How to work from home

10 May 2007

Thinking of starting your own business? Get top tips from successful entrepreneur Sarah Beeny on how to work from home

As well as being one of our favourite TV presenters, Sarah Beeny also runs several of her own businesses (on everything from property to online dating) and often spends time working from home.

So who better to ask about organising your time and work area?

Check out Sarah's top tips

• Create a distinct office area.

There's nothing worse than having your work spread all over the house – it's not very organised and it is the last thing you want to see when you're relaxing. Even if it is just a corner of a room create a separate area for working and filing.

• Get organised.

Not being in an office is no excuse not to be organised. You still need to have paperwork systems for incoming post etc. Sort your paperwork into three separate trays. One tray should be for incoming post to be read and sorted. Use a second tray for pending paperwork - this is paperwork which you are currently dealing with and maybe waiting for a response on. The third tray is for paperwork ready to be filed away - don't let this pile build up!

• Reference everything.

Be more efficient by referencing everything so you can find it easily when you need it. Stick Post-it notes on files and paperwork, with notes about your last actions regarding that subject. Reference your emails in the subject heading so you can easily see what you're looking for when going back and scrolling through a long list.

• Designate set working times.

Plan set times of the day to work - and stick to them! It's easy for a morning to pass by while you 'potter' around the house. If you have children, plan your working times around them, it is almost impossible to work and occupy kids at the same time.

Sarah Beeny is the face of BT Tradespace. The site allows those with their own businesses to network with other businesses and chat to people in a similar position. It's a great way to get your business on the web without any of the normal costs.

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