3 Tips for Conducting your Home Business or Side Project so it Actually Progresses (After the Initial Excitement Wears Off)
Has your side business progress ground to a halt? Was it awesome in the beginning, but now you’ve reached a point where you can’t seem to get it moving again? Or maybe it’s actually started going in the negative direction?
Whether you already have a side/home business, or you are looking to start one, here’s some important information to help you make actual progress past that initial time when the excitement wears off. When we first get started, usually all we need is our enthusiasm to make progress. That’s because you are excited and you’re happy to put time into the project. It doesn’t seem like work. Your vision is fresh, and your motivation is at the surface of your mind. You like (or at least joyfully tolerate) doing ALL of the things you need to do (making phone calls, researching and reaching out online, scheduling and administrative work, etc).
But then it hits…either like a lightning bolt, or more often a bit gradually. You find that you don’t look forward to doing all of the things you NEED to do. You start taking shortcuts or only doing the tasks you still LIKE to do. You start adding some of those distractions back into your life. Then, inevitably, progress starts to slow…
This post provides you with some tips on how to conduct your home or part time business so it actually keeps progressing, especially once you’ve fallen off the excitement cliff. The KEY to continuing, or restarting your PROGRESS is to realize you must treat your business like a PROFESSIONAL. In a previous post I gave you some tips on the mindset and big picture stuff on the difference between an amateur and professional.
So if you are reading on, I’m assuming you’ve made the decision to be a pro. Excellent…because that’s what it takes. And just because you’re a pro, doesn’t mean you’re gonna kill yourself by working every hour of every day, nor does it mean you have to give up going to your kids’ baseball games and dance recitals. You have to be efficient and focused with your time, sure, but there is likely room for improvement there. These tips here are really just helping you understand that your side business is a BUSINESS and if you conduct yourself professionally, that’s how you will make progress.
1. Get in the professional work mindset by committing to the work every day
You’re a pro, you want to grow a business. That means you must commit to doing the work every day. You cannot do it only when you feel like it or when you have the inspiration…that’s a hobby. Hobbies are awesome down time activities, and can serve as useful “productively unproductive” activities, but they are rarely income generating activities. If you see this work as a hobby, that’s fine, just don’t kid yourself about the production.
Dr. J has an excellent quote on this subject:
Being a professional means doing the things you love to do, on the days that you don’t feel like doing them.
Commit to it every day…ESPECIALLY on the days when you don’t feel like it. This is mindset, nothing more, and it makes all the difference. If you don’t let yourself off the hook on doing the work, you will do the work.
2. Schedule time to do the work
Whether you’re full or part time, you must schedule the work. Each day, find the time on your calendar during which you will be focused on this work. It may be the same time every day, or it may be different times depending on the day. Regardless, put it on the calendar, at least your mental calendar. For example, maybe you are writer and you know that everyday from 9-10 pm is your writing time. Excellent, just DON’T schedule anything else during that time!
Here’s the next part of that: during that work time, be 100% focused and committed to the work. You are fitting work in and around other stuff in your life, you will have to focus. And sometimes you must do this at the expense of fun or social time like going out to lunch or coffee. Yes, you need downtime, but you must take an honest look and prioritize social engagements against your work.
3. Conduct yourself like a professional
Yup, even if you are working in your basement, or garage. What does “conduct yourself like a pro” mean? Well, its certainly dependent upon what you are doing, but I think you know what this means. Here are some suggestions:
- Dress and get ready as IF you are going to an office – OK, maybe you’re working in your basement specifically so you can work in your underwear. Understood…but don’t under estimate the impact on your mindset and ability to focus if you have PREPARED yourself procedurally for the work. When you work at your day job, you likely get ready: shower, dress appropriately, coffee or tea, eat, commute, etc. This procedure subconsciously prepares your mind to work.
- Make your list for the day – Whether you have a fancy electronic app or system, or if you simply use pencil and paper, the daily list is critical to helping you stay focused, and prioritized, on the proper tasks.
- Take notes – Be diligent about your note taking. You are likely to be accountable only to yourself. For some that’s the only accountability they will ever need. For others, you are softest on yourself. Note taking, other than the obvious benefit of helping you remember and organize information, will provide concrete metrics for you to look back on and see what you’ve actually done. Part of knowing what has to be done, is knowing what you did.
- When talking on phone or sending emails/messages, use your company name – Again this helps you be in the mindset. If you are sending emails with your official business signature, from your official business email address, it reminds you that this is for real. If you don’t have an official business email or signature yet, get one. When you introduce yourself on the phone, use your business name: “Hi, this is John Macdonald of johnmaconline”.
- Apply daily routine concepts to your side business – Here is a post about how to have a successful day.
These three tips are simply helping you get in the proper mindset and routine. You are pro, so progress will depend upon you acting like a pro.
I hope this helped you in some way, and if so, please comment below, share it with others, and please connect with me. I would love to hear your thoughts and the experiences you’ve had as well.
Have a great day!
