Steen Photography, Part 2: Perks and Challenges of Running a Home Business

In a recent , I introduced Steen Photography, a business run by Oakland Township mom and photographer Pamela Steen. Now, we will focus on Steen’s experience and advice on running a business from home.

Benefits of working at home

First, I was curious to find out what Steen sees as the bonuses of working at home.  She began by quoting Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, saying, “There’s no place like home.” 

She says she likes being there when her kids and husband need her while still being able to “stay distracted enough when they’re happy doing their own thing,” which she says happens increasingly as the kids reach adolescence.

“During my crazy busy season, I can still work on editing pictures in the same room where my husband is watching MSU football or the family is watching a movie together," said Steen. "Even though I am working, I’m present and can still be part of these little moments. 

"Just to note, I’ll always pause to cheer for State or soak up a tender moment in the movie with my family," continued Steen, "and if I work late into the night or start early in the morning, I’m able to do it in the warmth of my family’s home with my jammies on!” 

Sounds ideal, doesn’t it?

Not a fan of paperwork

On the other hand, there are some things about running a home business she says aren’t as enjoyable. When asked about bookkeeping, Steen responds candidly, “Ughh! Oops, did I say that out loud?” 

She confesses to “dreams of it magically getting done so that I can do what I consider the ‘fun’ stuff of my business.”  But in the absence of magic, of course, the bookkeeping has to be done. 

“For me,” Steen says, “it’s like death and taxes: you just do it. In heaven, I’ll do my photography work for free and skip charging and the paperwork that goes with it.” For now, she does the paperwork and bookkeeping herself because it helps pay the bills.

Looking at the bright side, Steen adds, “Every year my bookkeeping system improves; I become more efficient, and I dislike it a little less. I look forward to the day that I can hire someone who is passionate about paperwork, and I can help his or her dream come true with a job that would bless both of us!”   

Staying focused at home

Obviously, Steen must have a secret to remaining disciplined, even though she works at home. She says she placed her office “right in the middle of everything in (her) home” on purpose, saying, “It works most days and, to be honest, it can be a struggle too.

"It is a blessing to be right with my kids, working as they are playing, studying, having play dates and just being a family. I get to work and still be available to take a break and run them to an activity or help with a math problem; that is amazing. 

"However," says Steen, "there are days that I feel less focused and think that it would be nice to have a separate office.” As far as the actual process of producing pictures for customers, Steen finds that side of the business “so rewarding that it’s easy to maintain that discipline.”

In the process of growing her business, what has Steen learned that she would pass on as tips to other moms who might want to work from home?  Her two main pieces of advice are to: 1) schedule your work time, and 2) communicate with your family. 

Scheduling work time 

The portrait sessions away from home are the easy part, said Steen. Naturally, time is scheduled for this purpose, and Steen’s family knows that she is “at work” for the specified period of time.

She finds that the time needed for work that must be done at home is “less defined,” since she is right there in the house.

“The occasional interruption to assist my daughters is workable," she said. "Constant interruptions would make completing my work near to impossible, so I schedule that time, and my family is aware of the time that I need.”

Communicating with family 

Steen reports that she and her family discuss the time needed for work at home several times a week, and that her husband does a fantastic job of protecting her time and dealing with the needs of the kids while she’s getting her work done. 

Steen acknowledges the kids are “getting good at recognizing when I’m working at my computer and asking if they can interrupt.

"That didn’t happen overnight," she said. "It took time to help them gain that awareness.” She notes that it’s also necessary to talk over the household chores that she used to do on her own that the family will need to help with now.

Overall, Steen says she feels very fortunate to be able to do a job she loves while still being there for her family. With dedication, organization and communication, she has found a way to stay home with the kids and run a business at the same time.     

Note:  As a special offer for Oakland Township Patch readers, Steen will take $20 off a session fee or $20 off a print order on any new session scheduled now through April 30, 2011 for those who mention they heard about Steen Photography through Patch.