When you first started your business, you were likely overcome by the vast pool of opportunity that lay in front of you.

Set my own hours! Wear suggestive or polarizing t-shirts to work! Refuse stupid projects! Name my own salary! Stink up the place with microwave popcorn!

And probably a few more serious benefits as well.

Opportunity does exist in the world of small business, often in the way of small wins and new introductions that might lead to something, someday. But rarely does opportunity just present itself in full fashion. "Here I am," Opportunity said sweetly, "Yours for the picking." That rarely happens. So you have to learn to see all your individual efforts and attempts as building blocks that lead to something incrementally more substantial. Your time is money, so spend it well. Make sure it takes you somewhere you want to go.

From the realm of Viability to the land of Won

Owning a small business, especially in the beginning, is about toiling. It's about digging through the crusty mantle layer in search of the promise that lay underneath: a sustainable client base. To achieve this you likely network and blog, attend Twitter chats and scour connections on LinkedIn for prospecting. You may submit RFPs until you're seeing XYZ's and tire of the "Everything is great" smile frozen on your face at industry functions (where you network some more). You'll do anything to wrench a lead from the realm of Viability and lob it into the land of Won.

That feeling when you win? Yeah, it's awesome. Break out the champagne! Boy, those are smart folks over there at Acme Company. Good people, they are.

But here's the thing, they say. Your work samples are good. We want stuff like that, but on more generic topics. With fewer words. We'll need a draft and links to support material a week before your publication date, just to make sure we like the direction. We'll need editorial control of the final product, so expect rewrites. Sorry, no byline. We'll pay our standard rate. Submit an invoice at the end of the month you produce the work, and we'll pay net 30 days. This is gonna be great!

Pffffzzzt. That's the sound of your balloon popping. Not feeling so hunky-dory with this win right now.

This is one of those times an opportunity may not be an opportunity after all. As a small business owner, you have tough choices to make when deciding what type of business best fits your business.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What were your expectations for the project? How could you have communicated them more clearly, before things got this far? Were there questions you didn't think to ask?
  
  
• Strip away your immediate reaction. Re-think how the parameters really affect your work schedule and budget. Beyond those logistic pieces, does producing Acme's kind of work fit with your vision or values?
  
  
• What will you net if you accept? Literally speaking, after taxes and factoring in a conservative estimate of your time and resources, will you net a figure that's worth your effort? In the figurative sense, will the project provide you with anything of value like a reference, a referral (of the caliber you desire)? What about a good portfolio sample or access to a swanky parent brand?
  
  
• What do you stand to lose? Chalk up some (clearly not a lot) unrealized revenue potential. But what would have been the cost of that opportunity? Time missed with your family during a crazy season of youth sports? Personal dissatisfaction or resentment because you feel trapped? Time better invested in perfecting your craft or prospecting elsewhere? More projects down the road?

The decision to say "No, thank you." or "Those aren't my usual terms, but I accept them." is yours. There's no guidebook, and the resident mentor is out on vacation.

What will you do when you uncover opportunity?

Photo Credit: Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester

My husband and I recently moved into a new apartment here in Chicago. One of the main reasons we selected the new place was because it has an office - an actual separate room, with a window, lots of light and most importantly a door (that closes!). This is a big change for me - my office in our old place was in our living room, nestled between our love seat and the TV.

Needless to say I was pretty excited about having my own separate work space. Despite this, the move itself was a bit daunting. Moving is stressful enough, and when you work from home you have to deal with an office move as well. Here are a few things that helped me minimize disruption to my work life:

10 Tips for Moving a Home Office

1. Clean out those file cabinets - in the weeks leading up to our move I de-cluttered my filing cabinets. Many of the files I had saved were no longer relevant to current projects or were now in a digital format. Moving is a great opportunity to "clean house," keeping only what you truly need.
   
   
2. Try to stay organized - moving can make you feel disoriented and frazzled. Try and stay organized by labeling boxes and approaching things systematically instead of throwing everything into a box at the very last minute.
   
   
3. Give yourself enough time to pack - I started packing a good 2 weeks before our actual move date - this made it seem less overwhelming and stressful. Also, label your boxes so you know exactly what is in each box if you need to get to it quickly.
   
