I’ve heard several people say they get lonely and miss being around work associates; others find it hard to stay disciplined, or they just find working at home boring. I personally don’t find it to be any of those things myself and love working at home, but everybody’s different.

Some people are almost forced to work at home, such as disabled people, single moms that can’t afford daycare, or don’t want to put their children in daycare. For these people that didn’t necessarily choose a home career it can be quite depressing.

For those that chose to work at home, and don’t want to change that part of it, often times another problem arises. It can be called, “wearing all hats syndrome”. Not only do you run a business and play manager, employee, billing clerk, sales person, inventory manager, etc., with a home business, you might find yourself cleaning house, taking care of kids, cooking meals, folding clothes, running errands, and paying bills, all during working hours. This problem tends to arise when there is no set work routine. It leaves one feeling overwhelmed on a daily basis.

To really enjoy a home business and keep yourself sane, it’s necessary to establish business hours and a routine.

If you’re looking at a new business, make up a business plan, include your goals and financial projections. YOU need to know more than anyone where you are headed. Your business plan doesn’t have to be drawn up by a professional business planner, you can do it yourself. Write down hard costs of getting business started and maintained, including costs of licenses, equipment, inventory etc. Don’t forget to include how much income you will need to be bringing in, or have saved up until you start to show a profit. Always have a Plan-B in place. Lack of planning will have your business sinking in no time at all.

Business owners are generally “go-getters”, which means they are usually hard workers. Staying disciplined, even for hard worker can be difficult at times, especially when there is no boss or supervisor around to crack that whip and make you do your work. Getting lazy and not being productive with your business is a surefire way to sink it.

Here’s some tips to keep you on track and keep your business afloat.

Daily “to do” lists are constant reminders that keep you on track. They keep you motivated, and it feels good to cross things off as you get things done. You need to have a sense of accomplishment, and this helps serve that purpose.

Push your business to new heights every day by doing just a little bit more than you need to. This will ensure that it will SWIM.

Break up your day into segments; plan your day properly. Give yourself a proper work time schedule and try to stick with it. Even if you don’t work 9-5 anymore, pretend you do. Having your own home business often means working more than eight hours a day to turn a profit. Be prepared for that. That way you will SWIM and not SINK.