Business Education

How to Keep Your Sanity and Family Happy While Working from Home

Work-from-home roles have greatly increased over the past couple of months. And, for those continuing in their WFH capacity, there’s a number of challenges to overcome (or get used to in one way or another). In other words, a few weeks of working remotely might give you a taste of what it’s like. But, if it turns into a long-term scenario, you’ll need to know how to fight off the creeping insanity it brings in your life. So, let’s take a look at how to preserve your head and keep your family happy, too.

Biggest Work-from-Home Challenges

Okay, if you’ve worked at home over the past few or several weeks, you’ve probably encountered one or more challenges. For instance, distractions are among the top. This is probably the most ubiquitous problem. However, a bit of discipline will go a long way. Then, there’s noise. Others inside the house can create a lot of noise. The easiest fix, asking for quiet and working in a space away from the hustle and bustle.

Working from home comes with its own set of challenges. It’s important to have a quiet space where you can work, minimize distractions, set a routine, and focus on your goals for the day. Working from home with kids can add a new dynamic to your job. When our kids are on extended breaks from school and are sharing the same space, distractions can come more easily which can impact our productiveness. —Focus On the Family

Inadequate equipment. This will present itself at some point. Here’s the way to beat it — be proactive and list what you need, then obtain those items before their absence becomes problematic. No boundaries is yet another challenge. Family members will interrupt — it’s inevitable. Instead of letting it happen, set a system in place to prevent interruptions.

Effective Work-from-Home Success Strategies

Now, we’ll get into some ways to keep your sanity — and to keep your family happy at the same time. It’s not rocket science, but these strategies will prove worthwhile. Here’s what you can do:

Establish a routine. Now more than ever, it is key to establish a routine to keep your sanity, your focus and your productivity. Working from home can and will be a temptation to draw you into a relaxed sense of productivity as if it is the weekend.
Take regular breaks. Run an errand or step outside to walk the dog. Stroll around the block once or twice or trek up and down the stairs. The idea is not to stagnate behind a desk or elsewhere. Just take brief breaks during the day.
Don’t neglect household chores. If you’re working from home, you’ll probably want to avoid household chores. However, there’s win-win situations being missed. Throw in a load of laundry, put the dishes away. Mop, vacuum, or sweep the floor. When you do, you’re doing your family a favor (and yourself). Be careful not to let the household chores distract you from your focus on business responsibilities.
Entertain your children regularly. Kids need to be active. And, you can take advantage of this to get outside yourself. Go to a park, play a game of catch, take a stroll around the block. Do fun things with them and you’ll both get something out of it by taking a break and spending quality time with your children.
Embrace the power of work mobility. Now that things are beginning to normalize, it’s possible to get some work done at the local coffee shop. Or, sit out on the porch and make a few phone calls when it’s quiet.
Do small household projects now and again. Don’t ignore those little things around the house that need fixing. Instead, work on small projects incrementally and reap the reward of pride and the benefit of having a better place to live.

What other suggestions do you have? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences by commenting!

Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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How to Transition from a Self-Employed Job to an Actual Business