   
4. Have a plan - this is a bit of a no-brainer, but a list of what needs to be done and who will do it will help you stay sane throughout the process. Also, make sure you don't agree to any important deadlines on or around your move date.
   
   
5. Internet - Make sure you contact your new Internet (and phone) provider a few weeks before your move so you can schedule a service appointment to get up and running. That way everything will be ready for you when you move in. I was a bit behind on this one and didn't end up getting Internet until a few days after we moved in.
   
   
6. Inform others about your new address - I've always found that informing people of your new address is one of the most cumbersome steps of moving. In addition to colleagues, clients, family and friends, be sure to change your address with the USPS and update all your online accounts.
   
   
7. Measure your desk - measure your desk to make sure it will fit into your new office. That will help prevent a big headache down the road.
   
   
8. Find the original boxes - I still had the original boxes for my printer and speakers. Moving this type of electronic equipment in its original box will help prevent any damages.
   
   
9. Know what you need to get up and running and pack all of those things in one box. That will help you get back on your feet quickly.
   
   
10. Make unpacking your office a priority - it's no fun trying to work in an office that's a disaster zone. Once you've got the big things out of the way, make unpacking your office a priority.

What about you guys? Have any of you moved recently? What helped you stay sane?

Photo Credit: Travelin' Librarian

Chris Brogan has had a few recent posts and videos where he has included photos of his new office. I read the posts, and looked at the photos and found myself looking at the office, desk, post-it notes and even pens that were visible in the photos.

When I visit a client's office for the first time, I am hyper aware of all of the art, furniture, and books that have been carefully placed in the space.

As an avid reader, a real treat is to survey the books on the shelves of clients around the world.

I have on many occasions made mental notes of books on the shelves, and made sure to look them up when I was back at my computer. I have found some great books on leadership, coaching, education, and diversity this way.

Observant by nature, my interest in the spaces where people live and work can perhaps be seen as paralleling an anthropological exploration.

• Is the office modern? Old? What type of furniture has been chosen for the space?
• What art has been chosen for the walls?
• Are there photos around? What types of photos? Family? Pets? Outdoor adventures or vacations?
• Are there awards or citations displayed on the walls?
• Are there toys in the office? Objects that might be tools to spark creativity?

I have seen offices with stress balls, stability balls, mini pools, big stuffed animals, hanging mobiles, dart boards, a punching bag, and photos of celebrities spanning the decades.

Similarly, I am often interested in the spaces and places where people work outside of the traditional office.

As someone who has been working outside of the traditional office environment for many years, I realize that we can be particular about the type of space that we chose to work.  It is more than finding wi-fi . It is often finding the place that "feels right."

I would imagine that many of us would like to be workshifting with beautiful vistas for inspiration. A recent project in Miami, allowed me to work from my room which had a lovely terrace, and an amazing view of the beach.

More commonly, I am working on planes, in airports, hotels, cafes, and my apartment. I prefer quiet spaces, and ideally spaces that are not crowded. Art on the walls is always a plus, and my preference would be no music.

I like to have my small "to do/idea" book with me, and even if on the laptop, prefer to have my Blackberry out and available. I like to open my two e-mail accounts, and as a Twitter fan - launch TweetDeck when I settle into the space.

I walk into the café near my apartment which is buzzing with people working; some on laptops, others reading, others writing, and am reminded about the different styles, personalities, and preferences of workshifting.

Our personalities and values are often reflected in the spaces in which we live and work. As we see others take notice of the benefits of the workshifting world, it will be interesting to see how virtual office spaces, hotel office spaces, and even cafes evolve.

Perhaps we will see a trend similar to the sleep pods popping up around the world. "Workshifting pods" could be on the horizon. I look forward to exploring some of your pods, and bookshelves in the future.

What makes a work space right for you? Are there "things" you need in order to create a work space that is best for you? Do you like people around in the space where you are working?

Photo Credit: mkosut

One of the things we have been wrestling with is building a sound disaster recovery plan for our business. If you have never done it, disaster recovery quickly turns into one of those never ending rabbit holes that take a lot of planning to get it right. But all of this time I never really translated disaster recovery into my personal life.

