First of all, congratulations on starting your home-based business! It takes a lot of courage to quit your job to become your own boss. However, it is the right decision if you really want to succeed and increase your earnings beyond a fixed salary. Now that you have already started in business, we are here to offer you tips and tricks to help you get organized, stay focused on your tasks and increase your chances of being successful.
Today we will discuss your home office. This is the place where you will spend time every day working on your business. This is where you build and test your products or services and where you build your marketing and advertising plans. If you want to be able to complete all your tasks on time, you need to learn how to be productive.
The way your home office is organized has a major impact on your productivity, so we will offer you a few helpful tips in this respect. Here we go:
1. Remove Distractions
Once you have identified the room where you want to set your home office, remove every entertainment gadget and item: gaming console, DVD player, record player, etc. Although you may feel determined enough to go on with your work without being tempted to use them, it will happen. You will decide to take a 5-minute break, which will extend to 20 minutes or even half an hour, and these breaks will become more and more frequent as your tasks become more repetitive.
Running a home business is not always exciting, there will be days when you will have boring paperwork, but it needs to be done and you must focus on it without distractions.
2. Arrange All the Items You Need within Reach
Create a cluster of your computer, printer, file rack and other office consumables so that you have access to them without having to stop from work to go to the other corner of the room. Remember the ergonomics in your office at work and try to replicate it in your home office.
Small distractions such as stopping from your task to pick a paper from the printer will disrupt your train of thought and will lessen your productivity.
3. Ensure You Have Sufficient Natural Light
Get rid of heavy curtains (if you have them) and let daylight in to your office. A well-litroom encourages thought, creativity and makes people more productive. Try to organize your work hours so that you make the most of the natural daylight. However, make provisions for dark and cloudy days as well, and arrange lighting so that your work desk is properly illuminated.
Extra tip: search for light bulbs which emit warm, yellow light. Harsh, white neon light causes eye fatigue and will cause you to lose focus on work and take breaks away from it.
4. Keep Your Office Neat and Private
Productive work takes place in a clean, clutter free space. Keep your home office clean and remove any unnecessary items, including various things belonging to other family members. You do not need a constant opening and closing of doors by your spouse and children looking for various things.
Make sure that you only keep work-related items, including the computer, and that your family understands they should not use it. Not only will you be storing confidential client data on it, but your computer has to be used only for your work if you want to claim a deduction on your tax return.
5. Add a Few Personal Touches
Above anything else, you need to be comfortable if you want to focus on your work properly. Just as you will bring a framed family photo to keep on your desk at work, decorate your home office with a few personal items you enjoy. You should also consider adding a plant among your decorations – anything living is cheerful and motivating.
Now that you know how to arrange your home office, you can get started on your work and grow your home-based small business. Good luck!