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Daily routine, lists help organization
Published on Monday, Jan 19, 2009
Working from home offers freedom and flexibility, but it also requires extra organization and discipline, according to a pair of Akron businesswomen.
Dawn Mitchell is a freelance creative and technical writer who also organizes an e-mail network to help people in need (http://www.dawnswish.blogspot.com.)
Staci Shelton is a social media consultant who trains companies and individuals on using new Internet communication outlets (http://www.stacijshelton.blogspot.com.)
Here are their tips:
• Make your home office attractive. Mitchell said even though clients don't come to her house, renovating her gray-walled office in a Tuscan villa theme helped inspire and motivate her.
• Give yourself the tools you need, whether it's computer software to help you stay organized or a white board if you like sketching out things by hand.
• Learn when your most productive time is and create a workday around it. Take advantage of freedom from 9-to-5 days.
• However, once you
establish a routine, stick with it. It will help you stay disciplined, and friends, family and clients will learn your routine and know which part of the day is available to them.
• Get out of the house frequently so you don't feel isolated. Some home-office types lug their laptops to coffee shops. Mitchell and Shelton both take advantage of Office Space Coworking, a downtown Akron business that provides desk space and networking opportunities to the home-office crowd.
• If your boss or your customers don't give you a deadline, set one for yourself. Otherwise, it's too easy to procrastinate. Make a detailed list of all you want to achieve each week.
• Most home-based self-employed people market their service by word of mouth. So take advantage of networking events, workshops and social media outlets like Facebook and LinkedIn to spread the word about what you do. Ask clients for referrals.
• Don't try to do your own taxes. Save every receipt and carefully log expenditures, but leave the tax filing to a professional who keeps up with changes in tax law.
• Don't be afraid to let your phone go to voice mail if you are in the middle of something. It can be hard to restart the creative process or a productive spurt if you have to keep pausing to be your own secretary.
• Solicit feedback from clients and listen to them. Mitchell has taken customers to lunch to ask how she did, and Shelton uses surveys. If you're working for yourself, that's the best way to learn how to improve.
Working from home offers freedom and flexibility, but it also requires extra organization and discipline, according to a pair of Akron businesswomen.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 09:15 AM, 01/19/2009
All of these are solid.