Until...

I lost the hard drive on our main iMac in our home. All of our digital pictures, our entire iTunes library, lots of documents, you get the picture. I have talked about some technology sins that I have committed in the past but not having a good backup of this system had to be my worst. I know better, I know how to build a good backup and recovery plan for a business, have done it several times in the past. But I sure didn't have a good one for home and I will bet that I am not alone.

After rebuilding our iMac, and being really lucky to come across a tool called Disk Warrior that saved my hide, I got to thinking about the close call and wondered why I couldn't apply some of the things that I have learned in business to my workshifting world.

Like I mentioned above, disaster recovery can be as big and as complex as you want to make it, but here are a few key areas to start your own workshifting disaster recovery plan:

1. Get a good idea of where all of your important data resides. For us the killer apps on this machine were our iTunes and iPhoto libraries. For you it might be some important work documents. Find them and document where they are being stored.
   
   
2. Identify your must have applications. These are the ones that you can't do without on a day-to-day basis. Document these must haves and then think about prioritizing them. In the event of a disaster you likely can't bring them all back at once. By having them prioritized it will give you a good concrete list to work from.
   
   
3. Now that you know where your data lives get it off of your machine and preferably out of your home. There are several, cloud based, tools to help you do this. Take a look at Mozy and DropBox to get you started. To survive a real disaster (fire, flood) it does no good to have your backup disks sitting in the drawer under your machine.
   
   
4. Take your key list of applications and start thinking how you can make them more resilient. This one can be a tuffy, but if you are a small business it could be that your Quickbooks invoices are your lifeblood. What should you try to get back first? Hopefully you will already have that answered.
   

These are a few key areas to think about but there are certainly many other areas that may be important for you, depending on the nature of your work, data, and needs.

How about you? Had any personal disaster stories that you want to share?

Photo Credit: Will Scullin

Many cubicle employees dream of being able to work from home, either for their current employer or through stretching out on their own as an entrepreneur - living the dream! In my own quest and through talking with other home bound warriors I have been thinking about some mental and psychological triggers and how that affects their performance and their growth.

Below are just some ideas around 5 Mental Workshifting Triggers that affect the way you work away from a traditional office.

Time Management

The first is a critical aspect to your success working from a non corporate office environment. How you spend your time dictates your success. Spend too much time on noncritical tasks and your paycheck, clients and output suffer. Spend too much time working on growing your business or working on tasks and you miss out of the benefits of location independent based working. There are plenty of sites and resources geared towards productivity.

This group includes:

To Do and Task Management - Remember the Milk, TaDa List, Prioritiz'd
Project Management - Bacecamp, Front Office Box
Life Hacking - Life Hacker, Zen Habits
Lifestyle Design - Four Hour Work Week, The Life Design Project, Rock Star Lifestyle Design Outsourcing - Source Control, eLance, Guru
Automation - TubeMogul, Ping.fm

Time management is something that many teach and few actually follow through. Personally I try one system every week only to play on Twitter and read RSS Feeds for hours and wake up and smell the deadlines. The best system I have found so far is the one that fits your goals and growth plans. Those that are ambitious and strive for excellence manage their time much differently than those with lackluster or passion driven goals (or those with no or undefined goals). Every person will manage their time differently from David Allen and the Getting Things Done system to the freelancer working a 9-5 and fitting in client projects with every waking minute, break and crack of free time in the day.

The end goal here is to find a system that fits within your values:

Step 1 - Define your values and goals.
Step 2 - Figure out what it will take to get there.
Step 3 - Manage your time to succeed.

Motivation

The second touch point is personal and professional motivation to perform the work. Seeing the body language and the amount of effort it takes to give and receive response, many home based workers have a tendency to be, for lack of a better synonym, lazy. Getting out of bed, putting on appropriate clothing and getting serious in your spare bedroom or makeshift office is a difficult task for many remote based workers.

