| So you are thinking of a work at home business? To | | | | working, whether you are assembling a product or |
| be honest - who hasn't thought how great it would be | | | | providing a service. These are real business ventures |
| to get to stay home and still make money? There are | | | | and should be treated as such. Set up business hours |
| just a few things to think about as you begin your | | | | and stick to them. Since you would not dream of |
| work at home endeavor - namely, are you committed, | | | | picking up and leaving a large office with other |
| with the success of the business at the forefront of | | | | employees and your boss right there so you can grab |
| your mind, do you have the space necessary, and do | | | | a few things at the grocery store, you should not do |
| you believe in what you are doing? When you work at | | | | this when you work at home. Decide early on what |
| home, it is a business, and you can never lose sight of | | | | hours work best for you, and stick to those. Is this a |
| that fact. | | | | Monday through Friday, nine to five business? Then |
| The most clearly visible benefit to being able to work | | | | only work those days and those hours. Do not allow |
| at home is that you will be working for yourself, so that | | | | family and friends to assume that because you are at |
| means you will be making all of the rules. If you | | | | home, it is a free-for-all social opportunity. Everyone |
| honestly feel like making some phone calls and doing | | | | involved must understand that you are working. |
| some paperwork in your robe while you are sitting by | | | | This does not just apply to other people intruding on |
| the pool, then there is no one there to reprimand your | | | | your work space and time. This goes for you, too. You |
| relaxed state of (un)dress. As a matter of fact, as | | | | will have to make an effort, from the very beginning of |
| your own boss, you can be as comfortable as you | | | | your work at home undertaking, to establishing a |
| need or want to be at any point in the workday. Also, | | | | balance between your personal life demands and |
| since you don't have far to go to get to work, you can | | | | those of your work life. Just as you would never leave |
| take your sweet time in the morning. That fact alone is | | | | to run personal errands, you would not dream of |
| enough to get people pining for the chance to work at | | | | paying your bills at your desk in that office, yakking on |
| home. | | | | the phone with your friends, or conducting any other |
| By the same token, when you work at home, yes, you | | | | personal business from work. Strike a definitive line |
| are the boss, but that also means that you are in | | | | between your two worlds, and stay within the |
| charge of all aspects of the business. Self-motivation is | | | | boundaries. Getting your two roles mixed will allow |
| so necessary, especially for anyone who is | | | | chaos to ensue, so you are better to just establish the |
| accustomed to working for someone else. You have | | | | lines early and stick to them. |
| to be ready to set up clear objectives for your | | | | So in the end, starting a work at home business can |
| business and hold yourself to those standards. An | | | | be just the answer for someone who has no desire to |
| optimum way to accomplish this is to have a | | | | work for someone else. A successful person who |
| designated work space and work hours. That way, | | | | works at home is one who knows that there are clear |
| you know the boundaries between your home life and | | | | boundaries between personal and work lives, and |
| your work life, and you will be less likely to get your | | | | stays within those lines. Also, having the house do |
| two lives confused with each other. When you work | | | | double duty as a home and an office offers a level of |
| at home, the convenience of being able to wash the | | | | comfort that cannot be found anywhere else. While |
| dishes in between conference calls may seem great, | | | | there can be some issues in the form of having |
| but in reality it is blurring the line between work and | | | | specially assigned work space and guidelines for |
| home, and that spells disaster. So as the boss, you are | | | | conducting business, it is still a great option for those |
| responsible for making sure that does not happen. | | | | who want to be the boss, not be bossed. |
| In addition, working from home means you are actually | | | | |