Don’t feel alone. Entrepreneurs usually start out having a long-term goal and a strong passion, but somewhere within the many layers of running a business, the original goal may have been diluted or forgotten, and the results feel nothing more than average. In this article, I will point out three top priorities for small business owners to consider in order to maximize their efforts.

Here are 3 critical areas to work on:

1. Build more assets and minimize liabilities.
2. Know how to make your assets work for you.
3. Make gains in self-improvement and knowledge, always revisiting your assumptions.

Let’s discuss these three capacities in more detail:

First, let me share with you a true story I learned not long ago. Since one of my relatives works in the medical field in the end-of-life cancer care department, she shares many sad stories that have shaped my perspective as a small business owner. Of all the stories she has told me, the one I remember most was the story of a gentleman who ran a small successful construction business and was the breadwinner for his family. When discovering the severity of his cancer, he had less than six months to live, and everything he was building seemed to come crashing down. Why? Because he knew that without him, his business couldn’t operate. Family members he left behind couldn’t inherit what he had built, beyond his life insurance policy, if he had one.

All the knowledge he had gained over the years which made him a great contractor was about to go down with him. As a fellow entrepreneur, I felt very sorry for him—and his family. While reflecting on this story and what to do as a small business owner, I was inspired to write this article. As small business owners, we can remind ourselves to build the kind of business that will grow our assets over time, while reducing our liabilities, rather than focusing solely on daily operations.

We can ask ourselves this hard question: “What assets can my family inherit if I get hit by a bus someday?” I know this is a sensitive question that no one wants to think about, but if you are an experienced business owner you would know that bad things can arise when least expected. Whatever transpires in your business, you should think of a way to turn it into an asset which you and your loved ones can use.

For example, if you run a small auto service business and your children want to take over the family business someday, start to transfer your knowledge and trade secrets to them—sooner, rather than later. If none of them are interested in the business and prefer to do something else, then you can write a book, eBook or a blog sharing what you have learned from your years of experience. If you can’t write well, outline what you think is valuable knowledge and hire a ghostwriter to help you accomplish it. Many small business owners do not realize the true value of their knowledge, accrued over the years. It’s truly an asset when compiled into a well-organized document. It’s your digital real estate, and content marketers would know exactly what this means.

If you are a real estate agent or business consultant, you can do the same to build your assets or you might have additional ideas that will build assets for you. No matter what industry you are in, if you think hard, you will find a way to turn your knowledge and experience into an asset for you and your family—starting today.

About the liabilities—you can learn to minimize liabilities over time as any clever business owner would do. To clearly understand the differences between liabilities and assets, let me clarify them. A liability is an investment that takes money out of your pocket each month (because of a negative end-of-month balance) and an asset is an investment that puts more money into your pocket each month (a positive balance). Understanding them clearly, you can now consider which things you can focus on to minimize your liabilities, and which things you should work on to build your assets.

Second, when you have an asset, you need to make it work for you, ideally (almost) on auto-pilot. Because that’s the best way for you and your family to benefit from them over the long term. If you are a real estate investor, I think you already know what I mean by building assets that pay out for a long time. However, if you are a professional working for a corporation, you might want to figure out a way to document, package and promote your knowledge and experience in a way that other people will consume it. The logical exception in this example is the information which cannot be shared outside the company, such as trade secrets and confidential or proprietary information.

If you are  an insurance agent with years of experience in the industry, why not create a blog site where you share best practices and other content that would benefit people for free, while running Google AdSense or affiliate programs to generate extra revenue? If possible, try to create predominantly “evergreen” content that will remain relevant for years to come.

Key takeaway: A smart person works for a good company to gain income for each day of work. A wise person invests time producing something once that will continue to gain income and/or benefits for years to come. This is the ultimate cornerstone of how to make your assets work for you.

Third, sometimes success can be your own worst enemy. Why? Because it feeds your ego so that sometimes you are unwilling to listen to other people’s great ideas and advice. Therefore, no matter how many successes or failures you encounter, you should always be open to advice and continue to  improve yourself with books written by people who “walk the talk.”

Sometimes people view successful, rich people like a walking-talking-money-printing machine, which does have some truth to it. Since money is a currency, and, like an electrical current, it will not produce benefits if it stays in one place. It must move or exchange hands to yield the most benefit. In business, we must all continually elevate our knowledge and keep up with new technologies and concepts. Without it, we can’t continue to bring benefits to the business. So, keep on learning and revisit your assumptions often to make necessary adjustments to keep your business on track.

