by Mrs. Dana Neal
The work at home parent has one big issue; finding office
space where no one can find you! In order to work at home
you have to set goals, be organized, and set hours. You need
a secure office to accomplish this.
My experience with office space will frighten you! I have
used portable file cabinets in the back of my van. I have
used crates to hold the office supplies that did not fit in
the file cabinets. My palm pilot and cell phone held
important notes and dates. Yet, the ever friendly Post-it
note would be stuck everywhere there was free space. My
office was my vehicle.
Now, the vehicle was not my first office just the worst. My
first office was in the corner of my living room. I had two
phone lines, one for fax/internet and one for home/business.
My kids were too young; my schedule was before they went to
school, while they were at school and daycare, and after bed
time. The gift basket business worked out very well.
Your home office is the key to your success. Being able to
find your home office is essential to your sanity! One thing
that is important in deciding where your home office should
be placed is starting with your local Internal Revenue
Service or online at www.irs.gov . The IRS offers a
multitude of information for tax benefits and tax breaks
regarding your home business. They can tell you if your
office can share space with your children or your pets.
The other important factor in deciding where your office
should be placed is how often you will need to use the
office. After talking with the IRS, and finding out the
taxing highs and lows, you will know where you can place the
office, but if you are only using your office 25% of the
time in your home, what are the long term benefits? Do you
just need a place to put your personal computer or laptop?
Does your business keep you more on the go and not in the
home?
The second part of this factor is whether or not you will
have clients in your home. If so, you will need insurance to
protect you, your home and your business, and prayerfully,
keep them separate. Your home office is separate from the
other happenings in the house, but when clients come in for
appointments or consultations, you have just reached a high
plateau of being in business. Plus more money.
Now that you have found your home office, chosen your tax
breaks, you have to decide how much time you will need
there, and whether or not you will need insurance, you also
need to make it look professional. If you make it look like
it’s too perfect for your husband to stop by and check his
email, or too clean for the children to sit down and have a
snack, you may have to make the decision to put locks on
your desk, and passwords on your computer and laptop. When
you have taken the time to figure the dollars and cents of
your home office, there is no need to have the family run in
and mess it up.
Your home office is essential to your success and sanity.
Keep your home office professional and easily accessible for
you!
Mrs. Dana Neal
www.ckqgifts.biz
==============================================
Dana M. Neal,
has been in business since 1999. She is currently the
CEO, Christian Encouragement Officer at
C.K.Q. Gifts.
Dana is married and has four children.
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