Do homework before working from home

If you think working from home means doing business in your pyjamas, it's time to wake up.

The keys to a successful work/home environment are discipline, routine, a dedicated work space and, yes, getting dressed in the morning.

Modern workplaces more frequently are allowing employees to do Work From Home on an as-needed basis to full-time home work.

This new paradigm is spurred on by employees' demands for more of a balance between their working time and their after-hours life.

A recent survey by recruitment firm Robert Half has found that more than a third of workers see maintaining that balance as their biggest management challenge. Almost half of polled workers thought of businesses offering flexible working hours and conditions as the most desirable employers.

Futurist Marcus Barber told the RCSA's (Recruitment and Consulting Services Association) annual symposium last month that improving working flexibility will boost productivity and help prop up Australia's declining workforce participation rate, which threatens to stifle the economy.

"Over 1.5 million workforce hours are lost every week in Melbourne and Sydney, just because people are driving to work. But why do they have to be in the office at all?
Why do managers need to see their team members to know they are working? We need to go from `eyeballing a person at a desk' to productivity of 'output'," he says.

However, there is no point trying to achieve this balance by working from home if employees simply transfer their outdated, workaholic office-hours habits to their home environment.

A valuable lesson can be learnt from some of the nation's pioneers of home work, small business operators.

James Lees, 36, has run his business Posterbill - Brisbane's largest distributor of arts posters, brochures and programs - from beneath his house in Coorparoo, in Brisbane's southeast, for just over five years. He knows how it can work, by combining discipline and a sense of fun.

"I work pretty much 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, and I knock off at 5pm on the dot,'' says Lees, whose main tools of trade are email and phone.

"If I am busy, I'll even make myself lunch in the morning and take it downstairs.''
But most days, Lees is able to get out at lunchtime and meet a friend for an hour swim.

He may work an all-nighter or on weekends if the workload dictates, but that is rare. He takes four weeks' holiday a year - closing the business for a week and getting his assistant manager to cover the work for the other three weeks.

"I get up in the morning at 8.30, shower, get dressed (in T-shirt, shorts and thongs or shoes if he's meeting a client), make a cup of coffee, go downstairs, unlock the door, turn on the lights, turn on the monitors and start work. I don't think of it as an extension of my living room.

"After 5pm when I walk upstairs, that's when I'm home.

"I can break up my day. If I'm not busy, I can go upstairs and read - with my mobile next to me - I can take a swim, go out to lunch.

"I don't have to drive for an hour a day or sit in front of traffic lights.

"I do not take any of that for granted."

His rottweiler dogs, Ollie and Luca, also enjoy the company.

The only disadvantages Lees has found are occasionally feeling "cocooned" at home, and missing the cafe culture near his former office in Fortitude Valley, where he started the business in 1994.

His tips include: discipline yourself to work; stick to a routine; get professional advice on what you can claim on your tax (such as insurance, rates, electricity, phone and car); set up your work space separately from your living space; don't be afraid to tell friends and family when you're too busy for a chat; when you've finished work, switch off. And don't work in your pyjamas.

Lorna Bukkland-Vitetta agrees. She runs neuro-linguistic programming training business NLPworking4U from her Wakerley home office, on Brisbane's eastside, after a 30-year history in small businesses.

She says that while working solo is personally satisfying, she regularly maintains contact with other trainers in her field and engages in a small business mentoring program to help her stay sharply focused on her goals. "Working from home gives me flexibility in my working hours, so I can see people at night or in the daytime, whenever is suitable," she says.

"Working on your own, you do have to be committed and disciplined. My office is separate from my house so I make sure I come out here and work, and don't just sit and watch the telly.

"And when it is my family time, I have to be committed not to come in here and work."

Working from home can be a lifesaver for mums trying to juggle family commitments while trying to get ahead in a career.

However, the level of self-discipline required to work from home multiplies when your job revolves around three-year-old triplets.

Former school teacher April Hickey, 38, from Yeronga in Brisbane's southwest, started her home-based photography business APH Photographics two years ago when her oldest son was four and the triplets were aged one.

She works between 10 hours a week and 10 hours a day, depending on bookings and orders.

"I am motivated and ambitious. I knew I needed to work," Hickey says. "It's a long day at home with toddlers.

"But this job means I am able to still be a stay-at-home mum, still go to school morning teas and other school functions, go to play groups and multiple birth association events and also have a rewarding and stimulating job.

"Juggling it is tricky to say the least. But I don't have to put the kids in full-time child care and it enables me to spend more time with them."

The triplets, Callum, Megan and Beth, are in child care two days a week and oldest child, Connor, 6, is in Year 1. To add to the fun, they also have a newfoundland dog, Bella, 7.

