Pros:
Cons:
• No commute • No traffic • Can start working right away after waking up
• It can be easy to sleep in (= less productivity) • My dog is super cute and I want to cuddle and play with him • No one to bounce ideas off of or to spark a thought • Sometimes I don’t see other humans for a few days • Rabbit hole of “researching things” because there is no one watching • No accountability factor • I have to buy and make my own coffee
• No dress code • Home lunches
• No co-workers interrupting your flow • No boss lurking over your shoulder
• You’re your own boss; therefore you set all the deadlines, tasks for the day, and only need to answer to yourself (more on this later)
I’m sure more could be added to both lists, but you get the point. So, how do we make working from home more pro- ductive? Here are my tips: Have an office or workspace. If you are lucky you will have a separate room designated as your office, if this isn’t possible, at least have a workspace. In either case, this space will be for doing work and being productive only! If you spend the evenings sitting there creeping on Facebook, you will not associate the space with being productive Set regular work hours. I like to work similar hours as the rest of the working world, which means about 8:30 -4:30 Monday through Friday. This way I’m not missing out on anything since everyone else is working anyway, and when everyone else is off work I can join in the regular people fun. Do I ever work outside of those hours? Yes. Do I work the full day every single day? No. But sticking to this routine just makes it easier, because I know those hours are work time. Get dressed. What a weird thing to say in a business blog. But seriously, DO NOT STAY IN YOUR PYJAMAS ALL DAY! This is another mindset thing. You do not work while sleeping, therefore you do not associate being in pyjamas with “work time.” You don’t need to wear a suit, but get up and ready for the day in a way that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to run into a potential client or acquaintance. Work in 90 minute increments. Then take a 10-minute break. 90 minutes gives you enough time to get into “the zone” and get a bunch of stuff done. Then take a breather and refill your water and use the bathroom. This will stop you from doing aimless internet research because its productive time! Make an entrepreneur friend. There are 2 of us at Stratigro, which alleviates some of the “I am all alone in the world” feeling. If you’re at this solo, then make sure you have at least one friend who is a small business owner and can understand some of your struggles. If you don’t have an IRL friend, join Facebook groups of entrepreneurs. They are like a virtual support community. Set deadlines. One of the best and worst parts of being an entrepreneur is you are mostly only accountable to yourself. The reason this can be a downside is that some of us need that extra accountability in order to get things done! If you are one of those entrepreneurs, it’s important that you set deadlines for yourself and write them down! For example: finish first prototype of super awesome product by August 15 th , or finish first draft of book by September 9 th . It’s harder to procrastinate if you’ve set a firm deadline. P.S. I still don’t have a solution to the dog cuddling issue.
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OCTOBER 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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