How do we program ourselves to be motivated and excited to get out of bed 6 months, 12 months, 2 years after we begin working at home. The feeling you had the first week out of the office is now very distant and the same problems will begin to arise. Remember your first week on your own? Coffee was on at 6am, you ran a few miles before dawn and hopped out the shower with a crisp pair of jeans and even did your hair like you had a million dollar client meeting? Now it's 6 months down the road and the alarm snoozes till 8am. The run has turned into walking the dog to the "spot" and back and your basketball shorts and company picnic tee make your uniform look, well, you get the picture.

One of the keys to motivation is to always have something to be motivated about. If you are working from home just to get by, well, its going to be no different than mulling around in the office. If you started a company and became complacent with your clients and your income, well, then, get used to the groggy 8am wake up call. One piece of advice I got from John Jantsch (Duct Tape Marketing) is that we all need to be striving for the next thing. We all need to be treating our work like we are starting a business, the business of you. What I took from this is that we all need to be working towards "awesome" and whatever that is for you. For me it's a picture of an Audi R8 and some beach front property, right next to a picture of my wife. For me it's breaking free and living on my own terms and everyday I wake up, see these pictures, glance at my goals and get to work before the sun cracks the window.

Finding that motivation is going to be different for you and you will be inspired in different ways. The one thing I know if that we don't NEED Tony Robbins to whip us into shape, we need to find that fire deep down in ourselves and then seize the day!

Single Child Syndrome

One thing that many are not prepared for is the realization that you are working by yourself, in your home, alone. We attempt to supplement this with Twitter chat, Facebook and IM, but the fact is that human to human interaction is such a strong part of how we grow, learn and develop. Communication with people, like real, breathing people is something that helps me get through the day and can always give me a second to remember that no matter what business you are in its a people business.

Some cures for the single child syndrome can include conferences and events. The number one reason people go to large seminars and events is to meet people and learn things. They want to exchange cards, talk about their business and learn about yours. There are conferences and large scale events for every niche, every industry and every hobby on the planet. Some of the best networking for me has come from events where not everyone was a marketer. I've gone to food and restaurant trade shows and events to meet restaurant owners to talk Social Media and online marketing and as one of the only marketing agencies there I had some great conversations that were interesting and a great time that led to great relationships and ultimately business in the long run.

Possibly the newest form of live bodies in a room is the Tweetup. Get on Twitter, find some locals and find a place to hang out. Cheap, effective and very powerful for local community building. Other great sources of finding live bodies (aka not Twilight'ian vampires) Upcoming - Yahoo crowdsourced directory of goings-on in your neighborhood Eventful - Events based on location Mashable's Guide To Events.

Rotating Office Chairs

The 4th trigger is your ever changing office chair, and I don't mean the seasonal upgrade at Ikea (although that would make for a great Christmas gift if anyone is thinking of sending one my way). What I mean is the ever changing office settings from coffee shops to Panera's to makeshift home workstations to buses, planes and waiting places. When you were working in an office or going to school, you were prepared for the everyday consistency. You knew your seat, the time to be there, the people that would surround you and you basically had a routine. Now that your boss gave you some freedom or you made it on your own, your environment is no longer consistent. Even in your local coffee shop your table or chair may change, the traffic flow can fluctuate, new distractions come into play and your routine is now a routine of adjusting to your surroundings.

While you may be thinking that the freedom of choosing your workspace is awesome (and personally I think it is), there are certain time and space constraints that need to come into consideration. I for one, create a great deal of videos for my membership sites and filming screen casts are not going to happen at Panera. Other limitations can include download and upload speeds (even your home connection may not be as strong as those T1's at the old office).

The key here again to to determine your needs and evaluate locations in your hometown that match your goals and workload. For me it's a combination of working at home and in some local spots that allow me to be comfortable and get in the zone to write, record and manage my day-to-day activities. I also plan my days to fit the times at these local spots when I can best utilize their environment. For me its the post breakfast time. I find that arriving at 9am is a great time to get in some culture, then find quiet and hit the zone before the lunch rush. At home, its early mornings before my wife wakes up. I'd love to learn more about your limitations with your rotating office chair. (Share in the comments below)

Communication

The last major factor that I have been studying is the communication piece. I have found that in my companies and in many others this is still a major barrier to growth and stability. While the tools may be there, the lack of follow through and discipline inside of organizations is extremely disappointing. This can include email overhaul at the top of the list. A booking agent friend of mine sees over 200 emails from artists, other agencies, venues and major players every single day. This doesn't include the social media requests and general email. That is 200 emails that typically need a response and posiibly need it with time sensativity (a band en route needing directions or confirmation on a show time). This makes his business awfully difficult to manage even though he can work from anywhere at anytime.

