6 Work From Home Best Practices For Entrepreneurs

More and more entrepreneurs are working from home remotely. Maybe they have a home office, a coworking space, or even a place at the closest coffee shop. Fortunately, technology has allowed everyone – even entrepreneurs who still go to the office every day – to benefit from the flexibility of working from wherever they prefer.

Anyone working from home can name its benefits as well as its obstacles. When I started my business in 1998, there was no social media, I had no clients, and most of my colleagues worked from a traditional office environment.

After working for a large hotel, I started working from home with my own company. I operated for long hours, sometimes in my pajamas. There was no one to explain how I used my time and I had to force myself to develop discipline.

After a while, I managed to establish a routine and adopted best practices to stay focused on work during the day at home. Here are some of the things I learned:

Set work hours: Work from Home

Most people who work from homework a lot more than they would in the office. Other remote workers struggle to maintain a regular schedule, operating a few hours a day and then working through the night.

There are some interruptions that cannot be avoided. There are deadlines that will require working overtime. Family obligations get in the way too, especially if you have children at home during the day.

Do what you can to set work hours and stick to them. Then, disconnect as much as possible from your business and enjoy the rest of your day. Give yourself time to recharge so you can be as productive as possible.

Related: 8 Productivity Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs

Plan and structure your day

Try to plan your day for maximum efficiency. Take advantage of your body’s natural rhythms and work your most productive hours. If you know you focus best in the morning, resist the urge to check your email before 10 a.m. A quick look at your schedule at the start of the day can be more productive.

Make a list of the most important earrings to release for the day. If possible, close your office door to let others know not to disturb you.

Dress to impress (even if it’s just your dog)

It may seem very attractive to work in your pajamas all day, but it is a very bad work habit. The way you dress affects you psychologically.

Taking the time to bathe, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and get dressed can increase your self-confidence, and having a casual style of dress will help you smoothly transition between your work and home life, even if it’s in the same geographic location.

Target a workspace

Consistency is an important part of working from home. Try to operate in the same place every day. It could be an extra bedroom that you have converted into an office, a desk in the corner of your living room, or even the dining room table.

Make sure your space works for your style and your business model. Surround yourself with things that inspire and make you happy like flowers, music, and photos. Make your desk a place where you enjoy spending every day, an area where you can focus and do your best work.

Related: 10 Best Apps For Remote Workers in 2021

Take breaks

Schedule rest times during the day. Get up from your desk, stretch out and walk around your house or on the street. Take a moment to have a snack in the middle of the afternoon.

If you need to socialize, go out to eat with friends and clients. One of the great benefits of working from home is having flexibility. If health is important to you, you can even take a break to go to the gym and have a productive afternoon.

Avoid distractions

One of the great challenges of working from home is that there are no colleagues or bosses to help you focus because you only answer to yourself. There are always things to attend to at home. Do what you can to save these chores – like washing dishes or running the washing machine – for the time you’re already “home” in the afternoon.

Focus during the workday to maintain consistent productivity. Avoid online distractions, limit the time you spend on email, social media, and non-work-related websites.

Install a stopwatch on your computer if necessary. Don’t waste time and money on activities that are counterproductive to your success.