Monday, April 29, 2013

Running a Family Business Success From Home

Home-based businesses and family-operated business each have their own minefield of potential problems, but they are not blurred boundary traps. For home-based business owner, which means constantly striving to maintain a healthy work-life balance, both literally (the sacred established business away from the rest of the house) and emotions (hours range which allows for time with family). For family businesses, it means income without tearing the family. But what happens when the two are combined, essentially creating a company with employees all live under the same roof? World War III? You might be surprised. Here are six ways to make it work - and five companies do just that.

    Meet different personalities Family Members'

"I am an eternal optimist: I think any new idea will work well," said Matt Siegal, a father, Sanford Siegal, Siegal Cookie Diet Dr started about 35 years ago from his home in Miami, Florida. "He more than pessimistic, or a realist, as he calls himself," added Matt. When Matt saw great potential for small business from his father to grow significantly by adding a retail division, enthusiasm is off the charts. "Of course, I will consider the options carefully and consider all the possible pitfalls," says Matt, knows his father is an approach that more carefully. In conclusion, after some due diligence, which Siegal parents agree. Matt sold his software company, joined his parents in the cake business, and the company took off.

"Now the cookies are sold at Walgreen's, and GNC, as well as from mall kiosks, some of our own retail stores and on our website," offers Matt, who served as CEO and continue to jam between his own home office in Washington, DC, and the old home base in Florida.

For Mother's Cookie Diet Doctor, as Matt refers to his mother, Lyndell, who managed the books and documents, he has his own business acumen. "He's funny, he might want to play very much in the background, acting as his opinion does not count, but in fact he was very influential and very much part of the decision making process," said Matt, welcomed their personalities mix well, which is very important in business.

2. Is Defined Functions and Benefits Explore all

"All the things that one but the 4 year old," said Rich Hoy, of Bangor, Maine. Along with his wife, Angela, he runs Booklocker.com, a full-service publishing company that handles all aspects of book production and turned out 200 titles per year from the three-story home Hoys'.

"Our 8-year old son answers the door for the UPS driver, and walking up and down our office, so he's sort of our runners," quipped Rich. "19-year-old daughter to help during the school year, doing office work and packaging orders. Our middle child, who is almost 18, converting books to electronic format, and we are grooming our oldest son, who is 23, a GM one day, "added Rich. In addition, the eldest son of their intimacy serves as office manager.

While some people might assume that many family members working under one roof could be a recipe for disaster, Rich had to say it went pretty well defined for all work done and because he and Angela have different strengths.

"He has a great relationship with the author and understand their needs, so he handles the business aspects, as any technical, including our website and e-commerce system, my domain," he said by Rich. Each has their own strengths, they generally avoid conflict because each partner acquiesces people with greater efficiency in certain areas. "When we agree on a common business problems, we try to find a compromise solution, as we did in our marriage, so we can move forward," said Rich.

Because Angela also runs a successful online newsletter, Writersweekly.com, Rich manages the household, which means to manage the children. "Sometimes there are children it is difficult to get everyone pulling in the same direction. They can take advantage of, so some delineation between bosses and parents "when it comes to maintaining order, says Rich.

Of course, children are not obliged to work in the family business. "As long as they want to be involved, it was a great learning experience," added Rich, whose business relies inculcate the spirit of her son while building family togetherness.

3. Seek Input the

"We asked our daughters for their input on styles, fabrics and colors because we are not in the business of fashion, and a tween and teens are very aware of what's stylish at any given time," said Kelley DeSerpa, co-owner of hip-T, family Dual-California based business that sounds like it could be the premise for a sitcom or a Disney movie: Two mothers living in the household and an old friend, who lives on the same street, each have three daughters, starting a home business fashion accessory original ... and the fun begins.

Actually, it all started when Christine Meeks saw problems and create solutions. T-shirt, she saw, had a habit of revealing the secrets of unwanted belts when one bent, not to mention the "muffin top" waist with a low-cut jeans. So three years ago he created a simple yet practical clothing to cover up that looks like the bottom of the T-shirt. He called hip-T. Today, a growing business, with sales of more than 500 items a week through the internet and over 100 boutiques.

While hip-TS is now produced in close proximity, all sales and shipments easily at home by Kelley and his son, aged 10, 12 and 14, and Christine, and daughter, ages 9, 13 and 15. "The girls think it's cool that their mom ownership of real business, and we really want them to feel involved," Kelley said, noting that they all pitch with marketing ideas and that the girls even set up and manage page Facebook company.

4. Probably Make Your Family Feels Good About

For Siegals, cookie diet, the family DeSerpa and Meeks, all of it is about fashion. But for Cheryle and Rick Harbaugh, their business at home is a labor of love due to the special needs of their children.

The Harbaughs run Irlen Center Albuquerque, where they tried to individuals Irlen Syndrome, a visual processing disorder that significantly impair reading and depth perception. They learn firsthand about Irlen Syndrome when their 22 year old son, David, was tested in second grade reading level. "I see a testing center in Texas and brought Irlen.com site," said Cheryle, where the child is diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome and equipped for special tinted lenses that completely changed his life. Now she is able to read much easier.

"It is our children who inspired us to train for Irlen Syndrome test and then become diagnosticians, making the lens here, in our house," Rick said, adding that they not only have a home business but a means to help people another, in which he and Cheryle visitors. "We love what we do and even go out and do a lecture on the subject," said Cheryle.

The Harbaughs tried more than 4,000 people in the last 15 years of business, while their son, now 37, and their daughter, Tracy Drager, 34, helped to promote the family business to anyone they think might benefit.

5. Setting Down Time

"We are 8:00 to 15:00 every day, then we close so we could spend quality time with our children," said Kim Welch, who, with her husband, David, Orange County, California based distributor for yourself Advisor, an online greeting card companies to sell physical cards (not e-cards) that can be ordered and shipped quickly for all occasions.

Kim and David, married for six years, always wanted to work together. They make their dreams come true when they convert a spare room into an office almost a year ago. "Basically we have guests work together, but we found the hardest part is off," said Kim. "The kitchen is 10 steps away from the office, so it's easy to keep running to check e-mail or make something work related. So we came up with the 3-hour rule-shut-down, which allows us to visit family time with our kids (ages 5 and 3 ½). "Sometimes we do some work after the children were asleep, but other times we did not. Business is important, but so is the quality time with the family, "said Kim.

6. Specific workspace, or Two

Of course, before you run a family business from home, you need to set up an area in which to work, one that has adequate ventilation, electrical outlets, internet service and proper lighting.

For families like Siegals and Kim and David Welch, the home office can mean an extra room or use a part of the kitchen, dining room or living room. However, for the Hoys and hip-T Enterprises Kelley and Christine, more space is needed.

"We each have a small home office," Kelley marking dual-household business. "However, I was turned into a warehouse loft where the girls helped us label, package and ship orders." The Hoys changed their 1,000 square feet of loft office where children can operate. They also changed some extra space in their room at the office - maybe for some peace and quiet.

The Harbaughs, they convert part of their home of 4,000 square meters, located Rick tools and valuable work area, with their own Irlen testing and diagnostic centers. Rick then build their own separate tool shed.

These are just five of the growing number of examples of family businesses do work from home. By understanding why every tick, duty, respect the strengths of each other and able to compromise, seek input from all, downtime dedication, doing something you love, and - of course - has a well-chosen space in which to do all of the above , the visitors also work and live with your family under the same roof.

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