Snow-one’s working!

The snow brought a standstill to our capital yesterday and we’re set to endure icy weather for the rest of the week.  What better time is there to outline some of the most important tips to consider when running your office from your home?

20 per cent of the country’s workforce couldn’t, or wouldn’t, get in to work yesterday, costing the economy over a staggering billion pounds.  I bet that left some small business owners thinking about how easy life would have been if only they had set up their business in their home.

Well, just to help with your decision-making I have outlined a few tips and tricks that should be considered by any home based entrepreneur.

 Keep it interesting.

Boredom is one of the biggest dangers of working from home.  The novelty of having your office set up in the spare bedroom may last a week or two but after that you’re going to be dreading opening that door. 

The key is to mix it up a little.  Go out, and work somewhere else and have a change of locale.  A laptop is often the necessary tool here and no one can beat a nice trip to Starbucks or Costa, sitting by a large window with a Grande Latte and having the world pass you by as you write that report.

Space, the final frontier…

Focus on the furniture.  You aren’t going to want to sit in that office for hours on end on a wooden stool that gives horrendous backache.  You won’t want to work on a desk that you haven’t actually seen for three weeks because the computer covers the whole thing.  Get a good-sized desk and a nice comfy chair – basic ideas, but ones that make such a big difference.

Time for work, time for family…

Unless you have a routine in place, then you’re not going to succeed.  Working now and then won’t cut it.  There’s time for family and there’s time for work and those two areas need to be left separate.  Making time for the work should help you succeed with your home office.  Making time for your family should help you succeed there too.

Write it, remember it…

If you start writing down your goals and stick them on a pin board in front of your face you won’t be forgetting them in a hurry.  Working from home can provide a number of unneeded distractions and some things can end up going in one ear and slipping right out of the other ear.

Having a broad outline for the month and a more detailed plan for the week will provide the keen home office worker with a substantial memory aid, and could prove to be a business saver.  WRITE IT DOWN – that’s a must!

This list isn’t a be-all-and-end-all of home office advice lists.  There are a lot more things for the home office entrepreneur to take into consideration – take a walk now and then, buy a radio, get a good amount of exercise, keep a comfortable climate in the office and close the office door.

Any advice?

If you work from home, what advice could you give to those entrepreneurs out there looking into the possibility of setting up their office at home?

Bookmark Us
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis

Our Random Articles

More Links