Top 6 Problems of Bringing Your Workplace into Your Home

by Cindy Warner

Published on this site: August 30th, 2005 - See more articles from this month

To keep the home business running smoothly you and I face some problems that our colleagues who commute to work do not have to tackle.

1. Problem - You give in to the "I can't get it all done mind set."Delegate, delegate, delegate.
   
   The best leaders are the ones who delegate. Don't think for a second that you can run your home, and run your business well without delegating.
   
   You may need some help with the business, the kids, and the house.
   Realize when you do and then get the help you need.
   
   
2. Problem - You can't mentally separate yourself from your home environment, because of that, you can't get started or stay focused on your work.
   
   Some people are good at shutting out distractions. If the sink is full of dishes, beds aren't made and the house is in disarray some people can't work.
   
   Even if you don't have a separate room in your home for your business, do as much as you can do to make your work area separate.
   
   
3. Problem - What to do with the children when you're building a home business?
   
   One of the rewards for having a home business is being close to the children but sometimes this can be a problem. Believe me it is possible to combine your kids and your business and succeed at both without going crazy!
   
   Here are several options when dealing with children:
   
   * Share responsibiltiy with your spouse.
   
   * Pay older children to babysit the younger kids.
   
   * Exchange babysitting with a friend.
   
   * Hire outside help.
   
   * Churches sponsor mother's day out or preschool.
   
   * Live-in help if you have this type of need.
   
   
4. Problem - You ignore your work because you find it to hard to switch between parenting and your business hat.
   
   The important key here is to set hours for yourself and schedule your work time. Some people may work better late at night when the kids are sleeping. Whatever way you work best you will be more productive if you plan time each week to get your work done.\
   
   
5. Probem - Outside forces beyond your control causes you to lose useful work time.
   
   Neighbors drop in, the phone rings. It's natural for people to cut in to your time because you are in a home environment.
   
   You can solve this problem by setting business hours. Also, answering machines can solve the phone that rings all the time.
   
   
6. Problem - You talk too much with your friends, always going to the refrigerator, or another way of saying it lacking self-control.
   
   Some home-workers discover some of the problems areas of work-ing at home are snacking, sleeping in, watching TV, talking on the phone, and putting things off until later.
   
   Acquiring good habits from the beginning and learning self-control is much easier than breaking a bad habit once it begins.
   
   Also, remember to schedule snack/meal breaks.

Some of these problems are the same problems that keep you from enjoying your home life so you need to make a conscious decision to keep your home life from invading your business life.