Of course you can. The reality is, you simply choose not to. Every distraction you list can be overcome with a little determination. If your friends can't abide by your ground rules - they are not your friends. They just want to sabotage your potential success. Lose them! :-)

I guarantee you that when you start paying rent on a workspace, you'll quickly be singing a different tune. There is no greater joy in being self-employed at something you can do from home.

Fine tune your system!

Starbucks? Really? lol

Good thinking

Before you start paying office rent and salary of executives that will work in your office, you need to be confident to your strategy, accumulate money rather than taking loan.

This definitely depends on the individual. I have been working home for years - on my couch!

I am 10x more productive at home on the couch, than I am in Starbucks or any other coffee shop. When I am in public, I am constantly looking around at everything that moves - including people walking in. Conversations distract me. Every little thing distracts me.

I am not tempted to stop working or go to bed when I am home. So it depends on the person.

I rented an office for a year but found I still preferred to work at home most of the time. For me it wasn't worth the money. However, I don't have small children at home so that could change the equation.

When I need a break from working at home I go to the library which is a block away. They don't charge me a penny and it's quieter than a coffee shop.

Everyone is different, so do what works best for you.

Rose

this is true. i work from a 24 hour mcdonalds. it has an open space and free wifi which is not bad. you get the mcdonalds app and get 1 food all day with sometimes giveaways. its not that bad i agree. they also have spaces around the city where you rent a desk as an office. that cant be that bad either.

This all comes down to self discipline and setting rules for yourself and other people. It's also helpful to have an actual office in your home with a door.

Speaking of doors, there's no rule that if someone knocks on your front door or calls you on the phone, you have to answer it. I screen my calls and set up times of the day when I return phone calls. I also never answer a knock on the front door unless I am expecting someone (and if I am expecting them, I've already scheduled them into my routine that day).

I understand why you would want to, but it's all about setting boundaries and self control. I can work at home without being distracted, but it takes a while to make sure the people around you understand that and get proper boundaries set.

I feel you on this man - i had moved in with girlfriend myself and because i work right from home at the time ... it was easy to get distracted as i didn't want to be rude like i am to my other friends who i say to "sorry i can't talk - i'm wired in" ...

So having a cubicle at the library did actually helped - there i could really focus esp. when i have a ton of work to do!

Changing your environment happens to be a great way to increase productivity but With that said I believe Focus is a result of discipline on one's end .If you find yourself getting distracted so easily then go with this way as well If not,stick to what works best for you.

Hope this helps.

Good advice, I will also add that working from home has horrible effects on your posture and spine.

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I have been working from my home office successfully for the past fifteen years. As was mentioned above, the time savings are tremendous - no need to hop in a car, on a bike or skateboard to head to the local library/Panera/McDonalds.

The major reason for my success was setting ground rules with the family. My office has glass French doors, and when I really needed to concentrate or was on a phone call, I put a sticky on the glass door that said "I'm busy for the next x hours/minutes. Please do not disturb". After a couple of weeks, I don't think they even read the note - just saw that a yellow sticky note meant that I was unavailable. Of course when the kids were little, they used to press their faces against the glass and peer in as though I was doing something amazing. Most of the time it wasn't that amazing - conference calls!

Save the money and don't get your own office space. Use a space at home and leverage the home office tax savings which btw help with your car expenses. If your home office is the first place you go to during the day, the IRS counts that as your first trip (which is not deductible). So any trips after that to visit clients/library/Staples is deductible. But I digress.

Stay at home - and in my case, I avoid the snow in the winter!

Everyone needs to find the best place for them. If yours is Starbucks then great you have found somewhere that works for you. That may not be the best way for someone else, maybe others can cut out distractions at home or agree with friends they don't come round during certain hours of the day so they can be productive. That is down to the individual. Anyone that is struggling with productivity needs to assess what is going wrong and find a solution that suits them.

I am glad you have found your answer and productivity is growing, hopefully, you get to a level where you can afford the office you desire soon, but make sure you have the consistency first so you aren't adding extra pressure o yourself worrying about the extra costs to run your business. Good luck.

ya thats nice idea, when you work from the office you will learn new techniques also.

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Like others have mentioned, it does really come down to discipline.

I run my businesses from my bedroom without any issues.

I can't really see myself working from public spaces - I'd be constantly looking to see if anyone was looking at my computer screen.

hahaha... I appreciate that because I have also faced the same thing while doing online work in my home. I felt uncomfortable when someone entered my room at the time of working. Maximums do not want to give importance to the work when they watch me working at the home. Actually, public place or office is better than home to do professional work . Because home is not the perfect place for performing this action rather there is a perfect environment in an office.
So, I also think that in order to work smartly, an office is a must.

It's all about discipline. Yes there are a lot of distractions. But for me, the PROs outweigh the CONs of working at home.

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This is one of those situations where being a nocturnal misanthrope is an advantage.

Brent

There will be no offices in the future for many professions if not the majority of them. Many companies are already hiring only full time remote teams. Companies like Zapier and Trello hire remotely and more and more will follow. I think when done right and using the right tools remote work can be even more productive and efficient.

