Feet On Desk Whilst working from home can certainly give you the opportunity to put your feet up on the desk and much more free time, you need to have your business processes set up first!

Here are some great steps to take!

STEP 1:
DETERMINE YOUR WHY!:-Whatever your reason for going out on your own, you must keep your “WHY” in the forefront of your mind. If you forget your “WHY” you have starting your own home business, your goals wont be achieved and you will not be working for yourself for long. It is far too easy to let circumstance drive your activities — and when circumstance is in the driver`s seat, you are more likely to crash and burn. DO WHAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT!

STEP 2:
FOCUS ON THE RESULTS YOU WANT! Remember — your own business is a lot like a real job. Some people go to work to play, some go to socialise, and others — most often those who are paid in a commission or tip environment — go to work to work and to make money. When you work for yourself, your salary is directly proportional to your productivity. Therefore, wouldn`t it make sense to stay focused on getting as much done in as short of a period as possible?

Go to work to work and to make money. Leave playtime and recreation for when your workday has ended.

STEP 3:
PLAN YOUR DAYS! When you are dealing with family in the course of your workday, it is important to schedule your activities as much as possible. With small children, you must take time when you must, but you should also work hard to make sure you dedicate a specific number of hours to your workday.

With older children, it is much easier to tell them that you will be working between the hours of x and y. Your children and your friends must understand that certain hours of your day are devoted to the activities of your business. Put your “WORKING HOURS” on the study/office door to remind not only yourself but family members as well.

STEP 4:
WORK YOUR PLAN -BE THE DRIVER OF YOUR DAY! Don`t permit your friends and extended family to run over you. Many people get the blind idea that if one works from home then they are not actually working.

Well-meaning people may try to fill your doorway to bring advice about getting a real job. Others may simply believe that if you are at home, then you are fair game for chitchat and socialisation.

You must stand firm. You must make certain your friends and family understands that when you are working, then you ARE working! If they wish to socialize with you, then they need to do it during the hours that are not dedicated to your home business.

You are the only one who can stand up for you. Your friends and family will seldom be able to appreciate your dedication to your home business, unless you make the effort to make sure that they have the same respect for your business that you do. LEARN TO SAY NO – or NOT RIGHT NOW I AM WORKING or WHEN I FINISH MY WORK DAY!!

STEP 5:
MANAGE “STUFF” You should allot a certain portion of your day to email and to regular mail. For example, allot one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon to handling your written communications.
If you have constant phone calls interrupting your day allocate some ‘quiet time’ – the use of message bank or an answering service, followed by set times to return calls can save you and your business!

Unless you dedicate certain times to the handling of these communications, you will soon find yourself on the downward slope of decreased productivity.

STEP 6:
DO WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT.When you find yourself spending too much time doing non-productive activities, then you should seriously consider
finding a third-party service provider who will assist you in those non-profitable business activities.

As an example, you might be spending hours struggling with bookkeeping. You might believe that your time is best spent speaking to your leads and setting up your advertising, but you find yourself spending far too much time taking care of your books to take care of your advertising in the manner that you should. In this event, it might make more sense to hire a bookkeeper to handle your financial records for you. WORKING SMARTER NOT HARDER

BOTTOM LINE:
In the end, the success of your home business is entirely and completely reliant upon you and the decisions that you make.

You had your reasons for deciding to start your own home based business. You must always keep your reasons in the forefront of your mind. You must always be able to rely upon your own self and your dedication to the success of your business.

Your friends and family might be annoyed that they cannot come visit upon their own whim, but when success comes to you and your business, they will better appreciate you for putting your foot down when necessary.

Success is within your reach, if only you can stay focused on your goals. You must decide to reach for your goals, and then, you must have the discipline necessary to reach them.