Samantha Acton, Founder of Domestic Angels shares her ‘not so secret’ top 5 rules for a successful home-based business.
We’ve been running a home-based business since 2002. Grab a cup of your favourite beverage and digest some of the reasons why we are still here, still evolving, still disrupting the marketplace and still having tonnes of business fun.
1 – Procrastination (including social media) is the thief of time and success. Yes, many of us are guilty as charged of scrolling aimlessly through FB, Twitter or some favourite social media addiction. Minutes and hours are lost to arenas designed to steal our time. One TED talk a day is more than enough, switch it off! And whilst we totally endorse putting the washing out to dry whilst you are making a well-earned cuppa, you really don’t need to watch an episode of anything on the tv too. You are human, procrastination is an established method of not getting things done which will make us successful. We all have avoidance tactics the trick is to wage war on procrastination, every time you catch yourself distracted remember it is procrastination thieving your right to be successful. Rude!
2 – Just because you are a home-based business, doesn’t mean your potential is restricted. Thanks to technology, home-based businesses are only restricted by your imagination, determination and willingness to learn. We provide employment for about 50 people across our businesses with HQ based in a shed in the garden with no plans to move anytime soon. We are also a FinTech start-up, this hasn’t needed an ‘official’ office to happen either. In fact, we would argue that our business has evolved and succeeded because we are at home, not surrounded by the perceived or real limitations of other businesses or individuals. We literally give ourselves permission to let our imaginations and possibilities run wild and then make them a reality.
3 – Re-connect with your buzzing ideas and energies, daily. When you started your business, we bet you were super excited, buzzing with ideas, energies and possibilities. You were a bundle of invincible energy, watch out world, this is going to be fun. Then the slog kicks in. This has at least 2 forms, the first one is in the form of tasks you need to knuckle down and do but you would rather have a tooth removed (see rule number 1 and just get the task done). The second form is created by others, usually people who want to earn money from you, people who are creating challenges/problems you never knew existed or could exist and you are just wondering how serious these creations are. Be brutal, throw out all that you can, these creations are stifling your powers of brilliance. Finally, to ensure you nail both forms of slog, daily, get your mission statement, your ‘why’ up on a wall, big and bold, read it out loud every day and be determined that everything you do only fulfils your ‘why’, not somebody else’s.
4 – Surround yourself with positivity. We all know this, but how many of you actually put this into practice? By working from home you can be surrounded by the most positive power you know, yourself. But you are vulnerable to those neggy folk who still seek your attention through social media and email. We strongly recommend that you aim to break the delete button on your keyboard and take these rotters firmly out of your superbly exciting world, if they aren’t paying rent when they get into your head, evict them, now! Once again, we’d like to remind you that you are human and humans are sociable creatures, we need interaction, becoming a hermit in your home office is not good for your mental health and can put the brakes on inspiration. Whether you prefer to interact with family, friends or business peers, do it at least once a day.
5 – Do something for yourself, daily. This is possibly the biggest challenge for home-based business owners because we are the kings and queens of multi-tasking taking full advantage of the great work/life balance we have chosen and created for ourselves. We seem to be preprogramed to be on a mission to justify our glorious choice of life and workstyle and display guilty catholic symptoms if we do something which is just for us, not for business, not for the family but for us and us alone. How bonkers is that? If our bodies and minds are not fit, healthy and happy, how can we be our best in business? Find a way every day of exercising your body and your mind, whatever floats your boat, do it and if you hear yourself saying ‘but I don’t have the time’, see rule 1, again.
To find out more about taking control of your time, life and finances through our products and philosophy visit:
https://franchise.domestic-angels.com/ for your own Domestic Angels business or
https://domestic-angels.com/ for an Angel to help in your home
If you prefer a purposeful chat, a spot of human interaction, you can contact Sam and the team on 01202 267350 most mornings.