If you’re working from home and not used to this, it can be a big adjustment. But, we’re here to help make this transition as easy as possible. Here’s everything you need to know about running a successful wholesale electronics business from home.
1. Keep Overhead Costs as Low as Possible
As you get started planning out your business, you’re probably going to need to set aside money for a few expenses. To have a home office, you might need a computer or a new desk. During these times, it’s tempting to spend a lot to have the “latest and greatest” office equipment.
If you have plenty of room in your budget and want the best equipment, that’s fine. But, if you’re like most people, you’re starting a business on a tight budget. Unfortunately, as you start growing your business, your bills will not wait for this to happen.
With that in mind, buy what you need to get going. This way, you’re keeping your overhead costs as low as possible. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities to upgrade your work set up in the future.
2. Have a Dedicated Workspace
One of the most common issues someone who works from home experiences is the lack of a dedicated workspace. You can solve this problem by creating a home office. Having a home office doesn’t mean you need to spend lots of money.
If you have the remodeling budget for a home office, that’s great. But, if not, setting up a laptop in a quiet room works well as a home workspace.
Even if you start working in a home office, it’s understandable to feel tempted to work outside of this space. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to spend time working in your bedroom or living room, just make sure you’re aware of distractions.
Soon, these distractions might cause you to start working slower and hurt your results. If you’re finding yourself dealing with too many distractions, it might be time to move back into your home office.
3. Take Time for Breaks
By law, most companies require their employees to take breaks at specified times during their shifts. These breaks allow employees to eat, talk with other employees, and clear their heads. Unfortunately, many people who work from home don’t have this same system in place.
Working hard is a great skill to have. But, don’t let your work ethic stop you from taking breaks. We know it’s sometimes hard to pull yourself away from making that next sale or excitedly listing your new inventory.
As counter-intuitive as it might seem, taking breaks helps increase your focus and performance. Plus, getting a mental break gives your brain time not in work mode to think over a problem or challenge you’re facing.
You might be wondering about the best length to work and how long your breaks should be. While you should only use this as a guideline, scientists recently studied a group of workers to find out who were the most productive employees.
The results of this study found that the most productive workers would work for 52 minutes and take a break for 17 minutes.
4. Balance Your Work and Home Time
Many people imagine working from home as some type of dream life. While many people enjoy working from home, there is one major downside to it. This downside involves having difficulties separating your work and home life.
And, if you’re like over 50% of adults in the United States, you have a hard time separating your work and home life.
At the end of a long shift, there’s nothing like that feeling of getting in your car and driving home. It’s more difficult to experience this feeling when your home and office become the same location. Because of this, many people find it hard to separate their job and home lives.
5. Set a Schedule You Can Stick With
Another temptation you might face while working from home involves setting your own schedule. Essentially, you’re the boss when you work from home. With so much freedom, it’s easy to work when you feel like it.
For better business results, it’s best to have a set schedule. With a set schedule in place, you’ll know exactly when to start working and have clear times to call it a day.
Also, having a set schedule means you’re not going by your own clock. Without having a schedule, it becomes much easier to either not work enough or burn yourself out by doing too much each week.
6. Spend a Little Time Outside
Certain people want to start working at home because they’re sick of always being away. With that said, most people who work at home will get tired of spending so much time here. Unfortunately, it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting up, working, relaxing at home, going to bed, and repeating the schedule.
If you don’t change this, it’s easy to start experiencing feelings of depression and boredom. To solve this problem and break up the monotony, it’s a good idea to schedule some time outdoors.
You don’t need to pack up the car and take a weekend vacation or anything like that. Even scheduling a daily walk or spending 10-15 minutes in your yard each day is good enough.
Spending time under the sun’s rays gives your body and mind the vitamin D it needs.
7. Consider Renting Virtual Office Space
Let’s say that things with your business are going great. You’re selling lots of electronics and business growth is happening fast. When, all of the sudden, a new client or partner wants to meet with you at your office.
This moment can cause a moment of panic for anyone that works from home. Sure, you might be able to pull off a “let’s do lunch” strategy once or twice. Eventually, someone is going to want to have a meeting with you in a business setting. So, what do you do?
