Mixing work with family life has its pluses and its setbacks. It is important that you can identify both and put measures in place to ease the impact working from home may have on the rest of the household.
The following are points you should consider when it comes to mixing your business with your home environment:
Before actually starting your business ask how the rest of the family feels. Listen to their concerns and also ask for support. Try to come up with strategies that would ease any concerns they may have with you starting and operating a business from home.
Don’t become a workaholic. Set time aside for your private life.
Set-up a schedule. Establish a starting and finishing point for work each day.
Make sure you do protect your free time. Ensure customers/clients know what your working hours are. Don’t allow business calls or clients to drop by at any hour, unless extremely important or an emergency.
Depending on the nature of your work, make sure you consider the safety aspects of using your family house as your work place.
Set-up a separate phone line for your business. This will enable you and your family not to be distracted by phone calls when enjoying family time.
It is also important not to let yourself become isolated. Make sure you do get out of the house when you need to. Those who work in commercial premises have the have the ability to get away from the home and spend the day in a different environment.
