A perennial favorite story of mine, compensation experts at Salary.com released their 2009 calculation of what a stay-at-home would make if she were actually paid for her work. Moms earned a 5% increase over last year, yielding a grand total of $123,000 for their valuable contributions to their family and children!
That sounds like the income of a highly paid executive to me! Do you approach your job with that mentality? An executive must allocate her time wisely. You would find her spending her time on only the most critical functions of her business. When we spread ourselves too thin, and try to do too many things in a day, we cannot really do all of them well. As a virtual assistant, I advise business owners to do what they do best and delegate the rest. To get at the heart of which of your weekly tasks can and need be delegated, ask yourself the following three questions…
1. Do you have adequate time to devote weekly to your at-home business?
We cannot pursue a serious at-home career without devoting some serious time to it. Also true is the fact that your kids need and deserve your undivided attention a lot of the time! Yes, you can spend nap-times, evenings and weekends on your career. But have you thought about other alternatives? As summer approaches, consider looking for a neighborhood teenager to babysit on a regular basis. Explore drop-in childcare opportunities through local day-cares or through your school district. Find a friend to trade babysitting with or alternate regular play dates.
2. Do your family values shine through in your daily activity?
It is so easy to get lost in the details of everyday life. Are you living out your family values? If not, what structures can you put in place to make that happen? For example, we value going to church as a family on Sundays, so I (try to) make sure we are not over-scheduled on weekends so we do not find an excuse to miss church. We also place a lot of importance on free play and outdoor time, so I meticulously plan my work time and also do not over-schedule our days.
3. What can you outsource?
And by outsource, I mean to family members! All children, young and old, must be contributing members of your household. Mom cannot, and should not have to, do it all! Your time, as CEO of your household, is extremely valuable and you have a built-in workforce. Are they being utilized to their full potential?
Wed, May 6, 2009
Working at Home