How Easy Is It to Work at Home Using Your Laptop?

Do you dream of being your own boss and earning an income working at home? Does the idea of rolling out of bed, drinking coffee whilst checking your e-mails appeal to you?

No long commute stuck in traffic or on a crowded train. There would be no distractions, no-one to complain to you and you would be very focused throughout the day.

Well that's the theory although the reality may not be as easy as you dream about. Being your own boss means you are solely in charge of yourself and your time, with no-one checking up on you.

You will need to be able to deal with unexpected situations that could cause confusion and great stress. There may be no-one around to support you. You will need to be self-motivated without the pressure of a boss on your case.

It can be very easy to be distracted by household chores... I'll just put the washing on or unload the dishwasher! Working at home means you are responsible for your own time and some people find they become less productive without the incentive of other people looking over them. So I've put together some top tips to improve your organisation and time management skills so that you get more done when working at home:

1. Set aside a separate work area in your home. A spare bedroom, the conservatory or a corner of a living room. You will need a desk and office accessories so that everything you need is in easy reach and is clearly defined as your work area. Particularly if you have a family as they need to know this is your new office and treat it as such.

2. How and when do you work best? Are you most effective in morning or evening? Do you like complete quiet or prefer music in the background? Minimise outside influences as far as possible and make sure you are comfortable so that you create an environment that allows you to be as productive as possible.

3. Plan your week and plan each day. Prioritise tasks each day and make sure you achieve all the must do items. Check your energy levels regularly and if necessary take a break, do some stretching or go for a short walk to clear your head and keep yourself energised. Be realistic with what you can achieve and avoid taking on too much. Morning people need to do the difficult tasks first thing.

4. Set aside specific business time hours and accomplish the tasks within those hours. Even if you totally love your business and enjoy working on it you need to make sure that you still have a good work life balance. When friends know that you work from home it can be tempting for them to call, e-mail, IM you or pop round for a coffee at any time of day. You need to minimise interruptions by making sure that people know you are not available for social calls during your working hours and ask them not to contact you unless it's urgent. If you have a website display the hours that you are available so that customers know when you are physically available.

5. Working from home requires negotiation, planning and prioritising. One of the main benefits of building a business using your laptop is that eventually you will be able to automate your business which will free up time so that you can spend more time with your family and meet friends whenever you want.