How to Work With Children in the Household

Here are some tips to help you freelance parents, entrepreneurs, and telecommuters out there work when your children are in the house.  These tips have helped me tons, so I hope it does the same for you.

List of 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers: http://vida.posterous.com/100-best-companies-for-working-mothers

Wired Editor-in-Chief to Keynote DC GrowSmartBiz Conference

 

Wired Magazine is one of my favorite magazines that helps me keep up with the latest in the technological field.  I have also added the RSS feed to my Google Reader, so I can easily share articles with my social networks.  It was a wonderful surprise to find out that Wired’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson will be keynoting the GrowSmartBiz Conference on September 29, 2009 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Wired Magazine won the National Magazine Award during the time that Anderson has been there.  What is the National Magazine Award?  It has been described as the Pulitzer Award for the magazine industry, so you can just imagine what an honor it is.  Anderson has also written two business books:  Long Tail, The, Revised and Updated Edition: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More and Free: The Future of a Radical Price.   What is so great about these two books is that they were both originally Wired magazines that Anderson expanded into full-fledged books.  This is something that Writers should all learn from.  You can always take a shorter piece of writing and expand it into a longer one. 

The GrowSmartBiz Conference is being hosted by Network Solutions.  It is a one-day event designed to provide small businesses in the DC area, from startups to well-established companies, with information and resources to make their businesses more successful.  Here is more information about the event: https://guest.cvent.com

I am definitely going to go to the conference to hear and talk to different business owners on how they are able to continue to provide products and/or services to their clients with the economic downturn.  For me, I have noticed how companies are asking for discounts and are more weary of who they hire.  Some of the methods that I am using to continue striving during these times is using social media more than ever to get exposure.  Additionally, I have joined two technology-focused associations and attending their networking events.  They both have Ning and LinkedIn networks, and I have been pretty active in them. 

My next step is to start volunteering to non-profit organizations who do not have the funds to pay for a Freelance Writer’s services.  These are things that I would love to talk to with other business owners to see what advice they can offer me. 

If you are in DC, do not miss this event.  You could definitely learn a few things that you can apply to your business. 

Photo Detail: Wired Magazine Collection for sale, originally uploaded by gserafini.

Organization is Key When Freelancing

Organization is one of the most important parts of being a freelancer. If you do not have some sort of system, then you will never be able to be successful in your line of work. Unlike a company, you do not have different people handling different tidbits that makes the entire company run smoothly.  You are the CEO, Marketing Director, Technical Guru, and Financial Officer.  Therefore, you need to be on top of things to ensure that everything goes according to how you envisioned. 

Before I even tried to attract clients, I had a system in place. I developed a business plan and a marketing plan. A great book to read is Six-Week Start-Up: A Step-by-Step Program for Starting Your Business, Making Money, and Achieving Your Goals! by Rhonda Abrams.  She has developed a great guide that will have you up and running in no time. 

After those were in place, I developed a project plan using MS Project. It’s one of the best software applications that Microsoft offers. I haven’t been able to find one that provides me the functionality that MS Project has.   I use it for setting up projects for different IT consulting companies that I have worked for.  You can learn the basics in less than a day, so check it out. 

I added these to my Google Calendar.  I don’t know what I would do without it.  I use different calendars, so I can color code it.  Google Tasks are a great addition, so I can never miss a deadline.  I sync that with my Blackberry Calendar, so I can also have it on the go. 

You will also want to develop a database or spreadsheets to keep track of your clients (or potential ones).  If you can build a database for that, then I suggest you  use that because you can always find the information quicker than using numerous spreadsheets.  However, even spreadsheets are better than not having anything.

I’ve worked for companies that were disorganized and it was stressful for everyone involved, so imagine if it’s just you.  Get your freelance life organized before you even think about getting clients.  They can usually tell when you are not on top of your game.

Transition from Working Mom to Freelance Writing Mom

Panama Trip 2009, originally uploaded by dreamingindc.

When the kids and I were heading to the field trip, I told them that at the end of July, I would be working from home full time. I explained that we had to change the way we spend money, and be mindful of each other’s time. They seemed to kind of understand what I was saying, but I know that it’s something that I will have to discuss when it gets closer to that time.

I know that this isn’t just a transition for me, but for the kids as well. It’s going to definitely be a learning experience for the three of us. They are going to learn that when mommy is working, no one can bother her. The only time that they can is if the house is burning down.

My son is pretty self sufficient, but my daughter isn’t. This separation anxiety that she has, where she freaks out if I am not around, is not going to be possible any more. She is going to learn to do her own thing and not depend so much on me. For me, I will need to learn to work through the distractions. When I am writing, I can’t start doing ten things at once. It will be hard, but I know that I can do it.

Yesterday, I turned down a high-paying job that lacked the flexibility and didn’t offer any telecommuting options.  I want to continue to have the ability to attend their school events, and be there when they need me.  I know this is a great move because it doesn’t seem like I will be able to find the flexibility that I need, unless I work for myself.