By Joanie Ogg, CTC, MCC
President, NACTA

Agents often tell me that they have chosen to work from home so that they can raise their children and avoid the day-care or after-school care scenario. I applaud their choice and if you think this is just a “mom thing,” think again.
Many men have chosen to be stay-at-home dads. We even have stay-at-home mom and dads in the Home Based travel agency world. Perhaps both parties are full-time agents who are able to work from home or maybe one has another type of job that allows them to be a telecommuter, too.
This can be a great situation but as in all good things, there are a few internal management challenges to overcome. The ultimate goal is to have a loving family environment and a productive work environment all rolled up into one. You can have both with some simple ground rules as long as you stick to them.
I have had the tremendous benefit of getting to know so many of our NACTA members personally during the years that I have led the association. Not only do I value them as dear friends but I have also learned so much from them. They share their tips and their challenges and how they have worked through the peaks and valleys of being a Home Based travel professional while being great parents. I thought it might be fun and helpful to share some of their tips.

Establish a “Family Plan” — and don’t waiver
In some ways, we all like routine. Children need their parents to establish guidelines because routines do not come naturally to them. However, even adults need established plans and routines to keep them focused and on track. If you establish set hours with your children and explain the reason for them, it is likely they will learn to establish their own routine during that time.
Maybe you can help them by scheduling their own “work” time during the same time that you are working. Think about setting up a little office for them and let them learn the ground rules of office work early on. If they are very young, simply making it a time to color and read could be part of the plan. The important thing is to get creative and make it fun for them. You should find the interruptions to be far less with a plan that everyone understands and buys into.

The “Fun” Family Plan
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the new project or the new client and put off spending time with the children. Remember, you made this choice to work from home so you could enjoy them. Give yourself the time to do this and remember that they are only young once.
I recently attended an event where Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president of sales with Celebrity and Azamara Cruises, shared a first-person story about her children during her motivational presentation. It hit home with most everyone in the audience. It had nothing specifically to do with being Home Based. Instead it was about not stressing out about the little things, since some day those little things will be sorely missed as the kids grow up. Celebrate the little things — and my thanks to Dondra for reminding the audience how important that is to do! Scheduling daily time with the children will help you remember that they are just as important as your Home Based business activities.

Establish and talk about the ground rules
Your children need to be aware that you operate a Home Based business and know how to act accordingly. Set out basic rules that will allow you to operate as professionally as possible, such as how to answer the telephone, how to answer the door and how to act when clients are around. Include rules that will help make the time you spend working on your business more productive, such as not touching Mom’s and Dad’s work things or not interrupting Mom and/or Dad while they are working unless in an emergency. It is helpful to establish a separate office for yourself for so many reasons, but one of the best reasons is so that your children respect your workspace.

Include your children in your Home Based business
There is always something your children can do, and making them a part of your Home Based business can be a great opportunity to spend more time with them and teach them life lessons, such as handling a business. I remember early in our son Andy’s life that he would fold, stuff and lick envelopes for our mailings. He even graduated to sorting the bulk mail packages, lucky him!
If your children are working in your Home Based business, you should compensate them. This is not only a great way to teach them the value of work, but also it can be a tax deduction for your business, as well. Talk to your tax specialist about this possibility.

Enjoy the blessings
Having a successful Home Based travel business and time with your children is possible and is being successfully accomplished by so many NACTA members. The trick is to create a balance between your work life and your personal life that you’re comfortable with, so you feel that your business, your children and you are not being neglected.
Think of all the working people with full-time jobs and often long commutes. One of the great things about running a Home Based business is that you have so many more opportunities to be there for your children. Running a Home Based business means that you not only get to work at home, but live there, too.