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How to Become the Mompreneur You Dreamt Of

Guest Post by Cheryl Conklin

Sometimes, you may hear about stay-at-home moms and business owners as if they cannot be the same person. As a mom, you already know how to balance several full-time jobs. Entrepreneurship provides you with the opportunity to learn to balance one more.

Find Your Calling
Following your passion takes strength, tenacity, and confidence. If you struggle with self-esteem, use affirmations to build your confidence. Remind yourself of your potential and take action. You have to expose yourself to the world if you want to be recognized for your talents.

Nowadays, you can run most businesses from the comfort of your home office. Some home based business ideas include:

● Web designer
● Social media consultant
● Wedding coordinator
● Personal stylist

Your skills, education, and expertise will lend to your business startup ideas.

Build Your Business
To decide your business’s structure, you need to analyze your goals and the federal, state, and local regulations. (Note: In Canada, you will need to look at provincial and federal regulations. -Krista Hill)
● Sole proprietorship: In a sole proprietorship, you are the only person responsible for
your company’s debts and profits. You and your business are the same entity, so you
also have a personal liability stake with the least amount of paperwork.
● Limited liability company: An LLC is a hybrid structure that allows you, your partners,
or shareholders to limit personal liability. Under an LLC, you have liability protection, but
your earnings can still pass through you as income on your personal tax return.
● Partnership: If you share ownership of your business with one or more people, then you
may consider a partnership. In a general partnership, ownership is equal. However, in a
limited partnership, only one partner has control.
● Corporation: Corporations are separate from their owners. Corporations can file
lawsuits, own property, and face liability claims. Corporation fees vary by state and by
type of corporation.
● Cooperative: In a co-op structure, company members are user-owners. The members
of the organization vote on the mission, direction and share the company profits.

For startup companies, LLC is one of the most beneficial structures. You have control over your location, asset protection and you avoid double taxation.

Juggle Your Passions
The role of a mom and the role of an entrepreneur are demanding. To juggle the two, you need to brush up on your time management skills. Plan every day and continue the routine into the weekend. This allows you to distribute your time to all of your necessary tasks. Be easy on yourself. You may be unable to tackle all of your chores in one day while balancing business meetings and playtime with your kids. Mom guilt can impair your productivity, so try to let it go. You are working on your family’s future.

One crucial part of your early-stage checklist: payroll. You should, in fact, create your payroll
system before you have employees. Start your payroll by getting an Employer Identification
Number. Some local governments also require you to obtain ID numbers for taxes. Having a
payroll system in place helps streamline your business responsibilities. To set up payroll, you need to determine your payment schedule and withholdings. You can utilize software to help streamline the process further. Features like direct deposit, tax filing, time tracking, and more are also must-haves.

Balancing your obligations to your family before owning a business is an impressive feat, but it is possible to balance entrepreneurial goals on top of those. When you run a business from your home, you have the flexibility to earn an income and care for your children. Let Krista help you realize your goals and guide you on the path to success.

Schedule your free session today.

Image via Unsplash


Written by Cheryl Conklin

– Guest Contributor to Krista Hill Coaching

 
Cheryl Conklin takes writing and tutoring seriously. From her travels and experiences, Wellness Central was born with the goal of instilling the mindset of physical and mental wellbeing to various audiences. She only wishes to be able to share her many inspirations from her escapades.
 

wellnesscentral.info

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Embracing Life to Achieve Your Goals

You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them, or as NIKE says “Just do it”! But what if it seems like there is some unseen or unknown force just simply stopping you? You know it’s there but you can’t see it or put your finger on it. It’s a perceived barrier or a wall that you believe is unbreakable.

These barriers all have to do with our thoughts and emotions. Have you ever heard the quote:

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right” – Henry Ford.

This relates to positive thinking. Pay attention to negative thoughts or what you vocalize such as:

  • I can’t
  • I won’t
  • It’s too hard
  • It’ll never happen, etc, etc…

Are these based on reality? How do you know? Try this – take a deep breath by inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply a few times, ground yourself, dig deep, and consider what thoughts are causing the lack of forward movement in your life. Contemplate these thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts:

  • I can
  • I will
  • I’ll perservere
  • This WILL happen…

Let’s face it, you really need to break through that wall or step over that barrier. Consider how badly you want to achieve your goals.

