Family First Home Business
Read More: Article originally posted in Working from Home Solutions under Working from Home Moms and Dads
Moms and Dads… as you begin creating and working your new Home Business put the family first, not business first.
A family first business will cement the ideas and values of your family creating a sound foundation for family and your home business. Having a business affects everyone in the home. In order to make this a fun and exciting adventure, having a family mission statement and then building a business mission statement may be your answer to harmony and success for all.
What is a family mission statement?
A family mission statement is a ‘proclamation’ of shared visions and values within the family. It unites the family and gives your family a definitive direction so that everyone will be better able to work from home together for a common purpose becoming the driving force behind your successful home business.
Giving to the Process
The process in which a family mission statement is written brings together every person in the family. Every member must be involved in the process of ideas so that they will be able to take ownership of the mission statement, without the ownership or buy in the statement becomes useless. With this commitment the mission statement will help improve the family through better communication and mutual respect.
Begin by Brainstorming; gathering input from every member of the family. Write it down, revise when necessary and use specific wording given by a specific member. Listen to what everyone is saying, especially points that really matter to them.
Ask about their ideas of how the business will flow within the family and how each member views the new business, how it will affect them and what they can do to help.
When the brainstorming is over you will have just a ton of ideas. Your next step will be to pull it all together.
Creating the family mission statement
A mission statement for the family is a work in progress. So in the beginning it may be long and maybe hard to follow. That is okay because as you continually read it and have more input the mission statement will become shorter and more concise. So let's pull together all your information from above with these main components to write by:
• Who
• What
• Why
That's all..
Here is an example of a simple statement that may get the idea across better. Of course I do hope that you will put the ideas and wording of your own family in here.
• Who: We are a family that is devoted to supporting one another through mutual respect and love and live in God’s light.
• What: We are committed to our education and family business and choose to create a life of love, hope, happiness, and prosperity.
• Why: So that each member of this family will have the opportunity to develop their individual talents; become an active part of the home business; be cooperative and showing interest in each other’s talent; and, becoming of service to others through our love and devotion of family.
Post your Mission statement.jpg)
Be sure to post your mission statement throughout the house, on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, on the computer, and in the office. This way the statement, or, at this point, the family ‘proclamation’ will be seen daily and read, reinforcing the commitment your family believes in and what you all stand for. It becomes the governor of the family.
Review your mission statement frequently and address ever changing goals and/or jobs, especially as the family grows. Having a family mission statement along with the development of your home business will strengthen the family ties because everyone will be on board with the challenges of your new home business. This will help keep the lines of communication open and strong and on a solid foundation of strong core values.
Keep this exercise fun and keep it simple. Don’t over think it. For more Information on bringing family and business together look to Renegade Professional News.
by Angela James
Angela is a Super Guide through Renegade Professional and Renegade Breakthrough Mentoring Program Intern. After having a family business of 24 years having a family mission statement was far more important than having just a business mission statement. We were all embassadors of the business, one of our mottos was "remember who you are and what you represent." Everyone needs to be on the same page. I really do hope that you incorporate a family mission statement into your business. Be proactive not reactive. For more information join me at Internet Network Marketing Solutions.
About the Author: Angela James
Company: Angela James
I'm a Distributor For:: None
Industry: Training and Development
Primary Web Site: http://www.mlmmarketingsolution.com
Family Mission Statement
Angela,
Beautiful concepts, and definately if the whole family is on board it makes your business more fun, more profitable and more successful. However, there have been a lot of very successful entrepreneurs that did not/could not get there family support, but due to their own passion they went ahead and built a strong business that may/or may not have proved to their family that what they chose was right for them.
It is far more difficult to build your own business without the support of your family, however I give credit to those who follow their passion for what they believe to be good for their self.
Family Involvement
Hi Angela,
Having a home business is amazing! When you talk here about a family mission, I'm guessing you are talking about your immediate family, not so much your extended family. Including your extended family in a home based business is one of the hardest things a lot of people find to do. However, if you do have family support, having a family mission is a great idea! I will be adding this to my "to-do" list. Thank you for putting this all together for us.
Michelle Moseley
Family Support
Angela, it would be great to have all family members buy into the family goals. Many time both parents are not in agreement with starting a home business, but following of what, who, and why will go a long way to build long term support.
Family Collaboration at its' Best
Angela, what a beautiful word picture of the ultimate team. Putting together a Family Mission Statement with the collaboration of every family member is so empowering. Talk about positive effort that allows each member of the family to work in their "strength". This is a refreshing article. The family circle, makes the nucleus of your business team.
