Category — momeo

Have you ever had a deadline for an article, a guest blog post, a book proposal or something else and you kept delaying and delaying the finished product because you never felt like it was PERFECT?  Or worse… have you ever seen your perfectionist tendencies show up not only in your business, but in your child’s behavior?  Ouch!

In this episode of the Work Smart Lifestyle Show, Carla Young of Momeo Magazine shares with us a few (hilarious/ironic) stories of her own perfectionist tendencies, how they have NOT served her and some tips for you, if you are a recovering perfectionist.

Have you ever struggled with a dominant inner perfectionist? Please feel free to leave your thoughts, questions and comments below!

Guest Post by Carla Young, Founder of MOMeo Magazine

At cocktail parties (not that we get out much after becoming parents), people ask me what I do and I explain, “I work from home doing what I love and raising my daughter.”

I know I’m talking to a corporate captive when this answer gets the scrunched up face and the quizzical look that implies they think it’s a cover story for watching Oprah all day. Then they think about it and say something like, “I could never work from home. I would go crazy!” I take that to mean they spend most of their days socializing with coworkers and not actually doing any work (studies support me in this belief).

The polite ones usually ask why I decided to do that – why take on the challenge of working from home AND raising a child. And thinking about it I realized that it seems kind of crazy. Both are more than full-time occupations and I’ve signed myself up for two!

The short answer is “Because…”

Because I get to take my morning coffee breaks with a spirited child who in the blink of an eye went from a wiggly baby to a busy 5-year-old. Because even when my daughter is with her nanny, I can hear the sound of laughter from my office. Because when it’s nice out, I can play hooky and go to the paddling pool.

Because I want my child to grow up on home-cooked meals made with lots of love just the way she likes it. Because I want to teach her how to cook from scratch the way my mother and aunts did for me, not reheat grayish goop from a can.

Because I want to raise my daughter to believe that anything is possible by showing her by example. Because I want her to create her own universe without fear or self-doubt. It’s not enough to give the valiant speeches anymore – kids need to see it.

Because I want her to know that even as she heads out into this big world, that she has me there as her backstop, the way she does today when a boo-boo sends her rushing into my office for a cuddle and a band aid treatment the way only Doctor Mommy can do it.

So yes, sometimes it means I need to work late at night to catch-up on the work that didn’t happen during playtime. Yes, sometimes the laundry sits in the dryer so long that it’s just easier to wash it again. Yes, sometimes I feel like a zombie because the one morning I have to get up early to give a speech is the morning after the night my daughter has a bad sleep.

But it’s worth it. Why? Because…

Interested in starting a work-at-home business? Check out the MOMeo Magazine Business in a Box Special Edition! It’s FULL of insightful how-to articles and practical tips for starting your own business, including 141 Mom-Friendly Business Ideas!

Author Bio: Carla Young is the Founder & CEO of MOMeo Community.com and Publisher of MOMeo Magazine.com. She’s dedicated to supporting mom entrepreneurs (or mom entrepreneurs-to-be) build work-at-home lifestyle businesses and succeed on THEIR terms at work, at home and in finding a little playtime for mommy!

Guest Post By Alycia Edgar

http://www.numbersarelife.com

Have you buried your head in the sand when it comes to your business financials?  Do you know where your money is being spent and how much money you have earned? Or do you simply get your books done (or not – shriek!) to get your taxation commitments out of the way, pray that you don’t owe any money and get back to being busy?  Are you afraid of knowing exactly how your business is going? I love that saying “feel the fear and do it anyway”, because at least if you do know the hard facts, you’ll be able to make changes. And you never know, your business might be doing better than you thought!

If you’re behind in keeping your books, you can get back on track.  Here are some simple steps to accomplish this:

1. Collate all your paperwork into piles that relate to:

a. Invoices and payments made for business expenses
b. Invoices and payments received from customers/clients or a cash register summary
c. Payments made to employees
d. Bank & credit card statements, taxation correspondence

2. If this seems overwhelming, maybe it’s time to bite the bullet and enlist help from a bookkeeper who can sort it all out for you.

3. Are you using an accounting software package? You need access to this (or give your bookkeeper access to it) to get yourself up to date.

4. Enter all relevant information from a, b & c above.

5. Take your bank and credit card statements, and check (reconcile) that all transactions are accounted for in your accounting software program. Make sure to include any cash transactions as well.  If you have no idea how to reconcile, simply look at a bank register (or credit card register) within your accounting software to check that each item that is on your bank statement (and/or credit card statement) also appears in your bank register. Then you can hand over to a bookkeeper/accountant to complete the reconciliation process.

6. By now you should be up to date. It’s time to celebrate – woo-hoo! If you had assistance to get back on track make sure you pay their bill promptly. Let’s now consider your maintenance program, because you don’t want really to get into this position again, do you?

7. Maintenance mode – repeat steps 1,2,3,4,5 from above on a weekly or fortnightly basis to keep on track. The important thing to remember is that it is much better for you and your business to KNOW your numbers than to go into a cold sweat and have no idea!

About the Author:

As an accountant and former surf shop owner Alycia understands the issues that small business face everyday.  She believes  you can  work on your business effectively simply by understanding your business numbers.  She creates innovative systems and processes that enable business owners to be highly focused and productive in their business. If you are interested in receiving insider tips on how to understand your numbers, join us here.  As a bonus you’ll receive the report “You or Your Bookkeeper Could be Costing You Money.”

Have you ever used the fact that you don’t have enough time as an excuse?  (Who hasn’t… Right?) One of the best ways to overcome time management and/or “fear of the unknown” struggles is to create systems in your life. In this video, find out how family and business management systems can help you to accomplish your goals.

(Great still image above, huh? Love YouTube for that)   

When you are done watching this video, if you want more information on time management and systems, listen to this podcast called “Making Fear Your Frenemy” where Carla Young (of MOMeo Magazine) and I talk about using systems in your life to overcome your fears.  It is a quick show (under 30 min) and you will learn a TON!  And if you have any additional tips or comments, please leave them below in the comments section. Thanks!