Home Sweet Business
By Doug Van Dyke

So, you own a business. You are your own boss. Bravo! It is a marvelous adventure. You also own a home or have an apartment with adequate space to accommodate an office. The two are combined, and why not? it makes sense for a litany of reasons:

• Low overhead

• No commute

• Peace and quiet

Several years ago I came across a statistic that stated that people who work from home are 25% more efficient than those who work in a traditional office setting. Merely the void of workplace social interactions would enhance anyone’s productivity by at least 25%. Certainly there can’t be any pitfalls to working in one’s home. Guess again; there are many:

• Cleaning dishes when you should be cleaning off your desk.

• Turning on the TV for “just a minute” to catch a favored daytime program.

• Taking care of the dog, cat, or any mammal that you find more interesting than the current project on which you are slaving.

So how do we maximize the positives and obliterate the pitfalls? The answer lies in five simple rules.

1. Establish a rhythm. What I mean by this is to strategically plan major actions that you will execute every day. They may range from customer tasks to sales calls, to emails, to business-blogging. What is important is to have a litany of important functions that you can focus on that will crowd out meaningless distractions such as a dirty dish or the Showcase Showdown.

2. Day Plan. Once your desired core activities have been identified, purposely plan each day. Note: do not plan your day at the beginning of the day. This is your best thinking time – use the beginning of your day to blow out your most important “to-dos.” This will build positive momentum for you before most people have begun their morning commute. Instead, plan your day at the end of the previous day. This way, when you wake up, the work day is merely a matter of execution – something that you can rule rather than your day ruling you.

3. Purposely socialize. One of the major reasons that people abandon working from home is loneliness or the lack of socialization. Don’t let this happen to you. Insert healthy socialization into your day plan. Sprinkle 10-minute “shoot the bull” calls here and there. Plan a purely social lunch once a week. Engage in a frenzied text message exchange once a day. Partake in a midday, 30-minute workout with a friend every Tuesday. Let’s face it, we are social animals – do not deny yourself something that we all need in order to be well-adjusted.

4. Mute the dog. Okay, so you don’t have a dog. What I mean here is to sound-proof your office. Nothing is more embarrassing than to be engaged in a positive business conversation when suddenly a lawnmower starts up or your cat begins meowing furiously at a bird. Take appropriate measures to sequester sound and make your office as professional an environment as possible.

5. Know when to walk away. Many work-from-homers are either workaholics or possess some serious symptoms. When your office is in your home, it is deliciously tempting to run and check email even though it is eight o’clock in the evening. Our work lives are long, and wonderful. Therefore, keep work-life balance in mind. If you have workaholic tendencies, set a quitting time and state it on your day plan. Then stick to it. It is a good discipline exercise.

So, there you have it: five rules that, if followed, will enhance your productivity and reduce your potential for psychosis. Did I mention that work-from-homers get to wear pajamas way longer than any of them will admit? Comfort on!

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