Work from home successfully and make moneyHome working is a common dream for the many people who commute and are office-bound.  The reality of working from a home office, however, is that it can be lonely and unproductive.  I have worked from home for many years and these tips are the product of my own experience.

I have found that the key to being able to work happily and successfully from home is to create a strong structure for your working days.

If you work with other people, you are automatically part of a dynamic system which demands your participation.  It may sound blissful to be away from the office politics and the constant interruptions, but it is difficult to achieve anything if it feels as though you are all alone and there are no consequences if you don’t get on with your work.

I have developed the following habits for building a structure for home working through trial and (much) error:

1.  Have an established routine for starting your day.  For example, after breakfast, browse websites you have found in magazine and newspaper articles or promotional material, have a look at your favourite newspaper’s site, log into your business bank account and check your e-mails – suddenly you are into work mode without any pain!

2.  Make your phone calls straightaway – speaking to other people will give you energy and will probably provide some deadlines or help to prioritise your work.

3.  Make yourself part of a web of business associates which may include any or all of the following – clients, suppliers, sub-contractors, employees, people doing a similar job.  The more you feel part of something outside yourself and your own home, the more motivated you will feel.

4.  Go along to networking and training events – never think you ‘don’t have time’.  Taking a break away from your desk will re-energise you and give you fresh ideas for tackling problems which seem insoluble if you keep going over and over them.

5.  If it’s all getting heavy and too much like hard work – stop and do something you enjoy, preferably away from home.  Go for a walk, get a coffee at your local cafe, meet a friend.  When you come back, you will be in a totally different frame of mind and what was so difficult before will just flow.

6.  You have the flexibility your office-bound friends are so envious of, so use it!  Combine something you enjoy with a business errand – after a business meeting, have lunch out, do some shopping, have a walk in the park.

7.  Remember that sometimes it is just really hard and you may feel overwhelmed.   At times like this, refer immediately to point 5 above!