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Meagan Francis

Guide to Solutions for Work-At-Home Parents

Can kids and work mix? Definitely – if you follow some guidelines.

By Meagan Francis, Director, Studio 4b

You love your at-home business. You love your kids. How do you do right by both? To work successfully from home, you need:
  1. Dedicated space and time for your business
  2. Help with other household tasks
  3. Support and ideas from other work-at-home parents

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Find support

Working at home creates challenges that your traditional colleagues may not understand. Find a network of other at-home working parents to swap advice and commiseration.
I recommend: Entrepreneurial Parent and Work at Home Moms are two sites dedicated to supporting and information at-home working parents.

Get household help

Consider investing in a cleaning service or grocery delivery service to ease some of the stresses of working and living in the same place.
I recommend: Simon Delivers is a nationwide grocery home-delivery service. The Cleaning Service Directory can connect you with a local cleaning service to lighten your load.

Take advantage of short-term or virtual offices

Meeting in an office outside your home may look more professional to clients.
I recommend: HQ can provide you with rent-by-the-hour office space or a "virtual office" including mailing address, voice mail and access to private office space.

Hire childcare

If your kids are at an age where their needs can't be put off, hiring a mother's helper or in-home sitter can help you stay close by — while somebody else fetches snacks and changes diapers.
I recommend: A Nanny On The Net is a nationwide agency placing full-time nannies, while Welcome To NannyVille hooks up parents with part-time nannies and mother's helpers.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • It's easy to get distracted by household needs when you're working at home. Set — and keep — regular business hours.
  • It might be tempting to work in your pajamas, but going through the motions of showering and getting dressed — even if it's in comfy clothes — can help put you in a "work" frame of mind.
  • Set up separate office space, even if it's just a corner of the living room or kitchen, for your business.
  • Don't isolate yourself. Going to networking meetings can help keep you connected to other adults and the outside working world.

The official source of Solutions for Work-At-Home Parents is
the Work-at-Home Parents page at Business.com

Work-at-Home Parents Resources
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Recommended Solution Providers

HBWM: Home Based Working Moms
HBWM is a member organization that provides information on how to start and run a home based business. There is also information on parenting while running a home based business. HBWM was feature on Dr. Phil's website.

WAHM: The Online Magazine for Work At Home Moms
WAHM offers advice, job opportunities, and other related resources designed to meet the needs of work-at-home mothers.

At-Home Works: Home Based Jobs
At-Home Works has many links to job opportunities and home business ideas.

Money Making Mommy: Make Money from Home
This website has an extensive listing of work-at-home opportunities. Visitors will also find articles on balancing work and family.

The Stork: Work at Home
Support, information and survival tips for working at home parents.

Best Sites to Learn More

Winning Work Places: Work/Life Balance Research
Winning Work Places offers many resources on the balance between work and life. There are a few that deal specifically with work at home parents.

Best Blogs and Forums

Yahoo! Groups: Work from Home Parents
Very active, members only group that discusses work from home business issues.

Yahoo! Groups: Entrepreneurial Parents
Entrepreneurial Parents discussion group whose topics include balancing work and family under one roof and business tips.



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