Do you own your own home based business or are you a home based worker who is employed by an outside company? If you are, you may enjoy the many comforts of working from home. Although working from home is nice and is a dream of many, it can also be very difficult.

Some home based workers have reported problems such as missing deadlines or the inability to always stay focused and on task. If this a problem for you, the solution may be a lot easier than you think.

People believe that home based workers have difficulty because of their apparent lack of professionalism. This professionalism isn’t in how they present themselves to clients and it doesn’t concern the work that they submit.  Instead, this lack of professionalism focuses on the appearance of most home based workers, namely the clothing worn.

If you are working from home right now, what are you wearing?  You may be like many home based workers and  respond with “jeans and a t-shirt” or even “pajamas”.  If you are looking to improve your professionalism and possibly even your performance levels and productivity, you may want to make changes in the way that you dress for work.  I find it helpful to get fully dressed in clothes similar to what I would be wearing if I were actually going into the office, especially if I am going to be connecting with people via Zoom.

Even if you work from home, there are a number of benefits to dressing for success. One of those benefits is the work that you may be able to produce and your productivity.  When working from home, there are typically two types of individuals. There are those who work best when comfortable and those who work best when poised for success. If you are the latter, you may benefit immensely from dressing for success, even if you work out of your home.  It has been reported by many that the more professional you dress, the more professional results you will likely produce.  However, we may dress differently depending on the type of work we are doing at the moment.

Examine your current working situation. If you run your own home based business, does your business require that you regularly meet with your customers?  If it does, you may want to consider dressing for success, even if it isn’t necessarily expected of you. Taking steps to dress up when meeting with clients and customers is a great way to improve your public perception. Even if your clients are used to seeing you in casual clothing, it may be a nice surprise and change for all parties involved, including yourself.

When dressing for success for working from home, it is important to remember that you do have a number of different options.  You do not necessarily need to go all out.  Although business suits are ideal for both men and woman, a simple pair of slacks and a dress shirt may do.

Looking to dress for success to hopefully improve your performance and productivity?  You may want to experiment.  Trying on different outfits is one of the best ways to find the clothes that work best for you.  When you feel good about how you look, you will present yourself in a more positive light and you may be more open to more contact with your customers and clients.  And if you are interviewing for a new job, it might be critical to dress for success.

Of course, the decision to dress professionally when working from home is yours to make, but you may be surprised with the results.

Fran Watson

P.S.  Check out the following article:  https://www.mantelligence.com/dress-for-success-studies/