Yesterday’s post, 10 Ways to Generate Cash Fast, got me thinking about some of the emails I receive from women looking for guidance in their quest to work at home. Some are employed outside of the home, and others are stay at home moms or retirees. Making the transition to working at home can be tricky – especially if your income is needed to help cover household expenses. You need a plan.

I say this reluctantly, because some people will get caught up and the planning phase and never take the next steps necessary to meet their goal. As with getting married, having children, and pretty much any other monumental decision you’ll make in life, things are never absolutely perfect when you take that leap. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. I’m living proof that it is possible to earn a living working at home. There have even been times when I was the only breadwinner in our home. Trust me – if you want this, you can do it.

The Goal of Working at Home Is Attainable

Our lifestyle is comfortable, masha’Allah, but not extravagant. I’m not rich. We have what we need, I’m able to cover our bills, other expenses and stay home to help care for my growing family, alhmadullilah. We’re slowly building our savings and working toward becoming completely debt-free within the next five years, insha’Allah. No disrespect to sisters who prefer working outside of the home. I did so for 10-plus years and it was a good experience. I like being self-employed much better, but that’s just me; I know that an entrepreneurial lifestyle isn’t for everyone.

What’s Your Bottom Line?

Since May 2010, when I published the very first Muslimahs Working at Home blog post, I’ve had numerous sisters contact me via email asking how they can make the switch to earning a living from their homes. While several factors come into play before reaching your targeted destination, I do believe there is one important question that needs to be answered if you’re really serious about working at home: exactly how much can your family live on each month? Can you afford to work at home?

For the sake of this post, I’ll assume you don’t have 12 -18 months of income saved as a financial cushion while you make the transition to working at home and stabilize your income. This is how much many experts recommend having set aside, but for most of us having this much in savings is just not reality. Most of us are just trying to keep our heads above water in this struggling economy.

Itemize Expenses

Those without the previously mentioned financial safety net may have to take a different decidedly more drastic approach. First, figure out what your bottom line is, meaning how much money your family needs each month. Think about where you live, your monthly expenses (e.g. rent/mortgage, car payment, insurance, utilities, food, gas/transportation, etc.)and crunch the numbers. Be sure to list EVERY expense that you are required to cover each month.

Once you list your monthly expenses, figure out which expenses you can reduce. Utilities, food and insurance are examples of expenses that can be reduced with some effort. Do you eat out? Do you drive to places where you could walk or bike instead? Can you downsize to a smaller living space? Trade in for a smaller, used car or use public transportation exclusively? Consider all the things you can do that will bring you closer to your goal of working from home. Yes, there may be quite a bit of sacrifice in the beginning, but if you’re really serious about being able to work at home, you do what’s needed. Besides, many of the sacrifices you make now will more than likely be temporary as you get on your feet.

Transitioning Toward Working at Home

If you need stable, guaranteed income while you get started, consider a part-time job or working with a temp agency. This can generate some income as you get started. You’ll need to assess your personal circumstances to decide whether or not this will work for you and your family.

Once you know how much you and your family can afford to live on each month, it will make creating a financial plan for transitioning to working at home easier. There are many resources you can use to help you reduce your living expenses. Here are a few I recommend:

Twightwad Central
Dollar Stretcher
Living On a Dime
Miserly Moms
Make It from Scratch
Savvy Frugality
Frugal Blog

A few days ago, a sister contacted me for advice. She’s not working. Her husband just lost his job. They have small children and they need to figure out how to start earning money right away. Been there, done that, suban’Allah…

The problem with running your own business is that it can take a while to build a steady stream of income and become profitable. The problem with finding a company that hires people to work from home, it that the hiring process is often quite slow; and once you’re hired it can take some time before you receive that first pay check. So what can you do in the meantime if you find yourself in a financially desperate situation and need to generate quick cash? Here are a few suggestions that may help:

• Have a yard sale
• Sell gently used clothing, purses and other accessories to consignment shops
• Sell items on ebay
• Sell items on Craigs List
• Sell services as a graphic designer/writer/virtual assistant and advertise on Craigs List, Backpage and around community
• Write an ebook (about something you know very well) and sell it
• Babysit
• Take online surveys 
• Clean houses (advertise in local Craigs List, Backpage and around community)

Some of these tips are obviously not long-term solutions, but insha’Allah they can keep you afloat until you can get back on your feet. Do you have additional suggestions for making money quickly in a pinch?

Lately I’ve been consumed with work-at-home-mom guilt. I’m usually pretty good about taking time off in the evenings and on weekends, but an unexpected rush of clients this week and other projects have left me holed up in front of my laptop much more than usual. As a result, work-at-home mother guilt is weighing on me.

Having grown up as an only child, I appreciate the fact that my “stair step” children enjoy playing together (most of the time) and can happily keep one another entertained. When I was young, I had to learn how to keep myself entertained most of the time while my parents were busy. I’m pushing hard to complete these projects, and am thankful that my husband happily picks up the slack and gets the kids out of the house on weekends on fun outing. Still, part of the reason I work at home is so that I can spend more quality time with my family. I kind of feel like a hypocrite. Even though these longer hours are only short-term, my work-at-home-mom guilt is relentless.

