There are many benefits to working at home. No boss to
answer to, no alarm clock waking you in the wee hours of
the morning, no traffic or outrageous gas prices to deal
with. You can make your own schedule to accommodate your
family (a huge benefit if you have small children), your
hobbies and any other commitments you may have. These
benefits come with some drawbacks as well. It is very
important and essential to your success, that you keep
focused and productive while maintaining a happy home
environment. When working at home, you lose the structure
of a “work environment”. Following, are some
tips to help you achieve this.
1. Office Space. You will need some place to “set
up shop” in your home. This can be anything from a
spare room or a table set up in the basement to a corner of
the kitchen table. Once you find a spot, it should be
stocked with whatever you need to do your work and stay
organized. You may also want to hang a diploma or name
plate. Do whatever is needed to make this a professional
looking work space. Once this is achieved, everyone in the
home should know and respect this as your office. Make it
known that it is off-limits during your working hours.
2. Scheduling. Decide your working hours. This should
include your break times as well as lunch time. If you
have small children, it may be best for you to work when
your children are at school. Other’s find they do
their best work early in the morning or late at night. Find
out what time of the day you are most productive. Once you
determine this, stick to it. It is vital to your success
to be consistent. You can also break down your day as to
when you will answer emails, make phone calls, work on
advertising, etc. Also, make note of any priority tasks.
It might be advisable to keep a note board near your work
space where you can write down any tasks that need your
attention. You are your boss as well as your employee. So
you will have to answer to yourself when things don’t
go right.
3. Stay Energized and Motivated. Anyone can get
discouraged by setbacks. Since you have no co-workers to
talk with when setbacks occur, you have no way to vent. A
great way to deal with this is to join an online network or
forum of home based workers. This is a great way to bounce
around ideas and concerns you may have. If needed, on a
nice day, move your office outside or go to lunch with
friends. Flexibility is a key benefit to being your own
boss. Do whatever it takes to get you motivated and back
on track.
4. Dress for Success. Yes, it is nice to be able to sit
in your P.J.’s with your hair undone wearing your
fuzzy slippers. However, this could make you feel less
like a business person. You might feel as if you have a
day off instead of a day at work. You don’t
necessarily have to wear a suit or dress, but you should
wear something that puts you in a professional frame of
mind. This frame of mind will influence the tone of your
voice while on the phone as well as any email
correspondence.
5. Know When to Say When. Mastering all of the above is a
great accomplishment. Well done! Now, you must learn when
to call it a day. When working at home it is easy to keep
going whenever you can. This will not only cut into your
personal time but also your family time. Make sure to set
limits so you can enjoy life!
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Lori Gorman is the owner/webmaster of
http://www.myebizplace.com as well as a successful work at
home mom and author. Visit her site for all the latest,
guaranteed legitimate work at home opportunities.
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