Operating your small business while working from home: How to prepare yourself to succeed

Tips for running a successful small-scale business from your the comfort of your home

How can you set yourself up for success while running a small business at your home? Here are some tips.

Although flexibility can be beneficial however, it’s not always easy to respond to emails during home or family time. Not only does this challenge your attention, it also increases expectations about availability. It is also difficult to switch off and reduce stress.

So, how can you stay clear of all this?

Create your own workspace with creativity

A great tip for working from home is to clearly divide your home and work spaces.

A space solely for work is critical, as the physical distance could result in mental separation which makes it simpler to shut down when the day has ended. Getting a desk, appropriate office chair, and a storage system can help you set yourself up for success.

Also, we suggest taking the time to make your workplace feel nice. Research suggests that personalizing your workspace is a fantastic way to increase your productivity.

"I have a huge house equipped with a kitchen with enough space for my items as well as other items. It’s my private sanctuary. It smells fantastic and I’m in full control in the world of music!"

Bringing a little creativity into your work space can be a big difference.

"I’ve made my office an environment that I enjoy being in. There’s a bunch of bright red roses that line the desk behind my computer. I have all our huge feather costumes out to the elements so I can see them, and I have a quilted blanket that my mum made for me on the chair I sit in."

When you’re working from home when you’re in the middle of an outbreak, these tiny things can be the difference.

Follow the same rules of your workplace as you do at home.

Although some individuals might allow work to bleed into their daily lives however, it’s best to be cautious about letting this occur. This means no laptops on the kitchen table, and no packing of orders from the living room.

The presence of boundaries helps to maximize the enjoyment of your time working at home.

It is important to mimic the boundaries that we’d have at work. For example, you wouldn’t reply to emails popping up if you were in a live meeting with a customer or an employee, so you shouldn’t do it during the context of a Zoom meeting.

If you are working from home, it could be tempting to pay attention to each ping on your phone or email notifications immediately. However, making this a habit isn’t going to be helpful in the long run.

You can turn off email notifications to allow you to concentrate on your task and not be distracted. Then, only be sure to check your mail every hour or two.

Find a method that works for you and adhere to it

Establishing a routine for working from home is very important.

A consistent start time as well as breaks for physical exercise during the work day and a set time at which work finishes, are all vital. Staying on a consistent schedule and making a plan for your daily tasks will make you much more effective.

"If I’ve got three treatments scheduled, I’ll stop them one after another and I will also adhere to a in a schedule that has time for coffee breaks, lunch and other tasks."

Every morning, she should take the time to ask yourself questions like "What are my goals or milestones I need to achieve today?" and "What’s in my head this moment? ".

Some people prefer routine and find doing daily gratitude routines to be beneficial.

Note three things you are thankful for every day, and take the time to write down your to-do list before bed or at the beginning of the morning. This will help you get in a relaxed state and help you feel more at ease.

Be an advocate for your mental health

If you’re working at home, you can go the whole day without seeing anyone else, which means you need to know how to be an advocate for your mental wellbeing by focusing on self-care.

Be realistic about what you can get done, especially if you are homeschooling your kids and have proper breaks to re-energize.

Research has shown that after the SARS quarantine, many people had signs of psychological stress. Taking the time to connect with your family, friends and clients is vital.