work from home without my head exploding?

[yvette]

I know that many ishers have home-based businesses or do some work from home, so i thought I would ask for some advice.
My job is coming to an end and I am going to try to make a few bob out of my feltmaking skills - making and selling at markets and on Folksy, doing workshops and teaching. My worry is how to I organise myself to get the work done while balancing family demands, the inevitable housework etc. This must be a problem that faces so many homeworkers - any experiences you might have to share would be much appreciated.

[MKG]

Fairly straightforward, really - your working hours are ring-fenced for work. Your family must get used to not disturbing you (as they can't if you go out to work) and you must get used to not even thinking about doing housework during those hours (as you can't if you go out to work). If you don't do that, your work rate will fall drastically.

Easier said than done, mind.

Mike

[pelmetman]

Hi Yvette

We have worked from home for many years now and would have it no other way. In the early days when setting up the business it meant long hours but now we manage on around 4 hours between us a day - meaning lots of time for the things that we like doing

Everyone is different, some folks give themselves set hours. Whatever, I would always make sure you have a lunch hour and tea breaks

Don't forget that you may have to pay business rates and I would advise you to have an Accountant which can save you money in the long run i.e. you can claim for office, electricity, workshop etc.

I wish you well and enjoy being your own boss, no one out there to tell you what to do any more

Sue

[pelmetman]

As a add on to Sue's post ............My family and Sue's has been self employed for generations, and we have all staggered from feast to famine for centuries .........frankly if you wish to earn a fortune then come up with an invention for perpetual motion ...........as that will be the next big earner :cheers..............or else get involved in the media and think of a shallow idea, like watching paint dry

But if you can get used to the feast and famine way of life...........then there's no better.....sadly it usually takes my family 30 odd years to get the balance right .....I have been lucky in finding a niche market.....................................................................................................................................................................................But if I have one serious word of advice .................it's avoid the b'stards that will offer you advice for a fee..............................

Frankly don't trust anyone..............as your just another meal ticket to them .......I work on gut instinct but even thats failed me on occasion.........best of all remember the government see's you as a meal ticket, they will bump their gums and say they are all for small business

My last piece of advice employ staff as the very very very very very very last resort ............did I say very

[Thomzo]

If you have a room that you can set aside for your work it will help. When I worked full time from home, I used the shed in the garden. It was easier to work when I was away from the distractions of the house. It also meant that I could keep the cats away from my work.

Zoe

[yvette]

Thanks for sharing your experience and wise advice - I am so sorry not to have thanked you all sooner, but family demands did indeed intervene!
Unfortunately, I don't have a spare room to work in, but I do have my own area of the main room in the house (not ideal, but at least I know where everything is). The idea about ringfencing my work hours has also been very useful - as Mike said, when i was at work I wasn't constantly available. I have started screening phone calls during work hours and only answer work-related calls.
I found Dave and Sue's responses very encouraging (and their warnings very timely). Fortunately I don't want or need to earn a fortune, but I do want to be my own boss. Too old now to be anyone's dogsbody!
Many thanks to you all.

[RunningWild]

If you have a room that you can set aside for your work it will help. When I worked full time from home, I used the shed in the garden. It was easier to work when I was away from the distractions of the house. It also meant that I could keep the cats away from my work.

Zoe

Adding to this, the further you work away from distractions (in your case houseowkr), the less likely you are to be distracted. I don't think motivating yourself is a difficult thing - once you start something then you should be doing it until complete (at least that's how my brain works!). Working in a Link to sheds website removed by admin or something will help minimise your distractions as you'll be a short distance away from your house... provided you have a garden!

[MKG]

Running Wild .... You joined today, and two of your four posts contain links to commercial sites. Tell me you're not a spammer, please.

Mike

[Ellendra]

I don't think motivating yourself is a difficult thing - once you start something then you should be doing it until complete (at least that's how my brain works!).

That must be nice, but I don't think most people are like that. If they were, there would be no need for motivational speakers, or all those time management books that are on the market.

