6 Easy Steps to Separating Your Personal Life from your
Business
by Mike Law
Published on this site: July 8th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
If you work from home, chances are you already know that you're
really pulling "double duty". You probably work
on your business while doing the laundry, corralling the kids,
or fixing dinner... and let's not forget all the phone calls
from family and friends expecting you to run errands or just
"go out" for an afternoon of fun.
One of the hardest parts of running a home business is separating
your work from your family and social life. Here are six proven
ways to keep your home life running smoothly while keeping
your business on track.
- First, create a work schedule and stick with it. It may
be tempting to answer personal calls during the day or take
business calls after-hours, but doing this actually shows
that you're expendable - not dependable - and people will
take for granted that you'll "always be there"
for any little things that come up. Even though family comes
first, stay true to your business hours and resist the urge
to chat with friends or pick up groceries during working
hours.
- Your friends may consider "working from home"
an invitation to chat during the day or just go out for
coffee or shopping for an afternoon. Make it clear that
your business hours are just that -for business. Leave personal
calls for after-hours, and you'll find that your friends
will gradually accept your schedule without feeling slighted.
- Just because you have to set up a work schedule, doesn't
mean that you have to keep the same hours as everyone else.
One of the benefits of working for yourself is setting your
own hours to fit your most productive times. Whether you're
an early bird or a night owl, you'll find that you'll get
much more done when you're attuned to your body's own natural
rhythms. Some people work in the morning, take a break in
the afternoon when the kids are home from school, and work
again in the evening. Schedule your work time when you feel
the most productive and you'll find that things get done
easier, faster and better than when you were dragging along
during those same rigid work hours that everyone else has.
- If getting after-hours business calls or work day personal
calls is a problem, it helps to have a separate business
phone line, or at least an answering machine or voice mail,
to take the incoming calls. This also gives your business
a more professional appearance to clients than if you and
your family make and receive calls from the same phone line.
- If at all possible, try to separate your "home office"
from the rest of your home. If you don't have the luxury
of a separate room, a room partition or screen can be just
as helpful. This also serves as a visual cue to family that
you're working and shouldn't be bothered.
- Dress and act professionally while working. Some people
find it helpful to dress in casual business attire during
their working hours. This reinforces that just because you're
working from home doesn't make you any less of a professional.
Answer the phone with your name, or business name, and keep
your children off the phone during business hours. Also,
spend money investing in the tools you need to do your job
right. A cell phone, fax machine or even a budget computer
can help turn your home office into a true workspace.
If you follow all of these tips and stick with them, chances
are you'll find a routine that not only makes you feel productive
and active in your business, but also projects the message
that you mean business - literally!
Mike Law is CEO of http://WealthOnTap.com
a company which mentors people on making a living on the internet.
http://www.pluginprofitsitebiz.info
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