Get Organized to Work at Home

Affordable Web Design for small businesses, churches, and organizations

Text writing - Newsletters, web text and News Releases

Business Classifieds

Classified Ad Rates

Advertising Opportunities

Blog Articles

Home & Small Biz Forum

References

Our Member Directory

Resources

RESOURCE LINKS


	Come work in an atmosphere that contributes to the success of the young work-at-home Mom, as well as the seasoned corporate worker-turned-entrepreneur, or the retiree venturing into online business as a supplemental income choice.


	Visit our Membership Section to join this working community!




		PRIVACY This web site does not collect any information from you -- no cookies, no personal credit card information -- absolutely nothing! Credit card information is seen and processed only through 3rd party PCI compliant credit card processing systems at iTransact.com or PayPal.com, if you choose

	Disclaimer: The information on these pages is meant for informational purposes only. Anyone contemplating starting a business should be aware that laws and regulations differ from place to place and year to year. To insure that your business will/is operating within legal limits of the physical area in which you operate, or on the Internet, we strongly urge you to consult an attorney, a tax specialist, and your insurance agent. Opinions stated in articles on these pages are the personal opinions of the writers, and not to be considered a guarantee of success in a business venture or as definitive expert opinions. Creative Enterprises is not responsible for any financial loss incurred in business start-up ventures or through personal dealings with any of our member businesses. Individual members are responsible for their own operations and business decisons, and are liable for their own customer service and satisfaction. Entrepreneurs are responsible for researching any business opportunities, possible expenditures associated with thoseopportunities, and legal and tax requirements. Purchases of products or programs offered through links on this site are the responsibility of the buyer alone. Although we do our best to confirm the legitimacy of products and vendors, buyers are responsible for and strongly encouraged to do their own investigation before making purchases. All information, graphics, text, and design elements on this site are the intellectual property of Creative Enterprises unless otherwise stated. ©1998-2011 Creative Enterprises


	Get Organized to Work At Home


	. . . Tips for Working at Home


	Working at home takes a special kind of organization -- one you aren't called upon to use in a traditional workplace. If you aren't really tough on yourself, you'll turn around at the end of the day and wonder why you haven't accomplished anything. If you're at work, be at work. Save the laundry, dusting, vacuuming, grocery shopping, etc., for after work hours or on your chosen day off. That doesn't mean you have to work from 9-5 with no interruptions, but set specific hours to work -- maybe 8am - noon, take 2 hours to eat lunch & do a few chores, then work again from 2-4pm, and if you need to, another couple of hours in the evening. It's harder if you have young children, but even then it can be done. After their breakfast, settle them into a routine play period of a couple of hours -- take a "coffee and snack break" with them (storytime maybe), work another couple of hours before breaking for lunch, and then work again during their nap time. Whatever you do, be consistent about it. Your children will adjust in a short period of time as long as you don't give in. Before you know it, Mommy's (or Daddy's) work time will be accepted as the norm, and you'll all have organized days with which you are comfortable.

	Setting Up That First Home Office




		This little guy is justified in sleeping on the job. But YOU? -- not a chance! If you're starting a business, YOU have to be wide awake, alert to opportunities, and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Start by laying a good foundation of organized planning.

Setting up a home office is quite an experience. The first thing you learn? There's no supply clerk! Nothing is more frustrating than to realize that you don't have a large paper clip or the right size manila envelope when you need it. Take a long look around your new office and write a complete shopping list of all the little things you took for granted at your previous place of employment. For under $50, you can get a good variety of clips, pens, envelopes, Post-Its, notepads, White-Out, folders, etc. Then set up a supply shelf or closet of your own. Survey your inventory every few weeks and replace items that are low. Having what you need, when you need it makes work a lot more fun, and let's you avoid those emergency runs to the store.

"Dress to Impress" -- YOURSELF!

If you're going to work at home, and your intention is to be taken seriously as a professional business person, then you need to feel like a professional. I think we've all joked about "working in our PJs," (and I've even done it once or twice), but you'll also find that you don't work at your peak performance that way. Get yourself energized to work. Act like you are going to work in the morning. Develop a regular work day routine: eat breakfast, read your newspaper, get dressed and fix your hair, check your e-mail -- then start your work day. You'll feel like you're at work (without the boss and the stress, of course), and your day will be more productive. And best of all, the UPS man won't catch you in your PJs!

You Decide How Your Work Will Be Perceived

Distractions and not being taken seriously are the home worker's worst enemies. Although we can't always avoid these things, often we can act to improve the situation. When you first start to work at home you may find that your family doesn't respect your new "job." It's up to you to see that they do. Be adamant about protecting your work time, work space and work equipment. Children should not be playing games on your work computer, or eating cookies and milk at your desk while using your phone to talk to their friends. And assuming you've already made concessions to your work time to allow you to see to family needs, you need to be very selective about what reasons are valid for interrupting your designated work time (and that includes your spouse). At the same time, it's going to be difficult to convince anyone that you're a serious business person if you've set your computer up where you can get the best view of HBO or favorite afternoon soaps while you work. How your work is perceived is really up to you in the end.

Do Your Homework!

More often than not, the home business entrepreneur doesn't have a business background to guide them. The very best thing they can do for themselves is to find some guidance before they get in over their heads. I highly recommend seeking out educational sources to help you plan your business step-by-step.

Check with your local community college to see if they have a Small Business Development Center that offers consultation services, workshops or seminars on business start-ups. Don’t have one nearby? Call your local Chamber of Commerce for their recommendations on where to find local start-up guidance.

Check out My Own Business http://www.myownbusiness.org, a non-profit dedicated to empowering people to start their own businesses. They offer an entire FREE course on what to do and how to do it. You couldn't get a better education in starting a business, even if you paid for it!

You may also get free advice from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) http://www.score.org if there is a chapter near you. There are also numerous free resources online and at your Public Library. Give your business the best possible chance to succeed. Do your homework!"


	This site is best viewed with 1024 x 768 resolution. Other resolutions may cause items to appear off center

INDEX

Home About Us Writing Services & Samples

Affordable Web Site Creation Articles for Entrepreneurs

Member Directory Advertising Opportunities

Resource Links Contact Us