Running a business from your home sounds like the ultimate dream. You pick your own schedule, don’t have to worry about commuting, and get to enjoy a nice home-cooked lunch every day. But when you make your house your workplace, it’s easy to pick up a few bad habits. If you want to be successful, take care to avoid these 3 most common mistakes. These simple challenges can help you maintain your sanity while keeping your customers happy and avoid disastrous situations.
Creating a Fake Public Image
As a freelancer, I spend a lot of time networking with other self-employed people on LinkedIn. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed a common trend. Many people list themselves as the CEO of their own company. When you give yourself the title of CEO, it can give off the impression that you run a massive, prestigious firm and spend your days being driven around in a limo. Legally speaking, unless your home-based business is traded on the stock market, you’re not actually the CEO.
This is just one example of a common problem. Business owners think that their clients want to work with a big firm. By changing their title, throwing up a generic image of an office on their website, and signing up for a virtual mailing address, it might seem like you’re indistinguishable from the big companies. Unfortunately, this is obvious to most people. It’s important, to be honest, and upfront. If your clients realize that they’ve been deceived, it can paint your business with a very negative image.
Not Setting Hours of Operation
With an office job, it’s easy to get yourself out of work mode and step into relaxation mode. Taking a break is important for your mental health, but very easy to neglect. When you run your own business, there are going to be responsibilities to deal with at every hour of every day. Running your own business is empowering, and many people want to do everything they can to ensure their success. But when you’re on the clock 24 hours a day, it’s easy to get burned out. Make sure that you set times for yourself, so you can take a breather when you need it.
Failing to Prioritize
When you’ve got a boss, it’s easy to prioritize your tasks. When you work from home, there is nobody telling you what to do, and when to do it. No matter how hard you try, you’re not going to get everything done every single day. Occasionally, something will be delayed. Every morning, it’s essential to make clear goals about what has to be accomplished. When you’ve got a mental image of which tasks are the most important, you’ll always be putting your time to good use.
Dealing with Unique Challenges
Running a home-based business has its advantages, but there are always disadvantages. If you want to reap the rewards of this lifestyle, it’s important that you prepare yourself for the unique challenges. Anyone can run a home-based business, but you can only attain success when you focus your efforts on delivering value. By avoiding these three common mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to success.
