Are you thinking about opening a home-based business? Will it actually be a business or will you “just be working at home?” It’s important how you think of your business if you are working at home because of the traps you can fall into that can cause your endeavor to fail.First of all, consider whether you are you a good work-at-home type person. This is something that has to be taken into consideration. It doesn’t matter that you are a self-starter. It takes more than that. It’s a state of mind.1. Are You Going To Be A Business? For those of us who work at home, do we have a business, or are we sub-contractors, consultants, or what? Are you going to have a business or are you “just someone who works at home.”Of course you can be all of the above and still be a business. But it’s important for you to decide what you’re going to be. If you do not consider yourself a business, you may fall into the trap of “just working at home.” And many times when this happens, you are doomed for failure from the beginning.One of the problems of being “just someone who works at home” is that some of your friends may not be aware that they should pay if they ask you to do something that is related to your business. Making it clear that you are a business will make it more evident that you charge for the work that you do.2. Discipline: Operating a home-based business takes lots of self-discipline. Not only must you must be a self-starter, you must be able to set a schedule and stick to it. Even though you don’t have a boss tapping their foot if you are late in the morning, you have to have that mental image of someone waiting for you to begin your workday.I have set my office hours between 10:00 and 6:00. But I have set the time that I work from 6:00 to 6:00. I choose to do that because I like to take time off during the day. I feel as if I am late for work if I’m not at my desk by 6:00 every morning, and I don’t accomplish as much that day.3. Work on a schedule. Whatever you set your office hours to be, work on that schedule. You may only want to work part-time. That’s okay but decide what hours you’re going to work and be consistent.4. Family Responsibilities. If you let them, friends and family will be your worst enemies as far as getting anything done. It’s hard for other people to understand that we really do have a job or run a business. They think that because we work at home we have plenty of time to do other things-babysit for a friend, have long conversations on the phone, volunteer to chair a committee, take care of a friend’s, dog, etc.You have to make it clear to family and friends is that this is your job. If you don’t work it, you won’t make any money. They won’t treat it as a job if you don’t.As a home based business, I never say that I’m working at home. I say that I’m at the office. If I take a phone call on my cell phone when I’m outside the office, I don’t say that I’m not home now. I say I’m not at my office right now.Working at home can be both a joy and a curse. You have to work it and have other people understand that this is your business.
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