Working for yourself from home requires a different mindset. It can definitely be a challenge to find your groove, un-programming your “normal” day. There is no boss to set your schedule. No one to check that your work is up to snuff. No one to give you a break or days off. No one to write your paycheck. No one to collect and pay in your taxes. No one to blame for mistakes. No one to reward you for your successes. You are solely responsible for all of these.
Flexibility is the key in deciding what each day looks like. Your business priorities have to nest within your personal life, and vice/versa. Since quitting my “real job” 10+ years ago, an unplanned routine has organically evolved in our day to day lives. This schedule feels more natural to me than any dictated to me during my previous life, working for others. It has somewhat warped around us and takes us where it wants to go. Time is now formed by the seasons, incoming orders, personal appointments, household tasks and familial obligations. Business needs now have to meld with these.
Time of the Season…
Wherever you live, climate has its role in unplanning your day. Yours will have its own particulars. Our Florida seasons have specific demands. Yours will too.
Spring is our time for home and property maintenance, the rebuilding of product stock, new product ideas and workshop alterations to improve workflow.
Summertime means mowing the yard twice a week, preparing for hurricanes (checking our supplies and making sure the portable generator is ready) and embracing the stifling humidity that comes with the heat by staying hydrated and attempting to be done with outside work by 1:00 or 2:00 pm.
Autumn is when hurricanes usually arrive and coincides with our busiest season for business. Balancing fickle weather with increased buying for holiday gifting can be hair-pulling. We have to deal with power and internet outages while completing orders and allaying customer’s fears that their purchases won’t make it on time. If it looks like power won’t be restored for a week or so, I will let my clients know their current order’s status and I will temporarily put my Etsy shop on “Vacation Mode” to keep new orders from coming in. At least the lawn stops growing three inches a day.
Winter brings breathing room again. The yard goes fairly dormant. I usually stop taking Christmas orders by the 2nd or 3rd of December and by the 14th or 15th, we are caught up and orders are shipped. I leave my Etsy shop in “Vacation Mode” until the 1st of the new year, which allows us to spend the holidays with family and friends (and healing my worn out digits). I also use this time to reorder supplies and tools, so that they will be deductible for next tax season. The cooler weather encourages outdoor work, both in the workshop and property. January sees a relaunch of spirit and business pursuits.
Our Daily Routine
I hate alarm clocks. Although I have not used an alarm clock since 2013, my brain now wakes me early, around dawn, just about every day. I am not a morning person, though my wife claims I am. Julie is not either and I generally do not speak unless spoken to, at least until 11:00 am, lest I incur her wrath. I am simply a lazy person that cannot rest until certain tasks are completed.
After morning ablutions and tending the livestock (cats), I manage to focus on one task at a time until the coffee kicks in. I spend the time reminding myself of what day it is and if I have any appointments, obligations or errands that will take me outside of our realm today. If there is something that requires us to venture out into the world, we try to take advantage of the excursion to do any shopping that needs to be done before we return to our refuge. This is not usual and might occur only once every two weeks.
Once determined that we are home for the day, things normally go like this. One thing always seems to lead to another and is subject to change, depending on the current workload and/or home duties. Julie has her own routine list that you’ll have to ask her about. I try not to disturb it.
Coffee - Black. I used to use a coffee maker and make a full pot. But after a few machine automation malfunctions, winding up with coffee and grounds all over the counter first thing in the morning which I took as an omen to get back in bed. I have recently switched to a simple 32 ounce French press and the coffee tastes better and takes about the same time to set up.
Coax a cat (or two) off my computer chair. While the first sips of brew start to roust my gray cells, I open and answer emails and check news coverage. I write up any orders that came in while I slept. I use a worksheet that I created on a clipboard to take to the workshop.
Check Etsy - See if any listings need to be renewed, check stats and answer any convos.
Check social media posts - Answer any comments that came in overnight and see & share what friends have posted.
More Coffee
Bookkeeping - Catch up on any bookkeeping tasks and balance checkbook (if needed).
Ship previous day’s orders. This can take 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on workload and/or printer cooperation.
Write a bit on this blog, now that the coffee has had a chance to work its magic. I am trying to spend at least an hour a day on this new medium, but it really depends on how things click into place.
Recheck email and socials. Write up any new orders
Pack my “briefcase” - This is what I call the tote that carries everything I need to the workshop.
17 Step Commute. This can take anywhere from 15 to 25 seconds, depending on conditions.
Open workshop
Workshop
Organize daily work flow
Carve daily orders - I tackle difficult or time consuming tasks first, while fresh. Anything that needs a glue-up needs an hour to set before finishing.
Lunch break and decide what’s for supper and who’s going to cook it. I am sometimes done in the workshop by 11:00am. If so, I close the workshop and 17 Step Commute myself back to the house.
17 Step Commute back to the workshop (if needed).
Sand & Finish orders
Clean up shop for next day’s activities
Load completed orders onto briefcase. 17 Step Commute back to the house.
Clean myself up
Picture & Post completed orders. Check email and socials again.
Quit. Off to supper and TV with my love.
Before bed, I check and reply to evening emails, socials and write up new orders. Order any new supplies.
Read to sleep. I like books with short chapters. We are usually in bed by 10:00pm.
These are a general outline of a typical day. Summer is usually slowest, so I can often be done by 1:00pm, beating the hottest part of the day. Sometimes (rarely) I do not even open the workshop and take the whole day off, napping at will. During the Christmas buying season I can be in the workshop as late as 7:00 or 8:00pm, 7 days a week.
The Days are Numbered
I am reminded of this when I am forced to look at a calendar, but only then. Adapting to the demand of buyers and keeping your schedule flexible is essential. Internet algorithms are a fickle lot. Days go by with only 1 or 2 orders, then I will receive 10 all at once. Or, one of my wholesale buyers will surprise me with a large order. It is essential to always keep in step with your stated production time and ship when you say you will.
Finding Your Peace
Just about everyone believes they want to live in peace. They like the idea of being at home, but get bored after only a few days with themselves, without the workplace camaraderie and chaos unfolding around them.
Although working from home is not for everyone, it doesn’t exclude you from socializing as much as you want. Having a batch of fagioli in the crock pot or sandwich fixings at the ready are welcome to those that may stop for a visit.
When the covid pandemic started, Julie and I were already 7 years into happily living this semi-reclusive life, so the perceived isolation of the “lockdown” was not much of a change to our daily routine. This is not to say we don’t enjoy people and activities. Friends and family are welcome to stop by when they feel like visiting. We attend functions that interest us, but do not feel disappointed when we miss something. We spent 20 years dealing directly with the public, in retail craft shows, the sign business and at theme parks. Julie retired after a 10 year stint in merchandising at Disney World and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are now simply comfortable doing our thing from home.
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