Operating your small business from home: How to set yourself up to succeed

Tips to successfully run your small-scale business at home

What can you do to set yourself up for success as a small-sized business owner at your home? Here are some suggestions.

While flexibility is beneficial, it’s often all too easy to reply to emails from home or at family time. This not only suffocates the attention of others, but it also increases expectations about availability. It is also difficult to shut off and reduce stress.

So, how do you avoid all of this?

Create your own workspace with creativity

An excellent work at home is to clearly define the work space from your home.

Separate space or a room specifically designed for work is critical, as creating physical distance can create mental distance making it more easy to turn off your work when the day has ended. The right desk, office chair, and a storage system can set you up to be successful.

Also, we suggest taking the time to make your workspace feel cozy. And research suggests personalising your workspace is an excellent way to boost your productivity.

"I have a large cabin equipped with a kitchen, which has plenty of space for my food and equipment. It’s my personal sanctuary. It smells wonderful and I’m entitled to full rights to the tunes!"

Bringing a little creativity into your workspace is something that can make a significant difference.

"I’ve been trying to make my office space one which I love being in. There’s a string of bright red roses that line the board behind my computer. I place all our massive feather costumes to the elements so I can see them. I have a quilted blanket my mother made me for my desk."

When you’re working from home during an epidemic, these conveniences can make all the difference.

Copy your work environment’s norms

While some people might allow work to take over their lives at home a bit, it’s best to be cautious about letting this happen. This means no laptops on the kitchen counter and no packing orders from the living room.

Having boundaries in place helps to get the most out of your time working from home.

It is important to mimic the boundaries that we’d encounter in our regular workplace. As an example, you wouldn’t answer emails that come up in a face-to-face meeting with a customer or an employee which is why you shouldn’t do it in the course of a Zoom meeting.

When working from home, it could be tempting to check every phone call or email notifications immediately. However, engaging in this behavior isn’t going to help in the in the long run.

Turn off your email notifications to allow you to concentrate on the task at hand without distraction, then only be sure to check your mail every hour or two.

Find a method that works for you and keep it up to date

Establishing a routine for working from home can be very important.

A consistent start time, breaks for physical movement during the work day as well as a consistent time for when is when work ends are essential. Maintaining a regular routine and creating a structure around your daily tasks will help you become more efficient.

"If I have three massages booked in I will stop each one in turn Also, I will keep in a schedule that has time for coffee breaks, lunch as well as other tasks."

Every morning, she’ll ask yourself some important questions like "What are my goals or milestones that I have to be able to achieve today?" and "What’s on my mind right now? ".

Some people crave routine and find doing daily gratitude tasks to be beneficial.

Note three things you appreciate every day and take the time to write down your to-do list at night or the first thing in the morning. It can help get you in a good head space and put you at in a relaxed state.

Make sure you are an advocate for your mental health

When you’re working from home it is possible to go for the entire day without seeing anyone else, which means you must learn to advocate for your own health and wellbeing by practicing self-care.

Be realistic about the work you can get done, especially if you are home schooling kids, and you should take the time to recharge.

Research has shown that after the SARS quarantine period, some people showed signs of psychological stress, so taking the time to check in with your family, friends and clients is vital.