*This is a collaborative post.
Being a stay-at-home parent can be a job in its own right. You’re providing full care for your children, while also running a household. But some people like the opportunity to earn money while they’re at home.
The great thing about running a home business in this way is that you can scale it according to your needs. If you can only manage a few hours a week in your busy schedule, so be it. But as your children become less dependent on you, you may be able to build up your home business into something more substantial.
This will allow you to earn more money for your household and add to your financial security. So, how can you transition a side hustle into a profitable business? Where does professionalism come into play and why does it matter?
Professionalism
Depending on the industry you work in, as well as your work environment, professionalism might look different. For example, someone who works in an office might wear a suit or fairly neat and formal clothing. But the same clothing would be inappropriate and unprofessional in an automotive garage.
If you display professionalism, it immediately makes you and your business more trustworthy and seem more legitimate.
But professionalism also affects how you work. While it’s nice to be able to work in your pjs or even in your bed, you don’t necessarily get into the right frame of mind for working. You’re in relaxing mode.
So, get dressed, find an appropriate place to work, and you might find that you’re a lot more focused and can get things done more efficiently.
A Home Office
Speaking of a professional and appropriate work environment, you should think about your office. In an ideal world where you have a spare room to play with, you should try to set up a home office. Depending on type of work you do, it might be more important to have a workshop where you make products, as the right tools and space make it much easier to work.
In any case, the important thing is to have a dedicated space to work from. If a separate room isn’t appropriate for your situation, you should still carve out a quiet corner for a desk and a proper chair. If you have a webcam, think about the space behind you as well, and make sure it’s easy to keep clean and neat.
A desk helps you mentally and physically. You’re more comfortable while you’re working from a desk, and a proper chair can improve your posture. If you’re working for just a couple of hours at a time when your child is napping or at nursery, this might not seem as important. But it’s vital to take care of yourself so you can work with one less distraction.
Set a Schedule
Setting a schedule is a fantastic way to improve your workflow, manage your work and your life, and ensure that you get products done on time. If you miss deadlines or even forget about a client or project, you won’t seem professional or trustworthy. But a schedule will help you keep track of everything you have to do, including the admin side of things.
This is especially important when you do have a busy schedule. You might only be able to work when your child is asleep or at nursery. This might mean that you keep odd hours, working for a couple of hours here and there or primarily working in the evening when your child has gone to sleep.
But if you schedule your time, you know how much you can do and when. You should also schedule breaks and other tasks to help you keep an eye on your time. Set alarms if you need to.
Scheduling is a great way to manage your time, your business, and your life as a whole.
Dealing With Clients and Customers
Customer service and sales are both great opportunities to display a professional attitude. This is when it’s most important to seem trustworthy.
Depending on your industry, you might work closely with clients and customers. For example, if you work as a freelancer and help people with custom designs or copywriting services, you might have to consult with your client. This could include emails, messaging, conference calls, and even meeting up.
During this time, you should come across as competent as possible. You don’t always have to be overly formal, but it does help to start more businesslike and follow their lead. Some clients prefer a personal touch with a bit of humor and conversation, while others prefer strict business talk. So, let them set the lead. It’s easier to soften and become more casual than the other way round.
You should also make it easy for clients and customers to contact you. Provide a business phone number and separate email address for them to use. In some cases, phone numbers local to a certain area will work better. You can get virtual numbers for anywhere you need to, including Missouri phone numbers.
This makes it simple for customers to contact your business, and a business number is far more professional than using your personal number. Also, this protects your privacy and your time. Handing out your personal number means that you’re never off the clock, and you can’t control who can contact you.
Work Smart, Not Hard
We can spend a lot of time thinking that we need to look busy and important but anyone starting a home businesses can suffer from that sensation that when we’re seen to be doing important things that we appear important, but this is not the case. It’s a mindset shift, but an essential one to ensure that we give our business a good head start.
Working smart rather than harder is about a number of different practices, including streamlining costs. When looking for something like internet services near you, you can use your business acumen to negotiate cheaper rates, but also potentially get added extras thrown in.
When we work smart rather than hard, this can give us far more time to do the things that truly matter. Forget about making yourself look like you’re in charge of a business, because when you are in charge of a business, you will slowly develop that acumen to assert your boundaries, but also recognize that time really is money, and you will naturally embody a far more focused mindset as well.
Finally, if someone does have a complaint or questions, deal with it as professionally and politely as possible. Sometimes it’s not the product or service that wins people over, but how they’re treated. This can win you better reviews and testimonials, which can lead to more people being interested in your business.
