Russ Dalbey's Blog

Anyone who is running a business out of their home knows the benefits of this career choice. Your commute time and costs? Zero. The annoyance of leaving something important in your office and having to go back? Never happens.

But for most, working out of a home environment can have its downsides as well. Sometimes having an office as part of your home can be distracting. And when you’re the boss, setting your hours and making sure business gets done is all up to you.

Being successful as an entrepreneur at home can take more discipline that just waking up at a set time and showing up at a job for 8 or 9 hours each day. But the potential rewards – independence and unlimited income, just to mention two – are always worth it. Use these recommendations to make your home-based business the most effective and profitable possible.

First of all, making a separation between your home office and the rest of your living space is key to creating a productive in-home work environment. Why? Because making that distinction will reduce distractions, let you focus on the task at hand, and help others to respect your privacy.

If possible, create a separate ROOM for your office – not just a corner of an existing room, like the den. Having a door that you can close is really important to create some isolation – especially if children or other family members are around the house during your office hours. Keep it organized and business-like too. Clutter can get out of control fast, so develop a filing system to organize any necessary paperwork.

Speaking of hours, consider setting and keep regular ones. Some entrepreneurial businesses allow you to work when you want to, and that’s great. But, if you work in a service capacity, and your clients or customers are expecting you to be available at certain times, stick to your schedule. Or, if you decide to “cut out early,” answer your cell phone or check voicemails during your office hours if you’re out and about. Consider publishing your hours on your website, business cards, or newsletter to let people know when they can contact you.

If you like to drink coffee, water or have snacks during your office hours, you might want to keep these close-by rather than going to your kitchen all day for them. The less time you spend walking about your house, the less chance you’ll get distracted with something that will “only take a minute.”

Do you dress for success? When you work from home, you might not have to – but it’s worth considering! Even if you’re not expecting clients, you will be more inclined to be productive and professional if you’re dressed the part. If you roll out of bed and go to work in your pajamas, it will be that much easier to go back to bed if you’re having some trouble getting motivated. Plus, if a customer unexpectedly needs to meet with you in person, you’ll always be ready to go and not have to waste any time “cleaning up.”

Finally, don’t be afraid to take breaks. Just because I recommend having a door to your office doesn’t mean you should lock yourself in like a prisoner! Take at least one meaningful break each day. You can use that break for motivation – “I’ve got to get at least X tasks on my to-do list before my break.”

Try going for a walk, reading a chapter from a book, or take a short nap. Set a time limit of course – don’t let your break turn into the entire afternoon! But taking a breather from work doesn’t waste time, because you’ll come back feeling refreshed. It’s amazing how getting away from work for a just a short time will improve your overall productivity.

When you work at home, it’s up to you to decide how and when to conduct business. Make your freedom as a home-based entrepreneur an asset, not a liability. By taking your work environment seriously, you’re more likely to make some serious profits!

Warmly,

Russ
Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
The Dalbey Education Institute

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business