QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
By Mark McKeller

Q.I love working from home, but I fell like I would be more effective if I had an outside office. How can I increase my productivity without having to move? 

A. Working from home can be difficult and distracting. The kids, the dog, the TV, the telephone and the refrigerator can easily cancel out the convenience and cost effectiveness of a home office. In order to avoid distractions and get the most of your time at the home office, use some simple guidelines for your time management. First, start your day early. If your normal business day does not begin until 9:00AM, get to your desk by 8:00 or 8:30. The extra time will help you better plan and manage your daily activities, and give you a little flexibility in case your are distracted later. Next, write an activity list to help you keep focused on what you want to accomplish for the day. Do the most crucial ones first. I like to do the most unpleasant activities early so I don’t find myself procrastinating or getting “conveniently distracted” later. Look at your list and try to structure it so that you can get the most done at once. You can make scheduled phone calls when breaking from writing a report, or listen to sales and motivational tapes while traveling to an appointment. Make notes, schedules and menus for your home life ahead of time, too, to help ensure they coincide with your work schedule. Learn to say no, especially during the day. This can be difficult, but you have to compare the demands others make of your time to those of your business. If saying “yes” will take you away from more productive activities, think twice about it. It can help to have a rule for no personal visits or phone calls during the business day. Speaking of phone calls, return your messages as soon as possible. Don’t let them become an imposing pile. Furthermore, it is courteous to return them promptly so that others can clear their desks, too. When you have a business problem and work from home, you may lack the benefit of having others for input. Make a point to develop “brainstorming” contacts, maybe others who work from home, and call or see them to discuss strategies and business challenges. Don’t let the frustration of feeling alone slow you down. Working form home and being productive can be very trying, especially if you have a family. Take simple but consistent steps to manage your time and reap the benefits of convenience and affordability that a home based business provides.