Is It Time For Your Business To Grow Up And Leave Home?
Read More Great Business Planning Articles
Is It Time For Your Business To Grow Up And Leave Home?
When starting a new business, working from a home office is often a great choice. It allows business owners to keep expenses low, avoid the time and cost of a commute, and gives flexibility to work around personal time, family life, and volunteer work. With all the benefits of working at home, who would ever think of throwing the business out of the nest?
By: Caroline Jordan
When starting a new business, working from a home office is often a great choice. It allows business owners to keep expenses low, avoid the time and cost of a commute, and gives flexibility to work around personal time, family life, and volunteer work. With all the benefits of working at home, who would ever think of throwing the business out of the nest?
By: Caroline Jordan
Working from home, unfortunately, isn't always the paradise-on-earth that our cubicle-dwelling friends may think it is. It has its drawbacks.
1.Lack of boundaries. Kids. Spouses. Neighbors. Friends. Family. It's so great that you're home all day and have time to take care of all the day-to-day tasks-read a story to a bored toddler, walk the dog, clean the bathroom, take the cat to the vet, take care of sick kids, etc. This list of tasks may well be followed by the question "Are you going to work all night, again?" Oh, they mean no harm and you're happy to help out but how in the world will you find time to work?
2.Space. It started out with a computer in the corner of the spare bedroom. Then, your business needed some inventory storage, too. Bookshelves. Filing cabinets. Stacks upon stacks of paper. Before you knew it your business spilled out of the spare bedroom, slunk down the hall to the dining room table, took over the basement, and like some strange ooze it's heading for the garage next. Then, add in an employee or two to the mix.
3.Multi-tasking. It's great to work at home. You can change a diaper, talk to a customer on the phone, order supplies on the internet, check your email, and do your ironing, all the while working on a project deadline. At some point multi-tasking becomes entrepreneurial attention deficit disorder. You're pulled in so many directions you bump into yourself in the hallway. Sometimes being able to focus just on the work you need to complete rather than trying to multi-task gets the job done sooner and better.
4.Productivity. You set your goals for the week, work long hours, and then look back to see you haven't accomplished any of the goals you set out to accomplish. Where did the time go?
5. Isolation. Do you thrive on the solitude that a home office can offer or do you need the stimulation of being around others to get your wheels turning and your productivity into high gear? Home offices lack the repartee of companions and the synergy of combined thoughts.
When your business reaches a point where it either takes over your home life completely or it gets completely squeezed out by time pressures, it may be time to make a change. If you are committed to making a home office work, it's a matter of re-thinking the way things are set up now.
Stepping back and looking at the entire situation from different viewpoints helps to sort out the problem areas. Think about what is best for the business and what is best for you, personally.
Page 2
1.Lack of boundaries. Kids. Spouses. Neighbors. Friends. Family. It's so great that you're home all day and have time to take care of all the day-to-day tasks-read a story to a bored toddler, walk the dog, clean the bathroom, take the cat to the vet, take care of sick kids, etc. This list of tasks may well be followed by the question "Are you going to work all night, again?" Oh, they mean no harm and you're happy to help out but how in the world will you find time to work?
2.Space. It started out with a computer in the corner of the spare bedroom. Then, your business needed some inventory storage, too. Bookshelves. Filing cabinets. Stacks upon stacks of paper. Before you knew it your business spilled out of the spare bedroom, slunk down the hall to the dining room table, took over the basement, and like some strange ooze it's heading for the garage next. Then, add in an employee or two to the mix.
3.Multi-tasking. It's great to work at home. You can change a diaper, talk to a customer on the phone, order supplies on the internet, check your email, and do your ironing, all the while working on a project deadline. At some point multi-tasking becomes entrepreneurial attention deficit disorder. You're pulled in so many directions you bump into yourself in the hallway. Sometimes being able to focus just on the work you need to complete rather than trying to multi-task gets the job done sooner and better.
4.Productivity. You set your goals for the week, work long hours, and then look back to see you haven't accomplished any of the goals you set out to accomplish. Where did the time go?
5. Isolation. Do you thrive on the solitude that a home office can offer or do you need the stimulation of being around others to get your wheels turning and your productivity into high gear? Home offices lack the repartee of companions and the synergy of combined thoughts.
When your business reaches a point where it either takes over your home life completely or it gets completely squeezed out by time pressures, it may be time to make a change. If you are committed to making a home office work, it's a matter of re-thinking the way things are set up now.
Stepping back and looking at the entire situation from different viewpoints helps to sort out the problem areas. Think about what is best for the business and what is best for you, personally.
Page 2
Caroline Jordan, MBA, is a veteran small business owner, accountant, consultant, trainer, and author. She is the owner of The Jordan Result, a company specializing in developing real world, practical resources to help small business owners improve cash flow and business operations. She is the author of Stop the Cash Flow Roller Coaster, I Want to Get Off! and Strength in Numbers. For more tips and articles to help your business succeed visit www.CashFlowRollerCoaster.com.
Read More Great Business Planning Articles
Business Plan: The Simplest Business Plan Ever
Researching Business Ideas In A Fast Moving Marketplace
Do You Have A Vision?
What's Your Mission?
Deadly Overhead Costs To Consider When Setting Your Prices
Researching Business Ideas In A Fast Moving Marketplace
Do You Have A Vision?
What's Your Mission?
Deadly Overhead Costs To Consider When Setting Your Prices
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
