Find a place of your own
If at all possible, find a separate room for working purposes only. It’s a convenient way to isolate yourself from the rest of the house while you focus on your work. When clients call, they should not be aware that you are operating a business out of your home. Be professional and eliminate family background noise.
It’s important for you, too. You need a clear distinction between work and home. That way, when you’re in your office, you’re in the right state of mind. When your office is no different from where you live, it’s impossible to get away from work. Virtually every single work-from-home professional says that unless you live alone, trying to work on the couch or in the family room is on is a recipe for inefficiency. You’ll give your work half the attention and twice the time it deserves.
Along those lines, I would caution you that working from a dining room table or similar makeshift setup is likely to be ineffective and inconvenient in the long run. It will be difficult to accomplish anything meaningful in the midst of family activity. Besides, you don’t want to continually be relocating your work at dinnertime or when guests come over.
Not only will it be difficult to keep your work in order, but you’ll lose time trying to recover your train of thought when you resume. Not to mention the risk of important details or deadlines getting lost in transit.
Decrease distractions
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Plan work that requires concentration for a time when there’s less activity in the house.
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Consider posting a “Do Not Disturb” sign during working hours to remind family members not to interrupt unless it’s truly important.
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Arrange for someone to watch little ones. If you try to work and attend to your children at the same time you won’t do a good job at either.
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While some people feel that background noise helps them concentrate, be wary of televisions or other distracting equipment in the office.
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