When I start feeling this way, it’s a clue that I need to step back and re-evaluate. Do I just need more help from my husband? Can I rearrange some deadlines so I don’t have to spend so much time each day working? Am I minding my priorities – Allah first and then family? This mental check list usually provides quick relief, or spurs me along to make immediate corrective changes.

If you’re a work-at-home-mom, do you ever feel guilt? How to you manage it?

I’m happy to announce the winner of the 1st Annual Muslimahs Working at Home Facebook Sweepstakes Giveaway is The Muslim Coach. The Muslim Coach will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card plus 1 month of FREE advertising here at Muslimahs Working at Home to promote her business, masha’Allah.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the sweepstakes. Insha’Allah we look forward to providing many more opportunities for readers to win fun prizes!

Jummah Mubarak everyone. I haven’t been excited to see Friday come around like this in a long time. This was a rough week for me fraught with many tests and trials, suban’Allah. It seemed whatever could go wrong did. I found myself feeling quite low one particular evening, but after reminding myself that Allah is in control of all things, I was able to let go and move forward. Sometimes a little inspiration helps as well, so it’s important that I throw a little link love to a few Muslimah blogs that provided me with some much needed inspiration. I hope they inspire you as well, and may Allah bless these sisters for the positive message they spread.
Pray the Gray Away 
Prayed as First Aid 
Gem of a Message form George Carlin 
Hajj Like You Never Heard Before 

My children have been home with me on Fall Break since last Thursday. All four of them. This is new for me – we didn’t have Fall Break at their old school in Atlanta. No worries, I’m working from home, so I’ll adjust. Believe it or not it was much easier working at home with my kids when they were smaller. They had fewer expectations of me while I worked. I took a few well-placed breaks to get them outdoors, to a local park or the library and they were happy. They’re pretty much “stair step” in age range, so they kept one another company quite well.

Now they’re older. My 11 year-old and eight year old twins now expect to be entertained. They complain of boredom and disagreements flair frequently. The five year old doesn’t want to be left out, so he focuses on annoying to his older sister and brothers. If you have kids, you understand the picture I’m painting here.

Today we’ll spend the afternoon exploring our new city a bit deeper. I still need to work, so I got up before fajr to squeeze in a couple of hours before we leave for our first destination, and then I’ll work again later in the evening once I get everyone to bed. I’m really looking forward to a day of just hanging out with my kids. It’s so easy for me to get caught up working on a project in front of the computer all day if I don’t watch it. My kids are pretty good about understanding my work responsibilities, but they need and deserve time where I give them my undivided attention too. I want us to create fun memories that they’ll enjoy retelling one another and their own families some day.

This is the work/life balance I seek. There are days where I seem to do better than others, but each day is another chance to get it right. I don’t want to miss out on these important years in my children’s lives. They’re growing so fast, masha’Allah. I have to constantly remember that just because I work from home doesn’t automatically mean I’m present at all times. Being present means making an active choice to set work aside to focus on the people I love. Separating work time and family time can be challenging when you work at home, but doing so means a much more harmonious life.

Do you have any tips to share about how you maintain regular family time while running a business from home?

When you start a home-based business, there are so many things to think about. Your business structure is one important decision you shouldn’t ignore. Many home business owners automatically assume that other than being a sole proprietorship or forming a partnership no other business structures apply to their business. Not so, and understanding the differences of each structure can help you pick the one that best fits your business. The following are some of the most common business structures to consider:

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is probably the most simple business structure. It is a business owned by only one person and there is no legal distinction separating the owner from the business.  Any profits or losses are procured by the owner. It’s important to realize that any legal action taken against the company is essentially legal action against the owner.

Partnership

A partnership is a lot like a sole proprietorship, except there are two (or more) people involved. Both partners share the profits and losses, and there is no legal distinction between the partners and the business. A partnership can be a great way to start a business when you need financial assistance, the notoriety that can come from partnering with someone who already has a large client-base or a reputation in your industry or niche.

Most business and legal experts recommend creating a partnership agreement before you start doing business together. My husband was involved in a partnership that didn’t go so well. He had a partnership agreement in place, but should have included a lot more detail about things like what happens when one partner no longer wants to be a part of the business. Include as much information as you can to cover and protect yourselves. I’d even go so far as to recommend that you have a lawyer review the agreement before you sign. I’m not trying to scare you – a partnership can be an excellent business move when done right.

Corporation

A corporation is the most common business organization. Legally the owner(s) and the business are recognized as sepaarte entities which  means your personal assets are protected should anyone attempt to bring a lawsuit against you because you have what is known as limited liability. A corporation is owned by a group of people known as shareholders.

S Corporation

An S corporation is a lot like a corporation. The biggest diffrenec between the two structures is that S corporations do not pay income taxes. Instead any losses or profits from the business are passed on to the shareholders.

An S corporation can cost a lot to set up, and you’ll need to familiarize yourself with several requirements and regulations that must be maintained.

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

A Limited Liability Company is a combination of a sole proprietorship and a corporation.  As an owner of a Limited Liability Company, you will have limited liability and you get to choose whether or not to be taxed as a corporation, sole proprietorship or a partnership.