Interestingly enough we live in an information society that can have answers to complex problems in a matter of seconds yet have payments sent to wrong addresses, sent to wrong people in the wrong format or miss the ball with time zones for scheduling. Communication is the number one reason businesses fail and succeed. From hiring new employees, freelancers or outsourcing - the ability to send clear and concise directions can be a major challenge. For work at home employes, being able to communicate virtually and maintain the level of activity can be very challenging out of the gate.

The best resources are only as good as the pilots using them. For my love of tools like RTM or Basecamp, if the orgization or individual fail to use them, the tools ultimately fail (or the user does, depends on whose eyes you are looking from). For many people and entrepreneurs in particular, the idea of communication while workshifting needs to be a top priority as the other elements we have talked about today fall into line if there is routine and efficient communication.

Conclusion

Today I really wanted to share some ideas and concepts that have been brewing in my head over the last few weeks. These are challenges in my own business and in businesses that I have the pleasure of learning about or working for. They all tend to be different for every business but the same in nature and the way you go about setting triggers and responses to combat the situations.

The main theme is surrounding your business and your work with actionable goals that continue to help you grow. Once you have these goals it becomes much easier to develop communication strategies, adapt to work environments, work with teams or by yourself, get motivated and manage your time. Let's talk in the comments below and see how you manage and work with these problems.

Photo by: David R. Carroll

Last week Enterprise Nation, the home business website, went on a roadtrip. Starting in Scotland, the touring team traveled south to meet and film home based businesses in what will become a mini documentary charting the rise in this modern way of working. It spanned 18 home businesses and 1,233 miles.  Whilst out and about, the crew picked up on a few clear trends.

Now is a great time to start - the mood throughout the week was incredibly upbeat. One moment that will stick in the mind is when Patrick Elliott (CEO of Business Link in London) opened an event with a question to the audience of 'Do you think this is a good time to start a business?' - a ripple of 200 voices came from behind and it was a resounding 'yes' - throughout the week we met people who are starting up whilst holding down the day job and others who have come out of redundancy to realise their business ambitions. We met a wide cross-section of businesses and there was nothing but positive chat from them all.

Technology means trade - all of the businesses we filmed are making the most of technology, whether it be Stuart Mills who is applying the web to the pub world, or Malcolm Gallagher who is communicating his business message through online videos; produced cost-effectively from a home studio. Many of the craft businesses are using sites such as Etsy.com and MyEhive.com to sell their products to a national - and international - audience. Technology is clearly broadening the trade and partnering horizons of many a small business.   

Freedom & control - we stopped counting the number of times these words were used in interviews. Having started up, home business owners are finding freedom and flexibility in their working lives and are relishing being in control of their creativity, working environment and earnings.

Ethical - this is a slightly difficult one to put in to words. Every business owner we interviewed is doing something 'good' by being in business; whether it be Clare Nicolson who believes in giving work to the people in her neighbourhood, Emma Henderson who sources fair trade fabrics from India or Emma Warren who offers time and business experience to a charity. They would not refer to themselves as 'ethical entrepreneurs' as such but these business owners are having an impact in many a varied way.

Growth through outsourcing - the adage of 'do what you do best and outsource the rest' is being taken seriously by the home businesses we met. Companies are partnering up and work is being outsourced to professionals. In the case of Bodie and Fou, Karine Kong outsourced the design and build of her website to an expert she's yet to meet! Technology tools such as Skype, email and project management software means there's no need to be in the same place but for others, physical networks are important as a place to meet business partners .. but also just to have a social chat!

It was a crammed and fascinating week that shone a light on what is a bright and vibrant business sector. The documentary will be aired for the first time on Home Enterprise Day [Friday 20th November] when home business owners will be traveling to us!

