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Home Business Basics

Work at Home: Set Up Your Office

January 26, 2010

in Home Business Basics, Home Business Start Up Guide

When you work at home, it can be tempting to postpone activities that would result in income until you have a perfect office set up. Don’t postpone earning money from home but do set up a simple, functional office for your work.

Office Space

Everyone needs a physical location to serve as the “command center” of business action. The basic requirements for a work space are a flat surface for writing and room for an in-tray. If you don’t have a dedicated (not used for anything else) and functional workspace with an in-tray, get one now.

To get started in your new home business you will need two kinds of “office”: your functional work space at home and a portable system that you can take with you. In time, your work space will probably expand to include a phone, a computer, stacking trays, working file drawers, book shelves for reference books and media. Some will also need a fax, a printer, a VCR/DVD player and/or multi-media conferencing equipment. For people who travel, a laptop computer will seem like a necessity.

The Simplest Start

You can start to build your business with the simplest work spaces: an old door on top of two, 2-drawer filing cabinets (one at each end) with three stacking trays on it, a legal pad and a pen and access to your phone. You could start with one end of your kitchen or dining table and a plastic filing box, a phone and a pad of paper and a pen. You will need a satchel or a backpack or some other way to “take the show on the road” carrying a few folders and your Productivity Tools.

Your 21st Century Home Office

In this day and age, if you want your home based business to be a modern business with communication by email and marketing and ordering online, you will need to take stock of your office set up and plan to update your equipment and skills as needed. It is possible to conduct business from a distance which makes your business “portable” e.g. you don’t have to be in your home office to take care of business. You are free to travel and to work any hours of the day (or night) that suit you. However, don’t let anyone convince you that you’ll be able to do this without up-to-date technology. Begin to plan for the gradual building of your truly modern and convenient office and communications systems and skills.

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Productivity Basics: Get Into the Habits of Good Business

January 26, 2010

in Home Business Basics, Home Business Start Up Guide

Productivity results from practicing the habits of good business systematically.

The Systems of Success

Whatever your learning style and working style, as you move forward with your business, you will need some systems to “keep track”.

Start now keeping track of:
1. Contact data for a) all the people you meet, b) new customers and c) new team members.
2. Mileage (and other tax deductible expenses).
3. Appointments (and use your appointment records to match up with your mileage records for tax purposes). Example: in my appointment book I note a coaching appointment with “Carole S.” and make a matching note in my mileage book in my car (small spiral bound book).

Start with simple systems and teach yourself new habits. It will make your life easier as you “mess it up” with all the new people you will be meeting and making relationships with as you grow your healthy, successful business.

Network Your Way to Success

Your business goal is to fill your business "pipeline" with never-ending referrals. The primary way you will do that is to make new relationships with people and stay in touch with them. A very important networking tip is this: It is more important to get someone else’s contact information e.g. their business card than it is for you to give them yours.

And then what? Send a card or a postcard with a handwritten note (note written and card addressed in blue ink. Yep. Trust me, blue is it). For example, if you go to a meeting, meet someone new and get their card–go to your car and before driving home, address a card, add a note, put on a stamp and drop into a mailbox right away. Get their contact information into your address book and into your electronic system (like Outlook) as soon as you can. Don’t have time to copy information into your address book? Tape or staple their business card into your book.