How To Run A Successful Business From Home

Here the director of Just Holly, below, shares a few tips with The Carousel for those thinking of joining the mumpreneur movement.

1. What’s the best career advice you’ve ever got?

Look at situations from the perspective of others

In one of my past roles I participated in a mentoring program, during which I undertook a personality test. The results were (scarily) spot-on and also explained the types of people I would work well with and those that I might struggle with.

Since reading those results I have always tried to look at situations from the perspective of others and consider why they are having the reaction that they are. It helps me to find a middle-ground and hopefully an outcome that suits everyone.

I still find it hard to understand why some people do what they do, but at least I’ve become more diplomatic about voicing my thoughts!

2. What’s the biggest secret you’ve learned?

 Be very clear about work time and leisure time.

When you work from home it’s easy to get swept up in the work because you’re passionate about what you do. I found I would duck into the office, intending on just spending 10 minutes doing something and all of a sudden two hours had passed!

My schedule varies from week to week depending on the work schedule of my husband and the needs of our children so I definitely don’t work traditional hours. But I am very clear on what hours I will be working and what hours I will be spending time with my family.

3. What’s the best money habit every successful woman should adopt?

Work in partnership with finance professionals.

I think it can be quite a cop-out for women (or men for that matter!) to say that they’re not numbers people – and then do nothing about it.

There’s nothing wrong with being bad at something, we can’t be good at everything. I am a self-confessed words person and I struggle with numbers. So I went out and got a team of people I trusted, including an accountant and a financial adviser.

But this doesn’t mean I push everything off to them. Instead I ask questions, take notes and try very hard to take control of my financial situation. I work in partnership with them to ensure that the finances for my businesses and my family life are stable and working towards a goal.

4. What’s the secret to keeping your career and home life in balance?

Don’t feel guilt and just strive for your own balance

I don’t think it’s possible to ever have balance, I believe the scales tip more in one direction depending on what month, week, day or hour it is! So feeling guilt about not finding balance is a waste of time.

But what I do recommend is to find your own centre point and work towards that goal in general sense. It’s not about keeping score, but rather about ensuring you get to spend quality time with family and friends, whilst still building the business or career that makes you happy.

5. What would you say to others thinking about becoming a mumprenuer?

Being an entrepreneur is not the easy way out.

Being an entrepreneur or a mumprenuer is not an easy path. Yes, you get to spend more time at home, but it becomes a lot harder to clock off from work. You’ll probably work harder than you ever have in your life, but if you’ve picked the right business model, you’ll be happier with your career than ever before.

For more tips on how to become a successful mumpreneur click here.

• The 2016 St.George Banking Group AusMumpreneur Awards are in Melbourne on August 14. Nominations for the various categories close on June 30.