Even as Murphy's Law seems to somehow be a given when it comes to the small home based business, there are some things you can do to avoid some of the most egregious problems and pitfalls along the way. Consider the facts: you may have crafted a wonderful product, drafted your business plan with care, set up your support network consisting of friends and family members, but suddenly you find yourself at a fork in the road you did not anticipate! Even as these situations happen, it pays to be prepared and think through some of the problems that might come up, even if they appear to be so remote that you do not plan for them.



Potential pitfalls savvy work-from-home entrepreneurs seek to avoid are legion, but here are some of the most common ones:

? The pitfall of having everyday life spill over into the business portion of the home is huge. How often is the temptation to just store some boxes, holiday decorations and other items out of sight and out of the way until you get your garage put together, so overwhelming that before long you have boxes, bags, and clothes in your home office? Make that room off limits to any everyday business and you will nip this in the bud quickly.

? Make your home office an off limit zone to the kids. Train your children to know on your office door and wait to be invited in. Teach them not to bring anything into the room ? especially toys ? and not to take out anything. Teens in particular need to be taught that markers, highlighters, and the office phones are not theirs to use at whim but only with express permission.

? Do not allow your business to spill over into your personal life. Client files, assignments, and other work related items do not belong on the dining room table any more than dinner belongs on your work desk. Do not insult your family by forbidding their encroachment into your home office only to permit your business to encroach into the living areas of the home.

? Respect and keep safe your family time. To this end it is highly advisable to set your business hours and then keep them. Train clients and customers to respect your business hours, and have certain measures in place that may be taken in case of emergencies. Depending on the kind of business you are running from home, the odds are good that a dinner time emergency is highly unlikely to occur any time soon; more often than not it is a customer unwilling to wait and with little regard for your private life and time.

? Structure is important. Structure your day with the help of a desk calendar, and mark off the items you complete to give you a sense of accomplishment. Failure to plan out the items you will have to accomplish will leave you at the end of the day with tasks left undone while you were spinning your wheels doing little tasks that held little importance.