Work from home… be happy and organized… few hints…

Posted on November 16, 2006
Filed Under Business tutorials |

In the last few days I have talked to many people who work from homeâ€¦ and I started thinking what is really important when it comes to setting a business without going to an office every single dayâ€¦

General

* Find ways to motivate yourself. In an office situation, you have a supervisor and co-workers who motivate you to complete your work but when you are working at home, you only have yourself to push you to succeed.
* Maintaining a professional attitude. Keeping your interactions businesslike will ensure that the client does not begin to doubt the amount or quality of work that is being put into their projects.
* Considering hiring a day care provider. Those who have young children may find it difficult to attend to the needs of their children while fulfilling their job obligations.
* Avoid interruption. Be clear to your family that you have a set work hour that require concentration. Set aside a dedicated time for them.
* You don’t have a manager â€” so plan your objectives and goals which you could measure how successful you are at work.

Environment

* Set up a functional workspace. Set up your space so that it contains all of the necessary equipment.
* Decorate the workspace so that it is aesthetically appealing, but try to keep distractions to a minimum.
* Avoid putting entertainment or relaxing furniture or accessories in your work area. This will ensure a clear separation between working and resting. Having a radio (or other music) in the area is O.K., though, to help establish a “workspace” feel.
* Have a door to separate your work and your home life.
* A good chair will help because all of your work will be around your desk, instead of working in an office where your work will be in different places (meeting rooms, hallway discussion, etc).
* Make yourself feel like working. When you wake up, bathe, shave, and wear something other than your pajamas. Of course, if you’re like Hugh Hefner, your â€œwork clothesâ€ ARE your pajamas. At least mentally, however, put on your â€œwork clothesâ€ attitude, to keep your mind focused on work.
* Computer and communication tools: As you are working remotely, make sure you have multiple ways for people to contact you. Make sure you have a good set of computer equipment and reliable Internet access â€” you will need it. Have a backup plan for when your primary Internet connection is down. Broadband [cable, DSL, T1 (if you can afford a dedicated T1 line, why are you working from home?)] would be preferred to dial-up, otherwise you will spend more time up- and down-loading large files than you do working on them; and your time = your money. Therefore, time wasted downloading multi-MB files on dial-up = time lost to making money.

Time and Tasks

* Establishing a working schedule. Having regularly scheduled hours when you work will help you to be more efficient during these times. Be sure to schedule work time as well as break times so that you will not become overwhelmed.
* Avoid working too many hours. In an office there is a clear signal to the end of the day as other employees start to leave the office for the day but at home employees sometimes have difficulty ending their day.
* Start working at the same time. Make sure take this seriously â€” treat work-from-home as a regular office job.
* Avoid volunteering for too many activities. While you may want to help your friends and family members, it is important to make it clear that your work is just as important as theirs and that you have obligations to take care of each day.

Thanks to: “Howto.Lifehack.org”.