Larry McCullough
Being a
Disciplined Home
Business Boss
By: Lawrence Roth
Leaving the
corporate world for
a home business is
exciting. Being
one’s own boss and
making one’s own
decisions is a great
feeling. However,
one still needs to
have discipline to
be effective at
being a home
business boss. In my
home business I have
found at least two
things that one must
be persistently
disciplined about in
order to achieve
success.
First is the work
schedule. A home
business like any
business requires
work and often a lot
of work. While it is
true you do not have
to get up at
daybreak and put on
a suit and tie to
drive to work, one
does need to set a
work schedule and
stick to it. I have
set my schedule to
work 8 to 5 Monday
through Friday. I
take an hour for
lunch. I require
myself to work a
minimum of forty
hours a week for my
home business.
When I first started
my home business it
was easy to become
distracted by things
that need to be done
around the house:
laundry, dirty
dishes, mowing the
yard, etc. It is
very important to
treat the home
business like a
regular job and in
reality it is a
regular job, it just
happens to be in the
home. If you were
working for someone
else they would not
tolerate you going
home to clean dishes
or mow the yard, so
to be a disciplined
home business boss
and do not allow
yourself to do
things other than
working on your home
business.
The second is in
regards to
interruptions. I
have found it
absolutely amazing
that family and
friends seem to
think that just
because you stay a
home during the day
that you have
nothing else to do.
When I first started
working at home I
was surprised at the
many requests my
family and friends
had of my time. My
best advice, which
was given to me by
another home
business worker, is,
‘If they are not on
fire or if they are
not bleeding they do
not need your
attention.” Now
don’t take the
statement literally
but what it
basically means is,
unless it is a real
emergency do not let
your family and
friends interrupt
your work schedule.
For those of you who
already have your
home business, you
are aware of the
many requests that
family and friends
will make such as
fixing their sink,
driving them to
their airport or
watching their kids
while they go to the
grocery store. If
you are not already
assertive, learn to
be and learn
quickly.
Fortunately, I have
had the
assertiveness to
say, “No.”
If you spend your
time being the
“go-for” for your
family and friends,
your business will
fail. You are not at
home to be at the
beck and call for
your family and
friends regardless
of what they may
think. Let them know
that. I stubbornly
refuse to assist
family and friends
with tasks during
the hours of 8 to 5,
Monday through
Friday.
Being a disciplined
home business boss a
giant leap towards
creating and
maintaining a
successful home
business. Remember
that your home
business is a real
business. It is a
real job. Most
importantly, it is
your livelihood.
About the Author
Lawrence Roth
Webmaster
http://www.rothline.com
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