Creating a Work from Home Strategy that Works

Many times when someone has not worked from home before but has made the decision to do so, they do not realize that it is important to create a work-from-home strategy for success. Many home businesses fail, and often it is because the person has not worked out this strategy ahead of time. It may be that they just don't realize how easy it is to be distracted by house cleaning, or the kids who may be at home and underfoot, but whatever the reason, you want to succeed at working from home the first time around, not have to get a job later to make ends meet and then maybe try to work from home again at a later date, and hope you will be successful.

Here are some tips that will help you to be successful at your work-from-home venture.

1. Have a designated place for work. Whether that is a room with your own office, or a corner of the bedroom where you have a desk and computer, make it clear to your family and friends that when you are there, you are working and they may not disturb you unless it's an emergency. Make sure you are clear what constitutes and emergency! Be firm about this, you will probably find as I did that at first your family and friends don't want to take you seriously, so make it stick.

2. Have designated work hours. Set up what hours and days you are going to work ahead of time, and tell your family and friends so that you are not disturbed during your working hours. This is another one where you have to be firm, let your answering machine pick up calls, have your husband or significant other take care of the kids, or take them to daycare. You won't succeed if you allow yourself to be interrupted during working hours.

3. Have designated work days. As with hours make sure your friends and family know because if you stick to your designated days and hours then they will respect them as well and not interrupt you during them. This means no allowing your friends or family to call and wheedle until they talk you into going shopping or to see a movie instead of working on your designated work day. If you do allow it, then you find that your schedule is not taken seriously and you will not succeed at working from home.

4. Keep your work area as clutter free as possible. Clutter can be an invitation to failure. When you have a lot of clutter around and on your workspace, things can get easily lost, and it can make it difficult to focus on your work. So, have a daily de-cluttering session of your work area. At the end of your scheduled work hours is best and then you will be all ready for the next workday.

5. Take breaks. Sometimes when we work from home we get so caught up in what we are doing, (this is especially true for me being a writer) that you may forget to take breaks. So stop and take a break every couple of hours, have a meal, go for a walk, watch a favorite television show or part of one if you are only taking a short break, or read something enjoyable such as a novel. Whatever you do, stop working for a short time. Just don't let this break be an invitation to play hooky all together. Sometimes you may find yourself thinking, "I could call so and so and see if they want to go to the mall for an hour or two." Don't do this, it is self sabotage and you will not get back to your work. If you do it enough, you will find yourself perusing the want ads again.

6. Make your workspace somewhere you want to be. Decorate your workspace. Hang pictures, have an attractive calendar, and or maybe a small desktop fountain, whatever makes you feel positive, comfortable and above all creative. Just don't have too much stuff around your work area because this can be an invitation to clutter and that will make you less productive. Keep it simple.

7. Have a small desktop calendar or a computerized one to keep track of your deadlines. There is no way I could keep track mentally of all my deadlines, so having a calendar of some kind is crucial. I personally like the ones that come out in August for students because each day has a space block where you can write things down. I write myself notes for things I need to remember as well as deadlines. It's just perfect for what I use it for!

8. When you finish a project by the deadline, reward yourself with something you really enjoy. After all, why should working from home be any different than working for a company when it comes to bonuses? Also make sure you cross it off of your calendar, as this is a good way to mentally close the door on a completed project.

9. Have a plan. Another problem with beginning a work from home venture is that often people don't plan. They just think they'll figure it out as they go along, and this can be disastrous. Instead, already know what work you are going to do and have it in place to do it before you quit your 9 to 5 job. Also, make sure that you can make enough money at what you want to do from home to cover your expenses. While working from home can save you money on transportation, meals and even child care, not having a plan in place can be even worse than spending that extra money to cover those costs I just mentioned! Incidentally this is the most important part of having a successful work from home venture.

If you follow these tips for a successful work-at-home strategy, you will ratchet up your chances for success by tenfold!