Juggling a career and family commitments is hard work. You must balance the demands of work with home life, and you may find that once your child or children hit full-time school, the equilibrium is disrupted. Wrap around childcare is an option if the school offers a breakfast cluband after-school activities, but this solution does not suit all familiesor be an expense that doesn’t make economic sense.
So how can you bring in the money and fulfilyour childcare obligations? Starting your own business may be the perfect solution: you can work within school hours and receive an income. If you have an idea that you are keen to pursue, here are three tips to help make it a success:
- Research and Plan
ALT Agency, who specialise in the project management process behind websites suggest that thorough planning down to the minute detail of User Experience and individual page functionality is key to getting your website off the ground. The greatest designed website on the planet can fall flat on it’s face during the development phase – Proper planning before a line of code is written is key to ensuring the success of your website.
Your killer business idea needs to be thoroughly researched. Whether you are selling products online or providing services as a consultant, you need to have a deep understanding of the market. Is there longevity in your idea? Do you solve a problem? How will you price your products? How many units do you realistically need to sell tomake a profit? You need to identify whether there is a gap in the marketplacethat you can fill,who your competitors are and who your target audience is.
The answers to these questions should be used to develop a business plan. You may know that you need to have a website for your e-commerce store, but how are you going to drive traffic to it? Plan your website and your marketing strategy so that you have a direction to take your business. While a company such as Click Intelligence can further the reach of your site to a targeted audience, you need to make sure that your site is designed to turn visitors into consumers.
- Be Strict with Your Schedule
Running your own business is harder than being employed. After all, there is no one to tell you when you should work or what to do. You must be strict with how you schedule your time. While you will have increased flexibility to work when you want, a regular routinewill help you to grow your business.
You will find that because you work from home, people may see this as an opportunity to call in for a coffee and chat.You must learn to say no, and that it is not a convenient time to call in. Be strong and do not get distracted from your goals!
- Network
Starting a business and working from home can feel a little alienating; however, there will be an army of local women and men in a similar situation to yours. You can get valuable support from these kindred spirits. Networking events are a great way to meet people andbuild your business.
People like to collaborate and support local businesses, so networking events can be a valuable resource to pick up hints and tips and connect with people who may just need the services or products that you offer.
Flexible part-time jobs are a rarity, so starting your own business is a great way to bring in an income and still be able to do the school run. You need to research your business idea and develop a comprehensive business plan so that your business reaches its full potential.
