How to be Professional when Working-From-Home

"Mommy, mommy I have to go poop now - come wipe my butt!", hollers my toddler (in my face), while I'm on the phone. What? A professional at home? Any other time this certainly wouldn't of phased me, however, I just so happened to be on the phone with a client who was interested in making a very large purchase from me. I would like to of died! Instead, I start to apologize and explain that I'm a work-at-home mom and that the daycare was closed due to vacations, etc... Thank goodness my client had a sense of humor! He immediately started to laugh and told me that he has 3 kids of his own. So, needless-to-say, being professional while working-from-home can be quite challenging at times, especially when you have kids. I learned, very early on, being a work-at-home mom requires daycare - period! Creating and maintaining a professional persona while working-from-home has been vital to my success. Consider a few steps that I have taken and see how they might help you as well:

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Create a routine work schedule for yourself. Don't allow yourself to be distracted with house-work or running errands - you'll never get anything done.
2. Make your routine work schedule known to your family and friends. Make it clear to them that you are working during this time.
3. If you deal with clients or customers, have normal business or working hours during the day when they can contact you.
4. Answer your phone as a professional, just as you would if you were working for a company away from your home.
5. Organize your work area just as you would if you were working away from home. Keep toys, empty dinner plates, etc... out.
6. Never lose your sense-of-humor - you're going to need it!

Tips & Warnings

• It takes self-discipline, planning, creativity and juggling to be a successful work-at-home professional, to say the least. Don't get discouraged. Let time, experience and experimentation be your guides and teachers.