Setting Up a Successful Home Office

The lure of working at home is glamorous and enticing. You imagine yourself lounging in your pajamas, working at your leisure and bringing in the bucks.

Reality check! Working at home may be convenient and for some even lucrative, but if you don't treat it as a job, you will not be successful.

Freelance writer, editor, and publisher, Suzanne James, talks often about her home based business -and how to be successful in your own- in her blog at Writing Up and the one thing she emphasizes is that working at home is a Business and should be treated as such.

Here are some tips on setting up and maintaining a home office:

* Have a room of your own. If you can't have an entire room, then set apart a specific place and time to work. In the real world, you go to work 4 to 8 hours out of each day. If you don't set aside specific work hours you'll find yourself interrupted with all sorts of daily household duties as well as being called upon by family and friends for favors or unscheduled chats. This can wreak havoc on a writing career.

*Be comfortable. For some this means working in your pajamas, for others it means casual business attire and yet for others, the mode is jeans and tee shirt. Whatever your definition of comfortable, it's okay, as long as you are working.

*Invest in a spacious desk, a good chair and possibly a filing cabinet. If you have no need for a filing cabinet yet at least invest in an expandable 1-31 and/or alphabetical file folder to keep track of writing assignments. You can file them by due date or by company name. These are also good for filing submission guidelines and/or calls for submissions you receive, therefore always providing you with something to work on.

*Set up spreadsheets to record your income and expenses for tax purposes.

*Keep a folder (similar to a coupon holder) for all receipts (postage, paper, ink, etc) also for tax purposes.

*Track your submissions, rejections, and acceptances as well as the money you receive for each project. This will help you evaluate the value of your work and whether or not you need to reconsider your current fee scale. This can be done with a simple spreadsheet or specialized software packages Sonar and Power Tracker.

*Since most writing jobs are handled via email now days, print everything! File in your expandable folders, filing cabinet or even a binder with pocket folders. This is not only clips but also "proof" of your work and/or that you are "seriously pursuing a career in writing" as required by the IRS.

*Keep clips in both hard copy files and computer files. This way, you can email clips whenever possible but copy and mail when necessary.

*Keep household bills, income and receipts separate from work. Though you may need both for taxes keep your writing income/expenses in different files. You will have deductions allowed on a Schedule C (profit & loss statement) that may not be deductible otherwise.

*Plan ahead for emergencies and unexpected delays. We all have times when life just seems to get in the way. Illness, death or other emergencies can crop up at any time, putting strain on a deadline. Planning ahead and doing your best to stay organized will help alleviate some of the stress associated with these incidents. Pre-cook meals and/or set aside money for a time when cooking is just not an option. Set up an emergency babysitter or call in a favor. Think of what you would do in the same situation if you had a regular job, do what you can to be prepared, and always have a Plan B.

*Learn the art of promotion; this is one of the most important aspects of a freelance career.Publications like Funds For Writers, and Writers Gazette, are just two of the numerous sites and/or newsletters for scoping out jobs. Other sites like, Guru.com, Elance.com and Freelance Work Exchange are also valuable resources.

These are just a few tips for setting up and maintaining a successful home office. One more thought. If you're looking to begin a freelance writing career, be sure you aren't pressed for money. On the average, it takes up to 2 yrs. for a freelance writer to generate a decent income. Many times, you have to start for free (exposure!), less than $.05 per word, or even $2 - $5 per article, but remember that the Bible says...despise not small beginnings.

Though this article deals mostly with a Freelance Writing Career, the principles can be applied to any home-based office occupation.