Hickey - with support and involvement from her husband, Paul, 40, a senior social worker at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and mental health lecturer at The University of Queensland - shoots family portraits, wedding photographs and commercial work mostly on weekends.

If the photographs are taken in a park, Paul can bring along the family and they play nearby.

The Hickeys say the expense of full-time child care and before and after school care would not have made financial sense if April had gone back to teaching.

Recently, the business was nominated for a photographic award and previously they have been finalists in a business achievers award two years running.

Checklist
* Ensure repetitive actions are not continued for long periods without breaks.
* Breaks involve stretching and alternating activity.
* Make sure your workplace has good lighting and ventilation, and your furniture and computer are suited to the task.
* Keep your work area away from hazards in the home, such as hot cooking surfaces in the kitchen.
* Keep an unimpeded emergency exit path, ensure power outlets are not overloaded with double adapters and power boards, that smoke detectors are installed and your home has good security.

Tips
* Separate your work area from your living area. This includes phones and computers.
* Stick to a schedule. Treat your days like a regular work day. A nine-to-five or ten-to-six schedule will help keep you on track and productive.
* Take regular breaks. Go for a walk, go outside, meet people for lunch.
* Get dressed every day. Just because you can stay in your pyjamas all day doesn't mean you should.
* Limit distractions. Be careful not to replace office-based interruptions with home-based ones (such as children and friends).
* Take a lunch break. Even if it's only 20 minutes, get away from the computer.
* Take holidays. Leave the house or you'll be tempted to work.

By :- Home Business Opportunities

If I Knew Then What I Know Now ... 15 Rules for Success In Your Home-Based Business

Someone sent me an email the other day. Supposedly General Colin Powell's Rules for Success. Now, I don't know whether they really are or not, but as I read them, I thought they really should be called "15 Rules For Success In Your Home Based Businesses". So, here they are:

Rule 1 - It ain't as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning

If there's one experience universal to ALL home business owners, particularly those running a business on the internet, it's the occasional feeling that you're just spinning your wheels, and not getting anywhere. The number of people who give up on their businesses just as they approach the brink of success is staggering. So hang in there and remind yourself, when things look bleak, that tomorrow is another day, things really aren't as bad as they seem and things really WILL look better in the morning.

Rule 2 - Get mad, then get over it

OK, I concede this is more general advice than Home Based Business Opportunities advice but it applies in your home business just as it does anywhere else. Resentment and unexpressed anger really don't hurt anyone but the person feeling resentful and angry. Have you ever noticed how completely unproductive you are when burdened by resentment and anger? So feel it, express it (constructively) and then move on. As the man said, "get over it".

Rule 3 - Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls your ego goes with it

Over the course of my career I have, from time to time, met people whose identity and sense of self-worth is so enmeshed in what they do for a living that they literally don't have an identity outside of their work. Because they rely on an external source for their self-esteem and confidence, they find it necessary to continually and relentlessly bolster their personal positions, often at the expense of others, often resorting to political maneuvring in the workplace to maintain and improve their supposed 'status'.

These people are the 'empire builders' you sometimes find in organizations. They jealously guard their power base all the while gathering unto themselves more and more responsibility, beyond the point of being able to do everything they take on.

Because their identity and sense of self-worth depends upon their position within their organization, what happens when their position disappears, such as in a corporate downsizing? It freefalls.

Don't let this happen to you. Remember that you are something separate and distinct from your business. Sure, you can be proud and pleased with your accomplishments but don't define yourself through them. Your self-worth is something that comes from inside your human self, not your business.

Ironically, keeping a professional detachment is more likely to secure the ultimate success of your business. Detachment brings perspective, objectivity and clarity, which helps you make better quality decisions.

Rule 4 - It can be done

Don't allow self-imposed limitations to restrict what you can and will do. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. Well, of course, it must be something that is within your power - you can't just set your mind on growing a third arm, for example.

But for anything that is within human power and capability, the saying "where there's a will is a way" is so true.

Get into the discipline of planning your life and where you want it to go. By setting goals and planning the steps that will help you reach them, you can achieve literally anything your heart desires.

Rule 5 - Be careful what you choose, you may get it

Following on from this, it should go without saying that what you set for your goals is something you truly want because if you do practice the discipline of goal setting you will surely get it.

Rule 6 - Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision

Keep your eye on the prize and don't be distracted by what's happening on the sidelines. Sure, you may not have entered the marathon had you known there were going to be 1,000 other runners but does that mean entering the marathon was a bad idea? No.

Make your decisions based on quality information and what's in the best interests of your business. If someone else comes along who represents competition for your business, don't be put off your game. Just run your own race. There's ALWAYS a way to distinguish yourself from your competition.

Rule 7 - You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours

IGNORE your mother when she tells you you're crazy for chucking in your nice SAFE secure little job to start your own business. Follow your dream, no-one else's.

