If you have recently waved goodbye to your full-time job, your promotion prospects and your office colleagues, you are probably excited about going freelance or starting your own business. While you might be tempted to lease some office space for your new professional outfit, you might be better off working from home. Having a dedicated home office can reduce your overheads and save you a small fortune when you initially begin your self-employment journey. 

Your finances will be the most important thing to you as a newbie entrepreneur. It doesn’t matter whether you are planning on providing accountancy services to IT contractors, whether you are looking to design bespoke jewelry pieces or whether you are keen to begin blogging in a professional capacity, you can take advantage of working from home. Take a look at everything you need to know about using your pad for your workplace.

Willpower 

It sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? You can wake up whenever you want, sip your favorite coffee and even have the odd pajama day when working on your money-making venture from home. However, fall into this trap and you could find yourself being less productive and procrastinating. Procrastination is the enemy of all people who work from home. 

Instead, get up with your alarm and treat the working day in the same way as you would if you were still enduring that arduous commute. You need to think about having a shower and getting dressed. Forget about staying in your pajamas and sitting in front of the TV to answer your emails or write your latest blog post. This is way too dangerous. You may find yourself scrolling through your Facebook feed or watching just one more episode from your favorite box set.

Office Space

To ensure that you have a decent work life balance, you need to ensure that your work life doesn’t encroach on your home life. If you have a small brood, you don’t want to have your laptop open on the dining room table as the kids play around you and you are trying to organize a meeting with an important client. Instead, set up a home office space that allows you to shut the door and keep your work-life self contained.

Your home office should be an environment that encourages productivity. Take a look at these home office decor ideas and organize the space so that it is fit for purpose. Don’t go for an office chair because it looks cool if it isn’t comfortable and gives you a bad back.  Go for function over form and enjoy experimenting with interior design. Ensure that you organize your office so that you have everything you need in one space. You must keep it tidy and make it a space that you enjoy being in. If it is messy or you aren’t keen on the decoration, the chances are that you will retreat to the sofa or your bedroom.

Have a desk, a chair and plenty of storage so that any hard copies of files can be close to hand. Ensure that there is a source of natural light and maximize it by adding a mirror and painting the walls a light color. Making a calming yet productive environment will inspire you to work and keep you motivated.

Get Outside

Working from home can be isolating and a shock to the system. You will be used to a busy office and having your colleagues on hand to share a joke and bounce ideas off. Now, you are very much on your own. This can lead to a lonely existence. To combat this, you need to put yourself out there and get involved with some local networking events. This will allow you to meet like-minded entrepreneurs and forge some meaningful professional connections.

Consider meeting up over coffee and enjoying an honest chat about the perils and joys of entrepreneurship. Even on those days where you don’t speak to another human being, you can still head outside. Being outdoors means that you can soak up some much-needed Vitamin D and enjoy a stroll to the local park. Natural light lifts your mood and being a little more active will help clarify your thoughts. You need to work productively and put in the hours, but being cooped up all day with no breaks can be counterproductive.

Follow this guide and you will find yourself being a more productive entrepreneur when you begin your startup journey working from home.