Staying focused is never easy – it is even harder to stay focused when working from home! Time is precious and when you are a busy entrepreneur or small business owner you know this more than most. Running your own business is hard work and long hours, and it is tough when you are a mom, taxi driver, maid, cook, wife, caregiver, the list goes on and on!
"Working from my home is worth a hundred thousand dollars just on its own..." Erik Allebest
When you do have the time to focus on your business it can sometimes be hard to be able to do just that – focus. It can be super tricky if you are working from home and have the kids running around or the dog barking at the mailman. So, if you find that you are struggling with being able to sit down, focus, and get to work here a few tips on how to manage.
Keep Your Office Off Limits! - Make sure that your office is comfy, bright and reflects the person that you are. It needs to be somewhere you do not mind spending a lot of your time yet, somewhere that others do not go to just hang out. It is off-limits! It is meant for your business and your business only. Also, if possible, make sure that it is in a quiet area. It is very hard to concentrate if you are always getting distracted, so first things first, when you are in your office minimize distractions by turning off all notifications from your phone to your email and mute your computer speakers.
Stay Organized. – If your office is clean and organized you will spend less time looking for things. Make sure everything has a place. If it is to be filed – file it. If it is to be mailed – mail it, and so on. Don’t get too personal and keep no more than three personal items on your desk. I suggest that you also limit the supplies on your desk to only those you will use daily and ensure your phone is flipped upside down so you don’t see the light go off when you get a notification. Finally maintain an empty paper-sized space on your dominant side to make reviewing, signing and organizing papers easier.
Get it Done. – The point to sitting at your desk and looking for ways to focus is so you can get sh!t done. So, make sure that you have it all together and are capable of completing the tasks you are setting out to do. Set timers to complete specific tasks, great apps like Get It Done App or Tomato Timer are fantastic to assist you with this.
Delegate – Don’t be afraid to have others do some of the work for you! If your spouse were heading out you would have no problem asking them to pick up milk on the way home, right? You can do the same for your business. Why not ask your spouse to deliver a package to the post office, or pick you up some highlighters while they are out and about? Have an assistant create your social media graphics, put together the monthly schedule and newsletters, and other administrative tasks such as data entry.
These four simple-to-implement tips will help you be more productive and motivated. Working from home can be stressful, but once you get the hang of it - you won't ever look back.
