Do you want to be a work at home mom? Do you wonder what it takes to be successful as a work at home mom? Working from home is hard work just like any job, but it’s also very rewarding. If you really want to be a work at home mom, find out what 7 things successful work at home moms do differently.
Working from home gives moms the freedom and flexibility we long for, and allows us to provide an income for our family. We are able to do work we enjoy while spending time with our family.
Have you considered starting a home business or being a work at home mom? Make these 7 things a part of your business to help you be successful.
Note: for your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
7 Things Successful Work at Home Moms Do Differently
They are focused
Work at home moms have limited time to work on their businesses. They are working during nap time, after their kids go to bed, or early in the morning hours. So, to be successful, no minute can be wasted. You need focus!
Don’t be discouraged if you were not born with great focus. You can learn to be more focused. In fact, most of the next steps like avoiding distractions, setting goals and working on one project at a time are all about staying focused.
First, start with determining what you want to focus on. Get a vision of what you want your business to be in one month, 6 months, 1 year and 5 years. Now, decide what you need to do to be focused on making your business reach each of these goals.
They set a specific time for work
If you want to be successful working at home, you need a specific work time. You can’t show up late, or worse be a no show. You must have a set time to work on your business. It can be a different time on different days, but you have to commit to a set time every day. If you just say, I need to work on my business today, before you know it your day will be gone and you got busy, but did not work on your business and goals.
Grab your favorite calendar (print or electronic), start blocking the time on your calendar that you will spend working on your business. You have to commit to be consistent.
Successful business owners work on their business daily and they don’t skip the hard stuff. You are a successful work at mom too, so start making a plan.
They avoid distractions
Distractions, distractions, they are everywhere. When we are working on our business we need blinders.
Think about a horse in a race. They put blinders on the horse so the horse will focus on just it’s race and no other distractions. You need the same laser focus with no distractions on your business.
Social media is probably the biggest time drain and distraction of all. Social media has a purpose and can send traffic to your website and help you connect with potential clients. But it’s also a distraction. Don’t get sucked into the social media rabbit hole of lost time.
Tips for Social Media
- Focus on 1 or 2 platforms that benefit your business most
- Have set times you share content
- Preschedule content if possible
- Set a timer and time limit for each platform (15 minutes for Facebook, 20 minutes for Pinterest)
I only have 3 -4 hours to work on my business each day. To keep my business growing, I have to stay focused and avoid all unnecessary distractions.
They set goals
Setting goals are vital for maintaining your focus. You need your goals to help you zone in on your target.
The times when I set clear goals and a deadline for completion are the times I am most focused and know exactly what I need to do accomplish each day.
Goals also show you how far you have come. As you see your progress, you will be encouraged to work harder to reach your longer-term goals too.
If you don’t have goals, you will eventually get lost and start to wonder why you started your business. Don’t let that be you. Set your goals now.
They allow margin time
We all need margin time. Margin time allows us to handle the unexpected. Your computer won’t start, your file won’t save, you lost an important report, your child is sick and needs you right this minute. Margin time means you have a little extra time and won’t be stressed when the unexpected happens.
How much margin time do you need? On a daily basis, 15 minutes to 1 hour would be great. If you are planning a big project or have client deadlines, allow 1-2 days of margin time. If you complete the project early, you will have an extra day to recheck or proofread before sending to your client.
If you always feel rushed and stressed, you probably need more margin time in your day.
They focus on one project at a time
We would all like to believe we are multi-taskers. But in reality, we can only focus on one task at a time.
Choose your biggest most important project and focus on it with your full attention. Don’t try to work on multiple tasks at one time. Having all the windows on your computer open at one time seems great until, you email the wrong file to an important client, miss conference calls and meetings and forget basic tasks.
Back to skill #1, stay focused and focus on one important thing at a time.
They are always improving their skills
Part of being successful means you are always learning new things. You are always improving your skills or learning a new skill. Successful work at home moms are always reading a new book on how to grow their business or increase their income.
As a mom business owner, you have many options to learn new skills. You can read books, listen to podcasts, and take online courses. To grow your skills and your business, you want to always be learning. I always have new business books to read (either printed or on my kindle). Whenever I have a few minutes, I pull one out and read a few chapters.
Here are a few of my favorite books and course:
If you are just starting as a blogger or you need a complete blogging resource (Pinterest, Facebook, sponsored posts, growing traffic and more), then I recommend Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook. This book and course (it has 39 videos) is a go-to resource for your blogging questions.
The Art of Work by Jeff Goins. If you are struggling to find purpose and meaning in your work, this book is for you.
Are you struggling with Pinterest? Try the Pinterest in 21 Course. I took this course a few months ago. It’s practical and hands on. You will learn how to grow your Pinterest following and blog traffic.
If you are looking for a course to give you guidance to building a business, Busy Moms Building is a great course to give you basics of setting of a business, creating a brand, finding clients and more.
I also enjoy these podcasts:
Can’t wait to hear about success as a work home mom!
Love and shared this post! Margin is my #1 buddy – amen. All of these are a must.
Hi Meghan, Yes! Having a little margin time makes all difference in my day too.