1. Bathe daily and try to change your shirt and underwear at least every other day.

2. Clean up your office once a week (even if you just remove coffee mugs and food wrappers).

3. Limit your work hours…you need to sleep.

4. If you have a deadline and you want to stay focused, turn off your e-mail alert.

5. If your home office is a mess, meet with clients somewhere else. Clients may say they don’t mind your mess, but they do, and they may try to figure out how to fire you.

6. If possible, don’t let your kids use your computer. If you get a virus, you can’t work. If they get a virus, they can’t play computer games. Do the math.

7. Make sure your mute or hold button works. Sometimes they don’t, which means you may have some explaining to do.

8. Don’t answer your business line if your kids are screaming or your dogs are barking. Caller ID and a hold or mute button can only do so much.

9. Set ground rules with your friends and family and let them know that even though you work from home, you’re not available to wait for the cable guy or plumber.

10. Don’t use a chair from your dining room or kitchen as your desk chair. Instead, invest in an ergonomically correct chair.

11. Teach your kids to leave your office supplies alone. In fact, buy them their own set.

12. If you’re (literally) working naked, please wear underwear while sitting at your desk. ‘Nuff said.

What rules do you follow for working from home?

Source: bluishorange

When you start a business from home, you may have think that you have plenty of storage space in your home office. As you grow your business, don’t be surprised if your storage space shrinks quickly. After all, no matter how much storage space you have, you probably want more.

When I first moved into my latest home office, I thought that I would have plenty of room for my books, supplies, projects and anything else that belonged in my home office. A few months later I realized I was wrong. I bought two bookcases, added shelves to my closet and donated a huge box of supplies I’d never used. Now I have extra storage space and I’m able to find what I need more easily.

Before you give up on finding more storage space, try these tips.

Think vertically.

If you have limited floor space, look up and put your walls to work. First, add freestanding bookcases or install shelves above or near your desk. You can use the shelves to store books, reference materials and supplies. An easy way to store and organize supplies is to use decorative baskets and containers.

Shelves further away from your desk and ones that aren’t within reach, are ideal for storing souvenirs from your last trip, family photos or the last award you won from a trade association. The key is to keep the items you use often nearby, and anything else on another surface.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

source: ganesha.isis

Some people think I’m extra organized because I always enter notes in my iPhone. The truth is that I have the world’s worst memory. I can remember faces, not names, and directions, not addresses.

Over the years, I’ve taken a few steps to try to improve my memory or at least fake that I have a better memory than I do. By using the simple strategies below, I’m able to finish projects on time, avoid annoying friends and clients, and remember important dates.

Consider these four steps tips for improving your memory.

Add an attachment to your e-mail before you write your message.

Have you had to send a follow-up e-mail after you’re forgotten to include an attachment? I have. By adding the attachment before I write the message, I don’t have to send the follow-up message. The best part is that my friends and clients have stopped sending me e-mails — some of them in an annoying tone — asking about attachments I was supposed to include.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

Some people forget that not everyone who works from home is an entrepreneur. Along with those of us who work for ourselves, corporate sales reps and other corporate employees work from home full-time, too.

Another group of people who work from home are telecommuters, those who work from home a few days a week instead of working in a corporate office every day. Whether you used to work from home and then had to go back to the corporate world, or you want a more flexible schedule, or you want to avoid a daily commute, telecommuting may be the perfect solution for you. Before you approach your boss about telecommuting, ask yourself a few questions.

Are you computer literate?

Telecommuters can work anywhere, and at all hours, simply by having the right equipment. When you telecommute you’ll need the basics: a computer, an All-in-One machine, and a separate business line (or you can use your cell phone) with voice mail. While you may not have an in-house IT department to deal with any computer problems, you can hire a tech support company to help you.

Do you have room to work?

No matter what size your home may be, there’s always room for a home office. Think outside of the home office box and use a spare bedroom, guest room, dining room, or any other space where you know you’ll be able to work. Whether you use a laptop or a desktop computer, keep in mind that you won’t need much space to work.

