7 Vital Signs of a Healthy Home-Based Business
According to US Small Business Association, over half of all businesses are based out of the owner’s home. However, not all of those businesses are healthy, life-giving enterprises. What does it take to build a healthy home-based business? Give yourself a check-up with these 7 Vital Signs of a Healthy Home-Based Business:
1. Values
- What is my ‘Why’?
- Does it connect to one of my passions?
- How would it effect me if I could no longer do this work?
- How does my work make me feel?
- Am I frustrated or fulfilled by my work?
2. Goals
- Do I have both long-term and short-term goals?
- Are they written down and placed where I see them often?
- Do I make big goals or easily attainable goals?
- Do I use my goals as filters for my decisions?
3. Workflow
- In my line of work, what does success look like?
- What is my process from the beginning to the identified success?
- Am I flexible and willing to change the way I do things?
- Are there areas in which I could be more efficient?
4. Finances
- Do I have a business plan and budget?
- Do I follow said budget?
- Am I paying bills and filing taxes on time?
- Do I need outside help with financial issues?
- Am I using credit responsibly?
5. Clientele
- Are my clients pleased with my products and/or services?
- Do clients refer me to others?
- Do I have a way for clients to evaluate my work?
- Where can I improve my process or product to make sure that my client is completely satisfied with the work I do?
6. Family
- How does my work contribute to family life?
- How is my work a detriment to family life?
- Do I need to ease up on what I commit to?
- What are my kids learning through my work?
- How can I involve them more?
- How does my spouse or significant other feel about my work?
- Does my work drain me or energize me to be with my family?
7. Development
- What are my top strengths?
- What is my strategy for investing in my own professional growth?
- Where can I find resources that will help me grow?
- What conference might I attend this year?
- What book(s) might help me take my work to the next level?
- Am I willing to network?
- Am I willing to be coached on maximizing my strengths and working around my weaknesses?
Make a quarterly appointment with yourself to run though this check-up!
What other “vital signs” of a healthy home-based business would you add?
