My column in this week at the Tennessean I offer some tips on a home-based businesses:
Most new businesses start out of entrepreneurs’ homes. Whether at the kitchen table, out of a garage or in the basement, working at home is a great way to bootstrap a business by keeping overhead expenses low.
However, for those new entrepreneurs who are coming out of a career in corporate America, working from home can mean challenges and adjustments.
The first challenge is to keep your personal time and your work time from getting blurred.
As easy as it is to be connected to our work 24/7, your personal life and your business will suffer if you do not set clear boundaries of place and time to define working at home.
Set aside a “work place” in your home, a designated office, and only go there during predetermined working hours. Think of the walk down the hall or up the stairs as your commute.
Once you are there you are no longer at home, you are at the office.
It is best to have two computers — one for working at home and one for family and personal use — to make sure the boundaries are kept clear and consistent. Keep one computer in your home office, and put the other in your living space.
Teach The Family Well
Other challenges arise for home-based entrepreneurs who have families.
If you have children, teach them what I call the “Beaver Cleaver’s Dad Rule.” On the old sitcomLeave it to Beaver, Beaver’s dad, Ward Cleaver, had an office in their home.
The kids knew to only go in there when invited — and if they were invited it was usually because they were in trouble. The kids need to learn that all of the cool stuff in their parents’ office is not for their latest school project.
Have a cell phone or a second phone line that is only for business.
One of the cute things most 3-year-olds do is to try to answer the phone. They learn by imitating their parents, which can lead to embarrassing moments with clients.
It is easy to get distracted when working at home. Playing with your kids or hanging out with your spouse can sound like a lot more fun than the project you are working on. But, remember that your business is important to your family. It helps pay the bills.
Don’t try to hide that you work from home with your clients. Home-based businesses have become common not only for entrepreneurs, but also for many employees of large corporations. Eventually the kids will make enough noise or the dogs will bark while you are on the phone. Be up front, and let customers know that home is your workplace.
Finally, work with an accountant if you plan to deduct expenses on your tax return related to a home-based business. The IRS rules on this have gotten much stricter over the years, and currently there is an increase in audits being done on small businesses.
This blog has some very helpful advice. I have already experienced a lot of this with just trying to get school work done. I often have to walk down the street to a coffee shop or some other location that has an internet connection to get school work done. There is just too much in the home that distracts me from completing work.
Another method I have learned from friends who have home-based ventures is to not work near a comfortable place to lie down or near a television to turn on. Keep distractions out of convenience reach.
Many of my ideas start as home-based ventures, but in reality I think most of my time will be spent down the street at the coffee shop. Perhaps in the future when I have somewhere to escape to in the home that I can designate as an “office” it will help productivity in the home. For now, it’s near impossible for me to be able to escape to anywhere inside the home.