As Tony Robbins says “take massive action toward your goals”.

Perhaps you might consider some minor short term pain for long term gain? Take the first step and then repeat. Repeat again. Soon enough you’ll realize that it’s amazing what you will find on the other side.

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Remember that a life coach or a trusted family member or friend can help you start, keep on track, and achieve your goals. So let’s get you on your way to:

Living

Inspired

Fulfilment

Everyday

Follow our blogs and other content on Krista Hill Coaching , Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest. We would love to hear from you.

Stay tuned for more inspiring blogs and other interesting content.

Living inspired and hoping to inspire you

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Achieve All Goals: The 5 Step Mindset Shift 

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change-your-mind-set“I wish…”

“If only…”

“It’s not fair…”

“Why can’t I….”

Just shift your mindset and you can!

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.

-Maya Angelou

Is your mind caught up in negative thought patterns?  nothing-changes-if-nothing-changes-252x300

Life satisfaction begins with a positive mindset.

  • If you believe you are pathetic, guess what…
  • If you believe you will fail, you are destined to.
  • However…
  • If you believe you are powerful, you are!
  • If you believe you will succeed, you can!

Mindset is a way of thinking, based on a set of beliefs, that determines one’s behaviour, outlook and mental attitude.

Your mind is a powerful tool, fill it with positive thoughts and your life will start to change positively. 

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by CHANGE.

                                                                            -Jim Rohn

What do you want? What do you truly want your everyday “normal” to be? Really think about it.

  • Maybe you want to start working out each morning before the kids wake up, and feel energized.
  • Or you have a weight loss plan you are considering;
  • How about an education or career plan that you have been thinking about? Put it into action!
  • Are you thinking you would like to travel more?
  • Or do you and your partner want to spend more quality time together?

new-mindsetIt is not an unreachable dream… a future plan.  Part of creating your “normal” for today is picturing it as a natural part of your everyday life now.  Visualize it, and master the art of living it now.  Be the energy you want to attract. Begin to live it, create your “normal”, your new reality.

Right now some of you are saying:

“Ya but, my life has been so hard.”  

“My circumstances don’t allow for the changes I want to make.”

“You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

MINDSET.

I, like you, have endured some struggles.

In the past 5 years, I have been widowed in my late 30’s, after 13 years of marriage (suicide as a result of PTSD); lost my dad to cancer; battled for my own life twice with two ruptured ectopics, and suffered the loss of those pregnancies; coped with the effects of our adopted daughter’s mental illness and the associated loss; and am currently dealing with the neurological illness that my thriving 14 year old has suddenly developed and is now affecting her athletic and academic performance; I have had to change careers; and more…  My struggles will not be the same as yours, and can’t be compared.  But we all have struggles.  It is how we choose to let them affect us.4fc6423507712f33a596b77fae2872e5

Make the choice to change your perspective and embrace today with positivity, despite the challenges and stumbling blocks, and always be grateful for the little things (a sunset, a puppy licking you, a baby trying to walk, a horse running through a field, the majestic mountains in the distance, a cup of coffee, a smile from a stranger…).

My life would not be as happy, fulfilled and wonderful as it is without gratitude and a shift to a positive mindset.

A positive mindset, gratitude, always remember that everyone has struggles, and it is how they choose to deal with them, that can create positive change; this is how I have achieved my goals, and chosen to live the life I am living.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

                                                                                                               -George Bernard Shaw

What choices do you need to make to create this “normal”?

 

What actions do you need to take?

  1. Define your goal(s)
  2. Change your beliefs – from negative thought patterns to positive thought patterns; “I am worthy of this”; “I am deserving”; “there is time”; etc
  3. Think positive thoughts – “I can do this!”
  4. Identify fears and potential obstacles – “I will not succeed”; “I have failed in the past”; “I will not have the support of others”; “I do not believe in myself”; “I cannot stick with anything”; etc
  5. Practice gratitude – be grateful for what you do have, and each step that you do accomplish toward achieving your goal and shifting your mindsetmindset-shift

 

To achieve goals and live the life you want to live, you don’t need superhuman strength, or the ability to time travel or wall crawl like Spiderman.  All you need is to change your mind. Sounds pretty simple really, doesn’t it?

