Tag Archives | work at home

7 Golden Rules for Home-Based Businesses

By on October 18, 2011 in Guest Articles, How to Start

Starting a new home-based business can seem like a daunting task.  The transition from working in corporate America to working inside  your home

can often lead to the downfall of your business before it has even begun.  The first thing you need to do is get organized.  It’s important because you need to put yourself in the best position to be successful.

To ensure that you make this switch to spare room tycoon successfully, try to follow the 7 golden rules for a new home-based business.

Designate an area

When you work from home, it’s often hard to stop work activities taking over your personal space and home life. To prevent this from happening, try to designate an area of your home that’s specifically for your work. This could be a spare room, garden office or even a section of another room. Try to keep this space solely for work activities and materials. This should help you to keep a healthy work/home life balance as you can ‘shut the door’ on your work at the end of the day.

Invest in the right insurance

When you first start working from home, there are some insurance considerations to think about. Firstly, if you’ve started a business from your home, be careful that you’re not invalidating your home insurance. Most standard home insurance will not cover you if you’re using the property for business purposes (which usually refers to having stock or clients at the property).

In addition, you could require some business insurance for your home-based business. For example, if you provide a professional service to paying clients (such as accounting, legal or marketing consultant) it could be wise to think about professional indemnity insurance. This could help you cover costs if you ever faced a negligence claim. If customers or clients visit your home business, you may also need to put public liability insurance in place too.

Get dressed

Sitting about in PJs and slippers in not conducive to a work mind-set. If you feel like you’re dressed for bed or lounging on the sofa– that’s probably what you’ll do. Get washed and dressed as if heading out to the office – it will make you feel more alert and ready to get started in the morning

Watch your posture

In professional organisations, particularly larger companies, they’ll be obliged to provide a workstation that is not detrimental to your posture. Adjustable chairs and monitors, adequate desk space and hand supports are common elements of most offices. When starting work from home, ensure you have a comfortable work area that supports good posture and doesn’t put regular strain on your body or eyesight.

Set a start and finish point

Are you fit to work from home? When you work for an employer, you’ll have set working hours and structure to your day. Having a set start time and finish time for your day can give you more focus and ensure that the work doesn’t spill over into your domestic life. Try to stick to the start and end times you assign yourself. Make sure you switch off the computer and turn off your email alerts at the end of the day.

Eat a proper lunch

Without a designated lunch hour written into your contract, it can be quite easy to forget about eating altogether when at home, or you could find you end up snacking your way through the day. Make sure you dedicate a full hour for lunch and have enough food in to make a healthy, filling meal. It will give your eyes a rest from the computer (if you use one) and will make sure you have enough sustenance for the afternoon’s tasks.

Check your car use

If you’re running a business from your home, you might also use your car for business purposes. For example, you may move stock or make deliveries to clients. If this is the case, make sure these activities are not invalidating your car insurance. A standard policy may not cover your vehicle for business use – so it’s worth checking with your provider.

Do you have any more tips for home-based business success?

This article was written by Policy Expert who are insurance specialists, providing house insurance to homeowners in the UK.  You can use their website to compare quotes and buy online.

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How to Have a Successful Work at Home Business

By on June 24, 2010 in How to Start, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat, Starting A Small Business

SmallBizChat with SmallBizLadyEvery week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Holly Reisem Hanna @Holly_Hanna. She is the Founder & Publisher of The Work at Home Woman; an online business resource dedicated to helping women and moms achieve their dreams of working from home or becoming self-employed.  For more information, please see: www.theworkathomewoman.com 

Smallbizlady: What kind of considerations do I need to take into account when considering a work-at-home business opportunity? 

Holly Hanna Before exploring the work-at-home realm, you will need to consider these factors: How much money do you need to make? Do you need benefits? Are you looking for full-time or part-time work? Are you willing to go back to school or take a class? Will you be working at home with children? By answering these questions you can narrow which path to take.

Smallbizlady: How should I research potential work-at-home business opportunities? 

Holly Hanna: Always take the time to thoroughly research the opportunity; talk to others in the same field, make sure you understand all the opportunity fully and weigh your options objectively.  There’s no such thing as a get rich quick opportunity – running your own home-based business take lots of hard work and time.

Smallbizlady: What are the types of work-at-home business opportunities available?  

Holly Hanna: There are basically three different opportunities available; direct sales, purchase a franchise or create your own business.

Smallbizlady: How do you avoid work-at-home scams? 