Photo credit: theabundancemachine

As I write this post, my children are completing their first week of school at a new school in a new state, and they have adjusted quite well, alhamdullilah. Children are amazingly resilient. My husband is still in Atlanta getting our house painted and repaired so that we can rent it out, insha’Allah. That means the kids and I have been going it alone. Although there were a few stressful moments, I feel happy about everything we’ve managed to accomplish.

Getting the kids ready for a new school year caused me to reflect on my business with new eyes. The summer months are typically slower fro my copywriting and resume writing businesses, which was welcomed this year since we were preparing for the move. I typically see things pick up for both businesses around September, so taking time to reflect on the progress and plans for each business was definitely in order.  I took inspiration from some of the things parents do to prepare their children to go back to school and came up with a few back-to-school tips for your business:

Prepare the night before

I prepare as much for the school day the night before as I can. I prepare lunches and uniforms at night, and we make sure backpacks are all packed and ready to go so that getting ready and out the door the next day goes smoothly.

I take this tip and apply it to my business by doing things like writing my to-do list the evening before each work day. I also take time to organize my desk after work. I used to just leave everything as it was at the end of the day telling myself I’d clean it before I started work the next day. Most of the time I didn’t clean it because I’d jump right into my work day which meant at the end of the day it was messier than the day before. I’d also have trouble finding pens, notes and documents. Taking time to make sure my work area is clean before the next work day helps me stay organized.

Take advantage of back to school sales and stock up on supplies for the year

Most school provide parents with a list of the school supplies their child will need. You can find some incredible deals on things like notebooks, loose leaf paper, pencil boxes crayons, pens, markets, binders and so much more. I encourage you to look through a Sunday newspaper flyer near the time that school starts in your area. I found quite a few deals at Staples, Office Depot, Walgreens and Kroger (yes, the grocery store!) for pennies on the dollar! I try to wait until the no tax weekend to do my shopping to further maximize the savings.

While I’m gathering supplies for the kids, this is usually the time of year when I realize that my own office supplies are dwindling. It makes sense to take advantage of these sales and stock my office as well. I can never seem to have enough spiral notebooks, pens and copier paper.

I can go a little crazy buying supplies for my office – especially with price tags like $.05, $.15 and $1.00, but it adds up quickly. I always take inventory and shop with a list to keep my spending under control.

Establish a schedule a couple of weeks before school starts

We slacken up (slightly…) on the bedtime schedule during the summer. It’s a bit unrealistic for me to suddenly expect the children to go to sleep earlier to wake up earlier when their bodies have spent a month and a half on a different schedule. I try to gradually get them back on their school time sleep and waking schedule two to three weeks before school starts so that it’s not such a brutal shock to their systems.

I’m naturally a night owl, but during the school year I wake much earlier to get my work day started – before everyone else in the house awakes. Although I can’t exactly get back to my full work day schedule until the kids are back in school, I can work on adjusting my own sleep schedule by getting up at least an hour before fajr and staying up after making prayer. That quiet time is a wonderful time for brainstorming, reflection and handling tasks that require intense concentration.

Create a schedule and keep a family calendar

Kids thrive when they have a routine, and a routine comes in handy when they return to school and are juggling other extra curricular activities like sports and weekly classes at the masjid. A family calendar will help you keep track of scheduled parent teacher meetings, PTA meetings, doctor, dentists and other appointments.

When you work from home the lines between personal time and work time often blur. A work schedule can help you achieve better productivity. A calendar can help you manage work-related and family events. For instance, if you’ve been thinking of taking a webinar on Using Social Media to Market your Business Wednesday at 12pm, a glance at the family calendar might reveal that you already have an appointment scheduled to take little Muhammad for his yearly eye exam at the same time.  I use a reusable calendar that uses white board markers so I just clean it off to start a new month.

As you can see, much of what you do to prepare our children for a new school year can also benefit your home business.

We are finally all settled into our new home. Masha’Allah. We’d planned to be moved in much sooner, but a few unexpected obstacles prevented it. Thankfully we are no longer constantly commuting between two states and can fully concentrate on this beautiful month of Ramadhan. Between unpacking and preparing for the kids to go back to school (in a brand new state at a brand new school), this week  has certainly been a busy one!

Just a quick heads up -  American Muslim Mom has come up with a great idea – publishing a 35 Day Ramadhan and Eid How-To Guide, masha’allah. Stop by daily to enjoy informative and inspirational posts throughout the month.

Productive Muslim has developed a one-of-a-kind course to help us achieve a successful Ramadhan productively (of course!).  The Productive Ramadhan Membership Course is an interactive course you can participate in from the comfort of your home. It’s made up of a series of five modules providing valuable information through articles, video and worksheets. You’ll also have access to a community forum and 2 Q&A sessions to help you overcome any issues that might affect your Ramadhan.

Photo Credit: asmamirza

I finally got my family moved and we are now busy unpacking and settling in our new home, masha’Allah. Ramadhan Karim to everyone. May you and your families have a successful Ramadhan and reap the many blessings of this most special month.

Photo: Red Frame OmaQ.org