Pitfalls of Home-based Business and
How to Avoid Them

Work at home in your pajamas!
Be accessible to your kids.
Keep overhead costs down.

E-mail ads entice you, your parenting heart suggests you to be closer to the kids, and your pocketbook requires that you keep costs down. While more and more successful businesswomen are working from their homes, there is a downside to be aware of.

1. Isolation: While some businesses require constant networking, others don’t. The danger many coaches, speakers, home day care providers, and others face is isolation. Isolation can drain one’s energy and reduce productivity, lower one’s self esteem, and shut down sales. Barbara Sher, author of the best seller Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want*, warns that “Isolation is a dream killer.” Here are some suggested ways to avoid isolation:

• Join a network, service club, and Chamber of Commerce.
• Set aside a certain number of mornings for coffee appointments, or book two or three lunches a week.
• Read Never Have Lunch Alone by Keith Ferrazzi** .
• Take time to research or plan in a busy bookstore.
• Take a morning retreat with another business person where you take turns brainstorming marketing ideas and exchanging information with each other. Share areas of frustration and exchange solutions.

You’ll find that incorporating these social times into your calendar will keep you sharing ideas, connecting with other business people, and prospecting, the never-ending process of finding qualified business leads.

2. Interruptions: Children, spouses, and elderly parents tend to interrupt more when you have a home-based business than if you were employed at a job. Although you might have started your home-based business to be more accessible to family members, you will need to set some boundaries. Here are several ideas that work have worked for different business owners:

• Hire a “mother’s helper” or young teenager to entertain small children.
• Establish a “sign” for “do not disturb.” This could be a gesture when you are on the phone, or an actual sign in your office space.
• Close the door (if you have an enclosed space) and refuse to open it during work hours.
• Determine specific hours of operation for your business, so that you are truly available and 100% present to family members during off hours.

3. Distractions: Believe it or not, there is an appropriate time to ignore the dishes sitting in the sink. “I’ll just clean the house so I can concentrate,” is a key pitfall. If you didn’t clean the house on the weekend, then your Monday morning work time is NOT the time to do it. Other rules of thumb include:

• Make sure your work area is away from television.
• Clear your desk at the end of the day: start neat and orderly.
• Other people’s stuff does not belong in your office space.
• Refrain from ordering presents on eBay during office hours and reading all the email “forwards” that your cousin and girlfriend send you. Computers can drain your time quickly.

4. Lulls in your motivation: Inevitably you will lose some of your steam after the initial excitement wears off. Keeping yourself motivated to make sales calls and to make things happen takes discipline, entrepreneurial spirit, and a business plan. If you do not have a plan, you will wear out much quicker. Here are some other ways you can keep your inner fire burning:

• Post your mission statement where you can see it.
• Write a vision statement and post it as well.
• Put affirmations on your computer that express your inner desire to serve through your business.
• Begin the day with inspirational reading.
• Log your baby steps, small successes, and major triumphs every night.
• Attend any “Business of the Year” celebrations; the descriptions of the winning business person are very inspirational.
• Keep learning. Research on the Internet and in bookstores.
• Join and attend association meetings for your industry.
• Set goals and celebrate when you reach them.
• Join a Toastmasters Club and work on your presentation skills. You will be with other motivated achievers who aspire to be better.
• Hire a coach. A coach becomes a partner who asks smart questions and is invested in your success. Most coaches offer a complimentary session so you can see whether or not you are a fit.

5. Burnout: Take care of yourself. This means developing routines whereby you go to the gym, have your hair done, get a massage, and eat healthily. Even getting dressed is important. Research has proven that sales people get better results when they are dressed up rather than on “casual Friday.” So toss the pajama idea.

• Know when to stop. If you tend to work at night, set a time that you will absolutely stop whatever you are working on to wind down and relax.
• Be sure you get plenty of sleep.
• If your mind is churning, take yoga or purchase a good tape of stretching exercises that help you get grounded in your body.
• Keep a good, “escape book” next to your bed. Your mind needs a break.

Finally, take retreats. Leave your office for a day retreat, and leave your home for a real vacation. Changing environments recharges your spirit and gives you a new perspective.

When you avoid these pitfalls with careful planning, boundaries, and a commitment to rituals that care for yourself and your clients, your home-based business will grow without robbing you of your sanity.

*New York: Ballantine Books, 2003.
**Ferrazzi, Keith, and Tahl Raz. Never Eat Lunch Alone and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. New York: Currency, 2005.