Four home-based writing business basics

I've been a working from home mum for five years now. I cannot believe it's been that long!

I love having my own writing and editing business, but I've struggled to fit it into my life since having kids. I've been frustrated about not being able to grow it as quickly as I would like. And I've also found it hard to come to grips with the inconsistent work flow which can come with solo freelancing.

The truth is, it's been a struggle the whole time that I've continued to work while having two, then three, then four children. Even when, or maybe especially when, it's only been for a few hours a week. Because when you spend three or four hours a week on your business, you question why you're bothering at all.

Then when it suddenly jumps to a 20-hour week you have to squeeze in between everything else, you want to shut yourself away from your kids and husband, and turn off the phone, until it is done.

But I think the struggle has been worth it. I've finally got to a point where I feel I've got the hang of this thing. Working from home, or near home, in your own business can really be a lovely lifestyle, whether you have children or not.

Today I have realistic expectations about work flow and can manage its unevenness. With five years experience under my belt I am much more confident in my abilities than I was when I started out, I'm more organised, and make much better use of my time.

Here are the four most important things I've learnt about running a home-based business:

1. Do something you LOVE

Choose to do something that if you won the Lotto tomorrow, you would still do for free. Then do it, and don't worry too much about the money. If you're good at what you do (and if you love it that much you probably are) then the money will come.

I've done work which bored me almost to tears, and while each completed job paid well, it turned out to be a poor return per hour of effort as I forced myself to concentrate on the task. So I don't take on jobs solely for the money any more. I will take on jobs out of my niche but I have to find them a little bit interesting as well.

2. Work out how much money you actually need to earn

Don't just pluck a figure out of the air to aim for, like I have done. It might feel exciting to aim for a six-figure income over the next year, but you're doing yourself a disservice if you're not being real. How much do you actually need to live on, or save to put towards that specific goal you're after?

You might find it's a lot less than what you think, and that frees you up to be more creative with your business and build a reputation and a niche. It's better than a scatter-gun approach of grabbing what work you can in order to make lots of dollars at once.

2. Get a grip on basic household tasks


It makes life a lot easier if you have the basics of your household covered - especially meals, laundry and basic upkeep. You get these things slide if you've only got adults at home, or it's just you, but you have to keep on top of them if you have young children.


You can either do it yourself (in which case a schedule helps), or outsource it. If outsourcing, just keep in mind that you have to earn well in front of what you're paying for help. You get taxed on what you earn, plus you might pay a tax upon outsourcing household chores. It adds up, and you don't want to be working mostly to pay for your cleaner and takeaway dinners.


If you have sympathetic family near by, delegate making a dinner or two a week, or a basket of ironing, taking children to swimming lessons, whatever they wish!


3. Turn off the computer every day


When the kids come home from school just love them. Take them outside. Play with them. Cook with them. Take an interest in their homework. Have their friends over.

Don't have kids? Catch up with a friend over lunch, go for a walk with a neighbour, drop a little thank you present at someone's front door. The idea is that you do something most week days to get you away fom the computer and connect you with the people in your life.

Also, meditate, pray, exercise, get a massage, do whatever you do to nourish yourself and return you to gratitude for your life. Book it in a few times a week, if not every day.

You might get (financially) rich a little slower, that's all. It's worth it. Enjoy the flexibility that you give yourself in a home-based business.

I've learnt all these things the hard way. It's simple commonsense but it can take ages to actually put commonsense ideas into practice can't it? Five years in my case!

There are lots of other things I think are important in a home-based business like mine, and I might write about them in other posts. What have you learnt from trying to work from home? Any tips?

Freelance writing goals - an update

It's been a long time since I posted my freelance writing goals. My business has been basically in maintence mode since I've had my gorgeous baby at home with me 24/7. I picked up one very valuable client during that time, who is also a friend.

But now is the time to start setting some further goals and particularly promoting my services as I'll have some week days child-free from January. I don't want to be caught out then with no work in the pipeline but still having to pay those day-care fees.

The last time I posted my freelance writing goals was four months before having my fourth baby. In retrospect I was much too optimistic about how much mental and physical energy I was going to need in order to write so many articles and start a book.

