Wow! My Own Home Office! It’s Wonderful!
Or is it?

by Sheila G. McCurdy
Certified Professional Organizer, CPO®

You have decided to start your own business, from home. After all, having a home office sounds like a dream come true. No one to disturb you, no boss looking over your shoulder and you get to set your own hours. Really? Not quite!

It’s actually a daily struggle of “when’s” – when to wake up, when to go to bed, when to clean the house, when to eat, when to call a friend, and even when to go to the bathroom! Becoming a home based business means setting a daily schedule of hours that you’re in your office, the best time to take a lunch break and the best time to stop working.

If you work with clients outside of your home, this schedule can be more flexible, but you still must be committed to having office hours to take care of the administrative details. Following are some tips to help ease you into that new world of work you’ve created.

  • Make your bed immediately upon arising. (You won’t be inclined to jump back into bed after it’s made.)

  • Get dressed as soon as possible – you will feel more “official” than sitting around in P.J.’s all day.

  • Eat a good breakfast, but leave the dishes.

  • Set definite office hours so that your time is structured. If young children are at home, your office hours will have to be scheduled around them so that you’re not disturbed.

  • Do NOT mix business and home – so no washing dishes instead of trying to land that big client, or working on your Mustang when you’ve got sales to make.

  • DO take ten minute breaks to get something to drink, go to the bathroom (which we tend to forget when we’re engrossed) and walk around a little. Do NOT sit down in another room or you won’t go back to the office.

  • DO take a one to two hour lunch break to eat lunch, wash the dishes, watch TV, go for a walk around the block, call your friends, or whatever else relaxes you. Well, you do need some perks!

  • It’s O.K. to spend 10-12 hours a day in your office, but that should be your limit. You wouldn’t spend that time or more (usually!) in someone else’s office and then spend up to 2 hours or more commuting home.

Having a home office CAN be fun and a wonderful way of life. If you haven’t started one yet but are thinking about it, take a good look at yourself and your habits. If you hate keeping to a schedule and are not especially self-disciplined or a self-starter, you’re asking for problems. You may need to talk this over with someone who really knows you. Can you meet deadlines without someone breathing down your neck? Can you invoice your clients and track payments? Do you know how to send in estimated taxes? Do you know how to get a DBA and a Business License? Do you know where support groups are for networking? Do you know about advertising?

All of these issues, and more, confront you when you work from home in your own business. If your business grows and you open up an office outside your home, many of these issues will still follow you, only now you may be faced with hiring employees!

Sheila has the experience needed to help you set up your brand new office, get files started and get you ready to work. Contact her at 520-822-4036, email at sheila@clutterstop.com.

©2010 Sheila McCurdy & clutter STOP