Managing Your Time In a Home Based Business

People decide to start a home based business for a variety of reasons. Some people want to be home when their kids get home from school. Some people are caring for a sick parent and wish to be home. Some people just can not conform to the 8-5 mold.

When you work at home, you are in charge of your time. You will decide how much time is spent talking with customers, how much time is spent marketing your business and how much time is spent doing the laundry.

It is so easy to run out to the grocery store, or do a load of laundry, or finish up those dinner dishes; however none of those activities are contributing to your business.

One of the cutest stories I can share with you is the time I spoke with a woman who just couldn’t find her first customer. She and I had created a list of 50 activities she could do that would help her find that first customer. At the end of the week, she still did not have a customer. She was upset and frustrated. We began to talk about the list of 50 activities. She had not done one of them. What she had done was rearrange her office space twice, buy and put labels on several folders for the paperwork she knew she’d have down the road and read some articles on sales.

When you work at home, there is no one telling you when a project must be completed. There is no one asking you for your completed work. You have to have the desire and the motivation to take the steps needed to create sales for any business you start.

I am strong advocator of goals, both short term and long term. What is it that you want to accomplish today, this week, this month and this year? Put it in writing. If you want to find one new customer this week, that’s a great goal, but how will you find that person? Will you place an ad? Will you write articles? What steps will you take to find that new customer?

I know that sometimes we don’t hit our goals. That’s ok, rewrite them. Allow yourself 30 minutes per day to reread your goals, make a plan to execute those goals and if necessary, rewrite them. Remember there is no boss to tell you how to spend your time, but a goal sheet can help guide you through your days and weeks.

About the author:
Audrey Okaneko has worked from home since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com