Many small-business people conduct their activity from home. To be successful, a home-based business should be operated in a professional manner. Your business will succeed or fail mainly on the degree of professionalism that you achieve.

Central Maine SCORE counselor Ralph Tuttle makes the following basic points: “You must accommodate for the resources that are at the fingertips of your competitors in a corporate office. That means, obviously, you need a personal computer to generate and store documents and function as a communication tool. The use of email is the quickest and easiest way to communicate, and the Internet is the quickest source of information about anything you need to know — information about your industry, your competitors, business resources, etc.”

In addition, you should have three separate phone lines – home, office and fax – and install voice mail. Clients should never experience the frustration of getting a busy signal when trying to reach you or sending a fax. If you receive another call while speaking on the business line, the caller will get your voice mail so they may leave a message.

Tuttle also advises that you create a “real” office. Set it up professionally. Make it quiet, comfortable and organized. Place what you use most, close to you. Use bright colors or dark colors, face away from the window or toward the window — whatever will best help you concentrate.

Design your business letterhead on the computer and use it for all business correspondence. Use a P.O box address instead of a home street address.

Keep on top of all the latest trends in your business. Join your trade association and subscribe to all the sources that cover your industry (they are tax deductible). These resources offer advice and information, as well as discounts on business expenses.

Don’t become isolated in your home business. Your corporate competition has teamwork and a supportive structure. But you can achieve that on your own by making an extra effort to meet people that can provide business support. By joining a trade association or chamber of commerce, you will acquire new ideas, advice and contacts.

Operating on your own from your home office demands a lot of discipline in maintaining proper work patterns. Separate work time from home time. Set the hours for your workday and try to stick to them. After hours, don’t sneak into the office to get work done, and during your business hours don’t sneak out to run errands. Think of time away from the office during the workday as money lost.

For more information on establishing and operating your small business, contact SCORE, a nonprofit nationwide organization of more than 12,000 volunteer business mentors who provide free confidential counseling and low-cost training workshops. In the Lewiston-Auburn area, call Central Maine SCORE at 782-3708 for information and an appointment; in Rumford-Mexico call 364-3123; in Oxford Hills call 743-0499. Or contact SCORE at www.SCOREmaine.org.

This column is provided by the Central Maine SCORE chapter.