September 24, 2020 No Comments

There’s a really big difference between owning your own job and owning a business. we’ve touched on this subject before, and how to tell one from another. But if you’re in this situation (read: predicament), You’re probably wondering how to transition or more particularly, transform, your self-employed job into a full-fledged business. it’s not necessarily a simple process, but it’s definitely not impossible, in the vast majority of cases. With the right advice, and a bit of vision and perseverance, you can make the transition from a self-employed gig to an actual business. The Difference between “Owning” Your Own Job and Owning a Business If you’re reading this article, chances are excellent that you are in a particular set of circumstances. That is, you don’t work for an established corporate entity, but do work for yourself. However, you’re a one person show. You do it all. Everything is up to you. Most Americans love the idea of starting their own business and being their own boss. Who wouldn’t? If you already have the skills to deliver the product or service to customers, why would you not set out on your own? The sad truth is that most business owners in today’s world do not actually own their own business — their business owns them. They never learn how to create business models capable of producing both time and financial freedom. —Forbes It’s you who is responsible for the productivity, the customer service, the back office stuff, marketing, and everything that goes into making it possible. But, you don’t have any employees, or contractors, or only occasionally rely on others to pick up when you simply can’t do it on your own. In other words, if you’re not working, you’re not earning. However, if you can leave the operation to others, and are not the soul producer, then you own a business. This represents the key distinctions between the two. How to Transition from a Self-Employed Job to an Actual Business Now, given those very stark differences, how exactly do you transform your self-employed job into a real business? Basically, you’ll have to change and break a number of routines and habits. Here’s some helpful steps you can take to make the transformation happen: Envision what you would like the business to eventually be. This is something that you’ll have to constantly revisit in order to make your dream come true. Even if you hire someone part-time, or get to a position where you have more than one full-time employee, you must always think about the next step up. Expand your team. Okay, This sounds blatantly obvious, but it’s something that too many people in this position get hung up on for way too long. They might occasionally rely on a freelance contractor, or even higher on one or more part-time or full-time employees. But, they’re always focused on productivity, rather than actually expanding the business with marketing, networking, and more. Instead, bring in one person to contribute to the work at hand. Then, bring on someone else to help with the administrative side. You can repeat this process a couple or few more times to really build up a fully legitimate business. How to Cash Flow Expansion. One of the greatest challenges for solo business operators, is to ensure they sufficient cash reserves and cash flow to capitalize their expansion. Consequently, they simply accept their current status and don’t take on the risk to expand. Frankly, your risk of starting your business was much greater than expanding! This will help; Forecast or Budget what you estimate you will need in terms of capital to cash flow the next 6 months of expansion (new hires, added marketing, etc.), until the sales increase sufficiently to offset your increased cost of hiring support. Then, the key is to offload your responsibilities that can be done by someone else, and only take on those responsibilities that brings in revenue and the highest value to your expanding business. What other suggestions do you have to truly transform a one-person gig into a legitimate business? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your prospective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Why Getting a Bad Credit Loan for Your Small Business Is Usually a Bad Bet

October 31, 2024 No Comments

You’ve probably heard the comparison before – starting a small business is like planting a seed.

Effective Ways to Show Your Employees You Actually Care

November 30, 2018 No Comments

Happy employees are great employees. It’s that simple. When your team members feel good about their work and its environment, your company benefits immensely. It’s certainly no secret that any organization’s survival (and profits) rely almost solely on its employees. Furthermore, unhappy employees will do more to drag down your business than any other factor. So, it’s very important your team members feel appreciated. Why Appreciative Employees are the Most Productive and Loyal Okay, there’s no mystery to the reality that appreciative employees are indeed the most productive and loyal. When people are treated — not only with respect and adulation — they respond in positive ways. And, creating this culture does much to make the entire entity stronger and more cohesive. Employees who feel appreciated feel valued. And when people feel valued, they’re more likely to go above and beyond for the organization. They’re quicker to hold themselves accountable for their part of a project. Most importantly, they’re happier in their roles, which means, they’re less likely to leave. When leaders disregard opportunities to connect with their team and show employees their appreciation, they lose a secret weapon in building a dedicated, long-term team. —Inc.com Everyone wants to be treated fairly and feel valued. When you routinely act in a way that imparts your thankfulness, your team will definitely pick up on it. The result is a better workplace and one that delivers on each and every project. How to Show Your Employees You Care about Them Other than competitive pay and good benefits, how do you show your employees you really appreciate them and what they do? Well, there are some subtle and overt ways to show employees you really care about them: Give them extras. We’ll start with the most obvious. Reward them with little extras. An additional paid day off. Tickets to a show or game. A gift card. There are dozens of little things you can do to overtly show your appreciation. And do this when they least expect it, and where possible, reward them in front of their peers. Get to know them. A subtle way to show employees you care is just to get to know them. Talk with them about things other than work. Check in on their sick mother, or pets or kids school projects or sports. Sure, it sounds all-too-obvious but you’d be surprised just how many bosses only talk about work. Let them be the boss. Here’s an interesting idea — be a coach and not a “boss.” This approach allows employees to feel empowered. In other words, let them be their own boss. Employees who are given the reins are happier and more productive team members. Show you have their back. The customer is always right, right? No. Reality is quite different. There are times when the customer is wrong and when an employee is in their crosshairs, let him or her know you have their back. What other ways do have you shown appreciation and how do they work? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.