Do you have a childcare plan? 

Working from home isn’t a substitute for childcare, especially when your boss expects you to be productive between 9-5. So if you have kids you’ll need to hire help, enlist a family member to babysit, or find a daycare center you trust.

Do you know what you’re supposed to do?

Consider whether you have a clear job description. Do you know what your boss expects from you? Depending on your boss, you won’t have the personal contact with him or her that you did before — which can be a good thing — so you need to set clear deadlines and set up weekly face-to-face meetings.

Are you a self-starter?

Anyone who works from home will agree that it’s easy to get distracted. You don’t have the refrigerator, laundry and even your family around to keep you from working when you’re in a corporate office. When you work from home, you need to be able to motivate yourself to start working each day and to continue working throughout the day.

How organized are you?

Having basic organizing skills from time management to project management are important when you work from home. If you’re disorganized, it’s up to you to organize your office and avoid wasting time looking for supplies, papers and anything else you need. Learning new organizing habits could be a matter of survival.

Telecommuting isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a self-starter and can work without being supervised all day, telecommuting may be the next step for you.

Would telecommuting work for you? Do you know someone who telecommutes?

Unlike the list of e-mail mistakes I published in another post, here’s a list of things you can do to ensure that others enjoy, not dread, your e-mails.

1. Use bcc.

Some people don’t realize that bcc means blind carbon copy, which means don’t make everyone on your e-mail list mad by listing their email addresses in your mass mailings. In the “To” section, enter your email address and in the “bcc” section, enter everyone else’s addresses. When you send a mass e-mail, no one else’s address shows up except for yours.

2. Click send once.

I’m one of the most impatient people I know. When an elevator seems to take too long to get to my floor, I push the button over and over to make the elevator arrive faster (which by the way, doesn’t work even though it makes me feel better to think it does). The same theory doesn’t work when pushing send. Instead of making your e-mail arrive sooner, pushing send several times makes the same email land in someone’s mailbox many times.

3. Don’t include attachments in e-mails to strangers.

If someone has no idea who you are, he or she probably won’t feel comfortable downloading your attachment. If you’ve ever had a computer virus, you know what I mean. It takes having to pay someone one time to cure a virus to realize it’s not worth downloading a suspicious file. If possible, include the information from the attachment in the body of your e-mail and then include the attachment. Even if the person doesn’t open the attachment, they’ll see the information you want them to read.

4. Limit the number of “funny” e-mails you send to friends and clients.

A joke e-mail that makes you laugh all day isn’t necessarily funny to everyone else. In fact, some online jokes can be more annoying than they are funny. If you send too many of those types of e-mails, when you do have an important message, the person you’ve sent it to may delete it without reading it.

If you’re not doing the things on this list on a regular basis, keep in mind that it’s not too late to change your e-mailing ways.

What do you avoid doing when you send e-mails?

source: Sean MacEntee

I’ve always wondered how a time management seminar could last two days, so a few weeks ago I went to one. By the end of the first day, I knew I was right…the speaker could have shared all of his information in three hours, not eight. He showed us how we were wasting time — I could relate because I wasting time at the seminar — and he gave us exercises to help us realize how we could make better use of our time.

By the second day I felt sorry for the corporate employees who realized that when they went back to work, they’d have to play catch-up for the next few days.

Let me save you a few days by sharing a few time management tips I didn’t learn at the seminar, but instead through trial and error.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

Source: chefranden

Guest Post by Michelle Shaeffer

Homeschooling a child is a challenge.  Working at home is a challenge.

Combine the two and you’re facing a really BIG challenge.

But it can be done, and it can be done well, if you’re determined to make it work.

I’ve been homeschooling my three children while working from home for the past 7 years and I have a thriving business, three well educated and social children, and I haven’t crossed the line into insanity yet.

And I’m only one of many moms who have decided that the reasons and rewards are big enough that it’s worth the effort.

