For WAH Success - Feel Like You're In Business!
Working at home can be a rewarding and profitable experience, as
long as some steps are followed. We have to make sure that we
are running our business, and that it's not running us.
1) One of the challenges of running a business from home, is the
ability to separate business from personal life. At times when
things are hectic and you get frustrated, you can't go home to
get away, because you're already there. That's why you have to
condition yourself to understand that when you leave your home
office or store, you also leave your frustrations and challenges
there too.
2) Sometimes home business owners feel isolated from friends,
peers and family. Especially where only one person is running
the business. There are several things you can do to overcome
these feelings. If you are in a larger town or city, you can set
up or join an association that has something a breakfast or
lunch club catering to business owners. This allows you to talk
to other entrepreneurs, get new leads, and discuss problems that
they may have found solutions to already. Set lunch hours where
you can meet with friends for a fixed amount of time, etc.
3) It is important that your family understands that, although
you're generally in control of your business hours, during that
time, unless there is something urgent, you don't want to be
disturbed. In some ways we can be our own worst enemies in this
area. It's easier to go golfing or shopping rather than dealing
with a complicated situation at hand. Trying to instill self
discipline, allows you to use business time more effectively.
4) It is easy to get wrapped up in day to day chores and miss
out on profitable opportunities. Occasionally check on the
internet to see if there are new products to automate some of
your tasks. One idea to make sure your time is being spent
effectively is to make a log or schedule of your projected work
days ahead. Later, compare the results to what you actually
ended up doing and see where your time was wasted. This will
help you to identify areas that can be improved. It's nice to
talk to friends on the phone, but not in the middle of business
hours.
5) Just as you would in an office job, you need to get a break
from your work sometimes. You have to feel like you are in
business when you are working at home. Tips include trying to
wake up at a particular time. Dressing up for business, even if
nobody will see you. Go for a walk of get some exercise before
you start. Don't eat meals in front of the computer, you have to
separate time for yourself from time at work. At least go into a
different room.
(c) Cal Cathbert, WahDirectSales, 2005 - You are welcome to
"reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the "about the author" info). You can find
more business tips at Work at Home Resources