Doing It All Yourself? Try Working With Others

Home business owners have to wear a lot of hats. I've often wondered what a job application would look like if someone was hiring a home business owner! I would imagine it would look something like:

What person is fool enough to apply for that job? Well, those of us who work at home, that's who!

So it's not really much of a surprise to find that many home business owners are pretty overworked. We have huge drives to succeed and put a lot of demand on ourselves to accomplish the massive goals we set.

The problem of course is burnout. A home business owner who tries to do too much eventually does just that, and starts to crash. So what's a busy home business owner to do? Here are some popular ways home business owners can manage all the work needed to run their business:

Hire the Help: If you have the cash and can hire an independent contractor or employee to help you with your business, do it! Sure, there are added expenses. But even if it strains your budget, it may be just the thing you need to move forward.

How do you know if it will help? Compare costs involved in hiring someone to your return. For instance, if you make $30 per hour and could free up 10 hours a week by hiring a virtual assistant at $15 per hour to take care of administrative tasks during those hours, you'll profit $150 per week! How's that for a stress reliever?

Check with the IRS on rules guarding independent contractors and employees. If you're telling someone when they need to work, how they need to work and exactly what they need to do, that often falls under an employee vs. a contractor. Always do your homework!

Interns: College students usually find that they need experience to land jobs. But how can they get the experience without having the job in the first place? It's a catch 22 - which internships solve.

Check with your local college to see if interns are available, and if so, what the requirements are. Many times there are no costs or low costs involved with taking on interns. And yes - interns can work in a business that is home bound.

Joint Ventures: If you know of a business that compliments yours but does not compete, look into joint venturing with them! The easiest way to do this is to cross sell on your web site - you sell their products and they sell yours.

Be creative! There are many ways to work with other companies. For instance, you could offer affiliate programs or wholesale programs to decrease your marketing needs, or create a 'preferred customer' list to advertise companies that buy in quantities for you. You can also try bartering products or services with another company that has something you need. It never hurts to ask a company if they'd be willing to work together; home businesses especially seem to be willing to set up joint ventures.

Networking/Support Groups: Sometimes, all you really need is a little support from others in the same boat, who may have plenty of resources to share and ideas to try. When you're used to working solo, it really helps to have others around you who can give you that extra push you need to grow your business. And if we can share leads and help each other make some sales, all the better!

That's where WNGCO comes in. Our members are finding that our group is like the water cooler that we had when we worked outside the home - a place we can sit and chat and talk about topics that pertain to our businesses. Whether it's a meeting where a speaker is talking, one in which we're learning a new skill, or one that lets us brainstorm ways to make our communities a better place, we are always learning and growing - together.

If you're a woman in central Ohio who owns a business, and you'd like the support of others in the same boat, let us know. Remember, you don't have to do it alone - let's help each other succeed!

Susan Scheid
Web Programmer
EBiz Gal

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