There Is No Place Like Home - Home Based Business Wisdom Especially For Women
A radical reshaping of the workforce is underway. Millions of Americans are working at home, either as self-employed entrepreneurs or as company employees working part-time or full time as telecommuters. Customers, vendors, and teams of employees are located across the globe.
This is a story of the countless lessons learned since transitioning from corporate executive to life as a home based solo-entrepreneur.
My Cat ate Monday off my Calendar’and other ‘tales? about working at home.
Pansy and Lily are constant companions in my office, the third floor of my 125-year-old Victorian home. One weekend, I was checking my calendar to see what the upcoming week had in store, as every one is different. I like the variety. You guessed it. Monday was gone. It’s true, I’m old fashioned, and I still keep a paper calendar. The fact that Pansy or Lily chewed the corner off my calendar and my Monday schedule was missing, is a tale that will evoke more empathy than “my computer crashed.” The following are five coaching tips for the new or aspiring home based businesswoman.
1. Results. Work is a thing you do ? not a place you go. Work is about results not a building. When you are working in a home based business, you are solely responsible for producing results. Success will be easier if you can answer yes to the following four statements: I have the ability to push through even in the presence of fear, uncertainty, doubt, and risk. I seldom procrastinate and have the discipline to complete the projects I begin. I am good at setting clear goals and determining the important priorities. I am dependable and follow through on my commitments to others and myself.
Coaching tip: If these statements do not describe you, build in a source of accountability such as a buddy or a coach.
2. Personality. Working at home can be lonely. There is no water cooler talk; no final four pools; no monthly birthday goodies? day. For introverts this is a plus. If you are an extrovert, who gets energy from being around people, spending your day alone may be draining. It is important that you design ways to interact with others.
Coaching Tip: You can offset the feelings of isolation by taking breaks to make occasional personal phone calls, scheduling breakfast or lunch networking meetings, a lunchtime trip to yoga, or forming a Mastermind group.
3. Boundaries. Your ability to set appropriate boundaries is essential to your success as a home based entrepreneur. Boundaries are the way we tell others what is and is not an appropriate way to interact with us. Appropriate boundaries include the physical space where you work. If you use a portion of your living space as an office, it is even more challenging than if you have a room designated just for your business.
Coaching Tip: Hang a sign by the door of your workspace that says, ‘Mom is at Work? or “No Trespassing Woman Working.”
4. Pets, pests, and personal phone calls. There are countless opportunities for interruptions when you work in a home-based office. If you have young children in the home, you are well aware of this. Self-discipline, setting the expectations of others, and saying NO without feeling guilty are skills you must develop.
Coaching Tip: Clear and direct communication with others is required to limit persistent interruptions. Example: ‘I know how important this charitable cause is and yet I have to say know because my work is very busy right now.” ‘I only have 2 minutes to talk right now. You can call me this evening with the rest of the story.” ” I am not available to chaperone that field trip. I work on Tuesday afternoon.”
5. Office Hours. You may choose to establish traditional office hours and work a 9:00 to 5:00 schedule. On the other hand, you may choose a flexible work schedule that better suits your lifestyle. Whatever your preference, it is important that you establish a routine of some type in order that your customers, family, friends, know when you are and are not ‘at work,? and so do you.
Coaching Tip: The more you enjoy your work, the more prone you will be to work creep, allowing work to get in the way of personal life. Avoid stress, burn out, and family conflicts by establishing and adhering to a work routine.
The growth in home based business and telecommuting is driven by advantages for employer, employee, and entrepreneur. It allows workers a better lifestyle, it is green because of reduced expenses associated with commuting and housing employees, it has financial advantages such as reduced costs for child or senior day care, commuting, clothes, and meals, a perhaps best of all it gives you the independence of being your own boss, priceless.
Jean Caton MS, MBA, RD is a Business and Lifestyle Coach, Speaker, and Marketing Strategist for Small Business owners. I invite you to visit my website http://www.JeanCaton.com for a free resource to assess your entrepreneurial acumen or to sign up for a complimentary telephone coaching consult.
Tags: home office, Home based business, telecommuting, entrepreneur
Tags: Network Marketing
