When you are the owner of a home business, you will find
hundreds of distractions that vie for your time, energy and
focus.
Common distractions include: children, family, friends,
neighbors, pets, phone calls, mail, household chores, video
games, television, neighborhood children, visitors, and so
many more.
As an owner of a home based business, you must always remember
your purpose in bringing your profession home. What was your
reason for wanting to own a home business? Was your goal to
work from home so that you can share in the lives of your
children? Was your goal to be out from under the rule of a
tyrannical boss? Was your goal to have the freedom to work
when it is convenient for you? Was your goal to make tons
of money working for yourself?
Here's a few good tips that will help you stay focused on your
home business:
TIP #1:
Whatever your reason for going out on your own, you must keep
your reason in the forefront of your mind. If you forget your
reason for starting your own home business, 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.
TIP #2:
Remember --- your own business is a lot like a real job. Some
people go to work to play, some go to socialize, 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.
TIP #3:
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.
TIP #4:
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 socialization.
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.
TIP #5:
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.
Unless you dedicate certain times to the handling of these
communications, you will soon find yourself on the downward
slope of decreased productivity.
TIP #6:
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 in the mail-order business. You
might believe that your time is best spent writing ad copy
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.
CONCLUSION:
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.
Resource Box:
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Copyright ) 2003, Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://Home-Business-Journal.com
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