After many years of running a small business with employees on the payroll, these are the three things I would consider THE most important on my list as an entrepreneur. I hope this article provides you with another perspective for assessing your business and considering additional opportunities. If you think this article will benefit other self-employed individuals like us, please share it with them. You might also have a great conversation considering these points and what they could mean to you and your businesses. Thank you!

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As a labor force serving a variety of industries, we should recognize that we are living in an era of revolutionary changes. On the one hand, with powerful laptop and internet connections, we can work wherever and whenever we can be the most effective. On the other hand, employers can now select from a larger pool of talented contributors because their employees can work for them remotely.

Here are just a few benefits this remote labor revolution brings to both sides:

For employees and self-employed professionals who provide intellectual services:

1. We save time and money by not driving to work each day.
2. We can work when and where we can be most efficient and effective.
3. We can benefit from flexible work hours and locations when we have young children or relatives who need our care and attention.

For businesses and organizations:

1. They now have a larger and more diverse pool of talent to select from when recruiting.
2. They can collaborate easily from within and outside their physical location, and globally.
3. They can reduce overhead costs by minimizing office space and utilities required for on-site employees.

Because of this revolution in the labor market, many companies and organizations are making their recruiting more attractive by adding an option for employees to work from home, or at least a couple days a week. To some extent, this situation can solve the employees’ concern for finding affordable housing near the company’s offices. It can also reduce the stress of rush hour traffic and convert that wasted time into productive work time, freeing up more time for family, exercise and learning.

Since most workers in the service-industry labor force use laptop computers daily, LaptopWork.com is the place where we can share insightful information about how to work smarter and become more productive. Here, you will learn the best practices from professionals who work from home, from successful startups who operate out of a co-working office, and from seasoned entrepreneurs who like to mentor, coach and share with others, and more.

Our goal is to provide helpful content for those who want to make the most of their time and technology. If you like our mission, please share our content with others on your social media pages. Thank you very much!

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Some of the basics elements of Time Management are as follows:

1. Setting up a Work Schedule – Some of the ways to set up a workable schedule are to:
a) Establish your schedule around the demands of your work.
b) Establish your schedule around those times of the day you work best. For me, my high energy hours are in the morning.
c) Establish your work schedule around the other priorities of your life. For example, some single dads and moms with children might need to work before the kids get up, stop working, and get them off to school, work during the school day, pick up the kids, and spend some quality time with your family, and then do some additional work in the evening. Others work hard for 3-4 days a week and take long weekends.
d) Organize your schedule around a particular work task. This won’t work for everyone, but if your business allows you to break off certain aspects of jobs into different days and time periods, do so.
e) Set up an arbitrary schedule. For some of you, any kind of schedule is better than nothing in the beginning. Eventually, you will find your high and low points during the day, which will allow you to eventually establish a schedule for yourself that works best for you and one you can stick to.

2. Getting Started – I start working after I walk the dogs. This is the trigger to start my day. When I come back from walking the dog I immediately head for the office. For others, it might simply head back to bed and set a timer to go off.

3. Staying With Business Matters – Once you do get started, don’t let yourself be distracted by household items or anything else. Don’t procrastinate. You want to be efficient. To do so, plan your day, set reasonable goals, praise yourself for the work you’re doing. You no longer have the water cooler or coffee klatch around to give you that praise, so you must give it to yourself. In fact, reward yourself for a job well done with something you enjoy doing.

The following are some everyday time-savers to build into your daily routine to help you work more efficiently:

a) Make sure you organize your contacts and files.
b) Use time-saving technology – a touch-tone phone, with re-dial button, your computer, printer, copy machine, e-mail. Prioritize your To-do List. Use your mail folders.
c) Learn to say no.
d) Make use of downtime. File while your printing something or back up your data during lunch.
e) Build a time cushion into your day. It is much better to overestimate the time it takes to do something than to underestimate.
f) Don’t make a big deal over little decisions like supplies.
g) Learn to do two things at once such as: Read after business hours; or get a CD and listen while doing household chores; proof items while printing or backing up.
h) If you prioritize your To-Do list, you will have a bunch of little items that will take you 3-5 minutes to complete; filing, update tickle, and proofreading are some of these short tasks.

