The VA Biz 101 - Topic #5

The Home in Home Office

Topic Objective: In this topic, we’ll explore how to keep harmony in your home while working in your office.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, homes were filled with generations who worked on the farm. The men ran the farm, the women ran the home. Then along came the Industrial Revolution and an exodus to the cities. Men went to work in factories and offices and women still ran the home. In World War II, Rosie the Riveter was born. Men went to war and women went to work. After the war, many women continued to work outside of the home. They decided they liked having a professional life.

But now girls are watching their mothers trying to work, be mothers, run homes and keep up with a frantic pace that is often stressful and unfulfilling. They are not willing to make this sacrifice. They want more than the hectic pace and having their kids raised in day care.

Now technology is giving us alternative work options and making it easier to outsource and develop virtual teams.

More and more people are looking to jump the chasm from gainfully employed to self-employed. They want to simplify life and settle down. Priorities have changed and people have decided to take more control of how they work and play. We want and can have the best of life before the Industrial Revolution but with modern bells and whistles.

The technology is here to enable us to live, work and play at home. But sometimes it’s not as easy to manage as it seems. Boundaries are not as clear. So how do we juggle it all?

Support

Beware the Naysayers

When you told your spouse or your Mom about your vision of a VA Business did you hear things like: You’re being frivolous, irresponsible, it’s a scam, or you’re just dreaming, you need to get a real job! Maybe you have even said these things to yourself?

Do you have support from your family? This is really crucial. They may not understand and wonder why you refuse to pack the kids off to daycare and stress over someone else’s business but, in the end, they must at least be willing to accept this. Otherwise, your home could be far more stressful than any office. I’m not saying give up your dream, but I am saying be realistic and willing to work with your spouse instead of against.

Organization

Here I want to explore how we can be whole people - mothers, wives, friends, VAs and all at once. How? - flexible compartmentalization! - Organization with a healthy dose of common sense. This doesn’t just apply to Stay at Home Moms who want to be Work at Home Moms but also to Baby Boomers who have skills and experience and aren’t ready to sit around and play Bridge all day. It also applies to Dads who want to be home with their families too.

I used to have a client who drove me nuts with the cliché, “prior proper planning prevents poor performance”! But I can’t deny the truth behind it. There are tech tools to help you work efficiently and we will get into that more in the next topic. In order to work at home you will have to handle distractions, set boundaries, manage your time and balance family and work. Sound like working outside of the home? Yes - and no.

So how do you do it?

Systems!

Schedule stuff!

Do things such as dirty dishes and laundry easily distract you? Think of it this way - if you worked in an office, how would you handle these tasks? You’d do them after work or on weekends. The same applies here. Block time for your business, your housework and, um, one other thing…what was it? Oh yea! Fun! Don’t forget to recharge your batteries!

Now you may be thinking that you want your own business so that you don’t have to have a schedule but that’s not very realistic. Having a schedule though can actually be very liberating - get the work done, then you can play with a clear conscious!

Boundaries and expectations

Do you want those naysayers to take you seriously? Set the tone - Teach people how you want to be treated. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and expectations. Be fair, firm and friendly, not just friendly!

Have you ever noticed that when you are on the phone, your kids suddenly need you? They aren’t even aware of your existence before or after but pick up that phone and BAM! You will be the most popular mom in the world!

When my kids were younger, we had a great system. I scheduled calls while they were at school but sometimes I had to be on the phone when they were home so I would close my office door and hang a red tag if I was on the phone and a green tag if I just needed some peace and quiet. They knew if they saw the green tag that they could come in if they really needed something, like help with homework. But if the red tag was on the door, they knew that someone better be bleeding before disturbing me. Well, maybe not quite bleeding but they understood that it needed to be pretty close to an emergency. Then they would take the red tag (unless someone really was bleeding!) and slide it under the door and knock gently (not beat down the door). I would know then that I needed to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

What evolved was a very smooth system. We expected each other to follow the system and we all got what we needed. We trusted each other. They also knew that if they didn’t respect the system, I would not be able to work at home and they would be in day care.

Setting clear expectations and boundaries is crucial to making this work. I also think there are some very valuable lessons for kids in this - but that’s a whole other topic!

A job isn’t just for work

Do you find yourself “addicted” to sites like YouTube and Twitter? - All in the name of marketing research of course. The fact is that humans are social animals. Working in a bricks and mortar office fulfills another very important role besides providing a living. It provides part of your life - part of your social life. We need face-to-face interaction with other people.

Working at home doesn’t eliminate human interaction but it is a bit different. I communicate with people literally all over the world every day but I rarely see any of them face to face. If I do, it is via a web conference and it doesn’t happen very often. Sometimes I just need to be around people. I have a friend I get together with once a week. Sometimes I’ll just grab my work and head to Starbucks for a while.

I also have some online forums I “hang around” for support. No, they don’t provide face-to-face contact but I can be very “picky” about who I hang out with. I can get support from other Moms or other entrepreneurs when I need it. I can also learn a lot from my “virtual friends.”

Working virtually may take a little getting used to but remember - just like working in an office, you need to get your work done, but you also need to have a harmonious home and a social life. Remember that “balance” thing? It may take a little getting used to but the payoff will be worth it. You’ll be there when your daughter comes home in tears because her crush snubbed her. You’ll be there to celebrate when your son makes the basketball team. You’ll be there.

Next up: The Office in Home Office

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