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 With the advent of home computing, more and more industrious and innovative people are giving up commuting, and working from home. How exciting and enticing it is for all to us to see not only more and more entrepreneurs joining the ranks of the self-employed, but also the myriad of opportunities available. The career options available are vast and limited only by our imaginations.
You may think that working from your home is the ultimate freedom. You may get tingles down your spine at the mere thought of being able to work in your pajamas, be with your children, and never dealing with the morning commute ever again. Yes, working from your home can be all of these things and a whole lot more too.
Work from home can be both a relief and a headache all at the same time. Being close to your children can be a blessing, but they can also spell disaster as you try to close that key account over the phone just as one of them begins to cry or scream uncontrollably right next to you.
Keeping a balance between your professional home life and your personal home life can present many challenges. One in particular that is the unending desire to work every waking moment of everyday, including weekends! It's a real challenge having a lot of work just inches away form where you are supposed to be enjoying quality time with your family.
So what can you do? How can you make your home business work while keeping your personal life intact? There are three areas that I consider paramount to running a successful home based business.
First, remember that above all else, your business is your business, and your family is your family. Try never to mix the two because that can easily lead to a toxic potion. When you are in business mode, be focused on your business. If that means having to hire a babysitter to occupy your children while you work, do it.
Second, make sure you have a business telephone line, a separate fax line, and a third modem line, if you use the Internet for long periods of time. Your business line should have an answering machine that answers your phone in a professional manner when you are not available. Remember that your goal is not to sound like a home office, so the more professional you can sound on the telephone, the better.
Third, keep yourself as organized as you would if your were working in a corporate office. I can't tell you how many times I've seen contracts and other important documents buried under piles of files, newspapers, and sometimes even last night's dinner! Hey, just because you work from your home doesn't mean you are any less of a professional, so act like one and treat important documents with respect.
In all cases, use common sense. Your business depends on you being organized and keeping your personal and business lives separate, even though they co-exist under the same roof. Get in the habit of turning off your computer at a reasonable hour and use that time to be with your family, relax and enjoy your life. Although it may be tempting to get right back to work after dinner, remember that your work will be there for you in the morning, just as it would if you left it back at the corporate office.
I wish you all the best and continued success in your home business!!
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