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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
The growth of your online business is directly proportional to the development of solid work-from-home processes and attitudes. By changing how you work from home, you’ll be better able to grow your business while also enjoying yourself.
Here are some home business best practices that you can incorporate into your own business:
1. Create a dedicated workspace.
Many people who work from home find it easier to concentrate if they have a dedicated work area. Even if you don’t have an extra room to turn into an office, you can still create a workspace by placing your desk and other office furniture in a corner, creating the feel of an enclosure.
In addition to helping you stay on task and organized, having workspace boundaries makes it easier for you to claim home-office tax deductions.
2. Separate your funds.
Never mix your personal funds with your business funds. Mingling funds creates accounting nightmares, as you’ll have difficulty keeping track of your business expenses and profits. This is a particular problem at tax time when you need to claim deductions.
Protect your business and personal finances and do two things: Open a separate business bank account and use professional accounting software designed for small businesses. Both are crucial in keeping control of your finances and avoiding tax audits.
3. Outsource some of your work.
If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed with all the duties of running your home business, consider outsourcing some of your duties. A virtual assistant can help you handle things like travel, bookkeeping and appointment setting.
Other options are to hire freelancers for web design, blogging and social media posting. As your business grows, you may even want to outsource things like customer service to an outside contact center. This allows you to grow the reach of your business without having to open your very own office building.
4. Prioritize networking.
Working from home can be isolating, so it’s important to prioritize networking. While you should definitely take advantage of online networking opportunities, don’t forget to attend in-person, local events. Incorporate networking activities into your weekly schedule. By partnering up with other small business owners, you can do things like trade services or share marketing costs if you are targeting the same audience.
5. Establish office hours.
When you work from home, it’s easy to find yourself “on-duty” 12-14 hours each day. This will eventually take a toll on your mental health as you find your stress level increasing. Many times you’ll also find that you aren’t fully focused on work for many of those hours. Whether you are distracted by children or personal emails, it’s important to stay focused on work during your working hours.
Many people who work from home find that establishing a regular work schedule helps them to stay focused and productive. In addition, they also find that they are better able to enjoy their nonworking hours with friends and family.
Great tips, Kandace!