When Working From Home Means Saying No

When Working From Home Means Saying No
When working from home means saying no, the odds are good
that you have already begun running the gauntlet comprised
of friends and family members who seem to ask you for
favors on a near daily basis. While it is not a pleasant
activity, it is required if you wish to run your business,
make money, and at the same time keep a modicum of sanity.
For all those who might be somewhat challenged in the
assertiveness department, here are some tips and tricks
that make saying no easier:

* Identify the most regular offenders. The occasional call
from the spouse who might wonder if you could stop by the
store to pick up some soda or the call from the friend who
is having an existential crisis and needs someone to talk
to should be considered the price of admission to the human
race and thus should not necessitate the use of the word
no. On the other hand, the spouse who does not seem to
understand that the reason why you so consistently have to
be up and working until the wee hours of the night is
directly related to her or his filling your workday with
chores and tasks will require a more serious talking to and
also the use of the word no.

* Individuals who are blatantly taking advantage of your
being home will also be the ones who will act the most
offended when you say no. To avoid these confrontations it
will be wise to install a second telephone line for the
business ' an expense you can write off from your taxes '
and not give out the number unless it is a bona fide
business contact. Not answering the main line or screening
the calls will go a long way of saying no without actually
having to use the word itself.

* The notion of being home also being equated with being
available needs to be nipped in the bud and it will require
you to not volunteer for things during the day in the first
place. While the teacher may implore parents to volunteer
their time during the school day to help with grading and
the cutting out of craft projects, unless you have a lot of
disposable time in the pursuit of your business success,
failure to keep that boundary intact will see you as a
frequent target for request for help and assistance and may
put you in a position where you agree to help out even
though you know it is neither in your best interest, not
the best interest of your family to do so.

* Forget everything you have ever learned about saying no
to friends and family and when the people to whom you have
the hardest time saying no come to you again with requests
for help, be sure to gladly acquiesce ' right before you
launch into a laundry list of things you would like them to
help you with. For example, if your mother in law seeks to
enlist your help in cutting the grass, trimming the shrubs
and doing various other things around her yard during your
working hours, sweetly agree and then ask her in the same
breath to come over to your house that evening, baby-sit
the kids, make the dinner, and also tidy up the sitting
room a bit so that you can get the work done you were
unable to get to while you were doing the yard work. She
will get the point.

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William Drapcho is owner of http://williamdrapcho.com and
writes on a variety of topics. To learn more about this
subject and other home computer business ideas go to
http://williamdrapcho.com and also sign up for the free
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