Your home business is your life. Maybe you are just starting out or maybe you’re having a growth spurt. Whether you make and sell a product or provide professional consulting services, your home now serves two purposes. That means you need to do what you can to make it both a comfortable place to live and to work.
When you decide to run your business from home, it’s like you become two separate versions of yourself in one place. There’s the business side and the at-home, relaxed side. Ashley Wilson Realty Group wants to see you succeed, so here are some ways you can set up your space to make sure you strike the right balance.
Remove Distractions
A home office promotes productivity by shutting off any outside distractions. For starters, when you start your work day, be sure you have everything you need for the next few hours within reach. You may even want to have a coffee pot, espresso maker, electric kettle or water cooler nearby. Consider transforming a room, like your master bedroom, into a dedicated space for your home-based business. Now you might have a hard time convincing your partner to say yes, but master bedrooms are good for businesses that have some or small inventory and need a larger space.
Become an LLC
Many small business owners invest a lot of their own money getting their home business off the ground. It can be valuable, from a financial standpoint, to establish an LLC. Not only can you take advantage of specific tax breaks, but you often have to complete less paperwork than an independent contractor. Debitoor explains you can qualify to protect your investments with limited liability and start to scale up when you need to with a business line of credit.
Use a Small Business Loan
If your home needs some work to support your business, consider applying for a small business loan. There are loans and grants you can research and apply for—ones that are specifically designed for businesses like yours. Entrepreneur notes you can also look to your bank, credit card or a private lender to help finance your company. While investors and other funding opportunities are excellent to look into, many small businesses start with just a few grand and a lot of spirit (remember when Amazon was in Jeff Bezos’s garage?).
Reduce Clutter
Don’t let your home office become the catch-all space—and don’t let other rooms in your home become your office. It’s vital you make decluttering a regular practice. In smaller spaces, install a built-in desk to take up less room and allow extra space to store clutter. Take advantage of wall space with shelves and decorative storage bins. And organize your cords. It sounds simple, but it really makes a big difference. Buy a cord organizer or try this DIY one with binder clips, zip ties or color tape.
Internet Access
Many home offices are in far corners of the house, a renovated garage or attic, somewhere you don’t notice your internet strength. If this is the case, you may want to consider getting a wifi booster or separate access, especially if you have children going to school from home. If you are running an e-commerce business from home, you don’t want your internet to go down while you are editing your site or processing inventory.
Whether you are putting your home-based business in a remodeled bedroom or are buying a new house entirely, you have plenty of options. But not all of them are focused on your satisfaction. A lot is on the line when you start or grow a home-based business. Ashley Wilson Realty Group can be your partner for growth, and for success.
Article provided by
Suzie Wilson
Happierhome.net – “There’s no place like a Happier Home!”