The Indie Business Experience
February 2, 2012
Note from dM | Your Life | Your Business | Your Way
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 13, Issue 2
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Hi Indies! What a week this is! Much of my discretionary time has been invested in serious thought about my children. They are growing faster than I could ever have imagined. It seems like yesterday, I was changing diapers and juggling nannies. Today, they can do so many things on their own. What a joy it is to watch them develop and adopt their unique styles and approaches to the world. It's nothing to take lightly. Each day brings with it challenges that remind to carefully choose my words. The example I set today is , crafting the tone for the rest of their lives. What a privilege. What a responsibility. And the best part is that it's not without its moments of hilarity and fun. For example, I caught my son mimicking his sister's ballet moves outside dance class this week. I snapped this picture before he turned around and crumpled to the floor -- embarassed that I had witnessed his best Mikhail Baryshnikov moves. He has good form too, don't you think?
I hope you're finding room for fun and laughter in your week too! Tell us about it at our FaceBook Page!
Thanks for allowing me into your inbox today. Have a great weekend! Best & Success! dM |
Seven Tips For Entrepreneurs Parenting Young Children
My children are 8 and 10 years old. My business is 12 years old. All three are important to me, and all three fight for my attention. Sometimes, I can give attention to all three at once. Sometimes, just two. Sometimes just one. (I also have a husband -- can't forget to add that in!)
Because I have chosen to work from home, managing all of it is quite a challenge. Since I've been at it for a decade, I've learned a thing or two about making it all fit together. People often ask me how I do that, and while there's no definitive secret, I do engage in a few non-negotiables that help me integrate it all -- most of the time. I thought I'd share them with you.
1. Have clear business goals. If you don't know exactly what you want your business to do, you will forever be stuck juggling this, that, and the other, frustrated because you can't get "it" all done. You have to clearly define "it." Clarify what you want to achieve. Don't do anything that doesn't lead you toward your "it."
2. Get help. Your help may come in the form of a baby sitter, a nanny, a husband, a neighbor, a math tutor, a virtual assistant, an older sibling, a house keeper, an errand runner, or all of the above -- depending on the day. I have always had help and lots of it. You can't do everything and lead a business and make money and nurture children and manage a household and blah blah blah, without help. Get some.
3. Schedule everything. I use Google calendar, synced to my iPhone. My family and team can access the business portion of my calendar. I can update it from wherever I am. I look at my calendar several times during the day, especially early in the morning, to make sure my 4 or 5 most important tasks are slated to be completed by noon. This way, by the time my kids get home from school, and the workday ends until after they are asleep, I'm done with the biggest rocks.
4. Explain work, once they are old enough to understand. All kids must be taught about the importance of work, but when you have a home office, as I do, it's even more important to tell kids why you are doing what you do for so much of the day. All parents have to explain this to their children, but the task is magnified when your children observe you working from home. It's even more magnified when you and your business are the chief bread winners.
5. Let stuff go. Despite your best efforts, some things just won't get done. The trick here is not to let it become a habit. If you miss something this week, don't miss it next week. If you can only get somehting halfway finished, then do that and finish the rest tomorrow. Avoid all or nothing thinking. The world won't stop spinning if things fall a bit behind, so long as you have a plan to catch up. Sometimes, you just have to allow yourself to say, "Ugh, I can't get to it," and put it at the top of your list for the next day.
6. Eat dinner together. This is a super thing to do, and if the dinner is filled with love and lively conversation, it can make up for lots of time invested in your business. In my home, we eat dinner together every night (unless I'm traveling). Sometimes, we play board games after, or just dance around the house. Other times, we do a few chores together or I'll teach them some important life skill. (This month, we're working on ironing ...) Hugs and kisses at bed time finish off their day. After that, I can work more if I need to -- or not.
I hope these tips are helpful to you. Share your tips and get some tips from your fellow Indies at our FaceBook Page so we can uplift each other. This is no cake walk!
How Women Can Excel In The Executive Chair
The Guardian Life Small Business Reserach Institute projects that women small business owners will create 5 to 5.5 million new jobs across the US by 2019, transforming the workplace of tomorrow into a far more inclusive, horizontally managed environment.
What's more, woman-owned small businesses are expected to generate more than half of the 9.72 new small busines jobs expected to be created, and roughly one-third of the 15.3 million total new jobs anticipated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018. If these predictions come to pass, it will be increasingly important for you to excel in the executive chair. Recently, on Indie Business Podcast, I interviewed Linda Henman, PhD (pictured), author of Landing In The Executive Chair, about how women can prepare themselves for these exciting new chllanges.
I'm excited to share some of the tips Dr. Henman and I discussed. You can listen to the audio and/or read the tips at my blog. (And I love the first tip -- "be firm but fair."
Spellbound Woods Solid Perfume Locket
by Lisa Kasper of Blue Moon Candles
This handmade perfume is tucked inside a lovely golden locket with the key to your heart. A ruby red jewel is suspended from the bottom signifying the depth of feeling conveyed by the giver -- which can be yourself, to youself or a loved one!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Spellbound Woods is made with luscious berry and iced jasmine petals with magical notes of white amber and creamy sandalwood. Inspired by a walk in a winter orchard at dusk, other notes in this perfume include jasmine, vanilla, amber and gardenia.
Lisa makes everything with such love and care -- I'm a big fan of her candles and now, this locket has stolen my heart too!
You can see a bigger product photo here, and learn more about Lisa and her company at her Indie Social profile. Get the scoop on some of her other products in the Blue Moon Candles Photo Gallery where you'll also Lisa's luxury handmade candles and so much more.
--> IBN members, add your product photos to our social site so we can share your goodies in this newsletter and elsewhere through the INDIE community! If you're not a member and want to take advantage of this and other fun networking and business-building benefits, you can join IBN today!
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About dM
If you belong to a group of business owners who
could use some straight shooting advice about creating some grassroots
advocacy to benefit your members, I would love to come and share with
you!
Donna Maria Coles Johnson, the Chief Executive Indie, helps small and independent businesses owners, mostly women, combine smart sales and marketing strategies with branded digital media tools to create relationships and expand their sphere of influence. Through her blog and weekly radio show, dM delivers helpful and entertaining content that inspires, encourages and informs small business owners worldwide. Known for her innovative yet friendly style, dM's expertise has been showcased in Entrepreneur Magazine, Global Cosmetics Industry, Working Mother Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, ABC World News This Morning, WUSA-TV9 (CBS Washington, DC affiliate), Ebony Magazine and a host of other regional and national media outlets.
Whether the topic is integrating career and family, leadership, small business ownership or new technologies, dM has a life-changing presentation for you and your audience. Contact dM today at donnamaria [at] indiebeautynetwork [dot] com to discover how she can contribute to your unforgettable conference or gathering event.
Click here to read more at my blog ...
Enjoy your life, Build your business, Have your way!!
dM (Donna Maria), Publisher & Editor-In-Chief
The Indie Business Weekend Newsletter
Email me: IndieBusiness [at] Gmail [dot] com
Online: www.IndieBusinessBlog.com