 

 

With Positive Thoughts for your Mindset Shift,

Krista

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I Found It… The Secret To A Happier Life

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If I said I found the secret to a happier and more fulfilling life, and it is an effortless habit, that takes only minutes a day…

Would you be interested in knowing what it is?

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It can:

  1. Lift your mood
  2. Increase motivation
  3. Help you focus your time and energy on the things in your life that you really want to “live with intention“
  4. Not allow you to take things for granted
  5. Lift your spirits; experience joy, even in more difficult times

thG4IX9KVM    Have you guessed yet? (here are a few more hints…)

  • Focus on what is already here, what already surrounds you
  • Focus on what you can be grateful for in your life

Focus on GRATITUDE EVERYDAY, throughout the day!

That’s right… it is GRATITUDE!

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Gratitude fosters happiness, and doesn’t everyone strive for happiness?

To cultivate both gratitude and happiness:

Pause/Breathe:    simply pause throughout your day, a brief pause, and ask yourself the question –  What or who can I be grateful for today, in my life? 

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Enjoy the View:    look around you throughout your day, and appreciate and acknowledge your surroundings, be grateful for them (the beautiful sunset, the laughing children, the cute puppy, the majestic mountains)

Be Insightful:    improve your self-esteem and self-confidence by being appreciative of yourself.  Make a habit of identifying things you can be grateful for about yourself each day (you helped someone out, you made a good decision, you met a goal, your sense of humour was spot on today)

The Little Things:    look for the small daily things you can appreciate, the things you may take for granted (your lunch, your dog welcoming you home each day, your car getting you to work each morning, the pen that allows you to write your thoughts/lists)

Timing is Everything:    You will learn to recognize and acknowledge gratitude all the time, before you know it! But until then, it helps to set aside 1 minute in the morning each day or 1-2 minutes in the evening, before bed, and use a journal or Gratitude Box

IMG_7189  GratitudePinterestLI   gratitude-journal--225x300  (see: New Years GRATITUTIONS (Part II) for some great ideas!)

Yell It From the Rooftops:    You can’t keep all of this gratitude bottled up inside! You need to express it! You are grateful for all that surrounds you and you are happier, so let others know you are grateful for having them in your life – make them happy as well!

So there you have it! The secret to a happier and more fulfilling life:

GRATITUDE!

Happiness isn’t about finding something new, it is about focusing on what is already here, and appreciating it, being thankful for it.

Gratitude turns what you already have into enough.

You can always choose to be grateful, which in turn, means you can always choose to be happy.  Think about it…

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With overwhelming gratitude for my multitude of simple life blessings, and in happiness,

Krista xo

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New Years GRATITUTIONS (Part II)

wisewords_bannerNew Years’ Resolutions have a reputation for setting you up for failure more often than not… When I did a Bing internet search for “failure+New+Years+resolutions” it returned 18,000,000 results!  Can being grateful everyday have the same failed outcome?

There is a difference between setting a goal (resolution) just because the earth will begin another rotation around the sun, and your calendar starts on page one… and practicing gratitude everyday because, “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”  – Eckhart Tolle

GratefulInfographic

If your goals for the New Year were the most common New Years’ Resolutions, for example:

  • to help others, be more generous and kind
  • live a healthier, more fit lifestyle, lose weight
  • pay off debt
  • get better grades in school
  • quit smoking, quit drinking

Gratitude would help you to achieve these and more.  

Gratitude, according to the “What Good Is Gratitude?” (infographic) makes us:

  • more giving
  • more community minded
  • healthier
  • make more money
  • have stronger relationships/friendships
  • perform better academically
  • make better choices, regarding addiction
  • live longer

Do New Years Resolutions provide these benefits?Can you achieve Resolutions successfully without gratitude?  No.

So, let’s then begin to refer to resolutions and Gratitutions and provide a frame of success and encouragement to achievement of goals each year!

As each New Year begins, how do you recognize it if you are celebrating the things you are grateful for from the previous year, and then creating an action plan for gratitude for the New Year?  If you aren’t setting new goals, as some choose to do, many unsuccessfully, with resolutions, on January 1st, what will you do instead?

GRATITUTIONS Examples:

Gratitude Jar

On New Years Eve or New Years Day gather with your family and/or friends and create Gratitude Jars.

