Professionalism, Proficiency and Productivity: The Making of a Successful Home Business

February 27, 2018

The countless benefits of working at home are being noticed more and more by business owners and employees. The advantages are countless and it is no wonder that many people are ditching their 9-5 life and opting to start their own business or move their office into their home. Working from home allows many people to maintain a better work and life balance as well as keeping down travel costs. There are a handful of things you will need to change or re-evaluate before you become a fully-fledged home worker; you must have an adequate office space, you must have the relevant insurance and you need to be prepared to make some sacrifices when you work at home too. Here are a handful of reminders to ensure you’re prepared before you take the plunge.
Get The Look
Your home has always been your place of relaxation, comfort and enjoyment; as soon as you start working from home it becomes your full time workplace, so make sure it feels like it. If you’re going to be holding business meetings with clients or interviewing potential employees you need to ensure you’re working in a professional environment. You need an adequately sized working space to become your home office. Make sure you have a good quality desk, which is close to the internet connection and consider the vibe of the décor in there too. You may want to completely transform your office to it feels completely different to the rest of your home. Start by transforming your flooring with Carrcrete infinityfloor; a brand new shiny floor space is everything your home office needs to look crisp, clean and professional. Choose neutral colors and opt for an array of air cleaning plants so that your working atmosphere remains fresh and bright.
Plan and Prepare
You may think that working at home is a piece of cake, but it actually requires more planning and preparation than you think. It can be so easy for your home life to interrupt or distract you from your job, so be sure to set a clear schedule for each day. Obviously, you’re going to need to keep up with your household chores, but this should not eat into your working day. Evidently not all business owners can stick to a 9-5 schedule, but try and keep your work timings as clear and concise as possible. Make sure your family are on board with the changes too, so that they are not interrupting important phone calls or tasks throughout the day.
Equipment Etiquette
The advantage of working in a commercial office is that much of your work equipment and supplies will be provided and replenished for you. Having your office at home means you need to take care of these finer details yourself. Make sure you’re not paying a fortune for your office supplies and look into a wholesale company where you can order in bulk. You will save yourself a lot of money in the long run if you have more than enough supplies to hand and you won’t risk running out at an essential time. Storage space might be an issue if you want to keep your office tidy and minimal, so look for some handy space saving solutions online and store your paper, pads and pens in a convenient and handy way.
The Balancing Act
Working at home will really help you to gain control of your work and home life, however is can be tricky to draw the line between a working day and time off. Since you are working, living and sleeping in the same space each day you need to learn to separate these different aspects as well as you can. Avoid being cooped up in the house all day long and take regular walks outside when you need to take a break. Instead of heading straight to the kitchen for your morning coffee, walk to your local café and pick one up. Missing out on a morning commute can stop your mind from getting into work mode, so find contrasting morning routines for a work day and a day off.
So clean up your working space, schedule your time effectively and be sure to invest in the correct equipment before you begin your new way of working. There are a significant number of advantages to starting up a home business, as long as you are completely prepared. Your motivation levels will need to increase hugely and you need to find a way to separate your work and home life. As long as you are doing what you love, you shouldn’t find it tricky to take up the new working from home trend.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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