Tips Index

 

Tip : Don't bring your workplace into home !!

By: Cindy Warner

You have great intentions to get as much done in as little time as possible but home life keeps invading your work.

To keep the home business running smoothly you and I face some problems that our colleagues who commute to work do not have to tackle.

Problem #1 – You give in to the “I can’t get it all done mind set.”

Delegate, delegate, delegate.

The best leaders are the ones who delegate. Don’t think for a second that you can run your home, and run your business well without delegating.

You may need some help with the business, the kids, and the house. Realize when you do and then get the help you need.

Problem #2 - You can’t mentally separate yourself from your home environment, because of that you can’t get started or stay focused on your work.

Some people are good at shutting out distractions. If the sink is full of dishes, beds aren’t made and the house in disarray some people can’t work.

Even if you don’t have a separate room in your home for your business, do as much as you can do to make your work area separate.

Problem #3 – What to do with the children when you’re running a home business?

One of the rewards for having a home business is being close to the children but sometimes this can be a problem. Believe me it is possible to have both your kids and your business succeed without going crazy!

* Share responsibility with your spouse
* Pay older children to babysit the younger kids
* Exchange babysitting with a friend
* Hire outside help
* A family daycare
* Churches have mother's day out or preschool
* Live-in help

These are just a few ideas that may help keep your children busy long enough for you to finish that business project or make a few business calls.

Problem #4 – You ignore your work because you find it to hard to switch between parenting and your business hat.

The important key here is to set hours for yourself and plan your work time. Some people may work best late at night when the kids are in bed. Whatever way you work best, you will be more productive if you schedule time each week to get your work done.

Problem #5 – Outside events beyond your control can cause you to lose valuable work time. Neighbors drop by, the phone rings.

It’s natural for people to cut into your time because you are in a home environment.

You can solve this problem by setting business hours. Also answering machines can solve the phone that rings all the time.

Problem #6 – Talk too much with friends, always going to the refrigerator, or another way of saying it—lacking in self-control.

Some home-workers discover some of the problems areas of working at home as snacking, sleeping in, watching TV, talking on the phone, and putting off doing things until later.

Acquire good habits from the beginning and learn to discipline yourself, which is much easier than breaking a bad habit once it begins.

It's also important to schedule snack/meal breaks.

Some of these problems are the same problems that keep you from enjoying your home life so you need to make a conscious decision to keep your home life from invading your business life.

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About the Author: Cindy Warner, owner of an online bookstore, enjoys giving practical tips that work and helping people start their own online business. http://www.christianbookoutlet.spreadtheword.com

 

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