WAHM Business Preparedness in Family Emergencies

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It is unfortunate but, emergencies do arise now and again. With a regular job, you would call the boss and hope they understand. The whole crew pulls your weight while you’re gone.  When it’s you own business you’re the sole person responsible for its entire function.

It is of the utmost importance to establish some form of a backup plan. To leave your business in limbo can be disastrous to it. Your clients, customers or consultants depend on the function of your business to be smooth and consistent at all times. It is in fact business.

With a few bad reviews from poor communications, delay in orders and anything of the like can take your growing business and send it crashing to the ground. This is why it is imperative to have a backup plan in the case of emergencies.

There are many options to obtain security for your business in cases of these emergencies, from very basic to complete running of your business. We will also explore how to communicate in the aftermath if you have nothing in place.

Here are some FREE Options:

1. Have a family member or close friend have access to your business email, contact list and client/customer list. Make sure they have this in a safe place and readily available. With that have a document saved in a file they can access from their computer, with a form letter to send to your contacts, clients/customers that there is an emergency.  Also it is important that you offer your clients/or customers a way out, if they have paid for anything. Allow them to chose to back out and receive a refund if they desire, make sure to inform them that if a refund is requested it may take up to 30 days, this will allow you enough time to do it yourself or forward the information to your family helper. If you owe business money or consultants make sure this information and instructions are with your helper too.
2. In your email account you have an auto responder/vacation setting, pre-write a general message that there is an emergency. Include alternative contact if you have one, such as a helper. You will also need to inform those who contact you regarding money owed, refund request and when to expect communication from you.

Here are some PAID Options:

1. If your business outsources, such as a virtual assistant set up a plan with your VA to cover emergencies. As in the case of the FREE option of a family or friend helping out, you will have more security knowing your paid help will get the job done and done right. With working with a VA, they already know your business enough to adapt to a little more work should you need them too.
2. If you have a business partner, this is one beauty of security. Offering them 100% of the profits during the time you need them to take over your part of the business is invaluable. Your partner knows the ins and outs of the business.

Some people do sell tangible items.  In the cases of making your own products that you fill and ship yourself, if you have no helper, then inform your customers of the situation through one of these methods mentioned above and offer refunds should the customer not want to wait.

What do you do if you have nothing in place? Well thankfully in this day and age most of us can access the internet from our phones. The first thing you should do and as soon as you can is to contact the most important contacts. Those would be anyone who’s purchased from you; you owe money and consultants if you have a direct sales business.

If that is not an option then at your earliest convenience contact everyone, offer refunds, pay outstanding business, briefly explain the situation and apologize. Do what you can do to make it right.

There are some emergencies that will take you completely offline, been there had to do that in 2005. I made sure my businesses went into good hands and only informed my partners who took over of the situation. It was rough, there were many loose ends and a few bumps getting refunds out, access to websites to move etc. Had I not done that, took in the consideration of my clients and customers my name would still be smeared today.

It is so important that your business is prepared for an emergency. Although most work at home moms understand, we can’t pretend all do. Business must be treated like business; to expect it to become personal when an emergency arises is unprofessional. So get prepared and stay prepared.

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2. Type-A Mom Conference: What the Heck Do I Do with My Business and Family?
3. Transitioning to WAHM Status
4. Putting the Time Into Your Home Business
5. Virtual Assistant Work From Home Business