What a great idea
I have never thought to involve my family in my buisness. This is something I will have to do - gather us all together and create a mission statement.
How to get your family to support your home business
Angela,
Thanks for the inspiring article. Its wonderful when a family can come together to build a business together. Sometimes you have to work to gain that support. Here are some tips on how to get your family to support your home business in case anyone finds it helpful.
http://tinyurl.com/yhqj84d
Thanks for sharing and a great job as always!
Cindy
Family Is People Too!
Too often we forget that members in our family are real people and have a voice when it comes to what we do to bring home the bacon. This is especially important if your bacon is made at home.
Just by including the other members in what you do can make all the difference in the type of support you will get. And what better way than to make a mission statement. Very powerful, thanks Angela.
The Most Important Plan
I think that things would have gone a little smoother for me if I had taken the time to involve my family in what I would be doing for the years to come.
But the good thing is that it's not too late to carry out what you've suggested, in order to unite the family.
A family mission statement should definitely be the first step...what a wonderful point to make for home business owners!
The Included Family
What a great suggestion to get your family on board from the beginning. Getting together and having a combined "mission" is critical when taking on a task like a home business.
You are so right that it does not need to be a major complex idea - simple and easy to follow.
The Mission!
I love the idea of a family mission statement--and what a great way to get children thinking about their values, who they are and where they want to go in life.
This has much bigger implications than a successful home business--I'd like to hear more about anyone's experience/success with it.
Thank you
I want to say thank you to all of your comments and ideas.
Michelle, I am talking of the immediate family. If you can bring them together others will follow. When everyone takes on ownership of the business, that is where the power comes in.
And thank you Cindy for your insightful article. Having support and understanding all around really does help the process..
Knowing What's REALLY Important
Angela this is a good reminder for us all to keep our priorities straight!
So many of us begin working online from home so we can be with our families more and yet all too often the exact opposite happens. We lock ourselves in our offices and what precious family time there was is spend answering emails and posting to blogs.
Having balance in your life is the key to both happiness AND success! Thank you for reminding us of this.
Live Your Dreams!
ShellyB
The-Rat-Race-Rebel
How to get support when you really need it
Angela
Often people get an idea to start a home business and rush into it without much planning. More often than not they encounter problems that they never considered and frustration sets in. Most of this could have been avoided by taking the time to put together a good business plan. A really important part of this plan needs to be the involvement of your family and your mission statement is a perfect way to do this. That means you have everyone's support when times get tough as they always do as well as when times are great. This is a really good idea that you have done a great job of explaining.
Families Do Business Together = Families that Stay Together
I couldn't agree more with the concept of a family mission statement. There is NO way I could have gotten this far without the understanding and compassion of my fiance Kaitlin Rose. And that goes for all the ground there still is to go... We had a plan from day one and always come back to it when times get stressful. We have an agreement, a commitment, which is no different than a relationship. Honestly, we wouldn't be together right now if we wouldn't have communicated with each other along the way - especially at the beginning stages.
Eric
Very helpful and timely...
I just recently hired my teenage daughter to work in my business. This is so timely.
Thanks for a great tool.
Always a Work in Progress
Again, thank you all for your comments. As Eric and David said a family mission statement is especially important when the times get tough. It is the communication, the "proclamation" that was made that will hold things together.
I would really love to hear how people implement their family mission statements and how the process went in forming it.
Thanks again,
Angela James
We Must Listen to Our Family Members.
Angela,
Great article. I know how it is when all family members are not on board with my home business. It makes it tough.
I like what you said, "...listen to what everyone is saying." You don't want to be so wrapped up in your business that you miss what a family member is really saying. You might come up with a mission statement but not have the support of everyone.
Thanks, Angela.
On A Mission...Statement
What a great idea. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm guilty of not including my family like I should have early on in my business. They were the reason I had my business in the first place, but I'm sure they didn't feel that way. A mission statement and putting them on the "Board of Directors" would have been a much better way of getting support. Thank you for sharing this wonderful insight.
Isn't It Funny.....................
We who work a home business spend so much time working on all these aspects of our business mission and goals..and never think to do the same with our MOST IMPORTANT focus...our families!! Good reminder.
Family Business
It is easy to forget that one of the primary reasons we are working from home is to spend more time with our family. Makeing our home business a Family Business is a great idea. Thanks for reminding us of this important fact.
First Step...
Angela,
Your right, a family mission statement should be the first step when creating a home business. For one factor, everyone is involved in the business to some point. Regardless, if they have a hand in it or not. A Families that Do Business Together = Families that Stay Together, as Eric Walker has said...
Thanks Angela,
Donna Wells