Fellow Entrepreneur Offers Advice

Today I want to wrap up the interview with Revka that posted last week. You may remember she runs Berries and Cream Blog Design. When I asked Revka what she'd recommend to other work-at-home moms, here's what she said:

I would also advise entrepreneurs to start out right by taking the steps I am only now taking: realize that working from home/owning a business means that you will have much less time for volunteer work and other activities; work with your spouse to set mutually agreeable goals, guidelines, and boundaries for your business; and set a specific dollar amount monthly sales goal as soon as possible.

One last piece of advice - free isn't always best. Be willing to invest in your business as you are able, and always get the best {fill in the blank} you can afford. Sometimes the best option is free, but don't make a decision based solely on whether one option is free and the other isn't.

I agree with all of the above as they all were hard-earned lessons for me personally. Doing the above will help you save your sanity and preserve your profit. The sooner, the better!

By the way, Revka is one of two entrepreneurs I know who have an e-mail auto reply that advises clients/potential customers regarding office hours. In addition to running her at-home business, she's the mother of four children, three of which she currently homeschools! Her auto reply indicates that her office hours are from 2-4 and includes contact information for another individual if a client needs to reach someone during this time. This is an effective use of technology and one I use when I'm traveling so that my clients know why I'm not getting back with them right away. Although I leave my cell phone number "just in case" on my auto reply, I've never had a client use it.

Thanks, Revka, for letting me share your story. Now, friends, what's one change you've made to your business that has made a big difference? Leave a comment and let's get a discussion going!