6 Things You Should Do When Running a Business From Home

There are over 1.6 million people working from home in the UK. The increase in numbers can be attributed to flexible working, freelancing and start-up businesses.

Starting a new business from home can be particularly challenging – especially if you’re doing it yourself. We’ve listed 6 things you should do when working from home.

1. The admin: taxman and insurance

When starting a new business, you must tell the tax man – this will avoid any problems further down the line. This should be done within the first 3 months of trading. For further information on starting a business from home, check out the Government website.

It’s important that you tell your home insurance provider if you’re working from home. Depending on the size of the operation, you may also require business insurance – this is something that your insurance provider will advise you on.

2. Create a workspace

Working from home causes a clash between your personal and work life. With so many distractions, being disciplined is a must. If you find yourself drifting away from work regularly, consider creating a workspace.

Creating a workspace within the house will allow you to focus and get into “work mode”. If you’re in need of a little inspiration for your workspace, check out these ideas.

3. Go digital

If you’re working from home, space will often be at a premium. Although you should certainly invest in a filling cupboard or two, adopting digital practices will help you save on space and become better organized. Try to go paperless – this will allow you to work from anywhere with an internet connection.

If you’re considering using apps in your business, check out our post on apps which will save you time.

4. Get out and about

Starting a business can be a very lonely experience. If you’re working from home, you won’t have a great deal of human interaction, which can often cause a loss of enthusiasm and motivation for a project. Not only that, but you won’t be making the business contacts you need to grow your business.

But working from home doesn’t have to be lonely. If you’re running a digital home office, you’ll benefit from being able to work anywhere at anytime. Make use of public workspaces and coffee shops. Not only will it give you an opportunity to make new contacts, but it will allow you to gain perspective away from your workspace.

5. Don’t overwork

With your office at home, the opportunity is there for you to work 24/7. This is dangerous for a number of reasons. Not only are you likely to burn yourself out, but the motivation might quickly wear out. Instead, consider a time sheet for yourself. Calculate a number of hours you’re happy to work a week and spread these over 7 days.

6. Enjoy the flexibility

One of the biggest motivations to work from home is the flexibility you can enjoy. It’s that flexibility that a growing business needs, and something you should be taking advantage of constantly.

If you’re working from home, you should never feel guilty about taking a morning off. It’ll often be compensation from some weekend work!

For a growing business, having flexible services is a must. With pay as you go telephone answering from myalldayPA – you’ll benefit from a flexible service with no set-up fee or contract.