If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur with a small business, you must learn to define your work life for yourself. This is because often work life and home life get mixed together. It is not uncommon for an entrepreneur to be working late hours a home.
Be a Better You – Perfect Work Life Balance Your Own Way
It is not easy to be an entrepreneur. This is especially true if you are an entrepreneur who works from her home or who has a small business. This is because often the entrepreneur brings work home. In fact, she may spend a lot of “family” time doing work from the office. If the entrepreneur’s only office is at home, it is even harder for her to separate her work life from her home life.
You must explain to friends, family, and neighbors what is going on.
Friends and family members often think that since she is at home, she is free to help everyone in the neighborhood with personal errands during business hours. Entrepreneurs who work from home often have a difficult time getting family, friends, and neighbors to respect their businesses and business hours. I know, because I am one of those entrepreneurs.
I have no problems getting clients and prospective clients to respect my business and entrepreneurship. This is because I provide them with excellent work and superlative customer service. My neighbors on the other hand are not always so respectful. I have had neighborhood kids knock on my door because they missed the school bus. Their parents weren’t at home so they come to my house for help. On several occasions, the parents expected, not requested, that I drive their kids to school since I was at home and they were at work.
I explained to these parents that I was also at work. My office is in my home, but it is an office and I have work hours. Just like those parents, I have to-do lists, deadlines to meet, and customers to satisfy. I explained I was not sitting at home with nothing to do. I was at work. Now, truth be told, each time this happened, I ended up getting the kids to school. I either drove them or Ubered them to school and demanded the parents reimburse me for the ride.
When they get it, life is good.
Parents in the neighborhood began to talk amongst themselves. They talked bout how I worked at home and no one should expect me to be there to watch for their packages, get their kids to school after they missed the bus, or run their personal errands during my work hours. The neighbors eventually came to respect my work and my work hours.
Work Life Balance – Learn New Tricks
Now they ask me “what’s the confidence tip for today?” They ask if it is hard getting work done since the kids are out of school. I have trained my friends and neighbors to appreciate what I do and where I do it. We are all better for the experience. I decided what my office hours are. The decision about what I would and would not let interrupt my day is all my own. I am a happier and more satisfied entrepreneur because of that.
I encourage you to take time today to define your work life. Make sure you clearly understand and can explain to others what your work life means to you. If you want them to respect it, you have to be able to define it! So, the question for you this fantastic day is how do you define your work life?