So here I am. Unemployed.
But only for today.
Monday I start a new job working 20-30 hours per week from home. It was a dream situation that sort of fell in my lap at the perfect moment I needed it. I had planned to continue working as an employee somewhere but assumed I would be out of the house. I didn't imagine I would have an opportunity to work from home. Balance home and work, move between them without having to get in my car and drive through traffic home. I didn't imagine a scenario where I could get up at 6am and put in a couple hours in my pj's before getting Isabelle ready for school. Setting my own schedule. Awesome.
I realize that right now I am sort of focused on the dream portion of working from home. I try to remind myself daily that I will still be working. I am being careful to continue guarding my schedule. I haven't signed up for any new volunteer positions at church. I haven't been planning a return to my favorite classes at the YMCA with my old friends. I am still expecting the family to help out around the house and while I am not looking for as much child care as I would have expected to, I am still planning to have Isabelle out of the house a few days a week.
But still, I really think it will be great!
So first problem of starting my own business, not enough time, solved. I am no longer out of the house and away from my personal life nearly 10 hours a day. I have begun to re-integrate my work and home life into a balance I am more comfortable with. And I have freed up hours each week to focus on my own business rather than someone else's.
Second problem...now what? Well my son graduates from high school in less than 2 weeks and for now that is all my focus. But during my extra work hours this month I am going to do a hand full of things.
- I am going to start making some Stella & Dot emails and phone calls. I sort of had to toss that on the back burner for all of May but I need to re-energize this month.
- I am going to read. I have a bunch of books on professional blogging, learning word press and working from home. I also have a whole bunch of emails about running a web based business that I have been storing for future reading. This is the month to research, learn and make plans.
- I am hoping to be writing for pay. I have a line on a possible freelance writing job writing some training manuals. It isn't glamorous but as far as I am concerned it is the New York Times. I am just excited to be able to get paid to write.
- I am going to have coffee with people. I have a handful of people I would love to talk with and hear their stories on starting a small business. Can you tell I am an information accumulator? And I have friends who I have missed over the past year. Friends who have stuck with me even when I haven't been available for them. I have taken more than I have given this past year and I look forward to giving back to them a little.
- I am going to file paperwork to have an official business to work from. I have actually been toying with calling it "Melanie, Inc" but I don't think that will end up being the final name. I do want it to be something simple and generic but personal that I can use for a variety of income ventures.
Well that is probably more than I can actually accomplish in a month while simultaneously learning a new job but when you think about 10 hours a day it really shouldn't be a problem at all.
Last month, despite only having 1 small trunk show I managed to make $54 for barely 2 hours of work. It isn't much but with only 4 real truck shows I have already made enough to replace my initial investment. From here forward it is all profit with Stella & Dot.
Looking forward to an exciting summer.
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