<p><br /><strong>I love working from home.</strong> The benefits are many. For instance, I can conduct a whole days work while staying in my jammies!&nbsp; Of course the challenges are just as big; how to get things done and develop self-discipline when no one is telling me what to do. <br /><br />You may have made the choice&nbsp; to work from home in order to keep your overhead low or maybe you are like me, and you enjoy the freedom of having your life and business all under the same roof. <br />&nbsp;<br />Working for yourself can give you the freedom to do whatever you want, but sometimes it can be messy! Here are a few tips to neutralize the problems, while strengthening your business.<br /><br /><strong>1.&nbsp; Create an energy shield around your schedule</strong>. Sure, you have the freedom to take a day off without asking anyone for permission, but you also need to have defined work hours that you protect with your life. If you respect your schedule than everyone else will too. It's too easy to say yes to a family member's request, but even a simple errand can use up half a day of energy. <br /><br /><strong>2.&nbsp;&nbsp; Make sure you have one day a week with no customers</strong> and no meetings. Make this day for you to work on your business long term important projects that help your business grow. A client will always tempt you to break this barrier, however even one meeting will side-track your energy.<br /><br /><strong>3. Find a caf&eacute; where you enjoy hanging out</strong>, and grab your laptop and camp out for the morning. This gets you out of the house and around other people without having to actually talk to anyone. This is an excellent way to get work done without being distracted by stuff in your house or office.<br /><br /><strong>4.&nbsp; Create a focused success group for yourself.</strong>&nbsp; Find a few other work from home business owners for mutual support, meet for coffee or on the phone and ask for help when needed. This helps to minimize isolation and gives you someone to call when you need a friendly ear. <br /><br /><strong>5. Make your office beautiful</strong>. Keep clutter at a minimum and get help if needed to set up your systems so your space is easy to work in and feels inspiring. Create another force field around your work space so it doesn't get cluttered with non-work items.&nbsp; If you like your space,&nbsp; you will like being in it, and your productivity will increase.<br /><br />At one time only part time businesses or stay at home parents worked from home. If you were a real professional you put on your suit and went to work out in the world everyday. The Web has changed all that, and now more and more business people are opting to make their home office their base, and then take their computer with them to appointments. Working from home can have its own issues but if you follow the five tips listed above you will notice a new ease in your work rhythm.</p> 2009-02-08T17:01:54Z -11.6582 414 3109 true 12 5522 the-artful-blend-of-freedom-and-self-discipline-5-ways-to-support-your-home-office 6 2009-02-09T20:04:04Z 2009-02-09T20:04:04Z

There are now over 36 million people running their business from a home office. Although it's a wonderful choice there are challenges too.

0 2009-02-24T09:49:14Z