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Surviving in your own home based jewelry business can be tough!

I have read that it's impossible for the home-based entrepreneur to keep business life and personal life separate. To the extent that no business or job can be kept entirely isolated from personal and family affairs, I agree. But it's essential for the success of your business and the well-being of your personal life that you make every effort to keep the two distinct and apart.

If you have a family, your home-based business is going to affect it in some way, and vice versa. If your business is only in the preliminary planning stages, bring your family on board and make clear to them what your plans are and how they might affect family life. A spouse should be part of your planning from the start. You may want to postpone discussing the venture with young children until you*re ready to launch the business, but you should talk with older children early on.

And, you must make it clear to your family, friends, and neighbors that although you will be working at home in your new business, you are still working, and during work hours you are not available for chores, baby-sitting, ball playing, shopping, shuttle service, or anything else not related to your jewelry business.

For some reason, people tend to think that a person who works at home isn*t really working. Consequently, you can count on them to try to impose on you in every imaginable way. Friends, neighbors, and even family members will think nothing of phoning or dropping in during business hours just to chat, when they would never dream of doing such a thing to a chef, a physician, a teacher, or an auto mechanic who works away from home.

It's also important for your business image and peace of mind that you establish a business routine. You must have operating days and hours, and you must make your schedule known to family, friends, and neighbors. Otherwise, they'll be all too quick to assume you*re not really working.