In fact my approach to goal-setting is very different now, which applies to the way I am going to run my business from now on. Now I'll only have one goal per month, over and above my regular freelance writing, proofreading and editing gigs.

This month my goal was simply to write a little most days, which I've done here on this blog. I'm hoping it's a habit I can keep up. Next month I'd like to focus more on promotion - adding a page here to highlight my writing and proofreading services, and generally letting people know that I'm open for business again.

I do also have an idea for a book, which I'm not going to rush into. I feel that if this particular book wants to be written, then it will be written. If not by me, then probably by someone else in a better place to do it. And that is ok.

I'm not going to rush anything any more; just take things one step at a time. Life is not a race to the finish line, I've decided.

Musings on working from home

I'm so lucky to be able to work from home while my children are little.

I've been a work from home mum since our second child was born nearly six years ago. My four-day weekly income was only slightly more than the cost of putting two children into formal childcare and we didn't have anyone who could help us out with free child minding a day or two a week.

So I quit my job, except for two days each week which I've devoted to freelance writing, editing and proofreading plus a few basketloads of laundry.

I've always just done enough work to keep my hand in and found it frustrating to have lots of writing and business ideas and never sufficient time or energy, once two more little babies joined us, to implement them.

At other times I've wanted to throw the paid work towel in altogether and simply be the best mum and domestic goddess I could be. I found real satisfaction in making sure we all ate well, had a clean and tidy house, and filled our days with worthwhile activities.

Instead of focussing on making more money to help ends meet, I researched and trialled ways for us to save more money. But I could never stop paid work altogether, and never wanted to.

Now that the children are all a little bit older I'm feeling very glad that I've continued to keep some kind of professional life puttering along while having babies.

I have something of a balance just at the moment. I have enough work to bring in a decent part time income and have plenty of opportunities to enjoy my children and do other things I want to do.

My husband is very supportive, so if I have a writing deadline or need to concentrate on something he'll take charge of the kids for as long as I need the space.

Of course it doesn't all go perfectly well, doing this working mum from home thing. Far from it.

But I know I'm very blessed.

Life is good.

The Daddy Difference - how his way is good for the kids

Ever been frustrated by the differences in your parenting styles? I've written an article for a Father's Day edition of CathFamily e-news about involved fathering and some benefits of Dad's way of doing things.

Here's an excerpt:

A recent study (as reported in the Wall Street Journal) on the impact of involved fathering on children’s development found that fathers are more likely than mothers to engage in rough and tumble physical play, and more likely to tease their children.

They are most likely to startle them in play, by jumping out and surprising them for example.

All of this is thought to foster their children’s independence, self-confidence, and resilience.

For the whole article see here.

Is anyone here?

I thought this blog was pretty much dead and buried, but surprise! Here I am again. I can't leave it alone. It's lovely to have somewhere I can just write what I please and have somebody read and drop me a line.

I have begun a new blog, Confidence and Love, because I'd like somewhere to ponder out loud about life, family, faith and spiritually, from a Catholic perspective.

The tagline is 'because nothing separates us from the love of God' which is a quote from the Bible from a letter of St Paul. And that's basically the theme I explore over there: how to feel loved by God, how to feel loveable and be loving, in every moment of every day.

I already write a regular column for The Catholic Weekly newspaper (Sydney's archdiocesan newspaper), but the posts on my blog are more varied and perhaps a little more in-depth because there's no word limit, than what I write about in the column.

I guess because I have a journalism background and am a freelance writer I have found it a bit galling to sit down and write something well-thought out, knowing that I'm not getting paid for it by the word or the hour. That's why this blog has stagnated a little (lot!).

But I've decided it's wonderful to be able to write what I want, when I want. That's why I will keep this blog going from time to time, to write about what we're doing in the garden and with the kids, how we're saving or making money, what I'm enjoying in books or on TV. Random snippets of my life.

At Confidence and Love I wear my very best thoughtful and holy hat :). I am happily committed to the teachings of the Catholic church, I love the saints and other amazing people who inspire and show me the way to follow Christ and I share the lessons I am learning from them.

I hope that if you or anyone you know might be interested in Confidence and Love I will see you over there.

M