Alyssa Gregory owns avertua, LLC , a virtual assistant firm providing general business support, design services, and virtual assistant coaching and mentoring. She is the author of “VA Secrets Revealed! An Insider’s Guide to Being a Successful Virtual Assistant” and provides small business tips through her blog. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.
This November marks the 5th anniversary of my virtual assistant company, avertua. I have learned many things over the past five years about business, marketing and working with clients. But perhaps some of the most important lessons I’ve learned are those that keep things moving behind the scenes when you work from home.
In honor of my anniversary, I have compiled the top five lessons I’ve learned while working from home. If you are a seasoned home-worker, you may nod in agreement as you read through my list. If you’re a new business owner or soon to be taking the plunge to work from home, hopefully you will get some ideas you can implement, and maybe even avoid some common mistakes many people who work from home make.
Here are my top lessons learned:
1 - Repeat After Me: I Am Working!
I have found that no matter how many times I tell family and friends that I’m working, there are always several people who don’t quite get it. They stop by unannounced; they call and want to talk for an hour; they make plans without checking with me. It’s been five years, and I am still telling the same people over and over again that I am not sitting around watching soap operas and eating bon-bons; I am WORKING.
My Lesson: If you’re repeating, “I can’t; I’m working,” over and over to the same people, it’s a lost cause. Don’t spend any more time getting frustrated or trying to get them to understand. Accept their misconceptions and realize that they are not going to change. Start to schedule time to get together way in advance and in the meantime, make your excuse, hang up the phone and get back to work!
2 - Discipline is a Must-Have
When you work from home distractions are everywhere. You’re in your own environment so you have constant reminders about what you will be doing when you’re not working: places you need to clean, yard work that needs to be done, and kids who want your attention. It is very easy to be distracted and sidetracked and without discipline it is virtually impossible to stay on track.
My Lesson: Set realistic goals for every day but don’t be set on strict adherence. Focus on your biggest priorities, but be flexible and be able to adjust if you are hit by distractions…because it’s inevitable you will be distracted from time-to-time.
3 - Treat Your Technology Like Royalty
Almost everyone I know that works from home relies on their computer. Your productivity can be negatively impacted by out-of-date, non-functional equipment and software. And heaven-forbid you ever experience a system crash! What are you doing to ensure you don’t experience costly downtime?
My Lesson: Make the necessary investment for the systems you need to do your job well. Update your software regularly, and run maintenance (virus check, system check, defrag) regularly. Create a contingency plan so you can continue to work in case of a problem with your primary computer. And please, back up your data!
4 - Get Organized and Create Systems NOW
When I started my business, I wasted many hours trying to find files misplaced on my computer, locating documents lost in the sea of paper on my desk, and recreating the wheel every time I needed to send a standard e-mail. It not only took its toll on my productivity, but it became frustrating and definitely didn’t create an environment conducive for work.
My Lesson: Get organized and make every effort to stay organized. Once you create your systems, manuals, and processes you will find you are able to get more done in less time, which is truly invaluable. Set aside time at least weekly to reevaluate, adjust and take action. The time you spend getting organized will serve you well for the life of your business.
5 - Setup (and Protect) Your Space
I have been lucky enough to have a room dedicated as my office since starting my business. And I have used my office to its fullest potential. But what if you don’t have the luxury of having a room just for your use? How do you create an area that “works” for your work?
My Lesson: Regardless of the location and the amount of area you have available, create a workspace that is off-limits to the family, separate from your living space, and functions as you need it to. You may have to be a little creative, but you absolutely need a space to call your own!
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned while working from home? Add to my list by commenting below!
If you would like to purchased Alyssa’s wonderful ebook, you can use this link:
I’m working on ways to make myself more marketable, so I can eventually freelance at home—and what a tough task it is! You hit every area, and I’ve attemped to rent a small studio apartment because of the interruptions. I like the idea of a “mobile office,” but home office just isn’t for me.
Great article, Grant. These lessons apply to any work environment, not just a home-based one. Particularly the one about systems: Systems are incredibly important. Thanks!
This is so spot on. Great tips! I’ve learned all of these the hard way too!
Nice article, Alyssa!
Great info for those just starting — and for those of us who have been around forever, it’s nice to know that the “I’m WORKING!” is still a struggle for others too
Excellent choice for a guest blogger, Grant!
Great post. I was nodding my head along with you in the first lesson: “I am working!”.
Over the last 15 years of working from home - I’ve had most crazy things happening.
I have had freinds turn up at lunchtime coz they thought I might get lonely being at home all day by myself or people phoning for a chat coz they knew I was doing ‘nothing’.
I’ve learned a lot of lessons too - one of the most useful things I did was to have caller ID installed on my phoneline to I can screen calls.
I think it’s hardest with family. They seem to think that because I am at home, I am available to them.
We have to keep working on keeping those boundaries in place.
Heather
http://WWW.alittlebitofmetime.com
Thank you all for your comments! It’s always nice to hear that you’re not the only one experiencing a specific issue. As people who work from home, we need to be extremely protective with our time. And I think you hit the nail on the head, Heather, when you said this tends to be the most difficult with family.
I , personally, experience the biggest struggles with family, and I’ve come to realize that they are not trying to undermine what I am doing…they are not even trying to distract me. They simply just don’t understand what it means to work from home. Most of the time, they are interrupting me with best of intentions, truly thinking they are helping. And in dealing with that, it does all boil down to being consistent and protecting your boundaries (while, of course, protecting their feelings, too!).
Matthew — I’m so glad the systems lesson resonated with you. It’s a biggie. If you put in the time and effort to get your processes and systems set up and set up right from the beginning, you really do save yourself an immense amount of time and money down the line. I do this with my own business and even with my clients. It’s a definite necessity.
Thanks again for your feedback!