Welcome to 2008!

Happy New Year! Here we are in 2008 and as for me, I welcome it. Last year was great overall and I see only good things for this year as well. For a lot of us work at home people January usually means one thing is weighing heavy on our minds- yes that's right, TAXES. I have a very dependable accountant, which makes tax season a lot less stressfull. I highly suggest to anyone working freelance, if your not comfortable with tax "stuff"or just don't like the hassle, get an accountant. It's usually well worth the money. There are a lot of write-off's you can take working from home. I am no expert so I won't give specific advice, instead I will send you on a learning experience. I suggest you do some research on the internet. There are a lot of great sites out there that are full of information. Aboutus.com and the IRS web site both have columns on Office In Home Tax Deductions and Justanswer.com offers free tax advice. However I still recommend getting an accountant if you are unsure and/or want to avoid an audit, which of course doesn't mean you won't get audited, but at least your accountant has your back. So in summary, do your homework and if all else fails, turn to an expert. Best wishes to all of us this tax season!

A mom with a blog...and a job.

Who knew I would someday have my own blog. Not me. Chasing kids around, keeping up the house, and managing my freelance responsibilities keeps me busy enough. Lucky for me my work with SavvyDog Design has opened up a whole new slew of options, ideas and knowledge that have now offered me the opportunity to start my own blog. It may not be a good blog- yet! I am sure it will be in no time, with help from those of you who know all about blogging and about being a work at home mom.
Today I spent hours and hours online learning all about blogs. Wow, there are a lot of great blogs out there, and a lot of bad ones. I can't believe how much information and advice there is on how to have a successful blog and how to really mess it up. Hopefully I am taking advice from the right people.
I look forward to hearing from those of you who can add knowledge, help and just plain old good advice to me so that this blog can be a great resource for all work at home moms (and dads).
In the meantime, I found this great forum for people who work at home. Seems to be very resourceful.

How to find the time.

I have worked at home for almost eight years now and the question has always been- How can I find the time? Lucky for me in those eight years I have always been able to work part-time, otherwise the answer to that question would have always been- I can't! However working part-time for some companies still made it nearly impossible because I was held to a set schedule, over time there was no flexibility with time off and schedule changes, and they were constantly changing my schedule and then wanted to force me to work full time. These companies always boast about being flexible and talk about how working for them allows you to be with your family while still being able to work and bring in an income which is why I accepted positions with them, however they seem to be all talk and no action. As we all know "actions speak louder than words".
Stay at home mom's know, our schedule revolves around our children. It is nearly impossible to try to force your families' schedule around work and other things.
Today I do freelance work, part-time for a web design/outsource marketing organization called SavvyDog Design. Fortunately, the way the company is set up, I can answer that question with- Very easily! They are a 100% virtual company, and their basic model is individual accountability and teamwork vs. micro-management and corporate bologna. Loving what I do also plays a big part in my finding time to do my work. I make time because I enjoy it.
So in essence, how to find the time to work from home comes down to two things- First, finding the company/organization that's modeled to fit the needs of your family and second finding something you enjoy doing. Good luck in your endeavors!