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By Densie Clarke

Working from Home … the Nuts and Bolts  

Working from home is a great thing!  Think of the tax benefits alone!  At the same time, it may be easy for some folks to get “derailed” so to speak when they have no one, like a boss to look over their shoulder and keep them on track.  For this reason I have come up with the top 5 tips if you work at home or make money online.

Top 5 Tips When You Work from Home 

1.       Structure your work schedule.  Your day doesn’t have to begin at 8:00am, but whenever it does start, know what you should be doing.  Maybe you are the type that needs to check e-mail first or make a few phone calls.  Whatever it is, and the choice is up to you, make sure you have a system in place so you can focus on your tasks instead of wondering where you should go next.

2.       Make a list.  You need to have reminders of what should be done for the day and it is so satisfying when you get to scratch them off!  Some people find it easy to use something like notepad or other management software.  I like to write notes to myself and find that this keeps me on track.

3.       Stay connected!  You may work from home, but you don’t have to be alone.  Social networks are great for this … try Twitter … it is one of the latest and greatest networks for staying in touch and following interesting people and what they are doing.  Remember you do need input from the outside world and I don’t mean having your kids running at your feet either!  Go to http://twitter.com  and sign up …. you can begin by following me at http://twitter.com/DeniseClarke  I will click to follow you back and that way we can keep up with what’s going on.

4.       Set goals for yourself.  Many times it is difficult to keep yourself motivated in a home business. Keep track of your businesses progress.  Are you making any money?  Maybe set a goal of bringing in a certain hourly wage and then when you reach that amount, bump the bar up a bit.  Make your goals attainable.  Think of these as stepping stones, not the final, ultimate nowhere else to go type goals!

5.       Take a break!  It is important to pace yourself.  I KNOW that working at home can consume a lot of time.  I sit down at the computer many days and find that I haven’t eaten and 8 hours have slipped away.  Yes, you need to focus and of course, it is tempting to work just another couple of hours, but remember you don’t want to burnout either.  Being the CEO, president, secretary, tech support, etc. of a home based business is a job that has many “hats” … and there will be days you will find your head spinning around.  Take a break … take a whole day off.  Your mental batteries will recharge and you will be surprised at how a little down time can make your mental juices flow better.  You will come up with ideas that you never thought of before!  Trust me.

OK, this is just the first 5 tips when you work from home, there are many more to come.  A successful home based business grows in baby steps and many times a bunch of work goes into making just a small step forward, but be patient … it all works out in the end!