Rule 8 - Check small things

Like the fine print in contracts. Like the URL in that sales letter you've just put the finishing touches on. Like your spelling and punctuation. In other words, pay attention to detail.

Rule 9 - Share credit

You've heard the saying, "no man is an island". No woman is either. Remember and acknowledge the people who have helped and continue to help you get where you want to go. Acknowledge the achievements of others.

Rule 10 - Remain calm, be careful

Frenzy and recklessness are hardly the prescription for long-term success in your business. In the face of unexpected challenges, unexplained downturns in business or failure to achieve the results expected, recognize that these are just part of the thrust and parry of business life and use a calm, methodical approach to the problem.

Don't just react blindly or chuck away all your hard work and try something completely different unless a thorough, calm and careful investigation convinces you that you are completely off-beam.

Calmly analyze your situation and use your intelligence to correct the situation. Sometimes a one degree turn of the wheel is all that is required to get back on course, not a completely new rudder.

Rule 11 - Have a vision, be demanding

This rule goes hand in hand with rules 4 and 5. In order to set goals and plan ways to achieve them you must first set your vision. Think big, be brave. There is nothing you can't achieve so make sure your efforts are going to be for something truly worthwhile.

Rule 12 - Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers

All of us have moments of self-doubt or even fear when embarking on a journey to an unknown destination. If what you have planned for yourself brings with it feelings of anxiety, nervousness, even fear, pay attention to them but don't take their counsel.

They are symptoms of grand thinking, of stretching beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone. As the book says, feel the fear and do it anyway.

Rule 13 - Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier

This rule is closely related to rule 1. Believe that things will work out, that they will look better in the morning, that everything's going to be OK. Repeat the words to yourself as a mantra if you must but instill a spirit of indomitable optimism in your outlook and you will attract success into your life.

Rule 14 - Sometimes being responsible means pissing people off

You can't please all of the people all of the time so don't waste your time or energy even trying. You have a responsibility to the ultimate success of your business and to your own personal success. If that means you occasionally have to say no to people to stay true to your objectives, do it. If it means you have to alienate some people because they don't personally agree with what you are doing, that's their problem.

In other words, stay focused on your plan. If others don't like it or agree with it, too bad.

Rule 15 - You never know what you can get away with unless you try

If you don't ask you don't get. And if you don't take you don't get. Leave nothing on the table. If an opportunity comes along, take it. It may not come again. And remember, in chaos there is opportunity. While everyone else is running around like chooks with their heads cut off, you just bring up the rear and clean up on all the opportunities that are just lying there for the taking among the chicken scratch.

Hindsight truly is 20/20, no doubt about it. Perhaps, like me, you're thinking that if you'd known then what you know now, you would have gone a lot further a lot faster. But as with any form of progress, it's the journey, not the destination, that provides the education and creates the experience and, through it, wisdom. And that's something no book can teach you and money can't buy.

Work At Home and Make Money - Internet Marketing Can Work For You

Are you like many other people, wondering if you can make money Working from Home on your computer? Perhaps you just want to make some extra money every month, or you want to start a full time Home Based Business. No matter, you can earn a nice income by selling products or services right from your own home.

Working from home will not be a walk in the park - it requires a lot of hard work and determination to achieve your goals while battling the constant distractions online. Working from home via the Internet has been very rewarding and life-changing for many online entrepreneurs. Putting in as much time, money and extra effort as possible, will go a long way to helping you succeed online with your own home business as well.

There are many amazing online claims guaranteeing you will become the next Internet sensation and make millions, but those claims are not realistic. Building a successful online business takes hard work, just like building a traditional business. Applying your time, your money and a lot of effort will go a long way to helping you create your own successful home business.

In order to make money working from home, marketing, web site promotion, and yes, more marketing, are the keys. You can have the best product in the world, but without proper marketing, you will not succeed. Choose the products you will sell carefully to make sure they are viable long-term, then follow a sound business plan and market constantly to achieve your goals.

Internet marketers do have a real advantage over traditional businesses when starting their new online business. Startup is cheaper, and there is an enormous amount of information available online, both free and paid. The available information will help you get off to a quick start when launching your own online business, though there is no guarantee of success.

As with any business, hard work is required to achieve success, and internet marketing is no exception to the rule. You’ll need an investment of your time and money to build websites that contain useful content and provide products or services that will last. Chances are you will need to promote more than one product as well, as not every product or service will be an instant home run.

Working from home is a long-term project that will demand a big effort and your ongoing commitment over many months and years. After building your first successful home based business, it makes sense to take what you have learned and apply it to your next online business. Keep on building successful money-making businesses until one day you can quit your regular job and work from home full time.

