A Home Based Business, Is This What You Really Want

Most people would like to have more money, and many people would like to be able to create a full time income from the comfort of their homes. One of the reasons many people do not get a home based business started is that it must be done part time until it is profitable enough to produce the income needed for an individual to be able to quit his or her day jobs. The trouble is, not many of these people think they can fit "a second job" into their time schedules. Often, people who would like to be at home are mothers who work outside the home, and these individuals often have trouble fitting anything into their schedules beyond working all day and caring for their families in the evening.

While it is that most people have very busy lives, extra time for some sort of home-based extra income-producing project can almost always be found. Finding extra time may mean sacrificing a pleasurable activity for the short term; an activity like having a cup of coffee with friends or "keeping up" with your favorite television show. The ultimate goal is, as we know, to be able to have time in abundance for all of these favorite activities. But at first, in order to become successful working from home, some activities will be set aside.

The first thing to do is to sit down with pencil and paper, or if you prefer, a program on your computer or PSA, and write out your daily schedule. What time do you usually get up? Does it change for different days? Then step-by-step, list everything you do each day. Most people, to their surprise, find that they have about three hours each day that can be utilized in a more constructive manner. As we've noted, this may mean giving up a couple of pleasurable activities for the short term.

Efficient time management means planning what you're going to do, and then doing it without backtracking. Start by making a list of the things you want to do tomorrow, each evening before you go to bed. Schedule your trips to the store and other errands to coincide with the other things you have to do, and with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care of as many things as possible while you're out of the house. Take stock of the time you spend standing around shooting the breeze - especially the time you spend on the telephone - and eliminate all that isn't completely necessary. You may want to notify your friends that you are setting up a home based business, and let them know that you will be making some time for friends in your life.

Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time to do them, and a specific amount of time to you will be devoting to them. For instance, just one hour a day devoted to yard work will make a large difference in how your property looks to the neighbors. Don't try to do a week's worth of work in one big flurry. Whether it's painting your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and trimming your shrubs, do a part of it, or one particular job each day, and you'll be amazed at how much you've gotten done.

Take care of all your mail the day you receive it. Don't let those bills and letters pile up; and don't save them until "the weekend". If you're unable to pay a bill immediately, file it in a special place that's visible, and note on the envelope the date you intend to pay it. Answer your letters the same day you get them.

The important thing is to think of time as your most valuable asset, because it is. So organize! Decide what you have to do, and what you want to do. From there, it's just a matter of arranging priorities. Franklin Covey offers an entire day seminar about time management and setting up your priorities. All of their planners and day timers are designed to help the user plan and execute his or her time effectively. If you have the time and money, this seminar can truly change your life and the way you look at planning.

Once you start listing and prioritizing what you want to do, and then carry out your plans, you'll find plenty of "extra time" for handling virtually any kind of home-based income-producing project. A lot of people may not like routines or schedules, but without some sort of plan as to what is supposed to be done, no one would get much of anything done. The better we can organize ourselves, the more productive and happy we become.

The secret of all financially successful people is simply that they are organized and do not waste time. Think about it. Review your own activities, and then see if you can't find a couple of extra hours in each day for more constructive accomplishments.

When you begin planning, and then when you really become involved in an extra in come-producing endeavor, you should work it exactly as you have organized your regular day-to-day activities - on a time-efficient basis, with your schedule planned out in advance. Do what has to be done immediately. Don't try to get done in an hour something that's realistically going to take a week. Give yourself executable time limits, so that you do not get discouraged by not being able to get it all done. Plan out on paper what you have to do - what you want to do - and when you are going to do it. Then get right on each project without procrastination.

Finally, (and this is very important) when you're organizing your time and your business, be sure to set aside some time for relaxation. It is vital that you schedule time when you and your spouse can be together. You must not involve yourself in anything to an extent that you exclude other people - particularly your loved ones - from your life. You may want to inform them that you will be giving up some "extra" activities for now so that you can get your home business off the ground, but let them know that you will still have time for them.

Taking stock of the time you waste each day, and reorganizing your activities is what it's all about. It's a matter of becoming more efficient in the use of your time. It's actually quite easy to do, and you will not only accomplish a lot more, you will also find greater fulfillment in your life, because you will be accomplishing something you've always wanted to do; work from home or bring in extra money for those things you've always wanted.