Veteran work at home professionals have a lot of valuable experience to impart on making working from home an effective and productive way to earn a living. There are lots of benefits - being able to work in your bathrobe, and deciding on taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon are just two of them, and they aren't even covering the benefits on your taxes.
However, getting the most out of working at home requires discipline, and keeping track of things you may not have considered before taking on the career choice.
First - time management is critical. Start each day with a list of what must get done, and check things off the list as you complete them. It may seem Mickey Mouse, but it's a very important motivational tool for boosting productivity, and keeping track of what you have (or have not) gotten done.
Second - set goals. If you're a writer, set a daily word quota. If you're doing marketing, set a client contact quota. If you're doing graphic design, set a quota of work that needs to be done each day. It's entirely too easy to slip into the "Oh, I'll just do that a little later..." while you check your email (nominally for work), surf the web (looking for information pertinent to your field or your current project) or work on your facebook page (to bring in new work, of course).
Third - your time is valuable, but only if you value it. And by this, we mean that you make yourself aware of how many billable hours or billable projects you're doing each day. Schedule at least three hours on the computer where the Internet connection is turned off, so that you can minimize interruptions and distractions. Your clients will understand if there's a regular time where you're not available.
Fourth - if everything is the top priority, nothing is. You absolutely must prioritize your work each day; otherwise, you will procrastinate, or feel overwhelmed, and let projects slide from day to day. When you make your daily list, put the small jobs at the top of it, so that you can make more progress (and build up a motivational head of steam) as you go through the day.
Fifth - organize everything. Set up your work space and file carefully. When you're done with something, put it away - the time you 'waste' doing this will more than make up for itself in being able to find things when you need them. It also keeps your desk from getting horrifically cluttered, and keeps you in a better mental space for getting work done.
Sixth - at the end of the day, make a written record of accomplishments. Have a scheduled end of day time; this is the time of the day when you stop working. If there are things left undone, put them at the top of the list for tomorrow's tasks. NOT doing this is the best way we know of to burn out, and burn out fast.
Doing this also gives you a written record of what you learned, and every two weeks, you can go through your logs and notice patterns in what gets done when, and where, and how efficiently.
Your dream of working from home has finally come through. Before reality sets in and you find yourself facing endless hours, set guidelines in place so everyone understands that your home based business is not your life. These boundaries are designed to create balance between a successful business and an active social life.
Home Based Biz Guidelines -
One of the main reasons men and women alike enjoy the freedom of a home based office is a flexible work schedule. Workers still trapped behind their desk in the traditional office setting are under the misconception that home business owners sleep late and lounge around in their pajamas all day. In fact, many who work home based businesses find themselves putting in far more hours than they ever did before. This is where the guidelines come in handy, to make certain your life does not become all work and no play.
Stay on Schedule -
One of the biggest obstacles home-based operators face is allowing the work schedule to encroach into their home life until the business takes complete ownership. Set a schedule with actual office hours (not from when I wake up until I go to sleep) and keep to the schedule. Make time in the workday for scheduled breaks. You are not working for a slave driver anymore! You still have the flexibility to play around with the schedule since you are in charge but your goal should be to establish a specific start and end of the workday.
Designate a Work Space -
Designating a workspace is probably even more important than sticking to a schedule when you are working from home. You will find out soon enough just how popular you are with your family when you try to get down to business. Home based workers must have some place they can designate as "off limits" from the rest of the house, especially when you have deadlines to meet.
Make Certain Others Respect the Boundaries -
You may have encountered this dilemma if you have been working from home for any length of time. Friends and family will assume "since you are home" that gives you ample time to run errands for them. You will receive all sorts of requests from dog sitting to washing the car in your "spare time" if you do not put your foot down from the beginning.
Tips for ending the workday -
As important as making your home business productive, you need a definite end to the workday. Just as you expect your family and friends to respect your work time as your own, you must pay them the same courtesy during "off time". Leave all those emails sitting in the inbox until morning. Your family needs some undivided attention.
To help unwind at the day's end, make it a rule there are no business calls after hours. There will be exceptions but do not try your supportive family's patience with continual interruptions that could easily wait for regular business hours. It will be impossible to leave work stress behind if you have the cell phone nearby vibrating off the dinner table.
Creating a balance with your family's well being and the business's success in mind is a reminder that your home based business is not your life. Give yourself a break, you can do this. It took a creative genius to get you this far.
posted by HomeNetPro
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Wednesday, December 10th 2008
One of the most popular buzz phrases lately is "work from home." This certainly sounds great in theory - no bosses hanging around, no commute to an office, flexible work schedule - but many people are hesitant about starting a work at home venture because they're unsure of how much income potential there is and they don't know where to find useful information to get started.
In today's economy, everyone is concerned with the stability of their jobs and with how much income they're bringing home. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't explore the multitudes of online work opportunities. Even if you start off small, eventually you just might match your income by working from home.
How to Get Started
First of all, don't get excited and quit your day job yet. Hang on to that secure job and use your spare time at night or during the weekends to research work from home job opportunities. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Paid Online Surveys - Market research companies pay good money to get people's opinions about their clients' products. These products can range from grocery items, electronics, and even television shows. Market research will provide valuable information to the manufacturer about whether their product will be accepted within their target market. The best way to discover this information is to literally ask the people in their target market.
There are many paid online survey sites, some more popular and busier than others. You will have to give out personal information but this is to determine if you fall into the target market criteria for certain products. Once you register and start completing surveys, you'll accumulate either cash or rewards points which can then be redeemed when you meet a certain amount. The beauty is you can register with any number of online survey websites, which will help you earn your rewards faster.
Data Entry - Large companies that sell information to clients sometimes hire people to work at home to input the data into the company's database. When dealing with millions of pieces of data, companies like to outsource this work to many teams of people across the country so they can provide up to date information to their clients.
A good knowledge of computers and quick typing skills are necessary for this job and you'll also have an interview process. The hiring process may not move quick enough for your liking but these companies need to protect themselves by hiring honest, hard working people and evaluating skills and interviewing takes time.
Finding the Time to Work from Home
Now that you've done your research about work at home opportunities, determine when you have the time to work. If you have a job outside of the home, then you'll be limited to nights and weekends. Or maybe you'll have time on your lunch break to do a survey or two. New moms might be able to do a bit more during baby's naptime. Set a work schedule and let your family know your plans so they won't bother you during those times.
Starting off slowly with one opportunity is smart for those new to working at home. Decide if this work is right for you. Some online job opportunities are boring to some people yet others find it invigorating. There's a wide array of work for all different types of personalities; it just might take some time to find what you like to do.
posted by HomeNetPro
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