Here are a few things I’ve learned that help me through the day:

1.  Always keep things in perspective and know your “why” for what you do.

Remember why you’ve made the decision to homeschool and why you’ve made the decision to work from home.  That’ll pull you through the tough moments.

And don’t let a single moment, hour, or day cloud what the “big picture” is for success.

2.  Have a plan.

To get a lot done in a day, you’ve got to be really focused with your time.

I’ve discovered that the only way to keep on top of things is with a solid schedule.  I don’t schedule minute by minute but I do use blocks of time and know which part of the day is for what.

Each day, I know what needs completed in our homeschool to get through the year’s curriculum on time.  I use “The Well Planned Day” planner to stay on track.

I know my business goals and keep a calendar so appointments and important tasks don’t slip through the cracks.

3.  Know your priorities and goals.

Some things you can let slide a day or two.

It’s not the end of the world if Mount Laundry piles up for a day.  What’s more important?

You don’t have to have a home cooked dinner 31 nights of the month.  An occasional pizza delivery is okay if it means you had the extra time you needed to finish that math lesson with your grade-schooler or get an urgent project completed for a client.

Focus on the big goals first, the most important things, and then be flexible with the rest.

4.  Make smart choices.

Have systems and plans for keeping your household together.  If you plan your menu in advance, there’s no scrambling through the “What’s for Dinner?” routine.  Use a crock pot or freezer cooking and make dinner even easier.

You need to choose a business model that will allow you to outsource and leverage your time.  Take steps to move your business in a direction that allows you to do this.  Automate and systemize as much as you can.

For schooling, choose your curriculum based on your child’s learning style and your family’s needs.  It’s okay to take into consideration how much time the lessons will involve.  Some homeschooling options require hours of preparation while others are “open and go” style.

Consider unit studies, curriculum that allows your children to share lessons, and other options.  Ask other homeschooling moms what’s working for them and why, how much time they’re spending to prepare and present lessons, and most importantly whether the kids are picking up the lessons and enjoying their learning.

When you find the right curriculum and approach your kids can learn more in 30 minutes than they can in hours of the wrong curriculum and approach.  More time doesn’t necessarily equal a better education.  It’s knowing your family and your kids, then taking a smart, strategic approach that leads to a great education.

5.  Accept that you don’t have to do it all yourself.

It’s okay to ask for help from your husband or children with the housework, or hire a house cleaner to come in a few times a week.

Hire a competent virtual assistant to help you in your business or use sites like Fiverr, ScriptLance, and others to get help when you need it.

And don’t overlook the options to make homeschooling easier and share some of the responsibility — computerized math, DVD art or music lessons, group learning, private tutors and homeschool co-ops are just some of the ways you can give your kids a great education and free up some of your time.

6.  Be accountable to someone.

I have a business coach who keeps me on track for my business and moving consistently toward my goals.

For homeschooling, my husband and I have chosen to work through a charter school that provides a support structure for us.  I’m frequently in touch with our assigned teacher for support, and every quarter I know that I’ve got to get grades and work samples turned in.

7.  Erase the word “quit” from your vocabulary and focus on being flexible and learning as you go.

I’ve chosen not to allow quitting to be an option.

Homeschooling doesn’t work for us just because I’m cut out for it or because it’s easy.  It works because it’s important to our family for a variety of reasons, and we’re determined to make it work.

The same goes for my business.  Of course there are rough days where I’d rather go to bed early or just relax in front of the television.   But I remind myself of #1 on this list and that gets me refocused and into action again.

You can connect with Michelle Shaeffer on her blog at www.michelleshaeffer.com.  By day, she’s teaching her children the basics of reading, math, and why using their little sister as a test subject for science experiments isn’t okay.  By afternoon, she’s usually buried in laundry and promising herself for the hundredth time she’ll hire a permanent maid.  By super early morning and very late evening, she teaches entrepreneurial woman how to be seen, hear, and loved by their tribes online.  And somewhere in there she’s drinking a lot of coffee and remembering that making a real difference means tackling the big challenges and throwing her heart into everything she does.