Some of the best ways to maximize your efficiency are to:

A. Plan your workday
B. Safeguard your work from unwanted distraction and interruptions
C. Recognize and sidetrack procrastination
D. Set reasonable work goals
E. Praise yourself for your work and reward yourself for a job well done.
F. Take frequent regular breaks
G. Schedule your work so it won’t conflict with your favorite activities; and
H. Arrange for a change of scenery.

By doing all this you keep yourself fresh and able to work at your best.

Some of your most time-consuming tasks will be: Keeping up to date in your area of expertise by reading. Read pertinent material only. For many items, you receive just highlighting or skimming the article will suffice.

Meetings are another area that takes up a lot of time. Be sure before you schedule the meeting to ask yourself, is it necessary? Can I do this by telephone, mail or teleconference? If you do have to schedule a meeting, be sure you are organized with an outline of what you need to cover, and a specific time limit. If the meeting does run over, see if you can finish it by phone or mail, if possible, rather than rescheduling.

For those of you in lease or purchasing, remember your telephone script. You don’t leave the office until you get all the information on the script, check out that information, finalize your numbers, then call the seller to schedule a meeting. When you go to your meeting with the seller, be sure to take your flyers and signs to place after you and the seller sign the contract. Don’t waste time having to make a second trip.

Correspondence, projects, phone calls and errands are other areas that take up a lot of time. For your correspondence, set up an efficient routine for processing your mail and emails.

Keep your errands to a minimum, or schedule a specific day when you do them in a morning or afternoon. To expedite your phone calls, have names and numbers handy, use your egg timer to set a time limit for each call. Ask them to send written material to review, or if they need information from you, you do the same.

For your large projects, break them down into smaller manageable tasks. Give each of these tasks a deadline, and be sure to place all of the information in your project file on a sheet stapled to the inside of the file.

Stress is a part of our lives. When you become overwhelmed or something upsets your day, don’t let it ruin the remainder of the day or carry over to the next. Take a deep breath; count to 10, take a break; sing a song that comforts you; take a walk around the block; play with the dogs. When you do get back to your desk – remember – nothing lasts forever, and tomorrow is a new day.

4. Interruptions, Distractions and Procrastination – To safeguard yourself from the interruptions and distractions of household responsibilities: interruptions from family, friends or neighbors; remind yourself and them that even though you are at home YOU ARE AT WORK. If you were at an office outside the home you wouldn’t be able to solve their problems or take a break to spend time with them.

Work out a plan with your family of what your hours are. When you can and can’t be disturbed. You need to keep focused on your work. The ability to maintain a deep concentration can prevent you from being distracted.

Procrastination is one the of the biggest problems with many home-based businesses. It is very easy to put off or never get to something you want to avoid. One way to avoid this is to think performance, not perfection. If you set small manageable goals to be accomplished and stick to it, you will be able to accomplish them. You need to recognize and sidestep procrastination.

Procrastination is one of the hardest things to overcome for so many people. However, if you start by doing the one thing you like to do, this could help you to move on to do the other things you don’t like. For those of you that have an extremely difficult time with procrastination, start with your favorite thing to do, and then the next and so on down the line. At least this is a start. Eventually, you will be able to put all of these items in priority order, not procrastinate and move on to a normal workday.

5. How Not To Become A Workaholic
a) Close the door on work.
b) Set up an end-of-day ritual. Some people take an exercise class, others will walk around the block. Chuck and I feed the dogs.
c) Set A Firm Schedule – Set firm beginning and ending times. Yes, these will fluctuate on some days if you have early morning meetings or evening meetings. However, for the most part, your day begins at a certain time and ends around the same time each day. Take a day off a week, or two if that is what you need. Be sure to put your off-time on your calendar.
d) Take time to get out of the house- You want to schedule time away from home. Whether it is a shopping trip with a friend, lunch with a friend, or a weekend away with your family.

Make these tips a part of your business and life. They will keep you on track and help you manage your time well so you can run a successful home-based business, without sacrificing your personal life.

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Does it matter what you wear to work? Heavens yes. Like it or not, many decisions are made on first impressions. You’ll be quickly checked over for cleanliness, grooming, and what you have on. It’s part of business etiquette.

