Hope Writes

Plan B

Posted by Hope

Since school started several weeks ago, we have struggled and watched as our daughter slowly grows more disinterested in school every day. As a child who has always loved school and thrived on learning, this has been extremely disheartening, to say the least. So my husband and I finally decided to remove her from the public school system and homeschool her. Today was her last day at school.

If you’re wondering what that has to do with writing, hang on and I’ll tell you. I’m a full-time writer. It’s how I earn a living. It’s my career. As such, homeschooling will cut out a chunk of hours that I’d ordinarily be working. So what does this mean for my clients and my income?

First, I’m going to have to plan my time better. Second, I’ll need to take a good look at my working hours and possibly revamp them. More than likely, I’ll start working on a totally different schedule than I have been.

If you’ve never considered the possibility of your business being turned upside down by the unexpected, then you should. You just never know what could come your way.

Here are three things you can include in your Plan B:

>> 1. Alternate work schedule.

If you are accustomed to working during the day, would you be able to switch your working hours to evening, or even during the middle of the night if you had to?

It is a wise idea to be able to be flexible in your work schedule when necessary.

>> 2. Be a good manager of your time.

Are you wasting hours of your work day on unimportant tasks that don’t contribute to your business in a positive manner?

Lately I’ve been taking mental notes of things that cut down on my productivity:

=> instant messaging
=> chatting via email
=> social media outlets (Twitter)

While it might seem that a little chat here or a few emails there don’t really account for much time in your day, you’d be surprised at just how much time those few things swallow up in a day. I once estimated that I was wasting around 3-4 hours every day on the three things listed above. That’s a lot of time!

>> 3. Outsourcing options.

Unless you’re raking in money hand over fist this might not be an option for you yet. However, it is an option that you should keep in mind.

If your business requires repetitive tasks, such as replying to emails a few hours every day, you could outsource this task to a virutal assistant.

>> All the little things add up.

Whether it’s repetitive tasks or just plain wasted time, every little thing adds up. Be cautious of wasted time. And have a Plan B.

Technorati Tags: writing tips, Plan B, have a plan b, business of writing, writing business, business tips

Popularity: 16% [?]

Too many plans

Posted by Hope

I’m catching up on blog reading this morning and was pleasantly surprised when I read this post about Bob Bly’s dirty little secret. His secret, of course, is that he’s never had a business plan. Wow.

A while back I entertained discussion among a group of writers about creating a writing plan for our writing business. I did write out a simple plan–monetary goals, personal goals, etc. But to be honest with you, I saved the file and never opened it again. I forgot all about it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 15% [?]