The Work At Home Schedule

Your Business Needs A Planned Day

Occasionally, I get an email from a student who asks how they can get more done. They feel they are spinning their wheels, though they are on their computer until the early hours of the morning.

The problem comes down to lack of a structured work day and often a lack of focus.

It’s easy to get side-tracked while on a computer. It’s also easy to fall into the traps associated with working at home. I know. I’ve fallen into some of them myself and needed to re-evaluate what I was doing wrong.

So, I’ve created this “schedule” as an example of what a typical day might be for anyone who is working at home, but accomplishing little. Of course, your own hours and tasks can vary from what I’ve shown here, but the point is to actually write down your own schedule and try to stay within your guidelines.

Early To Bed – Early To Rise

The luxury of sleeping in late because you are your own boss and have a work at home business is probably the first mistake we all make as Affiliate Marketers. If you have no live-in “squeeze,” wife, husband, or “significant other,” the temptation to stay in bed until noon is even worse. After all, who do we need to impress? You’re in charge, you don’t have to set an example for other employees, and you can make up the time in the evening, right?

Wrong.

Though you may be able to do this occasionally, making it a habit is not good mentally, or physically. Our inner clocks are naturally tuned to daylight hours. It’s evolution and you aren’t going to change it. We need sunlight. It keeps us healthy, so work near a window and let the light in. You don’t get that working through the night.

Morning hours are our most productive part of the work day. Use these hours to tackle the important tasks of your home income business. Do the dreary, but necessary ones first, such as SEO. Yeah, I hate SEO, too – but I like to do it in the morning because once I’m finished I get to do the more enjoyable things like counting money.  :)

Just like a “real” job, get up at the same time every day and go to bed at the same time every night. Sticking to your schedule will keep you healthier and you will find you are able to follow the rest of schedule more easily.

Exercise Regularly

Having your own business as an Affiliate Marketer can make us sedentary. We don’t even have to walk to our car, or run to catch a train. Because you have that extra time not traveling, use 20 minutes of it to exercise each morning. A simple walk around the neighborhood, or on a treadmill at home. Hasn’t that treadmill done enough as a clothes hanger? You might want to see if it actually works as intended.

Exercise will pump oxygen to all those dormant brain cells and make up for the hours you spend sitting in your “executive” chair at your desk.

Eating Habits – Think, “Healthy”

You need to keep your metabolism up (especially if you exercise in the morning). I can tell you that this was my biggest mistake, in not planning ahead. Too many times in the beginning I would be involved in something on the computer involving my website business and skip a meal, or a snack. Most times it wasn’t intentional. I’d look at the clock and think, I’ll just finish this article first. Then I’d remember something else that needed to be done and then another thing that had to be taken care of before I forgot about it (as if a 10 minute break for a snack would have affected my income).

I’d look back up at the clock and see 2 hours had gone by. The worst part was that I was so involved in a task that I’d grab a crap snack like a donut for a quick sugar high. Not smart. A half hour later, I’d start to crash.

So, lets use an imaginary eating schedule that gives you 5 small meals each day that will benefit your metabolism.

7:30am – Light Breakfast
10:30am – Healthy Snack
12:30pm – Light Lunch
3:30pm – Healthy Snack
5:30pm – Dinner

Again, your work at home schedule may vary, but you get the concept.

Don’t Allow Yourself To Get Slovenly

While “working in your pajamas” may be a great sales promotion for working at home programs, in reality it shouldn’t be done. If you haven’t changed out of your pajamas you haven’t taken a shower, shaved, or put on deodorant. You also aren’t going to stick to a schedule. You may work for an hour and very likely get little done, or never get away from the computer until you decide to go back to bed for a nap… since you are in your pajamas, anyway.

Your family won’t appreciate it and after awhile, neither will you.

Give Yourself An Office Space In The House

Feeling like you’re “at work” is important. You should set up your home business in a room where the door can be closed to outside distractions. Setting up in the living room doesn’t usually work out well – especially if you have a family. You won’t get anything done with the TV on, or family members not understanding that this is a “real job” that provides income. Don’t be surprised if, in the beginning, you hear snide remarks about how your “playing” on the computer.

It won’t be until you start displaying checks and direct deposit amounts to the bank account before you get some needed support from your mate.

This work space can be anywhere that affords some privacy. Garage, basement, or even an outside shed if it has electricity and can be converted. I even know a man who commandeered the family camper on weekdays. Using his wireless laptop and cell phone, he wouldn’t open the door to outside problems unless he was on a break.

Have a Start & Finish Time for Work

Attempt to make your schedule like that of a normal job. If your workday begins at 9:00am and concludes at 5:30pm you should keep to it. Again, with a family, you have other obligations to stay part of the family. Some people get so involved in their home income business that nothing else matters after they see earnings from their efforts. Working for a paycheck will have people running from an office when their work is making more money for someone else. When the business is their own, they tend to put in longer hours on a continuous basis. Remember others you love.

Post Your Workday Shedule

You can schedule your workday and post it on the wall:

7:00am – Wake up
7:20am – Exercise/Walk
8:00am – Breakfast
8:30am – Shower and Get Dressed
9:00am – Link Building and Promotion for Affiliate Sites (SEO)
10:00am – Work on your Best Projects (proven successful)
12:30pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Answer & Read Emails

1:30pm – Write original content for websites.

4:pm – Test new ideas and work on newest website.
5:pm – Read Blogs, Forums, Stats, check new offers from companies.

5:30pm – Finish – Free for all work on whatever you want

Your Internet Connection and Other Communication

If you don’t have a high speed internet connection, get one. Dial-up will not work. Period. There is far too much data that you will be uploading, downloading, and even needing to view that requires speed.

Get a second phone line. It doesn’t have to be another cell phone or landline. MagicJack works fine through a high speed Internet connection and it can be used as your business line.

Set up a free email account (gmail, etc.). Use this account for all Internet business. Spam will come once you are present on the Internet with your own websites, or promotions. You don’t want spam mixed into your personal mail. It’s better to receive it in your business email account.

Stay Organized In Your Work At Home Business

Maintaining records is important in your Affiliate Marketing business.

Make sure you track and keep records of expenses and profit is important. Not only for tax reasons, but for your own benefit of keeping you motivated to continue building your website empire.

Learn to use spreadsheets on your computer. It will make your life easier. Be sure to include all expenses associated with your Internet business. This includes printing supplies, new programs, software, computer hardware, advertising, lunches, gas mileage, etc. All of it is tax deductible. Just because you don’t operate out of a brick and mortar retail site doesn’t mean you don’t have a real business – and you’ll need every tax break you can get as your Affiliate Marketing business generates increased commissions.

Bring In Assistants

There’s nothing that holds you back more than yourself. If your mate is willing, show her how she can help by writing articles, creating images for use on websites, installing links, investigating worthwhile companies, bouncing new ideas off of, etc. Your children, if old enough may also want to make a few dollars by writing articles, or mentioning your websites on their social networks. Make it a family business, or bring in friends if they need some extra income working for you.

Your Top Priority – Enjoy Yourself

Never forget why you started your Affiliate Marketing business. You wanted a better life, more time to relax, and a way to make money to enjoy the better things in life. Don’t be afraid to take the family on a vacation for a week every few months. Don’t fear spending the weekends away from the computer. Your empire won’t come crashing down.

When you reach the point of only needing to work your websites for 5 hours a day instead of 8, enjoy the extra free time doing those things you want to do with those you love.

Not everyone will become a millionaire. Be happy with being a half-millionaire. :)