It will take a long time and lots of late nights before you are earning a decent income from home. With plenty of research, planning and a big follow through, almost anyone can succeed working from home. With a solid base for your business, and a massive marketing program, you might join the folks happily working from home in their slippers.

Home Based Businesses

6 Ways to Grow Your Home Based Business

If you can't face the prospect of giving up the convenience and comforts of working from home, but you don't want to miss out on your chance to grow to the next level, here are twelve solutions we and other people have found for these dilemmas. Some may be totally inappropriate for your situation, but others can be catalysts to help you resolve the issue of how to grow while working from home.

1. Rent a professional suite. If you find you need a place where you can create a serious business image, hold conferences, or get more extensive office services, consider renting a professional suite. Such suites are part of a complex that includes small offices, central conference facilities, and a full range of secretarial services available to anyone subleasing space from the complex.

When we rented a suite while working on the federal contract, we had a small office, a separate phone, and a receptionist at the complex to take our messages. The conference room there was useful for making presentations and holding meetings with the contract administrators. The cost of such suites varies by community but is generally less than renting a separate outside office and hiring the equivalent office services.

2. Rent private office space. Renting an office doesn't necessarily mean you have to say good-bye to working from home. Some people have rented a second office for certain activities (receiving mail or phone calls, working on large equipment, holding meetings) while still maintaining a home office where they can do creative or detail work. And you need not rent such space full-time. You can rent space part-time or by the day. In renting part-time space, you arrange for the hours you need the space each week and pay a flat monthly fee which can include some additional services like mailing, addressing, answering service, name on building directory, etc. Such rental arrangements are usually advertised in the Yellow Pages as "Business Identity Programs" under Office Rentals.

Hypnotherapist Nancy Bonus holds her weight-loss group meetings in office space she sublets from a private clinic, paying only for the hours her group uses the space each week. She sees individual clients and does all the management of her business at home. Bob Weil runs his part-time picture-framing business from his apartment but rents workshop time on Saturdays from a large picture-framing company. Marjorie Dahl does image consulting from her home, helping men and women "dress for success." However, when she holds workshops or brings together several clients to look over a number of garments, she rents a hotel suite.

Many homes simply can't accommodate the additional equipment and furniture involved in hiring staff. When necessary, home-business owners can rent space for their employees and continue to work at home themselves, either full- or part-time, or they can arrange for employees to work from their homes.

Writer Collin Gribbons, for example, who publishes eight newsletters and magazines for Canadian labor unions, needed a secretary and wasn't comfortable with having one come to his home. His business requires a seemingly endless parade of air-express trucks. He began to worry that his business would bother his neighbors. His solution was to rent outside office space where his secretary now works full-time.

Having an office doesn't preclude his working from home; it just provides another option. Collin says he still works at home, using his computer and modem to link up to his outside office. "I can always send material to the office by E-mail when I don't want to go in, but a lot of the more office-oriented tasks, like courier pickups and handling telephone calls, are now handled away from home." Todd Cuebas Cranston also works from home while administrative staff for SC Consulting, his Web design company, work linked seamlessly by their phone system.

3. Contract work with other businesses. Instead of moving his business to a warehouse, Bob Baxter hired a company to bottle and package his pet health-care products, jobs he once handled in his garage. When developing a large marketing program for a customer, consultant James McClaren subcontracted with several small businesses rather than renting office space and hiring employees for the duration of the contract. Using a free-lance writer, a packager, and an office-services company, he got the program done without leaving home.

4. Move to a bigger home. Whether you buy, lease, or build, a new and larger home may provide the added or specialized space you need to continue living and working under one roof. We've moved more than once to better meet our home and office needs. Not only does your business change; your family also changes. What may have started out as the perfect home office may not meet your needs at another stage in your life. Faced with such a change, husband-and-wife team Theresa Arnerich and Tom Morrell decided to build a new house.

5. Hire employees who will work from their homes. Some home-based companies, like MicroGraphic Images, a software firm, and Escrow Overload, a temporary help agency for escrow personnel, have expanded by adding staff who work from their own homes.

Commercial artist Diane Wessling Blake of MicroGraphic Images says, "By having our employees work at home, we can expand as rapidly as we need to and keep our costs to a minimum. In a fast-growing industry like ours, this is very important." The founders and chief executive officers of these companies all still work from home, too.

6. Rent storage or warehouse space. When potter June Wright had the chance to fill an order for over two thousand goblets for a special benefit, she knew she'd have to hire helpers. She also knew they wouldn't all fit in her studio behind the house, so she found a warehouse to rent and hired ten students, part-time, for one month.

This arrangement worked so well that if she can get more orders on such a grand scale, she wants to keep it up. She will continue running the business and creating pots from her own home but will have a supervisor overseeing operations at the warehouse.