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In light of our recent family troubles I want to highlight some things that I do and which you may need to think about as a business owner/operator for times when emergencies arise and you are unable to be present in your own business.

Some years ago, when my husband and I started going on overseas trips, I developed some systems to ensure I could hand over the running of daily activities in my business.

• I set up a new ‘business’ phone line so that business calls came only on that number and not my home number.  And yet for 10 years previous I’d only used my home number.  With the new number it meant I could simply divert my business calls to one of my Virtual Assistant team members and she wouldn’t be receiving personal calls as well - those could be diverted to my mobile number if necessary or we simply left a voicemail message saying we weren’t available for a period of time.
• After hearing a professional speaker talk about the use of his mobile (cell) phone I stopped giving out my mobile number to anyone who isn’t family or a close friend and diverted my business line to my mobile phone only when necessary.  This meant that my business didn’t have to follow me wherever I went.  And because 98% of my work is carried out in my own office (I rarely do on site work these days) it’s not necessary for people to call me on my mobile phone but I recognise this might not be a suitable step for all business owner/operators.
• I have an email address that is used specifically for job requests for clients and this is automatically forwarded to one or more team members to handle when I’m away from my office for periods of time.
• I have an emergency phone list of clients and contacts stuck on the wall by my computer so that if my husband or another family member have to call anyone on my behalf, they don’t have to go hunting for that information. The sheet is updated periodically.
• I also have a simple email list set up so I can email all my clients at once notifying them of unavailable time coming up so I can organise backup support for them in my absence.  Planned trips usually mean 1-2 month’s notice to my clients but of course, in emergencies, it’s usually at short notice - but at least they’re not left in the dark and they’re given a contact name of a team member to look after them.
• I’ve also developed more than one income stream through my business so I’m not wholly dependent on client work to financially support my needs. Which means I could realistically have a bit of time off without worrying too much.  Mind you, it is important to plan and put away funds when you know you are going to take leave but if something unplanned came up, finances won’t necessarily be at the top of the list in your mind.

If you are planning leave timing it across two months, i.e. a week or two at the end of one month and a week or two at the beginning of another will allow you opportunity to still bring something in for each month.  I’ve done this in the past, but of course, when unexpected things come up, you cannot plan the timing.

These are just some simple things I’ve done to ease the ‘load’ of what needs to be actioned whenever I have to be absent from my business for a period of time.  What about you? What ‘emergency’ systems have you put in place?

systems, planning, emergencies, taking leave, planned leave

Tags: Business Operations, Self-employed, Work From Home by Kathie Thomas
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I get regular updates from Smart Company here in Australia and a recent article highlighted the difference between someone who is an employee and one who needs/wants to be an entrepreneur. Where do you think you belong? Would you like the flexibility and freedom of being an entrepreneur or do you prefer the stability of being an employee?

The Agony Aunt comes up with some great stuff in her column and this latest one is no exception.  The book she quoted I’d not heard of before, but I loved the chart she put up and I thought I’d share it with you. How do you fair in the test? I’ve love to hear about it!

Oh, so now entrepreneurship is the Gen Y answer to boredom. Jennifer, maybe you need a shrink, not a business. Why not try this poll? I found it in a book called Entrepreneur… and Beyond, By Alex McMillan.

Test yourself out on this.

Employee thinking

Entrepreneur thinking

To see the rest of this article, click here.

entrepreneur, employee, business owner, self-employed

Tags: Business Operations, Self-employed, Work From Home by Kathie Thomas
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When setting up a business at home, I find that people tend to sort themselves into one of two different groups. One group takes their business seriously, putting in the groundwork to get it established, do the research, learn about their chosen industry, mix with the people who are already doing it and basically performing a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ type scenario. They put in the work!

The second group put in the mouth work, i.e. they tell people they’re setting up a business, but apart from having the equipment at home and their internet connection, perhaps joining a VA network, they do little else. In fact, they’re kind of waiting for the next step but don’t realise that they can’t wait for it to happen, nor wait for someone to tell them what to do, but rather, they have to make it happen. They’re all talk and no action!

I find the difference relates to two different mindsets - the latter one is an employee mentality, the former a business owner mentality. Which one do you have?

If you seriously want to get your business happening, then you need to take it seriously. In other words it needs to consume you. It should be in your mind constantly, seeking out opportunities to network, to let people know you exist. I don’t mean make a nuisance of yourself and become boring to your friends and family. I mean that your business should add a new aspect to your character.

Seek out new ways to improve on what you already do. Seek connections. When it’s not foremost in your mind then it should be in the back of your mind so that your ‘business mode’ kicks in, in less than a moment’s notice if a suitable opportunity arises.

Do you carry your business cards around with you, wherever you go? And I mean WHEREVER you go. My husband once told me off for handing out a card at a funeral. But someone had asked me for my address to keep in contact and rather than scribble it on the funeral notice or a piece of paper that might get lost, it made sense to give my card instead. NEVER leave home without them, even if you’re just going for a walk around the block.

I challenge you to think today about whether you take your business seriously or not. You need to be mixing and mingling with those who are already doing it and are successful - something rubs off over a period of time. There’s a lot to be said about business networking, both face-to-face at local events and online - there are a number of business networking links on this blog.

If you need to, find a coach or a mentor to assist you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - not ‘how much do you charge?’ but rather ‘how did you find your clients?’

You can never do too much research, but don’t let the research be an excuse for not starting - you can ‘learn on the job’! KMT

mindset, employee mentality, business owner, mentor, coach, learn on the job

Tags: Self-employed, Work From Home by Kathie Thomas
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