RIDGEFIELD, NJ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/09/07 -- More than 200 home-based business leaders contributed their thoughts to a survey asking them what were the most important factors in running their enterprises.

From their comments, Information Strategies, Inc. (ISI) has constructed a list of do's and don'ts to help individuals starting or running their own firms.

According to JoAnn Laing, ISI's President and CEO, "Working from home makes for longer business days actually spent in the office space."

"Therefore learning how to deal with daily family issues and running a business at the same time is critical," she said.

1. Thou shall not work from the dining room table but rather from a separate space. A spare bedroom or den is best but the key is having it separate from the general traffic area of the home.

2. Thou shall not trespass on the work place. The workplace is out-of-bounds to those that would interfere with good work habits and leave things about.

3. Thou shall have a separate phone line. A customer needs to feel that he or she is dealing with a company, not a family.

4. Thou shall have a separate computer. Having only one computer in the house can be a disaster for a home-based business.

5. Thou shall set aside time during the day for family. Try scheduling in an hour of family time during the day where they will have unlimited attention.

6. Thou shall hire help that could be a houseguest. Inviting someone into the home to work alongside the owner is opening the house to strangers. Be careful who is hired and doubly check their references.

7. Thou shall make friends with all delivery, service personnel. Treat them as valued suppliers and earn extra services and support in times of need.

8. Thou shall keep duplicate records and tape backups off-premises. Every month, records and materials should be duplicated and placed off-site in a safe locale.

9. Thou shall dress for business every day. Many home-based business owners become lax in their dress and that can lead to lax practices.

10. Thou shall not offend thy neighbors. Keep outside activities to a minimum and do not arouse the ire of neighbors. They can make life difficult and annoying.

For more details, go to www.sohobizdigest.com.

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Contact:
Donald Mazzella
Information Strategies, Inc.
201-242-0600
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