When working from home means saying no, the odds are good that you have already begun running the gauntlet comprised of friends and family members who seem to ask you for favors on a near daily basis. While it is not a pleasant activity, it is required if you wish to run your business, make money, and at the same time keep a modicum of sanity. For all those who might be somewhat challenged in the assertiveness department, here are some tips and tricks that make saying no easier:

Know which of your family and friends are the biggest offenders on a regular basis. The occasional call from the spouse who might wonder if you could stop by the store to pick up some soda or the call from the friend who is having an existential crisis and needs someone to talk to should be considered the price of admission to the human race and thus should not necessitate the use of the word no. Ironically, your loved one that can't forgive you for working late into the night will require a serious conversation in the morning, since they are the one filling up your day with errands and chores.

The ones who are the guiltiest of taking advantage of your work at home time will be the ones that seem more hurt after you say no. To avoid these confrontations it will be wise to install a second telephone line for the business ' an expense you can write off from your taxes ' and not give out the number unless it is a bona fide business contact. Not answering the main line or screening the calls will go a long way of saying no without actually having to use the word itself.

Just because you are at home, you should not equate it to being available. Therefore, you must use restraint and not volunteer for things during your work at home time. While the teacher may implore parents to volunteer their time during the school day to help with grading and the cutting out of craft projects, unless you have a lot of disposable time in the pursuit of your business success, failure to keep that boundary intact will see you as a frequent target for request for help and assistance and may put you in a position where you agree to help out even though you know it is neither in your best interest, not the best interest of your family to do so.

* Forget everything you have ever learned about saying no to friends and family and when the people to whom you have the hardest time saying no come to you again with requests for help, be sure to gladly acquiesce ' right before you launch into a laundry list of things you would like them to help you with. For example, if your mother in law seeks to enlist your help in cutting the grass, trimming the shrubs and doing various other things around her yard during your working hours, sweetly agree and then ask her in the same breath to come over to your house that evening, baby-sit the kids, make the dinner, and also tidy up the sitting room a bit so that you can get the work done you were unable to get to while you were doing the yard work. She will get the point.