The Home Sweet Home Franchise

Having a Home Based Franchise offers an opportunity for comfort as you can work as per your convenience.

The slump in the economy has made many entrepreneurs go onboard with the idea of home-based franchises. This provides a lot of flexibility and comfort to the entrepreneurs. But there are parameters to comfort and flexibility too. A home based franchise will work properly if it is set up properly and is aloof from the nitty-gritty of home schedules. It is very important to create an official atmosphere to impress the clients.

The first step in setting up a home-based franchise is selecting the place where you want to put up your office. It doesn't need to be large or expansive but should be isolated from other areas. After all, working from home is just not setting up a desk in a corner of your living room.

Setting a schedule:  

One of the major problems with a home office is . . . it's in your home. So the habit of working anytime during the day should be avoided by keeping strict official hours. Set a schedule and try to stick to it by making it a habit. You're at work when you're in your office. Don't allow your friends and family to drop in uninvited. Learn to balance your home and office. Try to end your day on schedule as well. Everybody works overtime sometimes but don't delay things just because your office is at home.

Furniture and types of equipment needed: 

Don’t think that to appear professional you need to have expensive equipments. Speed and efficiency are critical at home but don’t waste money on equipments you don’t really need. Buy a good computer or laptop so you have the flexibility to work. Have a separate phone line for the office even if you are having two phone connections at home. Home telephone connections won’t be feasible. Choose a phone that has messaging, conferencing and speaker functions available. Be sure to invest in the fastest equipment available, so you don't spend your time waiting for things to work. A home-based office should be furnished like any other office. Buy a desk which is spacious enough to place a computer, telephone and even files etc. The chair should be comfortable so as to not give you a backache. File cabinets and sofa chairs should also be there.

Proper lighting:

It is always beneficial to have as much natural light as possible in the working area. If no daylight is available, a combination of general and task lighting will be required. If your home office is in a basement or a room without windows, check out daylight-replicating light sources that will provide energy-efficient, full-spectrum lighting. If lighting levels are too low, there can be negative psychological effects, including depression. To avoid glare, don't place overhead lighting directly above computer screens, and don't put a computer screen directly in front of a light source.

Privacy: 

Privacy tops the priority list to make the home-based franchise office successful. Make it a point to make your office a place where you find seclusion and peace. When planning your office area, ensure that it affords a degree of privacy from surrounding activities. Children should not be allowed to enter the office and make noise. Your franchisor, as well as clients, should get impressed when they visit your office. If a door to the office area is not practical or available, it may be helpful to add signage (e.g., "No interruptions" or "Quiet please") to remind others in the space regarding "work time."