Nothing like cuddling up in bed with your better half with 2 covers fully drawn over your body on a cold autumn day writing a good 1,000 word blog post or two

Almost better than sex with my BF

Unless you do a lot of local business marketing, there is no need to have an outside office. Even most local business marketers work out of their homes.

Why would you want to straddle yourself with all of that unnecessary overhead?

Wouldn't it be easier to simply develop a little discipline?

If your friends come over tell them you are working and they have to go.

If they get angry and don't understand then you probably don't want them as friends anyway.

It's funny, because when I go to the office or to group events/meetups I spend hours just BSing and having lunch then I go home and work.

Office for staff (local ones) and home office for me. Just my 2c but after 25 years, I couldn't and wouldn't change it. If you can't be disciplined enough at home or there are too many distractions, you'll need to change your attitude and surroundings. Move to the beach

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This can go in a few directions S. I love working at home and feel distracted in public spots. I'd hate the idea of commuting anywhere, like an office. For me, I reduce distractions at home so I cook, work-wise.

To each their own though. Go with what works for you.

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There was a doctor that worked from starbucks he was entangled in an entrapment case for prescribing narcotics like opiates (possibly afgan imports).

I work from home, sometimes from my bed, but I agree sometimes it is too noisy I go to the library and work there.

Totally agree with OP. In the past I also worked from home and there was so many distraction, so I decided to rent small office and I started to make twice as much as from home office.
Of course to rent office cost money, but you will make a lot more work which will make you a lot more money.

I struggle daily with work environments.

At home I feel cooped up and depressed.

At a cafe or library it's noisy and distracting. I've tried all kinds of earplugs and noise cancelling headphones.

Also, I find that I have to have my back up against a wall. I can't concentrate on creative tasks with anyone behind me.

Ideally I want to have a house on a hill in the woods with a patio and table looking out over the town or lake below. I could work there.

I love the freedom of working from home, much better than working for a boss haha.
But I also agree that heading to the local coffee shop is relaxing and I can get a lot done.

The change of scenery is also good.

To each their own, but I always find coffee shops more distracting than my house. I think it's all about how you manage distractions and how you set boundaries.

If I had friends/family showing up during work hours, I'd put a sign on my front door stating my work hours and not to disturb me. Then, when they show up, they will get the point.

I struggled with family and friends when I first started freelancing many years ago. They would call me any hour of the day and expected me to just be the flexible one. When I stopped allowing this and I started setting boundaries, life got easier.

Part of the point of working from home is keeping your overhead low. If you have to take on an office, you also have to take on a new bill, but to each their own.

Benjamin Ehinger

Hmmm. Let me see. My home office overlooks a lake, my entire mortgage is less than to rent a small office, locally, my dog is keeping my feet warm and it's a 20 ft. commute from the kitchen to my office.

Thanks - but I'm good.

I struggled with this problem for a very long time. if its in your budget, I definitely recommend getting an office space. However it is possible to work from home with no distractions. Set rules for yourself, and for those around you. Rules that will only be followed during your work hours. Continuing to work from home also takes lots of self discipline. Practicing discipline is actually a good thing because I've noticed all successful entrepreneurs have mastered the skill of discipline.

Yes I you must office work and you can office work at home because your depend work is large and small but I suggest this you can a professional skills maker and used for at home

I tried both and i can tell you from experience that its your own choice , wither way can work for you.
If you setup office at home then make a time table , see which time suits you and your family . Another effective way is to talk to your partner or if you are not married then any elder like mother etc . They can easily buzz off people when you need concentration.

you are right Mr. Spartan.

It's all about discipline setting boundaries. I see no reason to get an office unless you have actual employees.

Working from home has its pros and cons.

It does get lonely from time to time. You just need to mix things up. Maybe work one day a week at Starbucks.

Maybe take an hour or two one day and work at the public library.

It can be a nice change of pace and scenery.

This is not bad idea but uncomfortable for at all as for me.

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I work at home, too, and I kind of agree with you that there are a lot of distractions.
But when it is not possible to open an office, and your home business needs to be developed and it takes a lot of time, it is better to stay at home and improve your business until the income will not allow to rent or buy office space.

If your willing power will be greater than you excuses you will not have any problems with work at home Just my opinion

To your Success.

This is true! I have many distractions due to my impulsive behavior. Like Tetris and playing instruments. Good idea.

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Working from home can be just as good as working from an office or public place if you set up a home office room or desk/work station. It's all about focus and drive.

Yea I fully agree working from home can be tough when so many people come in and distract every 5-10 minutes, really messes with the work flow

My experience.....
I work and make living online more than 5 years now... I started working from my home, my room.... but after some time my productivity goes down....

I started to travel... every few months I go and change my room/office for sailboard, apartment, tent, boat or hotel...

Gues what it works... My productivity goes up....

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It's always good to work from a different place. Even another room in the house from time to time can help your mind to focus better.


Different surroundings can help you to create better ideas and visions for what you want :-)

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