Work At Home, But Don't Become A Slave To Your Business
Although the expressed reasons for wanting to work from home aremany and varied, most home based business owners cite theability to set their own hours as a major factor in theirdecision to work at home. However, many people that have work athome businesses often fall into a trap that flies directly inthe face of their stated desire for time flexibility.The strong growth in home based business activity continues and,according to the Small Business Administration's Office ofAd...
...vocacy, fifty-two percent of ALL small businesses arehome-based. Some home based business owners have been known to become"workaholics" because their office is so accessible. Don'tbecome a slave to your business...get out of your home officeregularly to renew and revitalize yourself. Close the door to your office or otherwise remove yourself fromyour designated "work area" and go into your "home" area to liveyour personal life. If your business involves the use of thetelephone and you find it difficult to ignore a ringing phone inthe office, simply turn the ringer off and turn the volume onthe answering machine way down. If your business is internetbased, just turn off your computer (or at least get away fromthe monitor and keyboard).As a work at home business entrepreneur, you certainly aren'trequired to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week justbecause your business is located in your home. After all, youroffice or workspace is just an area in your home...its not yourhome itself!Working and living under the same roof has a host of advantages,but it can present some challenges (in addition to theworkaholic syndrome mentioned, above) and stress factors. Here are four ways to create a less stressful home businessenvironment:-Remember why you wanted to become involved with a home-basedbusiness (i.e. more time for family, work schedule flexibility,etc.)-Have discussions with your family members and get their inputabout the working arrangements and the amount of time they wantwith you.-Use good time management techniques. Keep a list of tasks byorder of importance. There are many low cost and effective "dayplanners" or "organizers" readily available today.-ALWAYS take a little time to "smell the roses".While not experiencing the negatives common to a corporateoffice working environment, the home-based business owner mayoccasionally experience stresses and frustrations that areunique to working at home. Networking with other home-based andsmall business owners provides an opportunity to connect withothers who may be experiencing the same stresses/frustrationsthat you are. Sharing stressful and/or frustrating issues withsomeone else in the same situation can relieve your stress andmay bring you good advice from a different point of view.As a final note, remember to observe Home-Based Business Week(it is always the week of October that includes the secondTuesday).
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