The Home Business Boom
The Home Office Boom by Robert NixonThe Home office is becoming more and more common.Small business is moving out of the expensive store front typeof office and into offices with living quarters for the ownerand converted rooms for a small staff. The owners are realizingthat the change is actually better for their employees, as therelaxed atmosphere does not decrease productivity norprofessionalism.Midsize and larger companies are allowing more and more of theirstaff to work ...
...from home also, with maybe a weekly meeting at theoffice or via web conferencing. They too are saving money bybeing able to downsize office space, parking costs and otherassociated problems. More employees are actually putting in moretime doing their computer based work as they don't have to quita task and put it off to be completed the next work day becauseof commute times, child care issues, or structured break andlunch times. They can tell from the results who is working andwho is taking advantage. I won't go into those that takeadvantage but those that do, would do the same in their cubiclesif not 'micro managed' anyway. The companies save money bylearning who these people are and replacing them in what turnsout to be a shorter time by giving them the option of workingfrom home. The employees also save by being able to write off apercentage of their expenses for the home office on their taxes.Check with your tax person as various states have differentrequirements and allow different deductions, as do the feds.The one thing the small and larger companies have in common isthat they treat the home based office as a real office, as dotheir employees. This is also the one thing that separates many 'newbie's' to theinternet home based business arena. They just don't take itserious. Let's face it, work is work. Anyone that thinks you canmake a living on or off line without putting in time orinvestments of money is not. Sure, your internet presence isyour website but you must spend the time to do the other thingsnecessary to make your business a profitable concern, and thattakes time.Here are a few things that may assist you:1. The major item often overlooked is a schedule. First you haveto create one, then you have to stick to it. Dress for your'work' hours as if you are in an office working for a largercompany, maybe not in a business suit but 'casual', yetprofessional. Have a designated area for your office, with allyou need handy, like paper, pencil, telephone, etc. Focus on thetask at hand and work on it only until it is completed.2. Realize you have to do things yourself. I have seen it happenagain and again where 'newbie's' want others to do 'free' workfor them. This just won't happen. What works a lot of the timeis working on the 'barter' system. I had very expensiveprogramming work done for me at no cost, but in return I gaveclasses on the proper use of the program in an internet chatroom for the owners of the program. I have been givingpresentations, adult training classes for half of my adult life,so it was not a big thing for me, as to the programmer is wasnot a big thing for them to do what their expertise is for me.Most people will do what is expected of them when they know whatis expected of them ahead of time. There is a 'learning curve'that must be taken into account. I was amazed, however when Ifound out how many did not know what I consider simple. Thingslike how to re-size windows, copy and paste,( let alone how toset up an e-mail campaign, submission routines, things likethat). I had to divide the classes into various sessions, basicnovice, elementary and advanced. 3. Follow advice. If your asking for advice from people in orderto learn from their expertise, then once you get the advicefollow it. Over and over again, when people write me or call meto complain that things just are not working because theydetermined not to follow previous advice, I wonder about theirlack of commitment. Maybe because I give the advice 'free'?Would they feel better if I charge a fee? They come to me in thefirst place because I have been in their shoes and don't wantthem to make the same costly and time consuming mistakes I have.We are all going to make mistakes and what may work for me maynot work for you. I even try out new things I learn from mymentors. There is and will never be any guaranteed anything asfar as being connected to the internet is concerned. Just assomething may appear overnight it can go away.In conclusion:Play and work are both four letter words. One makes the otherpossible. You have to enjoy what you are doing. Get serious andas each item is checked off on your steps to success, you shouldget the feeling of accomplishment. If not, then don't waste yourtime but find something else to do with it that you can. Toomany people think they will get in and make it big, and all willbe done in a very short time. Work the program and the programwill work for you. Stick to your schedule and know what will dowhat for you so you know what to expect in return.Robert Nixonhttp://www.cpucash.net/stepstosuccess.htm
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