You can solve this problem by renting a virtual office. Virtual offices allow home-based companies to have a physical office address, mailboxes, and even meeting rooms. Best of all, you’re spending less money than what you would on physical office space.
8. Have a Morning Routine
Before someone can arrive at their job, they need to spend time getting ready. When you work from home, this can make your morning routine change. You might be tempted to get out of bed and jump straight into work.
Instead, it’s a good idea to stick with a morning routine. By doing this, you’re spending time preparing your mind for the day ahead. Also, make sure to dress like you normally would for work. You don’t have to put on a three-piece suit each morning, but dressing somewhat nice helps to get you ready to enter work mode.
9. Get Comfortable With Video Conferencing
Even if you’re comfortable with being your own boss, it’s likely that you’ll still need to speak with customers or business partners. To avoid jumping into a possible unfamiliar world, it’s wise to get used to video conferencing.
To do this, just ask a friend or family member to jump on a video call with you. By talking to someone familiar, you can work on fine-tuning your video communication set up until it’s perfect. And, the next time you meet with someone on Zoom or a similar service, you’ll look like a pro!
With video conferencing being some of the most popular tools for wholesalers working from home, learning how to do it is a great skill.
If you live in a house with lots of people or an otherwise noisy environment, think about buying a set of headphones. You can find a pair of quality headphones for about $30-$50. This small investment can be a lifesaver if you’re having trouble hearing others or they can’t hear you on video calls.
10. Stay Away From Distractions
For most people, working from home means dealing with lots of distractions. If you don’t have a plan to deal with them, distractions can have a major negative effect on your work output.
Distractions vary from person to person. As much as we love them, children, spouses, and pets can all be distractions to an adult that needs to work from home. Of course, take time away to care for those around you. Just know the difference between caring for someone and pulling yourself away from work for a long-term distraction.
Making matters worse, distractions don’t even have to be living beings. Your phone, tablet, and video game console can all be major distractions. Some people can also become distracted by housework that needs doing.
It’s easy to take a five-minute escape from a work project on a distraction. The next thing you know, two hours went by and you’re even more behind on your work. Fortunately, there are several proven ways to deal with distracting environments.
One great way to avoid distractions is with music. With a set of headphones, you can instantly get rid of any distracting noises.
If music isn’t for you, it’s also helpful to create a list of what you want to complete each day. Research shows that writing down tasks on a list actually helps your brain work harder to take care of them.
If no one depends on your care throughout the day, you don’t even have to work from home! You can do this work at a shared office space. These spaces are great for entrepreneurs who either find home too distracting or don’t like spending lots of time by themselves.
11. Create a Set Space for Inventory
An essential aspect of any wholesaler’s success comes down to having inventory. If you’re working from home, it’s understandable to wonder where you’re going to store these items.
Most new business owners want to keep costs low, making home storage the best option. As you’re unpacking boxes of new inventory, think about storing these items in your home office or somewhere out of sight.
If you leave your inventory and equipment all over your home, it’s almost impossible to feel like you’re ever leaving work. With dedicated storage space, it’s easier to separate your work and home life. For smaller or already cramped homes, consider renting a storage unit for your inventory.
12. Hire a CPA
As the famous saying goes, “death and taxes” are two inevitable things we all have to deal with. With that in mind, preparing self-employment taxes is often a big change for those who used to get paid by an employer.
If you have the time and want to learn how to do your taxes, that’s perfectly great. It’s a good way to save money, but only if you know what you’re doing. As people who have done it can tell you, it’s not a good idea to do your taxes incorrectly (unintentionally or not).
Incorrectly filing your taxes can lead to paying more due to penalties and possible jail time. We don’t say these things to scare you, but to let you know how serious it is to correctly prepare your business taxes.
Fortunately, CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) help business owners just like you who are working from home. In most cases, all you need to do is contact a CPA. Next, this person will schedule a time and date to meet with you. Before this meeting, grab any business or payment records you were asked to bring and you’re all set.
Of course, CPAs don’t work for free. But, most business owners (especially those strapped for time) find that hiring a CPA is extremely beneficial.