Home businesses from a range of sectors have reported an increase in turnover and profit as holidaymakers choose the UK as their destination of choice. With the staycation trend set to continue, businesses are preparing to maintain new customers and ensure the sunny times of increased turnover continue.

Results of higher turnover for home businesses came from an Enterprise Nation poll, supported by Business Link. Over 70% of the 230 respondents said their turnover had increased on account of more people holidaying in the UK. The majority (57.1%) also saw an increase in profit, with one in four reporting gains of up to 50%.

Home businesses are benefiting from a staycation trend that looks set to keep on running. According to YouGov 54% of people plan to take their main holiday at home in 2010, more than double the 26% who said they were doing so this summer. With staycationing set to be more than a one-year wonder, home businesses are preparing for the new opportunities this presents.

Alison Vaughan is considering a new colour in her line of Muksaks; her own invention and a product that allows dog-owners to carry dog waste safely and securely. "With the increase in people holidaying in the UK and taking pets with them, I've seen orders rise this summer" says Alison "I'm working on plans for new colours in the range so as well as serving a practical purpose, the Muksak can also be a holidaying fashion item!"

Business Link advises other ways to attract new staycationing customers through incentives and promotions in the form of loyalty cards and competitions, and offering discounts as an effective tool in keeping customer coming back.

Patrick Elliott, Chief Executive of Business Link in London, said:

"Entrepreneurs can take themselves to the next level, setting themselves apart from their competitors by developing tactics to retain new customers. Keeping in touch through e-shots and using creative ways to interact with customers by making the most of social networking tools such as Twitter will all help in making the most of what is a new and growing customer base."

Businesses are taking note. Over half the home businesses polled are planning on improving their marketing strategies (44%) and 38% said they will be customising their products or services.

The general message seems to be, let's make hay whilst the sun still shines!

Photo by: Rob J Brooks

Sales at John Lewis are up 5.6% and organisers of the Edinburgh Festival are expecting a record summer. What's the cause of it? The staycation trend that's seeing more of us holiday at home. Will it last and how will home businesses benefit?

The beneficiaries

In an article reporting on sizzling sales at the Edinburgh Festival and local hotels, Colin Paton of the Edinburgh Hotels Association made the comment "Scotland and Edinburgh have done very well out of staycationing."

It's a message that's coming from other parts of the UK and not just from hotels and B&Bs. There are a number of natural sales happening on account of more British holidaymakers ... such as wind breaks made by Diana Robbins in her home based business, Dart Designs Claire Martinsen must also be smiling. She gave up a 3 hour daily commute to London to realise her dreams and start Breckland Orchard, a company offering traditional soft drinks such as lemonade made to a Grandma's recipe. Her business deserves to do well in this holidaying climate. The same is true for many local food producers whose wares will be sold on busy Farmers Markets as tourists flock to the coast and quaint market towns.

Others benefiting are businesses in the home interiors market as consumers spend on the house, rather than a pricey holiday. Neil Saunders, Director at retail research outfit, Verdict, says:

"If you are not holidaying you probably have a little bit more disposable cash to spend on home improvement or home decoration. And if you're not holidaying you've got a little but more time to do home related activities."

So far, all looks bright. But some customers are miffed. Not by the products and services on offer; more on what's happening with the weather.

Dampened spirits

In a recent article in The Sunday Times entitled 'Chuck another weatherman on the barbie' Roland White reported on a comment overheard in his local grocery store from tourist customer to shop-keeper: "We normally go to Greece every year but thought I'd have a holiday at home this time. I shan't be making that mistake again." Oh dear. Does this mean the staycation trend is a one year wonder and only the glimpse of a bright spot for sellers?

Your views

This is what we'll be trying to find out in a poll asking if you're benefiting from the staycation trend and, if so, how you plan to maintain new-found custom. Please offer your views (the poll only takes 3-4 minutes) and I'll let you know how businesses plan to keep levels of customer service high to keep new trade coming back!  

Please click here to complete the poll: http://bit.ly/staycationsurvey

Photo by: syrenmuse