September
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Things You Need To Remember When Running A Business From Home
Running a business from home gives you the freedom to be able to tend to all of your other commitments in life too like children, housework, and even friends and family members that may need you around. However, even though you’ve got that little bit more freedom, you are still running a business, and it’s important to make sure that you’ve got a set of rules in place so that you don’t end up making some mistakes. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of tricks and tips of things you need to remember when running a business from home so that you don’t inadvertently fall off course. Check it out:
Photo by Clarisa Guerra on Unsplash
Establish an area of work
One thing that’s important when working from home, is establishing your area of work. If you’re working mostly from a computer, you should create an area or dedicate a room so that you can keep all things business related in that area. Having things spread around your home can quickly lead to lost documents, forgotten clients, and general disorganisation within your business.
Even if you’re unable to dedicate a particular room to your business needs, creating a workspace should be thought out carefully. Try and choose a room in which there isn’t too much going on all of the time. A dining room for example, is often only used at meal times and proves to be a perfect place to set up an office in the corner. Pinterest have got some fabulous ideas on corner offices, so take a look and see how you can make your business fit into your home!
Establishing an area of work also allows you to keep work where it should be once you’re finished for the day; away from your personal life. Having little reminders of business spread around your home will prevent you from being able to switch off when you’re no longer in working hours. While working from home does have the downfall of not being able to escape as easily, keeping it all in one area will allow you to keep work at work and relax when it’s you time.
Don’t compromise your personal details
Another problem that people run into when they work from home, is the fact that when it comes to listing their contact details, they’re having to list their home address. This is usually on a website, social media page, or even on your business card. This can become a problem if a disgruntled customer wants to get in contact, as your personal details are at large and they’re able to find you. Don’t compromise your personal details when it comes to your business, as you can now purchase a virtual address at https://yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk/london-mail-address-business-services/registered-office-address-london/, which will allow you to not only protect your details, but appear more professional to your clients. Services like these often offer free mail forwarding, and also a telephone service to pass on any memos as well. Definitely worth the investment if you’re looking to avoid putting personal details out there for the world to see.
Photo by Lonely Planet on Unsplash
Use time management software
When working from home, you’ve got that freedom of being able to nip for a coffee if you feel like it, or even spend time playing with the children. However, many people struggle with delegating their time properly in events like these. They find that once it’s time to return to their work day, they’re struggling to keep up with the tasks that they’ve got left. Using time management software can help you not only ensure that you’re spending enough time on each task, but it can also help when you’re picking up from where you left off.
Using time management software can also help on a regular day too, as it will even schedule breaks for you. As tempting as it might be to power through and work instead, it’s important to take those breaks and give your mind a rest. A rested mind will work better than a stressed mind!
Give yourself working hours
While you can take advantage of being more flexible with your working hours, it’s also important to establish a set routine too. Doing this will prevent you from falling behind with your business, and also allow you to schedule things around work. Even if this means working once everyone is in bed, if it means that you can be more dedicated, then you’re doing your business a favour.
Of course, the beauty of working from home means that you can nip out here and there, and every now and then that’s fine, just make sure that you’re adjusting your schedule with work so that you don’t fall behind on business.
Outsourcing can be incredible
We’ve talked a lot about ensuring that you’re organised enough so that none of your daily tasks are missed off and you can keep on top of business. However, sometimes you may find that the more urgent tasks will take over. So what do you do then? Outsourcing is one of the easiest and convenient ways of running your business as smoothly as possible, without having to employ a member of staff full time. Perhaps you’ve got some social media posts to keep up with but don’t have the time? Outsource someone to do this for you! You can find plenty of ideal candidates on websites like Upwork, so why not keep that in mind the next time you’re feeling swamped?
As you can see, with a little organisation you will be able to run a successful business from home without feeling overwhelmed or falling behind. Remember that it’s just as important to be able to take a break from your business as it is to knuckle down and work hard!