| For many people the ultimate dream is to escape from | | | | Get Out of The House |
| the rat race and work from home. To some people | | | | Staying in the house Monday to Friday without seeing |
| who have achieved this dream it has turned into the | | | | the light of day is certainly not good for your health or |
| ultimate nightmare! | | | | state of mind. You may be so focused on your work |
| With the every day stresses of life, work and | | | | that you convince yourself you cannot afford the time |
| commuting, working from home can appear to be the | | | | to leave the house. But this is a false economy. You |
| way out, but it is not as easy and idyllic as it sounds. If | | | | have to schedule time to move out and experience a |
| you are seriously thinking about setting up in business | | | | different environment. |
| on your own and working from home, what are the | | | | As well meeting your fellow home workers for a |
| pitfalls and what can you do to avoid them? | | | | regular get together, join a health club, go for a swim |
| Understanding Your Motivation | | | | once or twice a week, go to the cinema, check out |
| It can be too tempting to stay in bed for 'a little longer' | | | | your local Business Link to see what seminars they |
| when you are working at home. The need to get up | | | | are running - anything to get you out of the house! |
| and beat the early morning traffic or to be at your | | | | Don't get trapped into only working, eating and sleeping |
| desk by 8.30am is missing when you only have a short | | | | in your home. |
| walk to your new place of work. | | | | Be Mobile |
| If you are to be effective in your new work | | | | These days you can do most work-related tasks |
| environment you have to find a motivator which is | | | | away from your home desk. Once your business is |
| sufficiently strong enough to get you up and about and | | | | established invest in a laptop, PDA and a good mobile |
| at your desk by your appointed time. To find out what | | | | phone. Armed with these devices you can take your |
| your motivator is cast your mind back to why you | | | | office with you and work from your garden, the local |
| wanted to work from home in the first place. Was it to | | | | park, or even the library. It doesn't matter where, just |
| spend more time with the family? Was it to give you | | | | as long as you are out of the house and being around |
| freedom to pursue other interests? | | | | the rest of the human race. |
| If you don't find these strong enough to get you out of | | | | Create an Office |
| bed, find a financial reason. Visualise you and your | | | | If you have been used to working in a formal office |
| family being thrown out of your house because you | | | | environment all your working life, then switching to the |
| couldn't up the mortgage payment! Keep this image in | | | | kitchen table or the spare room can be an unwelcome |
| mind and the next time you find yourself staring at the | | | | distraction. To give you that discipline and focus |
| bedroom ceiling raise this image and you'll quickly find | | | | designate a part of the house as your office. If you |
| yourself at your desk! | | | | have a spare room or study then even better. Buy a |
| Establish a Routine | | | | desk and office chair, filing cabinets and other |
| We are all creatures of habit and a set routine can | | | | office-style stationery. Remove all family and |
| help keep us motivated and focused on the job in | | | | home-related items so this tells your mind that you are |
| hand. Set yourself a starting time, a tea break and | | | | at work and not home. |
| lunch break etc. A set routine can help you settle into | | | | Get Organised |
| your new role much more quickly than a 'let's see | | | | In any office you have too many colleagues and |
| what happens today' approach. Without a working | | | | clients visiting you to allow your work area to get |
| schedule, which includes a finite finishing time to the | | | | cluttered. At home it's different. Unless you are |
| day, your working day will be unfocused and could | | | | expecting clients on a regular basis then it's too easy |
| stretch late into the night, ending what ever social life | | | | to allow your paperwork and filing to get out of hand. |
| you may have. | | | | The saying that a cluttered desk leads to a cluttered |
| You're All Alone | | | | mind is true. Your efficiency and productivity will suffer |
| Working from home can be a lonely existence. As | | | | unless you are organised. Buy filing cabinets, box files, |
| human beings we are born to seek out contact with | | | | waste paper bin, put up shelves, so that everything is in |
| other humans. In an office environment there is daily | | | | place. |
| contact, quick 10 minute chats at the coffee machine | | | | Getting organised and being efficient also includes |
| finding out what colleagues did the night before, and | | | | setting the ground rules with the family. They need to |
| someone to celebrate a big sale with. All of this is | | | | understand that you are at work and not at their beck |
| essential to making our lives feel complete and yet this | | | | and call for every little job that needs doing. Be firm |
| is missing from a home-based business. | | | | and say no unless it is very urgent and requires |
| To overcome this feeling of isolation, which will be | | | | immediate attention. Allow nothing to get in the way of |
| especially pronounced during your early months, you | | | | your business. |
| must establish a network of people who are in the | | | | Working from home can be a liberating experience, |
| same position as you. Agree that you will talk on the | | | | yet at the same time it can be dangerous unless |
| phone at least twice a week, and arrange to have | | | | properly handled. Before embarking on your home |
| lunch or a quick coffee once every 2 weeks. Your | | | | business, take time to plan and prepare how you are |
| family may not be the right people to talk over a | | | | going to deal with the transition. Done correctly, |
| business problem with, so you have to find someone | | | | working from home can be a very attractive |
| who can relate to your successes and problems. | | | | alternative to the daily grind of the office. |