Work at Home Job Boundaries
by Stephanie Oliver for Work-at-Home.org
Your work at home job can become either a dream lifestyle or a family nightmare. How you manage your work at home job can determine whether you live in positive expectation or negative apprehension. The demands of working from home are unique and learning to navigate them successfully can bring great reward.
Take this test: A customer, fellow employee or boss calls you at 10:00am to tell you that they are in your area and would like to drop off a fairly large order at your home in the next 20 minutes. You have just finished a web meeting and need to get your 2 year old down for their 10:30 nap. You also realize that you are still in your pajamas. How do you handle it?
A. Let the customer know that you are in the middle of a meeting with another client (this one happens to be a toddler) and will not be able to stop at 10:20 to get the order…suggest that they allow you until 11:00
B. You tell them ok and let them get to know you in a more personal way than is probably acceptable (don’t conduct face to face transactions in your pj’s)
C. Inform the customer or co-worker that you are not available to take the order at that time and that you understand if this is not convenient for them you'll be happy to pick the order up later that day from them at their location.
Correct Answer: C
A -sounds good if they are not going to make this drop in process a norm…but what if they do? It only takes one time to set a precedent.
B-is more likely to create a negative experience with your customer that may cost you the business…not worth the risk.
C-shows that you have developed some policies and processes that protect your lifestyle and still allow you to be consistent in both setting and meeting customer expectations- and maybe even exceeding them by picking up the order at their location.
Just like almost any other good relationship, it is inevitable at some point that your work at home career will at some point begin to encroach a bit too much. When that happens, it will be absolutely crucial that you know what boundaries to set for “your friend”, that you communicate to your capabilities and boundaries in an inviting yet realistic way to everyone associated with you in your work, and present yourself with a professionalism, confidence and enthusiasm that is contagious and effective.
Set policies and limits for your work at home job. Having a pre-determined set of guiding standards helps you know when to accept or reject certain business opportunities and to avoid being imposed upon or taking work or tasks that are simply not advantageous for you.
Ask yourself these questions: What service expectations does this customer or my boss have regarding my business or role in the relationship? What kind of time is required to exceed those expectations consistently? Will that level of time invested bring a return that is profitable for your family, lifestyle, and the business entity? Taking the time to answer these three questions will help you avoid costly relationships that work against your long term goals.
Communicate your capabilities in an inviting and realistic fashion. Make sure that you have accurately judged what will be required of you at each level once you have secured the job. Don’t make promises you are not 110% certain you can keep. Risk is good but only with a certain degree of confidence in the positive outcome. It is better to promise at least one widget and deliver two than to promise two and only deliver one. Set yourself up for consistent performance that exceeds customer expectations. I know that sometimes it is difficult in industries where customer expectations are set by larger competitors or media influences. In these circumstances it is important to find where you fit in the industry and pursue customers that accommodate your station. And communicate till it hurts. This will save you time and retain customer confidence when time for repeat business.
Professionalism and confidence. Working from home is definitely an alternative form of employment – but it is growing and proving to be a more viable way for many men and women to meet the diverse needs in the marketplace. When looking to expand your influence and improve your ‘lot’- always communicate who you are and what you do with confidence. Never make excuses for having a home office! Prepare an environment that accommodates your work at home job or home business but doesn’t alienate your family and undermine your whole purpose for working from home. Create schedules and zones that are clearly defined. This will help customers and family members govern themselves accordingly.
Organize your work and set clear goals. Working from home is a unique gift available to those that are willing to think differently and try new things. Never allow fear of the unknown to stop you from pursuing life. Learn to do it afraid! Action and achievement will undergird your confidence and enable you to see the possibilities.
Stephanie Oliver is the owner/operator of The Embroidery House, Inc.(TEHI), a small home-based commercial embroidery company she founded in her home in 2007. Her company serves over 30 customers nationwide ranging from large church organizations to individual customers looking to purchase personalized gifts through the company. The company’s goal is to become one of the largest providers of embellished apparel and gifts to the non-profit sector.
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