Once a day, several times a week, once a week (on a Sunday, perhaps)… you decide… write what you are grateful for and place it in your jar. The following New Years Eve or Day, gather together and read all of the things you were grateful for throughout the year.  Then , start your jars again the next year with a celebration of gratitude, and continue to practice GRATITUTIONS!

Gratitution or Gratitude Box

FullSizeRender (5)  It’s a Gratitude Jar, but in a box!IMG_7177

This is what we did this year as a family,with a few of our daughter’s friends, on New Years’ Day.

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Gratitude Journal

Similar to the Gratitude Jar, just a different format…  It’s a book instead of a jar!

You can write in a Gratitude Journal every day or once a week.  You can list three things you are grateful for, or you can write a story. This is your journal.  Again, just as you do with the Gratitude Jar, celebrate GRATITUTIONS on New Years Eve or Day with family and/or friends, each year!

Other

Be creative and create your own!!!

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So what is the benefit of Gratitutions versus Resolutions?

New Years Resolutions focus on what you do not have, what you have not yet accomplished, failures… each New Year.

New Years Gratitutions focus on what you already have, what you are grateful for from the previous year, and how you can continue to build on that successfully and positively to achieve new goals each New Year. 

Which one do you choose to ring in the New Year with this year?  I know which one I’m choosing… the soon-to-be-famous, GRATITUTIONS!

Wishing you a joyous 2016 and a New Year filled with an abundance of gratitude!

Krista

 

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Motivation – it’s an inside job

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Motivation is a word that’s used a lot, but do we fully understand it? What is motivation and where does it come from? Why is it so important?

Now, motivation can be seen as something outside of ourselves. Like when we watch something or hear of something that really motivates us. But therein lies the key to the world of motivation…something triggers or sparks our inner drive. Motivation is really self-specific. It’s individual. It’s what’s inside of you. It’s always “there”, ready for a trigger…ready for you to be the best you can be. So let’s dig into this fascinating word called motivation.

Motivation can be defined as an initiation / desire / willingness to do something. Like I mentioned, it’s specific to you. Unfortunately it has the potential to get buried deep in all of us, especially during tough or seemingly difficult times. Sometimes it feels like it will never surface again, or maybe we can’t remember the last time we were motivated.

So then the question is – how do I unleash this beast called motivation?!? We all know it’s a beast because we’ve likely all seen it. Remember those times when you’ve been driven to, and taken, resulting action to do that thing you’ve wanted to do? How did it escape? Where oh where did that thing inside of you come from?

It really comes from the stories, thoughts, and emotions from within us. So then how does it appear when we need it? How can we conjure it up at a moments notice? Here are three tips for unleashing the beast (or if you prefer, accessing our inner motivation):

  1. Visualize it. Remember a time when motivation came to you naturally. What did it feel like? What were you doing? What was the visualization or picture in your head? Try to focus and re-create this. This helps to see what it is you’re after with clarity. Or if this doesn’t work, think about what would make you jump out of bed every morning, or if you prefer, ask yourself what’s really burning in your heart?
  2. Watch it. Type “motivational video” into a Youtube search and there are several great ones to choose from. Pick one that really resonates with you. You’ll know it resonates with you if you can’t get enough of it! Check out one of my favorite motivational videos here. Seriously take six minutes to watch this…I cannot get enough of this powerful video… Unbroken – Motivational Video
  3. Affirm it. Look at this blog photo which states “wake up every morning and tell yourself – I can do this“. Telling yourself you can do it can help unlock your potential inner desire. If this doesn’t work at first, practice telling yourself “I can do this” every morning. To help reinforce the desire, affirm it a few times throughout the day.
  4. Write it. What do you really want to achieve (i.e. what’s the goal)? It helps if you can write/type it. Now add short-term steps that will help you get to this long-term goal. Now add actions (short term, like tomorrow and next week; and longer term actions). These actions should have some sort of a line of sight to your long-term goals.

Regarding #3, don’t worry if these include baby steps. Baby steps are still much better than taking no steps at all. In fact, I encourage baby steps. These steps can help keep you going on the right path, rather than attempting to attain a larger goal that seems insurmountable or unattainable.

I hope these steps help you unleash the inner drive that creates your moments of motivation. If you have any other methods towards triggering your inner motivation I would love to hear them!

Motivationally,

Kevin