Six Tips for Working Well at Home

For many small business owners and entrepreneurs, one's home is likely the primary place of business. Some find this a luxury and can easily balance the inner workings of home life with the demands of business in the same physical environment. But for many, this is not as easy. Personal distractions are an obstacle that many must overcome.

Whether or not working at home agrees with your style, you need to treat your business like a job you leave the house for. Using simple, straightforward strategies to help you stay focused, you can achieve the levels of productivity you need to keep your business top-notch.

Establish a schedule. Keep work hours similar to the ones you would keep if you were working at your office. Develop a schedule of business hours and stick to it just like you would if you were working as an employee. Clients and employees will feel more comfortable if they know definitively when they can reach you-and you'll feel more at ease in the process.

Start working at the same time. Get up, get dressed, and be "at your desk" at the same time each day. Since you work from home, you have the freedom to schedule your work hours at times that are convenient for you.

Establish a quiet office location. Your home office is your sanctuary for remaining focused. It should be a space that is designated for exclusively business purposes. Ideally, it should be located far away from the kitchen, TVs, and other high traffic areas. If that's not possible, you may need to be creative and schedule your family's activities to allow time for peace and quiet.

Establish family boundaries. Inevitably, spouses and kids will need to make some adjustments to help you stay focused on the running your business. Clearly communicate your space and time boundaries to the other members of your household and gently remind them of those boundaries when they are violated.

Schedule distractions. This may sound silly, but instead of fighting distractions, why not work with them? Distractions are inevitable, so schedule time for personal tasks, playing with your children or watching TV.

Most important, make sure you have fun. Without the proper balance, all the organization, structure and processes in the world will have no impact. Schedule in fun if you have to, but remember that the more balanced you are personally, the more productive you will be professionally. It's that simple.