Sometimes I find something for a low price and use the product for years with no problems. But other times a product that I bought at a ridiculously low price breaks constantly and reminds me daily of what a bad deal it was.

Before you spend any money on new equipment or modify your existing equipment, consider a few questions.

Will the new equipment help you save time?

Each month when I see my cell phone bill, I cringe. It’s more than I want to spend, but it’s worth the amount of time my iPhone saves me each month. When my clients need information or photos, or have any questions, I’m able to respond quickly.

Consider whether a new smartphone will improve your productivity. Then consider the other equipment in your home office. An all-in-one machine that prints more sheets than your current printer, can cut your printing time and printing costs significantly.

What’s your budget?

Can you afford to buy the latest, greatest, top-of-the-line computer or will you have to settle for a less expensive, less effective system? If possible, wait until you can afford the more reliable, better-performing system. The money you spend now, will help you save time later on.

Will you know how to use the equipment?

If it’s going to take you six months to learn how to use something, or if you’re like me and you refuse to read manuals, be willing to pay someone to teach you how to use the equipment immediately. Either pay a high school or college kid to figure it out — trust me, they can do it — or use a professional service like Geek Squad. Keep in mind that it takes time to save time, but the time you save can affect your bottom line.

When you own your own business, every penny counts. You may think that you can’t afford to upgrade your equipment, but in some cases, you can’t afford not to upgrade.

Which piece of equipment in your home office helps you save the most time?

source: funnyjunk.com

Those of us who work from home are misunderstood. Some of our corporate friends think we watch TV all day, rarely take showers and work only a few hours each day.

We know the truth.

We work long hours, are just as productive as our corporate counterparts and have perfect hygiene (most of the time). While we may not wear corporate uniforms, we’re still productive.

When I saw this collection of photos, I couldn’t resist sharing it.

What do you think? Is this truth or perception?

If you’re feeling the wear and tear of sitting in front of a computer all day, there are a few simple changes you can make.

Use an adjustable office chair

If you’re reading this blog post while sitting in a chair from your dining room or kitchen set, considering making a chair change today. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a chair that adjusts to the right height and reduces the strain on your body. Make sure that whatever chair you buy has a few options including:

1) Lumbar support to reduce the strain on your lower back

2) A waterfall seat where the front edge of the seat is rounded to help you prevent any problems with circulation and to reduce the compression of nerves behind your knees

3) Seat height and back height adjustments

4) Tilt mechanisms and tilt lock to reduce strain and fatigue of your leg muscles

5) Tension control that adjusts to your body weight for easier reclining. (Steelcase chairs are reasonably priced and usually fit the decor of any home office.)

Avoid back strain

Keep frequently-used equipment and supplies within reach to avoid straining your back. Rather than play a game of Twister to grab what you need, store items logically and within reach. You can add shelves above or near your desk, or a desktop holder to keep supplies nearby.

Choose the right lighting

A good way to reduce eyestrain and fatigue is to use one or several types of lighting. Your options include ambient or general lighting, natural lighting, and task lighting. The type of lighting you use depends on the tasks you’ll be doing. Use one or a combination of these types of lighting to give you the right amount of light for your home office.

Find the right tools

You’ll reduce the risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by using an ergonomic wrist rest, mouse, and adjustable and articulating keyboard. Wrist and mouse rests — Fellowes is one of my favorite brands — are made from foam-like and gel materials, and are available in interesting colors and patterns. If your monitor is too low, use a monitor riser to bring it to a more comfortable level.  The first clue that your monitor or laptop are at the wrong height is when you feel a constant pain in your neck.

Along with making ergonomic changes to your home office, take breaks throughout the day to give your wrist (and your entire body) a break from being in the same position for a long period of time. After all, working from home is supposed to be pleasurable, not painful.

What do you do to make working from home more comfortable?