1. How to Boost Productivity While Working from Home
Solopreneurs most especially those who have a service-based business normally don’t work in a
traditional office. We run our businesses from our home office. We don’t have to commute every
day just to get to work. Even though it’s very convenient to take control of our day-to-day
operations as solopreneurs, distractions would sneak up pretty quickly—watching TV while
working, attending to your kids, or doing some household chores. Have you given up trying to
juggle everything all at once?
Most solopreneurs experience a tough balance between personal life and professional time. It is
also quite difficult to discipline oneself from lounging around and becoming overly worked. So
what is the trick to this? How do you become productive at home? Below are some ideas on
how to achieve productivity without sacrificing personal life when working from home.
 Create a work schedule and set working hours. I find that having a schedule and
sticking to it works well for me. I have created my daily schedule—from checking emails
early in the morning, to when work officially starts, to lunch breaks, everything is set on
my calendar.
 Set a working space. You just can’t have your office anywhere around the house. Most
solopreneurs who start out with their business work on the kitchen table, bedroom, or in
front of the TV. I know because I used to do this because it was very convenient. What
you can do is use a separate room in the house as your home office, or set one corner in
the house as your working space.
 Don’t stay in your pajamas. You are your own boss so why would anyone tell you that
you can’t wear your pajamas while working? You can pretty much wear whatever you
want, but if you are seeing clients on Skype through video, at least dress appropriately.

2. This helps you set the tone and condition the mind for the work ahead. It boosts your
confidence as well.
 Set deadlines for yourself. Create tasks for yourself and set deadlines. Do you have an
upcoming VIP Day with a client? Set a deadline for yourself on when you should finish
preparing the worksheets, or have them prepared by your virtual assistant.
 Set your break time. Since there is no bell to signal the break, you should set your own
breaks. Give yourself an hour to have lunch, or perhaps 30 minutes in the afternoon for
snacks. Do not try to work for long periods of hours without taking breaks in between.
You will sacrifice your health if you do that.
 Remove distractions. This means not bringing your laptop to the living room and
watching TV while you’re working. Bringing your laptop to the kitchen so you could cook
while working isn’t a good idea either.
 Instruct people to set an appointment with you if they want to talk. You have set
your schedule so stick to it. If there is a need for people to discuss with you, ask them to
schedule an appointment in your calendar. Online appointment scheduling tools are very
helpful for scheduling meetings.
Know when to focus working on your business and when to do chores around the house.
Multitasking just isn’t the way to go. If you think you are very productive by doing several things
all at once, think again. By following these tips, you will be able to dedicate time for your family,
and efficiently work from your home office.
Now it’s your turn to share. How do you make yourself more productive every day while working
from home?
Karen May Dy is a social media marketing specialist and wants you to
build your authentic social brand, create a powerful online presence, and
ultimately step up your social media game. With a passion in taking
overwhelm about social media and online marketing, Karen teaches and
serves women service-based solopreneurs in using online tools and the
internet to grow their business. To grab your F.R.E.E. copy of Karen’s social
media kit (with social media management video series + action guide,
social media workbook with planning sheets + checklists) through email and to receive exclusive weekly
social media coaching straight to your inbox every Tuesday, visit http://socialmediamarketinggirl.com/