There’s a common notion that it’s always best to keep work and play separate, and in most cases it is a good idea. Draw a solid line between what you do for employment and what you do with the rest of your life, not letting the two worlds cross, and you’ll find your productivity in each is likely to increase. However, there are times in life when the two worlds unavoidably collide, and one of those times is when people work from home. When a person chooses to operate a home based business, his family and business lives are certain to intersect, and depending on how that happens, it can either be a great source of energy or a great headache for both the home business entrepreneur and the family. Here are a few simple tips to help make the work at home experience as smooth and profitable as possible.

Create A Kid-Free Workspace

Having work and family lives cross doesn’t mean that business should be conducted on the swing set or the kids should be playing dress-up in the office. Just like working in front of a TV is a bad idea for your productivity level, working in front of screaming, laughing, giggling, or talking children is also a bad idea. Though emergencies may come up, and that has to be accounted for, in general it’s a good idea to be perfectly clear with your kids, letting them know that even though daddy is there, when he’s in his office he must be treated like he is at work.

Arrange Childcare

This seems like it should go without saying, but make sure that someone is taking care of your children when you are busy at work, even when you’re only a stone’s throw away. Whether your spouse, the nanny, or grandma is the one responsible for the kids, it is vital to both the wellbeing of your children and the success of your daily operations that someone keep the little ones out of trouble and out of your hair.

Find Your Most Productive Times And Set Strict Business Hours

Your franchise depends wholly on your commitment to efficiency, so it’s important to know when your efficiency level is highest and exploit that as well as you can by making a point to work during those peak performance times. And most importantly, do not deviate from that schedule; rather, enforce those hours of operation with yourself, your spouse, and your kids. The more you can get done in those times, the less overtime you have to spend away from your family.

Don’t Forget Strict Family Times As Well

If you’re going to be a stickler about work times, then you certainly have to be one about family times as well. More important than your franchise business are your spouse and kids, and they deserve an even greater commitment to designated, quality time than you give to your business. Much of the purpose of working from home is getting to be close to your family even while earning a wage for them, so there is no point in neglecting the very people you’ve done so much to be near.

Be Careful With Honey-Do Lists

Much of dealing with family in home-operated franchises is handling the kids while you’re at home, but let’s not forget about the spouse. Whether husband or wife is the family entrepreneur, it is very important to the relationship that the other spouse is not used as some kind of free day-laborer for the sake of the business. A self-employed woman continuously handing her husband a list of honey-dos to help her get business taken care of may not be treating him as a husband. Though, of course, there are times to ask for assistance, and sometimes he will very willingly want to help, getting into the habit of utilizing him like some kind of obligated slave labor to accomplish things she can’t finish on her own will put a very unnecessary strain on the relationship, particularly if he’s already stressed with his own work or with taking care of the kids.

Separate Work And Family Communications

Save yourself a headache and get a separate work email account and phone line. Though work and family happen in the same place, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer through client calls in the middle of dinner or client emails when you’re reading a particularly engaging forward from a friend or loved one.

Include Your Family In Your Business, Sometimes

Even though it’s wise to spend a good deal of effort keeping your kids out of your workspace and work time, sometimes it’s ok to make an exception. One rare thing that home based business offers is the opportunity to teach your kids about work and having a good work ethic; there are not many business opportunities that afford such a hands-on chance for educating your own children. A great example would be bringing the kids along for a day of the vending franchise life. The franchisee could easily pack the kids into the car, take them out for a day around town, restocking candy machines and extracting earnings while also getting a good lunch and an ice cream cone. Be creative. Your children will learn how to do an honest day’s work, feel like a part of daddy or mommy’s life, and have some fun, all while you get your work done.

If you’re considering the purchase of a business for sale, and work at home is looking appealing, don’t forget to consider the effects that will have on your family. Like all things, there are pros and cons of working in close proximity to your spouse and kids, and depending on how those weigh out for you and your kin, it may or may not be a good idea. Even if it’s a great idea, set ground rules that everyone can agree on, and everyone will be much happier in the long run.


November 08, 2008