A Woman With A Business

Managing the expectations of you and your business is a tricky thing ... I would say that this is more of a problem when you are new and just starting and have a list of things a mile long.  However, after 13 years, I can tell you that I still have days when I feel completely overwhelmed and have to wrangle in the expectations of myself. Do one thing at a time.  The idea of being able to work at home for yourself is very romantic ... you can have laundry going, the dishwasher going, the kids playing a board game in the other room, all while working away on your business like a boss!  What really happens is, you throw in a load of laundry, and it sits in the washing machine wet for 6 hours because you forgot it, requiring it to be washed again.  You start loading the dishwasher, but the phone rings and the kids drop the board game, causing 250,000 cards and dice and pieces to scatter down the stairway.  The dog throws up, the power goes out, and you realize tha...

What are your expectations of yourself?  What are your expectations of your business?  Do these expectations match?  Do you have the skills needed to meet your expectations?  I saw a very lofty post yesterday.  From someone that has zero social media experience.  Admittedly, they just set up a social media account a week prior and they are looking for information and advice on how to be a social media manager.  They do not know anything about social media platforms and are asking for any advice.  They want to become a social media manager and, in 6 months from now, be making $10,000 per month running social media accounts for businesses. They have high expectations of themselves, high expectations of their business, and no current skills to meet those expectations.  They do, however, have the guts to admit all of this and start seeking information.  Do you think that their expectations can become a reality?  I answer, maybe....

Expectations in entrepreneurship are big, bold, lofty, and the pressure to succeed is huge.  You may feel pressure to perform, sell, grow, and do do do.  Managing those expectations look different for each entrepreneur and it is important to manage your own.  What are your expectations of yourself? Social media burst onto the scene in a big way, and the pressures on businesses to have a social media presence are huge for entrepreneurs.  We are expected to be available, post great content, post fabulous pictures, grow, interact, and be available. As an entrepreneur, you are in control of managing those expectations of yourself. Set limits and times to post on your social media accounts.  If you find yourself going over those time limits, consider a timer that beeps at you.   Monitor what content you are reading, and if it is content that is meaningful in your life.  If you find that you are reading a lot of content that is not having a positive impa...

This is the last post in the Time Management Series!  You can find post 1 here, post 2 here, post 3 here, and post 4 here!  Today we will be wrapping up this series talking about grace, understanding, and perfection. Time is a tricky thing ... We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and none of us really know how many days we are going to get!  I came up with the idea for this group, blog, project about 6 months ago and I am just now getting around to making it happen.  You know why?  Because life, life happens, and we don't always get to choose what things happen, when they happen, and the extent of them. Despite my best intentions, there have been plenty of years that I planted a garden and things didn't get harvested.  I've learned to appreciate the beauty of okra flowers, how large squash and zucchini can grow over night, and that feeding wildlife is much easier than I have ever anticipated.  This picture is from June 29, 2010 and the...

This is Part 4 of the Time Management Series!  You can find part 1 , part 2 , part 3 here .  You know what they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  However, this is a dangerous game when you are a mompreneur!  I'll be explaining that below! Squeaky wheels come in all shapes and sizes ... when talking about time management these are those little things that pop up unexpectedly, or walk into your office constantly, or all the things that feel like they are important but are just not getting you where you need to go!  They are also activities that you plan on spending 30 minutes on, but 3 hours later you are still working on them.  They can also include social commitments every weekend, if that is the time that you had planned on working on your side gig.  Now, if you have a squeaky wheel on your car, you might need to have that checked out! Notifications ... some people are better at ignoring these than I am.  The constant dinging, ringing,...

This is Part 3 of the Time Management series you can find part 1 here , and part 2 here .  Mapping out blocks of time to dedicate to your business is very important, knowing what to do in those blocks of time is even more important.  Today we will be talking about both prioritizing your time and your activities! So, you are ready ... you've found blocks of time during your day, now what do you do with that time? The first thing you need to do, is evaluate when your magic hours are.  This is the time of day that you are your best.  Your brain is clear, you're at your highest motivation, and you are ready to go.  For me, those hours are first thing in the morning, however, I know others whose peak hours are late at night.  This is the time of day that you need to do the items that require the most of your brain and energy.  Since I know these hours happen for me in the morning, I adjust my schedule throughout the year to maximize this time.  It...

This is Part 2 in my Time Management Series ... If you missed Part 1 you can find it here .  Today, we are talking about designating time for your business.  If you are asking me, Time?  What is extra time?  I got you ... I feel you! If you are a full-time business owner, you may already have large chunks of time dedicated to your business.  If this is you, I'll be addressing prioritizing more in part 3.  If you are running a business part-time or trying to find time to start your new gig, this post is for you! Let's examine how much time you have versus how much time your business needs.  Every business is different as far as how much time it needs, and again, I will again be referencing my gardening hobby, as I fit it into the nooks and crannies of my day.  Throughout the year, there are tasks that I must do to have a successful and well-kept garden, and most businesses are the same.  Dedicating a portion of each day and week to working...