Are there rules you can memorize? Not really. Like all social rules, you have to intuit what’s going on because it can differ from place to city, to state, to country.

What we wear is nonverbal communication. It’s sending a message, and remember, you’re communicating whether you think you are or not. Some people use dress to express hostility or provoke others or to express their conflicts. The more conscious you are, the abler you’ll be to make the way you dress work for you. It’s hard enough to get a job these days without shooting yourself in the foot.

If you have trouble figuring out what the rules are, take some Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) coaching. It will sharpen your ability to be appropriate and act in your own behalf, verbally and nonverbally.

GUIDELINES

When in doubt, spell it out. Students at Claremont High School had the new fashion rules mailed to their home as part of a general information notice during the summer. The code includes, “students will have to ensure that shirts cover their stomachs and touch the top of their pants.”

Outline the consequences of failing to adhere, i.e., the Claremont notice said, “The school office can provide alternate clothing for the day, if required.”

Is this talking to adults like teenagers? Well, that’s appropriate if they’re behaving like teenagers.

The purpose said the Claremont officials “is to create a learning environment,” and the purpose at work is to create a working environment. Remember to nip it in the bud. The first time someone breaks the code, take action, or you will have lost your credibility — and not just in the area of dress code.

If you’re the employee, listen up. My client Marcia was returning to the work world after two years leave of absence to care for her dying mother. She was looking forward to getting back to work, and to dress up. She applied for a job at Habitat for Humanity and was told “We’re construction industry. We wear slack and sandals.” That wasn’t what Marcia wanted, and it mattered to her.

My client Alexei nearly got fired because he wouldn’t adhere to the dress code, despite his exceptional talents in his field. He said when he took the job he “knew he could get them to make an exception.” Is this wise? Not usually. Fight your battles somewhere else, not where your bread and butter is concerned.

We each have our own values and priorities. Part of Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) is thinking it through before you take the job. What must you have? What can’t you stand? Once you sign on the dotted line, a deal’s a deal.

But, if you are more like me, who is an entrepreneur that prefers the dress code of “Silicon Valley” (shirt and jean) with a laptop to work, then you might want to consider your decision more carefully. Either way, I wish you feel comfortable with who you choose to work for.

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They include no simultaneous submissions; always include a SAE (Stamped Addressed Envelope); limit query length to one page; there’s a “standard” contract; editors are busy, so don’t phone; and many more.

Novice writers aren’t told that pros completely ignore the Idiot Rules and do what makes sense to them. So I’m pleased that someone is finally writing a book to expose the Idiot Rules for the nonsense they are. The book’s called: Renegade Writers: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success. It’s by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell.

The book was out in 2004 and Linda said: “Join the Renegade Writers mailing list for a diary of the making of the book plus freelance writing success tips”:

Why should you break the Idiot Rules with impunity? Because you’re smart.

Let’s look at a couple of the Idiot Rules, and assess whether it makes sense to stick to them or not.

Firstly, the perennial favorite, the Top Of The Idiot Rule Pops — “always send a Stamped Addressed Envelope with your query letter”.

For the record, I’ve been freelancing for over 20 years and I’ve never included a SAE. I haven’t been struck dead, and no editor has ever commented on the lack of a SAE.

My attitude to query letters (also known as proposals) is that they’re an ordinary business communication (see my article “How To Write A Proposal To Get Freelance Work” in this issue, scroll down) from one business to another.

The magazine or publishing company that I’m sending the letter to is free to answer my letter, or bin it. Do they expect their other suppliers to send SAEs?

Another classic Idiot Rule is “No Simultaneous Submissions”.

I’ve never hesitated to break this one. Until I’m offered a contract and have signed that agreement, I’m free to offer my products for sale where I like, so I do.

All editors know that professional writers make simultaneous submissions whenever they think a project would be a good fit for several publications.

So if an editor is interested, she’ll usually get on the phone or send an email message to indicate her interest within a week or two, sometimes within hours.

Whatever your trade, whether you’re a writer or other creative, assess the rules. Whenever you find a rule that’s obviously an Idiot Rule, break it.

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For example, in 1995 (I know I’m old) I was trying to sell articles about the Internet to general-interest and women’s magazines. No sale. At that stage, the Internet hadn’t erupted into mass consciousness. That taught me that topics must be familiar to a magazine’s readers, but with a new slant.

