My husband and I own and manage our business from home. We also have two young children, which makes things very interesting. This morning, I met with Brandon Uttley of Web Business Freedom, which he runs from his home outside Charlotte, North Carolina.
During our time, Brandon and I discussed the benefits and challenges of running a business from home while young children are underfoot. It's one thing to make a business work. It's quite another to do it from your sanctuary, and with a spouse, babies, toddlers and/or tweens around all day, so I asked Brandon to share some of his tips for successfully owning and managing a business from home. First, he said, you have to know how it will work from a practical perspective. Will you maintain certain office hours? Barring an emergency, is your office off limits when the door is closed? How are you and your spouse going to agree on a plan that provides you with the physical and mental separation you need to get things done at home?
Next, Brandon says that, even though you work at home, you have to maintain a business mentality. For Brandon, this means wearing business casual clothing even though he doesn't have to. He also says that you have to treat your office like an office, not like a convenient place to pile up household items or store children's toys.
These things may seem small, but planning them is every bit as important as planning the business itself. Ask me how I know!!
Question: Do you work from home? What sorts of practical things do you do to work successfully? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments section.
