Major world events have a way of forcing you to reexamine your priorities. During the pandemic, many parents were forced to put their careers on hold or leave them altogether in order to care for their kids who were virtual learning. For these folks and for those who simply have an urge to change careers, starting a full- or part-time home-based business might seem really appealing.
Now might feel like an odd time to start a new business, but the moment may be just right. With vaccines being distributed and an end to quarantine finally in sight, the right business will soon be poised to take off in a post-pandemic world. Meanwhile, you have time to plan and make sure your business is ready to ride that momentum toward success. Here are some tips from AVA Business Services you can use to get started.
Prepare Your Home
When it comes to running a home-based business, not all properties are created equal. You may need to make some adjustments to your home, reorganize, or redecorate in order to make it a suitable place to run your business.
This is especially important now since the odds are good you’ve been spending the better part of the last year at home, extremely stressed out. You don’t want to bring negative vibes into your new business venture, and taking time to redesign your space can do wonders in that regard.
You should also make sure you have a dedicated workspace, ideally in its own room. This will help you establish a line between your professional and personal lives. Remember, work-life balance is substantially more challenging when that all happens under one roof.
If you feel like you’re always on the clock — this is always a struggle for business owners — you’re far more likely to wind up experiencing burnout. Using physical space as a barrier will go a long way toward creating a mental barrier, giving your brain time to rest and recharge.
Figure Out Logistics
Some people make the mistake of thinking that home-based businesses don’t need permits to run; however, that’s not always the case. Many areas in Canada require you to have a permit if you’re starting any kind of business, and if you don’t have one, you can wind up in legal trouble.
The easiest way to figure out if this applies to you is to reach out to your city government. They can help direct you toward any paperwork, licensing, or other logistical matters you need to address before you get started.
Build Your Team
Although there are businesses that make it big with a single person at the reins, most business owners rely on a team of supporters in order to succeed. Identifying your team members — and adding them, if necessary — can be one of the most important things you can do when bringing your business to life.
Although employees are naturally part of your team, they aren’t the only people who will support you on the road to success. You can also turn to:
- Business plan writers who will help you create a clear plan of action on how to build and scale your company
- Business mentors in a similar field or business structure who will tell you what to expect in your entrepreneurship journey
- A virtual assistant professional like Deborah Taylor of AVA Business Services to make your day-to-day routine simpler
- Local networking groups where you can meet potential partners or even clients
- Freelancers to fill roles you don’t have the skills or time for
This isn’t a conclusive list of the people who will make up your support team, but it’s a great place to start. Gather a group of allies around you, and you’ll be that much stronger for it.
Creating a home-based business is an excellent way to reach your goals, use your talents, and define your future. We hope this article has given you the foundational tools you’ll need to get your business off to a great start.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels
And a special thank you to Amy Collett of bizwell.org