Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

Abraham Lincoln

s merchant level salespeople, many of you run businesses from home offices. There are multiple benefits to working from home, including a 10- to 20-foot commute, a decrease in office politics and perhaps some tax write-offs. However, those benefits come at a price.

If you work from home, you face the daunting dilemma of creating a clear differentiation between your professional and personal lives. Since you work and live in the same building, the lines can easily become blurred. That's why it's imperative that you establish clear boundaries to separate these divergent roles.

And it's equally important to clearly communicate those boundaries to personal and business contacts. If boundaries are not set and honored, both home and work lives will suffer.

Below are some behaviors that indicate others are unaware of your work/home boundaries or are choosing to ignore them:

• Friends or family call you during business hours.
• When personal contacts call your home phone and you don't answer, they then call your business line.
• You are expected to fulfill nonwork obligations, such as running an errand or giving someone a ride, during business hours.
• Neighbors drop by during the day "just to chat" because they know you are home.

If these scenarios sound familiar, it's time to set some serious boundaries and make sure everyone is clear about where you work, when you work and how you work. Here are some tips

Set your business hours

Decide on your business hours, and inform everyone in and out of your household of them. For those in the home, post the hours on the office door, or in a common area. This lets everyone know when you can and cannot be approached.

Be sure to include scheduled breaks (lunch, etc.) so they will know when it is OK to seek your company. Setting business hours also helps you mentally clock in and out of work each morning and evening.

Have a defined workspace

A major component of a successful home-based business is a clearly defined workspace that is conducive to your work. Setting up shop at the dining room table or in the corner of your bedroom will not work.

These are spaces that others in the household use. Not only is it unfair to expect them to avoid these areas for 40 or more hours each week, it is inevitable that you will have interruptions. (Not to mention the hassles of clearing papers off the table for dinner each evening.) You need a space separate from the rest of the home, with a door that can be closed and, if possible, a separate entrance.

Dress the part

You may feel a bit silly dressing in work attire for the walk down the hall or to the garage, but this helps make the transition from home to work. Donning a suit may be a bit much, but you should wear appropriate business clothing.

Not only will you be in a business frame of mind, you will also be prepared to visit clients if a last-minute meeting arises. Also, seeing you in your work attire may help neighbors or solicitors understand that you are at work, and it is not appropriate to socialize during business hours.

Limit personal responsibilities

When professionals work from home, they run the risk of taking on too much. For example, some may feel that since they no longer have a 30-minute commute twice a day, they now have an extra hour to tend to personal matters. Rarely does it work this way.

Working from home often means an unpredictable schedule with longer hours. Don't even consider a remodeling project or a new pet. Both are time-consuming, somewhat uncontrollable and noisy ventures. Projects such as these should wait until another household member can commit to them.

With the proliferation of laptops, cell phones, pagers and PDAs, it's a challenge to separate your professional and personal lives. If you work from a home office, the challenge is 10 times greater.

That's why it is so important for home-office professionals to set clear boundaries and make sure all involved are aware of them. Set office hours, have an office separate from the rest of the home, dress for success and don't take on additional obligations. These actions will help others understand your commitment and respect your wishes to be committed to your business.