I was typing a little text to my Mum and sister the other day about what was on the agenda for the morning, and on reading it back, I had a sudden thought: I would never have imagined this as a typical day, 10 years ago, five years ago, or even when I started RLC Words.

In fact, I thought the yawning gap of 6 hours between school drop off and pick up would be the very devil to fill; when in fact, it has more in it than I could have believed (and I don’t even have time for a single one of the home improvement projects I thought would be done by now).

So in the name of providing a little insight into the world of someone who works from home for themselves, I thought I’d give you a snapshot of a week in the life of RLC Words. 

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Monday

I start off with a piece of web content work for an aquatherapy company. Lots of reading up to do, then writing begins – a decent first draft is emerging by lunch time.

 I’ve got my daily Mum to Mum work to do – it’s a local life website and business directory, with an associated Facebook group of about 15,500 members – and I need to go through the mailbox, responding to requests for the media pack, invoicing new businesses, and getting them listed on the online directory. Then it’s onto the Facebook group, approving or deleting the posts that are waiting to go up (usually around 50 of them), and promoting the businesses who have paid to be promoted by us.

Suddenly, it’s 14:55 and time for the school run. Snack time, homework time, dinner time and bedtime ensue.

I love reserving evenings for web development work. I’m currently working on a few, and this evening it’s one for a construction company, and another for a lady who makes baby blankets and keepsakes by hand.

Tuesday

Time to write my weekly ghost blog post for Shortcuts, a children’s hair salon which started in MK and now has salons all over the country. I generally do 3 out of 4 posts about hair, and the remaining one about current kids’ issues. This week it’s about Hair Care while Swimming.

Then I have an introductory meeting with a software company who are revamping their promotional material for their document management system. It’s just like the work I used to do for projects, back in my Police communications days – taking technical stuff and making it relatable for the people who are going to use it. It’s an exciting job, and I create the quotation for them when I get home.

After lunch – Mum to Mum time, and further work on the aquatherapy draft I started on Monday.

14:55.

This evening’s web development is a site for a regional branch of a mental health charity.

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Wednesday

Ooh, this is an interesting day. I’ve got my monthly Busy Women Networking meeting, and I’m doing a 10 minute presentation on blogging today – for the first time in MANY years (must be at least 8, and whatever it was about, I’m certain it wasn’t blogging). It went surprisingly well for someone who’s as rusty as I am.

Mum to Mum jobs get fitted around the meeting.

14:55.

More development on the shop function for the handmade keepsakes site, and some extra touches to the construction site.

Thursday

School trip day! We’re taking 90 children to a dinosaur park for the day – in the downpour of the season. Not that it made any difference to the enjoyment of the five year olds, all of whom were just delighted to be on a double decker bus, and about half of whom wanted to eat their lunch at 9:30.

15:00 – stagger off the bus, dragging a tired yet hyper-active little boy (how do they do that?!) to pick up his big brother.

Thursday evening is always blog post night – and this week was no exception. I like to have it ready to go each Friday.

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Friday

Blog post for my lovely client Reena, with whom I have a very convenient services swap: I blog for her, she does my gel nails. We’ve decided on Taking Care of your Skin in Summer for her July post.

Afternoon: a final polish on the aquatherapy web content, and off it goes to its new home. I also send the construction company a first look at their website. This is always most nerve-wracking bit: waiting to find out if I’ve hit the mark for them.

There’s a piece to do for my performing arts client, Peploe Williams Academy: Top Tips for Performing Arts College Auditions. Love it.

14:55.

When I get back from pickup, there are two emails. The first is from the aquatherapy lady, delighted with her web content; the second is the software company, accepting my quote – and the weekend starts here.

I honestly love this job, and I never expected to love it this much. I thought I loved my old jobs, but they weren’t like this.

The variety, the ability to shape my own week, and plan my workload – and listen to whatever crazy 90s tune that the Amazon Echo cares to throw at me next while I’m doing it – are treats I never thought I would experience. And having it in your power to choose what and who you work with – that’s something very special too.

Having your own business is not the easiest path to choose, but it is without doubt the happiest I have been.

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