So, you want to work at home. You want to join the ranks of the home-based entrepreneur. You're in good company - there are over 24 million Americans working at home, and every month more than 50,000 individuals start a home-based business.
With increasing unemployment, is now a good time to start a home business? The answer is yes because experience shows that whether the economy is on an upswing or downswing, companies often contract work out rather than hire new employees.
Additionally, there are businesses that tend to be recession-resistant, such as:
• Business brokering
• Bookkeeping
• Computer consulting
• Computer repair
• Medical claims assistance
• Medical transcriptionist
• Repair services
• Résumé writer
• Secretarial services
• Tax preparation
As with any type of situation, there are pros and cons and advantages and disadvantages to running a home-based business. There are many issues to consider, one of which is how to balance your home life and business life when you work and live in the same space.
The success of your home-based business depends on your ability to balance your home and business demands. Separating home from business goes beyond just the space you use, and includes how you will handle phone calls, finances, mail, childcare, eldercare and many other issues.
Set Your Office Location
Will clients come to your office? How will it look? Will it be cluttered with toys and clothes on the floor? Will it be noisy with a TV blasting away in the background? What will they smell?
The best way to have a professional attitude toward your business is to have a particular area set aside in your home. Then as your needs change, then you can adjust accordingly. The dining room table may work when for two or three clients that visit you, but using it constantly will not work, especially when you have to clear the table for dinner every night.
You need a well-defined space, either a whole room or part of a room that can be used for business. In order to qualify for the home office deduction, the space must be used exclusively for business.
Unify Your Household
When working at home you have your family life to worry about, since everything is under one roof. You will need to sit down with everyone in the household and make it clear that any interruptions will not be tolerated. You need to impress upon them that you are a professional and you have to show it, when working on a project or talking on the phone to a client.
Arranging a home office takes time to work, and it will only work with the support of everyone in the household. Devise a schedule that you can adjust when family or business concerns change. Setting aside time to give household members your full attention will create less stress than constant interruptions during work time.
Be sure to discuss your work hours with your family. Let them know when you will be in your office so they will not disturb you. If necessary, place a sign on the door that tells people you are not to be disturbed. Make it clear to them you will not tolerate interruptions, unless it is a medical emergency.
Take Your Calls and Respond to Messages
Make sure to get a high-quality answering machine or phone company voice mail to take your calls when you're not in the office or on the phone. The message should be clear and businesslike. Check your messages often and call people back quickly. Family members think they are helping you by taking the call, but don't let them, unless they can answer the call in a professional manner or can take accurate messages.
If you use e-mail, retrieve your messages at least twice a day and respond quickly. Answer your "snail" mail as soon as possible. For your snail mail, you can either use a post office box or a suite number from a mail service. If you get a large volume of mail or regular packages, this may be a more workable alternative.
Watch Your Neighbors and Beware of Clients
Be careful about clients, particularly those not known to you, coming to your home office. If you are concerned about meeting people alone in your home, check into satellite office services that allow you to rent by the hour, week, month, etc. Alternatively, you can meet with clients in their offices, a public library or a local restaurant. This is especially important if your local zoning ordinance allows you to have a home-based business but only with limited or no additional traffic.
Be considerate with your neighbors, particularly with parking, noise, and traffic early in the morning or late at night. In addition, some neighborhoods have covenants, or legally binding agreements, that limit commercial vehicles, commercial signage and similar non-residential activities and artifacts within the area they cover. Make sure to check into this to avoid any legal entanglements.
Look Professional
The public sometimes perceives home-based business owners as sitting around in their house robes, drinking coffee and watching television. Remember, you may be in your home, but you will want to dress appropriately when there is a chance of being seen by a client or vendor. Also, your professional image can come across in phone conversations, written letters and even through your computer. Make sure your letterhead, business card and printed materials convey the image you want to project.
Set Your Hours
Many people cite the ability to set their own hours as a major factor in becoming home-based workers. What hours you set is up to you, but you must let your clients know when to expect you in your office in case they need to reach you. It has been proven by other home-business owners that setting specific hours has helped them stay focused on their work more easily. Make sure you state your business hours on your voice message to reduce after-hours calls.
Take a Break From the Office
Home-based business owners have been known to become "workaholics" because their office is so accessible. Don't become a slave to your business - get out of the office regularly to renew yourself. Close the door and live your personal life. If you find it difficult to ignore a ringing phone in the office, turn the ringer off and the volume on the answering machine down.
You aren't required to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week just because your business is located in the home. After all, you have an office in your home…not a home in your office!
Harry Husted is a freelance writer, computer consultant and Internet marketer. His writing projects include ghostwriting, copywriting, Web content, desktop publishing, editing and technical writing and he has recently published a book on computer repair and copywriting. Harry can be reached at husted@thecomputersociety.com or via his Web site at http://www.writeformedia.com.
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