One of the chief “pluses” people who run their own home businesses claim is the ability to have flexibility and freedom in their work–freedom to set their own schedules, spend time with family and children, and work in an environment that feels comfortable and inspiring. Now that you are running your own home business (or seriously contemplating getting one started), are you taking full advantage of all that potential for freedom and flexibility?
It can be tough to “un-train” ourselves after years and years of working more traditional jobs. Jobs where we had fixed hours, or fixed responsibilities or had to stay in one place and do a set group of tasks in order to be considered “good workers.” Embracing a more flexible idea of what work can be like in our home businesses can take some time.
Of course, like most things in life, there is always a matter of balance. We may still need to keep some “regular” hours and do some things efficiently in what would be considered a more traditional way. But, you might be surprised at all the ways you can adjust your home business to better suit your family and your own personal work style. You may be able to work nights or early mornings, or do all your work in a couple days–leaving the rest of the week free and available for other projects or family responsibilities. If you are operating your home business while maintaining another “day job,” you may be able to overlap your work schedules or find creative ways of working without taking too much time away from other things.
If you find yourself stuck at a desk staring at a computer screen all day in your home business, just as you did when you were working a more typical and traditional job, it may be time to shake things up and see if you can’t take better advantage of the freedom and flexibility that can come with operating a home business.
See Also: Taking Holidays Off and Weekends: Family Time, Relaxation, Work or Homework?