As local and state governments continue to implement shelter-in-place and lockdown orders, more and more people are using the Internet to purchase goods ━ from grocery items down to nonessential ones.
The supply chain disruption, the unceasing demands of consumers, and the higher unemployment rate has encouraged several people to join the e-commerce industry as a means of earning money and providing products for consumers’ consumption.
Starting a business from home offers an easily accessible and lucrative opportunity to earn money. With your home as your office, you can avoid overhead expenses such as rent, utilities, and even staff. It does not even require you to have a degree or any work experience in retail or manufacturing goods.
Home-based online business is a rewarding experience as it gives you the freedom to work comfortably in your home and avoid the stressful commute. You are your own boss while spending more time with your loved ones and friends.
Apart from securing licenses, doing necessary paperwork and making sure you have a durable laptop and an excellent Internet connection, making your home business-ready is significant since there will be more changes in your home dynamics.
Here are some important factors to consider when preparing your home for an online business:
Inform Your Loved Ones and Friends
Regardless of your living arrangements, informing your loved ones and friends of your home-based business is important since it will affect them, too. Letting them know that you are working from home encourages them to respect your boundaries.
Create a work and relaxation schedule so that your family and friends will know when it is alright to socialize with you. Your 24-hour physical presence at home does not mean it is an invitation to your availability. Not expressly discussing your home-based online business can lead to unnecessary stress and resentment in your home environment.
Set Up a Business PO Box
Just because you are doing business in the comfort of your home doesn’t mean that you can give your home address to anyone you do business with. Setting up a PO Box for business correspondence separates your private life from your business one. Moreover, having a PO Box makes your business look more official and professional than a residential address.
Find a Workspace
It is easy to let your work life and personal life get mixed up when you are working from home. Soon, you won’t even know where one ends and the other begins. Separating your work and personal life is crucial to increase the efficiency and productivity of your business.
It is important to select an area that you can use as your work station. Consider your day-to-day living, special occasions, and seasonal activities. Find an area conducive to working, preferably one that has good ventilation and lighting.
If available, select a separate room as an exclusive workspace since it offers more privacy and lessened distraction. If nothing else is available, you can select find spot in your house and clear it at the end of the working day. Mark the place as off-limits while you are working.
Optimize Your Utilities
Since you will be spending the majority of your time at home, your energy consumption will also significantly increase. It does not necessarily mean that these expenses are all work-related.
Being at home means you are going to use more electricity to cook your meals, brew your tea or coffee, and more power to light up your homework station. Finally, you will be using your bathroom facilities more often.
Thus, it is necessary to find ways to maximize your resources. Use energy-saving appliances, install eco-friendly bulbs in your home office, or set up your workstation in an area with natural light.
Consider Your Logistics Options
Shipping or delivering products is a vital component that most home-based business owners overlook. Consumers nowadays not only expect to receive their items faster, but they also expect to receive it in good condition. Furthermore, with the risk brought by the virus, consumers want to make sure that the package is safe.
As an online business owner, you should consider these things. Nonetheless, if your business only caters to the local market, you can invest in quality used cars and use them to deliver products to your customers.
Secure an Area for Extra Storage
When starting a home-based online business, you should secure a space in your house as a storage area. It might be a small place for filing small items and paperwork or it a room for all of your work-related stuff. Planning this will help you balance your work life and personal life.
