13 Work at Home Pitfalls the Get Rich Quick Crowd Won’t Tell You

Ahh, the joys of starting a home business.  But is it all as fine and dandy as it seems? Read my lighthearted (but reasonably factual) post about the downside of working from home.  But don’t despair, I’ve also included some solutions for you too!

1. It’s Hard Getting Out of Bed

If you’ve been a wage slave for years and years it can be tough moving from the regimented routine of a traditional work situation to the free wheeling world of self employment.
SOLUTION.  Kick yourself in the ass and get out of bed!  If you need to, set an alarm or something.

2. You’ll Be Lonely

It can get very lonely working from home particularly if you’re the sort of person who loves the camaraderie of a vibrant workplace.
SOLUTION. Organise a few buddies who are also working from home.  Talk to them every day or at least once a week.  Also hop on the phone and talk to other people.  Finally, use social media to keep the interactions happening

3. You’ll Get Discouraged

It WILL happen!  I don’t care who you are, if you’ve got a pulse it is inevitable that you will have setbacks and will from time to time be affected by those setbacks.  It’s a completely normal human reaction.  But the question is this: how do you handle the down times?
SOLUTION.  Here is what you do: talk to people in the morning.  I do this and it works a treat.  It gets the adrenaline going and makes me feel good. Ideally you will talk to customers or potential customers.

4. Your Significant Other Will Piss You Off

She (or he) may.  My (late) wife was great when I got started in my home business.  She supported me 100% and I am very grateful for that.  But I know for sure that some partners can be negative and that negativity will tend to undermine the budding business builder.  It can be a deadly poison that undermines you on a regular basis.
SOLUTION. Here is what you do: Tell him or her to go for a long walk, maybe for a day or five.  Alternatively you could ship him out to Siberia for a camping expedition.  Hopefully he will be eaten by large bears. Perfect.

5. You’ll Get Distracted

Some people are like butterflies.  They flit.  They flit from this idea to that idea, from this project to the next, but never seem to accomplish much and finish what they start.  There are lots of distractions we can be tempted by, but in reality many of them will not produce income or get us to our goals.
SOLUTION.  Find yourself an accountability partner who won’t buy your stories and BS.  That’s what I did.  Works a treat.

6. You’ll Have Setbacks

Yes you will.  It’s inevitable that some of your best laid plans will crumble like like an Easter egg that gets stomped on by an overenthusiastic kid.
SOLUTION.  Hang in there buster! 

7. Your Friends Will Laugh At You

They may.  It really depends on the quality of your friends, eh?  But frankly if they do laugh at you they weren’t really friends after all, right?
SOLUTION.  Try this: make some money first.  Then invite them for a BBQ to celebrate.  Perfect opportunity to rub their miserable noses in it.  Better option – lose them (and replace them with better quality people).

8. You’ll Become a Substance Abuser

You probably won’t.  Or at least I hope you won’t.  There are few things in life that are worse than to be consumed by the lust for substances such as alcohol, illicit (and legal) drugs, and of course cigarettes.  Even excessive coffee can be quite unhealthy (bad for the kidneys for starters).
SOLUTION.  Read the Bible where it says your body is a temple.  For God’s sake give your body some respect, its the only one you’ve got.

9. You’ll Be Hooked On Porn

One for the guys.  This is somewhat tongue in cheek (pardon the pun) but for guys especially this kind of a bad habit is one that is easy to get into.
SOLUTION.  Have fun with your wife instead!  (She can’t be that bad, right?)

10. Work Will Take Over Your Life

It can and often does become an all consuming obsession.  This is understandable in the early stages when you’re trying to get some momentum happening.  But even then you should take time out.
SOLUTION.  Here is what I do to break the work cycle.  I take a nap every day.  Then after my evening meal I go for a long walk.  It’s quite therapeutic.  Highly recommended.

11. You’ll Get Fat

Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day or more is the epitome of a sedentary lifestyle.  That, combined with poor diet will mean you’ll pile on the pounds alarmingly.
SOLUTION.  Develop a daily exercise routine.  Force yourself to take time out from the biz.  Also cut down on high fat and sugar foods!

12. You’ve Got to Watch the Bottom Line

Whatever you do don’t confuse business income with personal income.  Do not treat your business revenue (assuming you’ve got some!) as your personal income.  It will be a recipe for disaster.
SOLUTION.  Set up two accounts: one for business and one for personal.  When appropriate draw some funds for your personal expenses but only after all your business expenses have been paid.

13. You Have to Take Full Responsibility

Ouch!  Yes you have to ‘man up’ and take total ownership of your new venture.
SOLUTION. Just do it.  ‘Nuff said.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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