Sometimes, one of the hardest things to do when working from home is to stay motivated. There are days that I just don’t want to do anything. And when you are your own boss, it can be easy to take a “day off.” (Of course, that can often come back to bite you later when you have to catch up on everything you have procrastinated with.)

The good news is that there are some things you can do to keep yourself somewhat motivated when working from home. Here are some suggestions from WAHM.com to keep yourself going:

* Make a list: Being able to check things off will provide you with a sense of accomplishment.

* Break it down: Large projects should be broken down into parts and milestones.

* Set workable deadlines: Try to avoid unrealistic expectations for your deadlines.

* Take frequent breaks: Taking regular breaks to refresh yourself can help. I like to take these after I have accomplished two or three things on my list.

* Reward yourself: Sometimes you need to give yourself a pat on the back — especially if you’ve managed to be productive.

Do you have tricks that you use when trying to stay motivated while working from home?

It’s everyone’s dream. A way to make tons of money without doing hardly anything. And, it’s even better if you can get some people under you who can make money for you as well. That way each level below helps support you and build your earnings.

Wait a minute…

Anyway, while this might be serious and legitimate, I have my doubts. But I thought the video was worth watching anyway. Amusing in a sad sort of way.

Happy Friday!

By now, you probably know that you need an online presence for your home business. This is important because it always you to expand your reach, and invites potential customers to come and see what you are all about. Indeed, the Internet is becoming so popular now that many people look online to find products and services. If they can’t find you, they’ll go somewhere else.

Left the Box has a great guide on building an online presence for different types of businesses. It is possible to apply these to your home business Web site as well. You build on basic offerings, such as office location and contact information and move up to what you offer and even add on a social media presence and a company blog.

The bigger your online presence, the better you are likely to do. But it is important to realize that building a credible online presence requires that you put in some time and effort.

Every now and again, you end up with a client that just doesn’t seem to be working out. This client is sucking a great deal of your time, without providing fair compensation. In these cases, you might feel that asking for a raise is a good idea. But what if that’s a no-go?

The Freelance Folder refers to such clients as “vampire clients“. They expect a great deal from you, and because they have been around for a long time, they might be getting a lower rate than you charge now. At some point, it becomes necessary to cut them loose. But, before you do, the Freelance Folder suggests you ask yourselves these four questions:

1. Is this client taking a disproportionate amount of my time?

2. Have I done everything that I can possibly do?

3. Have I exhausted all reasonable resources that I could turn to make this project better?

4. Has the scope of this project changed significantly since it began without any changes to compensation or allotted time?

You may be in trouble if most of your answers are yes. In this case, it may be time to go your separate ways. However, you should do your best to end the relationship positively. In my case, it usually means providing two weeks notice and finishing out the month. I usually just say that I have other opportunities. If you can recommend someone, that’s even better. But be careful! You don’t want to pass a vampire client on to one of your friends…

When you are trying to draw customers to your home business blog or Web site, it is important to consider SEO strategy. And one thing you have to realize is that the future of SEO strategy is actually the social Web. The Future Buzz offers this information on the growing affinity between social media and SEO strategy:

The link between search and social media only becomes tighter as the engines and the social web innovate and integrate together in ways which make both more valuable. From the standpoint of staying relevant and at the edge, the engines and the social web need each other.  They are working together for the benefit of users, but site owners can benefit too by creating a strategy embracing the connection.

Clearly, it is vital to consider your social media strategy as part of your SEO strategy. This means considering which outlets are likely to reach your target audience, and building a profile that reflects your brand and your products and services. While you do not have to be active on several social media sites, you do need to pick some that are likely to help you out.

Besides, social media can provide good networking opportunities for your home business.

Image source: The Future Buzz

One of the depressing things in life is doing freelance work and not getting paid for it. A couple of years ago, this happened to me. I worked with a client who paid every two weeks for work I had already done. Then, after more than a year, this client had some sort of issue. I never really knew what the issue was. All I know is that I didn’t get paid. I tried to contact the client, and couldn’t, so a week into the second half of the month, I stopped writing. He contacted me and assured me that the missing payment was glitch, and that he would pay me for the entire month at once. Like an idiot, I believe him and started writing again.

Well, I ended up losing out on $2,000 all said and done when I stopped listening to the talk and started paying attention to the walk. I thought that, because he had been a good client for more than a year, there wouldn’t be any problems. (And this was before the financial crisis and recession.) So I changed my freelance work payment policy. For large clients, I require payment at the beginning of the month for ongoing work, and for one-time projects, I ask for half up front. This way, I get something for my efforts. I only make exceptions for a couple of well-known companies that are reputable and pay quite well.

Christina Lemmey from Sparkplugging offers 4 tips that can help you avoid payment problems when engaging in freelance work:

1. Develop and stick with a payment policy

2. Discuss your payment policy with each client

3. Consider instituting a late payment fee

4. Develop a collections plan for when clients don’t pay

I find that PayPal works well, since you can get payment faster. After all, sometimes the check really isn’t in the mail.

After a long week of working from home, it’s nice to get out of the house. I know. One of the things about working outside the home is that you get out every once in a while. With a home business, sometimes it feels like you never get out. If you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area, you might head down to a local Mexican restaurant and see this cool rendition of “Beat It” by Michael Jackson by a Mariachi band.

Happy Friday!

One of the most important things you can do for your home business is to network. Networking provides you with a way to connect to others and to get to know people who you can help — and who can help you. One way you can start networking is to actually go out and meet people. Tom Drake, of The Canadian Finance Blog, points this out on Moolanomy:

You could join a group like Toastmasters and not only learn how to speak in public, but the people you meet there can become the start of your network. Other simple ways to start meeting people for your network is to volunteer. Anything from a Chamber of Commerce to the political party you support would be a good place to start to find like-minded professionals.

Home business networking online

You can also do some networking online. There are plenty of social media sites that can help you meet people and make connections. I have actually been able to find gigs through people I’ve met on LinkedIn, Twitter and StumbleUpon. When you go to the right places, and if you have something of quality, then people are likely to notice you.

And, of course, you also have to be willing to help out a little bit. Even as you take, you should also give. Make sure you offer help when you can, and be a willing participant in your network. You will find that not only can it help your home business, but it can also help you develop more meaningful personal relationships.

One of the ways you can help your home business is to get a little more local attention. One way you can accomplish this is by setting up a mini Web site through MyCubi.

MyCubi is about helping you connect with other businesses in your area, as well as providing a way for you to share your skills and products. You can set up a small, mini Web site for free, with MyCubi, and then begin making local connections.

While this doesn’t really replace a full-on Web site, it can actually be a good starting point to help you get a Web presence. It can also help you, as a home business owner, connect with local folks who like to get on the computer to find local services.

Last week, I mentioned that you can use an applied focus technique to get more accomplished during your work at home day. The article I mentioned, from Advanced Life Skills, also included some helpful tips for things you can do to help you increase your focus. Here are some of the suggestions that may help you limit distractions and increase your productivity:

* Have only one window open on your computer.

* Time your applied focus sessions.

* Get up from your work station. I like this one. During your periodic breaks, leave your home office and go elsewhere. It will help refresh you.

* Prepare ahead of time. The example offered by Advanced Life Skills suggests that you do research in one session, and then do any writing or another task in another session.

* Plan email and phone calls for their own session.

Can you think of other ways that help you stay focused?