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Leaving the corporate world for a home business is exciting. Being one's own boss and making one's own decisions is a great feeling. However, one still needs to have discipline to be effective at being a home business boss. In my home business I have found at least two things that one must be persistently disciplined about in order to achieve success.

First is the work schedule. A home business like any business requires work and often a lot of work. While it is true you do not have to get up at daybreak and put on a suit and tie to drive to work, one does need to set a work schedule and stick to it. I have set my schedule to work 8 to 5 Monday through Friday. I take an hour for lunch. I require myself to work a minimum of forty hours a week for my home business.

When I first started my home business it was easy to become distracted by things that need to be done around the house: laundry, dirty dishes, mowing the yard, etc. It is very important to treat the home business like a regular job and in reality it is a regular job, it just happens to be in the home. If you were working for someone else they would not tolerate you going home to clean dishes or mow the yard, so to be a disciplined home business boss and do not allow yourself to do things other than working on your home business.

The second is in regards to interruptions. I have found it absolutely amazing that family and friends seem to think that just because you stay a home during the day that you have nothing else to do. When I first started working at home I was surprised at the many requests my family and friends had of my time. My best advice, which was given to me by another home business worker, is, *If they are not on fire or if they are not bleeding they do not need your attention.* Now don*t take the statement literally but what it basically means is, unless it is a real emergency do not let your family and friends interrupt your work schedule.

For those of you who already have your home business, you are aware of the many requests that family and friends will make such as fixing their sink, driving them to their airport or watching their kids while they go to the grocery store. If you are not already assertive, learn to be and learn quickly. Fortunately, I have had the assertiveness to say, *No.*

If you spend your time being the *go-for* for your family and friends, your business will fail. You are not at home to be at the beck and call for your family and friends regardless of what they may think. Let them know that. I stubbornly refuse to assist family and friends with tasks during the hours of 8 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Being a disciplined home business boss a giant leap towards creating and maintaining a successful home business. Remember that your home business is a real business. It is a real job. Most importantly, it is your livelihood.