Collaborative post
Working from home is something of the new normal. Indeed, many people already do it, and have been doing so for a long time now, but if you’ve never taken work out of the office before, this is uncharted territory!
If you’ve decided that you quite like working from home, and you’re starting to really settle into being professional in your own space, you may have caught the bug of wanting to open up your own home business.
But you’re worried; how will you set up a business when you’re always in your pajamas and just tapping away on a laptop? Well, there are quite a few ways to help you feel more professional when working from home, and if you’ve got business dreams, here’s how to prepare for them.
Dress for the Occasion
Even if you’re just working from home, you’re going to want to dress the part. If you never went into the office wearing just your pajamas, you shouldn’t think to do it when you’re setting up a home office that you’ll be taking video calls in either. So keep digging those suits out, and think about updating your professional wardrobe with a few more comfy pieces you’d like to sit around in all day.
Set Up a Separate Business Address
You’ve got your home to work out of, yes. But it’s not the most professional looking place in the world, and it certainly doesn’t sound like it either. Not to mention just how many letters and packages come through your door on a daily basis; how are you supposed to sort the two from each other? It’s very easy to confuse the personal and the professional when the two are innately mixed.
And that’s why you need a separate business address to make use of. Somewhere where all of your professional correspondence can be sent, and you can check as and when you need to. Check out websites like physicaladdress.com, as having a separate address like this could very well be the professional boundary you’re looking for right now, especially if you want clients to take you seriously.
Know Where to Schedule Meetings
It’s not just about the when, it’s about where you’re scheduling meetings to take place as well. You may not want all kinds of people to be traipsing in and out of your home, and being able to schedule a meeting in an area that’s not personally private could save you on a variety of fronts.
So, if you want to feel professional, feel free to make use of that quiet cafe round the corner. Or maybe you could meet in a co-working space, if your town or city has them to make use of. The latter option is a great way to network with people just like you too, and pick up some professional tips while you’re at it.
Feeling professional when working from home doesn’t have to be hard; it just takes some getting used to!