The easiest way to enliven a topic is by using what’s in the headlines. At the moment, if you’re writing about women’s health, and if you know that controversy about Hormone Replacement Therapy is news. Use this to give your articles an up-to-the-minute flavor.

A journalist updated “intuition” as a topic by using a news story that was making headlines in Australia. A tourist was abducted in the outback and is still missing. The tourist’s female companion hadn’t obeyed her intuition and the journalist used this as an effective hook for her story.

My favorite way of making topics new is by developing a new slant. I wanted to write about procrastination, so I spoke to a life management coach, a business trainer, and a psychologist. Procrastination is an old topic, but I got some great quotes from the experts, who had unique ways of handling it with their clients.

What if you want to write about a topic that’s non-mainstream? You can get lucky with a proposal if your topic is familiar to the editor you pitch. A few months ago I became fascinated with energy medicine and a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). I knew this was likely to be too new for mainstream magazines, but I got lucky.

An editor at Australian Woman’s Day was familiar with the technique and accepted the article. Alternatively, your idea may be quite standard, but new to the editor. This happened with a story on the Glycemic Index I sold to a health and fitness magazine.

Look through your file of unsold article proposals. Make them “new”, and sell them. Here’s how. For each proposal:

* Consider whether this topic has been in the headlines recently (no matter how tangentially);

* Ask yourself whether an expert might have a unique take on the topic;

* Search Amazon.com for new books on that topic;

* Brainstorm new slants and hooks;

* Don’t give up on your “too new” topics — send the proposals out periodically (say every six months). Sooner or later every new topic becomes mainstream.

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The proposals you generate on your own after you’ve identified a need the client has, are called Unsolicited Proposals. By creating lots of proposals, you get lots of work.

When I’m soliciting copywriting work, I write mini-proposals, of around a page, or 300 words. I send out these mini-proposals either as an introduction to my services or as a follow-up to an initial call I’ve made to the business.

Whenever you’re going through a slow period, turn out a few dozens of proposals. Within a few weeks, you should have more work than you can handle. Businesses are used to receiving proposals, so no one will think it odd when you submit one.

So what does a mini-proposal contain? A single page, with:

* a description of a problem (or need) you conceive the business has;

* an outline of the solution;

* why you’re the person to solve this problem — what skills you have.

Simple, right?

When you start sending out mini-proposals regularly, you WILL get work. Lots of work.

Everyone has problems; everyone is looking for solutions. You market yourself to businesses as someone who can solve their problems.

==> Spotting a need
Start by training yourself to spot problems (call them challenges when you’re communicating with businesses) and needs that businesses have. You’re going to become Mr. or Ms. Fixit.

Let’s take a simple example of spotting a need. Let’s say you’re a writer, browsing the Web, and you come across a business Web site which has lots and lots of typos.

How do you approach the business?

Go to Whois, at https://www.whois.com and get the business owner’s contact details. By entering their website address to look up, most of the time you would see their contact info listed on Whois.

Now you’re going to fax, mail or email a message.

Let’s say you’ve decided to email the manager of the business. Your message’s Subject line could be: “Proposal — Website proofing.”

Because of all the spam on the Internet, you’re going to make it clear that although this is unsolicited, it’s a normal business communication, not a message that you’re firing out at random to a thousand businesses on the Web.

Construct the message as you would a postal letter, with the name of the owner or manager, the business name, and the date on the first few lines.

Next comes the salutation: “Dear Mr. Smith”.

Introduce yourself immediately.

“My name is John Brown. I’m an independent writer. I visited your Web site at _________.”

At this point, make some kind and generous comments about the site, to that show that you’ve actually visited it. Say anything you like here, as long as it’s a compliment.

Then describe the problem — mention the typos, in other words.

DON’T be explicit. Don’t mention where the typos are. (You’re looking for work, remember.)

Outline the solution: you can proof the site content.

Tell Mr. Brown why you’re the person to handle the proofing.

Tell Mr. Brown how to contact you.

Close the message in the usual way.

Add all your contact details: email, phone, and website (if you have one).

By addressing your email message clearly, and putting in all your contact details, you’ve established that you’re not a spam artist. You’re a business person sending a proposal.

Great! You’ve written your first proposal. Now go and write another one. And another one after that. Proposals are great fun to write, and no matter what kind of work you’re after, they should get you more work than you can handle. But always keep in mind, no matter how busy you are with new incoming projects you should maintain (if not increase) the quality of your works.

