Member Articles

I can’t believe that is has been almost four years since I decided to take the plunge and start a business while staying home to raise my daughter. In that time I have added one more baby to the mix, launched a website, and somewhat reluctantly reigned over the chaos that threatens to engulf every entrepreneur from time to time.

But it hasn’t been all deadlines, debt, and dismay. Along the way, I’ve actually done a few things right. I thought I would share four ideas that have buttressed my efforts to start a successful business and keep it going. I believe each of these can help anyone going it from home, whether as a freelance writer, a seamstress, a caterer, or any of the myriad choices out there.

1.) Know thyself. OK, this one sounds like a cliche, but I am actually suggesting something very concrete: Write a mission statement.

One of the balancing acts required in running your own business is that you must wear all the hats: marketing, sales, accounts receivable, customer service, etc. Some tasks are easier than others, depending on whether you are a left-brained thinker (“Should I add a line item in my budget for toilet paper, since I’m working from home?”) or a right-brained thinker (“Say what, now? I just want to make papier-mache sea shells with my toilet paper.”)

A mission statement is a place to bring those two sides together. Sit with an empty sheet of paper and begin (in the center of the sheet, if you dare) listing all the words and phrases that come to you when you think of working from home. Flexibility, creativity, independence, abundant income, personal satisfaction, and so on. Don’t worry about editing yourself yet, just let it come out.

Next, write a sentence in the present tense which includes the most important three or four of these words and phrases. My mission statement ended up like this: "Kitchen Witch is a highly profitable, flexible business which thrives on positive relationships, integrity and action, while allowing me to nurture my family, customers and creativity." (I went on to create a mission statement for my products, as well, and both of these statements keep me focused on what's important to me as I grow my business.)

It is very important to craft your statement in the present tense (“I am a successful, award-winning writer”), rather than future (“I want to grow my client list” or “My sewing business will support me financially”). When you state it as a current situation, rather than a future goal, I believe you give your mission statement the weight of commitment. You give yourself permission to take your business seriously. When you do that, others will follow your lead.