If you have felt the calling to begin your own grant consulting business, or have already started, there are certain things you need to do to be a success. I’ll be honest, when I started my work-from-home consulting business I basically had no assistance in how to transition from full-time employment into working from home. All I knew was that I could work when I wanted, work in my pajamas if I wanted and have lunch with my girlfriends when I felt like it. And I didn’t even have children to worry about! I quickly found out that I needed some discipline and order in my life if I was going to be successful. Sure, I can still do all of these things but just in moderation. I learned the following four simple tips on my own but I am glad to share them with you. These tips are designed to get you crystal clear on how to work on your business, and maintain professionalism, from the very beginning:

You must have discipline to get your work done. Yes, the main reason I wanted to work from home was for the freedom. But that doesn’t mean I get to do whatever I want when I want – I have to schedule time for those mani/pedi’s. And for my friends that don’t work and do have more time for such luxuries, I have to say no on occasion to lunches out and other fun things. I do still get to do them but I realize that my work comes first. The same goes for housework. As a wife and mom in addition to owning my own business, I’m mighty tempted some days to tackle that load of laundry or clean the mess in the kitchen from the night before but if I have a deadline I have to ignore it. My point in telling you all of this? Schedule your time wisely between work, fun stuff and household duties. It truly is a juggling act but can be done and work beautifully.

Develop a designated work space. I’m not suggesting that you build an office suite but my workspace is conducive to work. Even though I do have an office in my home, I have found that I prefer working close to the kitchen where the general hub of activity is. I have everything I need nearby (actually stored in a kitchen cabinet) organized in 3-ring binders and other places that allow me to get to what I want quickly. Set yourself up in a space that works for you. But don’t get distracted! If you don’t have the discipline to work out of your den without flipping on the t.v. all day, by all means pick another spot. Maury should never interfere with your work.

Have a dedicated phone line for your business. Okay, I get it. I have an extremely adorable child too but having sweet Sally or sweet Sam answer your home phone which is also serving as your work line just won’t do. The same applies to them leaving cutesy answering machine messages. Don’t confuse your clients – either make your cell phone your primary number or spend a couple of extra dollars more for a dedicated work line. My line is only ten dollars more per month in addition to our home phone.

Have children? Make sure you have back-up. When I started my business ten years ago, I had complete freedom as far as children were concerned. I didn’t have to worry about child care if I had to work or if I was pulling all-nighters to meet a deadline. Enter Rhodes. I do stay at home with Rhodes because that was my compelling reason for working from home to begin with but now I have to make sure that I have help when needed to get my jobs done. Bringing Rhodes to a client meeting with a Nintendo is just unacceptable - although I have had to have some phone conversations with him playing air guitar in the background. I just don’t want you to feel that you have to be Superman or Wonder Woman and all things to all people who need you. Get some help for when you're in a pinch – you will need it.

Do you have a work-from-home business? I would love to hear back on what you do to strike balance between career and family. Life gets pretty interesting in our shoes!

Also, be sure to check out my complete guide of how "You Can Become a Grant Consultant." I lay it out for you step-by-step in just how to get started on your work-from-home career today!

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written by Sandy Rees, July 12, 2011

What I find to be important in working at home is staying focused. It's easy to get distracted by tons of things at home that need to be done, or by a spouse who just "needs a minute." For me, staying focused is a self discipline. It requires me to know what I need to get done and stay on-task until I get them done.

Sandy Rees

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About that discipline
written by Gayle Gifford, ACFRE, June 30, 2011

I'm sitting here in my basement office on this gorgeous sunny day reading and responding to your blog to take my mind off of a big project I'm working on but haven't found the right way into it yet.
When I started my business 15 years ago, I vowed that I would not "work from home in my pajamas." So I make sure I get dressed each morning to head down to the office. I don't always don makeup and often work in my jeans if I'm not off to a client meeting, but never PJs.
Of course, I did put clothes out on the clothesline this morning. And watered the garden. And...

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David Steven Rappoport
written by David Steven Rappoport, June 30, 2011

Good advice. From a more pragmatic perspective, I've also observed that being targeted is very helpful. I once had a broader consulting business than just writing grants. I find writing grants only has proven to be a more effective business model.

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working from home
written by Kirsten Bullock, Fundraising Coach, June 30, 2011

I started my business just over three years ago and can't emphasize the work space enough. I set up my office in the basement to start - the first winter was really hard since I hardly ever saw the sun. This past year I moved my office up to the second floor and it's made a world of difference. The light is great.

Focus can be really hard though. Each week now, I start by mapping out my week and estimating how much time I'll need for different projects. It help me stay motivated if I know all my work time is accounted for. I must say though, I'm still figuring out the balance part. I've been working way too many evening hours and I'm missing seeing my husband!

Thanks for bringing these up - I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with this :-).

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good points
written by Bunnie Riedel, June 29, 2011

Maintaining professionalism is very important. While my children are grown and gone, I have to watch my dog. Sometimes she will begin barking in the middle of a conversation. Often I will lock her out of the office when I have an important phone call just to avoid the distraction. It doesn't make her happy...but hey! Somebody's got to earn the kibble.

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So true
written by Julie A, June 28, 2011

Betsy,
Here is some additional experiences with the first two items:
1) Remind your spouse often that just because you work from home does not mean that all of the household duties are your responsibility or always going to be done when he gets home.

2) A healthy workspace is also important. My first year working from home, I was so excited to be able to literally work on my couch with my laptop in my laptop. Not only is this not conducive to having a clean living room, it turns out it is incredibly bad for your back!

I had been looking forward to having an office that didn't require a desk only to find out that a proper chair is worth every dollar you pay for it.

Thanks for the post!

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Great post.
written by Samuel Waltner, June 28, 2011

Hey Betsy,
I really enjoyed your blog and how you gave some practical help to people venturing out into a new area in their life. When I started doing some of my own consulting work I found the very 4 points to be true in my life. I was wasting time and not being productive because I was working the way I had always worked. After following a few simple rules and getting my motivation into gear things started to happen. Simple, short and sweet. The hardest part is actually following this great advice.