How to Stay Motivated Working From Home

In 1986, I started my first company, Generic Computers, Inc., in a spare bedroom in my house. I worked at my corporate job during the day and on my new business in the evening. With the help of my significant other (and future wife), I assembled and sold computers.

After a year of working from home, I gained a business partner, changed the name of the company and moved my shop into the basement of a factory. That business developed into one of my current companies, Top Echelon, a provider of online recruiting software.

Related: Want More Sleep (And Better Productivity)? Work From Home.

Because I started with a home-based business, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for an entrepreneur to stay focused when working from home.

If you’re a home-based business owner, you know that working from home comes with a lot of perks. You have the freedom to set your own hours, dress however you want and take care of personal tasks while you manage your business.

But, working from home can also be distracting. If you let disruptions take up too much of your time, your business could be at risk. You need a strategy to stay focused when working from home. Concentrating on work-related tasks is easier said than done, however, when you run a home-based business. To keep on track, try these ways to stay focused:

1. Define your workspace.

You need an area in your home that you can call your workspace. Think of a home workspace like this: The rooms in your home are designed for specific purposes. You eat in your kitchen, sleep in your bedroom and park your car in your garage.

Doing something in a space that’s not set up for that activity usually doesn’t work. How many times have you gotten a good night’s sleep on your kitchen table?

The same goes for when you complete tasks for your business. You need a place…