I’ve been working from home for more than a decade. Working remotely can mean working off-site and online for employers using email, chat, and web-based collaboration apps. Or you might own your own business and have a network of people that you deal with regularly.
Most people think that working remotely means you are in your pajamas all day. And friends and family think you are free to run their errands and talk on the phone all day. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are those days that I do stay in my pajamas, that is definitely a perk but all of my days aren’t quite so easy. I am trying to make a living after all.
Working Remotely – At Home
You should have a designated work area. Sure the couch is the most comfortable place, and there are days that I do work there, but you should have a desk or table set up for when you need it. If you have children, they should know this area is off limits.
You can’t just wing it – as tempting as it is – you need a schedule. Set up a schedule that you can stick too. Working from home can be a challenge to stay focused. The laundry is calling your name, dinner needs to planned, errands need to be run – the list goes on and on. I typically set up my to-do-list every Sunday so I can incorporate all my business and personal objectives so I know which days I have appointments and which days I have more or less time.
Communication is the key to working from home – check in often using your preferred form of communication – Skype, phone, text, video or instant messaging. If you leave services such as Skype up all day, be sure to set it to “away” or “busy”.
Working Remotely – At Other Locations
There are days I love to work at the library or the coffee shop. Working from home can be an isolating experience but it doesn’t have to be.
Netbooks are good for taking on the go depending on the work you will be doing or perhaps your iPad. I find it easier to lug my netbook than my laptop which requires an outlet at some point. But again, it depends on what I am working on that day when I leave the house.
As far as etiquette goes – don’t hog the outlet and do order a coffee, tea or three while you are there working. Hogging the table but not ordering, is not a good thing.
Respect fellow patrons and pack some headphones; everyone doesn’t want to hear the video or music you are listening too.
Consider sharing your workspace with another if possible.
Tools for Working Remotely
There are some days that I can’t be at the computer as much as I would like or at the coffee shop for that matter. I have a BlackBerry with a T-Mobile data plan that allows me to check on everything I need while out on the go. From e-mails to Twitter, Facebook and everything in between, it’s right on my phone and always accessible. Adding a data plan is affordable and comes in handy on many occasions. For me, it’s worth every cent.
Dropbox just might be your best friend. It will allow you to share files and documents with your co-workers/employees so you can keep on top of document changes while working.
It was mentioned briefly above but Skype is a must have tool for working remotely. It’s a definite selling point if you are trying to convince your employer that working from home can be effective. They can check in with you and also see you; seeing faces improves the quality of communication.
A headset can be helpful but isn’t always necessary.
Lastly, most friends and family members don’t understand the concept of working from home. Find a local group to join or maybe a forum on line so that you can find likeminded people that understand what you are going through. You still need a life!