People who work from home running a business... give me hope!!!

[Flamesparrow]

We're just starting in on month 4.

Still no organisation in the house (we're having a big "talk" this weekend because even DH is realising that its not workin!), I am trying to do 10 things at once and not getting much done at all because my brain shuts down and I just sit staring.

I am exhausted, we haven't had a decent meal in weeks.

I know the first 2 years are meant to be hell, so I know this is all normal...

Just really wanting someone who has been through it all and is coming/has come out the other side still sane and with a loving family!!!

I am loving working. I am loving seeing it take off, but I am exhausted and a bit deflated tonight.

The most important thing I find is goal setting. Work out what you want to achieve and reward yourself for it. Make some of the goals little ones (I want to answer this little pile of letters today) with little rewards (I'll make time to cook and eat a healthy meal this evening). Some of them medium ones (by the end of the month I want all the accounts to be up to date and off to the accountant) with bigger rewards (DH and I will have an evening out on our own and not feel guilty we're not working). And longer terms ones (the business will have doubled it's turnover by this time next year, the year after...) with a reward to merit it (we'll have a family holiday and enjoy the fruits of our success - without worrying about not working for the whole of that time!).

If you set loads of little goals - write them down with the rewards - and reassess them very regularly, you'll find the big ones work out much more easily. You'll be focussed, have prioritised, and achieve the most important things so it doesn't matter if other stuff slips.

Good luck

I do find meals difficult when I start working...I never want to start then once I get involved I dont want to stop!! Im often still working at 11/12 at night.

Do you have any meals you could make and freeze into meal size portions? I make chillis, spag bol, tuna bakes & home made pizza etc in bulk - then ive always got a quick meal if I need one. Alternatively I have been known to have breakfast cereal!!

If you have a desk try to keep it separate from "home", I always have to clear mine of catalogue and kids drawings and that really doesnt help!

The only other thing I can say is have a "to do" list and do the ones you really dont want to do first!

Are you and your husband both working from home together on the new business?
Can't you both share the cooking? I always found it easier to eat well working from home than when commuting back tired and only then dealing with children and food.

I am lucky now that I have someone here in the mornings to do housework and washing which we haven't always had but that helps hugely. We also had someone looking after the children and she cooked for all 5 so meals were just for my husband and I to think about later and not a big deal. I think even at our busiest we could stick a baked potato in the microwave for 6 minutes and put some tuna fish on it.

I need to get on top of the food more - batch cooking and potatoes would be easy... if I did it

I like th elittle goals too.

DH is working his normal job (7.30-5pm), and I am doing the business by myself.

DD is at preschool in the mornings, and DS with me full time. i am lucky atm as he still sleeps for most of each morning!

Flamesparrow, you sound like me in terms of family movements. DH is away from 6.30 until about 8.00 each weekday. DS1 (4 1/2) goes to pre-school 4 mornings (but it's a car ride away as we live in a little village and so that means loading DS1 and DS2, driving, settling, reloading DS2, and driving back which takes about 3/4 hour). DS2 (2 1/2) goes to nursery at same place 2 mornings to give me a tiny patch of not being helped. Could you do this with DS when he stops sleeping so much?

Little goals are great and I go with contentiouscat in that I try to do jobs I don't fancy first. I just give myself bigger rewards! (or promise myself a job I do like immediately afterwards).

It is great to see business growing though, and the middle and long term goals are important. After all you need to know why you're putting yourself through it. I guess it's not so that you can have some flowers on the window cill when you've trawled through that mountain of paperwork!

Ideally when money allows it you need child are don't you? Your job is as important as your husband's and as he need someone to look after his children whilst you work perhaps he needs to get on to some employment agencies to find someone to look after his chidlren so you and he can both work??? Isn't that the issue?

In an ideal world, yes, childcare would be great - but its not going to be able to happen for a while, we're struggling to get by as it is (not helped by takeaways ).

I am hoping to be able to scrape together enough for one day a week of DS in nursery when DD starts school full time.

Homebird - know exactly what you mean with the loading in and out!! Our school is closer, but still needs driving, and by the time I have to take DH to work each morning (we got rid of the second car in a bid to sort out finances), then get them back and sorted, back in the car... its fun

Feeling much more positive today We are in the process of working out a system and we can do this!

is there anyway you can share childcare with someone else?
i really feel you are going to struggle when DS stops sleeping so much in the day which will happen before you know it.

definitely try to determine "work time" "not work time" - that has made a massive difference to me rather than try and work all the time. i am lucky though, my DDs are in nursery 2 or 3 days a week.

i would also tell you to accept that until the business takes off you will be "winging" it somewhat. you won't be keeping an eye/record on everything like you would want to, like you certainly would be doing if you were employed. you just won't have the time to tick every box and keep on top of everything. You just need to do what you have to do to keep it moving.

it is all worth it though. good luck!

At various times when we were very busy we just stuck to simple meals and each getting our own fitting that around work and it might well just be batch of brown rice cooked once a week which you then just heat up for 4 minutes in the microwave with some bacon or tuna or grilled chicken but it's still fast food and quite cheap.

At other times when tiwns were little for a time (this is not recommended) I used to get up at 5am on Saturdays and do 2 hours work before everyone else got up.

Flamesparrow, have you applied for or are you getting working/childcare tax credits? You are eligible for them as a self-employed person working more than 16 hours a week if your househood income (including your partner's ) comes to less than about 50 thousand a year, and the childcare element you get if you use an OFsted registered nursery or carer.
Hope that helps.

I'm not too sure how to go about it - where I have only been going 3 months I don't have much to work with in the way of figures.

I get my renewal pack through soon so I will look at the details then.

Oh - anyone know what hours I am best working for max credits?

Xenia - I bought loads of easy cook things with this shopping order

I have also been working on dividing up my time properly (and taking the children out for the afternoon so they get some attention!!).

You are all beign a great help

Flamesparrow: 30 hours a week is probably best, tell them what your projected income is for the year - and I advise projecting a bit higher rather than lower as if you earn more than you said you would then they will claim it back, but if you earn less, you will get a fat juicy backdated payment.
As to the 30 hours a week, you can break it up in whatever ways suit you best. I do a mix of things (avon, market stalls, writing, Ebay, etc) which does add up to about 35 hours a week, 3-4 hours a night when DS in bed etc.

Atm I am doing oodles of hours, so no breakin it up needed - was trying to work out if it was better to work more/less hours iyswim for max payout (don't think that counts as screwin the system ).

Good idea for projecting higher - thankyou