A Lesson Learned
by, Dana Neal
Being a
home business owner comes with its trials and troubles!
If you are married with children, you will understand
the meaning of this story I am sharing and why it is a
lesson learned.
I chose
to go into business for myself when I had my third
child. I was not married yet, but I knew being an at
home mom was better than having a latchkey kid. (I know,
I have been there.) I went into business for myself
because that child was living with an illness that kept
him out of daycare for a time. Money was not easy to
come by and the bills had to be paid. My initial
business, C.K.Q. Gifts, was established in 1999!
Fast-forward four years, I am now married with children.
My extended family now growing in age and in number
includes my husband and stepdaughter; we have two boys
and two girls.
I now have businesses
(plural): event planning, and gifts, and I am embarking
on being a candle consultant. I am also
back in the traditional
work place. Well, I did not find the time to do it all
effectively. My work out of the home from 9-5, and
my nighttime with the
businesses crept into the midnight hour. My job as a
mother and wife was never ending! It was GREAT! I was
excited to be so busy and doing what women do;
multi-tasking all day everyday and succeeding at
creating a business.
I was
lying to myself. Working a 9-5, trying to be Susie
homemaker and run a business was not happening. My
spiritual life fell short of worthiness and my kids did
not see me much. My husband is another article of
lessons learned in itself! I stopped the businesses cold
turkey in 2006 to re-vamp my life and look at what was
happening emotionally. My eldest daughter was embarking
on high school life and not being very great at it (she
was good not great) my eldest son was becoming this
football star and I was missing it. My youngest son was
creating a life for himself that was spiritually
correct, but not meeting the mark! Business can get in
the way of your life if you do not stay on track.
Taking
the time off did wonders for me spiritually and
emotionally. I was able to see where my financial
direction was not on track. I was able to adhere to the
direction of my Father in heaven and try to get in line
with my family on earth. It is not easy to raise kids,
be married and work 24/7. It is a lesson learned. The
lesson is to know that you are doing the right things
for all involved and if you are not, quit now. It is
better for you to suffer then the entire family to fall
short.
The
suffering of one is better than two or three. I found
that no one in my immediate family were supportive of my
business ventures. They still loved me, but doing
business was out. I suffered with that for the year and
a half vacation I was taking and thought, God how do I
make this work. It was not up to me. It was up to HIM.
He told me to help others and that was what I was going
to do. In the same breath, my first obligation was to be
a wife and mother. These duties had to be done and done
right before I continued to move into the business
battlefield.
Well, no
one is perfect. My businesses are growing and my family
is getting along with or without me working at my
business. I have developed a plan of action making me
available for their needs first and my business second.
You might be saying well that is a given. It is not when
you know that working from and creating financial
stability is in your blood burning through your veins,
and the family might hunger for your attention. Creating
a plan is essential to emotional health and financial
success.
Overall,
the process of running a business is tough when your
family needs you does not support you, and your duty is
to them first. There are going to be many lessons to
learn on the road of success when you are a work at home
parent. If you are not doing the right things for all
involved in your life and your business, it will be a
hard pill to swallow later when you are closing the
doors of your business for good. This is just one lesson
that I have learned and one lesson shared.
_____________________________________
Dana M. Neal,
has been in business since 1999. She is currently the
CEO, Christian Encouragement Officer at
C.K.Q. Gifts.
Dana is married and has four children.
