When you make the move from working outside of the home to working from home, you may encounter a few bumps in the road along the way. That is not a bad thing, just something to be expected with such a major transition. Here are a few things that you may run into, as well as tips for dealing with them effectively.
You probably knew this already, but working from home does not mean that you can just do whatever you want whenever you want. The most successful home – based professionals set regular work hours and stick to them. However, you are free to set that schedule as you like. For example, in order to be able to be a stay at home mom, I have scheduled my work hours for after the kids are in bed. What matters most is not what your schedule is, only that you have one and you stick to it.
The line bwtween home and work can be a battleground for the home – based professional as well as their family and friends. Having clear boundaries between work time and family time and having a specific area that you go to to do your work lets others know that you are “at work” and unavailable. Also, when you respect the boundary between work and home by not participating in work activities like email, phone calls, and the like during family time, your family will feel like their needs are being respected. After all, a common reason for working from home is a desire for more quality time with one’s family.
Taking on too much work is a common mistake for the self – employed. Making money is good, and we do have to pay our bills. However, we do have to be responsible when we make decisions regarding our work load. When our plates are too full, we either miss deadlines or rush and do work of lesser quality than we are capable of. In order to avoid overload, write down when you will do the work for each job that you take on, as you accept it. When you are offered more work, you can see at a glance whether it can fit into your schedule.
Being selective about who you work for is important too. If you bid on a project and then you get a feeling that the client is going to be very difficult to work with or that they are a poor match for you, end the business relationship before it even really begins. It is better to deal with problem clients sooner rather than later, in order to save yourself as much hassle as possible.