Following Production Schedules for a Home Business

Having worked as an editorial manager in a book publishing company, I very well know the importance of having a definite product development process with a reasonable production schedule to match in order to achieve one’s production targets. Now that I am starting up my own business at home, I realize the importance not only of having a well planned production schedule but also the discipline and motivation to follow it as well. With no supervisor to answer to, it is easy for me to get distracted and lose precious time, which all lead to delay in the achievement of my business goals.

So, one day, (like all good stories start with) with little money coming in from my other sidelines, I realized that if I don't get my business up and working (and earning!) real soon, I might find myself bankrupt and again spending precious time in a full-time job and two- to three-hour travel to and from an office just so I could earn more capital for my business and start anew,

With that quite scary thought in my mind, I decided to write down some strategies to help me stay faithful to my production schedules, meet my targets, and keep my home business afloat.

1. Create a dummy poster indicating the name of your business, your target launching date, and the words “Grand Opening Day!” Display this on the side of your home office which is most visible to you or set it as your desktop wall paper. Having a visible reminder of your target opening day will motivate you to complete your tasks and meet your target opening day.
2. Set a reasonable time schedule for the completion of each task in your business plan. Make sure not to fit in too many work in a day. Know your limits and just like in the regular office, set periods for breaks and rest.
3. Indicate the percentage contribution of every phase in your business’s product development process. This way you will know how near you are from achieving your goals. Then, you may decide if you already need to work double time or if you can still pause for a while and take some rest.
4. Reward yourself for every major phase completed. This one is very important because it is sometimes difficult to find motivation to accomplish or stay focused on a task when you know there is no immediate income to be received after your hard work.
5. These are but some simple strategies but it worked! I hope other starting entrepreneurs like me out there might find these useful too.

Enjoy! Go into business. :)

                                                                                              

A Jobless Woman's Gain - Time

I am now officially jobless. Actually, I resigned from work. This means I have gained 11 hours (nine at work, two hours travel, to and fro) a day that I can use in doing pretty much anything I want to do. It is truly liberating. But I should remember I have bills to pay so I should use my time wisely. I wanted to be jobless for quite some time now, not for the pleasure of bumming around the house but so I could have a gainful rest, return to perfect health (I subjected myself to so much stress and tension because I took my previous job too seriously), and then go to business. Yup, putting up a business is still pretty much my goal. I am scared like a toddler going to school for the first time but I am also as giddy as a girl being wooed by someone she likes for the first time. I am now giving myself four months to put up my business for two reasons: 1) I’m targeting to sell my products by the 2^nd semester of SY 2012 or the November foundation day in schools, and Christmas bazaars and 2) I intend to go back to grad school or teach part-time by 2^nd Sem. So I am hoping that in four months, my business should already be standing on solid ground so it may continue to flourish still despite my divided attention by then.

So how do I start? I already did my feasibility study. I just need to visit it again, review and improve and actually put the plans into action divided into phases so I can see that I am achieving something. I think I mentioned in my other articles that I wanted to manufacture school supplies. I realized it’s not that easy but who says getting into business is easy as pie? All I know is my heart is into this and “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I will invest time, effort and money in this business and whatever happens, I can always look back and say I had the courage to give it a shot. And for me, that alone is a great feat. Carpe diem!