So You Want To Work From Home? Here’s What You Need To Know
Working from home is a luxury that not many people get to take advantage of. It’s luxuries include working around other commitments in your life, being able to work in your pyjamas, and also having the freedom to no longer be confined to a schedule of a nine to five job. But how do you get to that point in life? Have you ever fancied a work from home career, but don’t know where to start? Take a look at this guide on what you’ll need to know about setting up your own home business and everything you’ll need along the way.
Investment
One thing that pretty much every business needs in its early days is money injected into it to get it up and running. Whether you simply need to update a few tools that you already own, or you need to buy a whole new computer set up to work from, it’s important to look into your options before starting a business. You can get business loans that will allow you to start up your business on the right foot. Speak to your bank to see what they can offer you in the way of loans or overdraft options so that you can set yourself up as soon as possible. Don’t forget that with running a business, it’s wise to open up a business account for your new business. Remember to make sure that you can afford repayments so that you’re not landed in debt before you’ve even launched your business. Loans should account for equipment and materials that you will need to start up, just to make sure you’ve covered everything and aren’t out of pocket.
A virtual office address
One of the biggest mistakes that new business owners make is putting their home address down as their business address. While this is the truth, since you work from home, it’s unwise to put your home address out for the public to see. Disgruntled customers could end up at your door, and you could receive nuisance phone calls and letters. Protect yourself and your business by using a registered office address that’s completely virtual. Take a look at yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk – Registered Office Address for more information about the services that they can offer on top of having a dedicated business address. Not only will it help protect you and your business, but it will make your business instantly look more professional too, so it’s a win-win situation!
[Tweet “So You Want To Work From Home? Here’s What You Need To Know #smallbusiness #homebusiness”]
Dedicated space
Another big mistake that many newly working from home entrepreneurs make is not creating a dedicated space to work in. While it’s understandable that you’d rather be working out in the garden on sunny days, or snuggled on the sofa when it’s gloomy, it can become very difficult to separate the difference between work time and relaxing time. Create yourself an area to only work so that when it’s time to finish work, that’s where it stays. Having one solid and dedicated space will also promote productivity and reduce the risk of losing any important documents or information that you need for business. Creating an office space should also be factored into the amount you need to invest into your business when you first startup.
Time management
Some day-to-day tasks are going to be a higher priority than others – that’s a given. A problem that many business owners run into is finding it difficult to delegate their time wisely between each task. A smart way of making sure that you’re completing all of your tasks in a timely manner is by using time management tools that will help you arrange what to do and when. Not only that, it will also alert you to take breaks from working. A tired mind isn’t going to be any good for your business, so make sure you take your breaks!
A digital footprint
Finally, anybody who to wants to leave their mark in this world needs to have a digital footprint in this day and age. This will involve you making a website and correlating social media accounts so that your current and future potential customers can easily find you and get in touch with you if needed. Make sure that your website is sleek and easy to use, and you’ll soon be sipping coffee while in your new home office wondering why you didn’t do this sooner!
Photo by Elsa Noblet on Unsplash
Hi, I'm Kelly O'Donnell.