The first critical thing needed to run a triumphant home business is a set schedule. It may be easy to stay awake late to view a movie and repeatedly hit the snooze button on your alarm clock, but when dealing with customers over the phone you really do not want them to think their early morning phone call rousted you from a sound sleep. While having a lot of free time may be appealing and taking naps in the middle of the day may be appealing, keeping regular hours is imperative to any business.
You should make sure your office is only used as an office. In addition to the tax benefits of carving out a space used strictly for work, you will also have the feeling when you walk into the room in the morning that it is time to go to work. Similarly, when the day is completed and you leave the office you want to feel as though you have gone home for the day. Just as you want to keep family distractions out of the office, you want to keep work distractions out of the rest of the house.
Being professional in all business dealings when in your home office will help conserve your image as a business owner. If you cannot afford a separate telephone line for the business, during your normal business hours answer the phone in a professional manner.
Unless your business is the field of dreams, simply building it will not ensure customers will show up. Advertising and marketing is critical to any business, even those run exclusively online. Chances are there is no sign in front of your home that indicates you are open for business, inviting passers-by to stop in and see what you have to offer. The only way anyone knows you are there is through advertising.
Build a website, even if you will not be conducting any business online. It can serve as your web-based sales pamphlet and include information about you, your experience and your business. Including prominent contact information on the first page of your website is a key to obtaining more business, but you should also have a contact form available for people to simply send in a request for information or for answering questions.
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