Running your small business at home: How to set yourself up to succeed

Tips for running a successful small-scale business from your the comfort of your home

What can you do to prepare yourself for success in running a small-scale business from home? Here are some suggestions.

Although flexibility can be advantageous but it’s usually too easy to respond to emails during home or family time. Not only does this challenge your attention, it also creates expectations of being available. It’s also harder to turn off and decrease stress.

So, how do you avoid all of this?

Make your workspace more creative

A great tip for working at home is to clearly distinguish the work space from your home.

A space solely for work is critical, as creating physical distance can result in mental separation and make it simpler to shut down at the day’s end. Getting a desk, appropriate office chair, and storage system can help you set yourself up for success.

We also suggest taking the time to create a space that feel nice. In addition, research suggests that personalizing your workspace is a great way to increase your productivity.

"I have a huge cabin and a kitchen that provides room for my products and other supplies. My little haven. It smells divine and I’m in full control to the tunes!"

A little imagination in your work environment can make a significant difference.

"I’ve made my office an environment that I am happy to be in. There’s a row of bright red roses on the board behind my computer. I place all our massive feather costumes out to the elements so I can see them. I have a blanket that my mum made for me on my chair."

When you’re working at home during an outbreak, these tiny things can be the difference.

Copy your work environment’s norms

While some may allow work to infiltrate their lives at home a bit but it’s better to be cautious about letting this occur. This means no laptops on the kitchen bench and no packing orders from the living room.

Having boundaries in place helps to maximize the enjoyment of your work day from your home.

We need to emulate the boundaries that we’d have in the normal workplace. For example, you wouldn’t answer emails that come up in a face-to-face meeting with a colleague or client which is why you shouldn’t do this in the context of a Zoom meeting.

If you work at home, it might be tempting to attend to each ping on your phone or email notification immediately but getting into this habit won’t help you in the long run.

Turn off your email notifications so you can concentrate on the task at hand without distraction. Only check your inbox once every an hour or so.

Find a method that you enjoy and follow it

Creating a routine when working from home can be very crucial.

An established start time and breaks for physical activity during the work day and a regular time that the work day ends, are all crucial. Following a schedule and making a plan for your tasks for the day will help you become more productive.

"If I’ve got three treatments scheduled, I will block each one one after the next Also, I will keep an established schedule that includes time for lunch breaks, coffee breaks and other tasks."

Every morning, she should ask yourself important questions such as "What are my goals or milestones that I have to accomplish today?" and "What’s in my head currently? ".

Many people want routine and find doing daily gratitude routines to be beneficial.

Write down three things that you are thankful for every day, and try to write your to-do list before bed or first thing in the morning. This can help you get in a relaxed state and allow you to feel at in a relaxed state.

Be an advocate for your mental health

If you’re working at home it is possible to go for the entire day without seeing any other people, so you have to learn how to become an advocate for your mental wellbeing by focusing on self-care.

Be realistic about the work you are able to accomplish especially if you’re at home with your children, and you should take the time to replenish your energy.

Research has shown that after the SARS quarantine period, some people had signs of psychological distress, so taking the time to talk with your loved ones, family members and clients is essential.