Many people swear that they would love to work at home. I often ask them if they are capable of working at home. Then I get the blank stare. Ask yourself these questions.

Are you financially secure enough to live & eat for at least 6 months?

Businesses don’t grow overnight without a lot of prep work, so plan on eating away at your savings while building your business, getting established and working.

Do you have the equipment necessary to run your business?

Bare minimum, you are going to need a computer and internet connection. I modestly stocked office will also include a printer, scanner, telephone (secondary lines and toll free numbers are optional), a fax machine (or internet faxing), business cards, a website, email, and so on. If you are currently working outside the office, what is in your current cubicle/office? Make a list and add those items to your inventory.  Looking around my office, my largest asset (other than myself) is my laptop. Having said that, I also have an older HP printer/scanner/fax machine, an external HD for back ups, a single desk inbox, a stamp machine, and general office supplies like pens & pencils, paper, stapler & staples, paper clips, etc. I also use a monitor, keyboard and mouse, to be more like a “regular” computer.

Are you motivated in the house?

Many people simply cannot focus in their home. There are too many distractions – kids, TV, dishes, laundry, little to do’s that add up to a lot of time spent not working. One way to reduce, if not eliminate these distractions is to make or convert one room of your home into an office. To read more about setting up your office space, check out this post.  My vice? Summertime sun. I enjoy reading outside in the sun during the summer months, from 11:30 or so until 1:30. To offset that, I go to work extra early and work late to accommodate my eccentricities.

Many people really believe that if they simply are home with “all the free time in the world” that they can swing a business. That is absolutely untrue. You need to go to work at 8:00a just as if you were commuting. You need to get dressed, you need to act like you’re going to work, you need to stay focused.

You can do it!

About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:

At Out of the Office, we offer ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, and offering creative solutions for your business success.

Image credit: Working at Home by Michael Coghlan | CC BY-SA 2.0