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Author: William Drapcho

When Working From Home Means Saying No

When working from home means saying no, the odds are good that you have already begun running the gauntlet comprised of friends and family members who seem to ask you for favors on a near daily basis. While it is not a pleasant activity, it is required if you wish to run your business, make money, and at the same time keep a modicum of sanity. For all those who might be somewhat challenged in the assertiveness department, here are some tips and tricks that make saying no easier:

* Identify the most regular offenders. The occasional call from the spouse who might wonder if you could stop by the store to pick up some soda or the call from the friend who is having an existential crisis and needs someone to talk to should be considered the price of admission to the human race and thus should not necessitate the use of the word no. On the other hand, the spouse who does not seem to understand that the reason why you so consistently have to be up and working until the wee hours of the night is directly related to her or his filling your workday with chores and tasks will require a more serious talking to and also the use of the word no.

* Individuals who are blatantly taking advantage of your being home will also be the ones who will act the most offended when you say no. To avoid these confrontations it will be wise to install a second telephone line for the business ' an expense you can write off from your taxes ' and not give out the number unless it is a bona fide business contact. Not answering the main line or screening the calls will go a long way of saying no without actually having to use the word itself.

* The notion of being home also being equated with being available needs to be nipped in the bud and it will require you to not volunteer for things during the day in the first place. While the teacher may implore parents to volunteer their time during the school day to help with grading and the cutting out of craft projects, unless you have a lot of disposable time in the pursuit of your business success, failure to keep that boundary intact will see you as a frequent target for request for help and assistance and may put you in a position where you agree to help out even though you know it is neither in your best interest, not the best interest of your family to do so.

* Forget everything you have ever learned about saying no to friends and family and when the people to whom you have the hardest time saying no come to you again with requests for help, be sure to gladly acquiesce ' right before you launch into a laundry list of things you would like them to help you with. For example, if your mother in law seeks to enlist your help in cutting the grass, trimming the shrubs and doing various other things around her yard during your working hours, sweetly agree and then ask her in the same breath to come over to your house that evening, baby-sit the kids, make the dinner, and also tidy up the sitting room a bit so that you can get the work done you were unable to get to while you were doing the yard work. She will get the point.

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