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Nearly half of the companies on the Inc. 500 list were started from home!

Think about it – not long ago, guys like Thomas Massie, CEO of SensAble Technologies( #211) and Edy Bedoya of EBC (#81) were building computer gadgets out of their dorm rooms (although not together). And we all know the story of Michael Dell (not on the list – he’s too big).

But it’s not just high-tech. Corporation #32, Twin Hills Collectables, started out as a hobby of the owner Steve Halsell. He earned $8,000 his first year selling die-cast replicas of NASCAR cars and $200,000 the next – At which point, his boss told him he should quit his day job because it cost him too much money. His 1998 sales revenues reached $8 million.

These stories underline the fact that there has never been a better time to start a home-based business: 500,000 new ones are launched each year, and that number is expected to grow, thanks to new tax rules that make working from home more cost-effective than ever. Affordable technology makes it possible to offer products and services that rival those of big corporations.

That same technology is rapidly becoming a staple in households where owning a laptop computer was too expensive just a decade ago — in new yet familiar forms, like TV’s and telephones — creating new markets.

The companies on the Inc. list share some things in common. One is a founder/owner with vision; someone who identifies a need, has a good idea and the courage to run with it. Another is perseverance. Bedoya’s story is especially moving: a Peruvian immigrant, he arrived in the States in the mid-80’s with just $100 in his pocket. After his first job — cleaning toilets in a restaurant — he worked his way up to dishwasher and finally to head chef before switching gears and entering the jewelry business.

A few years later, his car was stolen – along with all of his money, credit cards and inventory. By this time, Bedoya had enrolled in a college work-study program to earn a degree, and this is when he discovered computers. Six months later, he was in business buying and reselling parts. In 1998, his company’s revenues reached $13 million.

Successful businesspeople also know how to get the capital they need to launch and maintain their ventures. The Internet has recently become a force in funding startups; several underwriting organizations have sprouted online to help match investors with projects. One good place to start the search is Garage.com (https://www.garage.com).

Interestingly, almost 200 of the companies on Inc. list were capitalized with investments of under $10,000. And 79 were founded just five years ago.

Anything is possible, even becoming the subject of your own Success Story.

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Though I have worked from the comfort of my home office since 1987 (I know I’m old) until the past year I was a telecommuter for a large Fortune 500 company. The best of both worlds were at my fingertips – a comfortable salary, retirement plan, paid sick days – in addition to the flexibility and opportunity to work from home.

Alas, all good things must end, and in May of 2009, I was a victim of downsizing. When the aftermath of shock and panic subsided, I dug my heels into finding an alternative telecommuting position. While fervently researching available options, I discovered what path I was to follow next. In my teleworking hunt, I ran across scam after scam preying on those of us, desperate, for whatever reasons, to work from home. Knowing there must be hundreds of thousands of others like myself searching, I decided to create a website with a newsletter for “legit” Work At Home (WAH) opportunities.

While my start-up costs were relatively minor for a new business, I knew that it would be six to nine months before I saw any income. The newsletter would need to build up a significant readership before any paying sponsors would come knocking.

Diligently, I pounded out a newsletter every day and slowly watched my numbers rise. Sure enough, six months later, my first paid ad appeared! What a feeling that was! Someone actually wanted to pay to promote their business on my website!

It is now seventeen months since the “birth” of my website, and I’m very pleased to announce that the business is steadily growing, But, like any business, there are peak times and then there are times that are incredibly slow. When I reach a slack period, I question my ability to hang in there. I find myself scanning the classifieds daily in search of a “real” job. I even have gone as far as to respond with a phone call or to fax my resume. A dark cloud of doubt seems to hang over my head during these slow times.

And then… I’ll check my email and am deluged with advertising inquiries or will see one of my articles that I have written posted on another site or best of all…a reader will write to share her news of landing a WAH job through a posting in the newsletter. Then it all becomes crystal clear: success cannot be measured in just monetary terms. I love what I do – I am helping others like myself who want to work from home to be with their families and still provide an income. My salary is not half of what it was several years ago but I am happier (most days) than I ever was working for someone else. In my heart of hearts, I know that I could never return to the corporate world. I love setting the pace, playing by my own rules and I have found my “perfect balance between work and family”!

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