Holly Hanna: Unfortunately, the work-at-home realm is riddled with scams. First and foremost, take your time and research the company and/or opportunity extensively. An easy way to do this is to simply type in the company or program into Google and see what comes up. Use the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website to research the company, see if they have any positive or negative reviews. Also check to see if the company has any contact information listed; an email address, phone number and physical address. Try to contact them and get some additional information on their company or product. If they don’t have any contact information listed, this should be a red flag warning to you.  If the opportunity sounds too good to be true it probably is. If you really want to operate a legitimate work-at-home business, the surefire way to do that is to create your own.

Smallbizlady: What are some reputable online sources for ideas and solutions for starting working at home businesses? 

Holly Hanna: There are many online resources for home business ideas and solutions; I suggest looking at StartupNation, the SBA (Small Business Association) and Entrepreneur.com.

Smallbizlady: What personality types do best with working at home? 

Holly Hanna: People that are self-motivated, organized, flexible, good communicators, able to deal with distractions and people that are able to work independently without a lot of guidance.

Smallbizlady: When working at home, how do you maintain work-life balance? 

Holly Hanna: Maintaining balance is one of the most difficult aspects of working at home, because the work is always right there staring you in the face. I have found that having a separate work space, de-cluttering, making a list of priorities, creating a daily to-do list and scheduling work and play times helps to keep me on track.

Smallbizlady: What kinds of resources are available to support people who run home-based businesses?

Holly Hanna: There are numerous online sites and blogs that have free and reliable information for individuals who are running a home-based business. I also suggest participating in online forums, the various social networks (which end becoming your virtual water-cooler) and joining a local business group where you are able to connect with other liked minded individuals.

Smallbizlady: What should I do before starting my own business? 

Holly Hanna: Don’t quit your day job just yet! Often it is best if you can start your business part-time and work on it at nights and weekends. It often takes many new businesses a year or longer to generate a profit. Along with this, always be learning, whether it’s reading a new business book every month or taking a business course at your local community college. Joining a business group also has many benefits; it allows you to network with like minded individuals and ask questions to others who have been there and done that.

Smallbizlady: What should I look for when considering a direct sales opportunity? 

Holly Hanna: When looking at direct sales opportunities, it is always good to check and see if they are affiliated with the DSA (Direct Selling Association), their mission is to “Protect, serve and promote the effectiveness of member companies and the independent business people they represent. You will also want to test out the products to make sure that they are of a good quality, along with this you will want to see how much money it costs upfront and how much commission you will receive from each sale.

What is the best way to organize my home office? 

Holly Hanna: Organize is the key word here. By creating an organization system which includes a filing system, mailing system, scheduling system, and regular de-cluttering and cleaning you can control your time and space without it getting the best of you.

How do I avoid distractions when working at home? 

Holly Hanna: Planning ahead is key – having readily available snacks for consumption, pre-planning children’s activities or having child care arranged and having a separate office space can all help minimize distractions.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. 

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e 

Melinda F. Emerson, also known as Twitter’s @SmallBizLady is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs.  She is the founder and CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, an award-winning strategic communications firm. She has created productions for such companies as Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Comcast. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works”  was released in March 2010 by Adams Media.

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Making Love & Money: How to Be Successful Couplepreneurs

By on October 1, 2009 in How to Start, SmallBizChat, Women in Business

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Donna Maria Coles Johnson @indiebusiness on Twitter. She is an award winning entrepreneur who has inspired millions through her seminars and her role as the leader of the Indie Beauty Network and Indie Business Revolution events nationwide. She also produces Indie Business Radio show.  Donna Maria co-owns Indie Business Media, LLC, with her husband of 10 years Darryl Johnson @djphotographer. They have two children and a passion for empowering other married couples to harness their talents and gifts to own and manage a business of their own. For more information http://www.indiebeauty.com and http://www.indiebusinessblog.com

Smallbizlady:  How did you and your husband start in business together?

@indiebusiness:  He was laid off. I already had my business. We looked at our talents and gifts and saw an opportunity to merge them into a family business so that’s what we did.

Smallbizlady:  How is your business set-up? 

@indiebusiness:  We are a home based business. I have an office, and he has an office, on different floors.  We have 2 kids, ages 5 and 7.  We used to have nearly full-time help when the kids were infants and toddlers. Now, we hire help when we need it. Our children are used to us working at home.

Smallbizlady: How do you work at home with young children around?

@indiebusiness:  It’s a challenge. We call it “tag teaming.” He takes them so I can work, and vice versa. If we have to be working together, which is a lot of the time, they play in a play room or outside in the yard. This happens a lot when we are taping a show or doing audio recordings. We need quiet and that is hard to come by with two kids around all the time. We also use young teens in the neighborhood to babysit sometimes. It all works well.

