Have you ever fancied becoming a home business entrepreneur? Do you already work from home, but find yourself struggling to manage the balance between your work and home life?
It can be difficult to establish a routine when you take the plunge and work from home, but the benefits of taking that step are well worth any sacrifices you may have to make.
Read on to discover 10 ways you can boost your productivity as a home business entrepreneur.
Create a separate workspace
Mixing your work space with your personal space is a recipe for ruining your productivity. It might seem like a good idea to set up to work on the dining room table, but there are far too many distractions around for this to be a sensible idea.
Whether it’s watching television or being sidetracked into household chores, working in what should be your personal space is a no-no. It’s hard to leave something at work if there is no boundary between your work and personal space, so try turning a spare bedroom or your garage into an office and you will reap the rewards.
It may be difficult at first to remove yourself from personal situations that may arise at home, but establishing clear boundaries between the two will undoubtedly help to boost your productivity.
‘Do Not Disturb’
Being closer to your family might seem appealing, but it also has disadvantages if you’re working from home. It’s hard for husbands, wives and children to realise you’re in work mode when you’re at home, but you can train them.
Establish ground rules at the outset so that everyone is aware of the difference between work time and personal time.
Invest in better sleep
Many people struggle to enjoy a good night’s sleep, but it’s essential to ensure that we get a sufficient amount of rest to prepare us for the next working day. Sticking to a schedule, chilling out before going to bed, keeping yourself fit and putting your electronic devices away will all help to improve your sleep.
Sleep is crucial for psychological functioning and daily performance and studies have shown that it can impact everything from mental focus to energy and recovery. You can invest in better sleep by purchasing a new mattress and creating a relaxing ambiance in your bedroom environment.
Get dressed to impress
You wouldn’t dream of turning up at an office or factory in your pyjamas, so make sure you maintain a morning routine that involves getting dressed for work. Dress as if you were heading to a meeting as it can help to put you in a different mindset for the day ahead.
The more time you put into your appearance, the more you’ll feel motivated to get stuck into your work. You can separate your work life by changing your clothes when you get ‘home’. This helps you differentiate between your work and home life.
Don’t skimp on furniture
It’s highly likely that you would have complained if you had been expected to work on unsuitable furniture in an office environment, so don’t make the mistake of skimping on quality when you work from home. You may find yourself sitting down at your desk for hours on end during working hours and it’s imperative that you provide yourself with a suitable comfortable workspace.
Make sure you invest in an ergonomic chair to help boost your productivity as a home business entrepreneur. By creating a desk environment that allows for good posture, less exertion and better heights and reaches, the workstation becomes more efficient.
Take exercise breaks
You need breaks and lunchtimes just as much as someone based in an office. Use these to refuel, but also utilise your time to fit in some exercise. The freedom of working from home could give you the time for a gym workout or if that’s too much of a stretch you could simply take the dog for a walk.
Building exercise into your day will help you think straighter, boost your mood and productivity, and will help improve your fitness.
Mix things up
You’ve taken the plunge and decided to work from home, but that doesn’t mean that you have to spend every working hour at home. Some days working from home doesn’t feel right, so take a break and base yourself somewhere else or spend time promoting your business remotely.
Consider working from a library, coffee shop or even in the open air – it will help focus your mind and boost your productivity in the long run. Being stuck indoors every day can become mind-numbing – take advantage of your freedom and you’ll feel better for it.
Know when to stop
When people work for others they tend to largely stick to their allotted employment hours. It can be tempting when you’re working for yourself to work longer hours, but it’s important to know when to call it a day.
It’s no use working yourself to a standstill and not being able to enjoy the fruits of your labour with family and friends. Make stopping work easier on yourself with little tricks like setting an alarm for the end of the day or telling your loved one the exact time you’ll be finishing. Work will still be there tomorrow, but you can never recover losing time with the people around you who truly matter.
Don’t procrastinate
With no boss looking over your shoulder, it can be tempting to get sidetracked into doing non-productive things. Sending personal emails, scouring social media or playing games on your phone can all hamper your ability to maximise your working day.
Working from home means you don’t have office colleagues disturbing you every five minutes. Don’t waste the opportunity to grow your home business by chatting with friends on Facebook.
Be prepared to be flexible
One of the main reasons people start a business from home is the flexibility it offers to your life. However, that can work both ways as there may be times when you have to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Working as a home business entrepreneur is unlikely to provide you with a 9-5 lifestyle, but the potential benefits of working for yourself far outweigh any minor negatives.
