Are You Ready To Work From Home?
More and more of us are choosing to work from home. Whether you’ve switched your working arrangements or set up a new business, it’s important to make your environment work for you. There’s an assumption that working from home is easy. But that’s not the case. If you go about your day to day life in the right way, you can get loads done. But you need to make sure that you’re ready, and you have an effective setup in place. Here are some suggestions to help you prepare.
Setting up a home office
It’s probably possible for many of us to work from any room in the house. But sprawling across the kitchen table or typing on your lap in the lounge are not practical. If you’re serious about a new business or you’re spending a lot of time working at home, set aside a dedicated space. This may involve turning a spare room into an office, or creating your own studio or workshop. It can be tricky to focus on work when you’re at home, and you don’t need any extra distractions. Try and choose a room far away from the kid’s playroom or the kitchen. You’ll need some peace and quiet to concentrate.
Once you’ve chosen a room and decorated it accordingly, make sure you have the right kit in place. Do you need a landline or have you got a work mobile? Are your printer and scanner connected? Have you set up the relevant work-related systems and installed the right software? If you communicate with colleagues frequently, make sure you have messenger facilities up and running. Google fax is also a great addition to email and phone communication. In the past, you had to have a fax line to receive mail. Now, all you need is an email account and an online fax service.
Before you officially start working from home, have a look around and make sure that you’ve got everything you require. You don’t want to get halfway through a task and realize you don’t have what you need to complete it.
Establishing a routine
When you’ve got set work hours, you get used to a routine. If you’re working from home, you tend to have more freedom over your timetable. This can be a good thing, but it can also be dangerous. If you want to get the most out of working at home, try and establish a routine as quickly as possible. Play to your strengths. If you’re a morning person, start your day early and work through your to-do list. Try and be organized and manage your time. If you’re going to meetings, plan ahead. It’s always better to be ahead of schedule than struggling to keep up.
Working from home offers numerous advantages, but it’s not for everyone. You’ll need to focus and resist the temptation of taking your foot off the gas. Make sure you’re equipped and you have a suitable workspace. Set up an office or studio. Invest in the equipment, gadgets, and software you need before you start work. Stick to a routine, and make lists so that you know what you’ve done, and what’s left to complete.