Customer Reviews

Making Work at Home Work: Successfully Growing a Business and a Family under One Roof

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As a blogger, I do all of my work from home. Or, at least I TRY to. But making time for work amidst the mothering and wife-ing I do can make me crazy. That's why I was so excited about Mary's book!

"Making Work at Home Work" sounds like a no brainer...until you've tried to do it. My husband recently retired from his government job to pastor full-time, and he's found it to be a struggle as well.

Mary gives sound and wise counsel in her book that is easy to follow. Part One discusses how to save your sanity, with chapters on being honest with yourself and a lot of self-examination. I found this especially helpful as I tend to allow my family life to blur with my working life...

...because I don't set boundaries and I don't treat my work as work...

Part Two is filled with wisdom on Preserving Your Profit. If you're running your own business or offering a service from your home, this section is a MUST READ. Mary has truly done her homework, and she graciously shares her insight and counsel in easy to understand and read chapters.

I also loved the work-at-home mom profiles, especially Amy Peterson's---and NOT because we share the last name! By adding real life examples, Mary just gives her book more credibility. Not that she needs more with me!

"Making Work at Home Work" isn't just informative, it's enjoyable reading. That makes it worth a five out of five bookmark rating from me, with a tiny filing cabinet as a charm. Don't file this book away...read it!

I really enjoyed her writing and insight she had given so I thought this book, Making Work at Home Work : Successfully Growing a Business and a Family Under One Roof would be a great chance to see what other insights Mary has to share with us! I like that she writes on a basic level that appeals to me - it's as if we're having coffee and we're discussing it together!

Mary picks a great topic with this book and it's something that I've tried and failed at or struggle with now to do, or give up and try again -- which is of course to work for pay at home, while raising my children. Let's see what have I tried... I've done Avon, I've done books, health products, and of course my never ending attempt at peddling my art! Of course there is that freelance graphics stuff I do.. hmmm add the computer stuff on there.. and I've probably missed a few things, but you get the picture. I've had a hard time just "being" home with the kids (and I say that with no disrespect because I know being at home with the children and doing it successfully is one of, if not the hardest job on the face of this earth and I don't know why I torment myself with trying to throw on another project!)

The book is broken into two sections; Section 1: Saving Your Sanity and Section 2: Preserving Your Profit. Each section highlights different women and her insight to what she's learned through it all.

Mary includes a lot of research and has personally worked through a lot of the issues herself, which provides her with some great insight to the challenges and issues working at home mothers face. I appreciate Mary's insight and honesty while addressing the subjects. She admits that finding balance was "sorely lacking" in the beginning, which really gives me hope! I'm not the only one!

I really appreciate the first chapter quote:
"...when you think of yourself as an at-home CEO, you're more likely to manage your business like one. You'll control it rather than letting it control you."

I know several ladies (myself included) who have let their work get out of hand because they used some of the points that Mary brings out her book... thinking we're not worth the credit, oh it's just "extra", or I just enjoy the work.

If we're going to run a business we need to act and think like we own it because we do!

In chapter two Mary hits the heart of the problem (for me anyhow!) - Why are you working? Some of the reasons people said were:

* mental stimulation, income, extras, wanting a break, feeling pressure, enjoy meeting others...

It was really interesting to see that list because I see a lot of reasons why I want to work in that list and never really vocalized it before. It sure helps to understand why you want to work!

I could go into a lot more detail because this book is full of useful information, but all in all, I think this book is an essential tool for anyone who plans to work at home and make it work. It will give you a lot of tools and advice that you're not going to find in regular business guides or even business school (university doesn't cover this, unless it's changed since I went!)

What I love is that Mary in all her wisdom, even included a "quick and easy dinner recipes for work-at home moms" in the appendix. I have to laugh because only a mom whose "been there" knows how much we need this!

Many people would rather work at home than leave the home every day for work. I know that I would certainly rather stay home with my family each day than go to work at an outside location. However, working at home brings with it a whole new set of challenges.

I've been both a work away from home mom and a work at home mom. When my daughter was born, I went right back to work full time in an office. When my son was born, I stayed home for 18 months. I also stayed home for a year while I was homeschooling. I'm now working about 3/4 time out of the house and 1/4 time at home. My goal is to stay at home full time once we can manage by growing my blog and turning it into a work at home business.

