Operating your small business at home: How to prepare yourself success

Tips to successfully run your small business from the comfort of your home

How do you prepare yourself for success when running a small business at home? Here are some helpful tips.

Although flexibility can be advantageous, it’s often all too easy to reply to emails from home or at family time. Not only does this occupy your attention, it also creates expectations of availability. It can also be harder to switch off and reduce stress.

So, how do you get rid of all this?

Create your own workspace with creativity

A fantastic work from home tip is to clearly separate the work space from your home.

Separate space or a room dedicated only to work is vital, since creating physical distance can create mental distance which makes it easier to switch off at the end of the day. Getting a desk, appropriate office chair, and storage system will set you up for success.

We also suggests taking the time to make your workspace feel nice. A study suggests that personalizing your workspace is a fantastic way to boost productivity.

"I have a large cabin with a kitchen that has space for my kitchen products and equipment. My little haven. It smells divine and I have full rights over the music!"

Bringing a little creativity into your workspace is something that could make a huge impact.

"I’ve made my office a space that I enjoy being in. There’s a beautiful string of red roses on the desk behind my computer. I place all our massive feather costumes out to the elements so I can see them. I have a quilted blanket my mom made for me to sit on my couch."

When you’re working at home during an epidemic, these small things could make all the difference.

Copy your work environment’s norms

While some may allow work to infiltrate their personal life It’s best to remain cautious about letting this occur. That means no laptop on the kitchen table and no packing orders in the living room.

Setting boundaries can help to get the most out of your working day at home.

We should mimic the boundaries that we’d have in our normal workplace. As an example, you wouldn’t answer emails that come up if you were in a face-to-face conversation with a customer or an employee therefore, you shouldn’t be doing it in the context of a Zoom meeting.

When working from home, it could be tempting to attend to every ping of your phone or email notifications immediately. However, getting into this habit will not help you in the longer term.

Turn off your email notifications so that you can focus on the task at hand without distraction. Only go through your email every half an hour or less.

Find a method that you enjoy and adhere to it

Establishing a routine for working from home is important.

A consistent start time with breaks to exercise throughout the working day as well as a consistent time for when the work day ends, are essential. Sticking to a routine and setting up a schedule around your day’s tasks will make you much more efficient.

"If there are three appointments booked in, I will stop each one in turn, I will also keep a set schedule with time for lunch breaks, coffee breaks and other obligations."

Every day, she will ask yourself some important questions like "What are the objectives or milestones I must accomplish today?" and "What’s in my head this moment? ".

Some people prefer routine, and have found that doing daily gratitude exercises to be beneficial.

Write down three things that you are thankful for every day, and attempt to make your to-do list at night or early in the morning. This will help you get in a state of mind and put you at ease.

Advocate for your own mental health

If you work from home you’re able to work throughout the day without seeing anyone else, so you have to learn how to advocate for your well-being by practicing self-care.

Be realistic about what you are able to accomplish, especially if you are at home with your children, and make sure you take regular breaks to re-energise.

Research shows that, following the SARS quarantine, many people displayed signs of psychological anxiety, and taking the time to keep in touch with your family, friends and clients is paramount.