How To Work Your Business From Home More Efficiently

Setting up and running a business out of one’s own home may be the perfect solution for a lot of people since it provides them with a great deal of job satisfaction, freedom over their work schedules, and options for how they can best arrange their professional lives.

There are a number of financial advantages to working from home rather than renting office space or another type of workplace. For example, there are no expenses associated with commuting to work, maintaining the premises, or paying for things like insurance and electricity bills.

Can you work your business from home today efficiently? 

Since then, many people have found they love the flexibility of working from home, especially with the right tools. Others do not like managing their own time in their home.

Working From Home Tips

However, operating a business from the comfort of one’s own home does come with a few drawbacks, the majority of which have to do with maintaining one’s productivity and staying motivated.

In this section, we will discuss ways in which one might maintain productivity when working from home.

You may find working from home to be isolating. But there are ways to prevent that isolating feeling today.

Here are some tips to help you work your business from home:

Have A Dedicated Workspace

When you work from home, you are faced with the constant temptation to lounge about in your pajamas as you work on the couch in front of the television. Even while this is one of the advantages, it is not necessarily the most efficient method to work, especially not if you want to get things done in a timely manner.

Therefore, invest some time and effort into designing a workstation that is exclusively yours. Even if it is only a corner of your bedroom where you can get things done in peace and quiet.

If you do not have enough room within your home, you might want to consider converting your garage or attic, or you might even build a separate outbuilding.

You do not need a lot of stuff; all you really need is a quality chair, a desk, some shelves and cabinets, and some good lighting – and of course, all of the necessary tech.

For most remote workers, this means a computer and something for scanning documents.

Keep a Daily Schedule Working From Home

Keeping a daily schedule will help you work efficiently from home each and every day. If you don’t write a to-do list or keep a calendar with tasks for each hour you can easily get off track.

This will also help you feel more productive when you can check off each of your tasks throughout the day.

A schedule will also make you keep good habits for your business.

Turn Off the TV When Working Your Business from Home

This working from the home tip is the most important for many of you. Having the TV on can be a major distraction.

Whether you are watching the news or your favorite program, it can take away hours from your day leaving you less productive in your business.

Just say no to your TV and turn it off!

Take Breaks Throughout the Day When Working Your Business from Home

This one is easier said than done for you if you are like me. But if I put it down on the task calendar it reminds me to take that break. It’s also a health benefit for you to take breaks.

Go take a walk outdoors or go for a short ride and enjoy some different scenery. You may come up with some new ideas for your business or for your clients.

You don’t want to wear yourself out by skipping breaks and being worn out of work even from home. Sure you can work from your bed, but how efficient would you be from your bed?

Now, I’ve done it when I’ve been sick in the past as a necessity. But it is not something I would recommend for you to do!

Getting Lost In Your Work

It is easy to get completely lost in your work and let it take over your personal time as well as the time you spend with your family when you are preoccupied with thoughts of how much money you can make working from home.

When you are preoccupied with these thoughts, it is easy to let your work take over your personal time. This is not good for anyone’s health and might even have the opposite effect.

When you are exhausted, you are not able to perform to the best of your abilities.

Lisa, Small Biz Tipster

You might want to try using the Pomodoro method. Using this strategy, you will work for 25 minutes, then take a break away from the computer or the job for five minutes, and then return to working for another 25 minutes.

This will assist you in taking small breaks on a more consistent basis.

Delegate Out Some Daily Tasks to Work Your Business From Home

Just because you are working your business from home doesn’t mean you can’t delegate some tasks. You don’t want to be working 24/7 just because you are at home.

Doing so could cause family friction and that is not good for business.

I’ve found that working my business from home I spend more time on my business. My average workday tends to be around 10 hours a day. I’m working on getting that down to around 9 hours per day this year.

Get Dressed Each Day As You Work Your Business From Home

You never know when you will need to go on a video conference call. Not only that but being dressed for business will get you more in the mood to work in and on the business. It will make you more productive according to the research.

You may produce more videos or make one more call in your business attire. You don’t need to be in a suit, or in a tie but nice crisp clothing will work just fine.

Sweatsuits may not work so well unless you are a mechanic with a garage.

Call Friends On Break Time

Working from home may be incredibly lonely, particularly if you are accustomed to working in an office that is always full of people and activities. Make sure that you schedule a time to hang out with friends and get some fresh air, even if it is only to get a cup of coffee or a sandwich at a local café during your lunch break.

It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle while working from home. Keeping in touch with friends and or family during break time is a great way not to feel so isolated working from home today.

You can also do a Facebook video if you feel isolated at home.

I’ve been almost 3 years working my business full time from home and being isolated thereafter working in a cubicle and on the road for years was a big adjustment.

Being able to call others and visit others including client meetings really can help to offset the isolation for you.

Learn How To Use Webinars And Video Conference Calls

Now that you are working your business from home you will need to stay in touch with clients on a regular basis. Learn as much as you can about doing webinars, videos, and conference calls to keep communications open.

People love doing business with people, and having them see YOU on video helps them to get to know you better when you can’t physically be there in person.

I love using Zoom meetings for my clients as we can chat online and share our screens as we work on projects.

Turn Your Phone Notifications OFF When Working On Projects

Do turn off your phone notifications when you are writing and working on projects. There is nothing worse than writing a blog post or marketing material when your phone is going off.

Even more distracting if you are working by crunching numbers.

You can do your best work for your business without interruptions from your mobile device. I love using push notifications but keep them quiet while I’m busy on a project.

I do the same thing for the desktop – you can turn off your social media accounts to work quietly and efficiently from home on your desktop.

Keep Your Home Office Space Organized

If you have previous experience working in an office, you might be accustomed to having someone else manage your calendar or your diary and tell you when and where you need to be at specific times.

This is something that you are required to do while you are working from home unless you have hired a virtual assistant to aid you with your task. You should mount a large planner on the wall in front of you so that you may be sure nothing important slips your mind.

Or, you can consider adding appointments, deadlines, and meetings to a digital calendar, such as the one offered by Google. In addition, in order to prevent your workplace from becoming overrun with scraps of paper and receipts.

Therefore, it could be a smart idea to devise some kind of organizational system. When you need anything, and you have filed away critical documents, you will know just where to find it all.

Work From Your Home Office 

This little tip will help you get more done just like if you were at your office or business. When I first began working from home I worked from the kitchen table. 

Do try to get your office all set up with a comfortable chair and a desk that is organized for your business.

Having a door to shut and keep others out of your office is another tip for those with young children,  older parents, or even pets.

My dog Hunter loves to bark whenever I go on a video conference call. He hears me and others talking and thinks someone is here in the office.

I do miss him since he’s been gone.

Don’t Do Housework Mid-Day As You Work Your Business From Home

If you start to do housework mid-day you may never get back to working your business from home! It can really wreak havoc on your schedule.

I like to do a few things early morning and then at the end of the day. I do most of the housework on the weekends to keep a routine going. It’s been a habit for years with doing housework.

Therefore, try to keep your home habits going when you are working your business from home.

In Conclusion, Working Your Business From Home

I’d love to know if and how you are working your business from home today. What myths has this blog post debunked for you working from home? 

What other tips would you add to this list when setting up your own business while working from home? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.