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 Fresh out of college at 23, she thought she’d done something wrong
when the wholesaler for her stationery company assigned her a
personal representative.
“In reality I was doing so much business with them that they wanted
to ensure my satisfaction,” says Christine, a serial entrepreneur
who has created dozens of successful home-based businesses for
herself and others. She shares practical how-to advice in her new
book, “Home Business Startup Bible,” (http://richmombusiness.com/).
She was the busy mother of a 2-year-old and she’d just returned home
– to the mess left in the wake of last-minute packing -- when the
rep showed up, she says.
“I was mortified when he walked into my home/business and he was
shocked, but the experience marked my first success as an official
business,” she says. “It was actually the beginning of a great
relationship.”
Though it turned out well, Christine says her first years in
business would have been much happier if she hadn’t had to deal with
her own painful feelings of self-doubt, embarrassment, guilt, etc.
“The good news is – no stay-at-home entrepreneur needs to feel that
way,” she says.
She offers these tips for maintaining professionalism in business
without sacrificing – or feeling guilty about -- family.
Don’t apologize for your kids. We need to stop apologizing
for our kids’ squawks and energy while we’re on the phone or in
meetings. Kids are kids and to them, Mommy is Mommy and their home
is their home 24/7. If anything, we can all learn from our children
and lighten up during business chats.
Don’t pick up the phone when you’re not ready. I used to
think I had to say yes to everyone, including the telephone whenever
it rang. Don’t answer the phone if you’re not ready to speak; if
it’s important, the caller will leave a message. Consider an online
chat system for your website; I use a free one via craftysyntax.com.
Add a disclosure message to your call-answering service. My
disclosure indicates the quickest way to reach me, which is chat or
email. Email is quickly becoming everyone’s preferred method of
communication anyway, and this way, we all have a digital trail that
will help us stay organized.
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Say no and don’t apologize for it. You can say no to lots of
things, like PTA meetings and extra bake sales for your kids’
school. When you say yes to those things, you are saying no to your
business. You have to think of your new business as if you are your
own boss. Would you ask your boss for a day off so you can sell
cupcakes? Probably not.
Pick a neutral location. If you need to have business
meetings in person, I suggest choosing a neutral place like a coffee
shop. Don’t allow them to come to your home and, if you can avoid
it, don’t go to their office. If you’re negotiating, this can give
them a home-field advantage.
Just say it. I continue to attend trade shows. When I tell
companies that I work from home, they might give me an indifferent
attitude and hastily move on to chat up a brick-and-mortar owner. I
simply take my business elsewhere; I know the value of my business,
and so will another vendor.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] About Renae
Christine
Renae Christine is the owner of by Renae Christine, a company that
has launched several successful businesses and has helped launch
dozens more for others. A journalist, she’s known for her popular
YouTube videos (search Rich Mom Business channel), which use humor
and pragmatism to advise others who want to launch home-based
businesses. She recently published “Home Business Startup Bible,” (www.richmombusiness.com),
a comprehensive how-to guide. Christine is also the founder of the
Rich Mom Business University and has come into popular demand as a
speaker.
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