Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “there is always time enough for courtesy.” But if you own your own business or work out of your home, you probably don’t have time for much else. Coupling the inherent challenges of owning your own business with the distractions of working at home can create a serious drag on your morale and income. If you find yourself spending too much time dealing with distractions and not enough time working on real issues, it is time to take action. Taking the simple steps outlined in this article can help you increase your work efficiency, and ultimately, improve your bottom line.

Block Pop Ups
Chances are very good that you spend a great deal of your day on the computer, probably working online for much of that time. Your time is too valuable to waste another second closing all those pop ups that seem to be everywhere on the Internet. Cheap or free software is available to stop pop ups from ever showing up on your monitor, and the time you will lose downloading the program will be easily made up for in saved time surfing pop up free online. Do yourself the simple favor and block pop ups today.

Create a Process
Bad habits are hard to break, but so are good ones. If you find yourself doing the same task over and over again, take a little bit of time to sit down and create a formal process for the way you will handle that situation. It can be something as simple as answering a customer or client email. If you do it the same way every time, you will always know whether the email has been answered, where the email is saved, and what, if anything, needs to be to follow up on it. Process-making will save you time on almost everything you do, from reporting to billing to ordering.

Update your Technology
A new computer may seem like a luxury that you cannot afford on your small budget, but when you consider the amount of time lost waiting for programs to load or for the system to reboot when it crashes, you may find the time lost is worth a new system. If you really can’t afford to upgrade your system, think about adding more memory, or updating the processor. Adding software that will protect your computer from viruses and block pop ups can also help if you’re unable to upgrade. Check online for deals and you’ll typically find affordable computers and accessories.

Lock the Door
Just because you work at home does not mean you have to be home all the time. If you have an office where you do most of your work, make sure there is a working lock on it, and don’t be afraid to use it. Shutting the office door is kind of like when you block pop ups – you work on what you need to work on, and not whatever comes through your door. Of course, if you work at home because you wanted to be able to take care of your kids or your pet iguanas, be responsible and never let your family lose out priority-wise to your business. If you’re having too many problems balancing family and business, sit down with them and talk about your issues. Find a solution that works for everyone and stick to it.

Don’t Work in your Pajamas
For some people this may be the entire appeal of working at home. Studies have shown, however, that the way you dress has an impact on the type and quality of work you are able to do. You don’t have to wear a suit and tie every day just to go over the books, but consider dressing nicely when you have a lot to do. You’ll mostly likely feel like you mean business if you look like you mean business.

Owning your own home business can be the dream job you want it to be, but you might need to take a proactive approach to control the things that distract you on a day-to-day basis. Eliminating distracters and increasing your personal efficiency will help your home business succeed.