If you’ve been in a home based Internet business even a short
time, you’ve probably discovered that it’s not time to give up
your day job just yet. You haven’t come into those millions
you’ve heard others have so quickly amassed in cyber space.
Of course, you’d love nothing other than to be free of that 9 to
5 leg iron so you can work your business as much as you want.
Well, knowing that’s not going to happen overnight, it’s time to
learn how to live in both worlds without going bonkers in the
process.
You know you have only a limited amount of time away from your
day job to devote to your business. How are you going to get the
most from the time available? Here are some pointers I’ve jotted
down from my experience and reading on the subject.
Once you’ve decided to make a go of an online business, finding
time each day for working it can be daunting. Let’s say you have
a fulltime job. If you’re like me – and I’d guess most people
are or else there wouldn’t be an ever increasing number of us
out here – you need that fulltime income.
On top of that you no doubt have to slice up your time off to do
your share of the child rearing and household chores or upkeep.
Child rearing doesn’t take place just at home but includes
little league, Scouts, school functions, and the like. Household
chores can be routine activities like cleaning the garage, doing
the dishes, or cleaning the garbage disposal. All these are time
consuming.
How can you possibly fit anything else into your schedule? Maybe
the best thing is to make the most of your time when you wrestle
down those precious couple of hours per day on the net.
To begin, you’ll want to take a hard look at how much time
you’re spending on your own leisure activities – softball or
bowling league, hobbies, and so forth. Decide what you can limit
or scrap altogether and come up with a time per day you can
afford to work at your online business.
Now it is time to take a look at cutting out some distractions,
at least those over which you have some control. It is time to
develop a kind of tunnel vision, lessening some of the noise
around the house like television, radio, video games, etc.
Decide what you’re threshold of distraction is before you can no
longer focus on your business. Find a quiet time to work.
With all that accomplished, now develop a daily routine. I start
out each day reading my email. I sift through and get the
important stuff first and take action if any is needed. Then I
look at the junk email, take notes on any good ad writing I see,
and file 13 the rest.
Next I read my ezines. Ezines are my primary source of knowledge
about online business. Everything I can buy about business is
there someplace in the world of ezines, so I don’t just skim
them to see if my free ads got posted and trash them.
I read and file the articles by category. They become my ezine
encyclopedia. I notice the editors’ notes and look at their
disclaimers, warranty policies, and subscribe/unsubscribe links.
Next on my agenda is to study my affiliate materials. Since my
affiliate programs go together with my own endeavors, I learn
daily from going to the links in them.
Your daily routine will vary from mine according to your
individual needs. However, from your daily routine, you should
develop your weekly habits. My weekly objectives are to write an
ezine article, publish my ezine, and improve my web site.
If you find yourself drifting away from your objectives, don’t
panic, but try to work your way back on track. Be flexible about
interruptions and allow for problems. This is a complicated life
we lead. Why would your business be less so?
Give up computer time to your spouse and children. One of your
business goals should be to buy a computer just for the
business, but for now, please share.
Review your daily and weekly accomplishments. Evaluate every
task and step. Develop a to-do list and check off the items you
complete. Start to-do lists for tomorrow and next week. Adjust
your routines according to the quality of your accomplishments.
If you’re spinning you’re wheels, admit it and move on.
Last but not least, take time off. Not as a reward, but as part
of your routine. Schedule a cool-down time at the end of every
online session.
Take one or two entire days off per week. Spend time with your
family. Forget about your business until the next day. Obsession
can be a crippling force in your business. Don’t let it overtake
yours.
Please heed the advice you’ve just read. Your family, whom you
must live with, and your boss, whom you can’t say goodbye to
just yet, will thank you for it.
