3 Work From Home Tips for Side Hustlers & Budding Entrepreneurs

Hopefully these tips help you #securethebag for 2018!

It's funny - every time I talk to someone about working from home, they have this idea that I lay in bed all day, watching cartoons and occasionally responding to e-mails.

And while I'm no longer making a 45 minute commute, dealing with office politics, or pretending to like people I wish that would just leave me the hell alone, working from home comes with its on set of challenges.

Like resisting the urge to lay in bed and watch cartoons.

If you're working your 9-5 from home with a hustle on the side, or already working for yourself as a budding entrepreneur, these 3 tips will help you get organized, get focused, and get those creative juices flowing - so we can get this schmoney!

Tip #1: Carve Out a Space for Work

My desk space. Minimal clutter for maximum focus.

One of the first things I did when Samuel and I moved in together was set up my office workspace. It's not a full fancy suite or anything, but it's definitely a space that's carved out for working and blogging only. My work space is decked out with my laptop, an essential oil diffuser, writing utensils, and enough space for me to use my many notebooks, iPad, or whatever I need to take notes on. Because I'm a visual and tactile learner, I also have an office-sized whiteboard adjacent to my desk that helps me flush out ideas, reminds me of upcoming projects, and helps me keep up with to-do's across The Mane Objective, Christina Patrice Creative, #30DaysofDope, and more.

Related: My 5 Favorite Photo Editing Apps  (2015)

My living room, although quiet, is better left as a relaxation and social space.

Having a dedicated workspace helps me focus more on the task at hand, while not associating other places around the house as work locations. Some people do like to lay in bed and work from a laptop. I tried that - it doesn't work for me. I either end up wanting to do nothing but lay around, or start associating my place of rest with work. Same thing with the living/dining area. And if you live with your significant other - they will at some point grow annoyed with your clickety-click-clacking of the keyboard while laying in bed. #trustme

Tip #2: Use Technology to Your Advantage

A real snapshot inside my Dropbox.

I learned a long time ago that having documents, photos, and videos saved to my computer and external hard drive were insufficient. Not only are some files huge (hi videos), but what would happen if my beloved desktop suddenly went kaputz? That's why Dropbox and Microsoft One Drive have been my right hand, and my go-to for organizing files, keeping me sane, and giving me access to things I need regardless of where I was.

One Drive is clutch for Microsoft documents and PDFs (if you write for a living you probably have the Microsoft suite of products) - and it's free with your Office subscription. Thanks to One Drive, I've been able to travel, attend meetings, or just work from somewhere else while having vital files still accessible. I can't tell you how many times I've written quick drafts or made last minute edits from my iPhone. 😂

Dropbox is one of the best media organizing systems I've ever used. As many of you know, I've branched off into photography in addition to blogging. I'm sure you can imagine the number of photos I've taken and amassed over the years. Thanks to Dropbox, I'm able to keep everything organized alphabetically - for easy access, sharing, and of course #tbt.  As soon as I'm done capturing photos, I immediately upload everything to Dropbox. I've lost, damaged, locked, and corrupted so many SD cards throughout my years of blogging, that I don't rely on them to retain whatever I captured. Yeah, I'm paying $9.99 a month for storage, but I'd rather do that and have my files forever than find out Bailey ate 128gb of my life.

Tip #3: Get Out & Get Inspired

How could I not enjoy being out in the CX-5?

When I first started working from home, I really embraced the home life. Robe all day. Curls up in a scarf pineapple. Only leaving home to go to the gym, or run an errand or two. And then after a while, I would start feeling anxious and caved in - like I couldn't leave home because I had work to do.

Which is crazy because the whole point of working from home or for yourself is to be location independent. Esepecially with a laptop, iPad, and cloud storage at my disposal.

My next car must have a touch screen in the dash. #nonegotiations

During one of my more challenging weeks of work, I teamed up with Drive Shop and got my hands on this gorgeous CX-5 in that Soul Red color I love so much. Inspired by the bright color and fun spirit of this compact SUV, I got out of the house and spent a few days working away from my house. I visited some of my favorite coffee and lunch spots like Peets, Specialty's (which also serves Peets - yes, I love Peet's more than Starbucks any day!), and Panera. Being out in a different environment gave me fresh air, a fresh perspective, and oddly enough, helped me focus more.

I was so sad that I had to give it back. If I had one of my own, I'd be looking for excuses to drive everywhere!

Thanks to the Mazda CX-5, driving around and maneuvering through traffic to reach my destinations was a breeze. With a comfortable interior and a bomb playlist, I rode through LA, Manhattan Beach, and the South Bay in style.

So even though you may work from home, and those long days in a robe and scarf are comfortable - it's still important to get out and about. See your area from a new vantage point. Get inspired by greenery, architecture, and caffeine. Sit in a coffee shop with people who are likely on the same grind you are. Savor a Panera soup. Flex those small-talk muscles. 😂

Trust me - breaking the monotony does wonders for creativity and focus!

What are some of your work from home side hustling and business tips? Share in the comments below!

This post is sponsored by Drive Shop and Mazda.