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an ad for ironing services in the newspaper.
I thought that was a good idea, as I really did like
to iron.. (very little perm pres was
available) About six months later, when my
ironing business started to grow, I bought a used
automatic ironer, called a mangler. It was an old
fashioned machine with a large roller that flat
items were fed into and came out the other side nice
and smooth without wrinkles. I was excited, this was
going to save me time and energy as I had a big
demand for my curtain service. I decided to
try it out with a pair of my customer’s living
room panel curtains. I happily fed the
curtains to the machine and waited, and waited, and
…oh no! nothing was coming out! Good grief,
the mangler ate the curtains. I
just sat there shocked trying to decide how to
explain this to the owner of the vanished curtains.
It wasn’t easy, but fortunately my customer was
understanding. I’m still not sure what went wrong
but I did get rid of the mangler. So much for
progress.
The collection of suggestions I have put together,
come from a variety of home workers.
Seamstress, bookkeeper, tech writer, artist, tutor,
music teacher, marketing consultant, sales
rep, hairdresser, just to name a few.
PLAN YOUR TIME
It’s very important that once you put together a
realistic schedule, that you stick with it
If 9:00 is the time you CHOOSE to start work,
then start at 9:00 SHARP! If the house
chores are not finished, too bad! You must be
on time for work Always keep a day timer in
the event outside obligations cause you to adjust
your routine. Organization is important.
OFFICE SPACE
Set up an area in your home that is yours
exclusively with your own supplies. Personalize it
with framed certificates, family pictures, and a
bulletin board. A comfortable work space is
conducive to good work habits.
DRESS FOR WORK
Get out of those pajamas and get dressed. Not
necessarily anything fancy, but it’s important to
get ready for work. What you’re wearing really does
affect your psyche You’ll feel more
professional, and your work, as well as your voice
on the phone, will reflect it.
TAKE BREAKS
Always take a lunch break of at least one
hour. Getting away from the job is a must. Use
this time for personal use to do errands, chores,
walk, or read. Be sure to have a bite to
eat. You’ll find yourself more productive
after this stretch and a little nourishment.
A BIG PROBLEM
Because you are at home, your friends and relatives
feel it’s OK to call or drop in to visit anytime.
Everyone I spoke with agreed that this was the
biggest problem. Most home workers
didn’t know how to handle it and said that several
times they had to stay up late to finish work after
a friendly visit. But this is how one woman took
care of it. She didn’t answer the phone while
working, but monitored her answering machine. The
outgoing message was "This is Mary. I’m busy working
now. Please leave your name and message and I will
call you back during my lunch break or after my work
hours" She said it didn’t take long before the
they all got the idea and began to respect her work
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