Are you thinking about starting a home embroidery business? Working from home has many pros and cons. The flexibility and freedom are a trade-off for distractions and interruptions. When setting up your home embroidery business, follow these tips to stay on track and make the most out of working from home.
Select your home studio space.
Try to choose a designated workspace that’s separate from your home’s living spaces. This will help you stay focused during the workday. Choose a space that’s quiet and well lit, and large enough to fit all of your supplies, including your embroidery machine. Even if you can’t reserve an entire room as your home studio, it’s a good idea to make a certain corner or desk “for work only.”
Tip: Organize all of the supplies and materials you need for your business in labeled bins to keep track of inventory levels and save time!
Stay away from distractions.
It’s not always easy to stay focused when you’re working from home, so do your best to minimize distractions. Clear away any clutter and close the door to block out any noise. If you don’t need your cell phone for work, set the ringer to silent or put it away completely. Create a phone message that states you are at the machine and will return the call at the next opportunity.
Tip: If you’re having a hard time getting into “work mode” during the day, try dressing in more professional attire to get yourself into the right mindset. It’s hard to work when you’re in pajamas!
Organize your home embroidery studio.
Increase your productivity by giving every part of your business a designated place in your home embroidery studio. Keep supplies well organized, and have a separate area for packaging and shipping. Decide where completed orders will go so you never lose anything.
Tip: Organize your invoices and other paperwork from the start, before you get buried! Decide where all your important documents will be stored, and keep track of monthly costs and profits in a spreadsheet.
Set “office hours” for yourself.
The flexible hours when you’re working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. Many of us get caught up in the freedom of not “having” to work set hours and end up working extra late nights in order to catch up! It’s fine to give yourself some flexibility, but try giving yourself set hours to work during the day so you don’t fall behind.
Tip: If business is slow and you have some free time during your working hours, that’s a great time to work on marketing your business!
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