5 tips for running your small business from home

By Kelly General, small business home business, small business 0 Comments

Working from home has many advantages.

Not having to travel to work each day saves you both time and money. The Internet makes it easy to connect with clients and those you work with. Plus, if you want to stay in your pajamas or comfy clothes all day you can do that! But, it comes with its challenges too. It is easy to get distracted by household chores or the family, or find yourself overworking and unable to switch off. We talked to one of our Cashflow Manager users, Carolyn, who gave us some tips on how to run a small business from home.

Define your spaces

It is important that you define your workspace. Set aside a room or space, so that when you enter it you know that it is the space where you do work. It will help you get away from the mindset that you are ‘at home’.

Keep your workspace clean

If your desk area or office is clean and tidy, it will be less distracting and in theory you will be more productive!

Set regular hours and stick to them

Choose your work hours and make sure you work those hours! Don’t go back to work once you’ve finished for the day even though it can be tempting. If you have had a good idea write it down and work on it tomorrow.

Set boundaries for friends and family

Once you have scheduled your work time, make sure your family and friends know you are not available to play or catch up during that time. Carolyn finds that the reward of hanging out with friends and family after work motivates her to work harder during office hours.

Give yourself breaks

Carolyn revealed to us that she, like many of us struggles to stay focused for long blocks of time. She suggests that you work in intervals such as a one-hour block with a 20 minute break afterwards. Any more than this and your attention starts to wander and your work will be impacted.

Make time to manage your finances

In business, it is important that your finances are under control. Make sure you select the right accounting software and start using it straight away. Using bookkeeping software will give you a snapshot of where your business is at and will keep your cash flow on track.