| ot a day goes by that I don't hear about | | | | Ifpeople try to call you, and don't get an answer, |
| someone lamentingtheir decision to leave | | | | they quicklymove on. You have to be available |
| corporate America and work at home. | | | | during normal business hours. |
| Maybe they were laid off, opted for early | | | | If you are in an online business, this is usually from |
| retirement, or justdecided that commuting four | | | | 9:00 AM to |
| hours on the train, coupled with aneight hour | | | | 8:00 PM. Yes there are three time zones in the |
| workday was simply too much. Possibly, they will | | | | USA. If you liveon the east coast like I do, when |
| keeptheir job and work part-time at home to | | | | you are getting ready to packit in for the day, |
| earn extra income. Whoknows what the reasons | | | | folks on the west coast may just be |
| are, but that is not important. | | | | returningfrom lunch. |
| With "visions of sugarplums" dancing in their head, | | | | If you are not tied to a telephone, it is still |
| they decidedto start their own home business. | | | | important tomaintain regular hours. More |
| They believed the ads aboutworking in their | | | | importantly, you should have dailygoals. If you |
| pajamas when the spirit moved them, and after | | | | meet those goals, the rest of the day is yours. |
| amonth or so woke up to reality. They weren't | | | | But many people always think there is tomorrow. |
| making a dime. | | | | For far too many, tomorrow never comes, and |
| Where did they go wrong? Well, when they | | | | things that shouldhave been done aren't. Maybe |
| worked for someoneelse, they were expected to | | | | when the kids are at school willwork for you, or |
| be at work at a certain time everyday. Depending | | | | possibly late at night. You might even have topass |
| on the business, there was a certain dress | | | | up on your favorite "soap". Don't deal with hours - |
| code,and they had goals to meet. Granted, these | | | | you'renot being paid by the hour - deal with goal |
| goals were usuallydetermined by someone else, | | | | oriented results. |
| but they were the ones who had tomeet them. | | | | Working in your pajamas sounds great, and many |
| It is easy to work for someone else, as they are | | | | of the offers youmay hear state that you can. If |
| the ones callingthe shots. They actually lived under | | | | I get an idea in the wee hours, |
| an umbrella of discipline. | | | | I may hop on the computer dressed like that, but |
| Granted it was someone else's umbrella, and | | | | for normalbusiness hours that is simply a myth. |
| maybe they didn'trealize this. Possibly they did, | | | | Who wants to spend theirlife like that? |
| and that was the reason theydecided to work on | | | | You must have an effective work space, which is |
| their own. | | | | free ofdistractions. You should have quiet office |
| One of the most common problems behind the | | | | space in your house,which is out-of-the-way, and |
| failure of a homebusiness, is the lack of discipline. | | | | off limits during your work hours. |
| Some think they can workwhen (and if) they | | | | Treat this like an office. Keep it neat. While I am |
| want to, and their mailbox will "overfloweth"with | | | | not theneatest person in the world, I do know |
| twenty dollar bills. Well, I got news for you! | | | | where everything is. If Iget a call from a client, |
| Running your own business, whether it is a brick | | | | I'm not fumbling about looking for theinformation I |
| and mortarestablishment, or a home business, | | | | need. A filing cabinet next to your desk goes |
| requires work. It usuallyrequires more effort than | | | | along way. |
| if you worked for someone else. Youwill also have | | | | When you get an email, take appropriate action |
| to do some things you don't enjoy. But, if youare | | | | the same day, thenfile it in a place where you can |
| the chief (or only) "honcho", you had better be | | | | find it. Delete all emails inyour "in-basket" older |
| able tohandle all facets of your business. | | | | than 30 days. If they're older than 30days, |
| So, how do you go about working at home? First | | | | they're not worth anything anyway. |
| and foremost, youhave to have a regular | | | | If you don't fall into the "trap", which many folks |
| schedule and adhere to it. This isespecially true if | | | | do, you justmight make it in your own home |
| you expect people to contact you by phone. | | | | business. |