11 Tips To Run Your Startup From Home
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In today’s day and age, more and more people are deciding to work for themselves, by creating their own startup company. This means you no longer have to answer to a boss, have flexibility with your hours, and can even work from the comfort of your own home. Here are 11 tips to run your startup from home and ensure you maximize productivity:
Table of Contents
1- Design Your Home Office
Having an organized, functional space to work from is imperative in running a successful business. Be realistic about what you are able to do on your own, and what you need to hire a professional for. With the right equipment, you can assemble furniture or complete DIY projects to add a personal touch to your workspace.
2- Be Certain That You Are Insured
Remember that your homeowner’s insurance does not cover your at-home business, so be sure to have commercial insurance to keep your company safe. Your existing insurance is unlikely to cover you in the event of an incident with your business activities or with one of your clients. In particular, closely consider public liability, asset insurance and worker’s compensation.
3- Get A Permit (or Permits)
Most at-home businesses still require a permit to run legally, so make sure to research the one(s) you need and acquire it! This may vary depending on the type of business you run, and what field you specialize in. Remember that it is better to go through length processes at the beginning than to get in trouble with the law later due to forgoing important steps.
4- Sort Out Your Technological Devices
Now that you are not working from an office, you still need to make sure your work space is decked out with the right equipment. If your internet is slow, or you don’t have spare ink cartridges on hand for your printer, you’ll run into trouble early on in the process! Remember to save all your work on a USB in case of a technological breakdown!
5- Have A Separate Landline
Even if you are trying to be thrifty, having a separate landline for work is imperative, to maintain a sense of professionalism. This is especially the case if you live in a house with children, as you never know who may answer the phone or what they may say to a potential client. You want to make sure you have control over contact with your clients, rather than cutting costs and leaving it to chance.
6- Have Clearly Defined Hours
Avoid falling down the rabbit hole of working around the clock now that you don’t have stipulated hours to follow. Remember that the reason you chose to work for yourself was to free yourself up, not tie yourself down with work at all hours of the day. Set yourself clear hours that are designated for work, and make sure you stick to them as strictly as you did when you worked in an office.
7- Start Blogging
Starting a blog is a simple way to increase the credibility of your business, and promote your services to the online community. Best of all, it is inexpensive and does not require vast technological knowledge. Look for opportunities to feature on other company’s blogs as well to increase visibility. This is all a part of creating and promoting your brand to the public.
8- Hire Virtual Assistants
Running a business takes a lot of work, and it is important to delegate tasks. Hiring virtual employees has become a rising trend in the last decade, and might just be your secret weapon to a successful startup! There is an excellent article on The Virtual Hub explaining 10 reasons to hire a virtual assistant which we love!
Thanks to modern technology, there are a large number of tasks that don’t require one to be physically present in the office, and a virtual assistant is a cost effective way to alleviate work-related stress.
There is an excellent article article on hiring a virtual assistant on the Time Doctor website which is definitely worth a read if you are considering hiring a virtual assistant or freelancer to help you grow your business, and you should be.
9- Work With Online Freelancers
Nowadays there are a number of professionals working as freelancers across a wide range of fields, and you can take advantage of this array of services on offer. Examples include freelance accountants, designers, bloggers and marketing assistants. The smartest entrepreneurs are able to harness the talents of those around them and merge them into a collaboration.
10- Keep Networking
Working from home is no excuse to stop networking, as this is an important way to grow your business. Meeting up with old colleagues, or approaching small business owners you look up to are good ways to maintain and build business connections. Perhaps consider joining a small business networking forum to share ideas with other people in your situation.
11- Attend Relevant Events
After your business has gained some traction, and you have a decent following, look for events you can attend and speak at to reach a larger number of people. Carefully select events that will have people from your target demographic in attendance. This will increase visibility and may increase the likelihood of your business gaining popularity via word of mouth.
If you follow these 11 tips to set up and run your startup from home, you are ensuring yourself the best chance of succeeding — Good luck with your home startup!
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- 11 Tips To Run Your Startup From Home - 11/03/2017
