You couldn’t be prouder of what you do. It isn’t easy building a business, and working out of your home only makes it more difficult to separate work and life, to communicate with associates and to perform other essential entrepreneurial tasks. That you are surviving should be marvelous in itself, but that you could thrive as an at-home entrepreneur rarely earns as much respect as you might expect.
Though the numbers of remote and self-employed workers are growing, there is still widespread misunderstanding of what it means to work from home. If you are looking to prove to others that you are as worthy of prestige as other entrepreneurs, here are a few tips and tricks.
Gain Credentials
If your achievements don’t produce a few oohs and ahhs, your degrees might. Returning to school can benefit your business in a number of ways by providing you with advanced knowledge and skill in business-related fields. Plus, you can complete entire degree programs over the internet – from home – so you never take a second away from your business.
The degrees you pursue could depend on your existing education level, your business and your interests. It would be prudent to start with a BSBA degree online, which provides a foundation of critical skills in business administration. From there, you can move on to an MBA, which further enhances your administrative capabilities, or you can pursue a field of study more acutely related to your business. By obtaining the appropriate credentials, you demonstrate your serious commitment to building a business and finding success as an entrepreneur.
Show All Others Respect
In truth, it shouldn’t matter whether you work from home or not – you should always be kind to people. However, too many people don’t pay attention to how they act and react around people who lead different lifestyles than they do, so without knowing it, you could be disrespecting someone else’s methods of making a living. Before you commit too many micro-aggressions, you should alter your attitude and behavior to show more respect.
Unfortunately, because you aren’t accustomed to receiving respect, you might not be in the habit of practicing it toward others. Here are a few key ways to be respectful:
- Listen. Don’t just hear what people are saying, listen and engage with them.
- Encourage. Don’t try to dampen anyone’s spirits, especially if you don’t know the outcomes of their intended actions.
- Help out. Offer to aid in others’ efforts, regardless of what you secretly think about them.
- Express gratitude. When others help you in some way, say thanks.
Avoid Anger
When others make light of your entrepreneurial efforts or disrespect your career choice in other ways, your first instinct is to get made – and rightly so. You have put everything into your business, and it is infuriating when other people don’t recognize your blood, sweat and tears. However, getting angry about their reactions won’t solve your problem; your fury won’t result in their respect. Instead, you should strive to remain calm and coherently explain why their beliefs about your job are wrong. Often, a lack of respect is merely a lack of understanding; by informing them of their mistakes, you can win more admiration.
Exhibit Creativity
In some ways, lacking others’ care and attention is freeing. It means you can experiment with your business in bold and creative ways that you might not have risked if you already had others’ respect. Unconventional tactics can be exceedingly beneficial in business; that’s how market disruption happens. Over time, your alternative choices and creativity will earn you reverence – which isn’t exactly respect, but it is close.
Build a Network
There are dozens of organizations intended to help entrepreneurs find support and success. You should join some of these groups to build your network, which will increase the legitimacy of your business. A network can connect you with crucial resources and guidance to grow your business, so you can move out of your home and into a more conventional office space. Then, you can avoid the struggle for respect by proving your validity as a traditional business owner.
Become Successful
Finally, if no other option seems attainable or constructive, you can always hunker down, focus on your business and become an unequivocal success. No matter what anyone says or thinks, you can own your own business if you put in the time and effort and make informed, intelligent business decisions. No one derides or questions titans of industry; if you can build your business into an unstoppable force, you will automatically receive the respect you deserve.