By Diane Nozik, Betty Kaufman’s WineShop At Home sponsor
Wine Shop at Home is a great business for stay-at-home moms who want a flexible opportunity to make money without giving up a family life. Personally, it’s very important to me that I get to walk my boys to school each day – and being a WineShop leader meets that need perfectly.
However, before children are school-aged, things can get a little tricky! The reality is, it’s very difficult to make phone calls during the day with the under 6 set at home – they are constantly interrupting you and asking for attention….or a bailout. Let’s be honest, it’s not that much easier once they are in school either. Sometimes I feel like my life can be summed up in one sentence: The best laid plans……..
Here are some of my strategies for managing my business from home even when there are under age groupies present.
Strategy #1: Plan a Special Treat
When I need to book more tastings and my kids are harassing me (I love you Hayden and Grayson), I tell them, “When Mommy has 10 tastings on her calendar, we’ll go out for a special treat. But before I book those 10, I need to make some phone calls in my office.”
This means that it’s a big deal for the family when I get 10 tastings on the calendar. Our special treats might be a special dinner out (my kids are obsessed with revolving sushi) or tickets to a baseball game we get to attend together. The current coveted treat is fro-yo. This way, I’m teaching my boys to respect the rewards that come with work and I get to have some peace when I need to make phone calls.
Strategy #2: Have a Babysitter… and a Backup Sitter… and a Backup-Backup Sitter
Everyone says that being a successful working mom involves balance, but I’m not actually sure that balance exists; let’s be honest: life happens! The minute you feel like everything is going along perfectly, suddenly life happens again and you’re back to square one.
To me, it’s more about creating harmony than balance. When things are working in harmony, you have enough time to take care of the things that are the highest priority for your family, for your personal life and for your business.
Personally, this often means hiring a babysitter. Being able to make phone calls and respond to emails uninterrupted is absolutely vital to a thriving WineShop at Home business, and to tell the truth, the moment I hired a sitter was the moment I saw my number of tastings go up! I wanted to get the most return on my investment possible, so I worked harder.
If you’re not in a position to afford a babysitter, it may mean trading wine with a friend across the street who will watch your kids. It may mean teaming up with another consultant to take turns sitting, and it may mean having a playdate with another consultant and her children to keep the kids occupied while you both make calls.
Having a solid roster of back up babysitters and people that can help out in a pinch is very important.
Strategy #3: Keep Special Toys on Hand
There are some special toys that I reserve for when I’m making calls. My kids don’t get a ton of time on the iPad, so iPad games happen to be one of those coveted toys they only get to play with when I’m making phone calls.
This way, instead of my boys feeling resentful when it’s time for me to get on the phone, they look forward to it because it means that they get to spend time with their favorite toys.
There are many ways to create harmony in your work and personal life. You don’t have to give up family time to have a lucrative business – you just have to be creative!
Are you a mother interested in bringing in more money for your family without sacrificing time with your children? WineShop at Home might be perfect for you – let’s talk! Fill the form below to set up a time to talk to me on the phone about how you can grow a wonderful business based on the wine lifestyle.