A lot of people have a perception that working at home is nothing but a bed of roses. Flexible working hours. Spending more time with your kids. Being your own boss. It all sounds really good, don't you agree?
Well, yes, those are some of the benefits but there are also certain issues which could arise when you work at home. It is important to be aware of such issues and to learn how to cope with it in order to be successful working at home.
Problem No.1: You work until the wee hours of the morning.
When you work at home, sometimes it is difficult to draw a line between time for work and time for family. Usually when you work in an office, you will leave your work at the office and come home to your family, then return to the office the next day to continue your work. Unfortunately, when you work at home, sometimes work overflows into family time. Instead of spending more time with the family (remember that this was the reason you wanted to work at home in the first place), in the end you neglect your family more.
The Solution:
Create a work schedule and stick to it. You can designate a specific period of time a day when you can work and if you can't finish your work then leave it for the next day. This requires some discipline and self-control especially if you are a workaholic or perfectionist. You can also set an alarm clock on your desk and when the alarm goes off, shut down your computer and close those files, then leave your home office or work space and get ready to divert all your attention to your family.
Problem No.2: Putting off household chores or not having enough time to get them done.
When you had just one job which was a full-time mother, you had the whole day to complete household chores. Now that you are a full-time Mum and part-time home business owner, it seems like 24 hours a day is just not enough! It is hard to imagine having to pay bills, send out customers' orders, iron the clothes, cook dinner, help Junior with his Math homework and deal with difficult suppliers all in one day. In the end, you forget to do the laundry and throw out the trash (wait a minute, isn't this your hubby's job?), so you end up being a mess in the eyes of your family.
The Solution:
Make a to-do-list to help you prioritize and get more organized. You can set a time limit for each task. For instance, iron clothes from 10am to 11am. This will help you complete the required work tasks and household chores within the designated time limit. If you find that you can complete the tasks within a shorter time period, then you will have some extra time at the end of the day to relax. The benefit is not only that you will be able to handle chores and work tasks well but it also helps you to manage time better and become more productive.
Problem No.3: Your kids constantly want your attention.
If your kids are still young then they may not be able to understand that you are running a business from home because for most kids, working means leaving the house in the morning in an office suit and coming home in the late afternoons. Therefore, they may want your attention every single minute of the day since you are always home. Some Mums find it hard to say "No" to their children and end up putting off their work to cater to their child's every whim. In the end, their home businesses fail due to lack of effort.
The Solution:
Explain to your kids that you are now also running a home business and so some of your time will be spent doing serious work chores. Let them know that you will still be around the house but you need a few hours of uninterrupted time each day to make more money for the family. If your kids are a bit older, you can also get them involved in more menial tasks for your business such as tying ribbons on order packages. Another way is to provide a distraction for your kids so you can work peacefully. You can let them watch cartoons on TV or better yet, send them to art classes at the local community center. Lastly, you can also consider some creative childcare ideas if all else fails.
You should not be discouraged by these potential problems which could arise when you work at home because they are just minor setbacks and with some discipline and effort from yourself, as well as support from your family, they could be overcome easily.