The Best of Both Worlds?

We always hear about the importance of separating work from family, home and social life, and how vital it is that work should be left at the office, and not brought into the home. This is often easier said than done for most people, who strive to switch off at the end of the day, but find themselves incapable of completely achieving it. So what happens when you are an entrepreneur or business owner, and your work is in your home?

Setting up and running your own business involves hard work, commitment and determination. It may also involve some sacrifice. For many, the main sacrifice is a regular fixed income. For others it may be job security, or the comfort of being part of a team. However, the list of sacrifices that are often required to be an entrepreneur or business owner should not include your health and well being, or your loved ones.

At the same time, the freedom of owning your own business and being your own boss should not influence you to slack off whenever you feel like it, or spend time on unnecessary tasks while leaving the business to flounder. Neither should you allow others take your business for granted.

A Job-Based Home

Many business owners and entrepreneurs work from offices based in their own homes, and as a result find it difficult to get the work-and-life balance right. Many find themselves focusing on the business around the clock, due to being unable to distance themselves from their place of business.

There are entrepreneurs who are single-mindedly focused on their goal, putting in 18 hour days, have little time for family and friends, and next-to-no time to concern themselves with their own health. This type of working lifestyle can result in exhaustion, breakdowns in relationships with spouse, children, family and friends, and lead to ill health and potentially, business failure.

This is by no means the model that every single entrepreneur lives by, but is a temptation that they are met with from the start.

A Home-Based Job

At the other end of the scale, there are business owners and entrepreneurs who may find it difficult to focus fully on their business because they work from home.

They may find themselves inclined to concentrate on jobs around the house, or tasks that are unrelated to the business. If they work alone, they may find that they do not have the self-motivation to commit 100% to the business.

If it is not due to a lack of focus, it can often be the result of outside perceptions of their work-from-home position. There may be friends or family that are of the belief that 'working from home' means that they are free for a chat, a coffee or a completely unannounced visit during the day. There are persons who will assign non-business-related tasks to them to complete in the house during the day, because they happen to be there during the day.

This can result in frequent distractions, failure to complete business tasks, inability to commit to the business and again, a potential failure.

Getting the Best of Both Worlds

If keeping work and life completely separate when working from home is too difficult a task, try blending the two wherever possible. This can also help you along the road to finding the right balance. Here are a few tips for working from a home-based office;

*Set a work schedule for yourself. Insist that personal commitments, calls and visits be scheduled for around those hours.

*Set your schedule for whichever time is more productive for you, and suits your family. If a ringing phone does not dictate your day, don't assume that you have to work the same hours as everyone else.

*If you have domestic tasks to carry out in the home, get up a little earlier and complete these before you start work.

*Eat lunch. Either with someone else, or while sitting somewhere nice, or while watching or listening to something you enjoy.

*Play background music or a TV show that helps you 'flow' while working. You wouldn't get that at the boss's office!

*Avoid cabin fever. Take regular breaks. Go for a walk, a drive, visit someone, do some shopping - all can alleviate boredom and loneliness, and make you more productive in the long run.

*Switch off your phone when out-of-hours. With the benefits of voicemail, e-mail, auto-responders and fax machines, you can be left free to spend time with yourself, family and friends, without the fear of missing out on an important lead.

*If you work for yourself and find it hard to switch off after a day of work, focus your attention on a hobby that takes your mind off it. It gives you an outlet for any excess energy, and lessens the need for you to take out any frustrations on your loved ones, or even frustrating and boring them rigid with your 24/7-work mentality.

Working from home can be one of the most beneficial, rewarding and fulfilling methods of working available. However, it can still come with many challenges to balancing life and work. It may seem that your business requires you devote every minute to it to make it succeed, but over a prolonged period of time, this type of devotion can lead to burn out, poor work quality, relationship breakdowns, exhaustion and ill health. Therefore, it is vital to take regular breaks, set aside personal time, look after yourself, and embrace your relationships with family and friends, to ensure that you can give your best to your business and get the best from your life.

Michelle Payne-Gale is the owner of Essence (Business & Admin Support Services), specialising in virtual administration, marketing, & creative support for small businesses. Details of services, additional articles & eBooks are available at http://www.essence-services.co.uk

View the Essence blog at http://essence05.blogspot.com. She is also an active partner in the creation of Caribbean tourism website, http://www.stay-in-antigua.com