Ten Do's and Dont's For Working At Home

1. Separate your work from your living areas - Don't put your office in your living room

2. Get a separate telephone line, preferably a business line for the yellow page listing - Don't be too cute with voicemail, unless you're in the jingle business

3. Be upbeat answering the telephone. Use a mirror to make sure you're smiling when answering the telephone - Don't wait for the phone to ring, if you're not working, market yourself

4. Set goals for everyday and work on those first, prioritize your goals - Don't expect to work effectively with children underfoot

5. Value your time as you value your money - Don't work morning, noon and night

6. Use color codes to make files and disks easy to find - don't allow paperwork and office equipment to take over your home

7. get furniture sized for your home, usually smaller then standard - Don't use a kitchen, dining room or bridge chair for your desk chair

8. Save time by using check-writing and accounting software - Don't throw away copies of receipts, invoices and checks. Tax records must be kept for at least six years after you've filed a return

9. Dress in a way that helps you work productively, whether it's heels or a necktie or a sweatshirt and jeans - Don't let housework or hobbies distract you from getting your work done. Instead, schedule time for them

10. Have an attitude that you work from home, not at home

11. Don't have personal items (like children's toys) visible, if customers come to your home

Working From Home Library

• Best Home Business For The 21st Century, ISBN 0-87477-973-1

• Changing Direction Without Losing Your Way, Managing The Six Stages Of Change At Work and In Life, ISBN 1-58542-076-X

• Entrepreneurial Parent (2002)

• Finding Your Perfect Work, ISBN 0-87477-795-X

• Home Business You Can Buy, ISBN 0-87477-858-1

• Making Money With Your Computer At Home, Second Edition. ISBN 0-87477-898-0

• Making Money In Cyberspace, ISBN 0-87477-884-0

• Getting Business To Come To You, ISBN 0-87477-845-X

• Secrets Of Self-Employment, ISBN 0-87477-837-9

• Teaming UP, The Small Business Guide To Collaborating With Others, ISBN 0-87477-842-5

• Working From Home, 5th Edition, ISBN 0-87466-976-6

• Cool Careers For Dummies, ISBN 0-7645-5345-3

• Home-Based Business For Dummies, ISBN 0-7645-5227-9

• The Practical Dreamer's Handbook ISBN 1-58542-055-7

Business Referral Organizations

• Business Network International - www.bni.com

• LEADS - www.leadsclub.com

• LeTip, International - www.letip.org

Key Web Resources For Your Computer

Advice and Help:

• www.experts-exchange.com

• www.helptalk.com - Helptalk Online

• www.zdnet.com/

Checking-out Viruses:

• www.vmyths.com

• www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html

• www.mcafee.com/us

News About Hardware and Software:

• http://www.cnet.com

• www.tomshardware.com - Hardware Guide

Understanding Error Messages & Other Computer Terms:

• www.whatis.com/

Updating:

• http://updates.zdnet.com/

How To Avoid Work-At-Home Scams - Do This Homework

• Ask for names prior purchasers and contact them; verify they really are in the business

• In the locale of the business selling the opportunity, check:

• The Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org City and county consumer protection agencies

• The state attorney general's office

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Regional Office Fraud Hotline: (877) FTC-HELP

  The Web: www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm

• U.S. Postal Inspector

• National Fraud Information Center's Internet Fraud Watch - www.fraud.org

Tip: Never confuse a job from which you receive a paycheck (and for which you should never pay) with a business opportunity for which you do pay

Next Page