by BlondieWrites on October 5, 2009
When you first decided to work from home, you might have started out like many other moms and turned your kitchen table into your work area. From this nexus point, you can easily keep an eye on the kids, plus easily manage all the household activities like phone calls and listening for the load of laundry to be done, while working on your own projects.
Or can you?
When I began working from home four years ago, my kitchen table seemed the logical place for me to work. But after several months, when I evaluated my goals and my lack of progress, I began to wonder if my kitchen table “office” was part of the problem. Since then, I’ve found creative ways to carve out my own “work from home” space, even in the midst of never-ending activity.
If you’re having trouble finding space to work from home, you might find some of these suggestions helpful.
A Work from Home Space to Call Your Own
One of the problems with using a kitchen table, is that your work space can feel “borrowed.” If your family is like mine, you can only use it until it’s needed for something else, like the kids’ lunches or a friend coming over for tea. Then you have to pack up your business and put it away somewhere else.
If you’re serious about achieving your home business goals, it’s important to treat your business seriously. If you’re constantly moving it out of the way, you might be subconsciously telling yourself your business isn’t is as important as the other things you do.
When you can’t have a designated office space in your home, look into creating a portable office for yourself, that you can move around as needed. Purchase boxes and files where you can organize your work and store it safely, without being in anyone’s way.
Staying Safe When You Work from Home
Did you know that working at the kitchen table can be dangerous for your health? If you work at a keyboard, your kitchen table is probably not an ergonomically correct set up. If you’re bending over to create crafts or scrapbooks, you could be unnecessarily hard on your back. .
When you set up your work from home space, consider the ergonomics of your particular activities. You don’t want to develop tendinitis or carpal tunnel because of your work. Not only are these conditions painful, they can also keep you from being productive and reaching your goals
Lights, Camera, Action! Or Not…
Good lighting is another consideration when you set up your work from home space. Bright kitchen lights may not be the best choice for you to work under. Continually working under bad lighting can cause headaches and migraines for some moms. Even if you don’t get headaches, you may tire more easily because of eye strain.
Do some research to determine the best type of lighting for your needs, then plan a space that can accommodate that. If the kitchen table is still your best option, see if you can change the lighting in there.
When you create a home office space that suits your own business needs, you can feel more confident about your business. Creating an effective working space is an important for step for achieving your work from home dreams.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Denise Willms helps busy work at home moms balance successful businesses with happy families. Visit www.WAHM-Articles.com to read more articles about how moms can create profitable work at home businesses.
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by BlondieWrites on October 5, 2009
Are you often scrambling to find an important printed document? Or are you having trouble finding a simple item such as a stapler? Is your desk so piled up that you can barely see the top of it? More importantly, maybe your child’s homework is buried under the shuffle of papers that seem to be growing in front of you?
If you answered even one of these questions with a “yes” then your office needs some tender loving care organization.
I know when my desk is piled up and I can’t find anything, I sure don’t feel very productive. I find I have a much more productive day if my desk is nicely organized and tidy. I always feel better about my business when I get up in the morning and find everything in it’s place. I mean it just makes sense, an organized office is a successful office.
The following tips will help you have a more productive business
* Always clean your desk off at the end of your work day. For example, put all those papers in their proper place, preferably in a file cabinet. Put all the pens/pencils in the little cup that’s supposed to be holding them. Make sure you have a schedule made out in front of you for the following day.
* Create a home business environment for yourself that will encourage work and motivate you rather than make you want to go out shopping. If it means redecorating your home office to achieve this environment, then do it.
* Organize your documents on your computer and consistently do backups so your information is safe. Make a separate document for your income and your expenses. Keep these updated daily, weekly, or monthly. This way when tax time arrives, you won’t have to do these tasks for the entire year. You can even save these documents to a disk and keep it updated if you want to be extra safe.
* Keep your important printed documents in organized file cabinets. If you don’t own any, invest in some. With a home business, a filing system is essential, just like any other business.
* Always eat your meals at the dinning room or kitchen table with your family. Don’t eat your meals at your desk. By doing so, after your meals you will return to your work area refreshed and ready to take on the rest of your tasks.
* Establish some rules for your home office. If your work day doesn’t evolve around your phone, let your answering machine pick up those calls during the day, unless they are emergencies of course. If you have a busy household, shut your office door and tell your family to knock before entering. If you feel the need to, place a sign, “do not disturb” on your door. Just these two office rules will decrease distractions considerably.
The less distracted you are, the better your focus will be on your work each day. With the help of the tips above, try and create a method for organization with your daily tasks. While doing so, you will most definitely increase productivity, thus generate success for your business.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Article Written By Tammy Embrich
You can find more articles and other business resources at Work At Home Articles
Also visit Tammy on her Work At Home Forums, where you will find free job leads, work at home articles, home business ideas, and more. A place to get to know others and network.
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by BlondieWrites on June 22, 2009
What does your work at home office look like? I just ran across this and thought it looked so nice. I like the amount of storage it offers and the L shape design. It’s important to be comforable when working.
My desk is an old kitchen table that I converted to be my office desk. It’s roomy, but it obviously doesn’t have drawers or any storage space. My personal work at home storage space is a square fold up table stacked with books and magazines, plus a pretty pink plastic storage chest with drawers, behind me. My tiny office fridge lives under the fold up table.
Maybe it’s time for an upgrade? This really does look pretty. It’s tempting…
Chesterfield Work Station
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