I hope you and the kids enjoyed Halloween!  We ate way too much candy around here but had a great time.  It seems that as soon as Halloween is over the run up to the holidays begins, and, of course, juggling the holidays AND work is not always straight forward.  

But with a solid action plan, a little organization, and perhaps some help, you still have time to get a whole lot done business wise before the year ends.   

First things first, this is a great time of the year to get organized. Chances are in a few weeks you’ll start to get busy preparing for the holidays and organization will be put on the back burner.  There’s no time like the present to get your business in order.  

Being organized and having a system means that you’ll waste less time.  To avoid searching for log ins and passwords, take a little time and put all the information into a spread sheet or even a notebook. 

You can do this for forums, affiliate programs, and membership sites.  Just taking the time to put this tiny step in place will make a big difference to the time you waste looking for this information each time you need it.  

If you have several websites you may want to start a portfolio.  You can keep all the information for each website separately and include current traffic stats, most popular pages, and so on.  You can also make this the place where you list what needs to be done on the site and your long term goals and plans for it.  Having all of this information in one place will help keep you focused on your goals.  

This is also a good time to review your goals.  I find this is the perfect time of year to take stock of my business.  I like to see what I have accomplished and also what else needs to be done before the year ends.  

I then write out a realistic time line of what I will be able to accomplish say within the next two months (by the end of Dec.).  It’s important to be realistic about how much time you really have available. 

For example, you may have family coming to visit during the holidays.  You may need extra time to attend school plays and activities.  And don’t forget all that shopping, cleaning, organizing and cooking!  Phew… I get tired just thinking about it! 

Once you have a realistic time line then look at ways you can get help in your business.  I personally don’t agree with outsourcing for the sake of outsourcing.   I’ve met too many moms who seem to think everyone has a VA or gets help with their business so they probably should too.

Getting help is great – and should be a part of any thriving business – but before you do it’s important to have a clear goal plan of what you’d like to achieve…. Otherwise it’s too easy to just throw money down the drain.  

Say you hire a VA to add content to your website, then it may be a good idea to use that free time to work on a new product or accomplish another activity that will make you money.  In other words, get your money’s worth.  Sometimes it’s okay to just outsource to simply take some time off – but you’ll need to judge whether you’re in a position to do that.   

Once you decide to get extra help it’s time to do your homework.  Unfortunately, it’s not always straight forward to find good people to help in your business.   It’s always a good idea to ask for recommendations.   

Ask friends, colleagues and people you trust who they recommend.  When they do recommend a person, ask if that person has actually done work for them or are they simply making a character reference.  Get really specific with your questions, the more you look into any potential helper the better your chances of finding a good match.  

It’s also a good idea to make a list of your requirements – do you want someone who will work with you long-term or are your simply looking for a person to help “here and there?”  Do you prefer to work with an individual person or do you feel more comfortable going with a larger service?   

There are pros and cons to both options but sometimes (especially if you’re starting out) it’s a good idea to go with a well-trusted company.  This way you know you’re going to get your moneys worth and also you can avoid other potential issues that sometimes arise when you hire an individual.   

If you’re looking for an outsourcing service, there are two I recommend – for writing, transcription, research and editing on an “as needed” basis try www.AllCustomContent.com - Annette Elton and Alice Seba are the owners and I can fully vouch for the quality of the service as well as the reliability (which is not always easy to find!).  Tell them Mila sent you and they’ll take good care of you.  

Or if you’re ready to take it a step further and set aside a budget for outsourcing on a monthly basis – try the Outsourcing Sweetie membership.  Alice Seba is the owner and she’s brought together her highly skilled team of helpers to help the outsourcing sweetie clients.  You can actually try it for 30 days for only $10!  Go to www.internetbasedmoms.com/m/os.html to learn more.   

I've used the contractors from both these services with wonderful results...

Finally, before you do take the leap speak to your potential helper and lay your cards on the table.  Be straight about what you would like from the relationship and what you’re willing to put into it as well – remember, good communication is key to a successful partnership.  

Whatever you decide to do, remember that building a successful business does take time – it’s not an overnight endeavour… so be easy on yourself and don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t accomplished as much as you would have liked to so far.  Simply take stock of what needs to be done and set out an action plan to do it – one step at a time.

Wishing you all the best,

Mila Sidman

Editor & Owner of Internet Based Moms