dates for your toddlers in the afternoons, and soccer games on weekends, kids can get some tough stains on their clothes that can be time consuming to get out.  To tackle these messes, here’s another new product, Tide Stain Release.  It’s an in-wash booster designed to help remove the toughest fresh and dry stains.  Just drop one of these duo pacs into your washing machine, along with regular detergent, and Tide Stain Release will help lift tough stains like grass to ketchup on everything from your clothes to your favorite linens.

TIP #4- Get the Kids Involved to Save Time Cleaning. Make family participation in household cleaning and maintenance the rule rather than the exception.  On Saturdays, have your whole family engage in a 60-minute cleaning routine.  This is a round the room and through the home cleaning and organizing system.  The goal is turn housework into teamwork, with each member of the family helping to get it right and fast.

TIP #5- Learn the Art of Delegation to Balance Work and Family. Working mothers of all kinds need to know that getting your entire family involved with effective time management is the key to overcoming overwhelm and balancing work and family. Too many times, moms try to do it all by themselves.  They need to look at their family to as a support system.  Start getting kids involved early with age appropriate chores to lessen your load.  The more the kids pitch in, the less Mom and Dad have to do, and the more free time everyone has to go to the movies, eat out at a favorite restaurant or take afternoons off to head to a park or a beach.