[By Tony Jacowski]
There may have been a pressing reason you decided to become a home-based business owner. You may have had home obligations that required your attention. For example, you might be a caregiver to someone who is not able to manage on their own, or you might have to be available to help with your children’s homework and afterschool activities.
If this is the case, you will find it difficult to arrange your schedule to accommodate those situations. One key is to arrange your workspace so that you can be attuned to the needs of those you are helping in your household, while at the same time you can concentrate on your own home-based business tasks.
An intercom or even a simple baby monitor hooked up where an ill or elderly person is located and connected to a unit on your desk will provide you with a means to know when help is needed, for example. When you have such a tool, you can concentrate better on your work from home business tasks.
If you have someone depending on you for care, you will need to take routine breaks from your home-based business to check up on them even if you are listening for them with a monitor. Set a reminder or an alarm so that you can immerse yourself in your work and be alerted when it is time to go check. Schedule these times in your workday so that you expect them and work around them.
If you work from home in order to be available for your children, it is important to develop protocols for your children to follow. Of course, it depends on their ages. If you have a young child, they will need to be able to come to you at any time for help and reassurance. Still, you can set up routines, like having a comfy chair in your office where they can sit while you wrap up your current work task before giving them your total attention if it is not urgent.
An older child or teenager can learn to understand the importance of your work, and make adjustments accordingly. For example, it can be a rule that they have to give you ample warning when you need to transport them to school activities. They can be required to do their homework at a specific time of day, when you can make yourself available to help.
It is almost certain that if you are working from home to help with special needs family members, your work life will be different than it would be if you worked in a standard business office. The best thing you can do is to accept that and find ways to keep working despite the distractions. It may not be easy, but many people have proven that home-based business is conducive to home caregiving.
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Article Source: How to Work from Home with Special Circumstances