Mary M. Byers showcases twelve work at home women and their businesses and talks about what they've learned about working at home. She also teaches you how to schedule your time, manage business expenses, know when to take a break, avoid stress with your relationships, manage childcare when necessary, plan for the future and work smarter so you can make more.

Making Work at Home Work is a great tool for the work at mom whether you own your own business or you are a direct sales representative. For a bloggers like me who are trying to manage an income from our blogs, her ideas helped keep me on track and motivated.

I really love the Appendix that she included that's filled with quick and easy dinner recipes for work at home moms. What a huge help when we are pressed for time or working on a deadline. I can't wait to try the creamy lasagna recipe!

If you're a working mom who's struggling to make working at home work for you, I highly recommend that you read this book. Mary Byers will get you started on the path you need to follow to be more organized and successful.

Working at home is the ultimate dream, but is it really a reality? "Making Work at Home Work: Successfully Growing A Business and a Family Under One Roof" is a guide to working at home, and how to make sure one gets work done instead of slacking off. Schedules, expenses, and the future are all things that still must be considered; "Making Work at Home Work" is a solid and necessary manual for the person who has merged home and workplace.

I loved this book. I could barely put it down. Not only does Byers interject her writing with compassionate anecdotes, she actually gives you lists off of which to work. I. love. lists. Lists help keep me organized. Now, if you're prone to writing lists on the backs of receipts and then leaving them around, Byers has a strategy for taking care of that too.

She also has a one-page plan for your business, which to me, was lifesaving. Her book itself is divided into two - the first half is basically how to set up and survive at home, and the second half is how to thrive monetarily. I'm a fledgling author. This book was *exactly* what I wanted: not just a "you're not alone" pat on the back, but an actual, practical guide to living through each day as a successful solopreneur (love that word) and a mom.

I highly recommend this if you feel overwhelmed just thinking about the day ahead. This book will really put you in the driver's seat and help you feel confident staying there!

Confession: I'm not a mom, but I love Mary's book! As a student who runs a freelance writing business part-time from my home, I am in desperate need of the hard-won wisdom and advice Mary has been kind enough to share. Just this week, I implemented three of my favorite tips from Making Work at Home Work: created a new contact sheet, set a business plan for 2011, and determined to open a SEP-IRA this year. I'm thinking smarter about what projects to take on and what to say no to, what I can deduct, and how to negotiate the work/family/school/ministry balance. Thank you, Mary! It's like I have a friend telling me I can do this "self-employment" thing--and I can do it smarter.

I have worked at home for 24 years and yet I still learned a lot from this book, from streamlining repetitive processes to the crucial need for taking breaks, which is so hard to do when you're self-employed. It was nice just to read about someone who'd experienced -- and successfully overcome, some of the same challenges of working at home. Whether you're just thinking about working at home or have done so for a while, you'll get some immediately helpful tips from this book.

The author did a great job tackling a subject I haven't seen before. Working at home comes with a great need for goals and balance. She did well at helping the reader set boundaries and work the smartest way possible. I would recommend it to any work at home parent

Making Work at Home Work by Mary M. Byers is a perfect book for any mom who has an at-home business or is considering starting one. The book is split into two sections: saving your sanity and preserving your profit. The first section focuses on how to manage things like child care, balancing family and work, and making time for yourself as well. Byers tells the reader to ask herself certain questions: what exactly does success mean to you? how much money do you want to be making? and why are you working? Answering these questions honestly is essential to figuring out how to have a healthy balance between family and work. Throughout the book are twelve profiles of work-at-home moms with their tips for success and what they have learned along the way. The second section really goes into the ways to expand your business and how to make smart decisions to increase profit. Also included in the back are several recipes for moms who don't have time to make supper every night but want their family to eat well. Byers makes the subject matter interesting and relevant making this vital for both beginners and pros.

I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but Mary Byers is a really good writer and I have enjoyed her previous books, so I knew I'd enjoy this one. Mary is an author, editor, professional speaker, wife, and mom - and she somehow manages to be successful at all of them. Her success came through years of hard work, and sometimes from learning the hard way how to juggle a rapidly growing business with her family responsibilities. In Making Work at Home Work, Mary shares her wisdom by presenting practical ways to bring balance to the lives of those who work at home for pay. By describing her own experiences, and by profiling others who run successful businesses, Mary provides realistic assistance to anyone who faces the countless challenges of working from home. I found many jewels of wisdom that I can put to use immediately. Recommended for anyone who works at home for pay, and especially for those who struggle to balance the job and the family.