Singin’ the Work at Home Blues? Jazz It Up With Feedback from These Successful WAH Stars…
Many of us who work from home know that it can have its pitfalls. That doesn’t mean we’re not grateful, or that we’re ready to throw in the towel, but this coach will be the first to say that life at home 24/7 doesn’t always rock. There are days that I find myself singin’ the work at home “WAHhhh ” blues!
So – I reached out to a group of successful WAH business owners with 4 quick questions. I hope you enjoy – and benefit from – a few words from the wise!
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Patti Dobrowolski
Chief, Strategy & Creative Design
Alchemy: The Art of Transforming Business
Follow Patti on twitter @pdobrowolski
Q - What is the greatest recurring work-at-home challenge you have encountered?
Patti’s Answer: Getting caught up in email and surfing on line when I need to be focusing on creating or delivering client work or developing new business
Q - What solutions have been most effective in combating the challenge?
Patti’s Answer: I went to this 3 tiered system:
Focus Day: During this day, email gets checked 2 x a day and not first thing! You are working directly with clients.
Buffer Day: On this day you are preparing for your delivery days, you can also do business development, and return key emails
Rest Day:
Q - What is the greatest work-at-home challenge you encountered during your first 6-months in business in your home office?
Patti’s Answer: What is the greatest work-at-home challenge you encountered during your first 6-months in business in your home office?
Making sure that I didn’t cut the grass and clean the house instead of focus in my office.
Q - What solutions were most effective in combating the challenge?
Patti’s Answer: Set and keep a schedule. I’m a list person, so I make a list for the day and check things off as I complete them. I understand now that I have a short attention span for deep projects to I do the HARD stuff first and the secondary stuff last. Since I am a competitive cyclist, I reward myself with the completion of my task list by going for a training ride!
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Ilene Segal
Founder | Creative Director
baby idesign
www.babyidesign.com
ILene’s Answer: Isolation. It was a big adjustment going from an office filled with people, some of whom were my closest friends, to being in a small NYC apartment alone, all day long. Six years later and its still a challenge.
Q - What solutions have been most effective in combating the challenge?
ILene’s Answer: The good news is that when you’re alone all day, your anxious to get out at night. I love to go for a run after work, go to the gym and/or socialize with friends in an effort to have human contact. Unlike most people who are tired after work and just want to go home, I’ve actually taken this opportunity to get in shape and be more social.
Q - What is the greatest work-at-home challenge you encountered during your first 6-months in business in your home office?
ILene’s Answer: While it may sound silly, maintaining my sense of style. I went from a glammy job where I wore great clothes and accessories every day, to being alone in the apt, where it’s easy to fall into the pitfalls of no make up and pajamas daily.
Q - What solutions were most effective in combating the challenge?
ILene’s Answer:I remember when I first started my business, every person would say to me “oh you’re so lucky, you can work in your pajamas all day.” I hated that. I believe in the look good, feel good theory. And I do not believe in wearing sweatpants just because I work from home. I have coined my new style as “comfortable chic!” I’ve even implemented dress up day where every Wednesday my assistant and I dress up in either a skirt or dress. Even if I’m in the apartment all day, I feel good and more productive in a dress. You learn to be creative for inspiration when you’re alone a lot of the day.
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Brad Shorr
Founder of the award-winning blog, Word Sell, IncQ - What is the greatest recurring work-at-home challenge you have encountered?
Brad’s Answer: Working in a vacuum. Like Gregory House on the TV program “House”, I need to bounce ideas around with people to be at my creative best.
Q - What solutions have been most effective in combating the challenge?
Brad’s Answer: I look everywhere for opportunities to collaborate, and continue cultivating relationships with people I’ve worked with in the past.
Q - What is the greatest work-at-home challenge you encountered during your first 6-months in business in your home office?
Brad’s Answer: Deciding whether to go whole hog in one direction or try a variety of business models all at the same time. I’d go back and forth between one approach and the other, which pretty much guaranteed nothing would work.
Q - What solutions were most effective in combating the challenge?
Brad’s Answer: First, I gave myself permission to stumble. Then, I sought out help and input from people I knew, trusted, and had been successful in ways that I wanted to excel. Finally, I learned to be patient. Business plans need time to ripen.
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Hi Marla, This was a wonderful idea for a post and I hope you do it again one day. It’s interesting that we home-based people all have the same issues, but with many shades of difference.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Age of Conversation 2 Available Now!