Are you a mum (or dad) who works from home or wants to work from home?

Apparently, according to various surveys, including research from Yell.com and Tesco Baby and Toddler Club, lots of us do, with up to 40% of mums saying that they want to be work-at-home mums (WAHM) because of the flexible hours and conditions.

Working at home does have many bonuses and freedoms, as I know having done it for well over a decade now – in fact, since my eldest was born.

But it has its downside, primarily that it can take over every corner of the house and every minute of your time because the temptation to ‘just check my emails’ or finish that job rather than curl on the sofa with your loved ones can be irresistible.

However, the upside of THAT is that it stops me grazing while watching television, so even downsides can be upsides depending on how you look at them!

Top Essential Tips for Successfully Working from Home

1. Is it For You? Not everyone can cope with working from home. It has it's good points, including freedom, flexibility and low costs, and its bad points, including isolation, lack of motivation, and too many distractions. Knowing if it will work for you is the subject of a whole separate article!

2. Make it a Family Decision - Is it appropriate for you to work from home and will you have enough physical and mental space to work profitably? Will everyone feel better because they know you are available to them, or will you in fact become more available and then be irritable because everyone expects you to do more running around or “could you just” jobs because you are working from home (for which some people read, “lounging around having coffee with your friends”). Only by discussing expectations can you get a feel for how it will work.

3. Plan your time - Don’t assume, because you are working at home, that you will automatically have more time and that working will be easier. You will have to structure your diary more carefully than ever before. Plan your holidays and days off first, and then work around them, otherwise they will never happen. Make it clear that you are unavailable during working hours.

4. Keep Fit - Use the time when others are commuting to walk the dog, jog or dig the garden. Working at home can be very physically limiting and there is a tendency to live in front of the computer screen. So make an appointment with yourself to go the gym or play golf – and treat it as you would a business appointment.

5. Be Insured - The minimum requirement is a ‘working at home’ policy covering your home, business contents and public liability. If you employ others, within or outside your home, you will also need employer’s insurance, and if you do anything specialist, such as a therapy or coaching, you'll may need specialised insurance as well. Also be aware of the changes to insurance requirements for the locks you fit - see here for full article.

6. Create a Home Office - Have a workspace that is separate from the rest of the house. Mine is what would be the front room normally in my terrace house. It’s the first door you see when you walk in, and then there’s a long corridor to the stairs and the rest of the (living) space. Other people I know have had an extension, with or without a separate entrance, turned a spare room into an office, or built an office in the garden. A loft conversion that can be closed away in the evening and at weekends is the next best option, but that does make it difficult if you have visitors.

If you intend to extend your house to accommodate your business, consult an architect; don’t just rely on your local builder. Architects know how to utilise space, whilst builders know how to build. Loft conversions and extensions may not need planning permission, but they will need building regulations. A garden office may need planning permission and/or building regulations. If you extend, convert or build an office outbuilding without the correct permissions you may not be able to sell your house at a later date.In addition, the government have recently announced that it will give additional tax relief for home businesses and people who from home as long as they have a dedicated and separate office space - see here for the full article - so not only is it a sensible decision for you emotionally and practically, but financially as well.

• Planning permission - Running certain types of business from home requires planning permission, even if you are not extending or altering your home. People working alone in the advisory sector are unlikely to need planning permission – unless your business creates extra traffic to and from your home. The government favours people working from home, so don’t be put off, but do check with your local planning dept.

• Employing others in your own home - If you employ other people, definitely consider a separate office in the garden; otherwise your home will no longer be your own. If you frequently have meetings with clients, the same applies. You need an office in the garden or an extension with it’s own front door.

• Use your money wisely - Working from home is cheaper than renting an office – even if you extend your home or build an office in the garden. Loft conversions and permanent, office outbuildings cost between £20,000 and £30,000. You can easily spend this amount in a few years renting a small, commercial office.

7. Business equipment - This is may seem like a luxury, but if you can afford dedicated machinery such as separate phone lines and computers, this really helps to keep home and work apart. A separate work number is a minimum and you can then utilise the services of a virtual telephonist or virtual assistant.

8. A business or a job? Some people create a job for themselves at home, and simply work at home. Other create a home business. The two animals are quite different and being of aware of these differences will help you decide what to do and how to do it successfully.

9. Choose your Business Team Wisely - By this I mean the people you choose to create your logo and website, help you create the branding, sell yourself and your products and services, market yourself effectively, give you advice, help you with the finances and mentor and support you when the going gets tough and you feel like throwing in the towel. You are looking for people who know what they are doing, have walked the path you are traveling and can help you do it faster, cheaper and more efficiently. Choose them wisely and your business will thrive, choose badly and it'll cost you dear in terms of time, money and moral.

10. Look After Yourself. Why? Because No You, No Business. Enough said. 

 

© Claire Burdett. No content to be reproduced without written approval of the author.

Claire Burdett is the Founder and Director of Funky Angel. She is a Writer, Journalist, and Editor, Integrated Marketing Expert, and Home Business Mentor.

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