Being Self Employed – Pre-Launch Steps 6-10
Now that you have enacted the first 5 Pre-Launch steps necessary prior to starting your home based or small office business you are ready for the next 5 steps.
Decide on a space that you will work from. If working from home this means do not set up 'shop' at the kitchen or dining room table! There is a definite psychology for success and one major aspect of that psychology is seeing yourself in the role that you desire to be. If you see yourself as a CEO of a thriving business then a dedicated space with a desk, file cabinet, chair and of course your pc is basic to the imagery necessary to motivate you while growing your enterprise. This space does not have to be an entire room, however it does need to be an area that is visibly set apart from other activities normal to the household routine.
For many of us starting out on a shoe string budget acquiring office 'furniture' may not be possible right away. And a lot of newbie business people fail to see the physical benefit to managing their home workstation as ergonomically as possible from the start! There are quite a few 'office' supply stores in most major and many average sized cities: Office Depot; Office Max; CompUSA, etc. All of these stores offer modestly priced 'student' desks and entry level task or executive chairs. One can also check the surplus warehouse of the local school district, community college and/or university, etc. There's also Craig's List and local newspaper classified ads, flea markets and yard sales to seek QUALITY inexpensive items for your office. Having 'office' furniture, especially a sturdy and ergonomically designed chair, will assist you in directing your body's energy into the work at hand as opposed to trying to keep itself upright or alert when in an unnatural or uncomfortable position for hours on end.
If you don't have a cordless phone handset that can be placed on your desk look into purchasing an expensive one OR investigate whether your cable/phone company offers a cheap VOIP service with your subscription. VOIP allows you to take and make calls through your computer. A good FREE VOIP service is SKYPE, however it's only good for communicating with others that have the SKYPE software on their computers. SKYPE does offer annual contracts for unlimited outgoing and incoming calls and a combination package can cost as little as $60 per year! Having a phone or VOIP service at your desk will allow you to work without having to break your 'rhythm' to search for a ringing phone!
Lighting is of major importance and being close to a window will give you optimum benefit for eye health – taking a few moments every 30 – 45 minutes to look outside give the eyes much needed exercise and also aids the body in staying grounded to the 'real world' outside of work. Table/desk lamps are surprisingly affordable and can be purchased for under $10 at any of the office stores mentioned above or even Target and WalMart.
Set your office hours! Another major psychological aspect for successfully transitioning into any new task is taking yourself seriously. Setting your office hours AND going to your desk and doing something at the 'appointed' time proves to your 'doubting' self that you ARE serious and determined to BE successful as a self-employed person!
For those of you that are planning on launching your business from a small office space – whether solo or shared – choosing quality furnishings are just as important as for those working from home. So all of the points apply except for dedicating a space in your living quarters.
There are a few more steps that need to be addressed before hanging out your 'open for business' sign and I'll be sharing those later this week. Some of you might think that you will AND may need to make office furniture purchases once money starts coming in, etc. While often that may be a necessity, don't be lulled into the easy trap of putting off taking care of your personal health and balance until a 'better' time. The way in which we take care of our basic needs and health reflects just how well we will take care of ourselves during the high stress time of launching a business – most of us don't have any guarantee that we'll be successful in business – teaching yourself to TRUST that you're responsible for the GOOD and the unexpected can only come from implementing basic sound actions of 'taking care of business' at the start. Go ahead and buy that chair that's marked down to $39.99 – you can write it off next year's taxes!
YE is Here!
YE is an author; electronics, computer & gadget geek; certified holistic health consultant; grandmother and devoted traveler that currently resides in Georgia. She can be contacted for interviews, consultations and general comments at either of her websites.
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