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How To Get One of the Great American Dreams : Building
a Home Business!
One
of the great American dreams is being able to quit a
9-to-5 job to start building a work at home business.
More and more people are making their dream come true.
But before you quit that job and set up your home office,
there are a few issues to consider.
On
the plus side, part of your home and related expenses
are tax deductible. It's convenient to work while your
kids are in school and then be home for them when they
walk through the door in the afternoon, and let's face
it, not having a boss to answer to is a major plus.
But
it's not always the ideal situation. Starting a business
from home isn't always easy on families. There are many
issues that will affect your family. First and foremost
are financial issues. Will you be able to handle the
hit to your wallet when you don't have a steady paycheck?
If this is an issue, consider working your business
part time while holding down a full down job.
It
takes a very dedicated person to work from home. There
are always distractions to overcome such as the unexpected
visits from family members who think you have lots of
free time because you don't work a "real"
job. It also seems like telemarketers prefer to call
in the middle of the day, and don't forget the neighbors
dropping by to see if you'll babysit while they run
errands. It's very important to let family and friends
know your working hours. Tell them in no uncertain terms
that your business is your income and you need to block
out regular working hours. Also let them know when you
are available.
Along
those same lines, it is crucial that you explain to
your own family that, although you are home, you are
not always available to them. This can be confusing
to kids. Set some basic rules for them to follow. Let
them know your work hours and tell them you expect not
to be disturbed. But occasionally, surprise them by
quitting early and doing something fun with them!
Here
are a few basic rules that will help you and your family
handle the new working situation.
*
Make sure everyone knows not to answer your business
phone. This will save you in a number of ways. You'll
be sure to always get your messages. Kids are never
good at getting all the details. You'll create a much
more professional business image if you answer your
own phone.
*
If you're children are typical kids, they will want
to "borrow" your office supplies. Give
them their own office supply center elsewhere in the
house! Otherwise, you'll start losing your much
needed supplies.
*Set
a work schedule at the beginning of every week and
post it in a prominent spot so family members can check
your schedule to see when you will be available.
Though
these issues can and probably will arise, working from
home is still the American Dream for many people. Learning
to set, and more importantly, enforce boundaries for
family, friends and clients will make your business
less complicated.
1howto.com
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