Smallbizlady: How do you stay on track? With kids, home, business, etc.?

@indiebusiness: Well, we meet every day (sometimes early in the morning, sometimes later at night after kids are asleep) to list the 5 top priorities each of us has for that day.

Smallbizlady: How do you handle disagreements about the direction of the business?

@indiebusiness: It doesn’t happen often because our responsibilities are pretty clearly drawn. He does what he does best and I do what I do best.  But when it does happen, we look at the issue and see who it matters the most to. If it’s a part of the business that is in my bailiwick, then I usually have the final say. If it’s more his area, then he usually has the final say. That’s not always predictable, but because we want to make a profit and stay married, we have to look at who would be most impacted by a particular decision. That usually helps us figure out what to do.

Smallbizlady:  How do you handle it when disagreements spillover into your personal relationship?

@indiebusiness: We used to argue about it. Eventually though, we both just started being honest. If I’m upset about something on the business side, I tell him that, and I also tell him that I am not feeling “warm and cozy” tonight because I’m stewing over a business issue. He does the same. We have learned that the time to raise touchy business issue is during the business day. And we pretty much do that. If someone can’t get over it that night, well, we’ve learned to go to separate corners. We always come back together in a few hours anyway. We are patient and forgiving of each other and that’s really the bottom line. We also don’t hold grudges. We believe in each other, know that we have each other’s best interests at heart and give the benefit of the doubt. We try to start each day fresh, like a new beginning for each of us.

Smallbizlady: How to you separate the business from your day to day married life?

@indiebusiness: Well, there really is not a lot of separation. The reality is that the security and long term viability of the business and the marriage are quite intertwined. Conflict in one area affects the other. Success in one area affects the other. It’s a constant ebb and flow of both personal and professional weaving back and forth to form a holistic entity that includes both our family and our business.

Smallbizlady: So, who reports to whom?

@indiebusiness: Well, it depends on the issue. When it comes to what to wear for a video, how to sound, how to stand or hold the props or what music goes best in the video, I report to him. When it comes to what video project to undertake next, he reports to me. Again, it works because he knows what he’s responsible for and I know what I’m responsible for.

Smallbizlady: Have you ever wanted to quit?

@indiebusiness: Yes. Once when we ran out of money and again when we ran out of money. That’s true, but seriously, there are times when we become frustrated with one another. We work together, live together, sleep together, raise kids together – all under one roof. We’ve known each other for nearly 30 years and been married for 10 of those years so we do get on each other’s nerves from time to time. But we both have our separate interests outside of the business and the marriage so when we need to take a break, that’s what we do.

Smallbizlady: What 4 tips can you offer to help other couples get started in business as WAHMs and WAHDs (Work at Home Moms and Dads)?

@indiebusiness: First, make sure that you can be content spending inordinate amounts of time together. If you drive each other totally nuts in separate work spaces, it’s probably not a good idea to work together. Having said that, if you find that your employment opportunities are drying up and you have to work together, I suggest you suck it up and get on with it. You have to eat, and if you have to create a business together to make that happen, then do it.

Next, make sure that the business offers a needed product or service. Don’t jump in without doing some market research first, just like with any other business.

Next, be sure to divide up responsibilities. Each person needs what amounts to a job description so they can be accountable for their responsibilities. Have regular meetings to air out options and disagreements so they don’t impeded your progress.

Know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. As in a marriage, you each bring different things to the party. Just like in your personal relationship, work to minimize each other’s weaknesses so you are a strong and united force together.

Smallbizlady: I know that you and your husband participate in a couple’s mastermind group. How is that helpful?

@indiebusiness: Our couple’s mastermind group is extremely helpful on many levels. Accountability for one thing. For another, the group provides real support. We are all  going through the same things – juggling kids, family business, marriage. It helps to know that other similarly situated people are pulling for us. We help and encourage each other.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. 

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Links to relevant articles:

Making Love and Money: http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/2008/09/01/making-love-and-money/

How to Start a Couple’s MasterMind Group, Part 1: http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/2009/07/30/how-to-start-a-couples-mastermind-group/

How to Start a Couple’s MasterMind Group, Part 2 http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/2009/08/21/video-how-to-start-a-couples-mastermind-group-part-2/

Bliss, Diss and Kiss: http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/2009/05/21/bliss-diss-and-kiss-reflections-on-marriage-on-my-9th-wedding-anniversary/

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