Top 5 Common Mistakes You Should Avoid When You Work From Home

Thanks to modern technology, the popularity of work-from-home jobs where people use their residence as their office is on the rise.

Nowadays, so many people are working from the comfort zone of their residence offering whatever services to clients anywhere around the globe without moving an inch away from their residence.

Some people believe that the popularity of work-from-home jobs is a result of the downturn in the global economy where more and more staff are made redundant.

So rather than looking for jobs that are not there in the first place, many people have turned their residences into their offices offering all sorts of services to their huge number of clients.

Work from home mistakes to avoid

Work-from-home jobs have been particularly made easier with the help of modern technology. Now with smartphones and laptops, you can be your own boss right from your living room, kitchen, or even garage.

However, even with all the needed technology in place, your work-from-home experience will still take discipline to materialize.

#1]. Forgetting or failing to set boundaries

Failing to set boundaries is one of the most common mistakes people that work from home usually make as they can’t differentiate between working hours and playing hours while at home.

You should always remember that because you are working from home doesn’t really give you the freedom to confusedly mix your working hours with other activities.

SEE ALSO: 5 Well-Paid Work-From-Home Jobs You Should Consider

It’s important to ensure friends, family, and neighbours know that just because you are at home doesn’t mean you have got time on your hands. You can’t be held responsible for all household maintenance just because you’re in the house.

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#2]. Over working, working too much

Most people that are working from home have been known to work for more hours compared to their counterparts that are working in the office. This can probably be attributed to the fact that working from home offers greater working hours flexibility and freedom.

As much as working from home is a great way to make money, one still must be able to try to create time for a break just like in normal office settings. Create time to truly disconnect away from your engagement for refreshments or other activities because if you’re not being careful, you can find yourself working 24 hours daily for seven days none stop.

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#3]. Absent on calls, not keeping appointments

Even though your home is your office, you wouldn’t want to allow your clients to come to your home for a meeting as people do in a normal office setting. There is a possibility that an employer or client will trust you more when sees you in an office.

So, the fact that you are working from home doesn’t give you the freedom to miss calls and appointments. You should always make sure that you work towards keeping the trust between you and your clients. Remember that if something goes wrong, it can be much more of a problem in the client’s eyes than if something goes wrong in the office.

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#4]. Economizing on family responsibilities

Economizing on parental responsibilities is one of the major mistakes people that work from home are commonly making and if you are not being careful enough, it might lead you to lose clients’ trust. Remember that just because you are at home doesn’t mean that you should be in charge of every parental responsibility.

Try to distribute parental responsibilities, and if you have a toddler, get a babysitter to help you look after your toddler. Your clients would never be happy with you if your toddler interrupts during a conference or a phone call.

That means your clients losing faith in you. Always try to portray yourself at all times as professional, and be prepared to sacrifice your time between home/family responsibilities and your work.

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#5]. Procrastinating with housework

Working from home gives your the freedom to work as well as to be involved in household responsibilities. But one thing is that you have to be extra careful so as not to turn your freedom or flexibility in work into a disaster. Don’t mix your working hours with other activities.

Just like working in a proper office setting, you should create a timetable through which lines will be drawn on what to do and when. Create time for your housekeeping, don’t throw the laundry in the dryer between calls, but be careful not to let distractions creep into the time you planned to work.