[pelmetman]

I don't think motivating yourself is a difficult thing - once you start something then you should be doing it until complete (at least that's how my brain works!).

That must be nice, but I don't think most people are like that. If they were, there would be no need for motivational speakers, or all those time management books that are on the market.

My younger brother has always suffered from ambition ........and he has shelves of these self help books, even got involved in Amway at one time (Damway I call it ). To give him his due he works like the proverbial ****** a word that is not pc nowdays ..........and now has a business that needs to turn over 33k a month .............................to break even .............and given the recession he's struggling financially, but he's used to it and is not to bothered as he's been down the pan once before ...........but his business partner is now very depressed

I sometimes think he try's to hard

Dave

[HomeworkKitteh]

I know I'm on here a tad late, but I wanted to thank you folks for the sound advice. I only recently started working from home (as a content writer) and it can be a tad trying when you have 2 lil' babies runnin' all over the place and you're attempting to meet deadlines. It's especially trying to calculate time and attendance when you're not physically in the office. Obviously, the reason I AM working from home is because of my children (I was gracious provided the opportunity by my job), but I'm realizing now that I can't devote ALL of my time to them. You can't win! I need the job, but my children also need a watchful eye on them. Oy.

I'm glad you folks feel my pain. Does anyone have any MORE advice they can provide concerning kids and work? Thanks, folks! Glad to be here! :D

[sammyh]

I've been self employed for ever and am now too used to it to work for any one else. Some things on this thread got me thinking. I used to make alot of jewellery, and remember being at a big craft fair and someone saying 'well my daughter's jewellery buisness has a turnover of 100.000 a year and I said- means nothing what's her profit! Profit is kinda vital if you need to keep your buisness going at it's to supply an income- obvious but not what people ask- they always ask for turnover.

I've worked as a nanny with mum's who work from home and now run my own childminding buisness from home. I can say be clear and reasonable with your kids. I had to have a chat with my 5 year old when he had a melt down and talked to him about the fact that I need to work and this is a job that means I am working from home- it's a compromise and I realise it's a compromise for him sometimes too. But it's not a bad lesson that children sometimes have to 'get on with it' and don't have all your attention. But how old are yours? I do find that under 3's kinda just know that they are the centre of the universe and expect others to know this too! If you are trying to work with very little ones running about that can be very tricky.

Sam

[Dr.Syn]

If this is any help then good. I was self employed for the last 14 years of my working life and I'm proud to say that it was successful in fact when I retired I bought my house and land outright and I have a reasonable pension.
My principles were as follows:-

1) Have set hours for work. your day may be shorter because of no travel time but I suggest that time is used for the boring but necessary book work
2) Always be ready to take that extra step but note step not mile.
3) Learn how to say no and mean it
4) Don't be the cheapest nor the dearest
5) Think about when you retire and plan for it
6) Remember they won't buy from you if they don't know you're there (advertise at first but hopefully word of mouth is best)
7) It is work BUT enjoy it
8) The hardest taskmaster you will ever have is YOU
9) Good luck enjoy it.


Bern

[yvette]

Just revisited this thread as I have already made mistakes this year in being overambitious with what I could hope to achieve over Christmas - clearly, I needed to read it all again! Thanks so much for those who shared their experience since my last post. I think Dr Syn's 8th point about the hardest taskmaster being myself is a very useful reminder. I kept thinking 'Where's the day gone, I haven't done anything'. Then I started to quickly note down every single thing I did in the day, not just the feltmaking but the routine bits like geting the laundry on and washing up. I had a huge list at the end of the day. I realised that when i said 'I haven't done anything', what I really meant was 'I haven't done EVERYTHING' - which of course, I never could.
Just heard with great sadness of the sudden and unexpected death of a friend. Reminded me that there is a 10th point to add to Dr Syn's list - just stop fannying about and get on with it.

[safronsue]

hi yvette! someone mentioned advertising i think and me being nosey had a look for a link to see what you felt and noticed you don't have one. don't miss the opportunity to put a link in your signature. I love felted things! do you have an etsy account?