Running a business from home can be an amazing way to provide an income
for your household, but what if you already have a full-time job...a job
that doesn't allow you to clock out...a job that includes children who
haven't learned how to consistently use their inside voices... a job
like motherhood?

Jessica Quinn is a west TN girl who raises babies and farm animals!! She manages multiple blogs and Etsy shops, teaches her children school and life skills, all with a baby on her hip and a pen & planner in her hand!! She’s just fabulous and I want to be like her when I grow up!!

We are honored to have her as a guest blogger on our T+T Blog!! I encourage you to check out the links and helpful tools she has provided!! We could all learn something from her and I hope you all love it!!

Feel free to give it a share as your friends may benefit from her wisdom like I have!! 
-Crystal

—————————

Is it Possible to Raise Young Kids and Create a Successful
Home-Based Business?

Absolutely! My name is Jessica and I have four children of my own. I
also own and operate our family farm as well as 4 blogs and 5 Etsy shops. It has taken a ton of trial and error, but I have finally reached a point of balance between motherhood and entrepreneurship. Here are 10 productivity tips for work at home moms that you can implement to increase the efficiency within your home-based business!

10 Productivity Tips for Work At Home Moms

Productivity Tip #1: Wake up before the kids.
The ability to sleep in is a wonderful gift, but it does nothing for productivity when you have kiddos. I have found that the quiet time before the kids wake up is so important (maybe even essential) to a productive work-from-home day for me and my business. Set your alarm to go off 30 minutes to an hour before your children typically wake up. Use this time to think, plan, pray, drink a cup of coffee or tea, and get ready for the day. You might even be able to squeeze a little work in the quiet and still of the morning. Making this small change will allow you to be in a more positive headspace before facing the beautiful chaos makers that are still snoozing away. I even have thought about a few necessities during our self-care time over at www.acupfullofjoy.com.

Productivity Tip #2: Establish Routines & Rhythms
Children are creatures of habit. If they get used to mom working at the same time each day, then they are more likely to be prepared to play quietly during that time. I suggest setting a detailed daily routine from wake up to bedtime. This routine is not meant to be rigidly followed (because life happens), but rather to be used as a guideline to help your days flow smoothly. Having your day's routine written out for you will help to lessen the mental load that you are carrying as well. My routine includes cooking, cleaning, play activity times, work hours, etc. You can read more about my routine and my other household management lists here.

Productivity Tip #3: Create a cleaning schedule

Many people struggle to be productive when they are surrounded by messes and clutter. Having your home organized (giving every item a place) and creating a cleaning schedule can help you to keep your physical space clean and clear so that you can focus on your tasks with less distraction. My household cleaning routine is included in my daily routine under "Morning Chores", "Afternoon Chores", and "Evening Chores". I also have scheduled chores that I complete once per week and once per month. Kendra Hennessey at Mother Like a Boss is a wonderful resource/mentor when it comes to keeping a clean home.

Decluttering is a great way to reduce the time that you spend cleaning your home. In the past 3 years, we have donated, sold, and thrown out a household worth of stuff that was taking up physical and mental space within our four walls.  Allie Casazza taught me all that I know about minimizing and decluttering for a more intentional and productive lifestyle. You'll love her!

Productivity Tip #4: Work in Batches
Batch work is a concept that I have only recently adopted in my business, but I have already seen a significant increase in efficiency. Basically, batch work is when you batch all of your tasks into categories and spend your business hours working on one category at a time. If you are a blogger, your batch schedule might look something like this:

*Monday--Make images for 5 blog posts and 10 social media
posts

*Tuesday--Create an outline and draft for 5 blog posts</li>

*Wednesday--Optimize SEO and add links (inbound and outbound)
into all 5 post drafts

*Thursday--Proofread, finalize, and publish/schedule all 5
posts

*Friday--Write and schedule newsletter

*Saturday--Schedule social media posts

You can fill in that schedule with whatever tasks you do on a regular basis for your business. Batching your work allows you to focus on one task at a time on a larger scale than you typically would (i.e. 5 posts = instead of 1 at a time). This increases the quality AND the quantity of your work. This work style keeps you from switching from one headspace to another throughout your business hours which essentially saves you time and money.

Productivity Tip #5: Delegate

Delegate, delegate, delegate! You can't do it all alone, mama! Give your kids chores and tasks that they are responsible for each day with these examples. Discuss with your spouse what responsibilities he can take over during the week. Create a written chart so each person can clearly see what he/she is responsible for on a daily basis. You can use a chore chart like this, a magnetic chart (this works great for younger kiddos), a sticker chart, chore cards, etc.

Productivity Tip #6: Outsource if needed
Delegation doesn't stop with your immediate family. Sometimes outsourcing business and household tasks to people outside of your home is essential for your productivity and your sanity.

Some ideas for outsourcing:
*Hire a mother's helper to watch your children while you get some
work hours in.

*Utilize a mother's/kid's day out program.

*Hire a housekeeper as often as you need one.

*Look into a virtual assistant or social media marketer for your
business.

*Find a graphic designer for your logo & images.

*Hire a photographer to take photos for your business's social
media accounts and/or for your e-commerce shop.

Here are the planners that I am utilizing (or have used in the past) for my life and business:

Household Management Notebook

Complete Blog Planner

Plum Paper Planner

Trello

Productivity Tip #8: Recognize Your Seasons

I used to think that "seasons" of life simply referred to the changes that come as you get older... Season #1- Childhood, Season #2- Adolescence, Season #3-Young Adulthood, etc. Now I realize that individuals go through multiple life seasons every year. Our circumstances change, our mindsets shift, our wisdom and knowledge
increase, relationships with some people grow and some die out. We are
constantly changing and evolving.

You may be in a season where you feel completely overwhelmed with your home and kids and you can't seem to get your business under control. (Let me explain a little of our beautiful chaos here.) Maybe your business life is great, but your home has fallen to the wayside. Maybe you are in a time where you need to focus on your relationships instead of your work. Recognize whatever season it is that you are in and embrace it!

Productivity Tip #9: Take Care of Yourself
I cannot stress this one enough! As mothers, we always seem to want to put everyone else first...our children, spouse, friends, extended family members, church friends/family, business partners, etc. It is so easy to let your own wants & needs sit on the back burner. Eventually, the pot on the back burner will start to scorch and steam until you can't deny it anymore.Self-care doesn't have to mean bubble baths and wine every night, but it absolutely can be if that is what fills you up! It can be reading a book that you enjoy, eating healthier food to fuel your body, drinking more water during the day, doing 10 minutes of yoga in the morning or before bed, taking up a hobby... It can be whatever you want it to be! Just be sure that you are filling
your own cup so that you can continue to pour into others and into your business. Perhaps you can choose one self-care perk per day from my list!!

Productivity Tip #10: Give Yourself Grace
This one is so important! You have to realize that you will have days that seem non-productive and there will be times when you are unable to mark any tasks off of your to-do list... That is OKAY! Give yourself grace. Be a mama, enjoy life, rest when you need to, and pick it back up again tomorrow. You've got this :)

You can read more about finding grace in motherhood here!

—
Jessica Quinn|Faithful Farmwife
faithfulfarmwife.com

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much:
and
he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10