Working from home and flexible working are increasingly becoming popular ’perks’ that businesses across all industries offer their workforce. Flexible working hours and locations have been commonplace in Network Marketing for decades and are in fact one of the reasons that people are initially attracted to the prospect of working in this industry.
The beauty of the MLM industry is that business owners can define their own hours and schedule, so that they fit around other commitments. However, some find it distracting or less productive to work from home, so here are five tips to get the most out of working from home:
Treat it like work
Get ready and dressed as if you are going to a place of work or office. Don’t be tempted to just quickly do the washing up or fold away the laundry when you’re on official work time. Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve that day and be focused on achieving what you’ve set out to do. Having said that, do take breaks just the way you usually would as if working in an office. Although you may conduct some of your prospecting work via social media, be careful not to let it turn into a time-wasting activity.
Choose a workspace
Whether it’s a particular room in your house, a dedicated home office or a coffee shop, it helps to have a designated workspace. Choose a space that is comfortable, bright and distraction-free, although some people work more effectively with some background noise. Some people also benefit from working in co-working spaces as being around other professionals can boost their own creativity, focus and productivity. Wherever you choose to work, having a dedicated workspace can help you get in the right mindset and into productivity mode.
Plan your workday
Work out when you are at your most productive time and plan your workday accordingly. If you work most efficiently first thing in the morning, tackle your most complex piece of work first thing. You could even plan out your tasks in an online calendar to give yourself a set amount of time to finish tasks. Administrative or transactional jobs can be done in the evening, whereas business strategy planning might be better to do in the morning when you are more alert.
Set boundaries
If you’re working at home around your family, it can be difficult not to get side-tracked, and lines can get blurred. Set boundaries outlining when it is and isn’t ok for family members to interrupt you. You might find it useful to listen to music over headphones when you have to concentrate so as to drown out any background noise and send a clear ‘do not disturb’ signal. If you get interrupted a lot at home, you might like to try going for a walk to make work calls.
Use tech
There are now many apps and tools available to help you be more efficient. A timekeeping tool can be useful to help you identify what aspects you spend most time on. Project management tools can function as an advanced to do list, and video conference software such as Skype can help you conduct your meetings virtually, rather than in person. Identify which parts of your business could do with streamlining and speak to fellow business owners to get ideas for new technologies to adopt. Many systems are now cloud-based, such as our accounting software PRBookkeeping, so you can access them from anywhere, anytime.
A final word
And don’t forget, you can get tax relief on items such as rent, mortgage interest and some of your household bills if you’re working from home.
PRB Accountants provide specialist bookkeeping and tax advice to Network Marketers. Call our friendly team today on 01444 458252 or email info@prbmp.com to find out how we can help your business.