Home Business Organisation Ideas

[amandajane]

Hiya :0)

I run a business from home and am hopeful that a discussion could start about hacks for home business? What systems do you use that save you time and money and allow you to work smarter from home?

Currently I'm trying to streamline my mac so that I am completely automised there.

Any ideas?

[khorrell]

Hi amandajane,

I find that I get easily distracted, so I swear by a timer. I use both a computer one (downloaded from Scirocco) and a kitchen timer. Otherwise, I get off on some tangent and don't get much accomplished.

I am anxious to hear others work-at-home hacks.

[lucille]

I keep my desk at home organized as I would my desk at work. I don't answer the door if I am home working during the day, or doing personal work at home (like taxes). Something like a day planner or computerized agenda works for staying on task. I even use that if I am home trying to get personal things done, it reminds me to stay on task.

[amandajane]

Hiya :0)

That is a problem for me too, I get sidetracked when I'm working online ~ proof of the pudding is that I started this post a couple of hours ago and completely forgot the tab was open!

[amandajane]

Hi Lucille

I don't answer the door when I'm working unless it's someone I'm expecting and I try to schedule those visits during other hours.

The organised desk is a great thing to have. I recently brought a corner desk so I have more space, it fits nicely into the room now.

[jkuo13]

I use little tricks which aren't necessarily specific to working at home:

1. Focus on one task at a time. Multi-tasking splits your attention and usually means you're doing a mediocre and less effective job on the multiple tasks instead of doing each task well in sequence. If I'm working on something on the computer, I'll sometimes use a program which blacks out the screen except for the active window. That way I'm less likely to be distracted.

2. Prioritize your to-do list, and make sure you get the most important task (or two) done.

3. Music also helps me focus. Something with a beat when I'm in a "get things done" mode, and maybe something classical when I'm in a brainstorming mode.

4. Taking regular breaks to stretch the legs, refresh the mind, etc. I once had a boss who thought taking breaks was a waste of time. I've never had my productivity drop so low b/c I was just plain worn out.

That's what helps me, though I can't say that I'm always good about following my own advice...

[purplefdu]

I use a timer as well. I also have to put the puppy in his crate and shut the older dog out of the spare room and tell my husband to not call until I'm "done" with work for the night. Then I shut the TV off and plug in headphones. Unless the fire alarm goes off I don't pay attention to anything else.

[lucille]

Originally Posted by jkuo13

4. Taking regular breaks to stretch the legs, refresh the mind, etc. I once had a boss who thought taking breaks was a waste of time. I've never had my productivity drop so low b/c I was just plain worn out.

Knowing your own productivity ups and downs! I can burn through a mountain of work first thing in the morning as long as I can keep distractions down. Some places I have worked would allow you to leave your phone set to go straight to voice mail or otherwise limit distractions when your trying to really get work done, some don't. Controlling when you check email or answer your phone around your peak productivity can help. I am less productive in the afternoon so I save that for things that don't require brain power or are less important.

[amyschiff]

A while back I read some tips for working at home on A List Apart. Readers wrote in and said what they do to keep on task.

If you're into productivity applications, you could try out Things, a task management program for mac. It is really great for keeping you on task and integrates with iCal pretty well. The price is a little bit of a turnoff but after using the beta version for a long time, my fiance and I had to buy it.

[gtdagenda]

Find the activity in your business that makes you the most money, and do it FIRST thing in the morning.

Before lunch and and before checking email.